Palash Speaks

Marxist Diplomacy with Hilsa and Prawn
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: alashbiswaskl@gmail.com">palashbiswaskl@gmail.com
Say it with hilsa
Or with spicy prawns from Andhra. Food, especially regional cuisine, is slowly assuming a vital role in politics, reports Anirban Das Mahapatra
The way to a man’s heart, they say, is through his stomach. Trust a politician to know. Joymalya Banerjee, executive chef of the restaurant chain Oh! Calcutta, says he had quite a task on his hands when the call came from 7 Race Course Road the ... | Read..
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070909/asp/7days/index.asp
Phone Fashion
Times of India - 34 minutes ago
A couple of Mumbaikars including Manish Malhotra too walked in to enjoy themselves at the party hosted by Rocky S. Yesterday , we told you that designer Rocky S took his inspiration - a Nokia phone - to new heights in his fashion show at the Wills ...
Celina steals Varun Bahl's show at WIFW Hindustan Times
Rathore's summer line sets the ramp on fire Khabrein.info
ALAPPUZHA: Reiterating that the India-U.S. nuclear deal would in effect compromise the nation’s sovereignty, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member and Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat on Saturday said the Left would not allow the United Progressive Alliance to go back on the terms agreed to in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).
Politics was not a child’s game where one could go back on the rules agreed to before the match began, she said speaking at the inaugural of the eighth State conference of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association here.
“This is not the way a coalition government can or should function. The nuclear deal is totally against the CMP, which is the basis of the UPA government’s functioning.
“The UPA is a minority government which cannot rule the country on its own even for a single day. It is the 61 MPs of the Left, with the CMP as the bridge between them and the UPA, who are keeping them in power. We cannot accept a change in the CMP midway,” she said.
Rubbishing the claim that the nuclear deal would help to end electricity shortage and in turn help poor farmers, Ms. Karat said nuclear power would be three times more expensive than thermal or hydro power.
Questioning the morality and ethics of a deal which did not have the support of the majority in Parliament, Ms. Karat said the situation was such that an Indian MP’s vote on an issue concerning India did not have half the value of the vote of an American senator on the same issue.
“We agree that international treaties do not require the ratification of Parliament. But keeping in mind the impact of such treaties, this ratification is necessary. The American Parliament can vote on the treaty, but the Indian Parliament cannot. Even if we cannot vote on this, isn’t there a moral strength in the argument that the opinion of a majority in Parliament should be binding on the government?”
Ridicules navy exercises
Ms. Karat ridiculed the India-U.S. joint naval drills, saying the government, which said it did not have the money to issue ration cards to poor women, somehow found the funds to conduct such expensive exercises and also to import costly nuclear reactors.
US Imperialism: Hands Off India
Jathas Roll Out Against Joint Naval Exercises
Jyoti Basu, flanked by A B Bardhan and Biman Basu, flagging off the Chennai jatha
N S Arjun in Chennai B Prasant in Kolkata
LAUNCHING the Chennai-Vishakapatnam jatha, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat vowed that the Left parties will mobilise the people and fight to ensure that our country does not come under the heel of US imperialism. Underlining that the struggle of the Left parties is not just against Indo-US nuclear deal but the overall process of making our country a junior partner to US, Karat warned this would entail further assaults on the livelihood of people in the form of US-dictated neo liberal economic policies.
At the other end, a crowded rally was witness to the commencement of a jatha from Bengal against the imperialist-led joint naval exercise off the coastal waters of India close Visakhapattanam. Veteran communist leader Jyoti Basu flagged off the 81-member jatha led by CPI general secretary Ardhendu Bhusan Bardhan and accompanied by senior Left Front leaders. Biman Basu himself travelled until Bhubaneswar in one of the two large buses that carried the jatha members.
Flagging off the jatha, at exactly 10 in the morning of 4 September Jyoti Basu was strongly critical of the manoeuvres and designs of US imperialism that wanted a military base near India. Jyoti Basu pointed out that very soon joint exercise of the three wings of the armed forces as such would well be conducted given the shape of things to come and the outlook of the UPA government. The jathas and the demonstrations organised against all such designs comprised the beginning of a ‘big battle against imperialist forays said the former chief minister of Bengal. Jyoti Basu called upon the UP government to recall the Common Minimum Programme and adhere to an independent foreign policy.
A corss section of massive rally that set off the Chennai jatha
In Chennai, addressing a huge public meeting organised in Chennai by CPI(M), CPI, Forward Bloc and RSP Tamilnadu state units on September 4 – the day the joint naval exercises of India, US, Japan, Australia and Singapore began off the coast of Vishakapatnam in Bay of Bengal – Prakash Karat said the Kolkata-Vishakapatnam and Chennai-Vishakapatnam jathas being conducted by the Left parties against these naval exercises will send a signal to the world that there are patriotic, democratic and secular people in India who are fighting against efforts to compromise the country’s sovereignty.
Karat accused the UPA government of betraying its promises made in the CMP, particularly that of pursuing an independent foreign policy. Ever since independence, our country never opted to become a military ally of any power and pursued non alignment as a policy. Going against this 60 year record, the UPA government has decided to make India a strategic ally of USA and signed a 10-year Defence Framework Agreement with the US. The current joint naval exercises were also an illustration of how US is making India its strategic ally. He charged the government of not telling the truth when it tried to portray the exercises as a routine one. The reality was that our armed forces were getting integrated with US forces.
Among the 13 US warships participating in these exercises included USS Nimitz, a notorious ship which was used for launching air strikes and cruise missiles against Iraq in 2003, which resulted in the slaughter of thousands of Iraqi people. “Our government is shamelessly hosting that ship now”, said Karat. He reminded the audience that when this ship came to Chennai port in July this year, the CPI(M) had opposed its docking. “Granting of refuelling and restocking option for such killer ships so that they can continue their bombardment missions – is this the role we want Indian armed forces to play”, questioned Karat.
Refuting the accusations that the Left stand is motivated by its anti-Americanism, he clarified that the Left is not against the people of US or US as a country. However the Left is definitely against US imperialism. He criticised the government for reaching an agreement with Bush, who is the most hated man in the world today. As part of our new found alliance with US, we would have to accept their economic partnership also. Along with nuclear reactors would come Wal-Mart and other notorious US companies, further ruining our people’s livelihood. Karat said that today in our country all sections of working people are fighting to protect their livelihood. All neo-liberal economic policies ruining their lives are being fought against. The closer embrace with US would entail intensification of these policies. Therefore the Left parties are insisting that India must have its own path of development, which serves people’s interests rather than those of US imperialism.
On the Indo-US nuclear deal, Karat made it clear in his speech that the UPA government must not go to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to finalise the safeguards agreement. “You might have made a timetable with George Bush. But as a minority government you are duty bound to heed the voice of people and the majority in parliament. Among the people, there is a widespread opposition to the deal. Even a majority in the parliament oppose the deal saying it is not in the interests of the country. So do not proceed. Examine all objections, particularly those relating to Hyde Act. Till then do not go to IAEA to finalise safeguards agreement”, warned Karat. He welcomed the announcement of formation of a committee of UPA-Left and asked the government to take the forthcoming debate in parliament seriously.
Karat rubbished the government’s propaganda of the nuclear deal meeting our energy needs by giving out statistics. As on today, nuclear power constitutes a mere 3 per cent of our country’s energy requirements and that even going by government’s most optimistic scenarios by 2020 it will only be able to meet 7 per cent of our energy needs. He pointed out the high cost of nuclear power and asserted that nuclear power is not the answer to our energy needs.
Pointing out that it was not the Left parties but the entire opposition which is against the deal, he however noted that the BJP is a pro-US imperialist party. Karat called for continuation of efforts to mobilise people in order to prevent the government from taking steps to make India a strategic ally of US imperialism. He concluded by expressing confidence that many other parties, including DMK and PMK in Tamilnadu who know the dangers of imperialism, would come together, rise up and protect our country.
Speaking next, CPI secretary D Raja made a forceful speech in Tamil. Forward Bloc general secretary Debebrata Biswas in his speech said that the country is today at a crossroads – whether we will surrender our sovereignty or fight to save our country from US imperialism. Calling this a historic moment, he said the Left parties will be in the forefront of the struggle to save our country.
RSP secretary Abani Roy accused the UPA government of being keen to please Bush rather than solve the problems being faced by the people.
CPI(M) state secretary N Varadarajan, CPI state secretary T Pandian also spoke. CPI(M) central committee members A K Padmanabhan, W R Varadarajan and T K Rengarajan were present on the dais. The proceedings of the meeting were conducted by CPI(M) North Chennai district secretary while CPI Chennai district secretary welcomed the leaders.
SIDELIGHTS
Before commencement of the meeting, the central leaders of the Left parties were felicitated on the dais with shawls. An interesting part of the meeting was the grand reception given to Prakash Karat on his arrival at the venue. Just before he began his speech, there was a firework display for few minutes, forcing him to pause and giving the press corps a few uneasy moments as they feared the falling embers of the firecrackers.
A booklet on the nuclear deal brought out in Tamil was released by CPI(M) state secretary N Varadarajan who handed copies to the central leaders.
The entire surroundings of Purasawalkam in North Chennai were decked with Red flags, festoons and huge flexiboards depicting various crimes of US imperialism across the world, right from Vietnam War to Palestine to Iraq etc. An anti-imperialist exhibition organised on this occasion evoked good response from people who keenly watched the posters and cartoons. There were also huge cutouts of Prakash Karat, one of which had a caption: “We Shall Fight; We Shall Win”. The top of the dais had a blazing slogan: “American Devils Out Of Bay of Bengal” with an image of a US-flag draped skull.
KOLKATA
A B Bardhan said that the US was keen to create a NATO-like alliance in Asia and to pull India into it. The naval exercise was little more than an instance of sabre-rattling and little else. Why India should become a part of what is an imperialist conspiracy for domination and hegemony, was how the CPI general secretary would put it. The CPI leader also pointed out that the nuclear deal between the US and India, would compromise India’s sovereignty, and if the UPA government sought to go ahead with the deal, the Left would escalate the struggle against the move.
Other speakers at the rally included Biman Basu and Benoy Konar both of whom said that the UPA government should move away from the ‘lean’ it had towards the US and stand form with an independent foreign policy for the interests of the country and the people. Senior Left Front leader who addressed the rally included Debabrata Bandyopadhyay (RSP), Bir Singh Mahato (F, Kironmoy Nanda (SP), Prabodh Sinha (DSP), Pratim Chatterjee (FB-M) and Subhas Roy (RCPI).
http://pd.cpim.org/2007/0909/09092007_arjun.htm

Uma Khurana and the role of the media
Md Mudassir Alam
09 September 2007, Sunday
Views: 1087 Comments: 4

The unedited tapes of the ‘Sting’ operation conducted on Uma Khurana, mathematics teacher of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, reveal that she may have been framed. The episode puts a question mark on the role of media today.
THE PRESS IN INDIA is regarded as the fourth pillar of democracy and it is an institution made for the welfare of the country and its people. According to Article 19 (1) A of Indian constitution, all citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression. So, the press enjoys this freedom of speech and is considered an authentic medium through which people of the country can ask for their rights. This past week a TV channel did a sting operation in which Uma Khurana, mathematics teacher in a Delhi government school, was allegedly forcing her own students into prostitution. Following the telecast of the video on the TV news channels, huge chaos was created in Old Delhi’s Daryaganj and nearby areas. The sting operation conducted by a correspondent of a TV channel and an aspiring journalist, cost Uma Khurana her job and reputation last week. However, after the police investigation some other facts have been revealed that are really surprising.
In fact, in last few decades the press has been questioned several times for wrongdoing or for not fulfilling its duties properly, which is really a matter of concern for all. Since its origin till date, the times have changed and so has the mindset of people and along with it, the modus operandi of press has also transformed with the changing scenario.
First let us take a look at the history of press in India. Beginning with the Bengal Gazette, the first Indian English daily, launched by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, till today’s thousands of publications and dozens of news channels, the Press in India has witnessed many changes over the years. We find that print media, has always had its influence on the common people. However in the nineties, with the arrival of satellite television, a major change came in the press, in the form of 24 hours news channels. Earlier radio news and Doordarshan news were the only two sources, to represent the press in electronic form. Way back in 1995, a 20-minute news programme called ’Aaj Tak’ started on DD Metro. Very soon, the Aaj Tak became famous due to its nice presentation in crispy Hindi. From that 20-minute weekdays spot, Aaj Tak grew into a 24 hours News Channel within 5 years on 31st December 1999.
Following the start of 24 hours news channel Aaj Tak, a major revolution came in the field of Electronic media and a number of channels came over the years, that included NDTV, Star News, Zee News, IBN7 and India TV. Now there are over fifty news channels in India in various languages such as Hindi, English, Urdu and other regional languages. In fact, electronic media has given a tough fight to the print media, with several 24 hours news channels, who have neck-to-neck competition amongst them. For getting TRP (Television Rating Point) some news channels go to any extent - breaking news, sting operations, exclusive reports are the few terms that have been used by the news channel to attract the viewers. Apart from these, frequently, some news channels unnecessarily create controversy over some topics, like the recent rebirth story of a 14-year-old boy Rajesh.
Now coming back to the sting operation against Uma Khurana. Last week, after watching the report on the TV news channels all thought that what was shown was authentic. Eventually, the teacher was converted to a notorious criminal for the parents of the children studying in the school and the people living across the nation as well. Uma Khurana was sacked from the job and was badly abused and assaulted by a mob near the school. Later she was arrested and remanded in judicial custody for her alleged involvement in the prostitution racket.
On Friday a surprising development occurred in this case, when Delhi Police arrested the correspondent of the TV News Channel, Prakash Singh. Besides, Rashmi Singh, who writes for a Hindi newspaper, posed as a schoolgirl and the victim of the prostitution racket in the sting operation, was also taken in judicial custody till 15th September.
While talking with IANS (Indo-Asian News Service), a senior official of police said, "We have arrested Prakash Singh, reporter of Live India channel, for carrying out a fake sting operation, which showed that Uma Khurana, mathematics teacher of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya was forcing her students into prostitution. Further the official added "We are currently interrogating him and it seems that he conducted the sting to ensnare Khurana, who had some financial disputes with his friend Virender Arora."
Meanwhile, Live India Channel CEO Sudhir Chaudhary said, "The entire sting is not fake but yes there are weak links, which we also came to know after reading media reports and after police started investigating."
On Friday, the Delhi High court issued strict orders in response to the media reports and asked the Delhi government and the Delhi Police to reply on the authenticity of the sting operation by Monday. However, according to current investigation, it appears that Uma Khurana, was framed and there are chances that the allegations against her may not be true. So, the issue has once again raised a number of questions against the functioning of the media in our country.
Whether Uma Khurana was involved in the prostitution racket or not, for the truth we would have to wait for the order of the court. After Friday’s development in the case, a number of questions arise in my mind that have also been raised earlier by a media critic Ganti Suryanarayan Bhargava. In his book ’The Press in India: An Overview’, he has put up many questions related to functioning of media such as - is the missionary zeal with which the press started in India giving way to crass professionalism? Is the outer glamour of the press becoming more pronounced than its content? Is the media, as an opinion maker, playing more of a negative role than a positive one? In his book, G S Bhargava has raised and addressed many such significant questions while tracing the evolution of the press as an industry and the way it redefines itself with the changing times.
Broadly speaking, raising fingers against the functioning of the press, only due to a few irresponsible reporters or correspondents is not fair. Even today, a couple of centuries since its birth, the press is fair, fulfilling its duties very well and has maintained its credibility in the country and amongst its people. Most importantly, questions will always be raised against the press and it’s functioning. It is the duty of each and every person related to journalism how they understand and fulfill their responsibilities and keep themselves away from controversies.
The President's New Clothes
By J. Sri Raman
t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Wednesday 05 September 2007
Hans Christian Andersen was not thinking of
Pakistan some 200 years hence, when he wrote his
immortal "The Emperor's New Clothes." But the Danish
master's fairy tale may be enacted in a different way
in the far-off land of General Pervez Musharraf.
After months, even a child in Pakistan may be able
to see that the president is not really wearing the
promised new clothes. Musharraf may indeed doff his
military uniform, but very few can be expected to take
his civilian clothes and their symbolism seriously.
The majority public perception may not change, even if
he changes his political philosophy along with his
formal attire.
The revolution in the presidential wardrobe may
cause some instant rejoicing in the streets,
particularly by political parties that may call it
their victory. But the people of Pakistan will not
read too much into a merely sartorial change so long
as the power behind the throne remain the same. And
they would expect it to remain the same in each of the
three possible changes.
* The first of these is the one envisaged in what
was reported some months ago as a post-Musharraf
"contingency plan" of Washington and subsequently
revealed as a scheme backed by the general as well.
Under this plan, Musharraf was to yield his place to
another Bush-friendly army officer. There could be no
better example of a non-change.
* The second scenario, which many currently
contemplate, has the president changing his heavily
bemedaled, beribboned persona for a homely image in a
civilian suit. By doing this, of course, Musharraf
will be taking his long-due retirement from the army,
giving up his dual post without the courts acting to
clip his wings.
No one is certain whether or when this will
happen. The latest we hear is that Musharraf's own
Pakistan Muslim League (Qaid-e-Azam) is now for his
doffing the uniform, though it strongly opposed some
days back the idea of bending to Benazir Bhutto on
this issue. The former prime minister and chief of the
Pakistan People's Party herself sounds non-insistent
on uniform-shedding now, though she had earlier ruled
out any relenting on it.
What is certain, however, is that, by becoming a
"civilian" in this technical sense, Musharraf will not
become any less of a military-backed president. The
army will still remain his main constituency, and it
will still call the shots. The Pakistan Muslim League,
or PML (Q), founded by Musharraf in 2001 (two years
after he took over power), has yet to prove it
represents anyone but him.
* The third possibility is what may immediately
appear a triumph for the pro-democracy movement in
Pakistan. A transfer of power from a military dictator
- which Musharraf remains despite the independence
asserted by Pakistani media and the street protests
the soldiers and the police cannot quell - alone will
not constitute such a triumph.
As every Pakistan-watcher knows, the army has
almost always been the dominant power in the country -
even during its spells of civilian rule, accounting
for less than half of its post-independence life. The
army holds this formidable power because it is far
more than a mere army. As Ehsan Masood, London-based
Pakistani journalist and writer, puts it: "The
Pakistan military is not just an apparatus of the
state: it is the state."
Writing in April 2007, Masood talks of the mega
slice of the country's economy the army controls
(prompting Pakistani security analyst Ayesha Siddiqa
Agha to refer to Musharraf's and other uniformed
rulers' constituency as "Military Inc.") along with
other major areas of national life. Masood points out
that companies administered by serving military
personnel provide Pakistan with a broad variety of
goods and services - ranging from breakfast cereal,
banks, insurance, oil and gas, radio, TV, an airline,
airport services, construction, agriculture, real
estate, as well as schools and universities. "
While the estimated total worth of this economy is
over $100 billion, the army has also become the
leading Pakistani landowner over the years. By abusing
the provisions of colonial laws, allowing military
takeover of public land, the army has appropriated an
estimated 11.58 million acres or 12 percent of the
total state land. The land so acquired is distributed
to military personnel at nominal rents. This
essentially fraudulent practice has made the military
a quasi-feudal class of formidable social clout.
The army has needed political power to retain its
socioeconomic dominance. As noted before, it has
remained the power behind the throne, ascending it
only when civilian proxies seemed unable to serve its
purpose any more. At all times , however, it has
retained old political connections, while seeking to
cultivate new contacts in the political structure and
domain.
The army has been obliged to adopt, pursue and
promote an ideology that has not served the cause of
stability in Pakistan and peace in South Asia. It has
carefully preserved its close ties with religious
clerics and parties, and ensured that anti-India
rhetoric remains an essential part of the repertoire
of every political player. It made the breakup of
Pakistan inevitable with the birth of Bangladesh in
1971, and it made the country's acquisition of an
"Islamic bomb" inescapable.
The fate of Musharraf's uniform will make no
difference to the fundamental fact of the military's
place in Pakistan's power structure. The movement for
civilian rule and democracy in the country will have
to go beyond the general. Enlightened leaders of the
movement will have to proceed into the particulars of
the steps needed to ensure that the 550,000-strong
army is restricted to its professional role in the
future.
By all accounts, conditions are conducive for such
an extension of the anti-Musharraf campaign. Weeks
ago, the president was widely expected to proclaim a
state of emergency and to unleash an army offensive
against the pro-democracy agitators. This did not
happen. One explanation, reportedly heard in
knowledgeable Pakistani circles, is that the military
advised Musharraf against the step, pleading its
preoccupation with the increasingly nasty situation on
the Afghan border.
Some see in this signs of a weakening of the
army's loyalty to Musharraf. Many more, however, see a
certain sagging of the military's morale, with the
popular tide appearing to turn unmistakably against a
continued political role for the army. Now may be the
time for Pakistan to move towards a real transfer of
power - a real triumph.
A freelance journalist and a peace activist in
India, J. Sri Raman is the author of "Flashpoint"
(Common Courage Press, USA). He is a regular
contributor to Truthout.

Remembering Syama Prasad
Mookerjee saved W. Bengal and Kashmir for India
By Dr Dibakar Kundu

The Indian army could send the intruders away but Nehru, misguided by Mountbatten, sent the case to the United Nations to keep it as a permanent problem. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, too, did not want it. I.G. Patel wrote: “Pundit Nehru, then, on the advice of Lord Mountbatten, entrusted the question of Kashmir to the UNO.”
Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s thinking, intelligence, futurist thought, firmness, realistic knowledge and above all patriotism had made him an extraordinary national leader.
He called upon the youth of India to take the fullest advantage of the military training, which the government felt necessary to offer primarily in the advancement of its own interest. In his words, in the modern age, freedom cannot be maintained by any nation even for a single day unless there is an adequate armed strength available at its disposal.
The British had kept India unarmed and untrained, because they could not trust Indians. Dr. S.P. Mookerjee said that a highly specialised training in modern warfare cannot be obtained by India’s solitary efforts. And yet we need this training not in British interest but for our own sake and for the sake of our future stability.
“We demand the right to defend our country, the right to arm ourselves just as free citizens of every free country are being allowed today in other parts of the world.”
He stressed that nation must first be physically strong and adequately armed before it can proclaim and defend moral doctrines. That nation is truly great which has force and strength at its disposal but never abuses them for the advancement of self-interest or self-aggrandisement.
Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee spoke of undivided India. But when he came to know that partition was imminent, he divided Bengal to create West Bengal. He told Jinnah: “You have divided India but I have divided Bengal.” Suhrawardy tried to confuse Sarat Bose, Gandhiji, Sardar Patel and many other senior leaders with his plan of ‘undivided Bengal’. But Syama Prasad could make out that the plan of Suhrawardy was terrible. Firstly, it would remain undivided but later it would be joined with Pakistan through Muslim majority in the election. Obviously Suhrawardy wanted to create independent Bengal. But Syama Prasad opposed this proposal with subtlety. He created a strong movement taking Dr. Jadunath Majumder and many other scholars and intellectuals. The Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Phanibhushan Chakraborty thus commented: “...it was then that Syama Prasad Mookerjee interviewed and harnessed all the mighty powers he possessed to an organised and determined opposition to that plan and he forced a partition within a partition...”
The turmoil that shook the state of Kashmir in October 1947 was unprecedented. Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir appealed to India for inclusion in the republic, but that appeal was ignored initially by Nehru, who dethroned him to empower his friend Sheikh Abdullah. Nehru delayed the march of the Indian army to Srinagar, so much so that Pakistanis were almost at the gates of Srinagar, and the extraordinary heroism of the Indian army somehow saved the situation. Nehru unnecessarily referred the Kashmir case to the United Nations. Nehru agreed to ceasefire at a time when Pakistanis were on the run, thereby gifting one-third of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan. Even today the Kashmir issue has not been solved properly. But Nehru did not pay any attention to the precautionary words uttered by Syama Prasad. Dr. Syama Prasad felt it very well from the beginning that the weak stance taken by Nehru on this particular issue had created a grave crisis. Firstly the Indian army could send the intruders away but Nehru, misguided by Mountbatten, sent the case to the United Nations to keep it as a permanent problem. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, too, did not want it. I. G. Patel wrote: “Pundit Nehru, then, on the advice of Lord Mountbatten, entrusted the question of Kashmir to the UNO.”
On the Kashmir issue, Syama Prasad pointed out that we should withdraw the Kashmir case from the UNO and try to settle the matter through our own efforts. The dispute still continues about the one-third territory of Kashmir which is in occupation of the enemy. On August 7, 1952, in the Lok Sabha, Dr. Mookerjee raised the question that “Kashmir is a part of India and we say it. It is so, a part of India today in the occupation of the enemy and we are peace-lovers, no doubt. But peace-lovers to what extent? That we will even allow a portion of our territory to be occupied by the enemy? Is there any possibility of our getting back this territory?” And he gave the answer that “we shall not get it through the efforts of the United Nations; we shall not get it through peaceful methods by negotiations with Pakistan. That means we lose it unless we use force” [Lok Sabha Speech 1952].
Nehru gave a special and separate status to Kashmir. There was no governor there but only ‘sadr-i-riasat’. The chief of the cabinet there was known as the prime minister, unlike the chief minister of other states. It had its own constitution, separate ganaparishad, and many safeguards. A permit was necessary to enter into Kashmir. Durga Das Basu wrote: “The state of Jammu and Kashmir holds a peculiar position under the Constitution of India.” It was given a special place through Art. 370. Dr. Syama Prasad protested against it strongly. His logic was that if Kashmir was regarded as an Indian province, there could not be any rule of permit and if the rule existed, it should not be regarded as a state within India.
At that time, hoisting tricolour in Kashmir was a crime, and for Abdullah this holy work was illegal. Some patriotic youth op

Write down on the walls of your houses that you were Dasses of yesterday but want to be rulers of tomorrow
Won`t the dalits would learn anything from experience ? Won`t they go back to the roots? Won`t they recognise themselves as blck Untochable aborigis! Pleas stop this infighting and mobilise a world wide Black Dalit Movement!
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: alashbiswaskl@gmail.comFuture">palashbiswaskl@gmail.comFuture of Parliamentary Democracy
Left’s rally against naval exercise to conclude at Vizag
Zee News - 7 Sep 2007
Chennai, Sept 08: The Left sponsored rally to create public awareness about dangers of the five-nation naval exercise including the US would conclude on Saturday at Vizag.
Well, they fight against Imperialism without a dalit movement which happens the traditional base for antiimperialism Insurrection all along the stream of the history of this divided geopolitics!
CM push for space institute
The Statesman - 7 Sep 2007
Thiruvananthapuram, Sept. 7: The Kerala CM hastily convened a press conference here today and said it was the UDF government that issued the title deed for real estate businessman Mr Savy Mano Mathew to buy forest land in Ponmudi.
Kerala govt plans to take over controversial land Press Trust of India
Land deal for Space Institute legal: ISRO Economic Times
Govt all set to bail out Sanghi

HYDERABAD: In a move to bail out Congress Rajya Sabha MP Girish Sanghi from the land controversy his group of company is embroiled in, the state government is likely to offer him a conditional amnesty by which he would surrender the government land in his possession.
In return, APIIC would be made an equal co-partner of the multi-product SEZ that his group is promoting on that land. "Obviously, political considerations are behind such an offer as Sanghi is a party MP," an official said.
“I hope and believe that my people who,sacrificing their own comforts, have been faithfully following me.I hope & trust they will countinue to struggle sincerely to propagate the Buddha Dhamma in India.”
Dr.B.R.Ambedkar
Write down on the walls of your houses that you were Dasses of yesterday but want to be rulers of tomorrow.

Dr.B.R.Ambedkar
Unfortunately, Indian polity throws up Dalit ,Tribal, OBC and Minority leaders who tend to share the Power with Brahminical Hegemony intact. The Creamy Layer created with reservation and quota have become the In-Law slaves of caste hindu house hold. SC and St and Minority MLAs and MPS have nothing to do but to endorse the respective party agenda and stance in accordance with the legislative whips. Thus, enactment of antipeople laws against the eighty five percent masses of the Indian underprevileged masses is never opposed. No SC ST MP stood against the Citizenship amendment Actywhich branded all Bengali speaking Muslims Bangladeshi infilterarators.
Resrvation and quotas are implemented with the convenience of the Ruling Classes. It is quite inadequate and incomplete. As the identity of the marginalised communities are exposed well, without the constitutional safeguards there remains hardly any opportunity for the candidates belonging to these communities and compete in general catagaroies.
Indian Media boasts to be the voice of the people but it is the most powerful tool of the brahminical Hegemony! It has been seen all along the history of contemporary India beginning with the Holocaust of Partition. We face this with every insurgency, insurrection incidents while the entire communities are branded as anti national and enemy of Hindus. The logical result happens to be Gujrat Riots. No one may forget the Hatred Campaign against Sikhs just after Operation Blue star and Sikh Mutiny in Indian Army. The result was the nationwide Sikh Genocide after the murder of Mrs Indira Gandhi. Then came the time of Ram Janma Bhoomi Andolana and the Mandal Report. We know the stance of Indian media.
This is the media which could not produce a single SC ST Editor or a countable Journalist. just because the brahmin Policymakers always marginalised the talented candidates. And see, all those policymakers happen to be great editors, writers and pose as the conscience of the Nation.
In Bengal, you may not have a single inch space for SC ST and Minorities and refugees until it involves the Vote Bank Politics of the Caste Hindu Ruling class as it happened in reference to singu and Nandigram. The great Bengali Brahmin Intellegentisia supports the singur Nandigram Insurrection but keep killing silence on all dalit, minority, tyribal and refugee issues. The Icons are so selective!
On the other hand , the underprevileged communities have to blame themselves as they never forge a National allaince to resist the Killers and just waith their turn with calm and peace.Graded
Apartheid provides the Shudras enough opportunities to supress the outcaste dalits. Thus, the Jats and Kurmis, Jadabs and Kayastha Mahishya baidya lick the Brahminical Joothan and play havoc against dalits. Maximum massacres in Bihar have beem executed by these Shudras! In Gohana in particular and in Punjab, Hariyana, Rajsthan and UP , the Jats are up against Dalits. All these middle castes themselves are persecuted often but they try their best to uphold the Brahminical Hegemony. So with only Three Percent Population Brahmins rule India with faces like Laloo, Mulayam, Ram Biolas, Krunanidhi, Jyoti Basu, Dr manmohan singh, Biman Bose and a lot of them projectin in and as leadership!
The underclass communities are engaged in suicidal feud stimulated by divide and rule policy of the Brahmins> So the Dalits are used as killer against the Muslims durion any riot anywhere in India. The Grjjars and the Meenas fight it out themeselves. Communities are up against other Dalit communities when opportunities come in their way. Bengali Dalit Refugees are deprived of reservation because alredy enjoying reservationa nd quota communities oppose it vehemently. Hence Ms Mayawati withdraws the proposal to accomodate bengali dalit refugee communities Namoshudra, POD, Majhi, Malo, ets in SC fold! It becomes an opportunity for the marxists who organise a bengali dalit national convention and launch an all out attack against mayawati, the prime minister canidte for Dalits. These are the same communists who killed the dalits in Marichjhanpi and Nandigram!
Won`t the dalits would learn anything from experience ? Won`t they go back to the roots? Won`t they recognise themselves as blck Untochable aborigis! Pleas stop this infighting and mobilise a world wide Black Dalit Movement!
Orissa will pave way for industrial revolution: Minister
Bhubneswar: Orissa will soon come out with a SEZ policy keeping the social and business interests in mind.
"SEZ is a very complex word involving lot of issues. Nevertheless one just cannot ignore the benefits of having SEZs in the state. At the same time, there are some issues to be sorted out. The earlier SEZ policy of the centre had many shortcomings and hence we would come out with a policy which would be acceptable to all," Biswabhusan Harichandan, Minister, Industries told a group of visiting journalists.
With incidents of Singur and Nadigram in West Bengal along with Kalingnagar in Orissa where there were large scale of protests by landowners whose lands were being taken for various industrial projects bringing the government's rehabilitation policy into question, the minister added that steps are being taken so that no such incidents take place in future.
"The incidents had reached such a grave stage because of the handiwork of certain political parties. Taking genuine grievances into account, we have also brought out a special rehabilitation package," the minister added.
Senior officials looking after the rehabilitation process added that dialogues were undertaken with local people and hence every major son within a family would be treated as a separate family and unmarried women above the age of 30 would also be regarded so. They added one member from each family would be given jobs at the factory for which their land have been taken after giving appropriate monetary compensation for land.
Gujarat now India's SEZ: Modi

DALIAN: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the vibrant western Indian state has become 'India's Special Economic Zone', attracting both foreign and domestic investors.
"Now Gujarat has emerged as the SEZ of India," Modi told reporters after opening the Gujarat pavilion at the 'Inaugural Annual Meeting of the New Champions' organised by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dalian, northeast China.
The opening of the Gujarat pavilion was attended by WEF Managing Director, Regional Agenda Teams & Global Growth Companies, Peter Torreele and some foreign guests.
Gujarat government was allotted 15,000 hectares of land for setting up SEZs, the highest in the country, Modi said.
Modi, who visited China in November 2006 to study the concept of SEZ, said the trip immensely benefited his state.
"Since China is the pioneer in the development of SEZ, I wanted to get first-hand knowledge," said Modi, a special WEF invitee.
When Gujarat government held the 'Vibrant Gujarat Summit' in January this year, Modi said he used his knowledge about Chinese SEZs to convince the attendees about the benefits of having SEZs in the state. "My study tour of China benefited me a lot as I was able to effectively convey the message and the benefits of SEZs to the businesses and the people."

Focus on price rise at TDP programme

Eluru: The spiralling prices of essential commodities and the discrepancies in selection of beneficiaries for distribution of houses among the urban poor and old age pensions were to the fore during the launch of the party’s month-long “Wadawadala Telugu Desam” programme in the city on Thursday.
The campaign was launched in Tangellamudi area, comprising 1st, 40th and 50th divisions, on the city outskirts.
Party State vice-president Ambika Krishna, former Minister Maradani Ranga Rao and Zilla Parishad former chairman K. Jayaraj visited every house and gave the local residents a patient hearing.
The campaign witnessed a high-level drama when the TDP leadership accosted the people mobbing around the petty vendors selling vegetables on pushcarts and the roadside grocery shops in a bid to get the people’s feel on the performance of the State and Central Governments under the Congress rule with respect to price rise and other burning issues. In the first division, the residents took the Municipal Corporation of Eluru to task for failing to provide proper outlets for the sewage and rainwater. Most of the houses in the area were seen still water-logged.
Naidu’s visit
TDP president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will undertake a two-day visit in the district on September 12 and 13 as part of the campaign. Entering Kovvuru from Rajahmundry on September 12, Mr. Naidu is scheduled to meet the people at their doorstep and get a direct feedback from them on the omissions and commissions of the government in a host of villages falling under the Kovvuru, Polavaram, Chintalapudi and Unguturu Assembly segments. He will make a night halt at Dwaraka Tirumala.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
This speech was delivered by Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar at D.A.V. College, Jalandhar on 28th of October, 1951
Hon'bles the Principal, President and Speaker
I am indeed thankful to you for the great honor done to me of asking me to address the special session of your parliament. During my whole life i have been, so to say, a wonderer from subject to subject, from profession to profession. I began my career as a Professor of Political Economics in the Government Commerce College, Bombay after my return from England. But i soon felt that the Government Service was no good for a man who bound by rules of discipline. He is hampered at every stage in his work of public service. I then went back to England and qualified for bar. After my return I rested for a short period and then accepted the post of the Principal of the Law College at Bombay. I came back to the profession of teaching. I worked as the Principal of the Law College for five years. Then the 1935 Government of India Act came into being which brought the popular legislatures into being for the first time. I then thought of taking a jump into politics and i left the service and took to politics. Since then i have alternatively been doing legal practice and serving the public. Legal practice and public service are thus the alternating currents in my life, and i do not know on which currents in my life, and i don't know on which current my life will end whether A.C. or D.C.
I am very fond of the teaching profession. I am also very fond of students. I have dealt with them. I have lectured them in my life. This is the first opportunity i have got to address students since my resignation from the Cabinet. I am very glad to talk to the students. A great deal of the future of this country must necessarily depend on the students of this country. Students are an intelligent part of the community and they can shape public opinion. I, therefore take special pleasure in addressing you the members of the parliament and i am really thankful for the opportunity given me.
When your Principal wrote to me requesting me to address you, he did not indicate any particular topic on which I shall speak to you this morning. But suddenly, as usually happens in my case in the flash of a moment the subject became clear to me and i have decided to speak a few words to you on the subject of parliamentary Government. The time at my disposal is very short and i will therefore be able to give only a brief analysis of the subject.
During the discussion in the Constituent Assembly there was a variety of opinion as regards thenature of the Constitution that we should have. Some preferred the British system; some the American system. There were others who did not want either of these two types of Government. But after a long discussion, a large majority if members came to a conclusion that the system of the Parliamentary Government as it is in Britain is best suited to our country.
There are some sections of people who do not like Parliamentary Government. Communists want the Russian type of government. The socialists are also against the present Constitution of India. They are agitating against it. They have declared that if they come to power, they will modify it. Personally speaking, I am very attached to the Parliamentary system of Government. We must understand what it means and we must preserve it in constitution. What is meant be Parliamentary Government? There is a book on the English Constitution written by Walter Baggot. It is indeed a classic treatise. It was later expanded by other authorities on constitutional government like Laski and others. He has put the conception of the Parliamentary Government in one sentence. He says Parliamentary Government means government by discussion and not by fisticuffs. You will always find in the British system of Government that they hardly ever resort to fisticuff when taking any decision. The decision is always taken after discussion. Nobody introduces the element of disturbance in the British parliament. Look at the French Politics. Decisions are arrived at more than often by knocking knockout blows. You will find that this system is hardly adequate those not born in that system. It is an alien institution to them. we must learn, understand and make it a success.
Parliamentary democracy is unknown to us are present. But India, at one time, had Parliamentary institutions. India was far more advanced in ancient times. If you go through the Suktas of Mahaprinibbana, you will find ample evidence in support of my point. In these Suktas it is stated that while Bhagwan Buddha was dying at Kusinara (Kusinagara) a message to the effect was sent to the Mallas who were sitting in session at that time. They were decided that they shall not close the session but would carry on with their work and will go to Kusinara after finishing the business of the Parliament. There are innumerable references in out literature to prove that the Parliamentary system of Government was not unknown to us.
There are many rules about Parliamentary procedure. May's parliamentary practice is generally followed. One rule that is invariably followed everywhere is that there can be no discussion without a motion. That is why there is no discussion on a question. the rule was also practiced in our land in ancient times, The system of secret ballot now in vogue is also not new to us. It was follower in Buddhist Sanghas. They had the ballot papers which they called Salapatraka Grahakas. Unfortunately, we have lost this entire past heritage that was good. Historians of India must tackle this question as to why these parliamentary institutions disappeared from our land. But i find that they cannot or do not want to find out the reasons for it. Ancient India was the master of the World. There was such intellectual freedom in ancient India as was nowhere else to be found. Then why was it that this ancient civilization went to the dogs? Why was India subject to autocratic monarchies? We were familiar with parliamentary institutions. We knew about votes, voting, committees and other things related to parliamentary institutions. Today the parliamentary system of Government is alien to us. If we go the village, we will find that the villagers do not know what is vote, what is a party? They find it something strange. It is, therefore, a great problem as how to preserve this institution. We will have to educate the public; we will have to tell them the benefits of Parliamentary Democracy and of the Parliamentary system of Government.
We now what Bag got means by Parliamentary government. But today his definition is of no use, it is utterly inadequate. There are three main things inherent in the Parliamentary system of Government.
Parliamentary Government means negation of hereditary rule. No person can claim to be a hereditary ruler. Whoever wants to rule must be elected by the people from time to time.
He must obtain the approval of the people. Hereditary rule has no sanction in the Parliamentary system of government.
Secondly, any law, any measure applicable to the public life of the people must be based ob the advice of the people chosen by the people. No single individual can presume the authority that he knows everything that he can make the laws and carry the government. The laws are to be made by representatives of the people in the Parliament. They are the people who can advice the men in whose name the law can be proclaimed. That is the difference between the monarchical system Government and the democratic system Government. In monarchy, the affairs of the people are carried on in the name of the monarch and under the authority of the monarch. In democracy the affairs of the public are carried on in the name of the head of state but the laws and the executive measures are the authority on which the government is carried on. The head of state is the titular head; he is merely a symbol. He is consecrated 'Murti'. He can be worshipped but he is not allowed to carry out the government of the country. The government of the country is carried out, though in his name, but the elected representatives of the people.
Thirdly and lastly, the Parliamentary system of government means that at a stated period those who want to advise the head of state must have the confidence of the people in them renewed. In Britain, formerly, the elections to the Parliament were carried out every seven years. The Chartists agitated against this, they wanted annual elections. The motive behind this agitation was very praiseworthy indeed. It would have been best in the interests of the people if annual elections were held, had it been possible, of course. But Parliamentary elections are very costly affairs. So some sort of compromise was arrived at and a five year period was supposed to be the responsible period at which the legislators and the ministers were to go back to the people and obtain the fresh renewal of their confidence.
This is also not enough. The Parliamentary system of Government is must more than government by discussion. There are two pillars on which the Parliamentary system of Government rests. These are the fulcrums on which the mechanism works. Those two pillars are an opposition and free and fair elections.
For the last 20 or30 years we acclimatized to one single political party. We have nearly forgotten the necessity and importance of opposition for the fair working of Parliamentary Democracy. We are continuously told that opposition is an evil. Here again we are forgetting what the past history has to tell us. You know that there were Nibandhnars to interpret the Vedas a Smirities. They used to begin their comments on Slokas and Sutras by stating firstly the Parva Pakshs, the one side of the question. They used to follow up by given the Uttar Paksha the other side. By this they wanted to show us that the question raised was not an easy question, it is a question where there is dispute, discussion and doubt. Then they used to give what they termed as Adhikiran where they used to criticize both the Pakshas. Finally, they gave the Siddhant, their own decisions. From here we can find that all our ancient teachers believed in the two party system of Government.
One important thing in the Parliamentary Democracy is that people should know the other side, if there are two sides to a question. Hence a functional opposition is required. Opposition is the key to a free political life. No democracy can do without it. Britain and Canada, the two exponents of the Parliamentary system of Government recognize this important fact and in both countries the Leader of the Opposition is paid a salary by the Government. They regard the opposition as an essential thing. People of these countries believe that the opposition should be as much alive as the Government. The Government may suppress the facts; the government may have only one-sided propaganda. The people have made provision against these eventualities in both these countries.
A free and fair election is the other pillar on which Parliamentary Democracy rests. Free and fair elections are necessary for the transfer of power from one section for the community to the other in a peaceful manner and without any bloodshed. In older times, if a king died, there was at least one murder in the palace. Revolution used to take place in the palace resulting in murders before the new king used to take the reign of his country into his authority. This has been the history of India. Elections must be completely free and fair. People must be left to themselves to choose those whom they want to send to the Legislatures.
Now the question arises as to whether there is any desire on the part of the party in power to permit any opposition to be created. Congress does not want any opposition. Congress is attempting to gather people of sundry views under one canopy. I ask you whether this is a desirable trend in the political life of this country.
What about free and fair elections? We must not lose sight of the fact that Big Business is trying to play a great part in the political life of this country. The amount that is being contributed to Congress on behalf of Big Business is a very dangerous thing. If moneyed people try to influence the elections by contributing to the election fund of any political party, what will be the result? If the party which they have supported financially comes into power, they will try to extract concessions for themselves either by modifying the present legislation or by influencing the party in power to legislate in such a manner as would be beneficial to their interests. I ask you, gentlemen, whether under these circumstances there is any hope left for the Parliamentary system of Government to do any good to the country. I would like to refer to the Mahabharata. During the battle between the Pandvas and the Kaurvas, Bhishma and Drona were on the side of the Kaurvas. The Pandvas were in the right and the Kaurvas were in the wrong. Bhishma admmited this. When some body asked Bhishma as to why he was supporting the Kaurvas if he found the Pandvas to be in the right. Bhishma replied in the memorable sentence. I must be loyal to the salt if I eat the food of the Kaurvans. I must take their side even if they might be in the wrong.
Today the same thing is happening. Congress is accepting the financial help of the Banias. Marwaries and other are multi-millionaires. Congress is eating their food and it follows therefore naturally that Congress will have to take the side of these Big Business at all crucial times.
We also find that the Government servants are influencing the elections in favor of the party which is feeding them and their dependants. No less a personality than Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, at the inaugural session for the Bhartiya Jan Sangh at Delhi recently, openly charged Government servants of helping the Congress and thereby nullifying the elections from being free and fair. Under these circumstances, do you, gentlemen, think that there is any hope for Parliamentary Democracy to succeed?
If Parliamentary Democracy fails in this country, and is bound to fail for the reasons mentioned by me, the only result will be rebellion, anarchy and Communism. If the people in power do not realize that people will not tolerate hereditary authority, then this country is doomed. Either Communism will come, Russia having sovereignty over our country, destroying individual liberty and our independence, or the section of the people who are disgruntled at the failure of the party in power will start a rebellion and anarchy will prevail. Gentlemen, I want you to take note of these eventual certainties and if you wish that the Parliamentary system of Government and Parliamentary Democracy prevail in this country, if you are satisfied that we cherish the inherent right of individual liberty, then it is your duty as students, as the intelligent community of our country, to strive your utmost to cherish this Parliamentary system of Government in its true spirit and work for it.
Gentlemen, I have done. I thank you for having given me this opportunity to address this August gathering.

Courtesy: Souvienir 1999, Ambedkar Bhavan Trust (Regd.)
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DALIT SOLIDARITY NETWORK UK
Thomas Clarkson House, the Stableyard, Broomgrove Road, London SW9 9TL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7501 8323 Fax: +44 (0)20 7738 4110 Email: dalitsnuk@yahoo.co.uk
Registered Charity Number -1107022
Press Release
TIME NOW FOR ABOLITION OF CASTE
The celebrations to mark the Act of abolishing the Slave Trade in 1807 were invoked at a meeting in Parliament seeking an end to caste discrimination. Chairing the meeting the Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, said what an important weekend this was, marking the 200th anniversary of Abolition, and drew parallels with the need to abolish caste discrimination also. Dr Joseph D’Souza from the Dalit Freedom Network quoted Wilberforce who had achieved his aim 200 years ago in this same Parliament. Wilberforce said, ‘Caste is a system at war with truth and nature’.
The meeting was organised by the Dalit Solidarity Network, in conjunction with Christian Solidarity Worldwide which is hosting the delegation for two weeks, to brief MPs and others on the current situation in the caste struggle. Professor Kancha Ilaiah drew attention to the recent statement by the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, who drew a clear parallel between untouchability and apartheid. He said the situation was getting worse and could lead to civil war. The police continue to be severely repressive towards the 250 million Dalit and Tribal Peoples, with beatings and killings. ‘What has changed’, said Professor Ilaiah ‘is Dalit consciousness and that at a global level’. He spoke also of the need for Dalits to be taught English as that was the language of opportunity.
Indira Athawale spoke about the particular repression experienced by Dalit women. She recounted the incident last September at Kherlanji where - over an argument on land ownership - a mother and daughter were paraded naked, beaten, raped and killed. Two sons were also murdered. Scores of people were involved, thirty were arrested but all have now been freed. Thousand of Dalits came out in protest and such acts of resistance are growing more frequent.
The next speaker Moses Parmar told the story of a village where his organisation was offering support to the Dalit communities. One Brahmin family had controlled a village of 500 Dalits, until finally they rebelled and the Brahmin family were almost murdered. He said that Christianity offers liberation and a future for Dalits.
Dr D’Souza, also speaking about the Kherlanji incident, said that in the past it would have been swept under the carpet - now it is being exposed even by the media, largely controlled by the oppressive castes. ‘What is being done to Dalits and Tribals is unpardonable and intolerable’, he said. He noted that at the beginning of the year the Indian Finance Minister had crowed that with ‘India is rising’ there had been 9% growth last year. What he did not say however that this was only for 20% of the population, little is changing for the many millions of Dalits.
Jeremy Corbyn MP, Chair of the Dalit Solidarity Network (UK), commented afterwards, ‘In the light of what has been said today we have a real responsibility continue the struggle, inside the UK Parliament and outside, to raise the consciousness of people in the UK’. Revd David Haslam, Chair of the Network Trustees, said, ‘We must get people to realise this is an international struggle for human rights on the same level as the battle against apartheid in the last century, and against slavery the centuries before’.
March 23rd 2007
For further information please contact:
Revd David Haslam (020) 7274 6633
Meena Varma (020) 7501 8323 or 07966081558
David Griffiths (CSW) 07823 329661

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ATROCITIES AND SOCIAL BOYCOTT
OF DALITS IN PUNJAB
S. L. Virdi Advocate
There are discriminated people all over the world but no any where on this earth the natives now known as Dalits, the sons of their own soil, have been treated as animals continuously for thousands years under the social system called Varna System. The system is now popularly known as caste system.
In India, 350 millions of people officially termed and called Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes now called Dalits are being treated inhumanly, discriminated against and oppressed relentlessly by various modes and methods.
If Dalits try to enjoy the constitutional rights to improve their life, they are brutally killed, their women are raped, children are slaughtered, wells are poisoned, and their dwellings are burned collectively. One Lakh cases of atrocities are reported in the police stations every year and almost equal number of atrocities is not reported and recorded. During last 60 years about One Lakh people have been killed by the upper caste people due to castism.
Punjab is not very much behind in committing atrocities and following the practice of untouchability. In Tur village of the Tarn Taran District, the Dalits are facing social boycott by the Landlords for the past ten days. Trouble started when a Dalit woman Charanjit Kaur with her relative (Kurmani) Swarn Kaur had gone to the fields for answering the call of nature (excreta). A Landlord's son misbehaved them. The matter was reported to Police, which booked the boy, in retaliation, the Landlord imposed the social boycott on Dalits. Situation in the village is tense, but the Police is strictly watching.
On 19th August in village Faridpur of District Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, four Dalit girls were forced to pick up their own nature soil (excreta) with their hands and were victimized by the landlords.
DALIT STUDENT LOST HIS VISION

FOR DEMANDING MORE FOOD IN BIHAR

A Dalit Navin Kumar Paswan, student of fourth class, Government School, Aujapauchha of District Purnea in Bihar, lost his one eye after headmaster and master beating him up mercilessly for simply demanding more food during Mid-Day Meal Scheme run by the WHO, Agency of the UNO.
SCAVENGER GIRLS OF MOHAMMD

Macbeth Returns with Venom: The New Faces Of Terror and Current War Strategy
We are so blinded in this rootless Polity, destined to be the ultimate Killing Field. We do drink the water mixed with human blood and flesh and never alerted! We do chew our own bones and exclaim: How Tasty is Human Blood!
Left or Right, all political entities exercise the keys of State Power, the Vote Bank mobilisation and we indulge ourselves in the Carnival of our own Death. Hindu Ritual of sacrifice begins with the Worship of Scapegoat! The Scapegoat never knows the Predestined Axe!

Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: alashbiswaskl@gmail.com">palashbiswaskl@gmail.com
Capitalist Marxist Chief Minister of Brahminical West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee criticised the national leaders for going overboard with the nuclear deal at a time when the need of the hour is to concentrate more on the spread of the literacy movement in the country.
Bhattacharjee said: “But till today, the poor state of literacy in India has failed to draw their attention to this reality. It’s quite surprising, what is the need to create a Pokhran for illiterate India?”
He was addressing a meeting organised by the state mass education and library department at Rabindra Sadan this evening on the occasion of International Literacy Day.
While commenting on the poor state of the country as far as literacy is concerned and that it should be considered as the main priority, Mr Bhattacharjee said: “Our country has the maximum number of illiterate people. But it hardly seems to be the cause of concern for the national leaders who are more interested in equipping themselves with nuclear power.”
He also rued that the 11th Five Year Plan has already been framed but the literacy scenario still needs to be stabilised. At a time when the country’s first priority should be to spread literacy among all irrespective of age, caste and creed, it still remains a far cry.
The Genius Doctor Who Diagnosed Nuke Power's Deadly
Disease
By Harvey Wasserman
The Free Press
Friday 07 September 2007
The nuke power industry now wants $50 billion and
more in loan guarantees to build new atomic reactors.
As it strong-arms Congress, the warnings of the great
Dr. John Gofman, who passed away last week at 88, loom
ever larger.
One of history's most respected and revered
medical and nuclear pioneers, Gofman's research showed
as early as 1969 that "normal" radioactive reactor
emissions could kill 32,000 Americans per year.
At the time, Gofman was the chief medical
researcher for the Atomic Energy Commission. He told
the AEC that reactor emissions must be radically
reduced. The AEC demanded he change his findings, then
forced him out when he refused.
http://www.freepres s.org/columns/ display/7/ 2007/1600

Divided Indian geoploitics has to witness endless faces of Terror in future.
Macbeth Returns with Venom! no vernom forest is going to pull him down as saddam hussain has been! Marxist Rhetorics of Anti Imperialist Movement is as false as their ideology of Revolution! Without changing the society, maintaing the brahminical hegemony with prevailing Apartheid and cast Syastem is a suicidal false Alert with dangerous implications. The RSS is at least very tranparent as well as the US imperilism in references to Islamophobia and dalit Hatred! But the total Chemeistry of UPA, consisting of Congress as well as Communists, is full of fatal chemicals to be consumed by the Enslaved Indian Masses! It is so sweet! The Parliamentary ramp show is live enough and exposes the flesh of the Vamp, the Polity polluted!Kill is the slogan to solve the vexed Nationality issue and AFPSA is destined as after equipping its helicopter squadrons in the east with night vision devices, the IAF is shifting its focus to units in the western region where such aircraft could be used for casualty evacuation and also come to the aid of troops in militancy-hit areas like Jammu and Kashmir. The IAF has been proposing to the government that its assets could be used in low-intensity warfare, and making the helicopters available for night-time missions is being seen as an opportunity to work out modalities for involving air warriors in counter-insurgency operations, they said.

The new faces of Terror projects with Information explosions sets the Global Manusmriti Colonial environment in accordance with the Killing agenda of the ruling Galaxy order and the War against Terror intensifies with Totalatarian Absolute Staepower with so callled democratic system run by Zionist Brahminical Ruled by Nazis hardcore. Thus, it is a rare chemistry of autocracy taking over our known world! The alchemists of Modern day represent the saga of Macbeth! Since the three witches creates the virtual reality of Power transition, Macbeth has no way to spare anyone!The Current war strategy of the Macbeth is not going to spare anyone. unfortunately, our ruling comradors have shifted the War Zone right into the heart of this geopolitics with a legacy of slavery of thousands of years, the masses have to pay the price! The Subaltern Pundits support sometime the knowledge of English as a tool of empoerment and postmodern Globalistion seems a new avenue to escape the Apartheid and Caste system! The dagger is ready for all of them. if sapred , they have to be killed by the latest venom as depicted by World bank, WTO, GATT, APEC, OPEC, NATO, European Community, UN, ABD, SEZ, PCPIR and MIR!International Black Untouchable consciousness is quite absent to resist the Post Modern Macbeth!Ambition of Galaxy Rule and nuclear Warheads mean only Nuclear Holocaust, as threatened well by the greatest Alchemist, President Bush. Lady Macbeth spirit is endowed in ao many heads of state and government that we may not visulise the sleepwalk of Dr Manmohan singh or General Mussaraf!Lady Macbeth eventually becomes racked with guilt from the crimes she and her husband have committed. In a famous scene, she sleepwalks and tries to wash imaginary bloodstains from her hands, all the while speaking of the terrible things she knows.
We are so blinded in this rootless Polity, destined to be the ultimate Killing Field. We do drink the water mixed with human blood and flesh and never alerted! We do chew our own bones and exclaim: How Tasty is Human Blood!
Killed is the king, duncan the Humanity. killed is the Nature, The Vernom Forest which won`t move an inch to face the Killer and this planet transforms into an infinite Hunting Ground of Brahminical and Zionist interests. Left or Right, all political entities exercise the keys of State Power, the Vote Bank mobilisation and we indulge ourselves in the Carnival of our own Death. Hindu Ritual of sacrifice begins with the Worship of Scapegoat! The Scapegoat never knows the Predestined Axe! Congress President Sonia Gandhi has become active on the organisational front with indications from the AICC that changes are on the cards in several states and at the national level. The BJP too is attempting to put its house in order and a meeting of its top brass with the RSS, currently on in Mumbai, is being seen as a crucial move in this direction. The Marxists also try all kinds of Appeasement card to hold on Power, the vital statics!
Weird Sisters have taken over the Electronic as well as the Print media!
The norns (Old Norse: norn, plural: nornir) are a kind of dísir,[1] numerous female beings who rule the fates of the various races of Norse mythology (The Fates). An English tradition talks of the Weird Sisters, (sometimes Wyrd Sisters or Three Weird Sisters), where Wyrd is the English form of Urðr, one of the named norns, whose name means itself "fate".
In 1606 William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, wrote a play which would go down in history as the cursed Scottish play after numerous mishaps during production. It was written for his new patron, James I (James VI of Scotland), following the death of Queen Elizabeth. James was interested in witchcraft and Scotland, and hence the themes in the play. Banquo is James's ancestor. The play itself tells the story of a man, urged by his wife and foretold by prophecy, who commits regicide in order to gain power. Macbeth is among the best known of William Shakespeare's plays, as well as his shortest surviving tragedy. It is frequently performed at professional and community theatres around the world. The play, loosely based upon the historical account of King Macbeth of Scotland by Raphael Holinshed and the Scottish philosopher Hector Boece,[1] is often seen as an archetypal tale of the dangers of the lust for power and betrayal of friends.
Nationwide protest is planned against disruption of Parliament tomorrow. Activists and religious leaders will hold silent demonstrations across the country tomorrow to protest the frequent disruptions of Parliament, saying many important legislations were getting delayed due to this. The protest in New Delhi will be led by Swami Agnivesh, veteran journalist Kuldeep Nayyar and former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar at Jantar Mantar, the hotspot of protests in the capital.
Meanwhile,amid talk of mid-term polls, the Congress and BJP appear to have gone into election mode and have launched hectic efforts to get their acts together. The Congress-led coalition is not lagging behind in the wake of calls of be prepared for snap elections. It is showing signs of urgency in taking action in the wake of the stand-off with the Left parties on the Indo-US nuclear deal. The announcement of follow-up action on the Sachar Committee`s report on Muslims, an ambitious scheme of scholarships for SC students, the bill for unorganised sector workers and a Bima Yojana for the masses are the latest decisions to project its `aam aadmi` image.

Religious leaders, students, social activists and will participate in the one-hour protest here, Agnivesh said.
"People of India feel disgraced by the frequent disruptions of Parliament. A day's disruption is causing Rs 90 lakh to the exchequer and many legislation like the one on the unorganised labourers are getting delayed," he claimed.
Protests will also held in other places including Chennai, Ranchi, Indore and Chandigarh.
At a time when the Left parties have taken out a `jatha` against the government over the Indo- US nuclear deal, the Congress has welcomed indications from Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee that she is parting ways with the BJP-led NDA.
Remeber those scenes of macbeth and just visulise the striking resemblance!
The play opens amid thunder and lightning, with three Witches—the Weird Sisters—deciding that their next meeting shall be with a certain Macbeth. In the following scene, a wounded sergeant reports to King Duncan of Scotland that his generals, Macbeth (who is the Thane of Glamis) and Banquo, have just defeated an invasion by the allied forces of Norway and Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald. Macbeth, the King's kinsman, is particularly praised for his bravery, and fighting prowess.
The scene changes. Macbeth and Banquo enter in conversation, remarking on the weather and their win ("So foul and fair a day I have not seen"). While they wander into a heath, the three Witches who have been waiting greet them with prophecies. Even though it is Banquo who first challenges them, they address Macbeth. The first hails Macbeth as "Thane of Glamis", the second as "Thane of Cawdor", while the third proclaims that he shall "be King hereafter". Macbeth appears stunned into silence, so again Banquo challenges them. The Witches inform Banquo he shall father a line of kings. While the two men wonder at these pronouncements, the Witches vanish, and another Thane, Ross, a messenger from the King, soon arrives and informs Macbeth of his newly-bestowed title—Thane of Cawdor. The first prophecy is thus fulfilled. Immediately, Macbeth begins to harbour ambitions of becoming king.
Macbeth writes to his wife about the Witches' prophecies. When Duncan decides to stay at the Macbeth's castle at Inverness, Lady Macbeth hatches a plan to murder him and secure the throne for her husband. Macbeth raises valid concerns about the regicide, but Lady Macbeth eventually persuades him to comply with their plan.
In the night of the visit, Macbeth kills Duncan - the deed is not seen by the audience, but it leaves Macbeth so shaken that Lady Macbeth (herself very jumpy) has to take charge - as per her plan, she frames Duncan's sleeping servants for the murder by planting their bloody daggers on them. Early the next morning, Lennox, a Scottish nobleman, and Macduff, the loyal Thane of Fife, arrive. The porter opens the gate and Macbeth leads them to the king's chamber, where Macduff discovers Duncan's corpse. In a sham fit of fury, Macbeth murders the servants before they can protest their innocence. Macduff is immediately suspicious of Macbeth, but does not disclose his suspicions publicly. Fearing for their lives, Duncan's sons flee, Malcolm to England and his brother Donalbain to Ireland. The rightful heirs' flight makes them suspect, and Macbeth assumes the throne as the new King of Scotland as a kinsman to the dead king.
Dhaka: Bangladesh's military-backed government on Sunday announced lifting of a six-month-old ban on indoor politics, relaxing emergency rules to allow the Election Commission to hold a crucial dialogue on electoral reforms with political parties.

Sri Lanka today withdrew a government report which claimed it was setting up a high-level committee with India to handle defence-related matters.
Pakistani authorities tightened security at Islamabad`s airport and have detained more than 2,000 supporters of exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his party said on Sunday, the eve of his planned return. Prevez Musharraf`s main political ally the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q has favoured former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s return from exile while firmly opposing any political deal between PPP leader Benazir Bhutto and the General.
Nothing can compel us: Rajiv Bajaj
Business Standard - 5 hours ago
In a staunch reply to reports indicating that the state government will not let Bajaj Auto to shut manufacturing operations in its 45 year old mother plant in Akurdi, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto, Rajiv Bajaj today said that the law cannot hold him ...
Bajaj offers VRS, 2 other options to Akurdi workers Hindu Business Line
Bajaj Auto offers six-day pay to Akrudi workers Times of India
Great brand building exercise by Gujarat at Dalian summit of WEF
Gujarat Global.com - 54 minutes ago
Business and bureaucracy in Gujarat are quite upbeat about the three day summit of the World Economic Forum at Dalian in China. Representatives of the 21-member delegation had media interaction today in which they described the active participation of ...
'Gujarat projected as emerging growth centre at Dalian' Economic Times
Electrotherm, Ajanta ink MoUs with Chinese cos Sify

Al-Qaida's North African affiliate claimed responsibility on Sunday for a car bombing that killed 30 coast guard officers and another recent blast that ripped through a crowd waiting for the president.
In Saturday's blast, explosives planted in a van ripped through barracks in the northern coastal town of Dellys, about 50 km from the capital, Algiers.
The bombing appeared timed to kill as many officers as possible when they were grouped together to raise the flag.
Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa claimed responsibility in a statement posted on an Islamic Web site, and the group said it also was behind a blast on Thursday that killed at least 22 in eastern Algeria.
''We swear to God to continue sacrificing our lives until you stop supporting the crusaders in their war, apply the Islamic tenet and stop your war against God's religion,'' the group said in the statement.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/videopod/default.aspx?id=
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that his country would not negotiate with anyone over its disputed nuclear program, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.Iran's nuclear energy program, which the United States and other countries warn is a front for developing weapons, has already inspired two rounds of sanctions from the UN Security Council against the businesses and individuals involved.
‘Kill’ a friend, get ready for mystery enemy
The first sight of the boat is through the folded wings of an E2C Hawkeye aircraft parked on the Kitty Hawk’s flight deck. The boat is, maybe, 800m away, and has a f ... | Read..

N-stink in brakes on new airport
One of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s ambitious projects may have been an indirect casualty of the Congress-Left spat on the nuclear deal. ... | Read..

Flavour of the season: American amity
September is the coolest month in the Indo-US calendar, with naval exercises giving way to political visits, upscale Brand India promotions and Track Two conferences, cul ... | Read..
http://www.telegraphindia.com/section/nation/index.asp
Party time for UPA but much Left to worry about
CNN-IBN - 56 minutes ago
New Delhi: While CNN-IBN-Indian Express opinion brings in much good news for the UPA Government - a poll now could mean another term for the coalition - there’s also some trouble brewing on the horizon.
India ruling coalition would win early vote - survey Reuters India
Congress, allies to get 267 seats in snap polls: Survey Khabrein.info
Analysts views on bin Laden video
TVNZ - 12 hours ago
Following are some analysts' views on a newly released video of Osama bin Laden marking the sixth anniversary of al Qaeda's Sept.
The New Al-Qaeda Central Washington Post
Osama is in Chitral: US experts Pakistan Dawn
Malabar is US ploy to steal secrets: Left
Hindustan Times - 19 hours ago
56% of the respondents supporting the ruling coalition believe Sonia is the preferred choice as PM. Barely 24 hours before the five-nation Malabar naval exercise comes to an end, the Left parties sent a warning to the UPA government that it should not ...
CPI talks tough on N-deal, Karat rules out polls Economic Times
Left’s rally against naval exercise to conclude at Vizag Zee News
Bush Plans War On Iran
By Prof. Marjorie Cohn
07 September, 2007
Global Research
The Sunday Times of London is reporting that the
Pentagon has plans for three days of massive air
strikes against 1,200 targets in Iran . Last week,
Alexis Debat, director of terrorism and national
security at the Nixon Center , told a meeting of The
National Interest, a conservative foreign policy
journal, that the military did not intend to carry out
"pinprick strikes" against Iranian nuclear facilities.
He said, "They're about taking out the entire Iranian
military."
Marjorie Cohn is a professor at Thomas Jefferson
School of Law and president of the National Lawyers
Guild. She is the author of " Cowboy Republic : Six
Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law." Her articles
are archived at http://www.marjoriecohn .com/.
Middle East Madness
By Stephen Lendman
07 September, 2007
Countercurrents.org
Administration rhetoric is heated and the dominant
media keep trumpeting it. It signals war with Iran of
the "shock and awe" kind - intensive, massive and
maybe with nuclear weapons. Plans are one thing,
action another, and how things play out, in fact,
won't be known until the fullness of time that may not
be long in coming. For now, waiting and guessing games
continue, and one surmise is as good as another. The
more threatening they are, the less likely they'll
happen, or at least it can be hoped that's so.
It's not media critic, activist and distinguished
professor emeritus Edward Herman's view. He writes
"the situation now is even more menacing than we faced
in 2002-2003 when the Bush gang was readying us for
the invasion (and) occupation of Iraq. There is strong
evidence that Bush-Cheney and company are about to
attack Iran (and) the groundwork is being set with a
flood of propaganda, helped by the media and
Democrats." It may be "his last (crazed) hope for
immortality" and possible attempt to revive
"Republican strength through this classic maneuver of
cornered-rat politicians."
Most frightening is that the Bush administration
doesn't have enough of a bad thing and may want more
of it. This time, however, the stakes are
incalculable, the risks over the top, and the chance
for success (from an American perspective) almost nil
if post-WW II history is a good predictor.
Distinguished historian Gabriel Kolko notes in all its
conflicts since 1950, America never lost a battle and
never won a war. It's a world class bumbler, never
learns from its mistakes, and only succeeds, in
Kolko's words, in making an "unstable world far more
precarious" than if it left well enough alone.
Enter Iran with George Bush having a way with words
about the Islamic Republic. They're hotting up and
sending ominous signals. At the American Legion Reno
convention August 28, Bush, with typical bluster,
accused Iran of threatening the Middle East with a
nuclear holocaust and said he authorized US military
commanders in Iraq to "confront Tehran's murderous
activities." He accused the Ahmadinejad government of
supporting violent Iraqi forces he calls "radicals and
extremists....Either the forces of extremism (or
freedom) succeed. Either our enemies advance their
interests in Iraq, or we advance" ours.
General braces for show down with Sharif

Pakistan`s government braced Sunday for a showdown with former premier Nawaz Sharif as the man ousted by President Pervez Musharraf in 1999 vowed to defy international appeals and return from exile.

Do not use my father`s name, Bhutto tells Sharif

Pak`s ruling party asks Musharraf to allow Sharif to return
http://zeenews.com/index.asp
Nawaz Sharif slams Musharraf
NDTV.com - 1 hour ago
The Pakistan government has threatened to deport Nawaz Sharif if he returns to the country on Monday, but the defiant former Prime Minister has stuck to his stand.
Pakistan on high alert for Sharif showdown: Full Coverage
http://sify.com/news/fullcover.php?event_id=14523907&vsv=SHGTpicslot
Day 4: Fashion saves the day
Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week comes to an end on Sunday (September 9) - here's a look at all that unfolded on Day four of this fashion bonanza.
http://www.timesnow.tv/frmViewVideo.aspx
First visuals of Hyd blast suspects
9/4/2007 11:55:26 AM

TIMES NOW's exclusive visuals of Hyderabad blasts suspect Imran
TIMES NOW has managed to get visuals of one of the Hyderabad blasts suspects who has been taken to Bangalore to undergo a narco-analysis test.
Imran is believed to be an associate of the key suspects in the Hyderabad blasts on August 25. Imran has been in jail after his arrest in the Mecca Masjid blasts case.
Sources have told TIMES NOW that Imran could provide vital clues to the twin blasts in Hyderabad.
Another suspect Kaleem has also been taken to Bangalore for the narco-analysis test. Kaleem is believed to have met Bilal, a HUJI operative who is the main suspect in the blasts.
http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=2459
Govt worried about terror hub in Bangladesh
9/3/2007 4:40:22 PM

Highly placed sources in Government have told TIMES NOW that the Indian government is very concerned about Dhaka emerging as the latest hub of anti-India terror.
On the back of Bangladesh-based terrorists being linked to terror strikes in India, government sources have told TIMES NOW that New Delhi has told Dhaka about the presence of militants on its soil.
In fact, New Delhi has even reportedly given Dhaka details of militant camps. But sources say the reaction from Dhaka to New Delhi's information has only been lukewarm. Dhaka, said the source, has consistently denied the presence of camps on its soil. Even the present interim government, while not being dismissive of New Delhi's concerns has only assured India that they will look into the matter.
Experts and officials dealing with counter-terrorism in the United Kingdom recognise the threat from groups based in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Paul Beaver, a counter-terrorism analyst and advisor to various governments has said, ""The developing terror bases in Bangladesh are now a major concern for Britain, Nato, Europe and America apart from India."
And Dr Peter Neuman, director of the Centre for Study of Defence Strategies at King's College has voiced his concern saying ""India has become a soft target for Al Qaeda which has bases in the urban centres of the country (Pakistan) and uses Lashkar and Jaish launch attacks in India. The two terrorist outfits are increasingly operating from Bangladesh too."
A minor thaw?
Giving perspective to the development, TIMES NOW senior editor Srinjoy Chowdhury says that the Indian government has repeatedly spoken about terror camps to its Bangladesh counterpart at the highest levels - even supplying specifics such as numbers of people and locations with coordinates, of various camps be it of the ULFA, Bodo activists or those of Tripura - only to get denials. The latest response while not an outright denial is not much of an improvement. "All they have said this time is that India is a friendly country and we are willing to cooperate - which is a very general statement," said Chowdhury.
"Comparing Bangladesh and Pak is an oversimplification"
Meanwhile, former Indian ambassador to Bangladesh, Dev Mukherjee said to TIMES NOW that in his opinion the question of terror or fundamentalism is as big a problem, if not greater, for Bangladesh. Certainly some Bangladeshi linkages have been established... I think India and Bangladesh should handle the matter jointly in the spirit of cooperation of because both countries face the fundamentalists' threat," said Mukherjee adding "India should give Bangladesh the opportunity to look into the matter, and then pursue it as time goes on... The Bangladeshi government as well as civil society is hugely concerned, they recently executed 6 militant leaders there - so it would be an oversimplification to compare Pakistan and Bangladesh on this issue."
http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=2440

The new face of terror
9/9/2007 2:20:47 AM

The real face of Nahida was revealed when the special operation group of police arrested her for being an operative of the Hizbul Mujahideen.
A fortnight after a TIMES NOW investigation showed Kashmiri militants are increasingly recruiting women for terror acts, the Jammu Police claims to have arrested a 21-year-old student with grenades in her possession.Two months back,two teenage students pursuing MBA in KAWA institute of Jammu were arrested with granades. The duo were a part of the Lashkar module planning to target Amarnath pilgrims.
Appearances can be deceptive, as is the case of Nahida Altaf, a 21-year-old law student from Surankote town in border district of Poonch, the daughter of a police constable.
The, real face of Nahida was revealed when the special operation group of police arrested her for being an operative of the Hizbul Mujahideen;eight grenades and a launcher were found on her.Nahida's arrest not only baffled the security agencies, but also left her college authorities shell-shocked.
G. Varandani,Director, Dogra Law College spoke to TIMES NOW and affirmed that Nahida was on her way to Jammu from Surankote when the police intercepted the car she was travelling in. Investigations revealed that grenades were given to Nahida by the Hizbul.Her mission was to execute explosions in Jammu.
Nahida's arrest comes days after TIMES NOW revealed how militant groups were using women as key operatives. Intelligence inputs showed that more women were planning to cross over to indulge in terror related activities.
Maj Gen Rajinder Singh, GOC Rajouri Division,said that Nahida's arrest proves that the threat remains imminent and serious from this new face of terror.
http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=2573
A refuge without welcome
Asmaa Waguih / For The Times
Mahmoud Mussa, a refugee from Baghdad, sips tea with his daughter at an Iraqi-style cafe in a Cairo suburb. Since he arrived 14 months ago, much of his wealth has evaporated.
Many Iraqis fleeing war have found a temporary home in Egypt. But economic and cultural tensions breed hostility between 'Arab brothers.'
By Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 8, 2007
CAIRO -- He lives in the rich quarter but shops in the poor, driving to the outskirts to buy vegetables and meat in the dirty, narrow alleys of a bazaar where flies and barefoot children race through scents of ginger and coriander.
Is this Mahmoud Mussa's fate? He doesn't know. All he's sure of is that he sold one of his homes in Iraq for $25,000; the money ran out and he sent his wife to Baghdad to sell the other one. That cash is disappearing, too, and now, after 14 months as a refugee in a Cairo suburb, Mussa has little left to sell or barter, and he's afraid he'll slip out of his affluent neighborhood and end up in a place with broken walls and tattered awnings.

Buying bread
click to enlargeHe and his family escaped war, but sometimes there are worse things, like watching everything you worked for in one country being siphoned away in another.
He was a success in Iraq, a mechanical engineer with a couple of cars and a housekeeper. But now he's just a restless man with a temporary residency card looking to fill empty hours in a nation that in many ways is poorer than the one he left. And they're not so friendly now, the Egyptians. Walk through Mussa's suburb, known as 6th of October City, and you hear it: in bakeries, on street corners, in schoolyards, whispered euphemisms of patience turned sour.
"Our relations are worsening with the Egyptians. They fight you psychologically," Mussa said. "If you try to start a business, they all stand against you. They're poor and hungry people, and they saw us coming out of Iraq with cars and money and they were scared -- they feared we would compete with them."
Decades ago, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians migrated to Iraq to work as farmers, laborers and technicians; now the flow has switched and there's uneasiness over how to navigate the reversal of fortunes. Egyptians and Iraqis call each other Arab brothers, yet they are preoccupied with each other's idiosyncrasies, each hinting at a moral superiority that blames the other for un-devout lifestyles and lascivious souls.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-refugees8sep08,1,4214211.story?coll=la-headlines-world
Times Now reports:
It was supposed to be a massive show of strength and the Red brigade did turn up in huge numbers - but the Left's protest against the joint naval exercises in Vizag somehow lacked the punch and was reduced to a mere photo opportunity.
It was a sea of red in Vishakhapatnam with the Left showing its might to the UPA as it continued its posturing on the Indo-US nuclear deal and the joint naval exercises, taking its fight to the people to raise public support for its stand against defence cooperation with the US.
But, despite the show of strength, what was obvious was the change in tone and tenor of the Left. The UPA's warring ally which till now was saying "the honeymoon is over" and shouting betrayal - does not seem so threatening anymore. The Left top brass's photo opportunity to drive home the message that India should keep away from any strategic engagement with the United States was just that - a 'photo-op'.
"These all (demonstrations) serve a purpose, and surely they serve as pressure on the Government that they cannot proceed both at the pace and in the manner in which they want to go ahead. Becase they have to answer the people and answer these questions that are being posed," said CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury somewhat tamely.
The protests drowned in a rhetoric that lacked any punch. And now the Congress it seems, has called the Left's bluff. Senior leader Kapil Sibal, a member of the UPA-Left joint political committee formed to resolve the nuclear deal deadlock, has gone on to the extent to say the Left has a hidden agenda.
"The only objection that the Left has that the Hyde Act overrides the 123 agreement, is to say the least an entirely uninformed opinion. I have said so publicly several times, there is no response by them," he said yesterday.
They cried hoarse when the US warship USS Nimitz arrived in India and then again upped the ante against the Indo-US Nuclear deal - but the Left's constitent scaling back on ultimatums has led many to believe that this will once again turn out to be a case of 'all bark