Decisive Time Ahead for Asian Nato , Nuke Deal and UPA GOI
Nuke Deal has to be finalised and Indian Marxist have to get an escape route for eye washing, it may well be a snap mid term poll!
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
In Mumbai, the Atomic Energy Department clarified that it is not holding any formal negotiations with the IAEA for drafting a safeguards agreement.
A brief statement read out by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee at the end of the two-hour-long UPA-Left meeting said the discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere and will continue on October 9. The Left will also closely watch the visit of IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to New Delhi next week.Though it is expected that some informal talks on the nuclear deal may happen, the Left has warned against any move to formalise negotiations. But discussions on India specific safeguards are not on the agenda during the IAEA chief's visit to New Delhi next week. Meanwhile, at the UPA-Left committee meeting, the government gave a reply to the left's rejoinder on the 123 Agreement.
When contacted by NDTV, the Department of Atomic Energy said, ''No talks or meetings on India specific safeguards are scheduled during the IAEA chief's visit. All occasions in which IAEA chief is participating are public gatherings or visits to laboratories''.
"All members of the committee took part in the meeting. The meeting carried forward the earlier discussions on the basis of inputs provided by both sides," Mukherjee said.
"DAE is not holding any formal negotiations with the IAEA for drafting the safeguards agreement," a press release issued by DAE's Public Awareness Division said. The department also said that it has not received any initial draft of a safeguards agreement from IAEA Safeguards Department as reported in the media. The clarification comes in the wake of reports that it is holding consultations to work out an `agreed text' under the nuclear deal.
Friends, it is decisive time ahead for Asian nato, Nuke Deal and UPA Government ruling India to colonise Asia! US Imperialism is way ahead with War Against Terrorism in this divided geopolitics transplanting Puppet leadership everywhere. It has special schemes for Pakistan, Myanmar and Iran to estabilish a zionist hindu white supremacy on Asian People. Comply with the galaxy Manusmriti Order or Persih, the Wall Writing is too Golden! Nuke Deal has to be finalised and Indian Marxist have to get an escape route for eye washing, it may well be a snap mid term poll! Sources in the Department of Atomic Energy were quoted as saying that consultations were necessary to ensure a draft text was finalized and that formal discussions with the IAEA are expected to take place later this month. It’s clear that October is going to be a decisive month for this coalition. The next two nuclear panel meetings including the one being held later on Friday and the other expected around the middle of the month are going to decide the fate of this Government. The UPA-Left committee on Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation had one more meeting on Friday, when it was conveyed to the supporting parties that informal consultations were on with the IAEA over the safeguards agreement.
Meanwhile, Cutting across party lines, a small group of senior lawmakers have introduced a non-binding resolution in the US House of Representatives seeking tough restraints on nuclear trade with India. The move is seen as indicating not only displeasure by a section of members but also intended to significantly delay or perhaps outright derail the final passage of the civilian nuclear initiative that will operationalise the Indo-US deal. The resolution introduced last night in the House by Howard L Berman, Democrat from California; Flordia Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; and Jeff Fortenberry, Republican from Nebraska, is non-binding. All of them are members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a key panel of the Congress that will have to approve the final legislation when submitted by the administration.
The point has been more than clear as The day the Indo-US nuke deal was signed, Congress President Sonia Gandhi hailed the move as "historic". In a "Letter to Congress Workers", Sonia said, "India and the US have signed a historic 123 Agreement that lifts the decades-old embargo against nuclear trade with India. This will allow India to expand its energy sector to meet the growing demands of our economic growth and put an end to the power shortages that we are all familiar with." She added that the agreement will help the country expand power generation for its agricultural sector and the growing industrial sector. She also said the deal is a recognition of the achievements of India's scientists who have worked diligently to keep the indigenous nuclear programme live.
After the meeting of the Left-UPA Committee on the Indo-US nuke deal, the Left parties have asked the government not to start formal talks with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on nuclear-safeguards.The Left has also advised the government to wait for findings of the UPA-Left panel studying the nuke deal.While no dramatic announcements on withdrawal of support are expected immediately, the tension between both sides is now going to escalate and the Manmohan Singh regime will find the going tough beyond the first week of November. During the meeting held on Friday, the government had asked the Left if India could begin formal talks with IAEA on the safeguards.This was the third meeting of the committee set up to go into the concerns and reservations expressed by the Left parties who are opposed to the deal. The next meeting will be held on October 9 instead of on October 14 as scheduled earlier in view of Eid.
Earlier, reacting to agency reports that said the government has already begun consultations with the IAEA, the Left leader said they would like to know the nature of these consultations but it's clear any negotiations with the IAEA will be the breaking point.Left sources said they strongly opposed the government going ahead with operationalising the deal, including any negotiations with the IAEA for reaching a safeguards agreement. They said they were told by the government that it had to go on with informal consultations with the IAEA. Debabrata Biswas, Forward Bloc leader, who attended the meeting, said the Left parties have the impression that the government would not go ahead with operationalising the deal till the committee completes its discussions and comes out with findings.
A delegation of Indian-Americans, who lobbied hard in the US in favour of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, will hold discussions later this month with the Left parties, who continue to be at loggerheads with the UPA government on the agreement.A 10-member delegation of Indo-American political activists led by United States India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) will meet the Indian leadership across the political spectrum, including the BJP, the Left parties and the Third Front.
"We will try and understand their position on the nuclear deal and their opposition to it," Robinder Sachdev, founding member and Director, USINPAC said here. The delegation, which will have representatives from various Indian-American associations, is expected to be in the capital between October 22 and 24.
India would become 70 per cent self-reliant in matters of defence acquisitions by 2010 and 90 per cent by 2020, the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on defence Balasaheb Vikhe Patil said on Friday.
India's National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan paid a secret visit to Afghanistan earlier this week for a first hand assessment of the security situation, prompted by the escalating violence and growing influence of the Taliban militia. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday ordered measures to boost oversight of US security firm Blackwater, including putting video cameras on its convoys, after last month's deadly shootings in Iraq. Detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party dismissed the Myanmar junta's offer of talks as surreal on Friday, while China said the ruthless suppression of pro-democracy protests did not require international ...
The uniformed President played a pre-eminent political actor by scripting a political plot to curb brewing opposition against him. He has reached a power-sharing deal with self-exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. This move has not only ended the scope of palpable opposition of Nawaz-Benazir duo against him in the elections 2007. He also handled his both enemies by making an out of court settlement with one and bullying the other one. On one hand he foiled Nawaz sharif’s fair chance to contest electons by deporting him to Saudi Arabia and on the other hand he tamed the threat of opposition from Benazir by gratifying her with the shared power.
Sunita's taste of India
October 4, 2007
Camera: Raja Sen
Today marks 50 years of space flight. Here, in a quick montage, we look at the state of Gujarat celebrating NASA's Sunita Williams as she comes to her father's native state.
The crowds, the media, the celebrations: everything was insanely larger than life as Sunita and her father, Dr Deepak Pandya, were honoured, mobbed and exalted by Ahmedabad and the nearby villages of Jhulasan and Nadipur.
We followed Sunita around for two days, ladies and gents, during which she really learned to wave.
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/04video1.htm
In fact, as the nuclear stand-off in the ruling alliance heads toward a confrontation, the Left had declared on Thursday itself that it “cannot be expected to back a government that pursues the NDA government’s foreign policy”. On the eve of the crucial UPA-Left panel meeting on the nuclear deal, the Leftists enlarged the conflict by finding fault with an entire gamut of foreign policy issues, making any reconciliation virtually impossible. The Left parties on Friday issued a veiled threat to the Manmohan Singh Government at the Centre saying that they would not hold back from withdrawing support to the Government if it proceeded to make the nuclear pact operational against their wishes. Even as the face-off has begun, the Government, on its part, has shown no sign of putting a pause on the deal, as has been demanded by the Left. In fact New Delhi has been holding informal consultations with the IAEA on the safeguards agreement.
Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Than Shwe has agreed to meet democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, but only if she stops calling for confrontation, "utter devastation" and economic sanctions against the regime, state-media said on Friday.
"If she declares to give them up, the senior general will personally meet with her," said a government announcement published in The New Light of Myanmar.
India and the Philippines pledged on Friday to strengthen trade, fight terror and develop renewable energy sources in a slew of agreements signed during a visit by Philippine President Gloria Arroyo.
For the first time, personnel from the country's newly raised Strategic Forces Command today successfully conducted the "user trial" of the nuclear capable 700 km range indigenously developed AGNI-I ballistic missile from the Wheelers island off the Orissa coast. The missile tested was an upgraded version in which considerable improvements have been made in re-entry technology, giving the weapon more manoeuverability, DRDO scientists said. This was the fourth test-firing of the surface-to-surface ballistic missile, which is capable of striking a target up to a distance of 700 km.There were "considerable improvements in its re-entry technology and manoeuvreability" since Agni's first trial was carried out on January 25, 2002 from Wheelers Island, the sources said.On the other hand,The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected 8% GDP growth for India in the medium term, but has said the country would require policies to foster improvements in the labour market conditions, for better job creation and in the ...
The test firing -- the fourth in the 700 km Agni-I series -- was carried out at 10.30 am by the Strategic Forces personnel using mobile launchers from the Integrated Test Range complex 4 -- signalling the missile being made operational with the armed forces.
"The performance parameters of the missile were as expected and the desired objective have been met," a Defence Ministry spokesman said.
The trials were undertaken, ministry sources said to fix operating procedures for the missiles, which have already been inducted into the armed forces. Agni-I would be the second series of missiles to be inducted after the much shorter range Prithvi.
The Strategic Forces Command has raised a new missile group 334 for operating these missiles. AGNI-I is so far the only missile in India's arsenal which operates on solid fuel. The 3,000 kms range AGNI-III, which is under trial, also uses solid fuel.
Agni-I is a single stage version of Agni-II missile. It has a length of 15 metres and weighs 12 tons. It is capable of carrying a 1,000 kg payload and both nuclear as well as conventional warheads. The rocket propels it at a velocity of 2.5 km per second, sources said.
On the eve of International Atomic Energy Agency's Director-General Mohammed El Baradei's visit to India next week, three influential US lawmakers have called called on the Bush Administration to eliminate any ambiguity over the United States-India civilian nuclear agreement before it goes to bat for New Delhi at the Nuclear Suppliers Group.All the three lawmakers are members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.On the other hand,Congressman Jim McDermott, Washington state Democrat, and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, October 2, took to the House floor to laud Sonia Gandhi [Images] for inspiring the UN resolution designating Mahatma Gandhi's [Images] birthday as the International Day of Non-Violence.
McDermott, informed his Congressional colleagues, "Today, is a very special day. Today, October 2, marks the birth date of Mahatma Gandhi. To honour him, the United Nations approved a resolution that, beginning today, designates October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence."
"It's a start--one that was inspired by Sonia Gandhi after she successfully led an international conference called Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment--Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st Century," in January 2007,the lawmaker said.
in New delhi, Left-UPA committee that is currently examining the Indo-US nuclear deal will meet for the third time on Friday.The Left will demand some clear answers from the government, particularly on whether it plans to go ahead with negotiations on India-specific safeguards with the IAEA by this month.Meanwhile,In a move that could raise the hackles of the Left parties, the Indian Air Force has sought the government's nod to take part in the world's most advanced aerial combat training exercises, ironically labelled Red Flag, hosted by the US.The IAF wants to take part in the exercises slated for January 2008 and has sought the government's clearance, Air Force Chief Fali Homi Major said in Delhi on Friday. If the Government gives the nod, this will be the second time in months that the Indian Armed Forces would be engaged in war games with US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies. Last month Indian warships conducted war maneouvers with ships, submarines and fighters from US, Australia, Japan [Images] and Singapore in the Bay of Bengal, which triggered widespread protests from the Left parties.
Raising concerns that the 123 Agreement between Washington and New Delhi, made public on August 3, does not adhere to the letter and spirit of the enabling Hyde Amendment approved overwhelmingly by the House and the Senate and signed into law last December by President Bush, Representatives Howard Berman, California Democrat, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida [Images] Republican, and Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska Republican, introduced legislation late on Thursday, saying "it remains to be determined if the nuclear cooperation agreement is fully consistent with the Hyde Act."
The legislation, although non-binding, said the Administration should clarify all conflicts of interpretation regarding the nuclear cooperation agreement prior to seeking an exemption for India in Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines.
It also warned that an unqualified exemption for India would create a strong incentive for India to negotiate nuclear cooperation agreements with other countries with less stringent conditions than those contained in the agreement negotiated between India and the United States, thereby undermining the United States nonproliferation policy and US commercial interests.
The legislation also called for an immediate termination of all nuclear commerce by Nuclear Supplier Group member states if India detonates a nuclear explosive device or if the IAEA has determined that India violated its international safeguards commitments.While the Hyde Act has mentioned such a cut-off in nuclear trade with India if it conducts another test, this has not been explicitly spelled out in the 123 Agreement, and Indian government officials have said that the 123 supersedes the Hyde Act, although senior Administration officials have remained circumspect.
A senior Left leader told NDTV that if that happens, the Left will have to take a decision on its support to the government. Reacting to agency reports that say the government has already begun consultations with the IAEA, the Left leader said they would like to know the nature of these consultations but it's clear any negotiations with the IAEA will be the breaking point.
The Left will also closely watch the visit of IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to New Delhi next week.Though it is expected that some informal talks on the nuclear deal may happen, the Left has warned against any move to formalise negotiations.
Speaking to NDTV, CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said that his party has once again reminded the government that it should not go ahead with any negotiations with the IAEA before the special committee completes its work.But discussions on India specific safeguards are not on the agenda during the IAEA chief's visit to New Delhi next week.
When contacted by NDTV, the Department of Atomic Energy said, ''No talks or meetings on India specific safeguards are scheduled during the IAEA chief's visit. All occasions in which IAEA chief is participating are public gatherings or visits to laboratories''.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechuri today openly warned the government that the Left parties were in no mood to oblige the Government further if it decided to go ahead with the nuclear pact with the US. “We will have to do a re-think on continuing support to the Government if India goes ahead to make the agreement operational. If they proceed, we have made our stand clear to withdraw support to the government”.
Yechuri went on to say, "Surely, no one can expect it to support this UPA Government, which in violation of the CMP, is pursuing to continue the direction of India's foreign policy that was begun in the first place by the BJP-led NDA government." Yechuri was talking to reporters in New Delhi today on the possibilities of Friday’s meeting.
Even the CPI general secretary A B Bardhan had on Thursday warned the ruling UPA coalition that the Left support could not be taken for granted. He had said that there were indications that Government would go ahead with operationalising the deal. No reconciliation could be possible unless it puts the deal on hold, he said. So far, the Left parties had not decided on withdrawing support as they did not want to foist a pre-term election on the country, Bardhan said adding the Left would continue their outside support to the government as long as it adhered to the Common Minimum Programme.
“UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has admitted the differences during her speech in New York but preferred to remain silent on how to resolve them,” CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan said. Ms. Gandhi had said there was no cause for alarm in view of differences between the UPA government and it’s crucial outside supporter on the deal. He said unless the government put the deal on hold there would not be any reconciliation.
Jammu and Kashmir Zero Violence
BY: PAUL BEERSMANS
http://www.jkreporter.com/guest_column.html
As early as 13 August 1948 the UN Commission for India and Pakistan requested Pakistan to withdraw its troops from the State as a pre-condition for organising the plebiscite. The same Commission in its resolution of 5 January 1949 repeated this request. Until this date, Pakistan has not withdrawn its armed forces and consequently the plebiscite has not been held.
Following conclusions can be drawn, based on the experi-ences of my visit to India and the Indian J&K State:
A. J&K, as it was before partition, is at present under the rule of three countries:
1. China: Aksai Chin and a territory of 180 kms ceded by Pakistan to China;
2. India: J&K State comprising Jammu-region, the Kashmir-Valley and Ladakh;
3. Pakistan: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (Northern Areas).
The culture, history, traditions, language, religion, etc. of these specific regions are totally different from each other. In J&K State this is also the case for Jammu, theValley and Ladakh . The link between these three regions can be called “Kashmiriyat” epitomised by tolerance, mutual respect, peace. In this respect it should be noted that the Kashmiris want the Kashmiri Pandits to return to the Valley, but this is only possible if their safety can be guaranteed.
B. Shops that open early in the morning and close late in the evening, busy traffic, children going to school, men and women, young and old, doing their business, their shopping, their social meetings in anormal manner were enough to make me beleive that things had become considerably normal now.
- In the Valley the railway link between Qazigund (in the east) and Baramulla (in the west) is progressing at an impressive pace and should be operational in 2008;
- new roads are constructed, existing roads are being repaired, improved and enlarged;
- new official buildings, hospitals, medical dispensations, schools, etc., etc. are being built;
- historical monuments are under renovation;
- fountains brighten up parks and busy crossings;
- shopping centres, hotels, residential areas, houses, posh villas, etc. are being built, renovated;
- mobile phones have become common and are operative in the remotest areas, and
- the car parking is completely modernisedand latest and most expensive models of cars can be seen in the Valley.
D. Priority must be given to end the sufferings of the Kashmiris. This can only be realised by stopping violence: zero violence. They want to have a future and jobs for themselves and their children. After 17 years of militancy it is high time to give the growing up generation a chance to have a normal youth and education.
E. Criminals are taking advantage of the troubled situation. They are abducting people for money, raping, murdering, extorting money from businesspersons, using mafia practices under the cover of ‘the movement’: militancy is a lucrative industry.
F. Violence has been rejected as an instrument for seeking a solution for a political problem. Pakistan should stop cross-border terrorism and cross-border infiltration, stop sending money, ammunition and weapons and stop giving training. As long as Pakistan supports terrorism, openly or covertly, there cannot be peace in J&K and without peace there cannot be a solution.
G. The pace of the peace process is not encouraging. There is almost no space for progress due to the internal situation in Pakistan. Internal and external aspects are linked to each other: if the internal situation is not good then the external relations will be affected negatively. The peace process has slowed down and that is not because of India, but the domestic situation in Pakistan. The process is slow and one should not expect a short-term solution. This can only be reached through small steps.
H. The dissident leaders insist that the peace process should be tripartite. Most of them do not have a solutioN. They are floating the ideas and the four points proposal of Musharraf as a basis for negotiations. ‘Let a tripartite dialogue start and a solution will emerge automatically’, they beleive.
I. The ‘opt-out’ option proposed by People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Lone does not find support in the Valley. There is some support in Jammu-region whereas in Leh district Ladakh Union Territory Front is fully supporting this option.
J. Everyone disavowed the statement of the Pakistani Ambassador in Brussels as if Gilgit-Baltistan (Nort-hern Areas as this area was renamed by Pakistan) is a part of Pakistan and not of J&K. All of the people I met ascertained that Gilgit-Baltistan is a part of J&K within the 1947 borders. Pakistan treats this area and its population step motherly: they enjoy no status or even the semblance of democratic representation. They are kept in poverty, illiteracy and back-wardness. The deprivation and lack of even very basic needs can be easily seen. A few locals are able to secure govern-ment jobs but even then they are paid up to 35% less than non-native employees; there is no local broadcast media. This must change and also their views and aspirations taken into consideration.
K. In the eyes of the mainstream parties the introduced CBM are important steps in the good direction and they insist on implementing much more CBM, especially improving trade relations and opening more roads across the LoC.
L. The dissident leaders are of the opinion that their aim and demand is not for a soft border or for CBM but for a final solution of the issue.
M. Everytime the Centre invites them they refuse to accept the invitation because they cannot share the table of talks with the mainstream politicians who according to them are a part of the Indian establishment. However, they must understand that the Centre must also talk to the mainstream parties as they are the democratically elected representatives of the Kashmiris and also they are a part of the Kashmiri society.
N. A dialogue is necessary on three levels:
1. bilateral level: between India and Pakistan;
2. national level: between the Govern-ment of India, the J&K State Govern-ment and the representatives of the Kashmiri society;
3. internal level: between different regions of J&K.
O. Four out of five WG submitted their conclusions and recommendations to the Indian Prime Minister. Concrete results are expected soon and after their implementation the situation will normalise although the dissidents are of the opinion that the WG do not take the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiris into consideration: the conclusions and recommendations have nothing to do with the peace process as they are only dealing with internal questions in order to address administrative problems.
P. There is no doubt that human rights violations are committed by the security forces and by the militants. There is also no doubt that not all cases of human rights violations committed by the security forces are disclosed or prosecuted. It is also a fact that the security forces always are blamed if something happens. Dissident leaders do not mention and are not critical on human rights violations committed by militants or ordinary crimes committed by bandits.
Q. A fundamental change of mindset among the security forces is needed regarding their attitude towards civilians. Organising crackdowns on a Sunday in an overcrowded ‘Sunday mark’ or on the so busy Boulevard along Dal Lake are not increasing the feeling of security among the civilian population, local and tourists as well. On the contrary, it creates fear, frustration and bad feelings towards them.
R. It is not clear if infiltration is going up or down butthere are militants, having enough equipment to keep the pot boiling. They can come and go as they like. They can come across the LoC, via Nepal, via Bangladesh as it is impossible to seal off completely the long Indian border.
S. The Kashmiris are in general happy with the democratic elected Government. Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and his Ministers are trying to fulfil the commitments they made. But the positive changes are not visible enough and not reaching the Kashmiris. The Govern-ment should intensify its efforts to meet the expectations and the wishes of the Kashmiris.
T. Corruption is adding to the misery and sufferings of the common Kashmiri. It has also a destabilising effect on the normal functioning of the civil society. The Kashmiris who have responsible jobs in the police, in the judicial system, in the administration, etc. are supposed to look after the well functioning of the society. By indulging into corruption they are betraying their own compatriots. It is high time that at all levels in J&K State a serious effort is made to tackle corruption. It is too easy to point to the Centre as being the origin of all evils, but one should have the courage and the honesty to recognise the shortcomings in the own system and take the necessary steps to redress the situation.
U. The cry for the right of self-determination by some parties in the Valley is supported by Pakistan. The same cry is heard in the areas under Pakistani administration, but without limitations: all options should be left open, such as accession to India, accession to Pakistan, Azadi (= freedom), total independence, partition.
V. Pakistan has no stand in J&K. Pakistan invaded J&K and is at the origin of the de facto partitioning of the State. As early as 13 August 1948 the UN Commission for India and Pakistan requested Pakistan to withdraw its troops from the State as a pre-condition for organising the plebiscite. The same Commission in its resolution of 5 January 1949 repeated this request. Until this date, Pakistan has not withdrawn its armed forces and consequently the plebiscite has not been held.
This conclusion is confirmed by the ‘Report on Kashmir: present situation and future prospects’ of Rapporteur Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Vice Chair-person of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Union, and almost unanimously adopted by the Committee on Foreign Affairs (March 2007) and by the European Parliament. This report reads as follows: ‘Pakistan continues to point to early UN Security Council Resolutions on Kashmir to support its contention that there should be a plebiscite to determine whether a reunited Jammu and Kashmir should ‘join’ India or Pakistan. The report notes, however, that the UN-laid down conditions for such a plebiscite have not been, and can no longer be, met by Pakistan. ’
The report is in favour of negotiations with the following wording: ‘In conclusion, the report recognises the ancient and unique heritage of the Kashmiri people, and the rapporteur has nothing but praise for their tenacity. After so many decades of conflict and tragedy in this particularly beautiful and historic part of the sub-continent’, it is heartening to see the two great powers, India and Pakistan, coming together with the people of Kashmir and that peaceful solutions are both on the horizon and being implemented, a familiar process which the European Parliament fully supports’.
Paul Beersmans is President, Belgian Association for Solidarity with Jammu and Kashmir
II. Sources of Weapons for Militias in Punjab and Kashmir
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/kashmir/1994/kashmir94-02.htm
India has long accused the government of Pakistan of directly supplying weapons, as well as other forms of military support, to militants in Punjab and Kashmir. Most long-time observers of the region concur.(5) Both Sikh and Kashmiri militant leaders have acknowledged as much,(6) and many of the weapons used by militants in both states clearly were acquired in Pakistan. Nevertheless, there are many complexities and uncertainties about the arms supply relationship.
Available evidence suggests that most weapons obtained by Sikh and Kashmiri militants have come from two sources inside Pakistan: the arms bazaar in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province (nwfp)--a vast black market for weapons--and members of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intel
