Palash Speaks

Clues suggest Rizwanur wasn't killed: CBI
judicial inquiry Withrwan, Mamta Demands Buddha`s Resignation
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: alashchandrabiswas@gmail.com">palashchandrabiswas@gmail.com
The CBI will announce within the next few days that Rizwanur Rahman, the graphic designer who died mysteriously a month after his marriage to the daughter of an industrialist, had committed suicide. The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had reached the same conclusion in their own investigations into the death.A top CBI officer said, "Circumstantial evidence clearly indicates that he committed suicide." Preliminary reports and investigations, the officer said, suggest that Rizwanur was in a state of mental stress and was suffering from depression after his wife Priyanka's parents didn't respond to his SMSes in which he pleaded to talk to his wife.After several mock drills and survey of the spot, they have concluded that Rizwanur did not actually jump in front of the train. He was standing when the train knocked him down and partially severed his head, the CBI officer said.Meanwhile,A day after Rizwanur Rehman's family moved the Calcutta High Court, the West Bengal government on Friday withdrew the judicial inquiry it had ordered a month ago into the mysterious death of the computer graphics teacher after he married the daughter of an industrialist. Expressing confidence that the CBI investigation would unravel the truth behind the mysterious death of Rizwanur Rahman, his brother Rukbanur on Friday said the decision to wind up the judicial inquiry ordered into the case should have been taken much earlier.

"When I find that the CBI is seriously inquiring into the case and when Rizwan's family wants only a CBI probe, we have withdrawn the judicial inquiry as it may overlap," Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee told reporters at the state Secretariat.
Bhattacharjee had recently stated that judicial inquiry would continue simultaneously with the CBI investigation into the case. He said that the judicial inquiry was formally started by Justice (retd) Alok Chakraborty, but considering the sentiments of Rizwanur's family and the media "We have folded it up."
With the West Bengal government withdrawing the judicial inquiry into the death of computer graphics teacher Rizwanur Rehman, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
"We have all been demanding the scrapping of the judicial commission as CBI is already on the job. We now demand that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who is also the home minister must go," Mamata told reporters.
She said "The CBI should not bow to any political pressure. It should make an impartial inquiry as the people want to know the truth. No one will accept any compromise." She also sought to know how Rs 10 lakhs were spent by the state government in the past ten days on the judicial commission.

Investigators claimed that before his death, Rizwanur made some calls to his friends. When he reached the railway track, he called up Ashok Todi, his father-in-law. He told Todi that he wanted to talk to his wife, but the line got disconnected.It was then that he sent SMSes to Todi and Priyanka's mother Vimala saying that if they didn't allow him to speak to Priyanka, he would commit suicide. When there was no response from Priyanka's parents, he headed towards the tracks.
When asked why the investigators are ruling out the murder theory, the CBI officer said: "He was alone all along till his body was found. A murderer would not allow his victim to make phone calls and messages at will. In case of a murder, someone has to apply force for some time before the act."

Meanwhile,bowing to public opinion, the West Bengal government on Friday withdrew the judicial inquiry into the mysterious death of Muslim youth Rizwan, arguing that it would only overlap with the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. Bhattacharya had ordered a judicial inquiry along with a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation by the state police, which was termed illegal by the Calcutta High Court. Instead, a CBI probe was ordered.
"When the CBI has started investigation there is no point in continuing the judicial probe which had also started formally. We are withdrawing the government notification for the judicial probe," Bhattacharya said.
Rizwan's brother Rukban and his mother Kishwar Jahan had filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, seeking to set aside the judicial commission appointed by the government on Oct 1. The petition claimed the judicial commission had no legal validity as a state appointed commission had no authority to interrogate IPS officers. The petition also stated the judicial commission has no right to conduct the probe since the high court has already asked the CBI to investigate the matter.
Bhattacharya, however, refused to comment on the ongoing CBI probe.
"I will not comment on anything at this juncture. I have to wait and see what they (CBI) are doing," he said.
"The West Bengal government should have taken a decision much earlier to wind up the judicial commission because two parallel investigations were posing problems. Moreover the state government is not bound to act on the basis of the recommendations of the judicial commission," Rukbanur said.
Expressing satisfaction over the pace of the on-going CBI investigation in Rizwanur Rehman case, Rizwanur's brother said, "the CBI inquiry is progressing. It is investigating the matter deeply. Let us see what happens ultimately. We are hopeful. We are confident. The CBI has a good track record."
"We have been saying right after the death of my brother that there should be a CBI inquiry. Moreover we are facing problems due to the parallel investigations," Rukbanur said.
The Telegraph, on Friday published a letter to the police supposedly written by Priyanka Todi with her late husband Rizwan on Sep 3, 18 days before his body was found by a railway track, saying that they feared foul play by her father Ashok Todi.
Rizwan, a 30-year-old computer graphics designer, was found dead beside a railway track here with his head smashed on Sep 21, barely a month after marrying Priyanka, daughter of industrialist Ashok Todi.
His gruesome death had sparked widespread protests for justice with common people, students and intellectuals taking to the streets and campaigning for punishment of cops who allegedly intimidated Rizwan to opt out of the marriage.
The state government removed five police officials- Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee, deputy commissioner (headquarters) Gyanwant Singh, deputy commissioner (detective department) Ajoy Kumar, assistant commissioner of Anti-Rowdy Squad (ARS) Sukanti Chakraborty and sub-inspector Krishnendu Das of the same department - on Oct 17, 26 days after Rizwan was found dead.

A letter to the police supposedly written by Priyanka Todi and her late husband Rizwanur Rahman, more than two weeks before his body was found on a railway track, says clearly that the couple feared foul play by her father Ashok Todi.
Pointing the needle of suspicion at industrialist Todi, the letter dated Sep 3 to Ajoy Kumar, former deputy commissioner of police (detective department) who was transferred after the controversy broke, states: "We would like to inform you that our father-in-law/ father may engage some anti-socials/criminals to kidnap us or may try to forcefully abduct us.
"Some antisocials are coming to our place and threatening us of dire consequences if we continue to stay together at our place."
Published by The Telegraph here, the letter carries signatures that read "Rizwanur Rahman and Priyanka Todi". It mentions how the couple was threatened with "dire consequences" if they continued to stay together at 7B Tiljala Lane, the Rahmans' residence.
Rizwanur, a 30-year-old graphic designer, was found dead with his head smashed on Sep 21 by the railway tracks, barely a month after his marriage to Priyanka, daughter of industrialist Todi.
The letter, which carries the seal of the deputy commissioner's office in acknowledgement of receipt, is dated Sep 3, 2007; two days after Priyanka left her home and 18 days before Rizwanur died.
The missive attributed to the couple indicates that they feared the worst from Priyanka's father.
"Please be informed that if anything happens to us the person who will be responsible is Mr Ashok Kumar Todi," says a line in the letter.
The couple signs off with a plea to police to "provide us protection".
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the case on a Calcutta High Court directive, took possession of the letter recently.
A CBI officer was quoted by the daily saying: "It is clear from the letter that the couple were very scared. But, Priyanka did not tell us about the letter. Neither did she tell us about the anti-socials."
The letter also makes a passing reference to attempts at bribery -- an issue that has become a raging controversy now. "They (the anti-socials) are trying to threaten and bribe our people so that somehow the girl is sent back to her parents."
Rizwanur's family on Thursday categorically denied allegations of accepting any money from the Todis at any point of time.
Text messages purportedly from Rizwanur's mobile phone on Sep 21 are further clouding the case, which has led to the transfer of police chief Prasun Mukherjee and others.
"Papa (to Ashok Todi) there is 5 mins before I kill myself, talk to me last time", reads one message. Another reportedly reads: "Mom (mother of Priyanka) Hum Apna Jaan Denge 5 min mein, ek baar uska awaz dijiye (Mom, I will kill myself in five minutes, please let me talk to her (Priyanka)".
Though these messages strengthen the suicide theory, it is feared that Kolkata police has released these texts selectively to make it seem that Rizwanur took his life because he was depressed.
According to human rights activist Sujato Bhadra, it was about the same time that Rizwanur had called him and showed a resolve to fight his battle to get back his wife. Rizwanur had wanted to meet Bhadra in the evening as well, the activist said.
The CBI is now probing the missing SMS or call links amid these messages.
The Calcutta High Court had on Oct 16 ordered a CBI inquiry into Rizwanur's death, terming the ongoing CID investigation as "illegal".

Regional Convention on Criminal Matters will be Delayed
Complicity in war crimes in that conflict are taking on a new life in Bangladesh as Khaleda Zia has won a reprieve
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
Bangladesh committed to holding free, fair polls: President

Thursday October 25 2007 08:30:11 AM BDT

President Iajuddin Ahmed on Wednesday said Bangladesh is committed to holding the upcoming general ejection in a free, fair and credible manner within the time frame set by the Election Commission.(Bangladesh Today)
He made this remark when the ambassador of the European Commission and Delegation Head Stefan Frowein made a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban yesterday, said a Bangabhaban press release.
He also invited European Observers to observe the election.
The EC envoy told the President that he is very happy to see the progress of ongoing voter ID card activities and hoped the next general election would be held according the road map announced by the Election Commission.
Welcoming the Ambassador of the European Commission at Bangabhaban, the President thanked him for his sincere cooperation in strengthening relations between Bangladesh and the European countries. Bangladesh attaches great importance to its bilateral relations with the countries of European Union.
He hoped the existing relations would be further strengthened and deepened in the days to come.
The President said the European countries are the important development partners of Bangladesh.
Expressing satisfaction, the President hoped European Commission would play its due role in fostering Bangladeshi's export market to the European Union.
The Ambassador of European Commission officially handed over an invitation letter to the President of Bangladesh to attend the second edition of the European Development Days to be held in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, on 7-9 November 2007.
The Ambassador of the European Commission said the issue of Global warming would be discussed in the European Development Days meet.
He requested the President to kindly attend the function saying many world leaders including Heads of State and Government would attend the conference.
Military secretary to the President Major General Mohd Aminul Karim, Secretary Md, Sirajul Islam, Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader and concerned officials were present on the occasion.

India says a regional convention on criminal matters will be delayed as Pakistan and Bangladesh have sought more time to study the issue.
"SAARC convention on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters is likely to be further delayed, with Pakistan and Bangladesh seeking more time to study the draft before ratifying it," said Madhukar Gupta, India's interior secretary, at the end of a three-day conference of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.Gupta said the endorsement of the convention may have paved the way for extradition of wanted militant leaders, besides interrogation of criminals in member countries. He said the convention would facilitate the deportation of several hundred criminals who fled across the border to safe sanctuaries in neighboring countries.An Interior Ministry official confirmed that the signing of the convention would have led India to seek the extradition of top officials from the outlawed separatist United Liberation Front of Assam from Bangladesh.

Decades-old allegations of support for Pakistan in its 1971 battle to maintain control of Bangladesh and complicity in war crimes in that conflict are taking on a new life ahead of elections planned for next year.In line with the "roadmap" of the country's army-backed interim government for the polls expected around the end of 2008, the Election Commission has been talking with major political parties on reform plans that include registration of parties.Meanwhile,Bangladesh's fallen prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia has won a reprieve in her battle to clear her name after the country's powerful Anti-Corruption Commission said it had found no evidence to prove at least two allegations against her.Khaleda, in jail facing possible trial for alleged extortion and abuse of power, was investigated by the commission for alleged wrongdoing connected to compensation for fires at a gas field operated by U.S. firm Occidental in 1997 and also for awarding a mining concession without following due procedure.Analysts said the decision would help Khaleda's image, but the commission is still investigating allegations against Khaleda and her rival Sheikh Hasina, another former premier, on other allegations.Khaleda, and her younger son Arafat Rahman, were arrested in September after the commission accused them of illegally influencing the selection of an operator for two state-run container depots in 2003.Khaleda's elder son and apparent political heir, Tareque Rahman, has in jail since March on corruption charges.More than 170 key politicians have been detained in the anti-corruption drive, including dozens of former ministers.
Meanwhile,Bangladesh and India Thursday agreed to exchange information about terrorists as border guard chiefs of the two neighboring countries began talks to discuss host of outstanding issues concerning the common border. Bangladesh and India have 4,200 kms porous border and cross- border crimes, smuggling, killing of civilians and undemarcated boundary frequently trigger unrest between Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF).
On the other hand,Biggest ever Yaaba haul: Taka 50 lakh in cash, Tk 5 crore VoIP equipment, Tk 15 crore Yaaba tablets recovered from Gulshan

1,30,000 pieces of contraband Yaaba tablets were recovered, The price of each tablet varies between Tk 250 and 450.

Friday October 26 2007 04:42:16 AM BDT

In the country's biggest-ever haul of drugs, 1,30,000 pieces of contraband Yaaba tablets worth about Tk 15 crore, were recovered in the city and two persons, including the nephew of business magnet Aziz Mohammad Bhai, were arrested yesterday.(New NationBD)
In the 24-hour drive, elite Rapid Action Battalion (RA members also seized Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) equipment worth about Tk 5 crore, foreign currencies worth about Tk 50 lakhs and a huge quantity of foreign liquor and contraband phensidyl.
According to RAB sources, various kinds of stimulating Yaaba tablets were smuggled into the country for about five years. The price of each tablet varies between Tk 250 and 450.
Children of rich families, businessmen are the main buyers of the tablets.
RAB said, in their continuous drive for eight days, they succeeded in recovering such a huge quantity of the Yaaba tablets, along with Yaaba tablet making equipment, from two city houses in the posh residential area of Gulshan. This was beyond their imagination.
One of the arrested persons was identified as Amin Huda, 36. Huda is also the owner of MB Multicare Technology. Another arrested person was identified as Mohammad Ahsanul Huq Hasan, 34. Both Huda and Hasan are business partners.
The drugs recovered by RAB also included 5,000 Ice pills, alternative to Yaaba tablets, 1 Viagra tablet, 139 bottles of foreign liquor, 132 bottles of phensidyl and 150 Yaaba packets.
RAB said they also recovered Bangladeshi taka 46,01,422, US dollars 1,900, Euro 450, Thai baths 2,500, Hong Kong dollars 100, Saudi Riyals 3, Indian Rupees 125 and two passports.
The seized VoIP equipment, included 818 SIM cards of different mobile operator companies, 3 IPSs, 159 Telulars, 6 CPUs, 15 mobile phones, 1 laptop, 3 monitors, 1 Internet switch, 2 Channel Boxes and various others machineries.
Lt Col Mohammad Yusuf of the RAB Headquarters said they conducted the drives from Wednesday night to Thursday noon. Their operation was followed by the confessional statements of six other persons arrested from Gulshan and Baridhara areas with more than 450 Yaaba tablets in their possession.
He told journalists at the RAB Headquarters, "It was beyond our imagination that miscreants have been doing such big business in this kind of drugs."
Hasan Mahmud Khandakar, Director General (DG) of RAB, termed it as an ominous signal to the young generation and said, "Earlier, Yaaba tablets were smuggled into the country. We are investigating whether it is being made within the country."
The RAB-DG urged the Civil Society and the media to come forward in the fight against Yaaba and save the young generation.
A section of unscrupulous people used to exploit teenagers for making vulgar and pornographic films, he added.
At least nine persons, including three women, were arrested for possessing Yaaba tablets and a large number of pornographic CDs.
Indian BSF Director General A.K. Mitra and BDR Director General Shakil Ahmed are leading their respective sides at the five-day talks that will end up on Oct. 29.
"The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and agreement and progress were made in a number of subjects," a brief release of the BDR said.
Indian BSF chief Mitra told reporters that some 10 Bangladesh terrorists who are facing trials in Indian state of Kolkata will be deported soon.
Earlier in the day, the two sides discussed a host of outstanding issues, including cross-border smuggling, trespassing, insurgents, demarcation of common borders, installing border pillars and killing of innocent civilians along the border.
The Awami League -- one of Bangladesh's main parties which led the then East Pakistan to independence through the nine-month 1971 war -- has asked the commission not to register any party that sided with or supported the Pakistani army against Bengali nationalists.Many Bangladeshis charge Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's biggest religion-based political party, with opposing independence from Pakistan in 1971 and complicity with the Pakistani army in killings, rape and other alleged atrocities.However, since independence Jamaat has steadily rebuilt itself into a strong political force, and was often courted by other parties for support in elections.
Jamaat always denied war crime charges, and on Thursday Jamaat secretary-general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid said: "Bangladesh has never had any anti-independence elements nor any war criminals."
Mujahid, a minister in the government of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, also told reporters after a meeting with the election commissioners that the "demand for not registering any party on religious grounds is illegal and unacceptable".
The Awami League -- the political vehicle of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina -- and its allies want a ban on parties like Jamaat from the coming election.
Allegations of supporting Pakistani forces during Bangladesh's liberation war in 1971 have taken a new turn in the country with many political leaders asking the Election Commission not to register any party that sided with the occupational forces.
Bangladesh's Election Commission initiated crucial talks with political parties for electoral reforms that include registration of parties ahead of the general elections planned for late 2008.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), which is castigated for siding with pakistani occupation forces during Bangladesh's liberation war, has denied its role against the independence movement.
"In fact anti-liberation forces never even existed," JI Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid told reporters after talks with Election Commission on electoral reforms here on Thursday.
His comments came amid demands for banning fundamentalist parties from contesting the upcoming polls. Mujahid termed the allegations against JI as "false and ill-motivated" adding the post-independence governments had identified 195 people as war criminals and "all of them were members of the Pakistan army".
According to the 1971 newspaper reports, Mujahid was a leader of JI's student front in the then east Pakistan and Chief of the infamous al Badr Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani troops, during the liberation war.
The current JI Chief Motiur Rahman Nizami was the Chief of al-Badr, the elite assassination unit comprising JI activists, which is believed to have killed a number of leading academicians, doctors, engineers, journalists and other eminent personalities in December 1971 with a view to leave the nation intellectually crippled.
Since the independence Jamaat had been constitutionally banned in Bangladesh till 1976. Asked about the growing demand for declaring the anti-liberation forces and war criminals disqualified from contesting the elections, the JI Secretary General said, "there is no war criminal in the country now."
"The constitution does not support the demand since Islam is the state religion and 90 per cent of the population are Muslims," he said.
Asked what role his party played during the war, he evaded a direct answer and instead asked the journalists to find it out.
"No-one should give a distorted picture of the past," observed Mujahid, who was minister of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led four party coalition government.
Chief Election Commissioner Atm Shamsul Huda last month said though the war criminals should have been tried immediately after independence, successive governments did not move to bring them to trial.
Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had announced a general amnesty to those who opposed the independence movement.
According to available records, the then Pakistani authorities constituted three major para militia forces and special units called Razakar, al-Badr and al-Shams with Bengali-speaking collaborators and Urdu-peaking Biharis who migrated to east Pakistan after the 1947 partition of the Indian sub-continent.
Bangladesh: 25,000 textile workers protest against poor wages
Fri, 26 Oct 2007.
Textile workers are on the move again
Rukhsana Manzoor, Socialist Movement of Pakistan (CWI), Lahore
More than 25,000 textile workers defied a ban on protests in emergency-ruled Bangladesh to demand back pay and bonuses in one of the country’s biggest industrial zones. The workers walked off the job in Tejgoan industrial area in the capital Dhaka and held protests in the streets, forcing the shutdown of most factories in the area. Police used batons to break up the protests and arrested dozens of workers. 50 workers got injuries from police beatings. The authorities also used the notorious Rapid Action Battalion and army personnel to crush the demonstration. After the police action, angry workers smashed the windows and gates of nearly 16 garment factories in the area. The workers then went on to a one-day strike but later put it off after negotiations with authorities.
Slave wages and conditions
Anger is mounting again amongst the textile workers; they receive very low wages and suffer horrific working conditions. While garment exporters are earning billions of dollars every year, workers are getting slave wages. Bangladesh earned $9 billion last year from garment exports, which is 75% of the country’s total exports. Garment exports are booming and big business is making fortunes out of that, but the majority of textile and garment workers are living below the poverty line. Some are even living in absolute poverty without having the basic necessities of life.
The average wage of these workers is around 1500 tikkas ($16) per month. They work 12 to 14 hours a day but still they cannot meet their everyday needs. There are no proper housing, health and education facilities in the industrial areas. More than half of garment workers are women and there is a famous saying among these female workers: “If you are lucky, you will be a prostitute, but if you are unlucky, you will be a textile worker!”. Women workers not only face super-exploitation, horrific conditions, poverty and low wages but also suffer from sexual harassment.
These conditions and low wages forced the workers to come onto the streets last year. Thousands of workers were involved in strikes and violent protests in which eight workers were killed. The angry and desperate workers torched 16 factories and vandalised hundreds more throughout the country. These demonstrations and strikes were called off when government and employers announced a minimum monthly wage of $25.
Promise not kept
Workers waited almost one year for the implementation of the agreement between the government, employers and unions but the employers were not interested in implementing it. The trade unions issued several warnings to the government and employers to implement the agreement but the union leadership was reluctant to call protest action and strikes because the military-backed government has banned all kinds of protests and rallies under the emergency laws. The government said to the unions that it would not tolerate any unrest in the garment sector. But workers lost patience and decided to show their anger at the employers and government.
According to the Garment Workers’ Unity Forum: “We have conducted surveys in the country’s main industrial zones and found that only 20% of the country’s some 4,000 factories have implemented the minimum wage.” The unions say that the situation is very tense and is deteriorating every day. The recent increases in food and commodity prices have even made the minimum wage meaningless.
One leader, Mishu, who led last year’s protests and strikes, said: “We can no longer keep the workers calm. The factory owners are inviting trouble which will hurt them badly. The government is not taking the situation seriously. The anger is like a volcano which can erupt any time.”
This was the biggest protest since the imposition of emergency rule. According to the Dhaka police commissioner, “The matter is not over yet, tension is mounting and we expect more protests and violence in the coming days if the demands of the workers are not met. I have told the authorities that repression will not stop the demonstrations once they have started to take place. This demonstration was a warning and a serious one; this movement is building again. Employers should accept and implement the demands if they want to avoid an unwanted situation.”
Textile workers are on the move again and they are the most militant and important section of the working class. Their radicalisation and successful actions will encourage other sections to start a struggle. They have shown again and again in the last few years that they want to fight against the horrific conditions and want to improve their living conditions.
However, some trade union leaders are not willing to conduct a struggle. They have betrayed many courageous struggles of the workers before. Bangladeshi textile workers need a fighting leadership and democratic unions. The unions and leadership should be independent and free from the influence of any capitalist or pro-capitalist party. Trade unions must organise a general strike to force the government and employers to implement the agreement, which should involve all sections of the working class.
Monks Transferred to Bangladesh Authorities
10/26/2007

Burmese border security forces in western Burma transferred twelve young Bangladeshi monks on Wednesday to Bangladesh Rifles personnel, soon after the monks had arrived in Burma's border town of Maungdaw from Rangoon, reported a Nasaka official from the town.
The monks left for Bangladesh for Rangoon last week as many monasteries had refused to accept them after military authorities pressured many monasteries in the former Burmese capital to not allow any monk students to study in residence.
An abbot from Maungdaw said, "This time Nasaka authorities sent back twelve monks to Bangladesh from the border transportation gate legally, and Nasaka authorities also wrote an official letter to Bangladesh for the monks' safety and security."
A witness said twelve monks arrived at Teknaf jetty opposite Maungdaw at noon on Wednesday.
In the last couple weeks, Nasaka has not assisted monks returning to Bangladesh, but has instead forced monks to travel to Bangladesh illegally via row-boat across the Naff River.
Because the Burmese authorities sent the monks back to Bangladesh via legal means, the monks did not face any problems in returning to their homes in Bangladesh, the abbot said.
According to a local Bangladesh source, all the monks have arrived safely at their homes in the Chittagong Hill Tract area.
About 2,000 Bangladeshi monks, mostly from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, had been studying in monasteries across Burma. The monks from Bangladesh now must return to their home country after they have been refused to study in Burma's monasteries.

U.S.-Bangladesh Joint Air Exercise Begins In Dhaka
'Exercise SUMO TIGER-2007', a week long combined Air Exercise between Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) and the U.S. Marine Forces started at the BAF Base at Kurmitola in the capital, Dhaka on Wednesday.
The aim of the exercise is to develop interoperability between BAF and USMC as well as the BAF capability, local media reported quoting a Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) press statement on Thursday.
Besides, BAF personnel and 100 U.S. Marine Force personnel are taking part in the exercise being held in Dhaka. Six F-18 one C- 130 aircraft from US and F-7 BG and F-7 MB aircraft from the BAF are being employed in the exercise.
The exercise is designed to develop interoperability between BAF and US Marine Corps, improve cross training and update the air combat procedure of BAF, force mix missions and procedure of BAF and the crash facility rescue procedure of BAF.
The events of the exercise include practice diversion, air interception, force package mission and dissimilar air combat training, the statement said, adding that the two friendly countries have been conducting similar training exercises since 1995.
The 'Exercise SUMO TIGER-2007' is scheduled to conclude on November 1, 2007.
Court issues arrest warrant for Bangladesh former prime minister's sister on extortion charges
A Bangladeshi court Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's sister on extortion charges, a defense lawyer said.
A.B.M. Abdul Fattah, a Metropolitan Magistrate in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, ruled that Sheikh Rehana, Hasina's younger sister, should be arrested on charges of extorting US$441,000 (€309,909) from a businessman during Hasina's 1996-2001 tenure, defense lawyer Kamrul Islam said.
The magistrate also asked the authorities to confiscate Rehana's moveable property, Islam said.
Bangladesh's military-backed interim government has launched a massive crackdown on corruption ahead of elections expected to be held next year.
Rehana lives in London while Hasina has been held since July 16 in a special jail pending trial on charges in the same case.
Rehana was never actively involved in politics but reportedly made her fortune by negotiating government contracts during her sister's term in office.
Businessman Azam J. Chowdhury, Managing Director of Eastcoast Trading Ltd., filed the case against Hasina, Rehana and one of their cousins on June 13, accusing them of taking money in return for giving him permission to set up a power plant. The cousin, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, was a Cabinet minister during Hasina's five-year term. He is also in jail on the same charge, pending trial.
According to the charges, the accused threatened Chowdhury with canceling the project unless he paid them.
Rehana and Hasina have denied the charges, saying they were aimed at tarnishing their image. Selim has also said he was not part of any such deal.
The two sisters are the daughters of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was killed along with most of his family in a 1975 military coup. The sisters survived because they were abroad that time. They are the last surviving direct members of Rahman's family.
Rehana was declared a "fugitive" in Wednesday's court order, but it was not clear whether the government would seek her extradition from Britain.
Bangladesh, a parliamentary democracy since 1991, is currently ruled by an interim government backed by its influential army.
Since its inception in mid-January, the makeshift government has been carrying out a massive crackdown on corruption and has arrested two former prime ministers along with many other politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen. It came to power through a declaration of a state of emergency after weeks of violent street protests over electoral reforms that left at least 30 people dead and scores injured.
Hasina's archrival, two-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was arrested in September on corruption charges. She has been in jail since Sept. 3 pending trial.
The government has pledged new elections some time between October and December next year.
Bangladesh, an impoverished nation of 144 million people, has been ranked by the Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International as one of the world's most corrupt nations.
Sufferings of people intensify as prices of essentials rise further
Staff Correspondent
The sufferings of the people continue to intensify as the prices of essentials are skyrocketing in the kitchen markets everyday frustrating all the government efforts to contain it.
People belonging to the fixed and low income groups are the worst victims of the price spiral as they are unable to cope with the rising cost of living caused mainly by soaring prices of essentials.
The retailers are selling items at a higher rate defying the chart fixed by the task force and the monitoring by the task force remains inactive.
The prices of onion, rice, atta, vegetables, edible oil have marked a sharp rise in the city's kitchen markets while the price of hilsha has come down sharply.
In most of the cases the retailers were selling their items at excessive prices yesterday defying the directions given by the joint forces at different city markets.
Yesterday, per kg onion was selling at Tk 64 in the city's kitchen markets setting a new record, up by taka 10 per kg just in a span of week.
Price of per kg atta was selling at Tk 38 taka which set up a new record, up by Tk 3 per kg, just in a span of week.
Besides, the price of green chili also went up by Tk 40 per kg, as it was selling at 120 taka per Kg.
When this correspondent visited different kitchen markets, Iqbal Hossain, a consumer said, "The government should take stern action against the businessmen as their business syndicates are mainly responsible for the price hike of daily necessities".
Meanwhile, some retailers said in the coming days the prices of onion, rice and edible oil would rise further as prices of these items in the international markets has gone up and besides our neighboring country India is not exporting these items to Bangladesh at present.
The prices of pulse, broiler chicken, beefs remained stable while prices of fishes like hilsha, ruhi marked a sharp fall. Yesterday hilsha was selling at Tk 200 per kg.
On Friday, coarse rice was selling at Tk 23-24 per kg, fine quality najirshail at Tk 30-34, miniket at Tk 32, imported onion at Tk 56, local lentil at Tk 80, imported lentil at Tk 76, flour at Tk 38 per kg and soybean oil at Tk 85 per litre.
Prices of most of the items of vegetables marked a sharp rise. Potato was selling at Tk 22, patal at Tk 30, cucumber at Tk 30 and tomato at Tk 70, kakrol at Tk 24 .
It is surprising that the prices of vegetables are rising abnormally at a time when winter vegetables have started arriving in the markets.

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Political leaders demand trial of war criminals, ban on Jamaat politics
Staff Correspondent
Leaders of different political parties sharply reacted to the Jamaat secretary general's claim that there is no war criminal in the country and termed it false. They also demanded trial and punishment of war criminals and ban on political activities of Jamaat.
While talking to newsmen after a dialogue with the Election Commission on the electoral reforms, Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid on Thursday claimed that there was and there is no war criminal or anti-liberation force in the country.
Discarding the claim, the leaders of different political parties including Awami League, said there were war criminals who worked against the Liberation War in 1971.
In an instant reaction, AL acting president Zillur Rahman on Thursday said, "It's is a history that war criminals killed 30 lakh people during the liberation war in 1971".
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CP General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Salim told The Bangladesh Today on Friday that the Jamaat leaders, who were the collaborators of Pakistani forces, are the war criminals.
Still they are committing crimes against the people as well as the country, the CPB general secretary alleged.
Talking to this correspondent, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president Hasanul Haq Inu termed the Jamaat leader's claim false and said Jamaat leaders have told an utter lie in public, which is a denial of the history of Liberation War.
During the war in 1971 War, Golam Azam, Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and many others supported Pakistan forces and worked against the liberation of the country, he mentioned.
They were also involved in serious crimes like mass killing, torturing and raping the women, the JSD president alleged.
After Bangladesh came into being, the governments pardoned collaborators but not the war criminals, Inu added.
BNP's expelled secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in his reaction said there were war criminals, rajakars, al badar and al Shams during the liberation war.
The governments that came to power after the liberation war did not identify the war criminals and bring them to justice, Bhuiyan said adding all the governments forgave the war criminals.
Asked whether an electoral alliance can be formed with Jamaat, the expelled secretary general said an alliance for election purpose can be formed with any political party.
Ekattorer Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee and South Asian People's Union against Fundamentalism and Communalism in a press release condemned the claim of Mujahid.
Pakistani evil forces in collaboration with Jammati-e-Islami, Muslim League and Nejami Islam killed around 30 lakh unarmed people and brutally tortured around two lakh women, the press release says.
UNB adds: Dhaka City Awami League on Friday strongly protested Thursday's remarks by Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid that they did not work against the liberation war in 1971.
Mujahid also claimed that there is no war criminal in the country.
In a statement, AL Dhaka City unit AL acting general secretary Advocate Kamrul Islam said Jamaat was directly involved in all the massacres, women repression and looting in 1971.
"Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid himself is a war criminal. No mercy for the war criminals," Kamrul said vowing to continue their fight against the war criminals until they are tried.

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Prices of fuel oil, power, gas not to be raised right now: BB governor
Staff Correspondent
The government is not thinking of raising prices of petroleum products and power right now considering the current economic condition.
"The donor agencies were told categorically that the government doest not contemplate to adjust gas, fuel oil and power prices taking into account plight of general consumers," Bangladesh Bank (B governor Saleh Uddin Ahmed told reporters at the Zia international airport after returning from Washington on Friday.
He attended there the three-day annual meeting of World Bank and International Monetary Fund that began on October 20 on present global economic scenario and soaring oil price hike in the international market.
"The time is not ripe for raising the price. The government will adjust the prices when favourable time will prevail," he said. "This time they did not insist on raising the prices of fuel oil and power, he added.
BB governor noted that the fast and foremost task of Bangladesh at this moment is to increase agro-production and to create employment opportunities in a bid to accelerate growth as part of post-flood rehabilitation programme. He underlined the need for ensuring supply side by increased import for containing the price hike of essentials.

Indo US Anti Terror War games in Uttarakhand, Military Ties Grows daring Left
US turns real, accepts the argumentative Indian
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
Indicating the government's resolve not to succumb to the Left's demand to scale down military ties with the US, defence minister A K Antony on Thursday declared "military interaction with US will continue" in the future. The Left may have forced the UPA government to put the civil nuclear deal on the backburner but there are simply no full-stops as far as the expanding Indo-US military ties are concerned.
Five of the 17 nuclear power plants in the country had been shut down and the remaining are operating at an average of less than 50 per cent capacity for want of fuel, a top official of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited said.
Two units at Narora atomic power plant in Uttar Pradesh are shut down for annual maintenance work while the newly commissioned Kaiga unit 3 in Karnataka and one unit of Kalpakkam atomic power plant near Chennai are facing closure for want of fuel, Chairman and Managing Director of NPCIL S K Jain said.
Two units of Rajasthan Atomic Power plants are shut down as feeder pipe replacement is taking place, Jain said, adding all these may get started immediately as there was a mismatch of uranium fuel in the country.
Rest of the 12 plants which had an established 95 per cent capacity are now running between 50-70 per cent making the average capacity of nuclear power production in the country less than 50 per cent, he said.
The Nuclear Fuel Complex Chief Executive R N Jairaj said his company was able to make use of only 30 per cent of the total capacity and is being under-utilised due to the "mismatch" of fuel.
The fuel "mismatch" situation has started affecting the performance of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).
Currently operating nuclear power stations with a capacity of around 4,000 MWe, NPCIL has been forced to slash power production levels.
UPA-Left Committee report after Diwali: Yechury

Bangalore, Oct 21: The UPA-Left Committee is expected to come out with its findings on the Indo-US nuclear deal after Diwali, CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said here today. However, Yechury made it clear that consensus on the issue was not possible unless the Left parties` concerns were met.
"May be after Diwali...Sometime," Yechury told reporters when asked when the committee was expected to come out with its report.
He also said that the meeting of the committee slated for tomorrow will not be the last one.
"Tomorrow`s meeting may not be the last meeting. There may be more meetings in the future. Till the meetings are over and till our concerns are taken on board, we expect the Government not to proceed (in operationalising the deal)".
The CPI(M) leader said the Left parties are attending tomorrow`s meeting with the understanding that the findings of the committee will be taken into account before the Government proceeds to operationalise the 123 agreement.
According to him, the Left parties expect the Government to respond to issues raised by them regarding impact of the deal on India`s foreign policy and security concerns, at the meeting.
"In tomorrow`s meeting, we will come to know...How the Government wishes to proceed and on that basis, we will take our future decisions," Yechury said.
On nuclear deal
On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s statement that the process of evolving a meaningful consensus on the issue was on, Yechury said: "let`s see what they say tomorrow. We have not heard anything official from them as yet. Unless our concerns were met, we don`t think consensus would be possible."
He also said the left parties have asked the UPA government to put the deal on hold till the new administration takes over in the US.
"It`s an international norm that whenever there is an anticipated change in government, you don`t enter into international treaties," he said adding, it was clear that there would be a change in administration in the US next year, with President George W Bush completing his eight-year term.
"We are saying...Wait. What`s the hurry. You (UPA) wait till the new administration in the US comes. Let`s see what`s their attitude towards the whole thing; then you proceed," Yechury stated.
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=402648&sid=IUN&sname=
With the Leftist allies blocking the nuclear deal and a vigorous argument raging in the country on this issue, the US has turned real and is bracing itself for a "healthy but sometimes argumentative friendship with India". Zeenews reports.
"First, it is critical that that Americans consider their future with India realistically, guarding itself against undue optimism and excessive expectations," says US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns in an article in Foreign Affairs, the influential magazine which is a must-read for Washington's political and strategic elite.
"Differing histories, cultures and geographies will make for a healthy but sometimes argumentative friendship," writes Burns, while acknowledging that despite the enormous promise "considerable obstacles" remain in the way of India and the US forging "a truly effective global partnership".
"For its part, the US must adjust to a friendship with India that will feature a wider margin of disagreement than we are accustomed to - but a friendship in which the extra effort will be made up for by rich long-term rewards," he said while alluding to differences between India and the US on Myanmar and Iran.
In the article entitled "America's Strategic Opportunity with India", Burns provides a historic overview of bilateral ties from the time of missed opportunities during the Cold War era to a radically changed global landscape in the 21st century "when the basic interests of India and the US - the world's largest democracy and the world's oldest - increasingly converged".
Burns, the US chief interlocutor on the path-breaking nuclear deal that promises to reopen doors of global nuclear commerce for India, makes an eloquent case for "a democratically and increasingly power India" shaping the world order, along with the US, based on shared interests and values.
"As we Americans consider our future role in the world, the rise of a democratic and increasingly powerful India represents a singularly positive opportunity to advance our global interests," writes Burns.
"There is a tremendous strategic upside to our growing engagement with India. That is why building a close US-India partnership should be one of the US' highest priorities for the future. It is a unique opportunity with real promise for the global balance of power," say Burns.
India's quest for precious uranium has now turned towards exploration of the mineral deposits deep inside the earth.
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has asked scientists at the Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) to look for deep-seated uranium deposits across the country.
India has an estimated 1.07 lakh tonnes of identified raw uranium reserves in the form of uranium oxides or yellow cake. These reserves are not enough to run the country's nuclear plants most of which are producing power much below their capacity.
"We have been asked by the DAE to conduct an airborne gamma ray spectrometry of several parts of the country to look for concealed uranium deposits," V P Dimri, Director NGRI told PTI.
Such a survey will help scientists to locate uranium deposits situated below the rocky terrain across the country.
The Atomic Minerals Department (AMD) of the DAE, tasked with the responsibility of the exploring radioactive minerals, has identified several areas where conditions are favourable for hosting of uranium deposits.
These geological terrains include remote and hilly areas of the north east, peneplain areas of the peninsula with varying density of forest cover, cultivation and habitation, AMD officials said.
"We have won the contract for carrying out the survey over 1.25 lakh line kilometers of area," Dimri said adding that the NGRI will complete the project over a period of five years.

Sending out a powerful message that politics should not be mixed with the armed forces, the Indian military is set to intensify its engagement with its foreign counterparts despite objections of the Left parties that support the government. On Sunday, Indian and US Special Forces will begin two weeks long anti-terror war games at Chaubatia in Uttarkhand. The Indian Air Force (IAF) also hopes to participate in the prestigious Red Flag exercise at the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada next year.Menawhile,Washington: The United States says it's "still very supportive" of its civilian nuclear deal with India, stalled by opposition from the Indian coalition government's leftist supporters, but would not jump into the debate over it.
"We continue to support the agreement and would like to move forward with it," State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack told reporters Thursday when asked if the deal was dead with the problems it faced in New Delhi.

"I'm not going to make any predictions. We continue to support it, though," he said in response to another question if he was hopeful that it might go through by early next year as suggested by another US official.Noting that there were "a lot of intensive domestic political discussions in India," McCormack said: "The Indian government and the Indian political system will play out those discussions. It's not something that we're going to directly participate in.”

"We are still very supportive of the deal. We still would like to see it move forward, but the Indian government and the political system is engaged in a debate and we'll see what the outcome of that debate is."
Rebuffing US insistence on India moving fast on the nuclear deal, the CPI-M on Thursday said setting of such deadlines was an "insult" to Indian democracy.
"The democratic processes of any country cannot be influenced by external pressures and by the needs of another country," CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury wrote in an editorial in the forthcoming issue of party organ `people`s democracy`.
"The setting up of such deadlines is in itself an insult to Indian democracy," he said.
Yechury`s remarks was in response to Tuesday`s statement by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns in New York that India needs to move fast on the deal and hoped it would take a "positive decision".
Burns said India has to move fast because the Bush administration would like to send the final legislation sealing the deal to the Congress by the year end.
He had also stated that it was not a good idea to send a major legislation to the congress in spring or summer of an election year.
The deal, he said, was reached after tough negotiations and has bipartisan support in the congress.
Repeatedly stressing that he does not want to interject himself in the political debate now going on among the members of the "rather large" ruling coalition in India, the US official noted that the recent statement by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee did not rule out the deal.
New Delhi has to reach an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on safeguards and then secure the approval from the nuclear suppliers group (NSG) to permit nuclear commerce with India.
"No democracy can be complete until everybody, including the Muslims, enjoy equal rights," Yechury said.
"If India is to emerge vibrant, our growth must be inclusive and the widening gap between shining India and suffering India should be narrowed down. For that the overall welfare of the minorities should be ensured," he said.
Apart from reservation, Yechury said the Left was demanding soft loans to Muslims for the purpose of self-employment.
"It is the Muslims who are keeping alive the traditional artisan works which requires financial assistance," he said.
While it required a consensus among political parties to bring in a constitutional amendment to ensure reservation for Muslims, he said communal forces opposing it should be isolated to change the political correlation.
CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the Sachar Committee report was prepared based on statistics and not on presumptions.
It was unfortunate that the Centre was not so serious in implementing the report even one year after it was placed in parliament, he said, adding 15 per cent of the total budget allocation should be spent for the welfare of the Muslims.
Stating that Kerala had already put into action some of the recommendations made in the report, Vijayan said a 11-member committee had been formed to further study the matter.
Another US official said that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson would stress the importance of the nuclear deal during his India visit next week.Though Paulson's trip was not designed for any discussions on the nuclear deal, he would, as a senior US government official, certainly stress its enormous importance and the benefits it would bring to the two countries, Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs David McCormick said.Hoping that India would not move forward with the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, he suggested that India's quest for energy security would be better achieved by proceeding with the nuclear deal. Paulson himself Wednesday described the historic agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation as "an important part of the US-India relationship" and said the US "remains committed to this agreement."

"It is beneficial to both countries. India is one of the world's largest and most peaceful states with advanced nuclear technologies, and has been isolated from the rest of the world on nuclear issues.”

"This agreement will bring India into the nuclear non-proliferation mainstream, providing access to the technology which can help it reach its economic and environmental objectives."
Moving forward with the civilian nuclear agreement is one part of the solution to bringing about economic growth with environmental responsibility, he told the Council on Foreign Relations .
SILICON VALLEY: Harping on a year-end deadline for the nuclear deal with India, the US has said it will be good to get it voted in the Congress by coming January. US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns also expressed the hope that the deal was not dead in India but only postponed.
"One message that the US is articulating very clearly to India was that this is an opportunity that doesn't come around often. They ought to take that opportunity," he said.
"We don't have (it) forever. The reality of our politics is that Congress made a huge effort to pass the necessary law in the United States. The Congress has to have one more vote that has to be taken. We certainly don't want to go too deep in 2008," he told National Public Radio.
When asked if January is important because otherwise in an election year not much would get done, Burns said it would be a smart move to get the deal back to the Congress when they have time to look at it.
"I think the reality is that an agreement like this, which has been controversial in our country but which has current Congressional support, it is smart to get it back to the Congress in a time when they will have the time to look at it and not to get it too deep into our election year," he said.
Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in the US in November next year.
Asked whether it was frustrating as India seems close to rejecting the deal, Burns said "we hope they are not close to rejecting it. We don't think the deal is dead, but the deal has been postponed".
An early winter session and a "nuclear" discussion on the India-US 123 agreement seems to be on the cards with BJP making it clear that it had no objections to the Parliament meeting ahead of schedule. The party indicated it would not resort to stalling tactics as it had in the Monsoon sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
While BJP supported the move to advance the winter session, the government said it would firm up the dates for the session on Friday when the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs is likely to meet.
During the monsoon session, BJP had blocked proceedings over its demand that the deal be examined by a joint parliamentary committee.
Leader of Opposition, L K Advani, told TOI that he had not been approached as yet by the government over bringing forward the winter session, but did not feel that his party would have any reservations over such a decision. Some BJP leaders were in touch with the government's managers on the issue and would brief the party about any proposals on advancing the session.
"I don’t think so," Advani said when asked whether BJP would continue with blockading proceedings in the two Houses. He said "we will participate in any debate on the nuclear deal" and that BJP was fully prepared to make its points of view in Parliament.
The party seems prepared for attacks from the Left criticising BJP on the grounds that NDA had laid the first foundation of the India-US deal.
The BJP's preparedness to revise its tactics means that Congress will have to face an array of opponents. Even though the Left will take a few mandatory swipes at BJP, its fire will be concentrated on government and possibly Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This will make the Congress versus Left showdown a central part of the parliamentary debate on the nuclear deal.
With Left finetuning its strategy with UNPA parties like Samajwadi Party and Telugu Desam Party, Congress may find itself waging a lone battle. But Congress, too, is hopeful that it will be able to score a few points in the debate as it feels that the positives of the deal have indeed struck a chord with "middle India" and this needs to be highlighted. Congress also plans to counter criticism that operationalising the deal would barter India's strategic options.
Parties like SP are keen to be part of any move which will embarrass the government and are not likely to fight shy of playing to their Muslim voters by targetting Congress for being a "friend of Bush". While UPA members will stand by Congress in the debate and will argue that the deal with US does not compromise India's nuclear weapons programme and is a boost for economic growth, they may lack the zeal and conviction of true converts. This is because they have already made it apparent that they are not prepared to back the deal to the point where a break with the Left will force polls.
On Monday, British army chief General Richard Dannatt will arrive here Monday for a series of meetings aimed at ramping up defence ties between the two countries.
Also on Monday, Defence Secretary Vijay Singh will inaugurate the 10th meeting of the India-France High Committee on Defence Cooperation.
The Left parties have been vociferously protesting the growing contacts between the Indian and US militaries, but Defence Minister A K Antony has repeatedly stressed that these would continue.
"Exercises with foreign militaries are meant to upgrade skills and familiarise (our forces) with the latest hi-tech weapons," Antony said on Thursday on the sidelines of the Naval Commanders' Conference here.
The India-US drill, codenamed Yudh Abhyas 07-02, takes off from where a similar exercise in Alaska left off last month. Some 100 Indian Army soldiers participated in those manoeuvres.
The Alaska drill was conducted in an 'Iraq-like' environment with Indian and US troops staging a mock attack on an 'Iraqi village' controlled by an insurgent group and simulating roadside bombings and suicide attacks.
"The US philosophy is of shock and awe with saturation bombing of an area before the soldiers go in. This, however, does not always work as the Americans are learning in Iraq as they fight an urban insurgency," an official said.
"We, however, still go by the concept of boots on the ground and there is much we can teach the Americans about counter-insurgency operations," the official added.
Dannatt's visit follows a 25-day war game conducted by India's Special Forces and the Royal Marines at a high altitude location in Ladakh to simulate raids against terrorists holed up in mountain hideouts.
Dannatt will also discuss the possibilities of increasing India-British joint drills.
The Indian military has been engaged in a series of exercises with its foreign counterparts this year.
In September, Malabar-2007 - the biggest war game so far in the Bay of Bengal - saw the participation of 23 ships, including three aircraft carries, from the navies of India, the US, Australia, Japan and Singapore.
In February-March, a five-vessel flotilla of the Indian Navy embarked on an extended deployment to southeast and east Asia, during which it conducted drills with the navies of Russia, China, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore.
This apart, the Indian and Russian Special Forces in September participated in a 10-day counter-insurgency drill.
India also participated in the Shangri La Dialogue regional security grouping in Singapore with Defence Minister Antony addressing the delegates on New Delhi's perception of the regional and global security scenario.

Indian-Americans to urge BJP, Left accept N-deal

Washington: Concerned over the opposition of civilian nuclear deal in India, a group of Indian-American community leaders are planning to travel to New Delhi to convince the BJP and the Left parties to accept the deal as it was in the best interests of the two countries.
"Many of us are planning a trip to New Delhi in November to meet leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpai, L K Advani, Brajesh Mishra, Prakash Karat and others to exchange ideas," Chairman of the Dallas based US-India Forum, Ashok Mago said.
The comments of former national security advisor, Brajesh Mishra, has ignited a new ray of hope among the supporters of Indo-US civil nuclear agreement, he said referring to Mishra's recent interview in which he had asked the leader to go ahead with the deal saying "Clinton administration would not have offered such a deal."
The Indian-American community leaders would make the leaders, opposing the deal, aware about how difficult it was to get the bill passed and that the similar opportunity may not be there in the foreseeable future, he said.
"We love the country of our birth, but I doubt if Indian-Americans have the stamina to do it all over again. We would ask BJP leadership that there would never be a better opportunity to show that you care more for the betterment of common people than party politics and are willing and ready support the government on this issue. Such a step will enhance creditability not only among the masses in India but all over the world," Mago said.
Mago and his organisation were instrumental in lining up the large Texas Delegation in the House of Representatives and the Senate to vote for the Hyde Act that was passed by the Congress late last year.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government to break its silence and speak out against the US' "unilateral" economic sanction against Iran.

"These unilateral sanctions should not find acceptance in the international community. The UPA government must break its silence and speak out against the US stance towards Iran," the CPI-M politburo said in a statement here.

Expressing its strong opposition to the harsh sanctions imposed on Tehran, the communist party said: "The government of India should clearly state that such sanctions will not be applied by India.

"This is necessary as in the recent period the United States has sought to get Indian companies to fall in line to comply with its sanctions and prohibition of trade and economic ties with Iran."

The party said the sanctions were aimed at Iran's financial system and economy. "These come in the wake of the continuing threats to resort to military action against Iran."

The US has announced sweeping economic sanctions against Iran designed to punish the regime for its nuclear programme and alleged support for terrorists. The measures are the harshest imposed on Tehran since 1979, and reportedly mark a new phase in the international campaign against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government.
India-Germany to unveil 'Vision Statement'
New Delhi : India and Germany will come out with a 'Vision Statement' during Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to the country next week as the two countries seek to build strategic relations well beyond trade and investment.German Ambassador to India Bernd Mutzelburg said at a CII seminar that Merkel's visit would provide an impetus to Indo-German partnership in areas of strategic importance and economy.
German Chancellor is arriving on October 29 for a six-day visit, which includes her three-day stay in Mumbai.
Mutzelburg agreed with an observation that Germany should make its visa regime flexible to attract Indian students and researchers. He said Germany and India can work together towards a successful outcome of the Doha Round of WTO talks.
The cooperation will be expanded through a comprehensive India-European Union trade and investment agreement which is under negotiations, he said.
The present level of bilateral trade of 14 billion dollar is expected to double in five years, a recent KPMG report had said.
Besides engineering, automobile, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, emerging areas of cooperation include infrastructure, construction, logistics, transportation, renewable energy, nano-technology, biotechnology, retail, financial services and defence production, the report said.
Book by PM's daughter exposes torture in US jails

Friday, 26 October , 2007, 03:10

New York: In a strong indictment of the Bush administration's treatment of detainees in its war on terror, a book co-authored by Amrit Singh, the US-based lawyer daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asserts that the torture took place because of policy — not in spite of it.
The book — Administration of Torture: A Documentary Record from Washington to Abu Ghraib and Beyond — written by Amrit Singh and Jameel Jaffer, gives a powerful account of the torture of detainees in the prisons outside the US, including the infamous Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq, which, it says, resulted from decisions made by military and civilian officials.
'The maltreatment of prisoners resulted in large part from decisions made by senior officials, both military and civilian,' it says, adding that they were reaffirmed repeatedly despite complaints from law enforcement and military personnel that they were illegal and ineffective.
The maltreatment, according to the book, continued even after countless prisoners were abused, tortured or killed in custody.
The book is based on the documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union under Freedom of Information act.
'The documents show that senior officials endorsed abuse, sometimes by encouraging as a matter of policy, sometimes by tolerating it and sometime by expressly authorising it,' the authors write.
The documents given in the book show then Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was 'personally involved' in overseeing the interrogation of Mohammed al-Qahtani, a Guantanamo prisoner who was stripped naked, paraded in front of female interrogators and led around on a leash.
While Rumsfeld did not himself authorise those specific methods, he failed to place a 'throttle' over abusive 'applications' of the 'broad techniques' that he did authorise and that interrogators who used abusive 'SERE' (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) methods at Guantanamo did so because the Pentagon had endorsed those methods and required interrogators to be trained in the use of those methods, the documents show.
They also show that FBI personnel, who complained of abuse at Guantanamo, were complaining of abuse that had been authorised by the Defence Department chain of command.
Some the Abu Ghraib photos showed prisoners being subjected to the very same interrogation methods that Rumsfeld had endorsed for use at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
'It is imperative that senior officials who authorised, endorsed, or tolerated the abuse and torture of prisoners be held accountable, not only as a matter of elemental justice, but to ensure that the same crimes are not perpetrated again,' Amrit Singh and Jaffer write.
When the American media published photographs of US soldiers abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib, the Bush administration assured the world that the abuse was isolated and aberrational.
But by quoting government documents, the authors systematically demolish the Bush administration claims, including that abuse took place in spite of policy, not because of it.
The book includes more than 350 pages from government documents concerning the abuse and torture of prisoners. It, according to ACLU, builds on work that the ACLU and its partners have been doing in recent years.
In October 2003, the ACLU — along with the Centre for Constitutional Rights, Physicians for Human Rights, Veterans for Common Sense, and Veterans for Peace — filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act for records concerning the treatment of prisoners in the US custody abroad.
While the government continues to withhold key records, litigation (which is ongoing) has resulted in the release of thousands of government documents totalling more than 1 lakh pages, it says.
Amrit Singh is a staff attorney at ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, where she has litigated cases relating to the torture and abuse of prisoners held in US custody abroad, the government's use of diplomatic assurances to return individuals to countries known to employ torture, the indefinite and mandatory detention of immigrants, and post 9/11 discrimination against immigrants.
Jameel Jaffer is a litigator for the American Civil Liberties Union and director of ACLU's National Security Project.
Administration of Torture provides a detailed account thus far of what took place in America's overseas detention centres and why.
Singh and Jaffer draw the connection between the policies adopted by senior civilian and military officials and the torture and abuse that took place on the ground. They also have to collect and reproduce hundreds of government documents — including interrogation directives, FBI emails, autopsy reports, and investigative files — obtained by the ACLU and its partners through the Freedom of Information Act.
The documents show that abuse of prisoners was not limited to Abu Ghraib but was pervasive in US detention facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay.
Even more disturbing, ACLU says, the documents reveal that senior officials endorsed the abuse of prisoners as a matter of policy. The documents constitute both an important historical record and a profound indictment of the Bush administration's policies with respect to the treatment of prisoners in US custody abroad, the ACLU says.
Commenting on the book, former US Navy Counsel Alberto J Mora says Amrit Singh and Jaffer remind the administrators that when years ahead continue to test the security, 'we will again be tempted to violate our values in the mistaken belief that we will be made more secure by doing so.'
The authors 'remind us that when test comes, we must find the courage to defend our principles more firmly,' he added.
Former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson describes the book as a 'powerful account of devastating effects of deviating from longstanding legal prohibitions on the mistreatment of prisoners.'
'Jameel Jaffer and Amrit Singh bring to light the grim reality of the torture and abuse of prisoners held in US custody abroad. This book will serve as a historic reminder of the dangers of curtailing human rights protections in the name of national security,' she says.
'After the Second World War, the United States played a leading role in developing the rules that govern the conduct of states during times of peace and war. Simply by letting the facts speak for themselves, Jaffer and Singh show how far the country has strayed from that tradition. They go on to present a compelling case for rebuilding what the Bush administration has torn down,' says George Soros, chairman of the Open Society Institute.

Police bar Posco officials from site
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: alashchandrabiswas@gmail.com">palashchandrabiswas@gmail.com
Police bar Posco officials from site
The police are stopping officials of Posco-India, a subsidiary of South Korea's Pohang Iron and Steel Co, from entering the site of the $12-billion steel plant the company proposes to build in Orissa. The police are not allowing company officials to enter the villages that fall under the Dhinkia, Gadakujanga and Nuagaon panchayats, Posco-India spokesperson Sasanka Patnaik told IANS.
"We are stopping them for their safety," district assistant superintendent of police Rabinarayan Patra said.
Anti-Posco activists had abducted four company officials led by the South Korean firm's senior general manager K.S. Choi Oct 13 when they had gone to the area for a survey.
The officials were released after a local police officer on behalf of the district administration gave protestors a written assurance that Posco officials would not enter the site of the proposed plant again.
On Oct 15, the officer-in-charge of Kujanga police station, Amarendra Panda, wrote to Ardhendu Sekhar Mahapatra, general manager, relief and rehabilitation, Posco-India, asking him not to send any company official to the proposed site without seeking police permission, Patnaik said.
The state government said it would extend all help to company officials to start their work. However, the police were not allowing the company officials in, he added.
"We need to open a transit camp at the proposed site to expedite land demarcation activities for commencement of ground levelling for construction work on the plant to begin on April 1, 2008," Patnaik said.
Company officials have gone to the local police station at Kujanga and met police officials several times in the past few days. They have also given in writing that they should be allowed to start work. They are yet to get a response, the company spokesman said.
"The situation remains tense and at this moment we cannot allow them to enter the site," a police officer said. "It is possible after the situation becomes normal."
The world's fourth largest steel maker had signed a deal with the Orissa government in June 2005 to build a steel plant near Paradeep port in the coastal district of Jagatsinghpur, some 100 km from here, by 2016.
Over 20,000 people from around 15 nearby villages, including Dhinkia, Gada Kujang and Nuagaon, have been protesting the project, saying it would take away their homes and livelihoods.
Posco says the plant would affect only 500 families and would create thousands of jobs.
"Posco would acquire 4,004 acres of land for its project," a senior district revenue official said.
Of this, 3,566 acres are government land, most of it forest land. The remaining 438 acres in the three panchayats of Adakujang, Dhinkia and Nuagaon are in private hands.
The government has already given 512 acres to Posco. It has also moved the centre for conversion of 3,000 acres of forestland for the purpose.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has earlier this week given instruction to the revenue divisional commissioner of the region to review every week the situation and the progress of the work for the proposed plant.
The Orissa government is providing all support to Arcelor Mittal in setting up its proposed 12 million tonne per annum steel plant in the state.
In a communication to the Centre, Orissa’s mines secretary has said that the “state government is committed to make available the required land, required quantity of water and other facilities as apprised by concerned authorities to Mittal Steel India’s steel plant as well as their 1,500 MW captive power plant.”
The development comes at a time when the South Korean steel-major, Posco, which also plans to set up a 12 MT steel project in the state is facing local resistance.
The Orissa government has written that, “the company has identified the site for the plant in Keonjhar district and detailed project report (DPR) has been commissioned. We also understand that they are in the process of preparing R&R plan in line with the state government’s R&R guidelines. They have already made a formal application for allocation of land in Keonjhar district and the state government is looking into the matter”.
Apart from Orissa, Arcelor Mittal is also interested in setting up a 12 MT steel plant in neighbouring Jharkhand.
If both the plants materialises the company’s combined capacity in the country would be 24 MT.
The company’s chairman LN Mittal during his India trip in July had said that, “we are sticking to both our projects and there is an assurance from the Centre that all new steel plants coming up will be assured of iron ore mines and coal mines for generating power for steel plants.”
Mittal had said that, “we have made a lot of progress and are getting tremendous support from government of India and the state governments… We have already placed an order of $50 million to purchase equipment for the two steel units”.
Mittal has asked for 600 MT of iron ore for each of its proposed plants in Jharkhand and Orissa over a 30-year period. This is based on the fact that 1.6 MT of iron ore is required for producing 1 MT on steel.
While the Jharkhand government has recommended Chiria iron ore mines for the company, state-owned Steel Authority of India Ltd (Sail) has challenged the move in the Jharkhand High Court where the matter is sub-judice. However, the central government is making efforts to break this deadlock by an out of court settlement.
The Orissa government is providing all support to Arcelor Mittal in setting up its proposed 12 million tonne per annum steel plant in the state.
In a communication to the Centre, Orissa’s mines secretary has said that the “state government is committed to make available the required land, required quantity of water and other facilities as apprised by concerned authorities to Mittal Steel India’s steel plant as well as their 1,500 MW captive power plant.”
The development comes at a time when the South Korean steel-major, Posco, which also plans to set up a 12 MT steel project in the state is facing local resistance.
The Orissa government has written that, “the company has identified the site for the plant in Keonjhar district and detailed project report (DPR) has been commissioned. We also understand that they are in the process of preparing R&R plan in line with the state government’s R&R guidelines. They have already made a formal application for allocation of land in Keonjhar district and the state government is looking into the matter”.
Apart from Orissa, Arcelor Mittal is also interested in setting up a 12 MT steel plant in neighbouring Jharkhand.
If both the plants materialises the company’s combined capacity in the country would be 24 MT.
The company’s chairman LN Mittal during his India trip in July had said that, “we are sticking to both our projects and there is an assurance from the Centre that all new steel plants coming up will be assured of iron ore mines and coal mines for generating power for steel plants.”
Mittal had said that, “we have made a lot of progress and are getting tremendous support from government of India and the state governments… We have already placed an order of $50 million to purchase equipment for the two steel units”.
Mittal has asked for 600 MT of iron ore for each of its proposed plants in Jharkhand and Orissa over a 30-year period. This is based on the fact that 1.6 MT of iron ore is required for producing 1 MT on steel.
While the Jharkhand government has recommended Chiria iron ore mines for the company, state-owned Steel Authority of India Ltd (Sail) has challenged the move in the Jharkhand High Court where the matter is sub-judice. However, the central government is making efforts to break this deadlock by an out of court settlement.

A nine-member central team headed by a senior home ministry official on Friday visited some of the flood affected districts of Orissa to assess the damage.
Official sources said that the visit took place in the wake of the state government having submitted a memorandum seeking financial assistance of Rs 1,093.53 crores from the National Calamity Contigency Fund (NCCF) and 30,983 houses under Indira Awas Yojana for the flood affected BPL families.
The team, which left for Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts in three groups would visit Kendrapara district on Saturday, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) N K Sundaray said.
The state government in its memorandum stated that Orissa had been ravaged by at least five spell of floods during the last monsoon season. "At least 59 persons lost their lives in floods during August-September last," the SRC said.
A central team had also visited the state after a devastating flood in July last and the government had demanded a financial assistance of Rs 306 crores. "But the central government had not provided any financial assistance," Orissa Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal said.
The memorandum, submitted by the state government said while maximum 16 people were killed in Balasore, in the recent spell of floods, 13 died in Mayurbhanj district. This was besides the 301 lightning deaths.
At least 65 lakh people, in 20 districts of Orissa were affected in this year's flood.
The team was headed by Joint Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs Naveen Verma.

Convincing Supreme Court
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
With reservation for OBC students in elite educational institutions stuck in legal wrangles, HRD Minister Arjun Singh on Friday said the government was trying to "convince" the Supreme Court about its merits.
"We are trying to convince the Supreme Court that reservation for OBC students in higher education is very desirable. We do hope that we shall be able to convince what India wants and that efforts have to be pursued with dedication and commitment," he said.
Inaugurating a two-day national conference on 'Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies' here, he said the country's economy, polity, society and governance would have to be more participatory and representative.
"This will make our democracy certainly more inclusive and meaningful," he said.
Singh, who was in Paris recently for a UNESCO meeting, said he was "disappointed" with the manner in which issues were handled by the world body which was supposed to be conscience of mankind.
Time has come for UNESCO to translate its theological phase of existence and come to terms with the reality of the people around the world, he said adding India should stand up to state the real issues facing the world.
Singh said equal opportunity policies pursued by the government by providing reservation in education and employment to weaker sections have yielded good results but are still short of expectations of the deprived sections.
The conference was organised by Indian Institute of Dalit Studies and Princeton University of US.

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Muslims become a force, thanks to Sachar
Sumit Pande / CNN-IBN
New Delhi: Things are moving ahead following the the Sachar Panel report. Two top Central Paramilitary Forces have said they have increased the intake of Muslim personnel this year, that too by a whopping five times of the average annual recruitment.

This after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's inspiring words spelling out UPA's policy for minority upliftment: "We must take in more and more people from the minority community in the security and intelligence agencies."

The two Central Paramilitary Forces are the Assam Rifles and the Border Security Force.

In a revealing compliance report submitted to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Home Ministry has informed that between April and September this year, the Assam Rifles has recruited 23 per cent and the BSF 20 per cent from the minority community — an increase from a rough average of four per cent intake in Central Paramilitary Forces.

This means that the intake is a jump of almost 500 per cent at one go and that the Sachar panel's recommendations are being implemented in letter and in spirit.
The whole exercise was initiated early this year when DoPT asked all the ministries to empanel a person from the minority community in the selection board where more than 10 personnel were to be recruited.

Last year, the Sachar Committee could only collect data on 5.2 lakh personnel in the Central Paramilitary Forces, and of these, only about four per cent were found to be Muslims.

However, of the 2,600 recruitments made by the BSF and Assam Rifles in the first half of this financial year, 580 are from the minority community.

Spokesperson for the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, S Q R Illyas says, "If these figures are true, then it is a great result. Truly, a positive sign."

A compliance report from other departments is awaited as well, but politically or otherwise, a beginning has been made, especially as the UPA prepares to use the Sachar Committee findings to consolidate Muslim votes before the next General elections.
Blast convicts can appeal against conviction: SC
The Supreme Court on Friday permitted convicts in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case to file their appeal against conviction and sentence without filing the copy of the impugned judgement of the TADA court.
Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for CBI, undertook to file the copy of the judgement in view of its contents running into around 5,000 pages.
The order was passed by a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices R V Raveendran and V S Sirpurkar when the bail applications of Mossa Chouhan and Sardar Saha Wali Khan were mentioned on Friday before the apex court.
The bench refused to grant further relief and turned down the plea of the counsel for the two petitioners on bail on Friday itself.
The apex court made it clear that it will hear their applications for regular bail only when appeals are filed by them.
The exemptions from filing of the certified copy of the judgement of TADA court was granted when the petitioner pleaded before the apex court that it would not be possible to file appeals soon as it will take time to get the copies of the judgement in typed and photocopied form.
The CBI counsel assured the court that he would try to file the copy of the judgement within a week.
Filmstar Sanjay Dutt, who has been sentenced to six years imprisonment and is presently lodged in Yerwada central jail, Pune, filed his appeal on Thursday along with the application for suspension of his sentence.
Some of the convicts were granted interim bail by the top court with the directions that each one of them will surrender immediately before TADA judge after being supplied with the copy of the judgement. There are 123 accused in the case, and it took about 13 years for the court to reach its conclusion.
On March 12, 1993, Mumbai was rocked by a series of bomb blast which left about 250 dead and thousands other injured.
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes, probing allegations of discrimination against Scheduled Caste students and doctors at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences here, will summon its Director P. Venugopal to appear before the panel.
‘Judicial summons’

A ‘judicial summons’ will be served personally, Commission chairman Buta Singh told The Hindu on Monday. For the past three months, it had sent several notices to Dr. Venugopal, asking him to appear before it and reply to the charges, but he did not turn up, Mr. Singh said.
Now he would be asked to report within 15 days, failing which the Commission could invoke the powers of a civil court under Article 338 of the Constitution and direct the police to enforce the summons and present him before it.
Thorat panel report

The Commission is also studying the Thorat Committee report on discrimination, including against AIIMS faculty members.
The Commission has also received complaints from some faculty members.
It had set Monday as the last day for Dr. Venugopal’s appearance before winding up its hearing.
TN gets Nadar jati-based party
OUR CORRESPONDENT
http://www.dalitvoice.org/Templates/oct_a2007/reports.htm
Bangalore: One more caste-based party has come up in Tamil Nadu to represent the powerful but long-neglected Nadars, considered Untouchables till recently.
The new party is floated by Tamil film actor Sarath Kumar called Akila India Somuthuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) which will give a big boost to the Nadars concentrated in South TN.
Kamaraj’s mistake: Poor Nadars, to which the famous Kamaraj Nadar belonged, were also Untouchables until Christianity saved them. Their counterparts in neighbouring Kerala are the Ezhavas to which Chief Minister Achutanandan belongs. In Karnataka, they are called Idigas and Gowd in AP.
Kamaraj, the community’s tallest leader, gave them a big boost but the community did not gain politically except becoming petty traders. Being a Congress leader he was very much under Brahminical influence. Both DMK and AIDMK disappointed the Nadars and they were not allowed to think of strengthening their caste.
But the Vanniyars realized the step-motherly treatment they suffered under the two parties and their leader, Dr. K. Ramadoss, quickly formed his jati-based political party PMK.
Confusion among Dalits: Tamil Nadu is suffering under the domination of two Dravidian parties. Earlier the different oppressed jatis start their own jati-based parties, they will continue to suffer.
The other important jati that is yet to open its eyes is the Kallars who too have a sizeable population in South TN. The two important Dalit groups — Paraiahs and Pallars — are also under terrible confusion. And the papans are there to create the confusion and make the oppressed castes fight each other.
As the concept of caste comes nearest to “nation”, different oppressed castes should quickly think of setting up their own jati-based parties.
For further support you may write to DV office.

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AIDS: Western conspiracy to “finish” Blacks
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Bangalore: DV has published enough on the White Western racist-zionist conspiracy to destroy the powerful Black race through AIDS.
Now we get yet another evidence of the Western conspiracy.
Johannesburg: Mozambique’s Roman Catholic archbishop has accused European condom manufacturers of deliberately infecting their products with HIV “to finish the African people”.
Archbishop Franscisco Chimoio told the BBC that he had specific information about a plot to kill off Africans. “I know that there are two countries in Europe... making condoms with the virus, on purpose”, he said. (Deccan Herald, Sept.28, 2007).
DV Feb.16, 2007 p. 10: “AIDS used to finish Blacks?”
DV April 16, 2005 p.6: “Nobel laureate says West invented AIDS to exterminate Blacks”.
DV Feb.16, 2005 p.4: “AIDS, a White Western conspiracy?”

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Ahmadinejad confirms DV report on 9/11
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Bangalore: DV was the first paper in India to disclose that the 9/11 (Al-Qaida) “attack” on World Trade Centre in New York was a total falsehood. It was master-minded by the zionists controlling the US Administration to facilitate the war on Muslims in which it stands defeated today. The zionist-owned newspapers used the 9/11 incident to convince the gullible public that the dirty donkey indeed was the real genuine Derby race horse and the world was made to believe the greatest falsehood of the 21st century. Now Iranian President Ahmadinejad himself said this right on the face of the American rulers when he addressed the Columbia University in New York on Sept.25, 2007. Congratulations. The prestigious Columbia University, where Babasaheb Ambedkar studied and has his bust in its central hall, however, insulted the invited guest just because Ahmedinejad had the guts to host a world conference on Holocaust in Teheran and also publicly denounced it as a great hoax. If Holocaust was a crime against Jews, why the very Jews committed a million times bigger crime against Palestinians by occupying their homeland and killing them in millions? Why the defenders of Holocaust don’t admit this supreme truth? The 3% Jews controlling America have not only brought it a bad name but they are also slowly killing the great country. No paper in India has published facts on all these issues as much as DV. We congratulate Ahmedinejad for bravely facing the hostile Jewish crowd at Columbia University and also for his powerful speech at the UN General Assembly. Justice and Truth shall triumph.

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INDIA SHINING
Education flop
New Delhi: According to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the population of children in the age group of 14-18 as per the 2001 census was estimated at 88.5 million. But their enrolment in secondary schools during 2001-02 was merely 31 million. That means only one-third of the children who ought to be attending secondary level weren’t doing so.
—(Asian Age, Sept. 17, 2007)
*
Growing illiteracy
New Delhi: Eight states alone account for nearly 70% of the country’s illiterates. This means that of India’s 304 million illiterate people, 212.19 million come from these eight states alone. According to the just released report on the status of adult literacy in India, 13 states need to pay special attention to raising their literacy levels. The report has been brought out by the National Literacy Mission (NLM), which targets illiterates in the age group of 15-35. The states that are in need of even greater attention among the 13 are UP, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, AP and Jammu & Kashmir. Others which are part of the group of 13 are Chhattisgarh, MP, Assam, Orissa, Meghalaya, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Arunachal Pradesh. All 13 have a literacy rate that is below the national average of 64.8%. Bihar is at the bottom of the heap with an average of just 47% with female literacy being even worse at 33.12%.
—(Asian Age, Sept.22, 2007)
*
Children lack nutrition
New Delhi: More than 50% of the children in Karnataka do not have access to supplementary nutrition provided under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), even though 41% of the children in the state are grossly malnourished and underweight, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data has revealed. Even the immunisation coverage of children between 12-23 months of age has come down in the state from 60% in 1998 to 55% in 2006, the survey showed.
—(Deccan Herald, Sept.20, 2007)
*
Farmers suicide
Anyone hearing about central India’s ongoing epidemic of farmer suicides, where growers are killing themselves at a terrifying clip, has to be horrified. The Indian farmers are choosing death after finding themselves caught in a loop of crop failure and debt rooted in genetically modified and patented agriculture.
(jagchat01@yahoo.com)
—(www.alternet.org/story/62273)

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LETTERS TO EDITOR:
Banbose Shango, 6101-16th Street NW # 605, Washington-20011, USA: I heard of your American tour in 2006, but was unable to schedule a venue for your talk and hear you. Your observations of the Africans in America is insightful and illustrating. There are, however, some who still believe that change in our condition as a people will come only through revolution, not through political collaboration and integration in the major racist, capitalist political parties. Some still see the need for a fusion of the struggles of the Africa around the world to bring about the realization of Pan-Africanism, (“The total liberation and unification of the African continent under an All-African socialist government”, as Kwame Nkrumah tell us) which will place the African into a better perspective, no matter where he/she lives in the world. We are hoping that you can assist us in establishing a connection between our Party in Guinea (Conakry) West Africa, also here in the USA and the Dalit’s progressive and revolutionary formations, organizations, Parties and/or movement on the subcontinent of India. We extend to you our warm brotherly greetings and we await your reply. The Secretariat of Pan-African and International Affairs.
In 2006 we toured USA and found the Afro-Americans devoid of any revolutionary spirit but reduced to slavery. They all worked as honest slaves of the Whites. In my trip to Harlem, a New York Black suburb we found that heart-rending situation of Blacks. The Whites used their Christian church to kill the anger of the Black. We wrote a piece in Dalit Voice on our return. The Black Untouchables of India are struggling to fight the imperialism of the 3% Brahminical people who are our current rulers. Lately they have joined hands with the 3% Jewish rulers of USA and have become very powerful. Our study of the US Black situation says that your White oppressors used Christianity to enslave you. Right now the Muslims are fighting the very same White Western oppressors and their zionist directors. They have achieved great success. But I was surprised to find both in London and USA the Blacks living in total peace with the Whites. Tell us why the Blacks did not join the Muslims in fighting the common enemy, the White Western racists? — EDITOR.
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Ashok T. Jaisinghani, 783/32 - Bhagwandas Chawl, Near Nishat Theatre, Bhwani Peth, Pune - 411 042: In the preface to the third edition of your book, Brahminsm, (DSA-2002), you have very correctly identified the main enemy of Indians by saying:
That wolf is Brahminism, loved, adored, worshipped and even carried on the heads by all the victims of its hate philosophy and crimes... This is because the wolf is fully disguised and puts on a show of caring and sharing”.
I have read your book once, but I feel I must read it again to understand the implications of the many important facts that you have mentioned in it while exposing the extremely evil nature of Brahminism. It must have required very great courage to write such a book over 25 years back. Casteism is truly one of the world’s most evil forms of discrimination as propagated and practised by the bigoted Brahminical people and their supporters.
*******
Sk. Shafi Ahmed, Near Rahemat Nagar Masjid, Dongaon, Mehekar tq., Buldana dt. - 443 303: My request to my Muslim brothers is to stop using the names Hindu and Hindustan. This country does not belong to Hindu. Actually Hindus are a micro-minority in this country which is called India and not Hindustan. It is the conspiracy of cunning Brahminical people to call it Hindustan or “Hindu nation”. Muslims who call it Hindustan do not know history. If they call it Hindustan, they will be helping the BSO and RSS whi