Modi is not our target, says Congress
Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

Modi is not our target, says Congress

He may be under attack from his own party. But the Congress says that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will not be an issue in the coming assembly elections in the state.

''Modi is no longer an election issue. He is not our target either. He has already been exposed very badly,'' asserts BK Hariprasad, the Congress general secretary in charge of Gujarat.

''What we are fighting in Gujarat is the terror Modi and his associates have unleashed. He has been terrorising people. We have to regain the people and the state,'' Hariprasad said in an interview.

Voters in Gujarat's 182 constituencies are to vote December 11 and 16.

Hariprasad, a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnakata, was in the news this month for his unusually acerbic attack on Modi. On television, he was heard saying that Modi was ''born in gutter''.

Although the Election Commission promptly sent him a notice to explain the comments, Hariprasad - otherwise a soft-spoken man - did not show any remorse in the interview of what he had said.

''Einth ka javaab pathar se dena padega'' (Our reactions should be harder),'' he said. ''The BJP should not underestimate us. We can do worse but our culture does not let us stoop to that level.

''Nevertheless we have to tell them what they have been up to,'' he said, referring to the unending vitriol heaped against Congress president Sonia Gandhi on account of her foreign origin as well as her family.

Hariprasad, who has been actively working in Gujarat for the last one year, says the political situation in the state was ''good'' for the Congress party.

''People have started realising the realities. The man (Modi), who has been crowing about developmental work, has booked 165,000 farmers for power theft. He has terrorised people there.''

The Congress leader, however, said he feared the BJP could resort to ''tricks'' to retain power, especially after the Tehelka expos alleging that Modi supervised the 2002 communal violence in which more than 1,000 people were killed.

''They can stoop to the lowest level to gain power. But the Congress is in power at the centre,'' he said.

Religious lines

Some Congress leaders fear that the Tehelka sting could be used by Modi to polarise Gujarat's voters on religious lines - as it happened in 2002 when Modi led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a thumping win.

Hariprasad felt the people of Gujarat had been ''taken for granted by Modi as he provoked the Hindutva ideology in 2002.

''The Tehelka has exposed just few of them (those who indulged in the violence). The Supreme Court has details of 2,000 of such people. Everybody knows what happened in 2002.''

After 59 train passengers were burnt to death at Godhra in February 2002, mobs went on a killing spree for weeks all across Gujarat, leaving over 1,000 people dead. It was the worst outbreak of communal violence in India since 1947.

Hariprasad denied that factional feuds in Gujarat's Congress unit would be a major stumbling block.

''It is true that we have different groups there. But we are united to face the BJP and its vicious tactics,'' he said.

The Congress, he added, was all set to take advantage of the virtual revolt of the Patel community against Modi.

''The Patels are the base of the BJP. They are the people who have built the party in Gujarat. After the BJP came to power, they have been humiliated,'' said Hariprasad.

The Congress is also in the process of inducting BJP rebels who have publicly revolted against Modi. Although those like Suresh Mehta and Gordhan Zadaphia - who has been accused of involvement in the 2002 communal violence - will not contest the elections, seven others are likely to get the Congress ticket.

JUSTICE AFTER FIVE YEARS
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Guj riots: 8 get life term for burning family alive

CNN-IBN

New Delhi: A Godhra sessions court on Tuesday sentenced eight people to life imprisonment for one of Gujarat's most brutal riots in Eral during the post-Godhra communal violence.

The court convicted 11 of the 40 accused, but acquitted the remaining 29. Those convicted include former BJP president for Kalol taluka panchayat Chandradeep Parmar and some VHP leaders.

Two young girls were raped and seven of the family were burnt alive by the rioters in Eral village of Panchmahal district on March 2, 2002.

The Eral family burning was one of the most sensational cases during the post-Godhra riots. People in the village had hidden themselves in the nearby fields for two-three days during the riots to escape the mob.

But when they tried to escape from there, Medina Sheikh, her daughter Shabana and niece Suhana were caught by the mob.

The rioters raped Shabana and Suhana, mutilated their bodies. and then burnt alive seven of the family, including the two girls.

All this happened right in front of Medina Sheikh. In all, Medina lost seven members of her family in the riots, but she lived to tell the gory tale of rape and murder.

Police was nowhere to be seen. The people made desperate calls to the police to rescue them. The mutilated burnt bodies were found later.

Tehelka revelations shocking: Sri Sri

By IANS
Tuesday October 30, 04:16 PM
Yavatmal (Maharashtra), Oct 30 (IANS) Art of Living guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Tuesday described the Tehelka expose on the 2002 communal carnage in Gujarat as shocking and said that the terrible violence was contrary to Hindu religious ethos.

'If what they have revealed is true, it is extremely shocking because Hindus are not known for such acts. It is not in the character of Hindu society to kill and burn others,' the spiritual guru told reporters during his visit to Maharashtra's Vidarbha district, an area affected by a large number of suicides by distressed farmers.

'I congratulate the reporter (of Tehelka magazine) who has done this (the sting operation in which the perpetrators of the violence have been caught on camera admitting to the killings) and would like him to undertake similar operations on the anti-Sikh riots (of 1984) and Naxalite violence in the country,' Sri Sri said.

Describing the Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra as the biggest threat to the country's internal security, Sri Sri urged the media to address the serious problem.

'I would appeal to the media to insist on the introduction of moral and spiritual instruction in the school curriculum as that would ennoble the young, impressionable minds,' he said, attributing violent tendencies to the disappearance of spiritual content from instruction at homes and schools.

'This is particularly true of the Hindu society today, which is why you will generally find Hindu youths among Naxal cadres,' Sri Sri said, pointing to the presence of Maoist rebels in Nepal but their absence in Bangladesh.

Summon those shown in Tehelka sting: Cong tells Godhra probe panel
October 31, 2007 03:48 IST

The Congress has asked the Nanavati-Shah Commission ? which is probing the post-Godhra riots -- to summon for deposition all those who had been shown on the sting operation conducted by Tehelka.

"We have asked the Commission to summon for deposition all those who had been shown making statements on the Tehelka-Aaj Tak sting operation," said Hiralal Gupta, who is the advocate representing the Congress in the Commission.

"We also want it to summon Chief Minister Narendra Modi, former minister of state for home Gordhan Zadafia and others whose names were mentioned in connection with the post-Godhra violence by Shiv Sena members Babu Bajrangi and MLA Haresh Bhatt," he said.

The advocate also wanted the two-member enquiry panel to summon for evidence the journalists involved in the sting operation.

The Commission has kept the hearing of the Congress' application on November 11.

International Human Rights Organisation

IHRO Panthic Meet resolves…

LUDHIANA, October 31, 2007

IHRO Panthak meet today, besides resolving on the present Sikh political crisis, especially in SAD (A), formed a five member committee comprising of Justice Ajit Singh Bains, chair PHRO; D S Gill, chair IHRO, Dr Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon (Chd); Karamjit Singh Journalist (Chd) and Karnail Singh Pirmohamed President AISSF that would implement the resolutions passed in the meeting and, for that it committee would meet all leaders of splinter Sikh political groups.

Fourteen Sikh groups, besides IHRO, advocates, Sikh scholars and journalists, attended the meeting at circuit House here. M S Grewal (IHRO), Advocates Navkiran Singh (Chd) and Barjinder Singh Sodhi (PTA) of the Lawyers for Human Rights, Balbir Singh Sandhu (Institute of Sikh Studies), Satnam Singh Behru, a kisan leader; Col G S Sandhu of the Majha Human Rights Group, Jarnail Singh, Tat Khalsa, Paramjit Singh Gazi (SSF), Giani Harinder Singh, Kendri Singh Sabha, Dharminder Singh Hambran, besides Punjab Sikh Lawyers Council activists Jatinder Singh Sandhu and Anmol Singh Grewal and IHRO coordinator Sukhdev Singh and secretary Inderjit Kaur expressed their views on the agenda of the meet. The following was resolved:

This day, the representative meet of the Sikh Panth, while expressing its anguish over the given political situation, feel that the present Sikh political leadership have distanced itself from Gurbani and Guru Gaddi Raah. There is nothing new, groundbreaking and different from others in the polity of Panthak leadership that may generate interest, enthusiasm and dedication in the heart of Sikhs for the glorification of their Quam . Discarding the tendency of 'au`qr kwto, mYN cVHW' (uttar kaato main charanh), the Panthak meet look forward to all the committed Sikh political groups to converge on a common platform (party) in order to take up the Panthic issues facing Punjab to meet the aspirations of the people.

We also believe that there may be differences on some issues among political groups or leaders, but in the larger interest of the Panth (people) the committed groups need to form a single united front also to assuage injured feelings of the people of Punjab who are finding themselves leaderless despite the abundant sacrifices made by the youths during the recent past. We, therefore, in the process, call upon all to take on the principles of Miri-Piri, Panch Pradhani (Collective Leadership), the concept of Khalsa democracy and well being of all (Sarbat da Bhala), etc so as to promote polity based on Gurbani (Halemi Raj).

We say with disgust and dismay that the so-called representative body of Sikhs- traditional Akali leadership- has mortgaged itself to the RSS and BJP just for sharing fish and loaves of power. And, on the other hand, the "Panthak" leaders are busy in slogan mongering, thus misleading the Sikh Panth and have failed in organising the Panth to face the unabated political onslaught on Punjab and its people, nor did they give any consistent, relevant programme to face the challenges. Thus, this meet assure the Panth (people of Punjab) to lend its full support and cooperation to those who would act as the torch-bearer( s) to carry forward the aforesaid mission of the Guru and pledge to consolidate the different groups into one political whole.

This Panthak meet strongly feel and believe that the above proposed party or front would secure the recognition of principles of universal brotherhood, sovereignty of Akal Takht, identity of Khalsa Panth, social economic and political justice and the UN right of self-determination by all effective peaceful means.

We also feel that besides these suggestions, the proposed party would take care of other issues such as health, education, social security, human rights abuses, population transfers, assimilation, etc and would take effective steps to abolish section 5 of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act and to get amended the Article 25 of the Constitution which curves the separate identity of the Sikhs.

It was also resolved to make efforts to make a Think Tank to guide public opinion on religio-political matters of the Sikh nation.

The compelling salience of the expose does not so
much lie in unearthing any new and hitherto unknown
facts. Its uniqueness is that it has successfully made
some of the prominent actors of the more than
five-year-old carnage themselves brag before hidden
cameras and gloatingly own up some of the most heinous
crimes like mass murder and rapes.

The expose makes it amply clear that not only the
carnage is a profoundly shameful blot on the nation’s
history, not only the state administration was totally
complicit in this gruesome episode, but, more
importantly, no justice can be expected even today
under the given circumstances even if there is a shred
of truth in the boastful claims made by the characters
whose graphic testimonies have been recorded on camera
by the Tehelka team.

The NHRC, NCM and the NCW must immediately take due
note of this startling expose, without any further
pussyfooting, and send notices to both the state and
central governments and also the characters appearing
on the Tehelka tapes and the Tehelka team seeking
their points of views and explanations. And then
proceed to take appropriate actions to ensure
independent and authentic investigations, trial in an
atmosphere of impartiality and free from intimidations
– leading to punishment for all the guilty including
those at the helm of the administration. ]

http://www.counterc urrents.org/ naqvi301007. htm

Can We Resist Fascism
With Indignation Alone

By Jawed Naqvi

30 October, 2007
Dawn

Suppose Narendra Modi, the chief minister of
Gujarat, is called a fascist, which he is, and it
translates into more votes for him in the coming
state elections. How does one respond to this
possibility, which, as many have concluded, is in
fact the bitter truth? This is the backdrop we
have to keep in mind about Tehelka's otherwise
skillful and daring expose with concealed cameras
of the manic Hindutva hordes that raped and
killed at will in Gujarat in 2002, and their
cheerleader, the chief minister himself.

Suppose all the gory revelations captured on the
camera by the grittyjournalist Ashish Khetan are
turned into a vaudeville, which can happen to any
burning issue in India today with generous help
from the corporate media. What happens next?
Remember the lines of the woman inmate in a
Chicago prison in the movie of that name? The
woman, June, was one of several female prisoners
serving sentences for killing their boyfriends,
husbands, lovers and so on. June's lines in a
song drenched in black humour went thus: " I'm
standin' in the kitchen, carving up a chicken for
dinner, minding my own business, when in storms
my husband, Wilbur, in a jealous rage. 'You've
been screwing the milkman,' he said. He was
crazy, and he kept on screaming, 'You've been
screwing the milkman.' And then he ran into my
knife... he ran into my knife ten times."

June's lines were relived the other day by a key
character caught in the Tehelka expose. Gujarat
government counsel Arvind Pandya resigned from
his post and has filed an FIR against the
reporter who conducted the sting. But he needs to
be heard to be believed. "They came to me and
said they were making a serial. And to give a
touch of reality, they wanted me to play a role.
I would initially be portraying a negative role
and later a positive one. I was given a script
with all dialogues and I just had to read them.
They also made me practise my lines,'' he
complained.

What did Pandya's 'rehearsed' lines say in the
role he says was assigned to him by Tehelka?
Remember he is the man representing the state
government in the commission of inquiry headed by
Justices Nanavati and Shah. In fact Pandya is
Gujarat's Advocate General.

Tehelka: Who was at the forefront during the riots?

Pandya: It will be wrong to say some were there and
some were notŠ

Practically everybody who went to the field was
from the Bajrang Daland the VHPŠ

Tehelka: Did Jaideepbhai (VHP vice-president Jaidee
Patel) go to the field?

Pandya: Jaideepbhai had also goneŠ Which leaders
went where, who had a role, who had a suspected
role - we have before the Commission all these
details, all the mobile numbers, who went whereŠ
We have the locationsŠ

Tehelka: Yes, some controversy also took placeŠ

Pandya: It's still onŠ And I know whose mobile
numbers were thereŠ who talked to whom, from
which locationŠ I have the papersŠ

Tehelka: So can there be some problem for the
Hindus because of thatŠ for Jaideepbhai etcŠ

Pandya: Arrey bhai, (Hey fellow) I am the one who
has to fight the caseŠ don't worryŠ don't worry
about this, there will be no problem here. If
there will be a problem I'll solve itŠ I have
spent all these years for whomŠ for my own blood.

Tehelka: Can the commission's report go against the
Hindus?

Pandya: Nahi, nahi (no no)Š it can create some
problems for the policeŠ it can go against themŠ
see, the judges who have been selected are from
the CongressŠ

Tehelka: Yes, NanavatiŠ and Shah

Pandya: That's the only problemŠ our leaders at
the time got into a controversy in a hurryŠ what
they thought was that since Nanavati was involved
in the Sikh riots... that if they use a Congress
judge there will be no controversyŠ

Tehelka: So is Nanavati absolutely against you people?

Pandya: Nanavati is a clever manŠHe wants
money... Of the two judges, KG Shah is
intelligentŠ woh apne wala hai [he is our man]Š
he is sympathetic to usŠ Nanavati is after moneyŠ

Pandya: I have been the government's special AG
(Advocate General) in these riotsŠ I kept note of
just two thingsŠ I told the VHP that none of you
have to come to the Commission everŠ you keep in
touch with me, that's allŠ I told the BJP too to
keep in touch with me, that's allŠ I have also
told the Sangh that whenever I hold camps at
various places don't come there with a big
strength and don't bring a known face. You keep
in touch with me on phoneŠ If I'll need anything,
you'll just receive a call, not moreŠ I also went
to all the places where the camps were held. I
also held my own camps. I went to the camps to
win the local people's favourŠ how it should be
done, what is to be done.

Pandya's comments captured on camera are of
course not greatly revealing beyond a point. If
anything they are a reaffirmation of what we
mostly know about the way judiciary works in
cahoots with the state, including a rogue state
or a fascist one for that matter. What is
significant is that fascism stays and flourishes
in Gujarat, regardless of any expose and the
moral indignation it brings about.

Why it has struck roots in Gujarat and not in
other BJP-ruled states like Rajasthan or Madhya
Pradesh is a valid question. The answer perhaps
lies in the corporate support fascism enjoys in
one of India's most prosperous regions, not too
different from the role assigned to the Shiv Sena
in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Like Bombay
of yore, Gujarat was the hub of leftist labour
unions. They have been smashed and decimated.
Instead we now have politically influential
corporate clubs whose roots go right up to the
Indian expatriates in the United States. The
India-US business partnership launched by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh features tycoons like
Ratna Tata and Mukesh Ambani, both viceforous
public supporters of Modi, their model chief
minister.

But the Tehelka expose never aimed to tackle the
corporate support for insidious fascism inherent
in Gujarat's economic progress. At the same time
it is equally true that the nation's ruling
party, the Congress, which had the potential to
challenge Modi's sway has a problem of its own to
tackle - its own economic planners have
themselves declared unalloyed affection for
Modi's growth model for the state.

Moreover, the strategy to fight religious fascism
in the framework of a still breathing (or
gasping) democracy is to go to the people with a
secular agenda. The Congress has done just the
opposite. It has gone about poaching BJP's
leaders, wooing them to swell its own ranks,
including people who are known to have led the
wild mobs against Muslim women and children. This
method is expected to deplete the electoral
resources of Modi. Can you imagine Churchill
planning to undercut Hitler by wooing Goering,
Himmler etc to his side?

Be that as it may. The Tehelka expose, available
in detail on the website , deserves to be seen
and read and discussed widely, not because it
will bring down Modi's fascist rule in Gujarat.
Nor is the expose important for bringing out all
the gory details of the rape and macabre murder
of many innocent victims, the way Ehsan Jaffrey
was cut to pieces, or a woman disembowelled and
her foetus smashed in the womb. It is also not a
revelation that Hindutva activists are imbued
with the same sense of missionary zeal as any
suicide squad among Muslims or any other faith.

The expose is important because the rape of
Gujarat failed to budge the conscience of the
great patron of democracy, the United States. We
had to pointedly ask Assistant Secretary of State
Christina Rocca to comment on the violence before
she gave a grudging lukewarm disapproval of the
mayhem there. Later Ms Rocca told the US Congress
that Gujarat's legal authority was robust and was
pursuing the criminals of the violence.

That was before Pandya slipped up before the
hidden cameras of the Tehelka reporter. Ms Rocca,
are you there?

Pbi Anmol Lipi

numwieMdw pMQk iek`T dy mqy

ieh pMQk iek`qrqw IHRO ny 31 AkqUbr, 2007 nUM srkt hwaUs, luiDAwxw ivKy bulweI geI sI:

A`j dw ieh numwieMdw pMQk iek`T is`K kOm dI AjokI rwjnIqk siQqI 'qy du`K dw pRgtwvw krdw hY Aqy mihsUs krdw hY ik AjokI is`K isAwsI lIfriSp gurbwxI, is`K ieiqhws Aqy guru sihbwn vloN drswey mwrg qoN iQVk cu`kI hY[ pMQk lIfriSp dI rwjnIqI iv`c ku`J vI nvW nroAw, inAwrw Aqy dUijAW qoN v`Krw nzr nhIN AwauNdw ijs qoN is`K kOm dy ihridAW iv`c nvW auqSwh, pRyrnw Aqy lgn dI lihr pYdw ho sky[ 'au`qr kwto, mYN cVHW' vwlI ibrqI nUM inkwrdy hoey ieh iek`qrqw suihrd pMQk iDrW qoN Aws krdI hY ik is`KW dy pMQk mu`idAW, inSwinAW Aqy is`K isDWqW qy pUrI rwjnIiqk eykqw krn leI auprwly kIqy jwx[

AsIN ieh vI mihsUs krdy hW ik rwjnIqk lIfriSp iv`c kuJ mu`idAW aupr vKryvyN ho skdy hn pr is`K kOm dy vfyry ih`qW Kwqr ienHW vKryivAW nUM smyt ky suihrd iDrW nUM iek sWJy pMQk plytPwrm qy iek`Ty hox dI loV hY ikauNik AjokI siQqI iv`c is`K nOjvwnW vloN AQwh kurbwnIAW krn dy bwvjUd is`K kOm A`j q`k Awpxy Awp nUM lIfrlY`s mihsUs kr rhI hY[ ies leI AsIN suJwA idMdy hW ik ivAkqIgq isAwsq qoN a`upr auT ky mIrI-pIrI, pMc pRDwnI (Collective Leadership), srbq dw Blw Aqy Kwlsy dy inAwrypx, Awid dy isDWqW dI buinAwd bxweI jwvy qW jo gurbwxI qy AwDwirq is`K rwjnIqI nwl is`K kOm dw Biv`K rOSn ho sky[

AsIN bVy duKI ihrdy nwl kih rhy hW ik is`KW dI numwieMdw jwxI jWdI jmwq- rvwieqI AkwlI lIfriSp, qW Awpxy sOVy isAwsI ih`qW krky Bwjpw Aqy Awr.AYs.AYs. dI gulwm ho ky rih geI hY[ dUjy pwsy pMQk khwaux vwly nyqw v`fy-v`fy nwhry mwr ky lokW nUM guMmrwh kr rhy hn pr aunHW pMQk inSwinAW Aqy pMjwb dy mu`K-mu`idAW dI pRwpqI leI koeI suihrd j`QybMdk FWcw nhIN auswirAw Aqy nw hI koeI pRsMgq pRogrwm hI id`qw hY[ A`j dI ieh iek`qrqw is`K kOm Aqy pMQ nwl vwAdw krdI hY ik jo vI ivAkqI, pwrtI jW sMsQw auprokq drswey pMQk AwSy nUM mUrqImwn krn dw Xqn krygI aus dw pUrw swQ id`qw jwvygw[

ieh iek`T mihsUs krdw hY ik jo vI pwrtI is`K kOm dIAW BwvnwvW dI shI qrjmwnI krnw cwhuMdI hY aus nUM is`KW dy inAwry-px, sRI Akwl qKq swihb dI Azwd hsqI dy nwl nwl lokW dy svY-inrxy dy h`k 'qy ADwirq smwijk, AwriQk, rwjnIqk Aqy knUMnI ienswP lYx leI jmhUrI FMg qrIky nwl auprwly krny hoxgy[

AsIN ieh vI mihsUs krdy hW ik auprokq suJwvW qoN ielwvW, sMBwivq sWJI lIfriSp nUM pMjwb dy lokW dI syhq, is`iKAw, niSAW iv`ruD muihMm, mnu`KI AiDkwrW dI AlMgxw, Dwrimk smIkrx, Aqy sMivDwn dI Dwrw 25 'c qrmIm Aqy pMjwb dRiAweI pwxIAW sbMDI AYgrImYNt dI Dwrw 5 nUM Kqm krn Aqy pMjwb AMdr gYr-pMjwbI, pRvwsI mzdUrW dI bylugwm Awmd dI sm`isAw vl vI iDAwn dyx dI loV hY[

-D S Gill

Chair IHRO

Hindustan Times

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
India
Victims of 1984 riots hold demonstration, seek justice
Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, October 31, 2007
First Published: 15:30 IST(31/10/2007)
Last Updated: 17:13 IST(31/10/2007)

Victims of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 staged a demonstration in the capital on Wednesday seeking the arrest of those still at large despite committing heinous acts of crime against their community.

A large number of victims and their family members, including women and children, assembled at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and marched towards the Supreme Court to air their grievances.

They shouted slogans against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar.

According to the protestors, around 10,000 of those accused in various cases of rioting and worse are still roaming freely in Delhi and no action has been taken against them.

The spokesperson of the All India Sikh Conference, Gurcharan Singh Babbar, said: "We want the Supreme Court to answer for its failure in taking any action in the case of the perpetrators of the violence of 1984."

"If the Supreme Court can take cognisance of issues like the spread of dengue in Delhi, sealing of commercial enterprises being run from residential premises, the fodder scam of Bihar and pollution in the Yamuna, isn't the matter of Sikhs important enough for it to take action?"

Babbar said that 5,327 members of the Sikh community were killed in Delhi in the violence that followed the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi on Oct 31, 1984.

The protestors carried placards with slogans like "Is sealing more important than 10,000 killers", "How will Indian judiciary prove its credibility about 1984 carnage" and "We have lost faith in the judicial system".

The protestors demanded that all the accused in the 1984 riots cases who are still roaming free be booked and action taken against them. They wanted the government to be made a party in the case in order to ensure its accountability.

Babbar said: "We want that all the affidavits filed before various commissions set up to look into the matter and the reports of these commissions be put before the Supreme Court so that it may take up the matter in a proper manner."

When asked about the Rs 75 billion package announced by the government last year for the victims of the 1984 violence, Babbar said: "The question today is not of relief. We are not talking of relief. We are talking of justice. We want it soon."

He claimed that the victims are facing lots of problems in claiming economic relief on account of bureaucratic procedures.

A delegation of the protestors submitted a petition enlisting their problems to the registrar of the Supreme Court.

__._,_.___

MysticSaint <MysticSaint@gmail.com> to me
show details 1:23 pm (6 hours ago)

MysticSaint has sent you a link to a blog:

wanted to share this post on Gujarat Violence and Tehelka report.

Blog: Inspirations and Creative Thoughts
Post: Terrorism is no '-ism' of any Religion | Tehelka and Gujarat Violence in the name of Religion
Link: http://mysticsaint.blogspot.com/2007/10/terrorism-is-no-ism-of-any-religion.html

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Terrorism is no '-ism' of any Religion | Tehelka and Gujarat Violence in the name of Religion

"Last night a friend from Baroda called. Weeping. It took her fifteen minutes to tell me what the matter was. It wasn't very complicated. Only that Sayeeda, a friend of hers, had been caught by a mob. Only that her stomach had been ripped open and stuffed with burning rags. Only that after she died, someone carved 'OM' on her forehead. Precisely which Hindu scripture preaches this?" - asks Booker prize winner novelist, Arundhati Roy in her article, Democracy: Who is she when she's at home?

NO, none of the Scriptures of Hindu Religion, one of the most tolerant and inclusive religion on the face of earth preach violence and killing thy Neighbor. Yet those who fuel their violence and hate, use religion over and over again to claim their own agenda.

"The post-Godhra Gujarat riots in 2002 has been considered as one of the grisliest communal strifes of post-Independence India. This religious strife was labeled thus because of alleged collusion of the administration that literally gave a free hand to rioters. At the end of three days, nearly 2000 Muslims lay dead murdered brutally in one of India’s urban cities adversely affecting India’s psyche and put in doubt the country’s rise to prominence as a growing power in the world." (credit via ipatrix)

On October 22nd, 2007 (yes it took 5 years to just uncover it, thanks to government level involvement in covering up this), Tehelka, India’s leading investigative Magazine has captured the criminals on Camera, admitting their involvement in the genocide, and deliberate annihilation of Muslims. All the while police did nothing to stop the carnage. The Chief Minister apparently gave three days to the extremists to clean out anybody who is Muslim in Godhara, Gujarat.

.: Brave Journalism of Tehelka dot com that exposes Truth and Reality / few years back i worked in national media (daily and monthly publications on different capacity such as coordinator, technical editor and executive editor) involving IT (information technology) journalism, mostly focusing on personal computing. that time i developed a deep appreciation for journalism as it can be a noble service for upholding the truth and intellectual engagement about social justice. i found Tehelka dot com's brave journalism for the cause of truth very inspiring and at the same time it is a good story to make the point that a terrorist has no religion but Terrorism and Terrorism is no 'ism' of any Religion.

The sad incident of killing of thousands of innocent muslim civilians by extreme hindu nationalists and terrorists do show that terrorism can not be tagged single handedly with any religion. this problem can well surface in Northern Ireland or in Serbia among violent people who might call themselves Christian, can surface in India among hate-mongering people who call themselves savior of Hindu religion or anywhere else under any religious banner.

Some of the most notorious ultra nationalist groups in India that use extremism behind Hindu religious banner include the hate-spewing Shiv Sena, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the lumpen members of Bajrang Dal, the violently anti-Muslim and anti-Christian branch of the VHP and the radical Hindu outfit Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS).

Tehelka, the magazine that pioneered the use of sting operation has now compiled an exhaustive report on the Gujarat riots. The various reports that give you a chilling account of what actually went down and this is entirely in the words of the people who perpetuated those crimes. Tehelka’s reporter, Ashish Khetan spent six months undercover as a pro-Hindutva researcher investigating and talking to the people who carried out the attacks against Muslims. The revelations are mind-numbing and make you shake your head in disbelief and horror to the extent man can fall in causing harm to his fellow beings.

The painstaking investigation uncovered a web of lies entwined with truth, a mash of fact served up with fiction. In an extra-ordinary investigation it shows how corrupt and sickly religious motifs can be directed to propagate violence and hate. [>] The Truth of Godhara Gujarat 2002 / One of The Most Important Story of Our Time that exposes why terrorism in the name of religion is no '-ism' of Religion.

[>] detailed sections and story here.

:. Religious leaders shocked at Tehelka revelations

Several spiritual and religious leaders including Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Swami Agnivesh Saturday said that those behind Gujarat's communal violence of 2002 'should be ex-communicated from the Hindu fold'.

# Exploring Reads
:. Indian Holocast - 2002 Gujarat Violence via wikipedia
:. Godhara event / how police is used to manufacture lies
:. Kill Thy Neighbour | Time CoverStory of Gujrat Violence
:. Tehelka’s Gujarat Expose
:. Murder will out
:. Narendra Modi and Tehelka Expose
:. Three posts on Tehelka's Operation Kalank

:. Updates | this is part of an ongoing uncoving of events. check here to get latest updates.
Labels: event, journalism, religion, terrorism, truth, violence

P

Pressuring the Generals
Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

Pressuring the Generals
All the collective sanctions by U.N., United States, European Union may not put enough pressure on Burmese military junta who are still flexing their muscles and brandishing guns and bayonets on unarmed Burmese civilians and monks who have dared to protest against their autocrats. Without Chinese and Indian full hearted support behind the international communities' combined efforts, no diplomatic efforts have the possibility of success.

Both China and India are Burma's major trading partners, thus surely these both nations have enormous leverage on Burmese junta and elites.
Bush, UN chief discuss Myanmar

Washington (AP): President George W Bush has called UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as both leaders prod for change in the repressive regime in Myanmar.

Bush and Ban agreed on the importance of serious conversations between the military regime and the democratic opposition, with the goal of a return to democratic government, White House spokesman Dan Perino said on Tuesday.

To that end, Ban told Bush that UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari is expected back in Myanmar, also known as Burma, by as early as Thursday.

"The president emphasized the need to maintain a clear message to the military regime that real political change, aimed at a restoration of human rights and democracy,is required to end the crisis," Perino said.

Monks resume protest march in Myanmar
More than 100 Buddhist monks marched and chanted in northern Myanmar for nearly an hour on Wednesday. This was their first public demonstration since the government's deadly crackdown last month on pro-democracy protesters.The monks in Pakokku shouted no slogans, but one monk told the Democratic Voice of Burma, a Norway-based short-wave radio station and Web site.
Meanwhile,Myanmar's military government has freed seven members of Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party who were held for more than a month following the junta's deadly crackdown, the party said on Wednesday.

The releases on Tuesday night came ahead of a visit by UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to seek reconciliation between the junta and democratic forces since month's demonstrations led by Buddhist monks, the biggest protests in the Southeast Asian nation in nearly two decades.

The seven had been detained at the infamous Insein Prison in Yangon, said Nyan Win, spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.

They included party spokesman Myint Thein and six others: Han Zaw, Lei Lei, Ko Bala, Cin Shin Htan, Htaung Ko Htan and Win Naing, the spokesman said.

''All these people had been arrested unnecessarily and we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained arbitrarily,'' another NLD spokesman Han Tha said.

He added that at least 150 party members out of nearly 300 who had been arrested since September remain in detention.

Han Tha said many of them have been denied proper medical treatment and were living in harsh conditions.

The government had earlier said it detained about 3,000 people in connection with the protests but had released most of them. Many reports have emerged of brutal treatment in custody.

The league said many of the detainees were questioned about links between the party and the protests, which were led by Buddhist monks.

Demonstrations that began August 19 over high prices for fuel and consumer goods mushroomed over several weeks into a broad-based movement that attracted thousands of people in Yangon, the country's biggest city, and other areas.

Troops crushed the protests by shooting at demonstrations on September 26 to 27, arresting thousands including Buddhist monks.

The government said 10 people were killed, but dissident groups put the toll at up to 200 and thousands arrested including a number of Buddhist monks.

The junta accused the league the 88 Generation Students group, exiled dissidents and the United States of inciting the protests.

The station is run by dissident journalists, that it was a continuation of the protests last month.The march clearly was in defiance of the government.

''We walked around the town and chanted. ... We are continuing our protest from last month as we have not yet achieved any of the demands we asked for,'' the monk told the radio station.

''Our demands are for lower commodity prices, national reconciliation and immediate release of (pro-democracy leader) Aung San Suu Kyi and all the political prisoners,'' said the monk, who was not identified by name.

He said they had little time to organize the march so it was small, but ''there will be more organized and bigger protests soon.''

Up to 100,000 people took part in demonstrations in Yangon last month. The protests were crushed when troops fired on protesters on September 26-27.

The crackdown left at least 10 people dead by the government's count, drawing international condemnation. Opposition groups say as many as 200 people may have been killed.

Here is an excerpt from The Hindu's today's editorial:

"There can be little question that as a leading democracy India must join the international community in its efforts to pressure the Yangon regime to move urgently towards democracy and national reconciliation. While practising good neighbourliness, and taking care to ensure that its actions do not constitute an unwarranted interference in Myanmar’s internal affairs, India must not hesitate to use its growing leverage unambiguously on the side of democracy. In the larger global context, India must throw all its weight behind the U.N. good offices endeavour and consult closely with Asean, China, and the western powers to see how best to make it succeed against the odds."

Regards,
Mahbubul Karim (Sohel)
http://sohel. net
__._,_.___

Afraid of the Dalai Lama?
Why is China so afraid of Dalai Lama? This frail looking old man whose charming smile and humorous observations on nature, spirituality and peace have inspired millions many, still causes kind of a frenzied chaotic reaction from China whenever this old man comes to the forefront of world news. Dalai Lama's receiving of Congressional Medal of Honor from U.S. Government has sparked similar knee jerk comments filled with fumes from Chinese one party communist leaders. Why is China so afraid of Dalai Lama? Here are a few points that may enlighten this subject on Tibet, the repressed land that China had forcefully occupied many years ago:

"Why is the mighty People's Republic of China so petrified of this 72-year-old Buddhist monk? True, the Dalai Lama is no ordinary scholar and teacher; he is the living symbol of the Buddhist faith. It seems that Beijing's cadres fear his moral authority and do not want the international community to examine their record in Tibet, because they have a lot to hide.

It has been 48 years since the Dalai Lama eluded capture by the People's Liberation Army and escaped to India, whereupon Chairman Mao Zedong began to plunder Tibet's wealth and murdered more than 1 million of its people. In the mid-1990s, the Chinese politburo implemented the "Strike Hard Campaign" that declared Buddhism "a disease to be eradicated." News of major protests in Tibet has not been widely disseminated in recent years, and now the survival of Tibetan civilization has reached a tipping point. In 2000, China launched a vast infrastructure campaign called "Opening and Development of the Western Regions" and embarked on a new phase of subjugation and control. Construction of rail and road links to Tibet, such as the Qingzang railway that opened last year, has accelerated Beijing's surveillance of Tibetans and has advanced the Sinofication of the Himalayan and Turkic peoples who inhabit China's western territories.

Exploiting Tibet's resources for the mainland's industrial base is a strategic and economic priority for China's government, which suppresses manifestations of Tibetan identity or nationalism with blunt force."
There may be other reasons beside the seemingly "obvious" reason of suppression of Tibetan identity.

"China is accustomed to reacting with brutality when its supremacy is threatened, but now the state is imperiled by forces that neither Maoist thought nor martial law can control. Rapid growth has caused calamitous environmental damage that could lead to food shortages and unhygienic living and working conditions, which in turn could lead to epidemics and, eventually, chaos. China's 1.3 billion people need solutions, not ordinances dictated by the Communist Party's Central Committee. But Beijing, unwilling or unable to relinquish one-party rule, clings to an obsolete worldview that demonizes the Dalai Lama instead of engaging the statesman in a meaningful dialogue on Tibet and China's future."
Like its oligarch dominated "democracy" in other parts of our world, Chinese communist dictators exploit Dalai Lama controversy so that their increasingly restless populace can be galvanized for a neatly crafted nationalistic cause. Sometimes, "God" and "God's man" can prove to be handy tool for even the atheistic creed.

Link:
Afraid of the Dalai Lama?

Regards,
Mahbubul Karim (Sohel)
http://sohel. net

__._,_.___

Turkey, the Kurds and the US: fire in the mountains
www.aworldtowin. org

29 October 2007. A World to Win News Service. Officially Turkey's
threatened massive invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan has been put on hold
pending Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's scheduled
talks with George Bush 5 November. The apparent delay, however,
doesn't mean that such an invasion couldn't happen anyway, before or
after the Washington meeting. Even if it doesn't happen now, before
snow blocks the roads for the winter, the threat is real and
lasting. This reveals the region's extreme volatility.

Peace hasn't broken out, and it's not likely to, because that's not
what Turkey wants. Ankara sent 8,000 troops and attack helicopters
into battle 28 October in the Turkish eastern province of Tunceli,
hundreds of kilometres from the Iraqi border, where 100,000 more
Turkish troops with tanks and other heavy armour are waiting. Turkey
also staged artillery barrages and probably hit and run incursions
into Iraqi Kurdistan over the last week, as it's done dozens of
times recently.

The reason for the word "probably" is that the American authorities
who control the airspace and watch the whole area from the sky have
steadfastly and pointedly refused to say whether the Turkish army
crossed the border or not, although they certainly know the answer
to that question. According to news reports, they have long chosen
to ignore the presence of a Turkish brigade permanently stationed on
the Iraqi side of the border.

At the same time, the US also rejected Turkey's requests to take
action against PKK camps in northern Iraq, claiming that they don't
know where the camps are located, although PKK headquarters is
marked by a giant portrait in painted stones of its leader Adbullah
Ocalan, visible even from outer space. The top US commander in
northern Iraq, Major General Benjamin Mixon, said he planned to
do "absolutely nothing" against PKK forces in Iraq. (Associated
Press, 27 October)

The US's refusal to take action against either side so far speaks
for itself: they support both sides, to varying degrees and at
various times, although far from equally – they certainly don't give
PKK's few thousand roaming guerrillas the same importance as the
Turkish state and its million-man army. The New York Times' Sabrina
Tavernise, who interviewed many Iraqi Kurdish officials and current
and former American officials as well, wrote 27 October, "The
situation poses a puzzle to the United States…[which] finds itself
forced to choose between two trusted allies – Turkey, a Nato member
whose territory is the transit area for most of the air cargo to
Iraq, and the Kurds, their closest partners in Iraq." To support
this conclusion, she quotes an unidentified man in Sulaimaniya: the
US "is like a man with two wives. They quarrel, but he doesn't want
to lose either of them." This metaphor is OK as far as it goes, but
it leaves out a basic point: that man is determined to keep both of
his wives under his thumb and turn the situation, as far as
possible, to his own advantage.

The Turkish ruling class seized on the deaths of the conscript
soldiers it sent into battle to whip up a hurricane of Turkish
jingoism and anti-Kurdish racism. The media have featured emotional
interviews with the relatives of the dead soldiers. Newspaper
headlines bay for blood. Turkish flags are passed out at football
games, and it is now virtually mandatory for the players at every
game to respect a minute of silence for the dead soldiers. The
soldiers' funerals have been turned into political rallies for
hardcore right wing nationalists, who have been given major media
time to encourage mass lynch mobs that have ransacked the offices of
Kurdish political parties and other Kurdish symbols and beaten any
who resist. Groups of young women are shown on TV massing in front
of army bases to volunteer to go fight the "terrorists" . The few
lone voices who have dared to puncture this reactionary hysteria in
public are branded "traitors".

Turkey's generals met the two decades of armed struggle led by the
PKK with a vicious "dirty war" that literally wiped more than 2,000
Kurdish villages off the map. Tens of thousands of Kurds were
imprisoned. That armed conflict subsided for a time with the capture
of PKK chairman Ocalan in 1999, when the U.S. arranged to have him
handed over to Turkey. At that time, he publicly grovelled before
the Turkish military and called for a peaceful solution to the
Kurdish question within the framework of the present Turkish state
and regime. He also said that Kurdish aspirations could and should
fit in with US interests, including its project for a reformatted
Greater Middle East. This led to disappointment and demoralization
among the ranks of the party and more broadly. Since then and
especially since the US invasion of Iraq, PKK has sought to fulfil
these objectives by finding ways to cooperate with the US and the
Turkish regime, all the while complaining that its efforts have gone
insufficiently rewarded. They ran candidates in local elections in
Turkish Kurdistan, becoming so entangled with mainstream politics
that even while PKK guerrillas were under attack from the Turkish
army the legal political party supported by PKK used the words "our
martyrs" to refer to Turkish army casualties. But this does not mean
that they have given up on using guns to achieve their ends.

Kurdish nationalism does pose an existential problem to the Turkish
regime. The domination of the Kurds is built into the very
foundations of the modern Turkish state. Kemal Ataturk's success in
forging the modern Turkish state out of the ashes of the Ottoman
empire in 1923 was built on beating back the efforts of the European
imperialists to hive off parts of Armenia and Kurdistan so as to
weaken their age-old enemy. For decades after that, the very
existence of the Kurdish people was denied, as the country's 12-13
million Kurds were contemptuously derided as "backward mountain
Turks". Their culture was so suppressed that up to 1991 it was even
illegal to use the Kurdish language in public speech. Its teaching
and use on television is still severely restricted, and Kurds face
social, economic and political national oppression and
discrimination, both in Kurdistan and elsewhere. The Kurdish
population is no longer confined to small villages and towns far
from Turkey's population centres – millions of Kurds now swell the
shantytowns around Istanbul, with hundreds of thousands more in
towns and cities throughout the country.

The Turkish ruling classes are particularly concerned by the threat
of major gains for Kurdish nationalism right on their borders. For
the Turkish ruling classes, the Kurdish question is a festering boil
that just keeps erupting. When the US invaded Iraq, they were given
reassurances by the US that it would not permit the establishment of
a permanent Kurdish state in the region. But as Iraq spiralled out
of control, the Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq has
turned out to be the most reliable pro-US ally, giving it a much
greater role in post-Saddam Iraq than US strategists had perhaps
expected. The region has taken on many of the trappings of exactly
the kind of permanent Kurdish presence that the Turkish ruling class
had feared and that the US had promised them wouldn't happen. The
passports of travellers crossing from Turkey into Iraq in this
region are even stamped "Kurdish Region of Iraq". The Kurdish Region
has access to rich oil resources and already fields an army of
60,000 – far larger than PKK's. Ankara fears that it could
potentially act like a magnet to attract the sympathies of Turkey's
own Kurds.

The Turkish military, out of a realistic sense of caution, including
a fear of domestic upheaval, did not take part in the US invasion of
Iraq, although subsequently they have provided the US occupation
with its major air and land lifelines. The recent elections,
ironically, have enabled the ruling classes to unite their own ranks
and hoodwink broad enough sections of the masses so that, if Turkey
were to invade Iraq now, this time it could do so in the name of
democracy and with the blessings of parliament and much of civil
society. The self-style reformers of Erdogan's AK party, which
invited Kurdish support for its candidates, has been involved in the
mob assaults on Kurdish targets, exposing the content of
the "synthesis of Turkey and Islam" they proclaim. Turkey's rulers
feel that now they can make up for that lost opportunity to throw
their weight around and bring Turkey's power to bear, not only over
the Kurds of both countries, but well beyond.

There is thus good reason to suspect that while the Turkish
government does want to cross the border into Iraq to deal real
blows to the PKK guerrillas, they are also eyeing the possibility of
taking the Kurdish Regional Government down a notch or two, and
creating a situation where they have a major say over future
developments in the area. This takes on even greater importance in
light of growing US threats against Iran. Establishing a major on-
going armed presence in northern Iraq would put Turkish troops along
an even larger stretch of the Iranian border, putting them in a
position of potential importance in the event that the US unleashes
a major attack on Iran.

This is likely to be the content of the Bush-Erdogan talks next
week – in fact, it's hard to imagine that it hasn't already been
thoroughly discussed and agreements made. This could be another
major factor in why a spirit of harmony has suddenly and
unexpectedly cast its spell over Turkey's contentious official
political life.

All these contradictions have a life of their own, but they are also
situated within and conditioned by broader contradictions, on the
regional and world level, especially the looming possibility of a US
attack on Iran. Throughout the Middle East – in Lebanon, Iraq, Iran,
Pakistan and Afghanistan just to name a few places – rivets are
popping in the iron structures that once seemed so solid. Alliances,
regimes, and borders that have stood for decades are tottering under
the strains of the headlong drive by the world's only superpower's
to establish a sustainable world empire by what can only be
unleashing chaos on a grand scale and then hoping to pick up the
pieces. The Turkish ruling classes must act decisively, and soon, or
they, too, might see their set-up start to unravel.

One way the US might try to balance its own contradictory interests
in this situation might be to let Turkey strike serious blows at PKK
in Iraq, without eliminating it, which might not be militarily
possible anyway.

However it happens, in a dramatic tank-led all-out offensive or
through other means, and certainly involving a combination of
economic and political carrots for various Kurdish forces as well as
real sticks, an increased Turkish presence in Iraq could be very
helpful to American efforts to both keep that country under its
exclusive control and move its troops on to the next war. And it
would bring Turkish interests and perhaps Turkish troops more
squarely up against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which until now
has been able to use economic and other relations with Turkey as a
valve to release some of the pressure of the US-led blockade.

If the US is convinced that Turkey's intervention will serve its
purposes, then for all the support it has received from the two
governing Iraqi Kurdish parties, it could turn a benign eye on a
Turkish move to assert itself in northern Iraq. Given the historical
evidence, there is no reason to believe that the US won't betray all
the Kurds – as it has before, or that the two Kurdish parties who
are the US's closest allies in Iraq won't betray other Kurds (and
each other), as they have done before as well. US strategists may
believe that they can stab the Kurds in the back and still keep them
on their string, since that's worked before. In this regard, it
should be noted that while the US has declared PKK a "terrorist"
organization, it actually supports the PKK's Iranian Kurdistan
branch, the PJACK (Party of Free Life in Kurdistan), whose leader,
Rahman Haj-Ahmad, visited Washington last summer. Trying to use the
Kurds against the Iranian regime is part of the US plan.

The interests of the US and Turkish ruling classes are not
identical – which is part of what makes this situation so
unpredictable. But they definitely overlap. Each side is urging the
other to take on unprecedented and towering risks in the face of
what is do-or-die time for them both. Bloodshed, and the more of the
people's blood the better, is just the stimulant they both need to
get ready for much more bloodshed soon.
- end item-

Holy Warriors Set Sights on Iran
Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashchandrabiswas@gmail.com

Canada.com
Guilty verdicts in Madrid terror trial
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A Spanish court on Wednesday delivered a mixed verdict in the trial of 28 defendants charged in the 2004 Madrid train bombings, convicting three of mass murder but delivering lesser convictions against the others.

Attacking Iran for Israel? : Ray McGovern

The Bush administration and the Israeli government are on the same page about the urgent need to neutralize Iran's nuclear facilities. But former CIA analyst Ray McGovern wonders whose interests are at the forefront of this impending conflict.
http://mparent7777- 2.blogspot. com/2007/ 10/attacking- iran-for- israel-ray- mcgovern. html

CRIMES AND CORRUPTIONS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER NEWSWIRE - OCTOBER 30, 2007
http://mparent7777- 2.blogspot. com/2007/ 10/crimes- and-corruptions- of-new-world_ 30.html

If this is true, half the adult Americans you meet today are very sick sumbitches
http://mparent7777- 2.blogspot. com/2007/ 10/if-this- is-true-half- adult-americans. html

MARC PARENT, mparent7777, mparent, ccnwon
CRIMES AND CORRUPTIONS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER NEWS
http://mparent7777- 2.blogspot. com/
http://www.wakeupfr omyourslumber. com/blog/ 38

Holy Warriors Set Sights on Iran
Bill Berkowitz, The Electronic Intifada, Dec 19, 2006

Ariel Development Fund is presented with $500,000 at Christians United for Israel's Night to Honor Israel 2006. The Ariel Development Fund benefits the illegal Israeli West Bank settlement of Ariel. (CUFI)
OAKLAND, California (IPS) - Over the past 20 years, the U.S. Christian right has evolved into one of the most powerful grassroots organising forces within the Republican Party, and a host of Christian Zionists have taken a well-earned seat at the foreign policy table.

At the same time, their support for Israel is not only growing -- it is also becoming an influential political factor.

Several prominent Christian right and conservative Jewish leaders have teamed up to found organisations that have provided millions of dollars to Israeli charities, lobbied in support of policies advanced by right wing leaders in Israel, opposed President George W. Bush's so-called "Road Map" to peace in the Middle East, and have helped defray the costs of the immigration of Russian Jews to Israel, among other activities.

While the Reverends Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell have been longtime supporters of Israel, the founding earlier this year of Christians United for Israel by John Hagee, the pastor of the 18,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, drew a great deal of media attention.

As Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's popularity has plummeted since the end of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, Christian Zionists in the United States view the outcome not only as a defeat for Israel, but also as a prelude to a much wider war. In fact, they think the conflict might be a sign of impending Armageddon.

"The end of the world as we know it is rapidly approaching, " Hagee wrote in his most recent book, Jerusalem Countdown: A Warning to the World. "Just before us is a nuclear countdown with Iran," he wrote, "followed by Ezekiel's war (as described in Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39), and then the final battle -- the battle of Armageddon."

For Hagee, bestselling author Joel Rosenberg and other Christian Zionists, Israel plays the critical role in End Time scenarios. Their books, commentaries, and public statements reflect their beliefs that serial conflicts in the Middle East are a sign of the biblical prophesy presaging Armageddon, the return of Jesus Christ, and the final battle for the souls of mankind.

And some have started to train their sights on Tehran. In a recent blog post datelined Jerusalem, Rosenberg wrote: "The buzz here in the last few days is that Israel is seriously considering a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic missile sites."

Given Israel's less than sterling performance against Hezbollah this past summer, Rosenberg was not convinced that Israel "has the capacity -- or the will -- at the moment to neutralise the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile threat."

However, with "a new Hitler rising in Iran", it is up to U.S. President George W. Bush, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Washington in mid-November, to deal with the Iranian threat: "If President Bush believes Iran needs to be neutralised (and I believe he does), and he is convinced that military action is the only way (I don't believe he is there right now), then the U.S. should take the lead."

After all, wrote Rosenberg, "If anyone is going to stop Iran from threatening the world with nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, it has to be soon, perhaps no later than the end of 2007. After all, 2008 is an American election year. 2009 will be the start of a new administration. By then it may be too late. The thermonuclear genie may be out of the bottle."

The Israeli/Hezbollah war led several U.S. cable television news networks to raise questions about whether the crisis in the Middle East was a signal that the "End Times" were approaching. Rosenberg, author of such apocalyptic political thrillers as The Copper Scroll, The Ezekiel Option, and The Last Jihad, was invited to appear on CNN and the Fox News Channel.

In one recent appearance, Rosenberg said that he had made several visits to "speak at a White House Bible study" and had conversations with "a number of congressional leaders and Homeland Security, Pentagon [officials] about my novels, which are based on Bible prophecy."

Rosenberg said that "the question that's been most interesting among these various administration and congressional officials is, 'Are you saying that the Bible talks about an alliance between Iran, Russia, and a group of Middle Eastern countries to attack Israel at some point?' And the answer is yes."

Some critics charge that Rosenberg is a self-promoter with little real understanding of Judaism.

"Rosenberg chooses to trade in his private salvation narrative as way of winning readers, exploiting contacts, and most dangerously -- political ventriloquism, " said Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak, the co-founder of JewsOnFirst. org, a website devoted to protecting free speech, and the rabbi of Beth Shalom Temple in Whittier, California.

"In this case, political ventriloquism is using the 'voice' of Jews to their eventual detriment -- while claiming it is for their benefit -- and seeking, what I as a believing Jew, must describe as apostasy against Judaism and God," he told IPS. "Rooting for war with Iran and lobbying for world destruction using Israel, as catalytic agent, is no longer 'entertainment' -- it is obscene."

Rosenberg was an important but mostly behind-the-scenes figure in the conservative movement until his first novel The Last Jihad became a bestseller. A Jew who converted to Christianity more than 30 years ago, he had worked for former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli politician and author Natan Sharansky, U.S. business magazine magnate Steve Forbes, and right-wing radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. He is also a former Heritage Foundation staffer.

The Last Jihad, completed before the 9/11 Trade Centre and Pentagon attacks, propelled Rosenberg into the spotlight. The novel featured a hijacked jet making a kamikaze-like attack against the president of the United States, simultaneous terrorist strikes on the U.S., London, Paris and Saudi Arabia, an oil deal between Israel and the Palestinians that threatened to unleash a war with Iraq, and a possible preemptive nuclear strike.

In a late-October interview with the Washington Times, Rosenberg told reporter Chrissie Thompson that he didn't think that his novels "were going to predict the future ... I was basing them on a series of Bible prophecies, but when [they] started to come true ... that has been striking for all of us, myself included."

Another of his novels, The Ezekiel Option, is described by Rosenberg as "a political thriller about the threat of a Russian-Iranian alliance to destroy Israel based on the Biblical prophecies found in the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39."

These prophecies, according to Rosenberg, "describe what Bible scholars call the war of Gog and Magog. Russia and Iran form a military alliance with Lebanon, Syria and a group of other Middle East countries to destroy Israel in what Ezekiel described as the last days."

In recent months Rosenberg has suggested that Russia be added to the Bush administration' s "axis of evil".

Recently, Rosenberg, and his wife Lynn, co-founded the Joshua Fund, which "partner[s] with evangelical ministries in the Middle East to provide desperately needed resources to Christians in the region to bless their neighbours in need in the name of Jesus.."

According to Richard Bartholomew, the Fund's two "humanitarian aid" efforts are called the "Project to Bless Israel" and the "Project to Bless Lebanon."

"Lebanese refugees will get 'Bags of Blessing', to be distributed by Campus Crusade for Christ and local evangelicals, " Bartholomew reported.

The bags will include food and other basic items like soap and aspirin, he said, as well as a Jesus film DVD in Arabic.

However, Bartholomew clarified that while the Lebanese refugees will receive the Jesus DVD, the Israelis "will be spared a similar Jesus DVD in Hebrew, for obvious political reasons."

Bill Berkowitz is a longtime observer of the conservative movement. His WorkingForChange column "Conservative Watch" documents the strategies, players, institutions, victories and defeats of the U.S. Right.

All rights reserved, IPS ? Inter Press Service (2006). Total or partial publication, retransmission or sale forbidden

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More Suicide Bombers in Islamabad as Benazir Bhutto set to leave for Dubai

Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

In a video Op-Ed by documentary filmmakers Molly Bingham and Steve Connors, Iraqis explain the roots of the insurgency.

http://video. on.nytimes. com/?fr_story= 8e9862a9f3a82160 27ef2f9ecd1c3bc5 345b4134

Iraq says curbing PKK movements, supply lines
Reuters - 1 hour ago
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi authorities have set up more checkpoints to restrict the movement of Kurdish rebel fighters and cut supply lines to their mountain hideouts, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Wednesday.
US giving Turkey intelligence on PKK in Iraq Reuters AlertNet
Turkish army confirms 15 Kurdish rebels killed near Iraq border RIA Novosti

A fragile truce in the Swat valley of northwest Pakistan collapsed on Wednesday as troops targeted militant hideouts with artillery and helicopter gunships in retaliation to overnight attacks on them.

The attacks on armed followers of pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazlullah in and around Matta were launched after the militants carried out overnight attacks on police posts near Kabal and Saidu Sharif, officials said. There were reports that the militants, who were armed with rockets and assault rifles, fired at a helicopter flying over Matta town, prompting the security forces to target their positions with mortars. TV channels reported that there were several explosions and exchanges of fire in the mountains around Matta. There was no information on casualties in the latest fighting. The militants had called a unilateral truce on Monday ostensibly to allow both sides to retrieve and bury bodies of those killed in clashes since October 26. Officials, however, believe the militants had used the lull to regroup and strengthen their positions.Heavily armed militants were shown patrolling the streets in several towns and villages by a news channel. There were also reports that the militants had forcibly taken away several cars from automobile showrooms as well as from police posts in the region.

Meanwhile,Pakistani law enforcement agencies are desperately hunting for 11 suicide bombers active in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, police sources have said. They said that some of them were involved in the suicide attack near President Pervez Musharraf’s Camp Office in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, which killed eight persons and injured 22 others.

"We have not been provided specific information or details but intelligence agencies say that a new group of six would-be suicide bombers — three men and three women — have entered Islamabad," Senior Superintendent of the Islamabad police (SSP), Taimur Ali Khan, said.

Five other terrorists have already been in the twin cities since August when a group of 10 arrived to avenge the military assault on the Lal Masjid complex.

Five terrorists of the group carried out two suicide attacks in Rawalpindi and one in Sargodha and were subsequently arrested by the Islamabad Police.

The new group of six is believed to have arrived to avenge the current military operations against the pro-Taliban militants in the Swat Valley, Dawn reported.

On the other hand, Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is planning a trip outside of the country just two weeks after a massive suicide bombing targeted her long-awaited return from exile, aides said on Wednesday.The Supreme Court, meanwhile, said it will launch its own investigation into the bloody attack.Bhutto was preparing to go to Dubai to visit her husband and three children, said Farhatullah Babar, spokesman for her Pakistan People's Party, hinting she could leave as early as on Wednesday night.Other aides, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal her plans, said the opposition leader would remain in the Arab emirate until judges decide whether President General Pervez Musharraf's recent presidential election victory was constitutional.The verdict, expected by the end of the week, will be critical for how events will unfold in Pakistan. Speculation persists that Musharraf could declare emergency or martial law if his win is overturned, deepening the country's political turmoil.

Such a move would set back a planned transition to civilian rule and prospects of Bhutto and Musharraf forming an alliance against Islamic extremism.
Pakistan's chief justice said on Wednesday he would probe a suicide attack on former premier Benazir Bhutto's homecoming, expressing impatience at the slow pace of police investigations.

Bhutto survived the twin blasts that struck her motorcade in Karachi on October 18, just hours after she returned to Pakistan from exile, but 139 people were killed.

Police have failed to name any suspects and while authorities have implicated Islamic extremists, Bhutto herself has suggested that rogue security and government officials were involved.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry announced that the Supreme Court would lead its own inquiry into the blasts, as well as hearing a petition filed by Bhutto's party, a court statement said.

He took the action "to ensure that such heinous crime does not remain unpunished and perpetrators of this barbaric act are brought to book, which will result in restoring the confidence of the nation in the system of governance."

The statement said it was crucial that the blast is probed properly because the incident had "implications for future political activities in our country since the general elections are just round the corner."

"More than a week has passed since these bloody explosions occurred, however, no clue has so far been found explaining the reasons and the persons involved," it said.

Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party had shown the "strongest reservations" over both the way the investigation was being carried out and also about the Pakistani administration's ability to do so.

The case will be heard again on Thursday, it said. Chaudhry has caused headaches for the Pakistani government since President Pervez Musharraf tried to sack him in March. That caused mass protests and the Supreme Court reinstated the judge in July.

He has a track record of taking up human rights cases, including that of "missing" people allegedly held without charge by Pakistan's intelligence services.

On Tuesday he ordered the government to allow ex-PM Nawaz Sharif to return home and accused current prime minister premier Shaukat Aziz of disobeying the Supreme Court's orders by having Sharif deported earlier this month.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has warned that if terrorists and extremists do not understand the language of dialogue, they would be dealt with force.

He said at the inauguration of the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway that if terrorism was not stamped out, it would put national integrity into jeopardy.

Musharraf said that the government was trying to initiate dialogues to resolve the situation in Swat.

He said that those opposed to development in the country were behind the Rawalpindi attacks.

Earlier, at least eight people died and 22 others injured in a suicide attack on Tuesday that took place very close to the office of Musharraf. The suicide bomber blew himself up at a police checkpoint, as he tried to sneak into the highly secure campus of the Pakistan Army.

The explosion took place on a road hardly half-a-kilometre from the Army House, the official residence of the president, and adjacent to the busy Grand Trunk Road. It was a suicide attack made by a pedestrian, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

The 22 injured in the blast have been shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Rawalpindi. The adjoining areas have been cordoned off, while the security has been further tightened in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been put on high alert and security of the sensitive installations has been beefed up. The intelligence agencies fear that two more suicide attacks can take place in the twin cities during this week, The News quoted sources, as saying.

Railway Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed had said that there were reports that up to three possible suicide attackers had managed to enter Rawalpindi and neighbouring Islamabad in recent days.

Bhutto, who twice served as prime minister and then spent eight years in exile to avoid corruption charges, was welcomed back to Pakistan by legions of supporters on October 18. She plans to contest parliamentary elections due by January.

But suicide bombers shattered her homecoming, killing more than 140 people, forcing her to scale back plans to campaign across the country.

Islamic extremists

Islamic extremists fighting security forces near the border with Afghanistan were widely blamed for the attack, the deadliest in a wave of militant violence to hit Pakistan.

The government has vowed to expose those responsible, but Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry expressed impatience on Wednesday with an investigation that is under intense international scrutiny.

The Supreme Court will review the bombing to ensure the ''perpetrators of this barbaric act are brought to book, which will result in restoring the confidence of the nation in the system of governance,'' a court statement said.

A hearing in the case was scheduled for Thursday.

The activist chief justice has emerged as a key player in Pakistan's power struggle since Musharraf made a botched attempt to fire him in March.

After his reinstatement in July amid a clamor for an end to military rule, the court has taken up a string of high-profile issues, including whether the US-allied military president can remain in power.

Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup and made Pakistan a key ally of the United States in its war against terrorism, won a landslide victory in the October 6 presidential voting by lawmakers.

Opposition complaints

However, the court has ruled that the result is not final until it rules on opposition complaints that Musharraf was ineligible to contest the vote because he has retained his position as army chief.

Musharraf, who pledged to quit the army before starting a new presidential term, declined on election night to say whether he would accept a negative verdict from the court.

During a hearing on Wednesday, Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday parried arguments from government lawyers that the complaint should be referred to a lower court.

''It's a question of national interest,'' Ramday said. ''The whole country is in a fix.''

The Supreme Court is also considering whether Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf ousted eight years ago, should be allowed to return from exile to make a political comeback.

Bhutto returned to Pakistan after Musharraf signed an amnesty to drop corruption cases against her and other politicians and bureaucrats - amid expectation she and Musharraf could form a pro-Western alliance to counter extremism.

But she has accused hard-liners in the government and security forces of conspiring to kill her and criticized the police investigation into the October 18 attack.

Her party has called for foreign experts to assist the investigation - a demand rejected by the government, which insists it can solve the case on its own.

Police are also investigating a suicide attack near Musharraf's army office in the city of Rawalpindi that killed seven people on Tuesday. Police said surgeons had reconstructed the severed head of the bomber.

Bhutto said on Tuesday that she would visit Rawalpindi on November 9, but that she would no longer hold processions like the one attacked in Karachi.

Pakistan militants firm on Sharia
By Syed Shoaib Hasan
BBC News, Mingora

Militants taunt security forces
Pro-Taleban militants in Pakistan's troubled northern district of Swat have told the BBC they will continue fighting until Islamic law is enforced.

Located near the country's restive tribal area along the Afghan border, Swat has been the scene of recent clashes with the security forces.

The army last week sent reinforcements to the area.

The authorities say there are fears that the Swat valley is becoming a haven for al-Qaeda and the Taleban.

Clashes

An uneasy calm prevails over Mingora, the main town in the Swat valley.

Ringed by mountains, the scenic tourist destination is bustling with traffic and activity.

Support for Maulana Fazlullah is strong

But there is also fear, and intermittent clashes still take place in areas across the valley.

A police station was attacked with rockets on Tuesday night, while helicopter gun ships carried out retaliatory strikes on Wednesday morning.

The army says at least 18 militants died in the strikes, but there is no way of independently confirming the claim.

In Mingora's main market there is popular support for demands made by militants that Islamic - or Sharia - law should be enforced.

But, most of all, local people expressed the desire that both sides resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue.

Heavily-armed militants

Dozens have been killed in clashes and suicide attacks in recent days, including militants, members of the security forces and civilians.

Police in Mingora stay behind barricades

Last week the government launched an operation in the area against a powerful local pro-Taleban cleric, Maulana Fazlullah, who uses an FM radio station to broadcast calls for jihad, or holy war.

Observers say that the militants still control much of the valley, but local police officials deny this and say that any who still remain will be caught.

But the claims of the authorities do not match the evidence on the ground.

A militant check post was visible near the police station, with several heavily armed militants manning it.

They moved freely around the area, unlike the police who had barricaded themselves inside.

News Update from Citizens for Legitimate Government
30 Oct 2007
http://www.legitgov .org/
http://www.legitgov .org/index. html#breaking_ news
To Implement Policy, Bush to Turn to Administrative Orders 31 Oct 2007 The White House plans to try implementing as much new policy as it can by administrative order dictatorship while stepping up its confrontational rhetoric with Congress after concluding that President [sic] Bush cannot do much business with the Democratic leadership, administration officials said. White House aides say the only way Bush seems to be able to influence overturn the process is by vetoing legislation or by issuing 'administrative orders,' as he has in recent weeks... They say they expect Bush to issue more of such orders in the next several months.

Please forward this update to anyone you think might be interested. Those who'd like to be added to the Newsletter list can sign up: http://www.legitgov .org/#subscribe_ clg.
Please write to: signup@legitgov. org for inquiries.

CLG Newsletter editor: Lori Price, Manager. Copyright © 2007, Citizens For Legitimate Government ® All rights reserved. CLG Founder and Chair is Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.

Bin Laden's Call to Unite Exposes al-Qaeda's Strategic Blunders

[From: Terrorism Focus (The Jamestown Foundation, USA)
October 30, 2007 – Volume 4, Issue 35]

Last week, several jihadi forums released an audio message from
Osama bin Laden chastising the Iraqi mujahideen for their failure to
unite to defeat their common adversary. Bin Laden's message elicited
mixed reactions from the splintered factions of the Iraqi
insurgency, with some echoing bin Laden's advice and others
criticizing the distributors of the message, including Arab
satellite stations like al-Jazeera, for airing their dirty laundry
(al Quds al Arabi, October 26).

Bin Laden lectures, "My brothers, the Mujahideen in Iraq, just as
you are deserving of praise and commendation, your open hearts and
good humbleness makes you deserving of admonition and advice. You
have done well by carrying out one of the greatest duties, which few
carry out: repelling the attacking enemy. But some of you have been
tardy in performing another duty, which also among the greatest of
duties: combining your ranks to make them one rank, as loved by
Allah..."

Bin Laden also warns the Iraqi mujahideen that disunity is a source
of ammunition for their enemies. "As for those in whose hearts there
is a disease, they look for the faults and lapses of the mujahideen
and exaggerate them, and perhaps allege that they are a consequence
of the devotion of Jihad, which they label as violence and terror."

Some groups, like the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI), immediately heeded
bin Laden's message. IAI issued a statement after the missive,
stating that they will join the Islamic State of Iraq, claiming that
the only reason they had not done so previously was because of a
leadership dispute that has now been resolved (al Farj Media Center,
October 25).

Other groups like the Association of Muslim Scholars welcomed bin
Laden's statement, but interpreted the message differently. They
were grateful that bin Laden came out strongly against the Islamic
State of Iraq, characterizing his statement as a "precise diagnosis"
(al Jazeera, October 22). However, bin Laden never explicitly
condemned the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq. Instead he
criticized Iraqi Sunni groups for participating in elections and
joining the police forces, and generally warned Iraqi insurgents'
groups to cease their infighting. It seems rather than urging for
unity among the Iraqi factions, the various players are manipulating
the message to suit their political goals.

Although bin Laden's message was an attempt to shore up unity
amongst the disordered mujahideen, his explicit chastising of
jihadist groups also highlights al-Qaeda's biggest strategic blunder
in Iraq—the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq and its fumbling
effort to compel other Iraqi groups to come under its banner. This
move, rather than bolstering the Iraqi insurgency, fueled resentment
towards al-Qaeda by indigenous Iraqi insurgent groups and
accelerated anti-al-Qaeda sentiment. The tribes who formerly
supported al-Qaeda formed the Anbar Awakening and expelled al-Qaeda
from its former stronghold in al-Anbar province.

Bin Laden's message may in fact bolster the spirit to unite
temporarily, but will not likely translate into a serious
transformation of the Iraqi insurgency. As the various responses to
bin Laden's message suggest, the insurgency's factionalism is rooted
in deep divides over tactics and end goals. Unfortunately for al-
Qaeda, the mistakes bin Laden alludes to in his statement cannot be
solved by a directive from the man himself. The establishment of the
Islamic State of Iraq will reverberate against al-Qaeda as long as
the insurgency is active. In fact, many Iraqi insurgent groups are
heeding the opposite advice of bin Laden and joining the political
process.

The Iraqi insurgency is now faced with a significant trend towards
political participation. A move that was spearheaded by the
Awakening Councils has now expanded into the formation of the
Political Council of the Iraqi Resistance. Though much less inclined
towards cooperating with Coalition forces than the Awakening
Councils, and not renouncing violence outright, the formation of
this group by important factions within the Iraqi insurgency
represents a clear break from al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq
by key elements in the insurgency (al Jazeera, October 13). Bin
Laden's admonishing has done little to affect this trend of
political participation. Neither has it forged true unification
among the insurgents.

Lydia Khalil recently returned from Iraq where she worked as
governance policy advisor for the Coalition Provisional Authority in
Baghdad.

Democrats Consider More Money for War

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: October 30, 2007
Filed at 4:42 p.m. ET 18 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats are debating whether to approve $50 billion to $70 billion more for Iraq and Afghanistan, less than half of President Bush's $196 billion request but enough to keep the wars afloat for a few more months.

Such a move would satisfy party members who want to spare the Pentagon from a painful budget dance and show support for the troops as Congress considers its next major step on Iraq.

But it also would irritate scores of other Democrats, who want to pay only to bring troops home and who say their leadership is not doing enough to end the war.

''I cannot vote for another dollar that will be used to continue the president's occupation of Iraq,'' said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif.

Democratic leaders caution that no decisions have been made, including whether to approve any money for the wars at all. Also uncertain is which spending bill might contain the war money.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday he didn't think Congress should approve the money and won't deal with it immediately. Delaying the money signals to voters that ''the president does not have a blank check,'' he told reporters.

Consideration of the war money comes as Democrats are locked in a dispute with Bush on domestic spending. None of the dozen annual spending bills, including the Pentagon's annual $460 billion budget, has been approved.

Democrats say one possibility is sending Bush a bill that would bundle together the defense and veterans spending he wants with extra money for education that he doesn't. The bill would not likely include war funding, officials said.

On Tuesday, Bush said he would veto such a measure, calling it a ''three-bill pileup.''

On the table for war spending are estimates of $40 billion to $70 billion -- with $50 billion considered the most likely scenario. The final amount would depend on how many months of combat Democrats would want to support, and how much money they think the Pentagon needs to buy new bomb-resistant vehicles that protect troops from roadside blasts.

Many Democrats say the money is necessary if Congress passes an annual defense spending bill without any war funding. If left without a ''bridge fund'' to fill the gap until Congress takes up the full $196 billion request, the Pentagon would have to divert money from less urgent accounts to pay for immediate war requirements -- an approach military officials warn is disruptive and inefficient.

These Democrats also say they want to avoid giving the public perception that the party is turning its back on the troops.

Earlier this fall, Democrats decided to delay until next year action on Bush's war spending request. Unable to pass veto-proof legislation ordering troops home, they also are divided on whether to continue paying for the unpopular war.

Party officials say they hope that by next year, as election season approaches, more Republicans might be willing to support anti-war legislation.

House and Senate appropriators hope to complete an agreement on the 2008 defense appropriations bill on Thursday. Neither the House nor the Senate version of the bill includes war spending.

Meeting privately on Tuesday to discuss the bill were Reps. John Murtha and C.W. Bill Young and Sens. Daniel Inouye and Ted Stevens. Murtha, D-Pa., and Inouye, D-Hawaii, chair the House and Senate panels that oversee military spending; Young, R-Fla., and Stevens, R-Alaska, are the top Republicans on those subcommittees.

Murtha said he supports adding the war spending to the Pentagon's core budget, but the leadership opposes it.

''You're going to have a bridge fund at some point,'' he told reporters. ''I just don't know if it'll be on this bill.''

October 31, 2007
Taliban Fighters Move in Near Kandahar for First Time Since 2001
By TAIMOOR SHAH
http://www.nytimes. com/2007/ 10/31/world/ asia/31afghan. html

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Oct. 30 — Several hundred Taliban fighters
have moved into a strategic area just outside the southern city of
Kandahar in recent days and clashed with Afghan and NATO forces,
according to Canadian and Afghan officials.

The fighting, which began Tuesday, is the first time large numbers
of Taliban have been able to enter the area just north of the city
since 2001. Control of the area, known as the Arghandab district,
would allow the Taliban to directly threaten Kandahar, southern
Afghanistan' s largest city.

Whether the Taliban were looking to establish permanent control over
the area or were simply carrying out raids was unclear on Tuesday
night. But Canadian military officials said Afghan and NATO forces
had begun a "large operation" to drive out the Taliban.

Reports of casualties could not be immediately confirmed. The
provincial police chief said 20 Taliban had been killed; the Taliban
said they killed two foreign and three Afghan soldiers. Each side
denied the other's claims. "We're conducting operations in and
around Arghandab in response to increased Taliban fighter numbers,"
said Lt. Commander Pierre Babinsky. "We dedicated a lot of resources
to this."

Residents said hundreds of people were fleeing the district because
of fears of a major battle. Cars and trucks loaded with families
from the area have streamed into Kandahar over the last two days,
sparking fear among city residents.

"The people are leaving the village because they are afraid of
fighting and bombardment, " said Agha Muhammad, a 43-year-old farmer
who fled Arghandab on Tuesday. "Today, many families have left their
houses."

Sarah Chayes, an American journalist and aid worker who has lived in
Kandahar since 2001, said a powerful pro-government leader in the
district, Mullah Naqibullah, died of a heart attack two weeks ago.
Over the last several years, Mullah Naqibullah survived multiple
attempts by the Taliban to kill him, she said, and was "the bulwark"
that blocked the hard-line Islamic group from entering Kandahar from
the north.

But in a sign of the weakness of President Hamid Karzai's government
in the area, joyous Taliban fighters seized control of Mullah
Naqibullah's home village in Arghandab within two weeks of his death.

"That two weeks later they were in there on roofs dancing — and
inside his house — is devastating psychologically, " Ms. Chayes
said. "It's like a psychological operation on the part of the
Taliban, and I think it's a very effective one."

David Rohde contributed reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan.

At least they're not killing anyone!!

New York -- Iraq war veterans now stationed at a base here in upstate New York say that morale among US soldiers in the country is so poor, many are simply parking their Humvees and pretending to be on patrol, a practice dubbed "search and avoid" missions.
Phil Aliff is an active duty soldier with the 10th Mountain Division stationed at Fort Drum. He served nearly one year in Iraq from August 2005 to July 2006, in the areas of Abu Ghraib and Fallujah, both west of Baghdad.
"Morale was incredibly low," said Aliff, adding that he joined the military because he was raised in a poor family by a single mother and had few other prospects. "Most men in my platoon in Iraq were just in from combat tours in Afghanistan. "
According to Aliff, their mission was to help the Iraqi army "stand up" in the Abu Ghraib area of western Baghdad, but in fact his platoon was doing all the fighting without support from the Iraqis they were supposedly preparing to take control of the security situation.
"I never heard of an Iraqi unit that was able to operate on their own," said Aliff, who is now a member of the group Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). "The only reason we were replaced by an Iraqi army unit was for publicity."
Aliff said he participated in roughly 300 patrols. "We were hit by so many roadside bombs we became incredibly demoralized, so we decided the only way we wouldn't be blown up was to avoid driving around all the time."
"So we would go find an open field and park, and call our base every hour to tell them we were searching for weapons caches in the fields and doing weapons patrols and everything was going fine," he said, adding, "All our enlisted people became very disenchanted with our chain of command."
Aliff, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), refused to return to Iraq with his unit, which arrived in Kirkuk two weeks ago. "They've already lost a guy, and they are now fostering the sectarian violence by arming the Sunnis while supporting the Shi'ites politically ... classic divide and conquer."
Aliff said he is set to be discharged by the military next month because they claim his PTSD "is untreatable by their doctors".
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the number of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans seeking treatment for PTSD increased nearly 70% in the 12 months ending on June 30.
The nearly 50,000 VA-documented PTSD cases greatly exceed the 30,000 military personnel that the Pentagon officially classifies as wounded in both occupations.
VA records show that mental health has become the second-largest area of illness for which veterans of the ongoing occupations are seeking treatment at VA hospitals and clinics. The total number of mental health cases among war veterans increased by 58%; from 63,767 on June 30, 2006, to 100,580 on June 30, 2007, according to the VA.

Other active duty Iraq veterans tell similar stories of disobeying orders so as not to be attacked so frequently.
"We'd go to the end of our patrol route and set up on top of a bridge and use it as an over-watch position," Eli Wright, also an active duty soldier with the 10th Mountain Division, said. "We would just sit with our binoculars and observe rather than sweep. We'd call in radio checks every hour and say we were doing sweeps."
Wright added, "It was a common tactic, a lot of people did that. We'd just hang out, listen to music, smoke cigarettes, and pretend." The 26-year-old medic complained that his unit did not have any armored Humvees during his time in Iraq, where he was stationed in Ramadi, capital of the volatile al-Anbar province.
"We put sandbags on the floors of our vehicles, which had canvas doors," said Wright, who was in Iraq from September 2003 until September 2004. "By the end of our tour, we were bolting any metal we could find to our Humvees. Everyone was doing this, and we didn't get armored Humvees in country until after we left."
Other veterans, like 25-year-old Nathan Lewis, who was in Iraq for the invasion of March 2003 until June of that year while serving in the 214th field artillery brigade, complained of lack of training for what they were ordered to do, in addition to not having armored Humvees for their travels.
"We never got training for a lot of the work we did," he explained. "We had a white phosphorous mortar round that cooked off in the back of one of our trucks, because we loaded that with some other ammo, and we weren't trained how to do it the right way."
The "search and avoid" missions appear to have been commonplace around much of Iraq for years now.
Geoff Millard served nine years in the New York Army National Guard, and was in Iraq from October 2004 until October 2005 working for a general at a Tactical Operation Center.
Millard, also a member of IVAW, said that part of his duties included reporting "significant actions", or SIGACTS, which is how the US military describes an attack on their forces.
"We had units that never called in SIGACTS," Millard, who monitored highly volatile areas like Baquba, Tikrit and Samarra, said. "When I was there two years ago, there were at least five companies that never had SIGACTS. I think 'search and avoids' have been going on there for a long time."
Millard said "search and avoid" missions continue today across Iraq. "One of my buddies is in Baghdad right now and we email all the time," he explained, "He just told me that nearly each day they pull into a parking lot, drink soda and shoot at the cans. They pay Iraqi kids to bring them things and spread the word that they are not doing anything and to please just leave them alone."

http://alternet. org/waroniraq/ 66160/?page= 1

http://www.progress .org/2004/ fpif48.htm

Dead Soldiers, Dead Women, Dead Children, and Other Results of U.S. War
Parallels Between Iraq War and Vietnam War Are Piling Up

Everybody says that Bush's war against Iraq is turning into another Vietnam, but here is an article that really digs down and spells out the similarities in detail.
This article was made available through the news service of Foreign Policy in Focus.

Immigrants and Dalits are Always Targeted

Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

http://www.allheadl inenews.com/ articles/ 7008988472

Rights Groups Claim Immigrants Were Targeted During Wildfire Evacuations
October 29, 2007 7:31 p.m. EST
Jessica Pupovac - AHN News Writer

San Diego, CA (AHN) - Immigrant rights groups in San Diego are reporting widespread "racial profiling" during southern California's wildfire evacuations, which they say could have kept thousands of immigrants from receiving vital services.

The Immigrants' Rights Consortium of San Diego and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) say they have documented multiple cases of human rights abuses over the course of the past week. Some immigrants, they say, were forced to work through the evacuations. Others were ejected from or denied entrance to evacuation centers if they could not present valid identification.

In one case, on October 24, a family of six undocumented immigrants took supplies from a table of donations at Qualcomm Stadium and were apprehended, and later deported, by Border Patrol agents on site.

During the fires, over 100 federal agents were redeployed from their posts in order to lend assistance to evacuees.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, however, says they detained the family for "looting," and later discovered their legal status. The case represented an isolated incident, they say. "We are not arresting fire evacuees. It's absolutely ludicrous to suggest otherwise," Lauren Mack, ICE spokeswoman, told the L.A. Times.The IRC has also denounced FEMA and the Red Cross for an alleged lack of Spanish-language warnings and Spanish-speaking volunteers.

Fred Sainz, a spokesman for San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, told the Times that while he regrets the fact that some people living in remote migrant camps did not receive evacuation orders, it was not part of a conscious effort to target migrants.

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON DALIT HUMAN RIGHTS is an Advocacy Platform committed for Dalit Human Rights at the Grass root, National and International levels. Dalits In News aims at sensitizing Civil societies, HR Mechanisms and providing updates of HR violations on Dalits for their Intervention.

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON DALIT HUMAN RIGHTS

NCDHR

Dalits In News

October 31, 2007

DIFFERENT WALK- Tlegraph India
http://www.telegrap hindia.com/ 1071031/asp/ opinion/story_ 8491681.asp

Amritsar dalit's killer surrenders before Punjab police- Punjab News Line
http://www.punjabne wsline.com/ content/view/ 6310/38/

Communication development workshops for weaker sections- Express India http://www.expressi ndia.com/ latest-news/ Communication- development- workshops- for-weaker- sections/ 234323/

Tlegraph India

DIFFERENT WALK

http://www.telegrap hindia.com/ 1071031/asp/ opinion/story_ 8491681.asp

To be quiet is not to be ineffectual. Not if close to 25,000 people remain quiet and determined. The Janadesh march organized under the auspices of the Ekta Parishad originated in Gwalior on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday and ended 26 days later and 350 kilometres further in Delhi. Landless farmers, tribal people and Dalits from 15 states simply walked all the way to tell the government that it was time it formulated the long-promised land reforms policy so that poor landless families may live with dignity. The prime minister, Manmohan Singh, responded quickly to this display of powerful non-violence by immediately announcing the formation of the national land reforms council that he will chair. This is presumably the first step towards the formulation of the land reforms policy that the quiet army of the landless is demanding. The government will set up another panel side by side — the committee on state agrarian relations and the unfinished task in land reforms — to help the council in its work. The committee would do the data collection and collation and other fieldwork, and its inputs would help the council come to its decisions about policy and advise the states. The response may have been rewarding to the marchers, but it is the first step in a very long process. One of the organizers of this massive rally has acknowledged that their demands, which include the setting of fast-track courts to dispose of land-related cases, will be considered, but he is clear that all this is in theory so far. The government has given an initial time-frame — one month for the forming of the committee and three months for the policy to take shape. The marchers have already shown a dogged patience and determination that might encourage the government to stick to its time-frame.

With no violence and no political extremism, this assertion of the mass's voice and power has revived an almost forgotten aspect of Indian politics. The Ekta Parishad reportedly took two years to organize the Janadesh march. The organization has taken up a land rights campaign to help poor people not just acquire land but also manage its resources so as to support their livelihood from it. The walk itself has been an astonishing achievement, a memorable symbol of desperate need accompanied by the constructive energy to get it fulfilled. They will not go back empty-handed, as one of the organizers said.

Punjab News Line

Amritsar dalit's killer surrenders before Punjab police

http://www.punjabne wsline.com/ content/view/ 6310/38/

JAGMOHAN SINGH

Tuesday, 30 October 2007

AMRITSAR: An Alleged accused Harinder Singh alias Bony involved in the murder of a dalit boy Skankar Dass has surrendered before the Police here Tuesday. The murder had led to large scale violence in the holy city.

Bony was nominated in the case of murder of Shankar Das was absconding since the incidence took place last week. The police was conducting raids at different place including Chandigarh and Delhi to nab him. However under police pressure today he surrendered before police said SSP Amritsar Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh.

A look out notice was issued against the accused and all the airports of India were informed. Besides this a warrant of arrest was issued against him and process of attachment of his movable and immovable properties was initiated. The bank accounts of the culprit were also frozen, informed SSP.

It is pertinent to mention here that the youth was killed by the culprit in a road scuffle four days back. Murder of Dalit boy had triggered violence in the city and at one time situation of law and order had also gone out of control. The alleged accused is also close relative of sitting SAD MLA form Amritsar North assembly constituency Raminder Singh Boloria.

The alleged accused is already involved in a dozen of cases of murder and attempt to murder. However he has been acquitted in most of the cases, informed SSP.

Adding further SSP said that alleged accused had earlier committed a murder in the USA in the early nineties but because that murder was committed under an impaired condition, he got 15 month of imprisonment and was then deported to India by the immigration authorities.

He got the arms license fraudulently after initial verification from Police Station Jandiala as it was then under Majitha police District. A separate inquiry has been ordered in this regard, added SSP.

Express India
Communication development workshops
for weaker sections
http://www.expressi ndia.com/ latest-news/ Communication- development- workshops- for-weaker- sections/ 234323/
Aveek Datta
Kolkata, October 30 Though the private sector companies in the country might not be open to the idea of reservation for the weaker sections in the job arena, they are doing their bit to bring the underprivileged into mainstream by helping them compete with their peers for jobs in this sector.

The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) along with prominent IT major, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has launched a part-time communication development programme for technical education students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST).

This will enable them to be on an equal footing with general category students when they appear for group discussions and interviews for jobs.

The first batch of students has already had their orientation on October 15 and will start their classes from November 2. The classes would be held on Fridays and Saturdays on the TCS campus in the city.

"Around 22 students have enrolled in the first batch and if the response is encouraging, then we may scale up the strength and run parallel courses," said the executive officer of the CII sub-committee on affirmative action, Dahlia Dey.

The first batch of students who would complete this three-month course would also be recruited as trainers to conduct similar programmes in the districts. The course would offer a comprehensive overview of business communication with different modules such as reading, writing, vocabulary, and etiquettes.

"Such an initiative is better than reservation as merit cannot be compromised in a globalised economy. Reservation in public sector undertakings has not helped anyway. After ensuring equal merit and improving employability, positive discrimination can be used to uplift the weaker section," said the chairman of the CII sub-committee on affirmative action, Mukul Somany.

Around 5,000 technical graduates and 17,000 engineering graduates pass out from colleges each year in the state. Of them, 28 per cent or nearly 6,000 students belong to the SC/STs.

According to educationists and industry insiders, although these students are as talented as others, they often fall behind when it comes to soft skills and the ability to put their ideas across the table.

This communication development programme would help students passing out from polytechnics, ITI, and engineering colleges obtain the necessary confidence and communication skills.

According to the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) head, eastern region, TCS, Sudeep Bura, the challenge lies in assessing the different levels of aptitudes of the students and catering to them accordingly.

Meanwhile, the CII is also corresponding with various public and private technical education institutions in the state to compile a databank of SC/ST students who have passed out in the last three years.

ARUN KHOTE
Secretary- Media
National Campaign On Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR)
8/1, 2nd Floor, South Patel Nagar,
New Delhi-110008
Ph: 011- 25842249 /25842250
0- 9350183802
email: arun@ncdhr.org
arun.khote@gmail. com
ncdhr@vsnl.net
Website: www.ncdhr.org

War Criminals of 1971: Time to Take Action

Dr. Abdul Momen*

It is highly misleading that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman government pardoned all the war criminals and he did nothing during his ‘war ravaged reconstruction period’. The fact shows otherwise. In fact, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman government started prosecuting the perpetrators of 'crime against humanity' or ’war criminals’ immediately after independence and he also passed the Collaborators Act (1972) and the International Crime Act of 1973 that barred re-entry of any collaborators to Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujib promulgated the Special Tribunal Order on January 24, 1972 (PO No 8 of 1972) after 14 days of his return from Pakistani jail to try those Pakistani collaborators/Razakers/Al-Badrs and other stooges of the Pakistani army. Under this order he arrested 37,000 collaborators amidst of strong opposition by left-leaning journalist like Enayetullah Khan [see his write-up titled ’75 million Collaborators’, the Holiday, 1972]. Out of them as no grievous criminal charges were filed against 26,000, therefore they were pardoned and released in a general amnesty. However, nearly 800 cases were completed and given jail sentences. Another 11,000 were in jail including Nizami, Abbas Ali Khan of the Jamat-e-Islam Party (JI), and their prosecution was at various stages of completion. In addition, those that were involved in ‘crime against humanity’ and against Bangladesh, they were denied of Bangladesh nationality and passport.

On November 4, 1972 all religion-based politics were abolished as per sections 12 and 38 of the Bangladesh Constitution of 1972.

Unfortunately, when General Ziaur Rahman, a valiant Mukti-judda emerged as a ‘strong man’ in 1975, he abrogated the Collaborators Act and released all the prisoners including those that were sentenced. For political/ personal reasons he allowed religion-based parties to operate and started reinstating and rehabilitating them. No wonder, those who were guilty of ‘crime against humanity’ and collaboration with enemy (Pakistan) state started returning from abroad especially Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and they were given Bangladesh citizenship and passport. Example, Golam Azam of the JI Party.

On those days I was working with the Bangladesh government and many individuals and their relatives that had no Bangladesh passport approached us for consideration. However, once General Zia took over, all of them were issued Bangladesh passport or ‘travel documents’ to return to Bangladesh.

It is sad that few vested quarters including Abdul Mannan Bhuiya, the ousted BNP Secretary General and current Law Advisor Barrister Moinul Hussein are misleading the public and the nation by stating that Sheikh Mujib pardoned them or shifting the responsibility by blaming why they did not prosecute them. In fact, Sheikh Mujib started the prosecution and he pardoned only those that did not have criminal cases against them. He did not pardon those (Razakers, Al-badr or Al-Shams) that had ‘criminal cases’ and those that committed ‘crime against humanity or war criminals’ such as rape, murder, and the like. Thousands of criminals were in prison during his time; however, many were absconding abroad including Golam Azam, the leader of the JI party and they were involved in anti-state activities abroad. He did not get time to complete the prosecution because of abrupt massacre.

After the massacre of Sheikh Mujib and his family plus his closed associates; Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, Acting President Syed Nazrul Islam, Secretary General AHM Qamruzzaman and Home Minister Monsur Ali, the founders of independent and sovereign Bangladesh in 1975, one after another civil-military-technocratic or cantonment-based governments ruled the country basically till 1996. In 1996, when pro-people and pro-liberation government of Sheikh Hasina came to power after 21 years with marginal votes; it neither could reinstate the Collaborators Act nor could revive the original constitution of 1972. Secondly, it followed ‘judicial process and rule of law’ and therefore, it did not set up any ‘kangaroo court or special tribunal’ to prosecute the criminals. One can debate that as a weakness of the Hasina government or not.

Therefore, it failed to punish the war criminals and the culprits. But that does not justify that the criminals of ‘crime against humanity’ or war criminals should not face justice. It would be unfair if they are allowed to go free or untouched. Fortunately, now is an opportune moment to revive the clause that ‘no religion-based political party can register or contest in Bangladesh election’ and those found guilty of ‘crime against humanity’ to be fully prosecuted. Unless the criminals and murderers are fully prosecuted, you can neither establish ‘rule of law’ nor can stop political killing in Bangladesh.

More importantly, the International Crime Act of 1973 of Bangladesh is still active and Article 47, Section 3 of the Act allows trial of war criminals. Therefore, the military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed that has started many essential reforms can try the war criminals and punish them provided it has the mindset and commitment. It is unfortunate that its Law Advisor is trying to guillotine the golden opportunity.

Secondly, Islami activist S. A. Hannan, a retired bureaucrat following the JI party line of argument tried to mislead the public by stating that there was ‘no genocide’ in East Pakistan in 1971.

Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic, religious or national group. While precise definition varies among genocide scholars, the legal definition of it is found in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG). Article 2 of the CPPCG defines genocide as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."[1]

In 1971 the Pakistan occupation army plus their collaborators like the Jamat-e-Islam, the Islami Chatra Sangho (currently renamed Islami Chatra Shibir) and their militant killing squads; the Al-Badr and the Al-Shams tried their utmost to apprehend and kill those that demand an ‘independent Bangladesh’. Since majority of Bengali speaking East Pakistanis (Sheikh Mujib got 167 out of 169 seats in East Pakistan) or ethnic group favored an independent Bangladesh, they waged a war with intent to destroy that ethnic group. The Pak army systematically opened fire on un-armed masses of Bengali ethnic group on the midnight of March 25th 1971 indiscriminately resulting which, as per various reports 19,000 to 25,000 Bengali ethnic people died on that dark night alone and over a period of 10 months, 3 million reportedly killed, 30 million were dislodged from their homes and 10 million had to take refuge in neighboring India due to cleansing operation, fear and repression. As per global ranking, Bangladesh genocide is second to that of Nazi genocide of Jews.

In order to cripple the whole ‘bangali nationalism and nationhood’ the Pak army in collaboration with the Jamat-e-Islam and few other such parties and their affiliates systematically and calculatedly murder the Bengali intellectuals, writers, doctors, journalists, educators and their political leadership. In addition, in order to cleanse the society of Hindu population, the Pak army and its collaborators calculatedly killed and/or uprooted them. No wonder, over 10 million East Pakistanis (out of 75 million) mostly Hindu minority took shelter in the neighboring India.

When Pak army captured me on April 20, 1971, they tested me whether I could recite ‘kolema or shada’ (the 1st pillar of Muslim faith) and then they checked whether I had my circumcision, a symbol of being Muslim in the subcontinent. In addition, when the army forced us to lead them in their operations, they repeatedly asked two questions; find ‘Mukti’ (liberation fighter) and Hindu. If such are reported, they would immediately open their fire, weapons and mortars. Such is a testimony of cleansing of a religious group, a clear evidence of genocide

ASYLUM SEEKERS NEED MORE PROTECTION IN FACE OF COUNTER-TERRORISM MEASURES Â?&#8220 UN EXPERT
New York, Oct 29 2007 7:00PM
Counter-terrorism measures in many parts of the globe disproportionately impact asylum-seekers, refugees and immigrants, a United Nations independent human rights expert said in New York today.

â??Asylum-seekers with a well-founded fear of persecution may be the largest similarly situated group of persons in the world who are seriously and adversely affected by the post-2001 wave of new counter-terrorism measures,â? Martin Sheinin, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, told the General Assembly committee dealing with social, humanitarian and cultural issues, known as the Third Committee.

Mr. Sheinin briefed the Committee on his latest report, which highlights the issues of pre-entry interception and screening measures; detention of asylum-seekers; exclusion from refugee or other protection status; the repatriation or resettlement of people detained for terrorism-related reasons; and bolstering international responsibility for protection.

â??Being able to access other countries to seek protection is key to a refugeeâ??s life and security, and a cornerstone of international protection,â? the Rapporteur said.

He also emphasized the issue of diplomatic assurances involving terrorism suspects being protected against torture.

â??Diplomatic assurances sought from a receiving State to the effect that a person will not be subjected to torture, or any other form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment can never absolve the duty of the sending State to assess individually the existence of a â??real riskâ?? of such treatment,â? Mr. Sheinin noted.

That obligation to conduct individual assessments also pertains to the risk of persecution or of capital punishment, he said.

Regarding the release, repatriation and resettlement of detainees held for terrorism-related reasons worldwide, the Rapporteur said that he is â??encouraged
States plans to close down one of the most long-standing places of detention of terrorism suspects, the military detention facility at Guantánamo Bay.â?

He urged the US to shut down the centre â??without delayâ? to allow for detainees to be tried for alleged crimes or released.

Additionally, Mr. Sheinin called for all States to prepare to receive for resettlement those being held at Guantánamo Bay for whom no criminal charges have been initiated.

He also recommended that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) take part in resettling Guantánamo detainees who claim to be in need of international protection after assessing each individual detaineeâ??s cases, and that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights utilize her good offices to facilitate resettlement in cases falling outside the scope of the Refugee Convention.

Remembered Villages
Representations of Hindu-Bengali Memories
in the Aftermath of the Partition
DIPESH CHAKRABARTY
Memory is a complex phenomenon that reaches out to far beyond
what normally constitutes an historian's archives, for memory
is much more than what the mind can remember or what
objects can help us document about the past. It is also about what we do
not always consciously know that we remember until something actually,
as the saying goes, jogs our memory. And there remains the question, so
much discussed these days in the literature on the Indian partition, of
what people do not even wish to remember, the forgetting that comes to
our aid in dealing with pain and unpleasantness in life.' Memory, then, is
far more complicated than what historians can recover and it poses ethical
challenges to the investigator-historian who approaches the past with
one injunction: tell me all.2
The set of essays I propose to discuss here turns fundamentally on this
question of difference between history and memory. They were first serialized
in the Bengali newspaper Jugantar from 1950 onward and later
collected together in 1975 in a book called Chere asha gram (The
Abandoned Village) under the editorship of Dakshinaranjan Basu, a
journalist in Calcutta.' The names of the authors of the individual essays
are not mentioned in the book, nor do we have any idea of their age or
From Freedom, Trauma. Continuities: Northern India and Independence, ed. D.A.
Low and Howard Brasted. Sage, New Delhi, 1998.
Remembered Villages • 319
gender though one would suspect, from the style of writing, that with the
exception of one, the essays were written by men. The authors recount
their memories of their native villages—sixty-seven in all—of East Bengal
belonging to some eighteen districts. Written in the aftermath of partition,
these essays capture the sense of tragedy that the division of the
country represented to these authors. This attitude was more Hindu
than Muslim, for to many if not most of the Muslims of East Pakistan,
1947 was not only about partition, it was also about freedom, from both
the British and the Hindu ruling classes.4
My aim is to understand the structure of sentiments expressed in
these essays. One should remember the context. There is no getting
around the fact that partition was traumatic for those who had to leave
their homes. Stories and incidents of sexual harassment and degradation
of women, of forced eviction, of physical violence and humiliation marked
their experience. The Hindu Bengali refugees who wrote these essays
had to make a new life in the difficult circumstances of the overcrowded
city of Calcutta. Much of the story of their attempts to settle down in the
different suburbs of Calcutta is about squatting on government or privately
owned land and about reactive violence by the police and landlords.5
The sudden influx of thousands of people into a city where the services
were already stretched to their limits, could not have been a welcome
event. It is possible, therefore, that these essays were written with a view
to creating a positive emotional response in the city towards the refugees.
The essays were committed to convey a shared structure of Bengali
sentiment through the grid of which the irrevocable fact of Hindu-Muslim
separation in Bengali history and the trauma surrounding the event could
be read. The question of creating in print something of the sentimental
and the nostalgic about the lost home in the villages of East Bengal was
the task that these essays had set themselves. Not surprisingly, therefore,
they drew on the modes in which 'the Bengali village', and in particular
the villages of East Bengal, had already been seen in Bengali literary and
nationalist writings.
There are then two aspects to this memory that concern us here: the
sentiment of nostalgia and the sense of trauma, and their contradictory
relationship to the question of the past. A traumatized memory has a
narrative structure which works on a principle opposite to that of any
historical narrative. At the same time, however, this memory, in order to
be plausible, has to place the Event—the cause of the trauma, in this
case, the partition violence—within a shared mythic construction of the
past that gives force to the claim of the victim. Let me explain.
320 • Inventing Boundaries
Consider what makes an historical narrative of the partition possible.
A historical narrative would lead up to the event, explaining why it
happened and why it happened at the time it did. Indeed, for historical
analysis of the event of the partition, the event itself would have to be
fundamentally open to explanation. What cannot be explained normally
belongs to the marginalia of history—accidents, coincidences, concurrences
that remain important to the narrative but which can never replace
the structure of causes that the historian looks for. Conceived within a
sense of trauma and tragedy, however, these essays maintain a completely
different relationship to the event called partition. They do not lead up
to it in their narratives, the event of the partition remains fundamentally
an inexplicable event. The authors express a sense of stunned disbelief at
the fact that it could happen at all, that they could be cut adrift in this
sudden and cruel manner from the familiar worlds of their childhood.
There is nothing here of the explanations of Hindu-Muslim conflicts
that we are used to receiving from historians—no traces of the by now
familiar tales of landlord-peasant or peasant-moneylender conflicts
through which historians of 'communalism' in the subcontinent have
normally answered the question, Why did the Muslim population of East
Bengal turn against their Hindu neighbours? Here the claim is that this
indeed is what cannot be explained. The writers of these essays are all
caught unawares by this calamity. One refrain running through this book
is how inexplicable it all was—neighbours turned against neighbours after
years of living together in bonds of intimacy and affection, friends took
up arms against friends. How did this come to pass? This is the question
that haunts the book. As the following quotes from Chhere asha gram will
show, the event was not only seen as inexplicable, it was also seen as
something signifying the death of the social:6
Dhirenbabu used to teach us history.... He had been the Headmaster of our
Jaikali High school for the last few years.... Even a short time ago, I had heard
that he was still in the village. I saluted his courage on hearing this.... But, to my
surprise, he turned up in my office one day and told me about his plight. He and
his companions were attacked by the friends of the very student who had advised
him to leave while he still commanded respect. Eventually, he managed to
extricate himself and his family in exchange of two hundred rupees, thanks to
some mediation by his favourite student, and crossed the Padma to come to
Calcutta. But the simple-hearted teacher from a village school remained in a
state of shock—what was this that had happened? How did it happen? All these
questions crowded his mind. The age of Ekalabya [a figure from the Makabharata
who cut off his own thumb as a payment to his guru] is now in the womb of a
bottomless past, we all know that it will not return. But scill it was unthinkable
that in the land of the newly independent Pakistan, it is the guru who would
Remembered Villages • 321
have to pay the student.... Yet this happened and who can tell if this will not be
the permanent rule in the kingdom of shariat? (p. 7)
Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs. Christians have always treated women with respect,
what is this that happened today? (Shonarang village, Dhaka district, p. 57)
How could that land become somebody else's for ever! Just one line drawn on
the map, and my own home becomes a foreign country! (Binyapher, Mymensingh,
p. 66)
True, my home is in a country to which I have no relation. The house is there,
the village is there, the property exists but I am homeless today. The suffering of
somebody who has had to leave his home can only be appreciated by a person
with a large heart.... Man, the son of the immortal one, knows no happiness
today—pleasure, security, peace, love and affection have also left the land with
us. On all four sides exist the filthy picture of mean intrigues. Where have the
images of the olden days—of happy and easy-going people and villages—
disappeared?... Who has stolen our good qualities? When will we be delivered
from this crisis of civilization?... What happened was beyond the comprehension
of ordinary human beings. By the time they could [even] form an idea [of the
situation], the destruction was complete. (Sankrail, Mymensingh, pp. 88, 91)
Why was the innocence of the mind banished after so many days of living
together? Why did the structure of the human mind change overnight? (Sakhua,
Mymensingh, p. 101)
Who would have thought that the country would be engulfed in a such a fire?
Brothers fight and then make up to each other but the common person had no
inkling that the single spark of the day would start such a conflagration.
(Kanchabali, Barisal, p. 122)
Who is the conspiratorial witch whose [black] magic brought death to the cordial
social relations that were to be seen even only the other day? Why does man
avoid man today like beasts? Can't we forget meanness, selfishness, and fraudulent
behaviour and retrieve [the sense of] kinship?... Was our kinship based on quick
sand, why would it disappear into such bottomless depths? (Rambhadrapur,
Faridpur, pp. 155, 156)
I am today a vastuhara in this city of Calcutta. I live in a relief camp. Some in
this camp have contracted cholera. A vastuhara child died of pox this morning
when I received a handful of flattened rice. I do not dare to approach the 'relief
babu' who only gets into a rage if I try to say something. I do not ask, why this
has happened.... At the time of our leaving, I asked for [a loan of] the boat that
belongs to the grandson of Nurshvabi without realizing that he also had turned
against us. We tiptoed our way under the cover of darkness from Patia to
Chakradandi. (Bhatikain, Chittagong, p. 194)
And our Muslim neighbours? For aeons we have lived next to them sharing each
other's happiness and suffering, but did they feel the slightest bit of sadness in
letting us go? Did it take only the one blow of the scimitar of politics to sever for
322 • Inventing Boundaries
ever the kinship that had been there from the beginning of the eras?
(Ramchandrapur, Sylhet, pp, 235, 236)

D-fusz Weapons of Mass Destruction & Terra Star Wars

Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

D-fusz Weapons of Mass Destruction & Terra Star Wars

All Government's were Micro Managed from UK's "Seat of Power" (Seat
Automobile), that links brains together, systematically makes uniform
procedures of Offices, Conversations, Government Schedules &
Direction toward Nuclear War with WORLD PEACE & Global WarMing as a
Shell Game.

Terra Star Wars was the result of this systematization & tinkering
with People's brains, responses, timing of speech, travel, & use of
BioMetric Array Systems.

1980's preparations for the Radio Controlled transmission of
information to people's brains, included database matricized rulings,
decisions calibrated to publically signal to stalkers & Western
Europeans the "next move" in the scheduled plan.

Decisions that don't make sense are a result of this manipulation,
Terrorism & Elecronic Kidnapping.

All talk of Terrorists were & are talk of the Narcotics & UK Writer's
Actor's Community, & ALL Talk of Weapons of Mass Destruction is & has
always been about UK Weapons of Mass Destruction & Plans for Wide
Scale Dissemination & Training for Human Weapons of Mass Destruction
of 1983-2007.

1990-2001 records of discussions on all Weapons were discussed as
though they were sexual & on sale in a bordello.

World Peace Plan
Hindi Conversation needed to begin in the 1980's with talk of
Vegetarinaism & Natural Energy instead of Narcotics & Nuclear Energy.

All discussions of Nuclear Energy & Weapons are discussion on
Narcotics.

Iran & Russia's Nuclear Discussions are also believed to be about
Narcotics.

World Peace Plans require IMMEDIATE Reparations
http://gknot. net/dfusz/ node/102

UN Urges US to End Cuba Embargo

By EDITH M. LEDERER
The Associated Press
Tuesday, October 30, 2007; 1:05 PM

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly voted for the 16th straight year Tuesday to urge the United States to end its trade embargo against Cuba, whose foreign minister accused the U.S. of stepping up its "brutal economic war" to new heights.

The 192-member world body approved a resolution calling for the 46-year-old U.S. economic and commercial embargo against Cuba to be repealed as soon as possible.

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"The blockade had never been enforced with such viciousness as over the last year," Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told the assembly, accusing President Bush's administration of adopting "new measures bordering on madness and fanaticism" that have hurt Cuba and interfered in its relations with at least 30 countries.

Delegates in the General Assembly chamber burst into applause when the vote in favor of the resolution flashed on the screen _ 184 to four with one abstention. That was a one-vote improvement over last year.

The vote came less than a week after Bush delivered his first major address on Cuban policy in four years, attacking the communist government and challenging the international community to help the island shed Fidel Castro's rule.

The United States has no diplomatic relations with Cuba, lists the country as a state sponsor of terror and has long sought to isolate it through travel restrictions and a trade embargo. This year, it stepped up enforcement of financial sanctions.

Castro, 81, temporarily ceded power to his brother Raul in July 2006 after undergoing intestinal surgery, and has not been seen in public for more than a year.

The Bush administration sees Castro's failing health as an opening for change. Little is different under Raul Castro, 76, and Bush said in his speech that the U.S. will make no accommodations with "a new tyranny."

"It is long past time that the Cuban people enjoy the blessings of economic and political freedom," U.S. diplomat Ronald Godard said just before Tuesday's vote.

"We urge member states to oppose and condemn the Cuban government's internal embargo on freedom, which is the real cause of the suffering of the Cuban people," he added.

Perez Roque accused the United States of violating international law, depriving Cuban children of medication, and even preventing Cuban writers from participating in a book fair in Puerto Rico.

He expressed Cuba's solidarity with U.S. movie producer Oliver Stone, who was attacked by the U.S. government for filming in Cuba, and activist director Michael Moore, who is being investigated for visiting Cuba.

"It is McCarthyism of the 21st century," Perez Roque said.

"Without doubt, as you well know, the brutal economic war that has been imposed on Cuba hasn't only affected Cubans," he added, pointing to banks and companies in many countries that have been hurt by the U.S. financial measures.

Perez Roque accused the U.S. of ignoring the 15 previous resolutions "with arrogance and political blindness."

"Cuba will never surrender," he said. "It fights and will fight."

Pride and Joy in India Over La.'s Bobby Jindal
Governor-Elect Is Latest Scion Idolized for Making It in U.S.
By Rama Lakshmi
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, October 30, 2007; A10

KHANPUR, India -- U.S. politics aren't usually the subject of gossip in the homes of this sleepy rice- and wheat-growing village in northern India. But when Bobby Jindal, an American of Indian descent, was elected governor of Louisiana this month, the residents of his ancestral village erupted in joy, distributing sweets and lighting firecrackers.
Along rural roads lined with heaps of cow dung, they danced the traditional bhangra to the beat of drums.
It was quite the celebration considering the village's relatively flimsy ties to its native son. Jindal's father packed up more than three decades ago to chase the American dream, leaving behind a large extended family. One relative vaguely recalls seeing a then-4-year- old Bobby visit many years ago, but others are not so sure. And when Jindal visited India in 2006 as part of a congressional delegation, he didn't bother to visit Khanpur.
To the villagers here, none of that seems to matter. They have drawn up a wish list of public works projects they would like Jindal to fund, including a hospital, a women's college and a sports stadium.
"Bobby's success is our success," said a turbaned Ujagar Singh, 68, who bicycled to school on the village's bumpy dirt tracks with Jindal's father. "His story begins here. The quality of the fruit depends on the roots."
That kind of thinking extends far beyond this village in Punjab state to scores of cities and villages across India where people tend to view the successes of Indian Americans as their own.
Jindal, 36, follows in the footsteps of Sunita Williams, a NASA astronaut; Indra K. Nooyi, the head of PepsiCo; Sabeer Bhatia, the creator of Hotmail; singer Norah Jones, whose father is the Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar; and Neera Tanden, a policy adviser to Hillary Clinton.
The names of such people are routinely splashed across newspaper pages here, their images broadcast on television. To many Indians, they are role models, testifying to India's emergence as a world powerhouse.
Just two decades ago, before this country shed its socialist past and opened up its economy, so-called nonresident Indians were mocked as "non-reliable Indians" or "not-required Indians." They were chastised for having abandoned their impoverished motherland to live in wealthy nations. But in the lexicon of modern India, "brain drain" is slowly being replaced by "brain gain," as Indians begin to embrace the success of their countrymen abroad.
That's not to say that Indian Americans are universally celebrated. Madhu Goud Yaskhi, a member of the Indian Parliament who holds a U.S. green card and practices law in New York, says only those who contribute to India's development should be hailed as Indian heroes.
"It is meaningless to celebrate the successes of Indians who have no ties with the motherland and are Indian only in name," he said. "It shows a sense of inferiority complex among us."
Some Indians find it ironic that their American compatriots are being worshiped at a time when so many Indians are succeeding at home. The country has a burgeoning consumption- driven middle class and a booming economy that is growing at 9 percent annually. Indian industrialist Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth estimated at $63.2 billion, is among the richest individuals in the world. (On Monday, the Press Trust of India reported that his worth topped that of even Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, after a rise in the Indian stock market.)
Still, there's an insatiable appetite for heroes and role models in India, where two-thirds of the population is under 35. Any achiever whose name sounds remotely Indian is eagerly appropriated as an opportunity to bask in reflected glory.
Williams, the NASA astronaut, is the daughter of an Indian father and a Slovenian mother and was born and raised in the United States. Even though Williams was not the first Indian American NASA astronaut to join a space mission -- that title was claimed by Kalpana Chawla in 1997 -- she was mobbed by fans when she visited India last month. She met the prime minister and president, attended political events and visited schools, TV studios and the home of Mohandas Gandhi.
Thousands of Indians had prayed, lit candles and fasted to ensure Williams's safe return to Earth after her mission last year.
"The story of an Indian playing the American dream and succeeding allows us to dream as well," said Shiv Visvanathan, a social scientist with the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology. "It is a statement of possibility, even if they have a tenuous link to India. Indians feel that it could have been me. In fact, it is me."
Visvanathan said Williams looked like a bewildered tourist during her carnival-like visit to India and reacted naively to the public adoration. "The dialogue never went beyond the predictable cliches because she was a mere symbol," he said.
Critics allege that Indians are interested in claiming only rich and successful compatriots who live in the West, even those who hardly ever invest in their homeland. Rarely celebrated, for example, are the quiet contributions of thousands of Indian workers abroad, mostly in the Persian Gulf, who sent almost $23 billion back to India in 2004, compared with a mere $3.5 billion in foreign investment.
"The overseas Indian is our brand ambassador. Every success story abroad creates curiosity about India, and in a globalized world, the benefits are always mutual," said Ajay Khanna, chief executive of India Brand Equity Foundation, a marketing group.
Back in Khanpur, Jindal's relatives tried to call him with congratulations but got an answering machine instead. Even though they haven't heard from him, extended family members bicker over who is closest to Jindal's father and who has received more letters from him. At a Sikh shrine, some villagers held a three-day prayer ceremony for the Republican governor-elect, who is now a Roman Catholic.
"My children ask, 'Why does Uncle Bobby never visit us?' " said Asha Jindal, who has never spoken to Bobby Jindal although she is married to his cousin. "He is a famous American now, but this is his real home."

If anyone has any doubts that our leaders should be arrested and tired for WAR CRIMES, I think this article will put those concerns to rest.

Needless to say, I am utterly appalled and horrified that this is happening in the name of America.

Hajja Romi

US practicing systematic rape, torture, sadism against women in Iraqi prison camps. Yaqen News Agency , Translated by Muhammad Abu Nasr
October 27, 2007

The General Secretary of the Union of Political Prisoners and Detainees in Iraq, Muhammad Adham al-Hamd declared that the US occupation administration in Iraq relies on systematic rape, torture, and sadistic treatment of Iraqi women prisoners in its prison camps in the country. Al-Hamd said that the enormous crimes being committed against women in the prison camps in occupied Iraq have the support and blessings of the US military, for whom the practices serve as a means to bring psychological pressure on men engaged in the Resistance, in an attempt to break their spirit and fighting will.

Muhammad Adham al-Hamd made the comments in a statement regarding reports that confirmed the presence of large numbers of women in the American-run prison camps – women who are detained solely to be raped and abused in order to bring pressure upon their husbands, brothers, sons or fathers.

Al-Hamd declared that the women prisoners are subjected to strip searchs, torture, rape, and psychological and physical humiliation by the police and prison administrators. Their clothing is removed and they are deprived of food and water for days in order to break their will.

Al-Hamd said that teams from the International Red Cross and groups operating under the umbrella of the United Nations have been prevented from visiting the detention centers and learning about what goes on there. Rarely do these organizations demand to visit prisons and detention centers because of the lack of security and the fact that the sectarian militias control the facilities.

International bodies and reports of the puppet "Human Rights Ministry" under the US-installed regime warn of an enormous human disaster that is likely to happen as the currently circulating epidemics of cholera and AIDS spread within many of the prison camps.

But the American practices of imprisoning and savagely treating women is, in fact, backfiring, al-Hamd said, pointing to a study done in central and western Iraq that showed that the arrest of just one Iraqi woman would drive 1,000 men to take up arms and attack US troops and their puppet regime allies in defense of the woman’s honor and dignity.

:: Article nr. 37613 sent on 28-oct-2007 05:51 ECT

www.uruknet. info?p=37613

Link: www.yaqen.net/ ?p=1770

Published on Monday, October 29, 2007 by http://www.TruthDig .com

A Dallas jury, a week ago, caused a mistrial in the government case
against this country's largest Islamic charity. The action raises a
defiant fist on the sinking ship of American democracy.

If we lived in a state where due process and the rule of law could
curb the despotism of the Bush administration, this mistrial might be
counted a victory. But we do not. The jury may have rejected the
federal government's claim that the Holy Land Foundation for Relief
and Development funneled millions of dollars to Middle Eastern
terrorists. It may have acquitted Mohammad el-Mezain, the former
chairman of the foundation, of virtually all criminal charges related
to funding terrorism (the jury deadlocked on one of the 32 charges
against el-Mezain), and it may have deadlocked on the charges that had
been lodged against four other former leaders of the charity, but
don't be fooled. This mistrial will do nothing to impede the
administration' s ongoing contempt for the rule of law. It will do
nothing to stop the curtailment of our civil liberties and rights. The
grim march toward a police state continues.

Constitutional rights are minor inconveniences, noisome chatter, flies
to be batted away on the steady road to despotism. And no one, not the
courts, not the press, not the gutless Democratic opposition, not a
compliant and passive citizenry hypnotized by tawdry television
spectacles and celebrity gossip, seems capable of stopping the
process. Those in power know this. We, too, might as well know it.

The Bush administration, which froze the foundation's finances three
months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and indicted its
officials three years later on charges that they provided funds for
the militant group Hamas, has ensured that the foundation and all
other Palestinian charities will never reopen in the United States.
Any organized support for Palestinians from within the U.S. has been
rendered impossible. The goal of the Israeli government and the Bush
administration- despite the charade of peace negotiations to be held at
Annapolis-is to grind defiant Palestinians into the dirt. Israel,
which has plunged the Gaza Strip into one of the world's worst
humanitarian crises, has now begun to ban fuel supplies and sever
electrical service. The severe deprivation, the Israelis hope, will
see the overthrow of the Hamas government in Gaza and the
reinstatement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has become
the Marshal Pétain of the Palestinian people.

The Dallas trial-like all of the major terrorism trials conducted by
this administration, from the Florida case against the Palestinian
activist Dr. Sami al-Arian, which also ended in a mistrial, to the
recent decision by a jury in Chicago to acquit two men of charges of
financing Hamas-has been a judicial failure. William Neal, a juror in
the Dallas trial, told the Associated Press that the case "was strung
together with macaroni noodles. There was so little evidence."

Such trials, however, have been politically expedient. The
accusations, true or untrue, serve the aims of the administration. A
jury in Tampa, Chicago or Dallas can dismiss the government's assaults
on individual rights, but the draconian restrictions put in place
because of the mendacious charges remain firmly implanted within the
system. It is the charges, not the facts, which matter.

Dr. al-Arian, who was supposed to have been released and deported in
April, is still in a Virginia prison because he will not testify in a
separate case before a grand jury. The professor, broken by the long
ordeal of his trial and unable to raise another million dollars in
legal fees for a retrial, pleaded guilty to a minor charge in the
hopes that his persecution would end. It has not. Or take the case of
Canadian citizen Maher Arar, who in 2002 was spirited away by Homeland
Security from JFK Airport to Syria, where he spent 10 months being
tortured in a coffin-like cell. He was, upon his release, exonerated
of terrorism. Arar testified before a House panel this month about how
he was abducted by the U.S. and interrogated, stripped of his legal
rights and tortured. But he couldn't testify in person. He spoke to
the House members on a video link from Canada. He is forbidden by
Homeland Security to enter the United States because he allegedly
poses a threat to national security.

Those accused of being involved in conspiracies and terrorism plots,
as in all police states, become nonpersons. There is no
rehabilitation. There is no justice.

"He was never given a hearing nor did the Canadian consulate, his
lawyer, or his family know of his fate," Amnesty International wrote
of Arar. "Expulsion in such circumstances, without a fair hearing, and
to a country known for regularly torturing their prisoners, violates
the U.S. Government's obligations under international law,
specifically the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman,
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment."

You can almost hear Dick Cheney yawn.

The Bush administration shut down the Holy Land Foundation for Relief
and Development six years ago and froze its assets. There was no
hearing or trial. It became a crime for anyone to engage in
transactions with the foundation. The administration never produced
evidence to support the charges. It did not have any. In the "war on
terror," evidence is unnecessary. An executive order is enough. The
foundation sued the government in a federal court in the District of
Columbia. Behind closed doors, the government presented secret
evidence that the charity had no opportunity to see or rebut. The
charity's case was dismissed.

The government has closed seven Muslim charities in the United States
and frozen their assets. Not one of them, or any person associated
with them, has been found guilty of financing terrorism. They will
remain shut. George W. Bush can tar any organization or individual,
here or abroad, as being part of a terrorist conspiracy and by fiat
render them powerless. He does not need to make formal charges. He
does not need to wait for a trial verdict. Secret evidence, which
these court cases have exposed as a sham, is enough. The juries in
Tampa, Chicago and Dallas did their duty. They spoke for the rights of
citizens. They spoke for the protection of due process and the rule of
law. They threw small hurdles in front of the emergent police state.
But the abuse rolls on. I fear terrorism. I know it is real. I am sure
terrorists will strike again on American soil. But while terrorists
can wound and disrupt our democracy, only we can kill it.

http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Global_ News_Monitor
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Truth_ In_Media
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/UndoBush

Billions spent on US wars: report
Iraq has accounted so far for 450 billion dollars

AFP- Washington :The United States has shelled out well over half a trillion dollars on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and running costs have hit 12 billion dollars a month, according to an independent report. • FULL STORY

62 immigrants die in US jails: rights groups

Agence France-Presse . Washington :Sixty-two immigrants have died in US jails since 2004 for lack of medical care, human rights groups told members of the US Congress Monday.?Deficient medical care in immigration detention is a systematic problem and needs to be addressed,? said Tom Jawetz, of the American Civil Liberties Union, the largest US group defending civil rights. • FULL STORY

China marks 70th anniversary of war with Japan
Jul 7, 2007, 14:06 GMT

Beijing - When former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Beijing's Lugou Bridge in October 2001, his laying of a wreath and his 'heartfelt apology' for Japan's wartime atrocities in China received a lukewarm response from Chinese leaders.

Lal Mosque satnd Off

The stand-off began in January when hundreds of stick-wielding female students of the seminary occupied a children's library in Islamabad in protest at the demolition of mosques in the capital.

Emboldened by the inaction of authorities, more students who were demanding the enforcement of Shariah law in Pakistan began an anti-vice campaign in the capital, detaining alleged prostitutes, harassing store owners and kidnapping policemen.

The government tried repeatedly to negotiate a solution with the clerics but finally took action last Tuesday after armed students attacked a police post. Cordons of police, paramilitary rangers and troops were thrown around the site prior to the final assault.

Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, whose Pakistan People's Party is the largest opponent of Musharraf's government, supported the attack after the failure of more talks to defuse the situation but termed its outcome 'sober and sombre.'

'The action was essential as there were innocent human shields and when the terrorist got desperate there was always a danger of them killing the women and children one by one to pressure the government,' Bhutto told the private Geo News channel.

The events in Islamabad have also bolstered claims that many of Pakistan's thousands of madrassa schools are incubators for extremism.

However, the interior ministry spokesman said the system would be preserved with some changes.

'We are against militancy and extremism not against madrassas,' Cheema told reporters.

Hopeful of achieving the targets of an ongoing US-assisted madrassa reforms programme in Pakistan, he said: 'Our madrassas are a heritage of Islam, we do not want to raze them, we want to make them into a real seat of learning.'

Non-violent protests against the storming of the mosque took place Wednesday in a number of cities in Pakistan. Turnout was especially strong in the north-west region by the border with Afghanistan after the influential Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) alliance of parties on Tuesday announced three days of mourning.

Since the start of the mosque assault, authorities placed police, paramilitary and army units on high alert across the country.

Taliban-style rule

Stick-wielding student supporters of Ghazi kidnapped alleged prostitutes and police and warned vendors against selling music and movies, in a brash but largely symbolic attempt to impose Taliban-style rule in the city.

Their actions caused little physical harm, but the abduction last week of seven Chinese at an acupuncture clinic, which they claimed was a brothel, proved a diplomatic embarrassment to a key Pakistan ally.

It triggered a military siege that culminated in a pre-dawn raid of the mosque on Tuesday that left about 50 militants and at least eight soldiers dead.

Earlier, Ghazi's brother was caught trying to flee the mosque wearing an all-covering woman's burqa and high heels last week.

Religious minded man

Born in the village of Basti Abdullah in southwestern Baluchistan province, Ghazi later studied at two seminaries in Rawalpindi, a city near the capital, but was regarded as less pious than his brother.

He earned a masters degree in international relations from Islamabad's prestigious Quaid-e-Azam University, and later worked at the Education Ministry and according to some reports, for UNESCO.

Naeem Qureshi, a professor who taught Ghazi history in 1987-88, remembered him as a good if not exceptional student: religiously minded like many of his generation and motivated by the mujahedeen resistance to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

''He was a well-adjusted young man. We had no problem with him. He was not a firebrand,'' Qureshi said.

Ghazi's father, Mohammed Abdullah, who became the prayer leader at the revered Red Mosque in the 1960s, frowned on his son's secular appearance, according to a friend of Ghazi who requested anonymity because of his previous links to militants.

''Before his father's martyrdom he (Ghazi) used to wear pants and shirt and a small beard,'' said the friend. ''His life changed after his father's martyrdom. He became a religious man. He adopted his father's life.''

Abdullah, who was a vocal supporter of the American and Pakistan-backed anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan, had close ties with both the government and Sunni Muslim militants. He was fatally shot by a lone gunman inside the mosque on October 17, 1998. The attacker was suspected to be a Shiite Muslim.

The brothers then assumed control of the mosque and the two associated madrassas that until the siege housed thousands of male and female students.

Terrorist activities

Rahimullah Yousafzai, a leading Pakistani journalist and expert on militancy, said the brothers are believed to have maintained ties to the intelligence agencies as the mosque remained instrumental in motivating militants to fight for the Taliban in Afghanistan and against Indian forces in divided Kashmir in the 1990s.

The links were strained after the September 11 attacks on America, and Islamabad's renouncing of its previous ties with the Taliban and decision to fight against al-Qaida.

''Pakistani military operations after 9/11 changed everything,'' Yousafzai said.

The brothers openly supported militants fighting security forces and refused to rescind the 2004 fatwa that decreed army casualties in counter terrorism operations in Pakistan's tribal regions should not be treated as ''martyrs'', the designation favored by the army.

Then in August 2004, Ghazi was detained for 10 days by military intelligence for alleged involvement in a murky plot to bomb a host of high-profile targets in Islamabad. He denied involvement and was freed, reportedly following the intervention of Religious Affairs Minister Ijaz ul-Haq.

Officials now say the brothers are wanted in over 20 criminal cases.

While officials and experts say the brothers have links with outlawed militant groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Harkat Jihad-e-Islami, it was the anti-vice campaign launched in March 2007 _ for which Ghazi proved an articulate and media-savvy spokesman _ that was their downfall.

The campaign veered from the sinister to the surreal.

After setting up its own Shariah court, Abdul Aziz vowed to launch thousands of suicide attacks if the government attempted to raid the mosque.

Incendiary sermons

In incendiary sermons and radio addresses, Aziz claimed the immorality of brothels in Pakistan had stirred divine vengeance in the form of the October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir that killed more than 80,000 people. He also accused diplomats' wives of ''spreading nudity'' in Islamabad.

His court also issued a fatwa against Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiar, accusing her of committing a ''sin'' after she was shown in newspaper photographs embracing a parachuting instructor following a charity jump in France.

Despite the strange rhetoric, the anti-vice campaign was backed by some Islamabad citizens who also respected the mosque's charity for quake victims. But the brothers became increasingly isolated as their defiance of the government escalated. Most Islamic clerics frowned on the mosque taking law into its own hands.

The bespectacled Ghazi, who is married with three sons and two daughters, was usually courteous to visitors to the Red Mosque and eagerly courted foreign and local journalists.

While scathing of US policy in Afghanistan and Iraq, and an eager proponent of jihad, he spoke in more worldly terms than his brother.

India no more lives in its villages, so feels the Centre

By Indian Express
Friday July 13, 03:53 AM
It Could soon be curtains for the slogan that 70 per cent of India lives in villages. The government has acknowledged that India has urbanised far more than is usually reckoned.

So instead of pegging the urban population at a fraction less than 30 per cent (27.8 per cent as per Census 2001), the government is planning to rewrite the definition of a town. This could mean a substantial addition to the percentage of people who live in towns.

The government has decided to set up a National Urban Commission, the second such in independent India. According to Urban Development secretary M Ramachandran, the present definition of what makes an urban area is restrictive.

Census 2001 had identified two types of towns: statutory and Census. All areas with a municipality, corporation or a notified town area committee were statutory towns. Places with a minimum population of 5,000 with 75 per cent of working males engaged in non-agricultural sectors and a density of 400 people per sq m were Census towns.

The change will force not just the government to alter its economic policies but also require corporate India to strategise differently. Plan allocations and even grants for local level bodies would change. "Not only will this lead to reallocation of resources by companies, it will also change the profile of advertisers as well as the kind of product and services sold in the new urban areas identified," said, Nandini Dias, chief operating officer, Lodestar Universal, a media buying/planning agency.

The government is also setting up urban cadres, which will serve as a knowledge bank in policymaking and implementation. This will mean appointing a dedicated team of officers in the municipalities who will compile urban data, analyse it and be involved in decision-making. Currently, insufficient municipal data is cited as the prime reason for flawed implementation.

A more precise estimation of the level of urbanisation will help in better planning and accurate spending of Rs 50,000 crore allocated to developing infrastructure in 63 selected cities under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The soon to be appointed 13th Finance Commission is expected to allocate far more than the token Rs 1,600 crore the 12th Finance Commission provided for all local bodies.

The recent UNFPA report on world population has said India does not recognise peri-urban areas within its urban population and so understates the percentage of people who need to be funded in plans for urban areas. Peri-urbanisation refers to the rapid unplanned settlement of rural population over large tracts of land.

An appeal

Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashchandrabiswas@gmail.com

I am forwarding the matter related to infinite persecution of minorities and refugees in this subcontinent. Anand Swaroop Verma has done so many good things that I dare not comment on his observation. I only support his cause and respect the commitment. Pl read and react.
Palash Biswas

An appeal
to the poets, writers, theatre artists and other intellectuals

It is matter of shame for all of us that while the neighboring country Bhutan is continuing with the autocratic monarchy and its repressive activities with the help of world's largest democracy India, the intelligentsia in our country has maintained silence over the issue whereas the Indian media, time and again, keeps on praising the monarchy in Bhutan. We are repeatedly told by the media that the tiny populace in Bhutan is prospering, the country is unaffected by the environmental degradation and cultural pollution and so on. During the last couple of years, Indian media is full of news praising the King for his liberal attitude by arguing that he himself wants to end the monarchy to usher in the democratic system of governance. The media keeps on telling us that the King of Bhutan wants to join the modern world because he feels that continuing with monarchy in the present scenario is suggestive of a regressive thought.

The same media never told us sternly that this 'peaceful and environment friendly' King, in 1990 with the help of his army, had expelled 1.5 lakh citizens of his country, run bulldozer over their hamlets, destroyed their orange and cardamom plantations and unleashed a reign of terror and oppression on elders, women and children just because they were asking for the establishment of minimum democracy and respect for their human rights. Media never bothered to tell us that in the drama that is being enacted in the name of the countrywide elections scheduled for February 2008, neither political parties banned for last 20 years and termed illegal (Bhutan People's Party, Bhutan National Democratic Party, Druk National Congress) nor the people living in seven refugee camps run by UNHCR inside Nepal's border for last 17 years have been permitted to participate. The total population of Bhutan is around seven lakhs and expelling 1.5 lakh people out of this tiny population has been an incident never witnessed in the history of any country. The most surprising thing is that India is the only country in the subcontinent extending support to the King of Bhutan. He was even invited by the Indian government as chief guest in Republic Day parade two years back.

India has contributed significantly towards the plight of Bhutanese refugees. These refugees had brought out some pamphlets and organized peaceful demonstration demanding a minimum democracy in 1990. The centre of this movement was southern part of Bhutan which is close to the Indian border, particularly the West Bengal border. Although the King of Bhutan had imposed ban on the entry of television in his country, but how could this neighboring region of West Bengal could remain uninfluenced by the movement related activities which are the very soul of life in West Bengal. People from South Bhutan came to India for educational purposes and they had to pass through West Bengal. Apart from that, due to lack of connecting roads in mountainous Bhutan, people had to take the road which passes through West Bengal in order to reach the other parts of Bhutan. Since southern part of Bhutan was primarily inhabited by Lhotsompas, a Nepali speaking Bhutanese community which constituted 90 percent of the Southern Bhutanese population, the King charged them with creating disturbance. When the people of Sarchop community from east and north Bhutan were also expelled, it became clear in the long run that this movement was not confined to the Nepali speaking community alone.

Teknath Rizal, advisor to the Royal Council set up by the King wrote a letter to the King requesting that he must humbly pay heed to the people's complaints. But instead, the King put Teknath Rizal behind the bars. He was forced to suffer unbearable pains for 10 long years. He was released in 1999 when the King's officials realized that he could die in prison due to illness. He is now living an exiled life in Nepal and leading the anti-monarchy struggle. Rizal hails from Lhotsompa community.

On the same lines, the popular leader of Sarchop community Rongthong Kunley Dorji was arrested by the monarchy and charged with supporting the demand of minimum democracy. The King seized his property, put him in the jail where he was subjected to severe atrocities and was finally kicked out of the country along with his family. He was arrested by the Indian police on his arrival to India in 1996 and was put in Tihar prison for two years. He is currently on bail and the Indian government has imposed various restrictions on him. He is also leading the anti-monarchy struggles. He is the president of Druk National Congress. India has always given refuge to the pro-democracy activists of various countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Burma, Tibet and Nepal. Keeping this in mind, India's discriminatory attitude towards pro-democracy forces in Bhutan is surprising.

India's role in this regard is both shameful and significant because when the helpless Bhutanese citizens arrived inside the Indian border after being expelled from their own country, Indian security forces forcefully loaded them in trucks as if they were livestocks and dumped inside Nepal border. Those who resisted were beaten up severely. With no choice left they stayed in Nepal. Later on India laid its hands off from the issue. Whenever Government of India was requested to hold talks over the Bhutanese refugees issue, it raised its hands by saying that this was a bilateral issue between Nepal and Bhutan. Bhutan shares border with India, not Nepal. Any one who leaves Bhutan will obviously enter India first. It is a known fact that India has itself created this problem for Nepal. Nepal being a small and weaker state cannot force India, which has repeatedly ignored its request to resolve the refugee crisis.

In the last 17 years, whenever the Bhutanese refugees tried to return home risking their lives, they were stopped at Indo-Nepal border at Mechi bridge by the Indian security forces. When they tried to proceed further, they were beaten up. The most recent incident in this series is that of May 28, 2007 when one refugee was killed in police firing and hundreds of them were injured.

I had organized a conference on the Bhutanese refugee issue in 1991 along with friends from Nepal and India. At that time, a booklet entitled 'Human Rights in Bhutan' was also published. Many distinguished people including Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, Justice Ajit Singh Bains and Swami Agnivesh participated. In order to create a mass consensus on the issue, an organization named 'Bhutan Solidarity' was formed towards the end of the conference and Justice Krishna Iyer was made its patron. I was asked to take the responsibility of convener. A study team from this organization in 1995 prepared a detailed report after a tour to the refugee camps. I tried my level best to contribute in resolving the issue till May 2006 in this capacity. From June 2006 onwards, MLA from MP and young farmer leader Dr. Sunilam is holding the position of convener.

As per UNHCR, the total number of refugees in the camps of Nepal is One lakh six thousand. The survey carried out by Bhutan Solidarity in 1996 revealed that more than 40,000 refugees are living in India (West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh) and they have not been given the status of refugee by UNHCR. As per 1950 Friendship Treaty between India and Bhutan, government of India refused to give these people refugee status. They too are living in worst conditions.

A team from 'Bhutan Solidarity' visited the refugee camps again in August 2006 and found that 40 percent of the refugees were in the age group of 17-40. They are losing patience after the failure of many peaceful attempts to go back home and feeling that this problem can not be resolved through peaceful means. They have also been inspired by the Maoist people's war in Nepal and this thought is getting concretized in their minds that justice will only prevail through the barrel of the gun. In spite of being aware of everything, Bhutan government and government of India have maintained an indifferent attitude. It seems as if both the governments are waiting for the refugees to take the violent path which will give them an excuse to unleash repression.

I feel that the Bhutanese refugee crisis can be resolved in a peaceful way provided the intellectuals of India raise their voice and stand behind them in solidarity with their struggle. The area which relates with these refugees is politically very sensitive. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Jhapa, close to West Bengal, have been experiencing violent movements since long but the arms here are not in the hands of revolutionary forces, but in the hands of separatists, anarchists and state sponsored armed groups. In this scenario, if the Bhutanese refugees take to armed struggle, their voice will be lost and it will pave the way for their repression. In nutshell armed struggle waged by the Bhutanese refugees to solve their problem will prove to be suicidal at this stage.

Monarchy in Bhutan is at the weakest stage. As I said earlier, it is supported only by India. It has somehow sustained itself by giving offerings to the high officials of Ministry of External Affairs and a crop of selected journalists. This is the reason why every Foreign Minister- be it I.K. Gujral, Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh or Pranab Mukherjee- has 'off the record' given same argument that the Indian support to Bhutan is only due to India's 'geo-political compulsions'.

In the last couple of years, US policy has been a fiasco in Nepal. Despite US disliking, the political parties of Nepal and Maoists reached a 12 point understanding in Nov 2005, signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Maoists entered the parliament and they even joined the interim government. Inspite of all this, Maoists are still listed as 'terrorist' in the US records. Having seen utter failure of its policy in Nepal, US has now shifted its focus on Bhutan since it wants to consolidate its position in South Asia by hook or crook. US had announced last year that it will undertake to settle 60,000 Bhutanese refugees on its own and assist to settle 10,000 each in Australia and Canada. This announcement revealed many things. Firstly, it tried to create a divide among the refugees. Secondly, it tried to prevent the ideology of violence taking an organized form among them and lastly, assured the King of Bhutan that it will help him get rid of the mounting problem of refugees. This is what US aims at. While this proposal seems to be providing some relief to the King at the same time the debate on this proposal has for the first time in 17 years generated violent conflicts among the refugees. It is interesting to know that hardly 10 percent refugees are in favor of US proposal. One more incident is noteworthy. King of Bhutan Jigme Singhe Wangchuk had announced to abdicate the throne voluntarily in 2008 in favor of his son Prince Khesar Singhe Wangchuk. But suddenly US came in picture and through its efforts got the process completed much earlier, that is in May 2007 itself. Prince Khesar is now the King of Bhutan and US has full faith in him.

The objective of writing this letter is to inform you about the plight of Bhutanese refugees and government of India's position in this regard as well as to appeal you to give a serious thought on the possible ways to resolve the problem. This problem can surely be resolved peacefully and a terrible bloodshed can be avoided in this region if the intellectuals, human rights activists and active pro-democracy people of Indian political parties think seriously over this issue. If our endeavour fails to bring change the government of India's attitude of indifference, then the movement of Bhutanese refugees taking a violent turn can not be termed as illegitimate. But I have strong feeling that even a small effort on our part can bring a peaceful solution to the problem.

Your suggestions on this issue are invited so that we can sit together in the near future and find out a way in the coming days.

Yours,

Anand Swaroop Verma
Q-63, Sector-12, Noida - 201301
Phone: 0120-4356504, 9810720714
email: vermada@hotmail.com
Date : September 14, 2007

Well said, your honour
Syed Muhammad Ibrahim

I draw the attention of readers to what former chief justice of Bangladesh Supreme Court Mostafa Kamal told The Daily Star on October 27: "Now it is being said that no war criminal exists in the country. May be after some time it would be said that the Liberation War never took place. This will mean we will be deprived of the real history."

Not only as a citizen, but also as an active or armed freedom fighter of the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971, I am shocked at the remarks leaders of a political party called Jamaat-e-Islami made to reporters after a meeting with the Election Commission on Thursday, October 25.

Chief Justice Mostafa Kamal expressed his suspicion that some day the detractors of the War of Liberation will deny the war itself. Justice Mostafa Kamal did not have to wait long.

At about 9.30 p.m. on Friday, October 26, in a television talk show on Ekushey TV titled Ekushey Shomoy, Mr. Shah Abdul Hannan a former secretary to the government of Bangladesh said that there was no Liberation War of Bangladesh, instead what happened in 1971 was civil war in Pakistan. Mr. Shah Abdul Hannan, in all possibility, represents a thought process of like-minded people who have decided to deny the War of Liberation by calling it civil war. Mr. Hannan is not alone. We need to answer these questions or in other words resolve this issue once and for all.

Many said, in the past, that to raise the issue of freedom fighters and non-freedom fighters is tantamount to dividing the society or opening old wounds or impeding national unity. As a freedom fighter I strongly submit that I have no intention to include among my nation such people who do not recognise the War of Liberation.

The denial of the War of Liberation is something like a child denying the fact that he was born of his mother and that his mother suffered much birth pangs during his birth. May I ask a question to Jamaat-e-Islami and Mr. Shah Abdul Hannan: "Pakistan government in 1971 used to say that the situation in East Pakistan in 1971 was an internal law and order problem. In 2007 Mr. Shah Abdul Hannan says it was a civil war. Question: Was Bangladesh born because of political struggle alone or because of the recommendations of politicians only?"

At least on five successive March 26s (that is in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006) Mr. Matiur Rahman Nizami and Mr. Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed of the Jamaat-e-Islami joined the ranks of other ministers at the national memorial at Savar, because that is the independence day of Bangladesh. Why did these two the then-ministers go to Savar if they did not believe that March 26, 1971 was not the day of independence of Bangladesh!

On the contrary, if they believe the date to be the day of independence, then how can there be a civil war between two different countries (that is a country called Bangladesh and another country called Pakistan). It had to be a war between the forces loyal to Bangladesh and forces who were "occupying" Bangladesh.

Mr. Hannan and his like-minded colleagues must be made to answer, albeit in an honourable and gentlemanly way.

It is high time that we resolve this issue once and for all. No national reconciliation is possible with any segment of the people who deny the process of birth of this country. The blood shed by the millions of martyrs in 1971 will not pardon the present generation or more specifically the freedom fighters who are still living for not ensuring due recognition of the War of Liberation. In this context, I have three specific proposals.

Proposal number one is about a commission. The background to this proposal is similar to the background which necessitates the Anti-Corruption Commission in Bangladesh. There is no dearth of reports in the print or electronic media about corruption by members of the political governments between 1991 to 2006. These reports alone are not sufficient to prosecute the people. Formal efforts are needed, that is why the Anti-Corruption Commission does the investigation, charge sheeting, and prosecution.

Similarly, there is no dearth of reports about opposition to the War of Liberation and atrocities by the opponents of the war. Therefore, to formalise the investigations and prosecution in a legal manner, there must be a high powered legal entity.

The name of the commission can be something like "Fact Finding Commission 1971" or "Political and War Crimes Finding Commission 1971" or "History Commission on Liberation War 1971" or some such. Wise people can find a good name.

The terms of reference may include among other matters:
What role did the political parties of the then Pakistan/East Pakistan play towards materialising an independent Bangladesh during the period March 26 to December 16, 1971.
What support, if any, was available to the Pakistan army in 1971 during its operations in East Pakistan, from the local political parties, or local businessmen, or local citizens.

Priority is for a wide and deliberative enquiry into the entire range of crimes, but if wide ranging enquiry is not possible, then at least enquiry into the possibility of commission of war crimes by those who opposed the freedom fighters of Bangladesh, with armed actions or otherwise, must take place.

The proposed commission may be composed of three retired chief justices or justices of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, three retired freedom fighter general-officers of Bangladesh armed forces, three freedom fighters of 1971 from among general citizens, three former vice-presidents of the Supreme Court Bar and three eminent lawyers of international repute or of international human rights organisations recognised by the United Nations. The composition is also open to further thought and refinement.

Proposal number two is related to the government's decision-making process. I hope and pray that the present government will take the courageous step of addressing this issue of formally identifying the forces opposed to the Liberation War of 1971 and crimes committed by the opposition.

Should the government feel shy or diffident to touch the subject, then the government may refer the matter to the Bangladeshi/Bengali Nation through an independent referendum or referendum-cum-election. But the matter should, repeated should, be addressed. In particular I appeal to the armed forces of Bangladesh who are directly the professional descendents of freedom fighters.

Proposal number three relates to our media. In the absence of an elected parliament, the media needs to play this vital role that I am humbly suggesting. Let all the independent TV channels of Bangladesh organise discussions on the screen, to raise an awareness about war of liberation, the activities of the freedom fighters and the activities of the anti-liberation forces in 1971 so that the people of Bangladesh can take a decision.

Unable to view, please visit http://hrcbm. org/news/ news-cht- landgrab. html

Fresh Land Grabbing and Bengali Settlement Programme continued in CHT

News report submitted by: Ms. Rosaline DE Costa, Hotline Bangladesh .

Land grabbing by Bengali settlers and imminent forcible eviction of indigenous Jumma peoples from Sadhana Tila area under Dighinala Police Station, Khagrachari district of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh became a flashpoint. The Sadhana Tila Buddhist temple has been desecrated by the illegal plain settlers and is facing destruction. In addition, following the publication of a leaflet by the Students and Youth Committee Against Land Aggression, Zone Commander of Dighinala, Major Qamrul Hassan summoned Mr. Sattyendriyo Chakma, headman of Baghaichari Mouza (Kapaeeng Watch mistakenly mentioned Mr. Jnanendriyo Chakma as Headman of Babuchara mouza in previous report), to the zone headquarters, interrogated and threatened to kill him if he did not allow the illegal settlers to capture the Sadhana Tila land.
Since 15 August 2007, indigenous peoples of Sadhana Tila have been living on the edges of an impending communal riot as the military authorities have undertaken programmes to settle over 800 illegal plain settler families by evicting indigenous Jumma peoples and destroying the Sadhana Tila Buddhist temple. Indigenous Jumma peoples have been living in these lands from time immemorial.
As the Sadhana Tila became a flashpoint, on 28 August 2007, Chief of Bangladesh Army, General Moeen U Ahmed visited the area. Since then, the situation has only deteriorated.
On 2 September 2007, the illegal plain settlers destroyed some of the houses of indigenous Jumma peoples around Sadhana Tila Buddhist temple. Earlier on 1 September 2007 at around 12 noon, a group of settlers led by Md. Malek and Chand Mian pulled down the signboard of Sadhana Tila temple and smashed it. They also threatened the Buddhist monks to leave the temple and destroyed a few houses of the Jumma people at Sadhana Tila.
I. State's attempts to implant over 800 families of illegal settlers at Sadhana Tila
The Sadhana Tila area under Dighinala Police Station comprises about 300 acres of land and houses a Buddhist Meditation Center and a sizable indigenous Jumma population. As stated above, indigenous Jumma peoples have been living in these villages from time immemorial.
Since 13 August 2007, the illegal plain settlers supported by the Bangladesh army personnel and the Bangladesh police have launched programmes to forcibly capture the lands of the area. Bangladesh army personnel led by Dighinala Zone Commander, Major Qamrul Hassan ordered the Buddhist monks residing in the Sadhana Tila Buddhist Temple and indigenous peoples living around the Buddhist temple to leave in order to settle over 800 illegal plain settlers' families.
As indigenous Jumma peoples refused to comply, trucks and jeeps load of illegal settlers have been coming to Sadhana Tila and cutting the jungle around the Buddhist temple for constructing houses under the protection and command of the Bangladesh army and police personnel.
On 23 August 2007 at about 5 pm, a group of illegal settlers broke into the temple boundary and began cutting tress and shrubs belonging to the temple. When the Jumma villagers protested, the army and the police falsely accused the Buddhist monks of possessing arms and wanted to search the temple. A violent confrontation between the Jummas and the illegal settlers was narrowly prevented after the intervention of Union Council Chairman, Mr Paritosh Chakma.
II. Involvement of the local civilian administration and the army
The Bangladesh Army and police personnel have been actively involved in the land grabbing at Sadhana Tila area. The army authorities have reportedly announced an incentive grant of Taka 50,000 for each settler family who will be willing to settle there, in addition to Taka 1,000 as monthly allowance. The army personnel have also reportedly threatened to stop free food rations to those settlers who do not want to settle in Sadhana Tila area.
Since 30 August 2007, the army personnel themselves have been cutting jungles around Kamala Bagan School near Sadhana Tila Buddhist temple. They have also stepped up patrol to provide protection to the plain settlers.
III. Request for interventions
The situation is so grave that the possibility of a communal riot cannot be ruled out if the indigenous peoples protest against their eviction or destruction of their temple. The illegal plain settlers simply have been on a riotous mood. They have been using various tactics to instigate the indigenous peoples to protest in order to get some reasons for launching a full-scale communal attack on the indigenous peoples.
About 81 indigenous Jumma elders such as Headmen, Karbaris (village chief), women leaders, incumbent and former Chairmen and members of the Union Councils submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachari district on 2 September 2007 to stop the atrocities. Since the atrocities have intensified following the visit of General Moeen U Ahmed, it is unlikely that the Deputy Commissioner will be able to take effective measures.
Please find the attachment for details on Situation of CHT in Bangladesh during State of Emergency .
Kapaeeng Watch appeals to influence Government of Bangladesh for stopping land grabbing and settlement programme of Bangali settlers in CHT, south-eastern part of Bangladesh .
LV : Emergency gears up ethnic cleansing in CHT, Bangladesh
The present military-backed Caretaker Government of Bangladesh of Dr. Fakruddin Ahmed imposes the State of Emergency in the country amid conflict political situation on 12 January 2007. Under the state of emergency, the Joint Forces led by military forces are conducting drive against the corrupt politicians, businessmen and godfathers. As part of this drive, a few godfathers and corrupt leaders of last four-party alliance government have been arrested in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). However the military forces have been using the state of emergency with a different motive in case of indigenous peoples in CHT. Basically it has been used to suppress the voice of indigenous Jumma people of CHT.
While the military-backed Caretaker Government has continued its crackdown on corrupt politicians much to the relief of the common citizens, the government forces in CHT are hugely misusing the emergency power equating corrupt Bengali politicians and businessmen with the Jumma rights defenders. The military forces are using the emergency rules to unleash sweeping political repression against indigenous Jumma peoples including two Jumma political parties Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) and United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) and their front organisations.
On the other, though present Caretaker Government undertook various vital initiatives that are most crucial and urgent for national interest, such as, drive against corruption, separation of judiciary from the executive and amendment of relevant laws for the same within a few months, re-constitution of Anti-Corruption Commission, Election Commission and Public Service Commission, but no initiative has yet been taken for implementation of the CHT Peace Accord by the Caretaker government. Rather, by taking the advantage of the state of emergency, the military forces have increased anti-Accord activities, such as, forcible occupation of indigenous Jumma people’s land, settlement of Bengali Muslim families to outnumbering indigenous and setting up new camp to support them, strengthening of extreme communal forces through Sama Odhikar Andolan and nomination of them to Hill District Councils (HDCs), trying to replace Bengali members of CHT Regional Council (CHTRC) with extremist leaders of Sama Odhikar Andolan (Equal Right Movement) etc.
A. Arrest, detention and torture of indigenous activists
While the ongoing crackdown on the corrupt politicians across the country is a commendable job, the arrest of the members of the ethnic Jumma organisaitons who are fighting for their just rights cannot be acceptable. There is wide apprehension that the government agencies may misuse the emergency powers to arrest the ethnic Jumma rights activists in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Particularly the government forces have targeted the indigenous Jumma activists including members of the PCJSS. To materialise their allegation, the government forces have been showing arm recovery from arrestees' possession putting their (army) arm and hence lodging false arm case against them. Since the promulgation of the State of Emergency , at least 2 innocent villagers have been killed and 50 indigenous activists have been arrested by the government forces. Among them, PCJSS claims at least 20 members and UPDF claims at least 10 members have been arrested. In addition, it has also been reported that at least 20 innocent Jummas including public representatives, women and villagers have also been held. Please annexure for list of arrested activists.
Filing false cases against arrestees and punishing them
Allegations have been received that most of them have been arrested putting arms and ammunitions by the army. They all are falsely charged not only for keeping illegal arms and ammunitions, but also for extortion, kidnapping, killing etc. In some cases, the cases have been filed under section 16(b) of the Emergency Power Rules of 2007 which restricts release on bail to accused during the enquiry, investigation and trial of the case.
Among the arrested activists (please see annexure), Mr. Satyabir Dewan, General Secretary of PCJSS, Mr. Ranglai Mro, mouza Headman and UP Chairman, Mr. Bikram Marma, President of PCJSS Kaptai branch and Sai Mong Marma, Organising Secretary of PCJSS Kaptai branch have been punished 17 years imprisonment for each. The statements of complainant and witnesses have been studied by the reporter that the statements of complainer and witnesses against them given to the court were contradictory to the statements of the case submitted to the police station, but the punishment was declared. One of lawyers of Satyabir Dewan said that military forces led Major Yasin from Rangamati brigade verbally ordered the judges of the Chittagong judge court to declare punishment to all the cases filed against indigenous activists.
Relatives of both arrested activists said that they have been arrested putting arms by the military forces from their residence. Mr. Polo Dewan, son of Satyabir Dewan confirmed that he witnessed putting a country-made pipe-gun under his bed by an army person as he was at the room at that time. He said that he protested against it. But the army threatened to arrest him too.
On the other, Tanindra Lal Chakma, central member of PCJSS was arrested in connection with false extortion case filed by Md. Fuyad Hussain, Manager of Grameen Bank of Babuchara branch with Dighinala police station. Wife of Tatindra Lal Chakma claimed that the government forces compelled Md. Fuyad Hussain to file this case against her husband. However, as Mrs. Chakma said, her husband was granted bail in June 2007 as complainant denied before court to have involvement of Mr. Chakma with this extortion. Again, Mrs. Chakma also claimed that bail of her husband was cancelled on 23 July 2007 as Md. Fuyad Hussain again withdrawn his statement due to tremendous pressure from military. Md. Fuyad Hussain did not agree to talk on this issue with this reporter. Mrs. Chakma also confirmed that two cases falsely charging for killing have also been filed against her husband with Dighinala police station on 2 August 2007. Mr. Tatindra Lal is veteran ex-combatant and competent organiser.
One of false cases is arm case against Mr. Shaktipada Tripura and Bholash Tripura filed on 14 June 2007. It is reported on that day the Joint Forces conducted massive raid house of Mr. Shaktipada Tripura, Organising Secretary of central committee of PCJSS. His wife informed that during the raid, military forces searched the house, but found nothing and hence left the house. However, they came back after few minutes. They again encircled the house and declared themselves to recovery a country-made gun from back of the house. The military picked up Mr. Bholash Tripura, Finance Secretary of Khagrachari district branch of Hill Student Council, from the house. Two cases for keeping illegal arms and foreign currency were filed against Shaktipada Tripura and Bholash Tripura with Khagrachari police station. Bholash Tripura was also shown arrest under section of 16(b) of Emergency Power Rules of 2007. Shaktipada who are also vocal traditional leader (Headman) in Khagrachari was compelled to leave his place for avoiding arrest.
Brutal torture on arrestees indiscriminately is a must
Complaint has also been received that during the custody of the government forces and remand, most arrested activists have been brutally tortured and harassed. Mr.

Leftist Fascism Exposed in RIZ case
Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashchandrabiswas@gmail.com

It is now almost certain that Rizwanur Rehman’s body will be exhumed. According to forensic experts, a second autopsy on an exhumed body is fraught with more complications than the first one. When a body is buried for a long time, it gets skeletonised experts say. In addition, the soft tissues may disintegrate. For this reason, further forensic examination has then to depend on bone injuries, unlike the first autopsy where both soft tissue injuries and bone injuries can be analyzed. The CBI inquiry into the matter, which followed a statewide outrage against the incident and the suspension of 5 top police officers, has found incriminating evidence against Ashok Todi. This includes testimonies from two henchmen sent to threaten Rizwanur as well as a hand written note from the couple asking for police protection against Ashok Todi.

"It is best if the body can be exhumed within a few days for a second autopsy. If soft tissues are destroyed, only bone injuries can be detected. Both types of injuries - soft tissue as well as bone - are vital for forensic examination. Nevertheless, broken bones - like in the jaw and neck - can still be traced and could help to arrive at a decisive conclusion," says Dr Parag Barun Paul, professor of forensic medicine at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Rizwanur Rehman,27, a resident of Kolkata was found dead shortly after his marriage to 23-year old Priyanka Todi, daughter of Ashok Todi, one of Kolkata’s richest and most influential businessmen. Priyanka, decided to marry her Rizwanur, her graphics design tutor, against the wishes of her family.

According to the forensic experts as Rizwanur’s burial took place over 40 days ago there is a high chance of soft tissues being destroyed in this time. As the body is likely to become highly decomposed, bone injuries will be playing a vital role in the second autopsy.

"The chance of the soft tissues getting destroyed is high when a body is exhumed long after burial. Nevertheless, properly detected bone injuries can lead to a conclusive result. Also, the autopsy needs to be conducted in a well-equipped mortuary," informs professor Rabindra Basu, retired head of forensic sciences at NRS Medical College and Hospital.

Basu, who has conducted second autopsies on exhumed bodies, recollects the example of a second post-mortem on a body exhumed six months after burial.

Yet a month after the two eloped Rizwanur was found murdered near the railway tracks in Dum Dum area of Kolkata on September 21,2007. It has been alleged that on the behest of Ashok Todi, top police officials threatened Rizwanur with dire consequences unless he divorced Priyanka. It has also been brought to light that on October 2, 2007 Snehashish Ganguly had introduced Ashok Todi to the city Police Commissioner as well as the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal, Prasun Mukherjee.

Bhikhari is Untraced till this date despite CBI probe. CBI is grilling Police officials and the investigation goes high profile! Nandigram is flared once again. Rivals of Hegemony rule fight it out on streets. Fascism is said to be always Right. One has to experience the materialistic scene in Left Ruled West Bengal to know the Leftist Fascism. Rizwan case exposes this so much so that the Left has to play yet another subvertion game and the battlefield is shifted once again to the Killingfields in Nandigram! The long interrogation sessions of the accused and the minute study of the high profile Rizwanur Rehman murder case has not been able to provide the much-needed breakthrough in the case so far.

Notwithstanding the hue and cry over the appointment of CID, judicial and CBI probes into the Rizwanur Rehman murder case, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel yet.
Neither of the agencies has been able to provide any breakthrough in the case that has not only rocked the police and political circles in West Bengal, but also generated a whole nation’s interest in seeing whether justice is meted to Rizwanur’s.

Despite long interrogations of the accused and witnesses, mystery shrouds the death of Rizwanur, a graphic artist whose body was found besides the railway tracks at Pati Pukur area in Kolkata on September 21. And now it is almost certain that Rizwanur’s body will be exhumed for a second autopsy with a view to trace the missing links.

Incidentally, the CBI team probing the case had hoped that the autopsy report of Rizwanur would provide them with details to carry forward their investigation into the murder of the 27-year-old youth who was allegedly killed by his in-laws for marrying Priyanka as the couple had wed against her family’s wish. Unfortunately, doctors attending on Rizwanur’s body could offer little help to the sleuths saying that they could not ascertain the nature of the victim’s injuries or specify the cause of his death.

CBI officials have already interrogated Priyanka’s uncle and three eyewitnesses, who had seen Rizwanur alive the last time and even examined the mobile phone records of Priyanka, Ashok Todi and Rizwanur to try and discover the details about their conversations. Now the sleuths have begun interrogating Priyanka’s father Ashok Todi on his alleged threats to Rizwanur. But all efforts have reportedly gone in vain.

The probe team is contemplating to exhume Rizwanur’s body for a second autopsy that experts believe would be a tough task and may even fail to yield the desired results. According to them, conducting autopsy on an exhumed body is complicated as turns to a skeleton for being buried for long. Moreover, even the soft tissues disintegrate and in such a situation forensic examination have to rely only on bone injuries.

Thus, the question being raised is whether the reasons behind Rizwanur’s death will ever see the light of the day providing justice to an anguished mother and deprived wife.

Friends

Today is 14th year of Bhikari Paswan's disappearence.
Goverenment of India had decided to sign / ratify the Declaration on Enforced Disappearence. It is very significant to raise the voice now on the issues of disappeared people in West Bengal, executed by the police in uniform. We are citing here only two cases (Bhikari & Partha).
With fraternity
Kirity

Rizwan case: Witness fears for life
Sourav Sanyal, Bano Haralu
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 (Kolkata)
Does fear hold the key to unraveling the mystery surrounding the death of Rizwanur Rehman? NDTV caught up with two eyewitnesses to Rizwanur's death.

The CBI has examined them and one of them says he now fears for his life.

Ashish Das lives in Shanti Colony just by the rail tracks at Patipukur and was one of the first people on the scene of Rizwanur's death.

According to his wife, whatever he saw sent him rushing back home trembling with fear. Das refused to tell what scared him saying he feared for his life.

''If anything happens to me, who will take responsibility? Anything can happen any time,'' said Ashish Das, witness.

What was it that Das saw that frightened him so much? Residents of Shanti Colony are quite used to news of suicides taking place in the area.

Another witness, Dukhiram Haldar, who arrived on the scene within minutes of Rizwanur's death, says what followed was unlike that in other suicide cases.

''The police came and took photographs of the spot after the body was taken away. I noticed that his watch was intact and still working and his forearms were slightly grazed.

''There was hardly any blood in the area but the rear portion of his head was smashed in while his facial features were intact,'' said Dukhiram Haldar, witness.

Dukhiram also says there was some loose change and a passport size photograph of a woman in Rizwanur's shirt pocket.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070031351&ch=10/31/2007%202:37:00%20PM

The Todi transcripts
10/31/2007 6:52:29 PM

Kolkata businessman Ashok Todi was questioned on Wednesday (October 31) in the Rizwanur Rehman murder case
The CBI today (October 31) questioned Kolkata businessman Ashok Todi in the Rizwanur Rehman murder case.

Giving a detailed account to TIMES NOW about Todi's interrogation, CBI sources revealed that Todi had denied all charges levelled against him in the Rizwanur Rehman case.

Todi said he did not stop his daughter Priyanka from going out with him, but admitted he had used a 'mutual contact' to bring his daughter back home.

CBI sources say Ashok Todi has denied threatening Rizwanur or his family. He also reportedly denied offering money to Rizwanur or his family.

Rizwanur died under mysterious circumstances on September 21, after marrying Priyanka Todi in August. But Priyanka Todi's family did not approve her marriage with Rizwanur.

CBI Joint Director Arun Kumar has confirmed that Ashok Todi was examined today in the Rizwanur Rehman case.

"We have examined Ashok Todi today... obviously what he has given us is part of our investigation so I cannot share what the witnesses are telling us," said Kumar.

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Experts unable to say if Rizwanur was murdered or committed suicide
New Delhi : A medical board set up to examine the postmortem report of Rizwanur Rehman, the computer graphics teacher of Kolkata who had married the daughter of a Hindu industrialist, has said it is unable to ascertain whether it was a case of suicide, murder or homicide.

The nature of injuries do suggest that the death of the computer graphics teacher was because of them but were unable to reach at any conclusion whether the injuries were due to an attempt of suicide, homicide or murder, official sources said.

The CBI, probing the death of Rehman, had approached the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) for a team of experts to examine the postmortem report.

The CBI is now focusing on mobile phone details of the deceased and would be questioning all those whom he had called over a period of time before his death, CBI sources said.

Though no decision has been taken so far about exhuming Rizwanur's body, the sources said it would be beneficial right now as even the soft tissues within the body would be intact.

Rizwanur, who had married Priyanka, the daughter of Hindu businessman Ashok Todi on August 18 against the wishes of his father in-law, was found dead by a rail track in Kolkata on September 21.

The CBI did not rule out the possibility of questioning former city Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee who had admitted on September 23 that Rizwanur and Priyanka were summoned to the police headquarters on September one, four and eight when two officers of Deputy Commissioner rank allegedly tried to pressure Rizwanur to part with his wife.

The CBI on Wednesday began interrogated industrialist Ashok Todi and and his brother Pradeep in connection with the mysterious death of Rizwanur Rehman, who had married his daughter Priyanka.Snehasis Ganguly, elder brother of former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, was also called for interrogation by the investigating agency at its office in Nizam Palace.Now the CBI has called Trinamool Congress leader Javed Khan for questioning. Todi's interrogation by CBI joint director Arun Kumar and DIG, S K Golcha began at 6.30 am, agency sources said adding uncle of Rizwanur's widow Priyanka Todi, Anil Sarogi, were also being interrogated.Former city police chief Prasun Mukherjee was also likely to be interrogated later, the sources said.

Priyanka and her mother had already been interrogated by the central investigating agency.

The agency on Tuesday had interrogated four top city police officers, including two former Deputy Commissioners Gyanwant Singh and Ajay Kumar.These officers were removed earlier this month by the state government following allegations that they had pressurised Rizwanur and his wife to part.

''The IPS officers have said a lot of things,'' Kumar said last night after the interrogation.

The CBI had called Sukanti Chakraborty, former assistant commissioner of the Anti-Rowdy Section of the Detective Department and Krishnendu Das, sub-inspector for interrogation at Nizam Palace.

Their bank accounts had also been scrutinised.

On Monday, two sub-inspectors Pulok Dutta and Jayanto Mukherjee, officer-in-charge Swapan Kumar Mitra of Karaya police station and officer-in-charge of Entally police station, Pradip Dam, were interrogated.

Priyanka ‘split verdict’ triggered suicide?
Rahul Das, Hindustan Times

First Published: 01:00 IST(27/10/2007)
Last Updated: 01:25 IST(27/10/2007)


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Minutes before he died, Rizwanur Rahman had dialled his father-in-law Ashok Todi’s mobile number and spoken for nearly two-and-a-half minutes. The person at the other end might have been his wife Priyanka Todi who, the CBI suspects, told him that they should split.

“That call might have made him decide to end his life,” a CBI officer said, explaining that the conversation was enough to convince Rizwanur that Priyanka wouldn’t return to him. Why would Priyanka want to split with a man she eloped with after defying her parents? The possible answer could lie in an affair between Rizwanur and another woman, Pompy.

There are several indications that the old affair came between Rizwanur and Priyanka. Three days before Rizwanur died, Priyanka had spoken to Pompy for 35 minutes. This was after she had left Rizwanur’s home to visit her parents. “It seems she (Priyanka) had not known about Pompy earlier. After hearing of the affair, she might have allowed herself to be convinced not to return to Rizwanur,” the CBI officer said. Since then, Priyanka has pledged her love for Rizwanur. She told interrogators and Women’s Commission members that she missed him but the CBI still thinks the couple had been discussing Pompy the day Rizwanur died.

In fact, after his call to Todi’s mobile, Rizwanur called up Pompy from a PCO booth at 9:30 am. “The two had not been seeing each other for three years, but now they spoke for 170 seconds,” the officer said.

Before making the two calls, Rizwanur had sent an SMS each to Priyanka’s father and mother, trying desperately to speak to his wife. His last message to Ashok Todi was: “Papa, everything is all right. I am going.” His next call was to Pompy.

More evidence against Todi's
http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=3862

10/27/2007 1:04:49 PM


In yet another twist to the Rizwanur mystery death probe in Kolkata, new evidence has emerged against Rizwanur's father-in-law -- Ashok Todi. Ashok Todi allegedly had threatened Rizwanur to part ways with his daughter Priyanka Todi. Two men -- real estate developer Hasan and his associate Majid, who allegedly had threatened Rizwanur Rehman at the behest of Ashok Todi, have come out in the open and have confessed that they had pressurised the couple for a divorce.

It's learnt that both the men were roped in by the Todi's to negotiate with Rehman's family and were sent by the Todi's to negotiate a settlement at the behest of their solicitors. Majid confessed that he was asked to convince the Rehman family to agree to a divorce so that Priyanka could go back to her family. However, they further clarified that there was no money exchanged between the Todi's and Rizwanur's family.

Meanwhile, the investigating agency CBI has interrogated both the men, who are currently under scanner and is keeping a tab on their activities.

The CBI also is in possession of a handwritten letter by the couple addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police -- Ajoy Kumar -- in which the couple had expressed worries about being forcefully abducted. The letter in fact carries the seal of the DCP office too establishing its authenticity.

Rizwanur Rehman was married to Priyanka Todi, daughter of Ashok Todi, and within months of their marriage, he was found dead on railway tracks at Patipukur in Dum Dum on September 21.

Press Release
31st October 2007

We, Banglar Manabadhikar Surakha Mancha (MASUM) from our inception trying to address human rights violations in every sphere of social life with concentrating on violation perpetrated by police and criminal justice administrators of our country

We, Banglar Manabadhikar Surakha Mancha (MASUM) heartily welcome the decision taken by Government of India for ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of all persons from Enforced Disappearance (http://www.ohchr. org/english/ law/disappearanc e-convention. htm ) at the Special ceremony organized by the French Government in Paris on February 6, 2007 to open the Convention for signature. The signing of the Convention was done with the approval of the Prime Minister.

In this context we want to draw the attention of the Government, both central and state, and also civil society in general, the infamous cases of enforced disappearance cases like Bhikari Paswan (abducted by the police on 31.10.93) and Partha Majumdar (abducted by police on 5.9.97).

In this context we want to raise our voice against impunity guaranteed by the Left Front Government of West Bengal and strongly demand that the perpetrators of abduction, killing and disappearance of the bodies of Bhikari and Partha be punished as per law of the land.

Judiciary of the country, especially of West Bengal should come forward with its guts that their officers paid from public exchequer engaged for delivering fair trial should not be partisan and lenient to the criminals in uniform.

We are thankful to all the media houses for their tremendous and untiring effort to unearth the story made by top brushes of Kolkata Police in the case of Rizwanur. We hope and trust through your active support other victims of Police torture, killing, disappearance will also be taken with all seriousness.

Sd/-

Kirity Roy

President

Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)

Phone-+91-33- 26404520, Fax- 26404118

E-mail- masumindia@gmail. com

web- www.masum.org. in

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ---

Case of enforced disappearance of Bhikari Paswan

The then Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Hooghly district, Harman Preet Singh and three of his men in uniform took Bhikari Paswan, a jute mill worker, away in the early hours of 31 October 1993 - reportedly to Telinipara police outpost, where they tortured him to death. Bhikari was never seen again, nor was his body found.

As far back as 1995 senior investigators of CBI concluded that ASP Singh and his subordinates took Bhikari from his house that night in October 1993; there was no question about the complicity of state agents. The questions that remained related only to what happened afterwards. The Indian judicial delivery system responded to the urgent needs of the case by entangling it in technicalities, one hearing upon the next, before delivering it to the doorstep of the state's high court. The abductors have since been promoted to positions of authority, rather than being suspended and properly investigated.

The family members will never know what officially happened to his son after they saw the then Additional Superintendent of Police Harman Preet Singh and three of his men (Satya Banerjee, Samar Dutta and Swapan Namhatta) take Bhikari away in the early hours of October 31. They will never know where the body of his son was discarded. They were robbed of that knowledge, and the right to see the perpetrators punished, not by weaknesses in the case, but by an utterly callous and corrupted system.

The perpetrators of the case knew well that Lakhichand was ailing. They knew that without income and other means for prompt and effective medical treatment, he could not survive long enough to outlast their legal maneuvers. And they also knew very well that Lakhichand is the only member in Bhikari's family who was able to fight to the last no state agency is willing to award punishment to the abductors and killers of Bhikari Paswan. What meaning can the proceedings against these men now have in the absence of Lakhichand Paswan?

Although Bhikari is now dead, the real victims have lived on.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --

Disappearence of Partha Majumdar

The police picked up Partha Majumdar (30), in broad daylight from Banerjee Bagan of Akrampur under Habra PS, North 24-Parganas, West Bengal on 05.09.97.

This was because Partha was a strong eyewitness to the cold-blooded killing of one Suresh Barui who the Police shot and killed from point blank range even after he surrendered in presence of the villagers. The police fired on Partha too at the scene of action and he received a bullet injury in his left leg.

Actually, from that point of time, the police started fabricating a tale of a fake encounter.

Police had claimed that Suresh was an antisocial. However according to the West Bengal Police, Partha Majumdar had no criminal past whatsoever.

Partha Majumdar was taken from the scene of action with bullet injury to the Habra PS lockup where he was kept for about half an hour.

Next, the police took Partha to the Habra State General Hospital where he was provided medical treatment under the fake name of Ranjit Mandal (who was actually a Constable attached to the Habra PS). Partha was again brought to the Habra PS where by then the senior officers were present.

Later, on 05.09.97 itself, Arabinda Kushari, Inspector, Barasat PS and Sunil Haldar, SDPO, Barasat took Partha to the Barasat District Hospital and admitted him under the fake name of Lakshman Giri (who was actually the bodyguard to the SDPO, Barasat).

The next day, on 06.09.97 one Biman Chatterjee, Constable, from the Barasat PS signed the personal bond before releasing Partha from the District Hospital. Reconstruction of these incidents is based on the Hospital records.

Since then, Partha Majumdar has remained untraced.

On 15.09.97 a Habeas Corpus petition was moved as a specific complaint by Dipankar Majumdar(Partha' s eldest brother) at the High Court, Calcutta.

On 21.01.98 directed the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) to enquire into the matter.

On 31.03.2000 the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) made a recommendation to West Bengal Government wherein it was stated that Partha Majumder was arrested by police and kept detained and on and from 6/09/97 evening he is missing from police custody.

On 15/09/2000 the accused persons submitted their joint anticipatory bail petitions at the learned Barasat District & Sessions Judge Court.

On 12/12/2000 Sessions Judge of Barasat granted anticipatory bail to all the accused persons.

On 12/01/2004 the Investigation Officer of CID submitted charge sheet against 11 police personnel (1 Additional SP, 2 Inspectors, 3 Sub Inspectors, 4 Constables and a Border Wing Home Guard).

Since 16/12/2004 till date only 6 witnesses (out of 85 witnesses) were examined.

No delinquent police officer was suspended nor was arrested.

Victim family, witnesses are under continuous threat.

With the support of MASUM, one Revisional Application u/s 319 Cr. P. C, being no CRR 1880/2007 was moved before Calcutta High Court by the victim's family in the month of June, 2007. The matter came up for hearing on 6 th August 2007 and it was found the file is missing from the court.

--
Kirity Roy
President
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha
(MASUM)
26 Guitendal Lane
Howrah 711101
West Bengal INDIA
Mobile: 9903099699
Fax : +91-33-2640 4118
Phone: +91-33-2640 4520
e. mail : kirityroy@gmail. com
Web: www.masum.org. in

No ill-will against couple: Chiranjeevi

Telugu film superstar Chiranjeevi has assured his daughter Srija and son-in-law Shirish Bhardwaj that “he and other members of his family do not bear any ill-will against them.”

Mr. Chiranjeevi gave this assurance to the couple through a letter addressed to Pinky Anand, counsel for them. Ms. Anand filed a copy of the letter in the Court of Justice S.N. Dhingra hearing the petition by the couple seeking protection against “their perceived threat to their lives.”

“I was watching various interviews on national television channels on October 22. I was deeply pained by the accusations made in these interviews even after I had publicly accepted the decision of my daughter and blessed her,” Mr. Chiranjeevi said in the letter written on October 23.

“The apprehensions raised in the interviews are baseless. I can assure you that my fans would not hurt anybody, much less the young couple,” the superstar said.

Deep anguish

“I am addressing this letter to assure your clients that I have accepted the decision of my daughter and respect it. My entire family is with me on this issue,” he said.

He also expressed his deep anguish over a wholly private affair being made public saying that “what should have been resolved as a private family affair has become a public spectacle embarrassing the family and the couple.”

“Even after all this, if the young couple feels the need to obtain any safeguards, they are free to do the same. I have nothing further to say on any of these issues anymore,” the letter concludes.

Protection extended

However, Mr. Justice Dhingra extended police protection to the couple for two more weeks when their counsel informed the court that the family of Shirish Bhardwaj had moved the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking protection for the couple.

The Delhi High Court last week ordered police protection to the couple when they had appeared in person before the court seeking the relief on the ground of threat to their lives after the bride’s decision to marry against the wishes of her family. They had submitted that they had to change several vehicles during their journey to the capital due to their fear that they might be kidnapped.

Was Rizwanur run over while being chased?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Was_Rizwanur_run_over_while_being_chased/articleshow/2500957.cms
KOLKATA: CBI is left with no option but to exhume Rizwanur Rahman's body and perform a second post-mortem.

The three-member expert committee, which examined the initial autopsy report, has told CBI joint director Arun Kumar that it is impossible to draw any conclusion from it. The panel agrees with the post-mortem's findings, but it is unsure whether the "basis on which the observations were drawn was correct".

CBI had found the autopsy report "confusing". Now, with the experts' opinion being inconclusive, there is every possibility the body will be exhumed soon for a closer look.

CBI, insiders say, has managed to piece together the circumstances leading to Rizwanur's death and is looking for specific clues on the body to corroborate its theory.

Investigators say it may not have been either murder or suicide, but a situation was created that eventually drove Rizwanur to death - a 'murderous attack', in legal terms.

Rizwanur, CBI sources say, was relentlessly shadowed by two persons on the morning of September 21, soon after he left home. Having already received death threats, he feared for his life and tried to run away.

In a desperate move, he may have tried to jump over the railway tracks, looking at the two men pursuing him. With his head turned away and in his terror-struck state, he did not see or hear the train till it was too late. The engine smashed the back of his head, killing him on the spot.

This theory gains credence with witnesses reporting seeing two strangers standing over Rizwanur's body. CBI is pulling out all stops to try and identify the shadowy duo.

According to CBI investigators, the two started following Rizwanur at 8 am and made no attempt to conceal their presence. They were there when he made some desperate calls from a booth at Rajabazar, apparently to seek help from his friends. The 'tails' were a few steps behind when he went to Phariapukur and made some more calls between 9.45 am and 9.50 am.

Some locals have told CBI that Rizwanur looked 'harried' and was constantly looking over his shoulders.

"We think Rizwanur feared the two pursuers were sent to kill him. Mortally scared, he took a drastic step. From the fish market on Jessore Road, he turned towards the tracks, probably hoping to shake off the duo and lose himself in the crowd at Bidhan Pally on the other side. He may have seen the train approach on track 2 and thought he would be able to get across with seconds to spare," a CBI source said.

But he was hit by the train and collapsed between tracks 2 and 3. The train slowed down but did not stop. The driver, possibly shocked by what had happened, kept his eyes on the body and didn't see the men on the other side, the officer said.

Witnesses have said that two persons crossed the tracks after the train had passed, went to the body and turned it around. They frisked the pockets and looked displeased at how the chase had ended.

The train driver has reportedly told CBI that Rizwanur was trying to cross the tracks when he was hit - he was not lying on the tracks to commit suicide.

A tale of tragic love cracks Calcutta's mirror
By Somini Sengupta Published: October 29, 2007
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/29/asia/29calcutta.php

CALCUTTA: A HINDU-MUSLIM love affair. A rich, well-connected patriarch. A high-handed police inquiry. And finally, a dead man on the railroad tracks.

For over a month, Calcutta has been gripped by the story of Rizwanur Rahman and Priyanka Todi: he a young, striving Muslim, she a fabulously wealthy Hindu, both daring to marry despite her family's archresistance and, in the end, paying a terrible price. On a Friday in September, barely a month into their marriage, the body of Rahman, 29, turned up on the railroad tracks, his head mangled almost beyond recognition; whether it was murder or suicide remains in dispute. Todi, 23, shut herself off from the media glare and has said nothing publicly since.

At the center of their short-lived union stood the city police. Over the course of the eight days they lived together in Rahman's family home, police interrogated the couple no fewer than three times, apparently at the request of Todi's family. The police chief at the time, Prasun Mukherjee, justified his officers' intervention by saying, at a news conference, that he found resistance to the marriage by the bride's family "natural." The family, he added, according to local press reports, "reacted because Rizwanur's social and financial status did not match theirs."

The police swiftly labeled Rahman's death a suicide — a verdict his family just as swiftly rejected.

This tale of love, defiance and death has dominated the public imagination of this city, and not only for its rich drama and intrigue. It seems also to have touched a raw nerve, sparking public outrage that the police were making the bedroom their business, and seeming to do so at the behest of the rich and mighty. The case has been particularly jarring to the psyche of a city that has long regarded itself as a place where Hindus and Muslims can live relatively peaceably.

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The Telegraph, a Calcutta-based newspaper, concluded in a sardonic editorial that the police, rather than pursue robbers and murderers, had chosen to investigate a legally registered marriage. "They would make very good uncles," the editorial said, adding, "the police seem to feel avuncular towards a particular economic class only."

A candlelight vigil sprang up outside the prestigious St. Xavier's College, the Christian missionary school from which Rahman graduated with an English honors degree. And for three weeks, students, families and ordinary people of all faiths flocked there every evening, signing giant banners and lighting up a narrow sidewalk with hundreds of small white candles. "Candles of conscience," read a banner. "Why is Todi so cozy?" asked another, referring to the bride's father, Ashok Todi, a prominent businessman and a men's underwear baron.

"Calcutta has always taken pride in being different from other cities in India — we've been inclusive, the only metro that hasn't voted along parochial lines, a bit rebellious and openly pro-underdog," said Bonani Kakkar, founder of a citizens' group that c

RSP Minister Opposed Deployment of CRPF as Mamata Succeeds in yet another Bandh

Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

Suci on CPM

KOLKATA, Oct. 30: Mr Prabhas Ghosh, Suci state secretary, said the CPI-M and the chief minister had launched a sinister propaganda that the people of Nandigram were indulging in mindless violence and that they were trying to thwart the peace process. On the contrary, the people there are being attacked by CPI-M-backed goons and they have only intensified vigil against such “armed marauding gangs trying to recapture the villages.”

The metropolis and its adjoining areas were lashed by heavy rains on Wednesday due to a trough of low pressure lying over Gangetic West Bengal.
The rain was the fallout of a depression over the Andhra Pradesh coast which later weakened into the low pressure area over the Gangetic belt, weatherman said. The condition was likely to continue for the next 24 hours, he said. Rain or thundershower was forecast at a few places of the Gangetic belt in the next 24 hours, while the sky over the metropolis would be overcast with few showers.

Two days after Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee sought the deployment of CRPF forces to restore peace in Nandigram, his cabinet colleague and senior RSP leader Kshiti Goswami on Wednesday opposed the move saying it would send a "wrong message" to the people.

"CRPF deployment in Nandigram will send a wrong message to the people and the issue should be discussed in Left Front," Goswami, the PWD Minister told reporters. He claimed that the CPI(M) wanted to discuss the issue bilaterally and not at the Left Front. Stating that his party had resisted CRPF deployment during the last elections in the state, Goswami said, forces available in West Bengal would be able to tackle the situation "if properly utilised".

Bhattacharjee had on Monday spoke to Union Home minister Shivraj Patil and sought CRPF reinforcement from the Centre to contain violence in Nandigram.

Trinamool Congress on Wednesday claimed the success of the 12-hour shutdown in West Bengal called by it was an expression of the people's "no-confidence" in the Left Front government and threatened to launch a bigger anti-government movement. The TC called a 'paralyse Bengal' programe demanding restoration of peace at Nandigram and some other issues.

"The government should learn a lesson from the spontaneous shutdown and restore the rule of law. If it refuses to learn a lesson, we will go for a bigger movement. We are keeping a watch on the situation," Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee told reporters.

Alleging that an 'Emergency-like situation' prevailed in West Bengal, she alleged there was 'total anarchy and constitutional breakdown' and the Centre should intervene.

She also said "the Centre can sack a Chief Minister if he does not function in accordance with the constitutional provision."

She said that by seeking CRPF from the Centre for Nandigram, the Chief Minister has admitted that he had failed to control the situation.

Banerjee alleged CPI-M cadres beat up her party workers after snatching lathis from the police during the day at Rajballavpara area here when they were going in a procession led by senior leader Ajit Panja.

"CPI-M activists are attacking people at Nandigram with police rifles and using police batons. Police should function impartially but here the administration and police are totally politicised," she claimed.

West Bengal Wednesday witnessed an effective dawn-to-dusk shutdown following a protest called by the Trinamool Congress over the continuing violence in Nandigram area.

"There were disruptions across West Bengal and train services were affected. We have got reports of stray incidents of violence, especially from Cooch Behar and South Dinajpur districts in north Bengal," West Bengal Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told the media. He said altogether 2,350 people, mostly protagonists of the shutdown, were arrested across the state.

In Kolkata activists of the Trinamool Congress and the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) clashed in some places.

In north Kolkata, CPI-M supporters snatched police batons and attacked Trinamool supporters and leaders, including former union minister Ajit Panja.

"We will look into the incident and take action," Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakraborty said.

In the evening, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said the shutdown was total and people responded spontaneously.

"We exercised extreme caution despite provocations from the CPI-M and police. CPI-M men even snatched police batons and attacked our senior leaders," she said.

However, the CPI-M claimed that the shutdown was a flop. "People have foiled the shutdown by rejecting the call," CPI-M leader Shymal Chakraborty claimed.

Banerjee had said Tuesday that her party would "paralyse" West Bengal Wednesday for the sake of peace and the right to live in Nandigram - where trouble continues despite the government scrapping a proposed industrial complex following stiff opposition to land acquisition moves.

At least five people were killed in fresh violence in Nandigram last weekend, taking the death toll since January to 28.

In most parts of the state, including Kolkata, shops and business establishments were closed while train and bus services were hit badly as the shutdown was near total. The industrial belts of West Bengal were not much affected.

"Flights operated normally," Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport director V.K. Monga told IANS. The air passengers, however, had a harrowing time reaching the airport in the absence of taxis while many chose to reach the airport in the wee hours.

Kolkata's metro service functioned as usual.

Eastern Railway officials said local trains were most affected while long distance trains were delayed. South Eastern Railway sources also said long distance trains were affected and reached the terminal station of Howrah late owing to blockades on the tracks since morning.

Trinamool Congress had kept essential services, healthcare, media and the IT sectors outside the purview of the agitation.

Nonetheless, chaos persisted.

"My mother has passed away in Chandannagore in Hooghly district but I cannot go home because of the shutdown," a tearful commuter, Kallol Sarkar, said at Howrah station.

After his recent attack on the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government on the issue of food riots in West Bengal, to be followed up by the AICC to hit back at the nuclear deal-blocking comrades, Union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi on Tuesday accused the state CPM of deliberately keeping Nandigram on the boil and sought an inquiry by the Union home ministry into the alleged firing on the convoy of Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday. His loaded expression of solidarity with Ms Banerjee coincides with the Congress efforts to get her back into the party fold. Times of India reports.

In a letter to Union home minister Shivraj Patil, the senior Congress leader said: “Nandigram has become extremely tense again and several armed men, with the help of police, have entered the area. I strongly feel that the culprits behind the attacks should be booked in order to restore peace in the area. The reported incident of firing at the convey of Ms Mamata Banerjee is a serious matter that calls for an objective inquiry, especially since she is a sitting MP. I request you to talk to the state chief minister and also (to ensure) appropriate steps from the home ministry to restore confidence of the people and also to find out the role of the state machinery in the incident.”

Incidentally, the AICC attack on the Left on the food riots also followed Mr Dasmunsi raising the issue through letters to the prime minister and the food minister.

Accusing the state CPM of standing on the way of normalisation of Nandigram and charging the chief minister of failing to find a political solution to the Nandigram issue, Mr Dasmunsi told the home minister. “When the CBI stepped in Nandigram after the High Court order, it did unearth some ammunition and lethal weapons from the brick field allegedly organised by the party in power in the state. I had appealed to the chief minister find ways to restore peace... but he cannot find a political solution to the matter by taking other Left Front constituents and the Opposition into confidence. I feel had the culprits behind the violence in January and March this year been booked, Nandigram would have been peaceful by now. But nothing of that kind is being done due to the deliberate interference of the party in power in the state.”

He blamed the state government’s inept handling of the earlier incidents for the eruption of violence in the sensitive Nandigram area. Urging the union home minister to step in, Mr Dasmunsi called for urgent administrative steps to restore confidence in the minds of people in the area who “have been politically isolated and not allowed to move around freely”.

BHUBANESWAR: The proposed Orissa steel plant of Posco-India, subsidiary of Pohang Iron and Steel Co, continued to stir strong emotions as thousands are gathering to hold rallies on Thursday at a village near the site, some to protest and others to support the project.

Both supporters and protestors have announced plans to hold mass rallies at Balitutha village in Jagatsinghpur district, some 120 km from the state capital, where the South Korean steel major proposes to build a $12-billion steel plant by 2016, the largest foreign direct investment in India.

About a hundred policemen have been deployed in the area to prevent untoward incidents ahead of the rallies.

"Since pro-project groups for the first time announced a rally in that village, we have deployed about 100 policemen, including three senior police officers, to avoid any untoward situation," a senior district police officer said.

Balitutha is considered the entry point to the proposed plant site, where protestors have blocked roads for the past 36 days. They are not allowing Posco and government officials to enter the site.

Sitting member of Orissa legislative assembly and former state minister Damodar Rout would lead the pro-Posco rally, the police official said.

"The meeting we are organising is to tell people about the benefits of the proposed project," Rout said.

"Let him show his strength," said Abhaya Sahu, president of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), which has been protesting the deal. PPSS has decided to organise a rally of its own at the same village.

More than 7,000 people, including women and children, who have been protesting the proposed plant, would participate in the demonstration, said Sahu.

"They will be here with full preparation to face any consequences," he affirmed. The people will carry 'lathis' (sticks), arrows, brooms and other weapons, he said.

Over 20,000 people from around 15 nearby villages in the district have been protesting the project, saying it would take away their homes and livelihoods.

Posco and the Orissa government say the plant will bring economic prosperity to the state and create jobs, although it will affect 500 families in the area.

Ration dealer kills self

Statesman News Service
DUBRAJPUR, Oct. 30: A ration dealer committed suicide at Kaithanpur village in Birbhum this morning. Police have recovered a suicide note from the dealer’s pocket, where he has held the public distribution system responsible for killing himself.
Anish Rahman (38), hung himself from a banyan tree near his village. He wanted to get rid of the mounting pressure on him and his family over the past two months. Family members of Mr Rahman said he was disturbed that he was forced to compensate last 16 months allotment within three months to each APL cardholders. Fearing that he will not be able to do this in such a short time, he had committed suicide.
Mr Sirazul Haque, Anish's father, alleged that the villagers had gheraoed his house and threatened his family with dire consequences. “They asked us to pay them a heavy amount. My son had no choice, but to agree”, he said.
Later, the district authorities asked the dealers to continue with the public distribution system. At the same time, villagers and local leaders of the area pressured Rahman to give each APL cardholder the allotted wheat for the past 16 months.
“It was impossible to bear the cost of such huge quantity of wheat. As such, he was under tremendous mental pressure. He left home early morning. Later, a local youth informed them that he had committed suicide,” said Hasana Bibi, Mr Rahman's widow. She added that in the suicide note, Rahman had asked his family members not to continue with the ration trade.

Bandh: Kolkata does’nt care

Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, Oct. 30 : While normal life remained largely unaffected by the 12-hour bandh called by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Suci), work in government offices was brought to a halt, thanks to the nationwide strike called by the All India State Government Employees’ Federation.
The Suci bandh was called in protest against corruption in the rationing system and seeking the punishment of those responsible for the death of Rizwanur Rehman.
Buses and public transport plied on the city roads in numbers sufficient enough to avail, for all who wanted to reach their workplaces on a bandh day.
The IT-sector also recorded normal attendance. Salt Lake Sector V functioned without any hitch, the bandh failing to produce any possible affect.
State home secretary, Mr Prasad Ranjan Roy, today said at the Writers’ Buildings that the bandh called by the Suci passed peaceful in the state and no major incident was reported.
About 550 bandh supporters were arrested across the state. There was, however, disruption in train services in Sealdah South section. Meanwhile, the Writers’ Buildings wore a deserted look owing to the strike called by the All India state Government Employees’ Federation, a Left dominated employees’ union at the national level. The strike was called by the union demanding cancellation of the new pension scheme. The home secretary said that the state secretariat recorded less then two per cent attendance today.
Mr Sukomal Sen, general secretary, All India State Government Employees’ Federation, while claiming that their strike got tremendous response throughout the country, threatened that they will go in for a large scale continuous cease work, if the government does not respond favourably. “In most states, attendance in government offices was very low. We want the government to withdraw the new pension scheme or worse will follow,” he said. The city was not much affected by the SUCI bandh though, and no untoward incident was reported. At least 111 protestors, including 32 women, were arrested while demonstrating at several intersections, including Shyambazar, Hazra and Esplanade. Claiming the people “spontaneously” responded to their bandh call today, the Suci criticised the “tendency of some quarters to project bandhs called by the ruling parties or the Trinamul Congress as total and those by the Suci and other parties as partial.”

CPM desperate to recapture Nandigram

Shyam Sundar Roy
MIDNAPORE, Oct. 30: The CPI-M is desperate to recapture Nandigram in anticipation of a snap poll in the Lok Sabha. On 26 October, Mr Lakshman Seth, the party MP from Tamluk, expressed his worries at a party rally held there for being denied entry into Nandigram for the past 10 months. The party activists were ousted by the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) over plans to acquire farmland for a chemical hub.
“The Opposition,” he thundered, “thinks that they would win the seat in the Lok Sabha election by preventing the Marxist loyalists from voting in Nandigram Assembly segment.” “But this design of the BUPC cannot be tolerated any more. We have to step up our battle to foil that. There are cries and bloodshed to bring about a change,” he said.
It was reported that hours after his instigation of the party cadres, the CPI-M sent gunmen, on 27 October, to launch an attack in Ranichowak, Satengabari, Kamalpur and several adjoining villages in Nandigram.
One of the BUPC activists fell to CPI-M’s bullets, and several others including two school boys sustained bullet injuries and are being treated at SSKM hospital in Kolkata. One of the injured school boys, 12-year-old Bulu Mir, is feared to suffer permanent loss of eyesight.
By hiring armed musclemen the CPI-M aims to re-establish “Red rule” in Nandigram. They succeeded in ousting the Opposition forces in a similar manner in Kespur and Garbeta in West Midnapore.
It has been alleged that the police aided the CPI-(M) in this Opposition-cleansing operation in West Midnapore. It has been learnt from reliable sources that some of these police officials are likely to be posted in Midnapore- East to do a similar operation for the governmen on the pretext of restoring peace in trouble-scarred Nandigram.
Meanwhile, the left front leaders have blamed Mr Lakshman Seth for instigating the party cadres to create turmoil in Nandigram and have demanded action against him.

Caught in middle of a war
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071031/asp/bengal/story_8494185.asp

Simi Kamboj has been covering the Nandigram battle from Day One. Never has she come under fire the way she did on Tuesday. Photojournalist Sanat Kumar Sinha, too, never feared for his life more.

Our convoy was following Trinamul Congress MLA Partha Chatterjee from Nandigram police station to Mahe- shpur and onwards, when we heard of a CPM attack in Ranichowk and Satengabari around 12.30pm.

As we were moving along Brindabanchak, we noticed smoke billowing out from houses set on fire at a distance.

Further down the road, there was a woman hurrying along. She called out as we passed her. We could see she was weeping and stretching her hand out to us. We asked the driver to stop.

Monijaan Biwi said she had left her two lame sons at home, which had been set on fire. As I (Simi) spoke to her and Sanat took pictures, gunshots could be heard.

Someone shouted a warning that the shots were directed at us. We ducked and rushed to our car as a couple of bullets whizzed past.

The time between realisation that they were shooting at us and getting into the car was endless. We could be hit anytime.

The MLA’s Scorpio had fled. We tried to go in his direction. But hundreds of people fleeing their homes joined us on the narrow, kachcha road after a while and clogged it.

Soon, we were overtaken by 15-20 Bhoomi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee members on motorcycles. Each had a rifle slung on the shoulder. They were coming from the nearby fields, where they were hiding earlier.

“Gaari guli hathaao, aage grambashi baanchuk (Move the cars out of the way, let villagers flee first),” they shouted.

They made us halt in a field and began abusing us.

Their leader, someone called Robin, hit our car with a bamboo stick. More joined him, hurling the choicest expletives at us.

One of them put his hand into the car and slapped me (Sanat) several times.

More hands shot in through the window towards me (Simi), but they could only graze my cheek as I was in the back seat.

They threatened to kill us and abused us for spoiling their “operation”.

A while later, Robin walked up and asked for our cameras and mobile phones. He asked the driver to give him the car key, too. He walked away slinging the cameras around his neck, the key in his pocket.

His accomplice, Barun, said: “Don’t say no to him when he is in a rage. We will return your belongings later.”

To me (Simi), he said: “Don’t hide your mobile. They will frisk you and find it.”

I (Simi) told him I wasn’t carrying one and hid my phone in my laptop case, which I shoved under the front seat.

We tried to explain that we were only following the MLA and were heading towards the site of the CPM violence, but Robin was in such a rage that he just kept hitting our car with his stick.

“Because of you, we lost our land. We took your arrival for another CPM attack and fled the field. Now, they’ve taken over our area. Because of you, we lost….” He finished with more expletives.

We were detained for around two hours, during which, most of the Raipur village had realised that we were not CPM members. Still, they refused to let us go and kept abusing us and took turns to hit our car.

They let us go around 2.45, after a phone call from a local Trinamul leader.

CPM ‘conquest’
SIMI KAMBOJ
Nandigram, Oct. 30: The CPM today struck back, snatching control of two Nandigram villages from the Opposition in a gun battle that killed one and injured another.

Over 200 armed CPM supporters stormed Ranichowk, Satengabari and Giribazar around noon. The men from across the Talpatti canal burnt over a dozen houses.

Hundreds of people from the fringes of Nandigram block II, where the Bhoomi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee had spread its influence after the March 14 police firing, fled home.

Gangadhar Das, 27, was shot dead at Satengabari, apparently while marching in a procession. Sheikh Farshid, 60, was hospitalised with bullets in his shoulder.

Monijaan Biwi ran, crying: “Save my kids.” As she spoke, Pratirodh Committee snipers had begun to hit back from treetops.

East Midnapore police chief G.A. Srinivas said security forces could not be deployed in Satengabari and Ranichowk because there was none to spare. “We are waiting for the CRPF.”

Bhabani Das, who was hurrying out of Jambari village with a bundle on her head and a little girl on her shoulder, said: “They (the CPM attackers) have burnt our house.”

The police told MLA Partha Chatterjee, who went to Nandigram, that they wouldn’t be responsible for his security if he ventured into Khejuri. “What kind of an administration is this? Do I need a passport to go to Khejuri?” he asked.

But snipers from Chatterjee’s side mistook his convoy for the CPM’s and fired. They fled realising the mistake, allowing CPM supporters to move further into Ranichowk and Satengabari.

Strike over Nandigram shuts down West Bengal

KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - Dozens of people were injured in clashes with police and buses were set on fire in West Bengal on Wednesday during a strike called to protest against the killing of villagers opposed to industry.

The strike shut schools, offices and businesses across the communist-ruled state and transport was hit as protesters blocked rail tracks, witnesses and police said.

"We are sorry that people have to suffer a bit," said Mamata Banerjee, chief of the Trinamul Congress, the state's main opposition party which called the day-long strike.

"But poor villagers are still being killed by communist party workers in Nandigram for protecting their land, and we cannot sit quietly anymore," she said.

Hundreds of Trinamul activists blocked highways, ransacked buses and set fire to some to protest against what they say is frequent attacks by communist party workers on poor villagers opposed to a special economic zone (SEZ), or industrial enclave, in Nandigram village.

The West Bengal government had planned to set up a SEZ for chemical industries in Nandigram, 150 km southwest of Kolkata, but had to abort the project as villagers refused to give up their farmland.

The row saw violent clashes between locals opposed to the project, its communist supporters and police, and dozens of people have been killed and over 200 injured since January.

Although the project has been shelved, hostilities have not abated and at least six villagers have been killed in clashes between locals and communist workers in the latest trouble in Nandigram since Saturday.

Nandigram rivals square off
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Nandigram_rivals_square_off_/articleshow/2503841.cms
NANDIGRAM: Journalists were caught in the crossfire as CPM supporters and Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) members scaled up the violence on Tuesday in a bid to wrest ground before CRPF jawans move in.

A 27-year-old CPM man was shot dead and an elderly villager injured in the clashes. Armed men stormed several villages in Nandigram and set houses on fire. Journalists could hear gunshots around 11 am.

Many journalists hit the ground with gunmen shooting at each other within a stone's throw. Some armed men accosted scribes and snatched cameras and equipment, including that of TOI correspondents.

Villagers from both sides were locked in a battle of domination all through Tuesday. As in the past, cops remained mute spectators as terrified villagers fled their homes.

Tension was palpable since early morning at Tekhali bridge and the adjoining areas that separate Nandigram from Khejuri. Armed men kept overnight vigil across the Talpati canal to prevent any moves to enter the villages from the Khejuri-end.

On Monday, EFR and RAF jawans stood guard on the bridge that has seen so much violence since March 14. But on Tuesday morning, only a handful of cops were on guard when firing started from Sherkhanchak and others parts of Khejuri. Villagers blamed political parties and police for the violence.

Opposition strike in West Bengal
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7070661.stm

There was little traffic on the roads
The Indian state of West Bengal has been badly hit by a strike called in protest against political violence.
Schools and offices are closed and transport disrupted in the capital, Calcutta, and elsewhere in the state.

The main opposition Trinamul Congress party called the 12-hour strike after violence over plans to industrialise a rural district south-west of Calcutta.

The party is also protesting against the theft of subsidised grain, an issue which has sparked recent unrest.

'Peaceful' strike

The BBC's Subir Bhaumik in Calcutta says Trinamul Congress workers were out in strength on the city's streets and outside government buildings on Wednesday.

The party's activists and supporters of the state's governing Communist Party of India (Marxist) have fought pitched battles this week in the Nandigram area, 80km (50 miles) south-west of Calcutta.

At least two opposition workers have been killed and scores of others injured.

Senior Calcutta police official Raj Kanojia said that Wednesday's strike, however, had been largely peaceful.

Flights to and from Calcutta operated normally. There were reports of obstruction to trains in some areas.

The state's information technology companies are not affected by the strike.

Chemical plant

Violence erupted in Nandigram after the state government announced it was acquiring thousands of acres of farmland for a planned chemical hub.

Fourteen farmers were shot dead by police in the area on 14 March, and the government said it would move the project elsewhere.

Hundreds of Marxist supporters fled the area with their families.

The latest violence is linked to their efforts to return home, our correspondent says.

Mayawati, Lalu and Janadesh

Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

DIFFERENT WALK

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071031/asp/opinion/story_8491681.asp

To be quiet is not to be ineffectual. Not if close to 25,000 people remain quiet and determined. The Janadesh march organized under the auspices of the Ekta Parishad originated in Gwalior on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday and ended 26 days later and 350 kilometres further in Delhi. Landless farmers, tribal people and Dalits from 15 states simply walked all the way to tell the government that it was time it formulated the long-promised land reforms policy so that poor landless families may live with dignity. The prime minister, Manmohan Singh, responded quickly to this display of powerful non-violence by immediately announcing the formation of the national land reforms council that he will chair. This is presumably the first step towards the formulation of the land reforms policy that the quiet army of the landless is demanding. The government will set up another panel side by side — the committee on state agrarian relations and the unfinished task in land reforms — to help the council in its work. The committee would do the data collection and collation and other fieldwork, and its inputs would help the council come to its decisions about policy and advise the states. The response may have been rewarding to the marchers, but it is the first step in a very long process. One of the organizers of this massive rally has acknowledged that their demands, which include the setting of fast-track courts to dispose of land-related cases, will be considered, but he is clear that all this is in theory so far. The government has given an initial time-frame — one month for the forming of the committee and three months for the policy to take shape. The marchers have already shown a dogged patience and determination that might encourage the government to stick to its time-frame.

With no violence and no political extremism, this assertion of the mass’s voice and power has revived an almost forgotten aspect of Indian politics. The Ekta Parishad reportedly took two years to organize the Janadesh march. The organization has taken up a land rights campaign to help poor people not just acquire land but also manage its resources so as to support their livelihood from it. The walk itself has been an astonishing achievement, a memorable symbol of desperate need accompanied by the constructive energy to get it fulfilled. They will not go back empty-handed, as one of the organizers said.

SC questions quota benefits for creamy layer

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Wednesday put some searching questions to the pro-quota petitioners for propogating reservations without excluding the "creamy layer" saying this would not allow the disadvantageous class to come up and may lead to "clash in the society".

"Will the creamy layer ever allow the disadvantageous class to come up. They are enjoying the cream. In short creamy layer is like a higher caste who will not allow the really backward to come up," a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan observed.

"This will lead to a clash in the society. That is not the intent of reservation. This (reservation) is meant to bring up the most disadvantageous," the Bench, which is examining the validity of the law providing 27 per cent quota to OBC in the Central Educational Institutions, said.

The remarks came when Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a constituent of the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, pressed for providing reservations to the backward castes without excluding the creamy layer within it.

The Bench allayed the apprehension that seats reserved for the OBCs in educational institutes may remain vacant if the "creamy layer" was excluded from enjoying benefits of reservation.

"Do you have an idea of how many applications reach from backward class. It is much more than the seats for them," the Bench, also comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat, C K Thakker, R V Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari, said.

Senior advocate Ravivarma Kumar, appearing for PMK, said all the backward classes recognized by the state was not included in the Central list.

He said many castes have not been included in the list of backward classes.

Nation observes Indira Gandhi`s 23rd death anniversary

New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday led the nation in paying homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 23rd death anniversary here.

Patil, along with Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, offered floral tributes to the late leader at her Shakti Sthal Memorial.

Union Ministers Shivraj Patil, Ajay Maken and Sriprakash Jaiswal, and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were among other Congress leaders and ministers who paid their respects to the country's first and to date only female Prime Minister.

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi also offered floral tributes to his grandmother.

The day is also observed as Anti-Terrorism day.

Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister of the country from 1966 to 1976 and again from 1980 to 1984, was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her residence on October 31, 1984.

She is noted for declaring a state of emergency after a court struck down her election in 1975, and also for her handling of the 'Operation Blue Star' against Sikh militants, which eventually resulted in her assassination.

Bihar govt can`t appeal against Lalu acquittal, CBI tells SC
Accusing the Bihar government of trying to go against a decision by the Centre, the CBI has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Patna High Court order allowing the Bihar Government`s plea to hear its appeal against the acquittal of RJD chief Lalu Yadav in a fodder scam-related case.

http://www.zeenews.com/sections.asp?sid=REG&sname=INDIAN-NEWS
Centre likely to revoke President’s rule in Karnataka

Central government is likely to revoke President’s rule in Karnataka, sources here informed on Wednesday. The decision came after the core committee meeting of Congress party late evening. The Cabinet Committee on Political affairs will meet on Thursday morning to formally take the final call in the matter. The decision comes on a day of high drama when senior BJP leaders met the PM on the issue and Governor Rameshwar Thakur sent the President a report about the happenings in the state.
http://www.zeenews.com/Index.asp?msg=Invalid

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bihar government's plea before the Patna High Court against a trial court order acquitting Railway Minister Lalu Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi in a corruption case.

The CBI approached the apex court contending that the Nitish Kumar government was not legally empowered to move the high court against the order of acquittal of the Yadav couple by the state's designated CBI court as the crime had been probed by it.

Yadav and his former chief minister wife Rabri Devi were acquitted in December 2006 in a case in which they were charged with owning wealth exceeding their legal income.

Soon after the powerful Yadav couple, whose party Rashtriya Janata Dal is a key ally to the ruling United Progressive Alliance government at the centre, was acquitted by the trial court, the present state government had expressed its intention to challenge their acquittal in the state's high court.

The state government subsequently moved the Patna High Court, challenging the Yadavs' acquittal by the trial court, and the high court ruled September 20 this year that the state government was entitled to challenge the appeal.

It is against this order of the high court that the CBI has come to the apex court.

In its petition to the apex court, the CBI contended that only the central government was empowered to challenge the Yadavs' acquittal, owing to the fact that the case was probed by the central government agency.

''The Centre after considering the conclusions and findings of the trial court took a conscious and considered decision that no ground was made for filing of an appeal against the judgement of the trial court,'' the CBI said.

Incidentally, the railway minister and his wife too moved the Supreme Court last week, questioning the Nitish Kumar government's legal power, motive and rational to challenge their acquittal by the trial court.

In their petitions, the Yadavs had accused the Nitish Kumar of challenging their acquittal owing to political rivalry and vendetta.

Meanwhile, he Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday introduced a tough legislation to prevent, tackle and control organised crime and its links with terrorism with death penalty as the maximum punishment.Before she became Chief Minister for the fourth time, Mayawati indicated that each political party in UP needs the mafia.But now in power, she is ready with a law against organised crime, delivering on a critical poll promise.Under the provisions of the bill, the government would not provide police security to members of the crime syndicate, whose list would be kept at police stations.This move is seen as the government's attempt to withdraw security to politicians with criminal antecedents.Tabling the Uttar Pradesh Organised Crime Control Bill, 2007, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Lalji Verma said the bill was necessitated as existing legal provisions appear to be inadequate to tackle and control organised crime.It is apprehended that there is a nexus between organized crime syndicates and terrorists outfits and there are reasons to believe that such syndicates are active in the state, the bill said.The bill provides for capital punishment or life imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs one lakh in case of death of a person as a result of the crime.

Organised crime

Those providing shelter or facilitates commitment of such a crime would face imprisonment for a minimum period of five years besides fine.

According to the bill, organised crime would include terrorist activities, kidnapping for ransom, trying to obtain government tenders by force, contract killings, occupying a vacant government or private land through forged documents or by force.

It also includes money laundering, indulging in human trafficking and manufacture of spurious drugs.

The bill empowers the state government to form special court in consultation with the high court for trying the offences.

The special court could hold its proceedings in camera and take measures to keep the names and addresses of the witnesses and informers secret.

The bill says the special court would hear the cases on a day-to-day basis and adjournments would not be allowed except under special circumstances.

The government could also appoint special public prosecutor for each special court.

Provisions of Bill

The government would set up a state organised crime control authority comprising Principal Secretary (Home), ADG, police (law and order), IG (crime) and others.

An organised crime control committee would also be set up in every district to be headed by district magistrate with the district police chief and others as its members, the bill provides.

The government would also set up an appellate authority to be headed by a retired high court judge, according to the provisions of the Bill.

But given the deep links between crime and politics in UP, criminal politicians, especially those in the opposition, have reasons to worry.

According to a recent report by the State home department to the High court, one fourth of the state's elected representatives face charges of organised crimes.

The move to implement a bill could well be an attempt to settle political scores. But sources say the government is in a rush to get the bill passed.

As Mayawati has sacked nearly 18,000 policemen recruited by her rival Mulayam Singh, the government fears many of these well versed with the police procedure and weapons may turn to organised crime.

Court notice to Delhi govt on child labour
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Delhi government on a petition of a voluntary agency seeking directions for appropriate steps for rehabilitation of the child labourers rescued from embroidery units in south Delhi.

In a public interest litigation (PIL), the Bachpan Bachao Andolan ('Save Childhood Agitation') of Swami Agnivesh said that the government was not accepting the children as bonded labourers and abdicating its duty.

A bench headed by Chief Justice M K Sarma asked the Department of Social Welfare of the city government to file its reply in two weeks.

Adjourning the matter till December 12, the court expressed its concern that despite repeated issuance of directions, authorities had failed to check child labour in the capital.

The NGO submitted that the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of the area refused to accept the children as bonded labourers.

The report of the SDM given to the state government said they were artisans and working voluntarily in the embroidery factories.

Poor families

The problem of the children, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, was that if they did not work, they would starve to death, said the defending counsel before the court.

All of them belong to poor families and were here to earn a livelihood for survival, counsel said.

On Monday and Tuesday, the NGO with the help of police rescued 14 children working in embroidery units at Shahpur Jat, an urban village in the city.

When the NGO and the police squad raided the place, the kids were busy at work. None protested when they were told to abandon their work and come downstairs.

Some looked dazed and some confused while a few other children were almost on the verge of tears.

Many refused to talk to reporters. Many of them were refusing to go back to their villages, fearing a beating from their family members.

However, when the children were produced before the SDM he refused to declare them as child labourers.

Janadesh for a National Land Policy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

Thousands of tribal and Dalits who started their march under the banner of Ekta Parishad, from Gwalior on October 2nd, 2007, were not allowed to step out of the Ramlila grounds in Delhi. It was unfortunate that the government did not allow them to vent their voice at the parliament house, the Panchayat of our democracy. Minister for Rural Development, who has been well respected for some of his ministry's project came to the meeting to announce that the prime minister has agreed to a number of the demands raised by Ekta Parishad and has decided to form a committee under his chairmanship. Those of us who have been observing this government's policies know well that to get rid of a people politicians easily promise something for instant release which they later on forget. Ekta Parishad had demanded special courts for land settlement, which is actually very important given the fact that most of the land related cases in India have ended up in court cases. The second demand was implementation of the forest act, which is on the process and will definitely be challenged by the environmental lobby in the Supreme Court. Land is a state subject and hence it is difficult for the government at the center to promise anything. At the moment when the central government look meek while the state government and its bosses there are becoming more powerful, one will have to see the real agenda of the government and its promises. How will the central government convince the state government on the land redistribution agenda?

One need not to be an expert here to explain that the current phase of instability and violence in India is land related. The government of India knows well that deaths, by the Naxal violence in India is much higher than the so-called terrorist violence. Over 130 districts in India, mainly Chhatishgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamilnadu, Uttar-Pradesh, and Maharastra are under the Naxal influence. Naxal violence in two tribal states of India, Chhatishgarh and Jharkhand is unabated and growing day by day. Now, they are targeting the police and paramilitary forces. Just two days back, the son of former chief minister was shot dead in Jharkhand. Such violence will not stop unless the government introspect what is wrong with its policies.

The alienation of tribal and Dalits from their land is the biggest challenge that India face today and the government should understand it in right spirit. Not only the new economic regime where Special Economic Zones ( SEZ) have been created all over India has been exploitative of the nature but also our own indigenous caste system, which considered the Dalits and tribals racially inferior. So the battle of land in India is two fold. One external where you have the powerful corporations, multinational companies, big private companies in India and the internal forces of the upper caste elite which has hijacked every sector including the civil society and intellectual space. It is here the trouble start with the land movement. Some time, the issue of local exploitation of Dalits and tribal is relegated to backstage as the upper caste leadership in the movement only presents the politically correct external aggression. Hence SEZ and other colonization is an easy trap for all those who ignore the caste prejudices and violence on the Dalits and tribal.

For the government, both things come handy. At the moment they continue to invite big corporations to enter Indian forest and have no rehabilitation policy. In the mad rush for investment we have killed tribal habitat without really providing any alternative for their livelihood. The central government is expecting more than 300000 crore's investments from SEZ. It says that it will create nearly 3-4 million new jobs. So far the government has notified about 133 SEZ and it expect 229 more soon. So far more than 48,000 hectares of land has been acquired for the SEZ. The government claim that about Rs 43,133 crore's investment has already come been received and over 35,000 people have got jobs. One does not know how many people lost their livelihood and how many of these jobs went to the Dalits, tribal and other marginalized communities. Government's SEZ policy has openly been criticized by IMF an institutions which all our neo-liberal governments look for guidance. Now, the violence is still a part of life in Nandigram (west Bengal) and Kalinganagar tribal have not forgotten the sacrifice of their fellow brothers and sisters when they opposed the Tata plant in the area. Struggle of the Narmada displaced tribal is still going. One must not feel amused at the government's response to form another commission given the nature of our political parties to announce louder things before the elections. Madhya Pradesh government has on record said in the Supreme Court that there is no land available, which could be given to the displaced people. Now, if Madhya Pradesh, which is one of the biggest states of India and where a fairly large number of land is vacant, says that it has no land to be given to tribal, what would be the condition of other states. How will states of Uttar-Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra, Orrissa and Rajsathan going to act on this where thousands of acres of land has been occupied by the powerful caste forces.

Two years back, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed a committee headed by noted economist Arjun Sen Gupta to look into condition of work and promotion of livelihoods in unorganized sector. The committee submitted it's finding on July 7th, 2007. Some of the findings of the commission are actually a stricture against the government's own neo liberal policies. It says ', as on January 2005, the total employment in the Indian economy was 457 millions, of which the unorganized sector accounted for 395 million, or 86% of the total workers. Of the 395 million unorganized sector workers, agriculture accounted for 253 million and the rest 142 million are in non-agricultural sector. The commission has estimated the total number of unorganized/informal workers at 423 million, of which 395 millions are in unorganized sector and 28 millions in the organized sector.'

Shockingly, the more bare factors of India shining comes in point number 7 of the report which says,' over the decades while the percentage of the population below the poverty line has come down, in 2004-2005, 77% people, totaling 836 million, had an income less than twice the official poverty line or below Rs 20 per day per capita. These are the poor and vulnerable segment of the Indian population. About 79% of the unorganized workers, 88% of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes, 80% of the OBCs and 84% of the Muslims belong to this category of the poor and vulnerable. Contrary to the trend in the number of people below the official poverty line, the number of people in this segment has steadily increased over the years.'

Recently, I had an opportunity to see a document of European Union-India bilateral trade. I was shocked to see one of the findings that National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme ( NREGS) which ensures 100 days employment to rural poor, as an alternative to land redistribution. That would be a great mistake, if such anti poverty programmes were considered as a replacement to land reforms, which have historic roots world over. Just Six months back when I walked through several district of Uttar-Pradesh, nearly 400 kilometer for Land, Dignity and Freedom, the issue of special courts for land was one major issue demanded by the people. Other point came was the NREGS is not an alternative to land reform as it has failed to reach the people and also does not ensure employment to them. Thirdly, it was also pointed out that most of the communities who are dying of hunger are actually landless and fourth important point was that root cause of atrocities on the Dalits was their struggle for land rights. But today the Minister Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh's answer in the Ramlila ground reflected this mindset in the government, which want to convince us that if there is NREGS, we should not demand for the land rights of the people. The argument the government make is that land holding is now reducing, family growing and we must not press it further to a condition of impossibility. That is a dangerous argument and can not bring peace in the country.

The activists for land rights are the victims of state oppression. Last month, two women land right activists were arrested by the Uttar-Pradesh police for 'inciting' the tribal under the charges of NSA, though these charges were later withdrawn. Increasingly, the governments have failed to respond to the question of land alienation of the Dalits and tribal and the voices of dissent are being scuttled through various means, by cooption or coercion. Nandigram, Kalinganagar, Khammam etc reminds us that people will not sit silently and will not even wait for NGOs to guide them. They will pick up their own issues and fight with the state if land issue is not resolved. Ironically, Chhatishgarh government arrested Dr Binayak Sen, a very respected human rights activists on the charges of helping the Naxal. Dr Binayak Sen's problem was that he was raising the issue of human rights violation of tribal who were victims of police atrocities. So, we can understand how the governments in different states of India are treating the activists fighting for land rights and how are protest for land rights are being seen. This attitude needs change.

Often the government has maintained that land is state subject and their hands are tied. However, it reflects the mindset of those in power. Land Ceiling act has never been implemented properly. The Zamindari Abolition Acts have so many loopholes that it became virtually redundant in state like Uttar-Pradesh. There has been no land reform in Bihar. The situation in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh is alarming. Karnataka, Andhra, Tamilnadu, Kerala are already opening up themselves for the big companies. States like Orrisa, Chattishgarh and Jharkhand have gone ahead with wooing the investment without taking care of the vast tribal population. The result is now growing resentment against the government policies duly exploited by the Maoists and Naxalites.

The Arjun Sen Gupta committee clearly mentioned that the current economic policies of liberlisation and globalisation have not helped the poor. It has specifically mentioned government's policy on SEZ, rehabilitation due to dams, urban planning by displacing millions of urban slum dwellers as some of the areas of concern.

Over 1.31 crore people are landless as per the government owns figures from the Ministry of Rural Development. These families as per the information, do not have even land for their own habitation. Most of the people who construct their houses or clusters are basically living on either the communal land or at the mercy of the other. The Uttar-Pradesh's government recently passed a notification that all the Dalits who have possession of any communal land till May 13 2007, will be given legal entitlement for that land. The problem is how many Dalits have possession of the village communal land? Hence such announcement from the government look nice on papers but do very little to alter the situation at the grassroots.

Apart from the impact of displacement and land acquisition, which are policies, based issues,
One of the major hindrance in the land distribution of the land is the non existence of the
implementation of Land Ceiling Laws. We all know most of the biggest farmers politicians of
India has huge land, which they cannot acquire but which is benami. Those of us who have
been in the land rights movement for last 15-20 years have seen how even the Supreme
Court's order are mis-interpreted and misused by the governments and it's implementing
authorities with close association of the rural power elite. Hence the Dalits and tribals who
are victim of India's racist caste structure have no chance of getting land unless land ceiling
act is implemented. This is because many states are now stating that there is no land
remained for redistribution. Most of the access land is in the hands of powerful farmers
Communities, which are politically very mobile and physically violent. It would be difficult to
seize land from Jaats, Gujjars, Rajputs, Bhoomihars, Bramins, Kurmis, Reddy's, Thewars,
Marathas and Yadavas. These are the powerful communities in different parts of India. We have seen these racial prejudices of Indian political class in Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar district where 1164 hectare of the ceiling land was not redistributed to Dalits but wrongly went to immigrants Sikhs from Punjab who paid hefty sum of bribe to local powerful bureaucrats and political leaders. Nobody has power and courage to take on the powerful people who have huge farmhouses in Tarai region and who have kept the tribal as bonded in their own land. The governments definitely have no spine to seize that land.

ï€ Since the major drive to redistribute land under ceiling legislation; from about 1972-73 government estimates indicate that about 26 lakh hectares has been appropriated for redistribution from their erstwhile owners. Of this 8 lakh hectares is still undistributed due to on-going litigation and has not been given to landless beneficiaries. The government has signalled its intention to establish fast-track courts to deal with such cases and has indicated that it will specifically expedite the distribution of these 8 lakh hectares. These data are also doubtful. One more important factor is the Bhudan land. Most of the land acquired under Bhudan never reached the rural poor. We found that people have taken back their land after several years. A large number of lands were acquired by NGOs, big CBOs as well as for Ashrams, Gowshalas (cowherd). One need to remind the government that India would be the only country where land can be had in the name of religious book. There is no ceiling on farmland, land for temples, mosques or Gurudwaras; therefore people have used this strategy to evade land-ceiling laws. The NGOs, social movements do not speak on these politically incorrect things as it exposes their own deeds. There is need to take a hard stand on these issues as we continue to hear from government and authorities that there is little land. There is lot pretence as where is land? One does not understand why the government is unable to establish fast track courts for the land disputes particularly where the land ceiling act has been evaded and challenged.

Interestingly, according to government's own figures; there is more than 50 laky hectares of
Public owned land that can be redistributed. This land can be delivered to landless
households; with an aim to distribute at least 0.5 hectares to each landless household. While
the government recognises that this may not be enough to turn landless households into
Surplus producers of food grains or other crops, it does believe that it will deliver some
Security and improve the social position and bargaining power of the landless in the
countryside. With the government already promised to give the tribal 5-hectare of land from
the forest, there is an increasing pressure to give the land to Dalits also. Problem with the
current regime is that it want to promise even moon to every one even when that might not be
possible. It is unable to offend the local ruling elites in the villages. It does not want to
capture land from the power elite. It does not want to offend the business, as it want to see its
sensex zooming. It wants to clean the Delhi streets for the common wealth games. It wants to
enjoy everything and therefore when the issue of Dalits and tribal are concern, it just
promises more so that people go home satisfactorily. It also want to tell the people before the
next election that the land redistribution is on its agenda.

If this government can not impose ceiling laws, how is it going to seize land from the
Possession of the powerful rural elite? What will it do? Good, Prime minister has decided to
head the commission for Land Reform, which India persistently sidetracked. Every time,
there was demand for land redistribution, the government would always say, it is a state
Subject. However whenever issue of land acquisition came, government did not hesitate in
doing so on an urgent basis. Land Ceiling has virtually been abolished. Central government
was keen to amend Land Acquisition Act to help the big companies acquire huge track of
land. In state like Andhra Pradesh, government both the current regime and previous one of
Chandra Babu Naidu went overboard to side track the historic Samata Judgment of the
Supreme Court, which clearly stated that the forestland in the agency areas of the tribal could
not be given for mining to multinational corporations without the permission of the local
tribal Panchayats. The government's have always handled the issue with out any sensitivity.

Today, India is at war with its own people. Thousands of people have died in the land related
Violence and the government want to inform us that this is a law and order issue. Sorry, Mr
Prime Minister, if the onslaught on the livelihood of the dalits, tribal and other marginalized
continues, I am afraid, the forces of the war will win. Hope the prime minister and his
cabinet will keep their promise to millions of people of the country that there government
is serious on the issue of land redistribution and most important of these would be implement ceiling laws effectively without any prejudices and biases and disallow land in the name of religious trusts, Gaushalas. Let them also face-ceiling laws.

Land Rights in India are broader issue, not only region and community wise but also perception wise. Earlier it was mainly an issue raised by the left groups, later the Dalit and tribal organizations had it on their agenda. It is important to understand that no one organization can claim to represent India and its vast masses. It would be suicidal for the government to develop a coterie in the name of land rights. It need to open the debate on a broader level and run this debate throughout the country, otherwise, the issues would remain the same and nothing concrete could be achieved.

GRIM REMINDER

Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

GRIM REMINDER
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071031/asp/opinion/story_8491667.asp
It must be a cynical creed that sanctions cold-blooded murder of innocent people. But that precisely has been the record of the “Maoist” rebellion in India. Those who fell to the rebels’ bullets near Giridih were ordinary people who could not have been the class enemies of any revolutionary group. The death of the son of Babulal Marandi, Jharkhand’s former chief minister, in the shootout is a grim reminder that even influential politicians are not safe from the Maoist menace in the state. The danger was underscored earlier by the killing of Sudhir Mahato, a member of parliament from the region. Whether it is in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh or any other state, the Maoist massacres must not be seen as political acts inspired by an ideology. They have to be seen as criminal acts and treated accordingly. Demystifying the rebellion has to be a major element in any strategy to fight it. It is simplistic to link the revolt to a government’s failure to tackle poverty. True, the Maoists find their largest followers and sympathizers among the tribal people who are among the poorest in India. The forests too give a certain topographical advantage to guerrilla warfare. But urban poverty is no less endemic and probably affects as large a population as the tribal communities.

A more probable reason for the Maoist rebellion’s influence on the tribal people is the failure of democratic politics to reach out to them. These people, like those belonging to backward castes, are seen by politicians only as vote banks. Even politicians belonging to these communities lose contact with their own people once they join any of the mainstream parties. Jharkhand has had a particularly unhappy experience with the so-called identity politics. The state was created in order to fulfil the political and economic aspirations of the tribal people. But the tribal people continue to feel marginalized in their own state. Even the party — Jharkhand Mukti Morcha — which they always knew to be their own has gone the way of the so-called national parties. The result is that the new state seems to be permanently mired in political instability. Jharkhand’s chief minister, Madhu Koda, is himself a symbol of this political vacuum. An independent member of the legislative assembly, he holds office at the mercy of the JMM and the Congress. The Maoist threat will only get worse if this dangerous drift continues.

Chilkhadih massacre case: 3 Naxals arrested

Giridih, Oct 31: Three Naxals, allegedly involved in the Chilkhadih massacre, were arrested by police in Jharkhand`s Giridih district in intense combing operations on Wednesday.

A total of 19 people, including the son of former chief minister Babulal Marandi were killed in the pre-dawn Naxal attack during a cultural function on October 27.

Giridih Additional Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Singh said the three persons were identified as Kishun Rajwar, Manoj Rajwar and Rahmat Ansari.

CPI (Maoist) have claimed responsibility for the massacre and that they had targeted Nunulal, the son of Babulal Marandi.

Those arrested on Wednesday were not named in the FIR that had been filed by the bodyguard of Nunulal Marandi, who had survived the massacre unhurt, Kumar said.

The bodyguard had named ten persons in the FIR filed two days ago.

November 2007

Editorial

Make Parliament March A Great Success

CPI(ML) has called on the working class, the landless and poor peasants, the agricultural workers, youth, students and all oppressed classes and sections to campaign all over the country with the 18 point People’s Charter of Demands (see page 4) from 1st November and March to Delhi to join the Parliament March on 28th November to submit the demands to parliament and government. Read More...
Fight All Ruling Class Alternatives, Build Revolutionary People’s Alternative

That the prime minister of this country gives topmost priority to somehow or other operationalise the slavish Indo-US Nuclear Deal and is ready even to risk an election to Lok Sabha for this purpose exposes his class character and the extent of the political decay and crisis it is facing. … Read Full..

Minimum Support Prices : Reality vs. Political Games: P. Jaswanth Rao

It had been the policy of the Indian Government to announce the minimum support prices for foodgrains, permitting the governmental procurement agencies to buy the foodgrains at MSP and to use the stocks to stabilise the prices of food grains in the market from wide fluctuations. Such a policy is necessary in a country like India where class disparities are ever widening. Read Full..

17th Congress of CPC Deepens Dengist Capitalist Imperialist Path: K. N. Ramachandran

The ‘Communist Party of China’ (CPC) concluded its 17th Congress on 21st October re-electing outgoing general secretary Hu Jintao and his team of economic pragmatists who have promised China’s transformation along the capitalist path under the banner of Scientific Outlook on Development (SOD) which is incorporated in to the Party Constitution. Read Full...

Chinese Face of Neo-Liberalism: Peter Kwong

During the recent visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Washington, the White House seemed bent on trying in every way possible to extend him a cool reception. The Chinese expected a state dinner, normally accorded to a head of state on the first official visit to the United States. Hu got a lunch instead. The White House announcer introduced Hu as the president of not the People’s Republic but the Republic of China, which is Taiwan’s official name. Read Full…
Forty Years After Che

In Latin America the martyrdom of “Che” Guevara was observed in almost all countries on the 40th anniversary with the participation of millions of people. The attempts by US imperialists and their lackeys to tarnish the name of Che in hundreds of heinous ways have not succeeded in dampening the spirit of the people across the continent from targeting US imperialism, its military advisers in Bolivia and the CIA for murdering Che in the Bolivian jungles. Read Full..

Ghatak’s Subarnarekha : Partition, Trauma and Hope: Basu Acharya

The trauma of refugee life and its piercing political cry forms the basis of Ritwik Ghatak’s sixth feature film – Subarnarekha (The Golden Line). The film seeks a further understanding of the semi-colonial Indian society after the transfer of power in 1947. Released in 1965, Subarnarekha is the last and the most complex of the trilogy that examines the socio-economic crisis of refugee life. Read Full...
http://www.cpiml.in/November%20RS%202007.htm

Waliulllah Ahmed Laskar wrote:

Cases of Gross Violations of Human Rights in Barak Valley of Assam

The Assam Police and CRPF personnel have been violating human rights
systematically in Barak Valley killing serially innocent persons,
denying justice, framing fake charges, arresting and detaining
people in trumped-up cases, and raiding, harassing, abusing and
humiliating in false charges.

There are four such cases of gross violation of human rights
perpetrated recently in the valley:

1. On 19 April, 2007 one Pia Das alias Pria Das, aged 25, wife of
Shnakr Das under Silchar Police Station in Cachar, died abnormally
in Silchar Medical College Hospital, Silchar when she was admitted
there in a very critical condition. According Kiran Sharma, and
Rahul Das, the mother and minor son of the victim, Pia was badly
beaten by Shnakar Das, her husband. They allege, he used to torture,
abuse and beat her always during her conjugal life for dowry. That
day he hit her on the head with a stool to which she succumbed.
Afterwards Kiran Sharma went to Gunghoor Outpost to lodge FIR but
Sub Inspector N R Das, in-charge of the Outpost denied to register
the case and bullied and her demanded her five thousand rupees as
the price of registering the FIR. She lodged complaint to the Deputy
Commissioner and Superintendent of Police. But till the date no
action has been taken regarding the investigation of her case and
delinquent police officials.

2. One Hashmat Ali, aged about 40, of village Burunga, Bihara under
Katigorah Police Station in Cachar was gunned down by a police team
led by S I Sewa Singh, in-charge of Bihara Outpost in the
intervening night between 30 April and 1 May of 2007 at his house.
There was a quarrel between his father Imam Uddin and Uncle Kamal
Uddin over the right to use of the ghat of their ancestral pond. In
the morning of 30 April Kamal Uddin filed a complaint against Imam
Uddin and his son Hashmat Ali, the victim alleging threat to his
person and property from the accused. It should be noted that such
cases come under section 107 of Criminal Procedure Code which are
filed with executive magistrates. In the night at about 11pm Sewa
Singh arrived at the house of Kamal Uddin with a police team. They
attacked the house of Hashmat Ali at about 12 O' clock when inmates
were sleeping. Police broke down the doors, entered the house and
started breaking and destroying household things. Being terrified by
this sudden heavy attack Hashmat jumped through a window and ran
towards paddy field. Police opened fire and shot him dead. The
district administration and police are trying to explain the case
away terming it as an accidental death in stark contradiction with
the facts known to all.

3. The police posted at Kailain Patrol Post under the Katigorah
Police station in cachar killed one Motahir Ali Tapadar, aged 38,
son of late Akaddas Ali Tapadar of village Bhatgram, Kalain under
the same police station on 21 September, 2007. The victim was in
their custody at the time of his death. He was arrested by the
police on 20 September in connection with a complaint against him.
This complaint was resulted from a quarrel of his family with a
nieghbouring family over the toys of the kids of the two families.
In the evening of the day of arrest Olimun Nesa visited the said PP
with some respectable person from their village to see her husband.
They saw that S I Narain Tamuli and other police personnel were
beating, abusing and humiliating her husband. When she tried to
dissuade the men in uniform they beat and kicked her too. In the
morning next day, that is 21 Septebmer, Narain Tamuli brought
Motahir out of PP house to take him to the court. Olimun Nesa came
and beseeched Tamuli to release her husband. Tamuli demanded her ten
thousand rupees and he threatened her that otherwise he would kill
Motahir. In fact he again started to beat and kick him in full
public view. When the condition of Motahir deteriorated beyond
limits Narain took him to the Kalain Primary Health Centre. Here
also he tortured, beaten and kicked Motahir. At about 1.30 Motahir
breathed his last. After the death local people gathered in front of
Kalain PP and shouted slogans demanding arrest of Narain Tamuli.
Police started administering lathi-blows on the member of crowd at
which people started to throw stones. Police opened fire and shot 80
rounds wounding a boy of 17 namely Saidur Rahman of Dhumkar who was
wtching the incident from roof top of a nearby house. Being
terrified people got dispersed. But then the police themselves set
fire on the PP house Gaon Panchayat Office building and burnt them
down. As per their plan police lodged an FIR charging falsely one
Faruk Ahmed and other unidentified five hundred people under many
non-bailable sections of the IPC including 309.In connection with
this fake case police arrested Faruk Ahemd, Imamul Hoque, Ibajul
Hoque and seriously wounded Saidur Rahman.

4. It was reported in the news papers on 23 October, 2007 that on 22
October at about 10am five Central Reserve Police Force personnel
belonging to Gharmura Camp of E-147 Company shot dead one Jamir
Uddin Laskar of about 35 years of village Boinchera (also known as
Bhaichera) under the Katlichera Police Station in the district of
Hailakandi in Barak Valley of Assam. Members of the Barak Human
Rights Protection Committee talked with family members, relatives
and nieghbours of the deceased, local journalists, CRPF personnel of
the said camp and police personnel of Katlichera Police Station.
According to the sources, other than the two mentioned last, the
victim Jamir Uddin Laskar was a poor daily wage labourer. He is an
innocent peace loving and law abiding citizen. There were no
complaints whatsoever against him in police records. His nieghbour
Moijun Nesa states that in the morning of the day of incident the
victim was collecting grass to graze his cattle from a paddy field
adjacent to her house. At about 10am she saw five CRPF men
accompanied by one Rezwan Uddin, who is known to be a CRPF informer,
going towards the paddy field where the deceased was working. She
smelt something wrong and informed Sajna Begum and Anwara Begum,
sister and wife of the victim respectively. When three of them went
to the place of occurrence they saw Rezwan Uddin identifying the
victim was asking the men in uniform to shot by pointing his fingers
towards Jamir Uddin who was dumbfounded at the sight. At that moment
Sajna and Anwara started to cry and beseech the men with arms to
spare the life of Jamir Uddin at which they were beaten, kicked,
abused and humiliated. As per the accounts of the eye-witnesses
named above, at the instance of Rezwan Uddin a bullet was shot
targeting Jamir Uddin which was missed, the second shot also missed
but the third bullet hit on the back of the target, who had already
started to run away, and piercing his chest exited. The critically
injured victim was sent to the Silchar Medical College Hospital,
Silchar where he was declared dead at 6.30pm that day.

These horrendous incidents robbed the citizens of the valley of all
senses of security. It seems, we are living at the mercy of those
whose duty it is to protect us.

From Advocate Sudha Bhardwaj (advsudhacmm@ yahoo.co. in)

ENCOUNTER AT NAYAPARA (BALUD), DANTEWADA - A CASE STUDY.

A shocking incident investigated by the team is perhaps typical of the

situation of poor adivasis in Dantewada today. Nayapara, earlier part

of Village Balud, is now an urban ward, and is situated barely a few

km from Dantewada town. Kawasi Kosa had his mud house there along with

his sulphi (toddy) and imli (tamarind) trees. Because of scarcity of

cultivable land, the family had migrated to Avatpalli near Jagargunda

7-8 years ago, a "Naxal stronghold" area in the parlance of the

administration. After the start of Salwa Judum, the villagers in this

area started being repeatedly attacked by the Salwa Judum and being

threatened to join the camps. Since they did not wish to go to the

camps they had to keep running away to the forest each time the police

or CRPF would come. Village Korsaguda, 1 km away, was totally burnt

out by the Salwa Judum. In this precarious situation, Kawasi Baman,

the young son of Kawasi Kosa had to set off in search of work. Last

year he had obtained work near Dantewada in the harvesting season and

villagers of Nayapara remembered he had even driven the tractor of a

large landowner.

On 16th May 2007 Kawasi Baman and 6 others from Avatpalli and

Korsaguda came to search for work and it was a natural choice for them

to stay the night in Baman's ancestral village. The day was a

Wednesday, market day in Dantewada, but they couldn't get any work.

Their maternal aunt ("mausi") Gangi Bai said that the villagers

allowed them to use the village handpump, so at night they cooked near

the handpump and slept in a bamboo enclosure next to the dilapidated

house of Kawasi Kosa. It appears that some influential relative of the

Salwa Judum supreme Mahendra Karma, who lives in the nearby locality,

is a regular "police informant" and in fact has an interest in

acquiring the lands of this roadside village, conveyed to someone in

the police line that "some Naxalites have taken shelter in Nayapara".

The next morning, i.e. on 17th May 2007, at about 10 am, in broad

daylight, a hastily constituted "flying squad" of the police

consisting of about 6 persons came in a jeep and suddenly surrounded

and opened fire on the 7 adivasis, who after having their meal were

just getting ready to leave in search of work. Two persons - Punem

Suklu and Semla Rama, both of village Korsaguda, were killed on the

spot.. Four persons – Kawasi Bhima of Avatpalli, and Madkam Motu,

Punem Munna, and Punem Kosa of Korsaguda jumped the bamboo enclosure

and fled away in fright towards the jungle and have been missing

since. Children of the village have testified that after the shootout,

the police took out a rusty "bharmar bandook" (country made rifle) and

put it next to the dead bodies. They raided Gangi Bais house and took

away her silver ornaments including her waist belt, a tin box of all

her precious possesions, a childrens school bag containing school

books and the ration card of her neighbour which was lying in her

house. Kawasi Baman, who kept standing at the spot, was picked up by

the police. The next day he was "presented" to the press, visibly

terrified, handcuffed and seated on the floor, as a dreaded Naxalite

of the "Peoples militia Raka dalam".

WHAT DOES THE LEGAL SYSTEM MEAN FOR 'KAWASI BAMAN'?

On 25th October 2007, members of the team met Kawasi Baman in the

lockup of the Dantewada court where he had been brought for framing of

charges against him. It is claimed in the chargesheet that he and the

deceased were armed Naxalites who had gone to the market to kill

policemen, and having been unsuccessful had stayed the night at

Nayapara. Gangi Bai is accused of harbouring them. It is claimed that

these "Naxalites" opened fire, and hence were killed by the police in

self defence. Pertinently no policeman has sustained any injury. When

we spoke to him, Baman appeared bewildered and uninformed about the

case against him, and was hardly able to communicate with his

counsel, in the heavy police presence in the lock-up. We must remember

that these very police are in fact his aggressors. His young brother

who had migrated to Andhra Pradesh for work and had returned after the

incident, was helped by a Sarpanch of a neighbouring village to engage

a lawyer. He also was not aware of the case made out against Baman,

but said resignedly, "What case will it be? Like anybody who is picked

up, I suppose they must have accused him of being a Naxalite!"

The case of Dodi Nanda, whose brother had also come to the court,

would have been comic if it had not had such tragic consequences. This

adivasi was lying drunk on the roadside near Jagardonda when a mine

blast took place at Tarrem. He was transported by army helicopter and

when he came to, he found himself in Dantewada jail! He has been in

jail for the past one year. His brother was not aware whether he had a

lawyer or not. On perusing the records, we were shocked to find that

Dodi Nanda is charged with 5 five separate serious criminal cases of

attacking police stations, killing policemen and SPOs etc. All these

cases have been allotted to various lawyers in the Legal Aid Panel,

two of them are at the stage of evidence. But no lawyer has ever gone

to the jail to meet the prisoner.

It is common wisdom among the lawyers at Dantewada that when a

"Naxalite" incident occurs, the police lodge a First Information

Report against unknown "Naxalites". Understandably no real

investigation against underground insurgents is possible. Subsequently

any person then picked up in the area is simply arrayed as an accused.

The court at Dantewada is housed in an imposing two storeyed

structure, but the corridors are totally empty. This is because by far

the largest proportion of cases are "Naxalite" cases, and the

undertrials are not usually brought to the court except when charge is

framed or evidence is recorded, quoting "security reasons." This takes

away the precious right of any undertrial to appear before a

magistrate and express any complaint regarding his detention. It also

curtails the authority and independence of the judiciary vis-Ã -vis the

police and jail authorities. More often than not, poor adivasis cannot

afford to engage a lawyer. The Secretary of the District Bar

Association Shri Arjun Kunjam told us that about 40 lawyers practice

in Dantewada, and there are 10-11 lawyers in the Legal Aid panel. The

court allocates cases to the panel lawyers by rotation and they are

paid a modest sum from the State Legal Aid Services Committee. However

lawyers appear to take very little professional interest in such legal

aid cases, thus the presence of the lawyer merely sanctifies the legal

process rather than contributing much to the legal defence of the

accused. We also found that the courts at Dantewada do not even

routinely entertain bail petitions in "Naxalite" cases, let alone

grant bail. Thus the undertrials have to await a final verdict. Of

course acquittals are fairly common, given that there is little

concrete evidence in such cases against the accused. Yet, given the

pendency of cases this means years in jail.

A related problem is the conditions in jail - Dantewada sub-jail is

heavily over populated. A local newspaper "Hindsatt" reported on 24th

October that an undertrial had died because of lack of prompt medical

attention. According to this newspaper report this death was one of

several such deaths in the recent past. It was also alleged that the

quality of food was very poor and that undertrials were illegally

taken out of jail to fell trees and load timber.

HARRASMENT OF PEOPLES LAWYERS MUST BE STOPPED

The IAPL team expresses its strong concern regarding the harassment of

people's lawyers that has come to light in Chhattisgarh.

An important case is that of Advocates Amarnath Pandey, Indradev Nag,

and DP Yadav. They are well respected advocates having several decades

of practice at the headquarters of district Sarguja in northern

Chhattisgarh - namely the town of Ambikapur. They are also active

members of the Communist Party of India and of the local trade unions.

The district Sarguja also being affected by Naxalite activities, in

the name of suppressing the same, the Superintendent of Police of

Balrampur SRP Kalluri and his protégé SPO Dhiraj Jaiswal have
acquired

a reputation for being trigger happy and brutal with persons held in

their custody.

Advocate Amarnath Pandey and his above mentioned colleagues had the

courage to represent a petition filed in the High Court of

Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur by a victim of custodial rape – Ledha.

Ledha's husband Ramesh Nagesia, erstwhile Naxalite, had been murdered

after he had surrendered to the police. Advocate Pandey had also filed

a petition on behalf of some villagers of Village Kotarsi alleging

that the police had actually picked up one Narayan Khairwar, claimed

to be a Naxalite commander, dressed him in uniform and shot him in

cold blood in the market place of the village. SRP Kalluri had been

made a respondent in person in these petitions. This officer has taken

personal revenge on the petitioners, keeping them virtually in police

custody to force them to withdraw the petitions. He has also got filed

various false criminal cases against Advocates Amarnath Pandey,

Indradev Nag and DP Yadav. So much so that even the High Court had to

comment against such kind of false cases being filed against

advocates. Advocate Indradev Nag, himself a tribal lawyer who has

organized bauxite mine workers has been threatened on a number of

occasions at gun point by Dhiraj Jaiswal with being "encountered" as a

supporter of Naxalites. Incidentally Dhiraj Jaiswal is often found

traveling in the vehicle of the Hindalco mining company. Writ

petitions for the protection of the lives and liberty of these

advocates are pending before the High Court, but unfortunately no

effective preventive action appears to be forthcoming against erring

police officers.

Similarly Advocate Pratap Narayan Agrawal of Jagdalpur has filed

several public interest litigations for instance against forcible and

illegal land acquisistion by the Tata and Essar companies in tribal

areas; against the failure of the government to provide adequate

security to the adivasi inmates of the Errabore "relief" camp which

had been attacked by Naxalites, and against the drama of "surrender"

of 79 Naxalites before the Chief Minister in which many of whom turned

to be innocent adivasi peasants. Shri Agrawal also expressed that he

had been subject to veiled threats and had received reliable

information that he could be attacked.

Criminal law provides that persons accused of being insurgents are

equally entitled to the presumption of innocence until proved guilty.

A harassment of lawyers who appear on their behalf is violative of the

criminal justice system. Particularly when, as we have seen above in

the situation of Dantewada, the police investigation is questionable,

maintaining the independence of the judiciary, and the impartiality of

the trial is of prime importance. A fearless lawyer is an essential

ingredient of a fair trial and all efforts at harassing, intimidating

or silencing lawyers is condemned by the IAPL in the strongest terms.

Spy agencies have traced the source of the additional firepower the Maoists have acquired of late to renew violence in the eastern parts of the nation, especially Jharkhand and West Bengal, to Bangladesh. The agencies believe the guerrillas have forged a quid pro quo understanding with Bangladesh-based terror outfit Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (Huji) and set up shelter pockets across the border.

In the last two days, 19 people have been killed in Maoist attacks at Giridih, Jharkhand, and Belpahari in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal.

Border Security Force (BSF) battalions deputed in different Indo-Bangla border districts of West Bengal have sounded an alert on possible attempts by most-wanted Maoist guerrillas to cross the border with the help of Huji agents to take shelter there.

West Bengal’s Nadia and South 24 Parganas districts are considered to be most vulnerable in this regard by the BSF. The vast stretch of unmanned border at Nadia and the huge waterfront borders in South 24 Parganas make illegal border crossing easy.

S Goel, BSF inspector general (south Bengal), confirmed that border patrol had been increased in these districts. He said special emphasis is being laid on night vigil and sophisticated gadgets have been installed at the two borders.
So far the traffic was one way, with Bangla terrorists taking shelter in West Bengal to avoid arrests, but now Huji is reciprocating the gesture.

As reported by DNA earlier, there has been a certain understanding between the Maoists and Huji in West Bengal for sometime now.

While Huji is interested in procuring the high-intensity explosive Neogel-90 from the Maoists, the guerrillas want to use the Bangla terror outfit’s network in Nadia and South 24 Parganas to extend its stronghold to West Midnapore, Bankura and Puruliya.

A senior IB official said, “The police have of late increased raids in Huji pockets in Nadia, Murshidabad, South and North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts. As such they are likely to look for alternative shelters in West Bengal and may take the Maoists’ help.”

Maoist violence continues in Jharkhand, 5 killed

Ranchi: Maoists struck again in Jharkhand by killing five more people in Latehar district, hours after they killed 18 people, including former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi's son, in Giridih district, the police said on Sunday.

"Five civilians were killed in Boda village of Latehar (district) late Saturday by Maoists. The rebels had accused the victims of being coal smugglers and police informers," said R K Mallik, spokesperson of Jharkhand police. Latehar is over 100 km from Ranchi.

According to the police, the five people were first abducted from their villages and killed in the nearby jungles late at night.

On Saturday, the rebels killed 18 people, including Marandi's son Anup, while they were watching a cultural programme in a village in Giridih district.

Maoist rebels are active in 18 of the State's 24 districts. Nearly 950 people, including 310 security personnel, have lost their lives in Maoist related violence in Jharkhand

Meanwhile, the dawn-to-dusk Jharkhand bandh on Sunday to protest the Chilkhadih massacre by naxals evoked a mixed response in the state but hit the movement of trains, including three Rajdhanis from Delhi.

However, no untoward incident was reported till reports last came in at noon.

The bandh has been called by Jharkhand Vikas Manch (Dem), whose president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi lost his son Anup in the massacre, which claimed 17 other lives.

Official reports said that the bandh was total in Simdega Gumla and Giridh, where the massacre took place, but evoked mixed response in Dumka, Pakur and Latehar districts.

The worst hit was the train service in Dhanbad railway division and transport services on the Grand Trunk Road.

Three Rajdhani Expresses -- Delhi-Howrah, Delhi-Sealdah and Delhi-Bhubaneswar -- were held up for four hours in various places in Dhanbad and Giridih districts as bandh supporters squatted on railway tracks, a senior official of Dhanbad railway division, said.

The Howrah-Jodhpur Express and Dhanbad-Gaya Intercity Express were also held up, he added.

Buses and trucks remained off road in most parts of the state due to the bandh, which is being supported by the CPM.

Bandh supporters jammed the G T Road at Nirsa, Chirkunda and Barvadih in Dhanbad, the reports said.

In Ranchi, bandh supporters belonging mostly to JVM-D, hit the streets to enforce it.

Police detained 54 supporters in Garwah and one person was taken into custody from Barvadih.

On the other hand,Police teams from Bihar and Jharkhand launched a joint operation against Naxalites in the border districts of the two states on Saturday. The operation follows a Naxal attack at Chilkhadia village in Giridih district on Saturday morning which killed 17 people, including the younger son of former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi.Official sources in the chief minister's office in Patna told rediff.com that a joint operation against Naxalites has been launched.

"Security forces of both the states are currently engaged in combing operations against Naxalites in border districts," sources said.

Before leaving for New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had directed the state Director General of Police A R Sinha to launch a joint operation. Kumar also instructed the state authorities to be alert and keep a constant vigil in districts bordering Jharkhand.According to official sources, Bihar's border with Jharkhand may also be sealed to carry out the operation.

"Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda has requested Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to launch a joint operation against Naxalites, after they killed 17 people including Marandi's son. Nitish Kumar has agreed to Koda's requset," said the sources.

The need for a joint operation arises as Naxalites often cross the border and seek shelter in the neighbouring state during police operations.

Police officials admit that after their latest attack in Giridih, the Naxalites may have shifted to Bihar's Jamaui district, which borders Jharkhand.

The police suspect that the banned Naxalite outfit Communist Party of India-Maoist was behind Saturday morning's attack, in which armed Naxalites indiscriminately fired at a group of villagers during a cultural programme.

In March this year, Naxalites shot dead a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha member of Parliament in Jharkhand. The police believe that the culprits had fled to neighbouring Bihar after the incident.

Bus torched in Assam

Guwahati: Thirty-eight passengers, most of them brickkiln workers, were injured when miscreants torched a bus late on Friday night.

The private bus with 59 people on board was coming from Coochbehar district of West Bengal when it was stopped by miscreants.

Supporters of a highway blockade, called by the Biswajit faction of the All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU), stopped the bus, bound for Lakhimpur, at Golokganj, Principal Secret

Hi Kissinger! Nuke Deal Not Dead as Yet,India communists wary of election

Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

“When an American leader goes down a certain road, he stakes his prestige on the ability to get it executed. So in that sense, it [failure of the nuke deal with India] would undoubtedly be a setback," Henry Kissinger.

A strong proponent of the Indo- US nuclear deal, former American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Wednesday asked India to decide fast on it as it was a "great opportunity" which New Delhi could miss.

Making it clear that he is in India not to “influence” the government on the Indo-US nuclear deal, former US secretary of state, Dr Henry Kissinger, said today it was up to India’s political leadership to conclude the deal. “My trip to India was planned months ago and it has nothing to do with the nuclear deal,” he told questioners during an interaction at a discussion on the “The Emerging Power Centres of the World,” organised by the Aspen Institute.
However, he explained, while answering another specific question, that if the deal fell through during the Bush administration, it would have to be negotiated afresh by the next administration, Republican or Democratic. He also indicated that the deadline would not go beyond January 2008.
On the issue of nuclear-proliferation, he said the world escaped a nuclear calamity during the Cold War, as there were only two countries involved. The danger now is greater as there are many more countries with N-capabilities. It is not a national problem of the USA but a problem that requires global attention. He said while USA, Russia, China, India and Japan are established traditional states, other parts of the world are in a state of transition and they need global help in finding solutions to their problems. Citing the example of Iran and the N-threat, he said the US should be prepared to negotiate with Iran and other countries must impress upon Iran to reciprocate in resolving nuclear issues.
Earlier, delivering his key note address on the interaction theme, Dr Kissinger said, “In a changing international order that requires global solutions, the fundamental interests of the United States and India run parallel, their destinies are linked and they must work together towards lasting world peace.”

Americans are patriotic people and their leaders know the address where they have to reach. Hence there's an all-out effort to save the deal, and save American stakes. Americans are meeting every one who could salvage a dying deal at the last moment. Even Democrats, dead enemies of the Republicans and hopeful for bagging the next Presidency, voted in favour of the nuke deal in US Senate for 'national interest'. For their national interest of course, two warring camps of the political scene unitedly pursued one agenda.

Try to replace American in the above lines with Indian and see what scene emerges?

Here we are, refusing to talk to the other Indian and perpetually shackled to dead ends as far as common national interest are concerned. When the nation should be furiously debating its long-term security goals and options, we get nauseatingly revolting sting operations just to influence a state's elections by digging pits and broadening divides amongst people.

The security and stability of a nation never depends on the military warehouses but on the people’s will and solidarity in times of crises. Can a nation like ours, surrounded by serious threats from East to far West and bleeding internally from wounds inflicted by Maoist and jihadi terror strikes, afford to waste time in trivial ego clashes and nurturing personal political ambitions, as if India is not a one billion people’s civilisational idea but a shopping mall to be used for comfort and conveniences?

For once, I would appreciate the way L K Advani and Rajnath Singh stood politely firm on their stand when an octogenarian US 'warship' Henry Kissinger met them. He came as a nationalist American working to help his country; remember his role during Nixon years and 1971.So we need not go gaga over his gesture to see our leaders. For us, our interest should come first and that should be decided rising above political laxman rekhas .

If they can stand united for an American stand, we must have a better solidarity and look at Indira (who stood firm against Kissinger's tactics and Nixon's repellent attitude) or Manmohan as Indian Prime Ministers and not as Congress leaders. And it applies on both sides. I must quote historian and writer Margaret MacMillan, whose book Nixon and Mao' has just been released. She says," The mark of a great leader is to know when to pocket your pride and risk your reputation". This is the time when Indian leaders showed that mettle in the real national interest.

Rupee's gains seen capped by RBI in near term - UBS
Reuters India - 5 hours ago
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The rupee's ascent is likely to slow in the near term, as the central bank continues intervening against the local unit, though higher inflation in coming months may limit the Reserve Bank of India's efforts, UBS said on Wednesday.

Markets close firm, Nifty up 0.5%
NDTV.com - 7 hours ago
Markets closed firm on Wednesday with the benchmark index making a gain of 0.28 per cent or 54 points. The 30-share index touched a day high of 19984 levels before closing at 19837.
Mkts: Sensex pares gains after opening higher Sify
Markets await Fed move Business Standard

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Wednesday asked India not to have energy ties with Iran, which is facing international sanctions over its nuclear programme. Kissinger conveyed this to Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora in an hour-long meeting during which the Indo-US nuclear deal issue also figured. The comments assume significance as Washington is opposed to India going ahead with the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project as it views Tehran as a "rouge state" which should be isolated. India has maintained that it would take such decision keeping in view its national interests.

In a changing international order that requires global solutions, the fundamental interests of the United States and India run parallel; their destinies are linked and they must work together towards lasting world peace, the former U.S. Secretary of State, Dr Henry Kissinger, said here on Tuesday.

Delivering the keynote address at a meeting organised by Aspen Institute India on “The Emerging Power Centres of the World,” he said the centre of gravity had shifted from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, and China and India were the new emerging powers, economically and politically.

The United States’ friendship with India was not comparable to the one it had with China. Washington and New Delhi had not come closer to contain Beijing.

“The U.S.-India partnership is not dictated by any agreement but by their common interests in an international system that is characterised by a series of changes.”

The sovereignty of the state had diminished with revolutions taking place in different parts of the world that required to be dealt with globally.

Tracing the political developments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Dr. Kissinger said the ability of governments to demand sacrifice from their people and their ability to risk military conflicts had diminished with the power to influence shifting to international bodies. Even issues such as global warming needed to be addressed globally. Against such a backdrop, he called for creating a new international regime.

On nuclear proliferation, he said the world escaped a calamity during the Cold War as only two countries were involved. “The danger now is greater as there are many more countries with nuclear capabilities. It is not a national problem of the U.S., but a problem that requires global attention.”

While the U.S., Russia, China, India and Japan were established traditional States, other parts of the world were in a state of transition; they needed global help in finding solutions to their problems. Citing the example of Iran, he said the U.S. should be prepared to negotiate with Tehran. Other countries must impress upon Iran to reciprocate in resolving the nuclear issue.

Veto power

Dr. Kissinger called for a revision of the Security Council as its permanent members were not comfortable with the new power shift. The question of veto power must also be addressed.

“There are changes in the established order within which the economic order is becoming globalised and the political order is following a different route. But the political order has to handle the economic order. How it is to be done is a new challenge that the world faces,” he said.

Sources: US spy planes watching Iraqi-Turkish border

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- American U2 reconnaissance planes have been flying over the Turkey-Iraq border to observe military movements, said three US military sources Wednesday.

India communists wary of election

Mr Karat says he wants the government to complete its term
A communist ally of India's government does not want early elections despite differences over a landmark nuclear deal with the US, its leader has said.
Prakash Karat, head of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said the government should complete its term.

There have been growing signs the government may shelve the deal after communist allies opposed to it threatened to withdraw their support.

Such a move could trigger early general elections in India.

The deal would give India access to civilian nuclear technology and fuel even though it has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Left-wing parties in India fear the agreement could give the US too much influence over Indian foreign policy.

US companies, meanwhile, are hoping the deal would pave the way for lucrative contracts in India.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7070485.stm

Ronen Sen issue: Privileges committee to take decision

New Delhi : The Lok Sabha Privileges Committee is expected to take a view on November 16 on the "headless chickens" controversy involving the Indian Ambassador to US Ronen Sen in the backdrop of his apology. The Committee sources said that the next meeting of the panel, which had summoned Sen two days ago, will be held a day after the Winter Session of Parliament commences. Reports had it that the Committee has already decided not to proceed with the matter in view of Sen's explanation. Its Chairman V Kishore Chandra Deo had, however, steered clear of what decision the panel would take. Sen, who appeared before the Committee on October 29 had tendered an unqualified apology on his controversial remarks that created a furore in both the Houses of Parliament during the monsoon session. Members took serious exception to his remarks and demanded that he be recalled and also summoned before the Privileges Committee. Sen will appear before the Rajya Sabha privileges committee on November 2 for a similar hearing.

Left parties hold Manmohan Singh in 'high esteem': CPI
New Delhi : The Left parties hold Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in "high esteem" despite persisting differences on Indo-US civil nuclear deal and other issues, CPI said on Wednesday.

"There are differences (on the nuclear deal) and these continue to remain," CPI National Secretary D Raja said here.

But "there was never any disrespect or disregard" towards the Prime Minister and "we always hold him in high respect and high esteem," he said. His statement echoed the remarks made by CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat who hailed Singh for his "unquestioned integrity".

Noting that the controversial nuclear deal issue was being discussed by the UPA-Left committee, Raja said "let us wait how we are going to sort out these problems and arrive at some findings." He said the dialogue process is going on and "we have to wait for some time."

Pointing out that the Left has had differences with the government on several issues including economic policies, he said "we take up these issues at the appropriate forum and even don't hesitate to protest" demanding course correction.

Earlier in a newspaper interview, Karat disagreed that the Prime Minister should resign over the nuclear deal and said that Left wanted the UPA government to complete its full term.

Meanwhile, Bush administration has once again expressed hope that India can get through with the internal debate on the civilian nuclear deal and move along but has pointed out that the relationship with New Delhi is on a variety of levels. The United States today expressed optimism over the operationalisation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, while pointing that the democratic processes in India need to work to come to a conclusion on it.

"The President feels that we have a very good relationship with India on a variety of levels that includes the civil nuclear programme. We would like to have cooperation with India.

"We realise that there are internal politics that need to be worked out... but we cooperate with India on a variety of topics, and hope — hopefully they'll be able to sort out their internal politics and move on," the White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said at her briefing.

At the State department the issue figured again when the spokesman was asked for his reaction to the Indian Prime Minister's statement that the nuclear deal was delayed but not yet dead.

“The United States values the fact that India is a vibrant democracy and democratic processes need to work to come to a conclusion on the deal,” US treasury secretary Henry S Paulson said while replying to questions on the nuclear deal at the Fortune Global Forum meeting in New delhi.

“I am an optimist. I think good ideas automatically get done,” he said pointing that it was important to get the civil nuclear deal implemented as soon as possible because it would be good for India’s energy security and infrastructure. Paulson asserted that the bilateral relations with India were never so good in the past as it is now.

On the sub-prime crisis in the US, he said it was too early to call an end to the housing slump. “The US government is still trying to assess as to what went wrong in the sub-prime crisis, particularly focussing on the role of credit agencies and accounting rules related to structured investment vehicles,” he said.

Failing to complete its task within the repeatedly extended time-frame, the Liberhan Commission, probing the circumstances leading to demolition of Babri Masjid, was on Wednesday given its 42nd extension for two more months. The term of the Commission, set up soon after the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, has now been extended by till December 31, official sources said. The term of the panel was extended on August 31 despite the government's statement in Parliament that the Commission would not be given any further time.

Union Home Ministry was hoping that the panel would submit its report before the deadline as the 15-year old Commission has already cost the state exchequer about Rs 7.20 crore.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who acknowledged that his government will have to be sensitive to domestic political opinion on the Indo-US nuclear agreement, on Tuesday said he has not reached the end of the road on the issue.

“Efforts are on to evolve a broad-based consensus. We are a democracy. Ultimately, we have to take all those support us with us. I would not like to speculate on what would be the consequences if there is some delay. We haven’t reached the end of the road,” he told a press conference that he addressed along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Mr Singh said he had a “fruitful discussion” on issues of civil nuclear co-operation between India and the international community with the German Chancellor. The Germans are waiting for India to conclude internal discussions on the issue. A week ago, the German ambassador to India had said his country would take a formal view on the matter only after India works out the safeguards with the IAEA. Germany is slated to take the chair of the Nuclear Suppliers Group by the year-end.

The German Chancellor said the prime minister explained the internal situation (on the deal) to her. “Once IAEA safeguard is in place, Germany and India can do a lot in the peaceful use of nuclear power,” the chancellor said. In his interaction with the media, the prime minister defended the nuclear agreement. “It is an honourable deal which is good for India and the world and for non-proliferation. We have run into problems. We are trying to resolve the matter. As far as the government is concerned, we remain committed to the deal,” Mr Singh said.

In washington, The White House said on Tuesday that it is hopeful that the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal - blocked by the left parties- would finally be able to move forward.Lalit K Jha
reports for NDTV.

''Hopefully they will be able to sort out their internal politics and move on,'' White House spokesperson Dan Perino told reporters in Washington.

Ever since the nuke deal hit India's domestic political squabble -- courtesy mainly the left parties, who provide the crucial support to the ruling UPA coalition from outside - the Bush Administration has officially maintained that it is for the Manmohan Singh Government to overcome the internal political problem, even though its top officials have publicly said they want the issue to be resolved soon.

''We realize that there are internal politics that need to be worked out, and that's one of the things that (the Treasury) Secretary Paulson is talking about,'' Perino said in response to a question.

''The President feels that we have a very good relationship with India on a variety of levels, and that includes the civil nuclear program,'' the White House spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, State Department Spokesperson Sean McCormack told reporters at his daily press briefing that the United States continues to support the deal and continues to support moving forward with it.

Stating that the US has always ''encouraged'' the Indian Government to move forward with it, McCormack said: ''But they are working through an intense domestic political debate. That is going to play out on the terms defined by the Indian people and their elected representatives.''

For the past couple of weeks, the Bush Administration - which considers the nuke deal as a key element of its foreign policy - has been maintaining close contact with the top Indian leadership.

Only this month, while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, made a telephone call to Bush to inform him about the difficulties being faced in implementing the deal, on Monday Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, made another call to Foreign Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, to discuss with him the progress made. Mukherjee is negotiating the deal with the left parties.

Besides, the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns, and the US Ambassador to India, David Mulford, too has been maintaining close talks with top Indian officials in this regard.

In a recent Foreign Policy paper and subsequently in a lecture at the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations in New York early this month, Burns had emphasized that the civilian nuclear deal is central to the relationship between the two countries.

He also urged upon the Indian Government to move to resolve the issue as soon as possible as the Bush Administration was keen to get it done by the end of the year.

Now, India has to negotiate and enter into a safeguards agreement with the IAEA, following which the US would approach the Nuclear Suppliers Group to remove the restrictions on India. It would also approach the Congress for the final seal of approval.

HK is a war criminal from WAYYYYY back.....

S kumar wrote:
People should not forget it was the same Kissinger who was "pallying with Pakistan and China and hated India calling abusive terms for Indians. He also advised Nixon to nuke India in 1971 war with Pakistan and the SS Enterprise Aircraft carrier sailed to Bay of Bengal from Philippines. Fortunately for India, the operations were over before Nixon/ Kissinger acted and over 90,000 Pakistani troops undeer Gen.Niazi surrendered to India.

Kissinger might be having a hidden agenda up his sleeves as the Hyde Act itself has not been revealed as yet, which has highly damaging clauses, to enable US troops to enter our Nuclear fcilities on lame excuses.

US House of Representatives passes resolution recognising Diwali

Sridhar Krishnaswami in Washington

October 30, 2007 09:16 IST

The US House of Representatives has for the first time passed a resolution recognising the "religious and historical significance" of Diwali.
The House Resolution 747, passed by an overwhelming vote of 358 to 0 (with 66 members abstaining), "is the first time the US Congress has ever passed a resolution in honour of Diwali", said Joe Wilson, the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans.
"I am pleased that this legislation recognising the religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali, has been brought to the floor today for consideration, " the Republican from South Carolina, who was among the sponsors of the bill, said in a statement.
"Celebrated by the people of India, the Indian diaspora and the nearly 2 million Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains in the US, Diwali is a five-day festival held in the fall that celebrates the values of kinship, knowledge, and goodness," Wilson said.
The festival signifies the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. This is commonly represented by individuals lighting oil lamps and placing them outside their homes.
"My resolution acknowledges the international, religious, and historical importance of the festival of Diwali as well as the religious diversity in India, the United States, and throughout the world. It shows our support for the strong and growing partnership and dialogue in international efforts between the United States and India," he said.
Lastly, it recognises the importance of Indian-Americans -- a strong and vibrant immigrant community, he added.
Wilson said as a lifelong supporter and admirer of the Indian-American community, he was grateful for the opportunity to show his appreciation.
"My father served in India during World War II, and he told me how entrepreneurial and competent the people of India are. I call on my colleagues here in the House of Representatives to do the same for the citizens of India, a strategic and economic ally," the lawmaker said.
The House Resolution on Diwali acknowledged and supported "the new relationship of collaboration and dialogue in international efforts between the United States and India" and expressed "its deepest respect to Indian-Americans and the Indian diaspora throughout the world on this significant occasion."

Left makes a U-turn, starts praising PM

CNN-IBN

Published on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 12:10 in Nation section

New Delhi: In an exclusive interview to Kolkata-based daily, The Telegraph, CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat made obvious overtures to the Prime Minister, saying that the Left respected the PM’s honesty and unquestioned integrity.

Karat also refused to blame the prime minister for the political crisis over the nuclear deal, saying that it was over divergent positions, not personal differences, adding that the Prime Minister's support for the deal was out of his strong convictions.

Karat clarified that though the CPM’s stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal was unchanged, there was no threat to the UPA govt from the Left.

In fact, he offered a palliative, saying that if the government scrapped the nuclear deal under pressure from the Left, it would go the rest of its term without fear of being hounded by the CPM.

Karat quashed suggestions that there was a basic lack of trust between the Left and the PM saying that he did not agree with those who felt Manmohan singh should step down if he could not go ahead with the agreement.

On the three-month-long face-off, Karat said "It is true that there has been a basic difference in approach between the Prime Minister and the Left on the nuclear agreement. We recognise that he has strong convictions on the soundness and utility of the agreement. Our differing view on the agreement does not mean that we do not have respect for the Prime Minister. His integrity is unquestioned."

Karat also refused to blame the Prime Minister for starting the political crisis over the nuclear deal. “The political stand-off arose because of divergent positions and not personal differences,” he said.

The CPM general secretary also dismissed the view that Singh would lose prestige if he continued in office by giving up the deal.

"As the Prime Minister heading a coalition government without the backing of a parliamentary majority for the deal, his not going ahead despite his firm conviction that it is a good deal will not detract from his stature," he said, adding: "This situation (of leaders not having their way) is well understood in coalitional politics around the world."

CPI leader D Raja also told CNN-IBN that Left parties never meant any disrespect to the PM and that efforts are on to sort out differences with the UPA on the nuclear deal and other economic issues.

India: be the party pooper By Sunita Narain
http://www.indiademocracy.org/index.php/article/listArticle
posted By Raju01 on 25 October 2007 23:24
US President George Bush played host to a party of the top polluters of the world called to discuss climate change. He exhorted his guests that the world needed to act and called for a "new approach" to reduce emissions. But if you think that he has changed his mind about the science which has established the reality and urgency of climate change, think again. Or if you think he has changed his position that his country will not take on commitments to cut emissions because the American lifestyle is not open to negotiation, think yet again and again.

The Bush meeting was strategic: first, it was an attempt (and a successful one) to club the rich countries, who have been old and big polluters, with the emerging countries-China and India. The meeting was to remove the difference between the two categories-those who need to make deep cuts in their emissions and those who need the space to grow.

If the Indians (and the Chinese) were looking for a place at this high table of polluters, they certainly got their wish.

There is nothing new about Bush's position on climate change. In fact, I would go so far as to say that there is nothing different about his position from that of the previous Democratic government led by Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

This is nothing more than recent history repeating itself. It is predictable and it is dangerous for the climate and for our common future.

What Bush did should not surprise us. The US has been steadfast: it will take action (whatever that means) only when it includes all big polluters, including China and India.

I remember clearly the events in Kyoto in 1997, when the emissions treaty was being finalised to set legally binding targets on industrialized countries. That week all the stops were pulled out. The phones buzzed between the White House and the prime minister's office.

The US made it clear that it wanted "meaningful participation" from India and China. Its intransigence meant that all other governments (those of the European Union to Japan) had to work hard to play matchmaker to get the Chinese and Indians to bend so the US could sign up to the treaty.

But what the Indian government did by accepting the Bush party invite now should surprise us. I do accept that its position also remained steadfast at the recent meeting. It did inform its host that the world needed to act on the basis of historical contributions to the stock of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. And that India's per capita
emissions are negligible compared to those of the flatulent US or the developed European countries. But believe me when I say this is nothing other than posturing: rhetoric without any substance.

The fact is that we have agreed tacitly to join the membership of the polluters-only club. In this way we have blurred (if not altogether removed) the distinction-followed in all global agreements-between countries which need to take action first and those who need the ecological space to grow. But this is just one part of a much bigger problem.

We have also asserted our right to development without insisting that the US should take on deep and obligatory emission targets, for all our sake. We have agreed to this ultimate marriage of convenience-not to ask the us to commit so that we can get off the hook. We will all take on "aspirational" targets, Bush said at the meeting. Let us understand
this.

This is the ultimate and deadly bribe to seduce India and China: we will not allow the Europeans and others to push us into legally binding targets. This way is better: voluntary commitments and no targets.

Just think. This is a way in which we will all go to hell together. The fact is that the world needs to act. It needs to act decisively and urgently. We can already see the repercussions of a mere 0.7°c increase in global temperatures in terms of melting glaciers and extreme weather and rain events. Just think what it will be like when the world sees, on average, an increase of 1.5°c, which is now inevitable because of the
stock of emissions already in the atmosphere, or 2°c, which is the best we can get if we are responsible. The Bush way is disastrous. It must not be acceptable.

But we are hypocrites. We laid the foundation stone for this Bush conclave when we agreed to join the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which was launched by the US administration just under two years ago. This partnership had just one aim: to break the multilateral processes built around legally binding commitments by proving that voluntary action agreed by the major polluting nations would be effective. Many meetings down the line, the partnership has led to nothing concrete on the ground. But then who cares?

But we have to care. Climate is too serious a business to be made a joke out of, as is done by the US president and his administration. We need to explain to the rich world why it needs to act decisively and cut its emissions and how it needs to change its lifestyle. We need to show how we can participate meaningfully in a strategy to avoid future emissions.

We also need to say how this can be done through providing emission rights for all; effective technology transfer and hard funds to pay for transition into low-carbon growth options.

We must make it clear that we are not unwilling and reluctant partners in this climate endgame. We are players and we are serious. Bush's party is not ours to enjoy.

1. The fact that several heavy weights from Henry Kissinger downwards made a beeline to India meeting such diverse leaders as CPM in West Bengal, Advani and Rajnath Singh of BJP as well as the UPA Ministers and officials to get the support for 123 REVEALS THAT THE U.S. IS FRACTIC TO GET THIS DEAL SIGNED AT THE EARLIEST TO ITS ADVANTAGE AND DOMINATE INDIAN POLITICS IN FUTURE!!

2. Several past Chairmen of AEC like Iyengar and MS Sreenivasan have openly come out against the 123, as the HYDE clauses are definitely not in favour of India, hiding several inimiacl clauses, the reason why PM does not want an open discussion or reveal the details before signing the deal.

3. Kakodkar has apparently been purchased by US lobby to favour 123 and the latest statements of the fall in power generation to precarious levels is one such move to pressurise the dissenting groups.

4. Why is the well knowledgeable Kalam silent in this matter? Perhaps due to his heading the Country earlier, he might hesitate to say anything egative openly.

5. Lallu, Karunanidhi, Paswan and Pawar `are more worried about their chairs and would do anything unethical and below their dignity to persuade Left not to precipitate the matter. All of them are sure of their defeat in a recontest!!

FIRM BUT WITH RESPECT
Prakash Karat in conversation with Manini Chatterjee of The Telegraph
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071031/asp/frontpage/story_8494538.asp
A file picture of Prakash Karat with Manmohan Singh
The full text of the interview with CPM general secretary Prakash Karat

Q: The UPA-Left panel has had several rounds

The Mercenary State?

Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

From: Pal-REFUGEE

Will History Repeat Itself?
Is this the ‘clash of civilizations’ that the Neocons had advocated – and have worked so hard to advance? Over the past century, the nations that initiated the two major wars eventually came to regret them. Is it likely that this history may repeat itself?

By M. Shahid Alam
Special to PalestineChronicle.com

".....Why, then, did the US not target Pakistan?

Six years later, this question is not less pertinent: and for two reasons. After being stalled by the Iraqi resistance, US plans for war against Iran are again gathering steam. If Iran is such a tempting target, why not take a few potshots at Pakistan also?.....

Yet, there has been little talk in Washington or Tel Aviv about adding Pakistan to the ‘axis of evil.’ This is the Pakistani paradox.

This paradox has a simple explanation. In Pakistan, the US had effected regime change without a change of regime. Almost overnight, following the attacks of 9-11, the US had drafted the Pakistani military to wage war against Muslim extremists. The US had gained an army: and Pakistan’s military dictators had gained longevity......

This Latin American approach to counter-insurgency is not likely to work in Pakistan. Their military juntas were firmly rooted in the elites and middle classes, set apart from the leftist insurgents – mostly Amerindians or Mestizos – by both class and race. The boundary between the adversaries in Latin America was firmly drawn.

In Pakistan, the insurgents are Muslim nationalists. They are drawn mainly from Pashtun peasants, but they enjoy broad support among the peasants as well as the middle classes all over Pakistan.

On the other side, about a fourth of Pakistan army consists of Pashtuns; and mid- and low-ranking officers are middle-class in their origin and orientation. Only the top military brass identify firmly with the elites......"

# posted by Tony : 6:18 PM
Human Rights International, msngroups

The Myth of al-Qaeda in Iraq

Fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq is the last big argument for
keeping U.S. troops in the country. But the military's
estimation of the threat is alarmingly wrong.

By Andrew Tilghman

09/09/07 "Washington Monthly " -- --- In March 2007, a
pair of truck bombs tore through the Shiite
marketplace in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar,
killing more than 150 people. The blast reduced the
ancient city center to rubble, leaving body parts and
charred vegetables scattered amid pools of blood. It
was among the most lethal attacks to date in the
five-year-old Iraq War. Within hours, Iraqi officials
in Baghdad had pinned the bombing on al-Qaeda, and
news reports from Reuters, the BBC, MSNBC, and others
carried those remarks around the world. An Internet
posting by the terrorist group known as al-Qaeda in
Iraq (AQI) took credit for the destruction. Within a
few days, U.S. Army General David Petraeus publicly
blamed AQI for the carnage, accusing the group of
trying to foment sectarian violence and ignite a civil
war. Back in Washington, pundits latched on to the
attack with special interest, as President Bush had
previously touted a period of calm in Tal Afar as
evidence that the military's retooled
counterinsurgency doctrine was working. For days,
reporters and bloggers debated whether the attacks
signaled a "resurgence" of al-Qaeda in the city.

Yet there's reason to doubt that AQI had any role in
the bombing. In the weeks before the attack, sectarian
tensions had been simmering after a local Sunni woman
told Al Jazeera television that she had been
gang-raped by a group of Shiite Iraqi army soldiers.
Multiple insurgent groups called for violence to
avenge the woman's honor. Immediately after the blast,
some in uniform expressed doubts about al- Qaeda's
alleged role and suggested that homegrown sectarian
strife was more likely at work. "It's really not
al-Qaeda who has infiltrated so much as the fact [of]
what happened in 2003," said Ahmed Hashim, a professor
at the Naval War College who served as an Army
political adviser to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment in Tal
Afar until shortly before the bombing. "The formerly
dominant Sunni Turkmen majority there," he told PBS's
NewsHour With Jim Lehrer soon after the bombing,
"suddenly ... felt themselves having been thrown out
of power. And this is essentially their revenge."

A week later, Iraqi security forces raided a home
outside Tal Afar andarrested two men suspected of
orchestrating the bombing. Yet when the U.S. military
issued a press release about the arrests, there was no
mention of an al-Qaeda connection. The suspects were
never formally charged, and nearly six months later
neither the U.S. military nor Iraqi police are certain
of the source of the attacks. In recent public
statements, the military has backed off its former
allegations that al-Qaeda was responsible, instead
asserting, as Lieutenant Colonel Michael Donnelly
wrote in response to an inquiry from the Washington
Monthly, that "the tactics used in this attack are
consistent with al-Qaeda."

This scenario has become common. After a strike, the
military rushes to point the finger at al-Qaeda, even
when the actual evidence remains hazy and an
alternative explanation—raw hatred between local
Sunnis and Shiites—might fit the circumstances just as
well. The press blasts such dubious conclusions back
to American citizens and policy makers in Washington,
and the incidents get tallied and quantified in
official reports, cited by the military in briefings
in Baghdad. The White House then takes the reports and
crafts sound bites depicting AQI as the number one
threat to peace and stability in Iraq. (In July, for
instance, at Charleston Air Force Base, the president
gave a speech about Iraq that mentioned al-Qaeda
ninety-five times.)

By now, many in Washington have learned to discount
the president's rhetorical excesses when it comes to
the war. But even some of his harshest critics take at
face value the estimates provided by the military
about AQI's presence. Politicians of both parties
point to such figures when forming their positions on
the war. All of the top three Democratic presidential
candidates have argued for keeping some American
forces in Iraq or the region, citing among other
reasons the continued threat from al-Qaeda.

But what if official military estimates about the size
and impact of al-Qaeda in Iraq are simply wrong?
Indeed, interviews with numerous military and
intelligence analysts, both inside and outside of
government, suggest that the number of strikes the
group has directed represent only a fraction of what
official estimates claim. Further, al-Qaeda's presumed
role in leading the violence through uniquely
devastating attacks that catalyze further unrest may
also be overstated.

Having been led astray by flawed prewar intelligence
about WMDs, official Washington wants to believe it
takes a more skeptical view of the administration's
information now. Yet Beltway insiders seem to be
making almost precisely the same mistakes in sizing up
al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Despite President Bush's near-singular focus on
al-Qaeda in Iraq, most in Washington understand that
instability on the ground stems from multiple sources.
Numerous attacks on both U.S . troops and Iraqi
civilians have been the handiwork of Shiite militants,
often connected to, or even part of, the Iraqi
government. Opportunistic criminal gangs engage in
some of the same heinous tactics.

The Sunni resistance is also comprised of multiple
groups. The first consists of so-called "former regime
elements." These include thousands of ex-officers from
Saddam's old intelligence agency, the Mukabarat, and
from the elite paramilitary unit Saddam Fedayeen.
Their primary goal is to drive out the U.S. occupation
and install a Sunni-led government hostile to Iranian
influence. Some within this broad group support
reconciliation with the current government or
negotiations with the United States, under the
condition that American forces set a timetable for a
troop withdrawal.

The second category consists of homegrown Iraqi Sunni
religious groups, such as the Mujahadeen Army of Iraq.
These are native Iraqis who aim to install a
religious-based government in Baghdad, similar to the
regime in Tehran. These groups use religious rhetoric
and terrorist tactics but are essentially
nationalistic in their aims.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq comprises the third group. The
terrorist network was founded in 2003 by the now-dead
Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. (The extent
of the group's organizational ties to Osama bin
Laden's al-Qaeda is hotly debated, but the
organizations share a worldview and set of
objectives.) AQI is believed to have the most
non-Iraqis in its ranks, particularly among its
leadership. However, most recent assessments say the
rank and file are mostly radicalized Iraqis. AQI,
which calls itself the "Islamic State of Iraq,"
espouses the most radical form of Islam and calls for
the imposition of strict sharia, or Islamic law. The
group has no plans for a future Iraqi government and
instead hopes to create a new Islamic caliphate with
borders reaching far beyond Mesopotamia.

The essential questions are: How large is the presence
of AQI, in terms of manpower and attacks instigated,
and what role does the group play in catalyzing
further violence? For the first question, the military
has produced an estimate. In a background briefing
this July in Baghdad, military officials said that
during the first half of this year AQI accounted for
15 percent of attacks in Iraq. That figure was also
cited in the military intelligence report during final
preparations for a National Intelligence Estimate in
July.

This is the number on which many military experts
inside the Beltway rely. Michael O'Hanlon, a senior
fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings
Institution who attended the Baghdad background
briefing, explained that he thought the estimate
derived from a comprehensive analysis by teams of
local intelligence agents who examine the type and
location of daily attacks, and their intended targets,
and crosscheck that with reports from Iraqi informants
and other data, such as intercepted phone calls. "It's
a fairly detailed kind of assessment," O'Hanlon said.
"Obviously you can't always know who is behind an
attack, but there is a fairly systematic way of
looking at the attacks where they can begin to make a
pretty informed guess."

Yet those who have worked on estimates inside the
system take a more circumspect view. Alex Rossmiller,
who worked in Iraq as an intelligence officer for the
Department of Defense, says that real uncertainties
exist in assigning responsibility for attacks. "It was
kind of a running joke in our office," he recalls. "We
would sarcastically refer to everybody as al-Qaeda."

To describe AQI's presence, intelligence experts cite
a spectrum of estimates, ranging from 8 percent to 15
percent. The fact that such "a big window" exists,
says Vincent Cannistraro, former chief of the CIA's
Counterterrorism Center, indicates that "[those
experts] really don't have a very good perception of
what is going on."

It's notable that military intelligence reports have
opted to cite a figure at the very top of that range.
But even the low estimate of 8 percent may be an
overstatement, if you consider some of the
government's own statistics.

The first instructive set of data comes from the
U.S.-sponsored Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In
March, the organization analyzed the online postings
of eleven prominent Sunni insurgent groups, including
AQI, tallying how many attacks each group claimed. AQI
took credit for 10 percent of attacks on Iraqi
security forces and Shiite militias (forty-three out
of 439 attacks), and less than 4 percent of attacks on
U.S. troops (seventeen out of 357). Although these
Internet postings should not be taken as proof
positive of the culprits, it's instructive to remember
that PR-conscious al- Qaeda operatives are far more
likely to overstate than understate their role.

When turning to the question of manpower, military
officials told the New York Times in August that of
the roughly 24,500 prisoners in U.S. detention
facilities in Iraq (nearly all of whom are Sunni),
just 1,800—about 7 percent—claim allegiance to
al-Qaeda in Iraq. Moreover, the composition of inmates
does not support the assumption that large numbers of
foreign terrorists, long believed to be the leaders
and most hard-core elements of AQI, are operating
inside Iraq. In August, American forces held in
custody 280 foreign nationals—slightly more than 1
percent of total inmates.

The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and
Research (INR), which arguably has the best track
record for producing accurate intelligence
assessments, last year estimated that AQI's membership
was in a range of "more than 1,000." When compared
with the military's estimate for the total size of the
insurgency—between 20,000 and 30,000 full-time
fighters—this figure puts AQI forces at around 5
percent. When compared with Iraqi intelligence's much
larger estimates of the insurgency—200,000
fighters—INR's estimate would put AQI forces at less
than 1 percent. This year, the State Department
dropped even its base-level estimate, because, as an
official explained, "the information is too disparate
to come up with a consensus number."

How big, then, is AQI? The most persuasive estimate
I've heard comes from Malcolm Nance, the author of The
Terrorists of Iraq and a twenty-year intelligence
veteran and Arabic speaker who has worked with
military and intelligence units tracking al-Qaeda
inside Iraq. He believes AQI includes about 850
full-time fighters, comprising 2 percent to 5 percent
of the Sunni insurgency. "Al-Qaeda in Iraq," according
to Nance, "is a microscopic terrorist organization."

So how did the military come up with an estimate of 15
percent, when government data and many of the
intelligence community's own analysts point to
estimates a fraction of that size? The problem begins
at the top. When the White House singles out al-Qaeda
in Iraq for special attention, the bureaucracy
responds by creating procedures that hunt down more
evidence of the organization. The more manpower
assigned to focus on the group, the more evidence is
uncovered that points to it lurking in every shadow.
"When you have something that is really hot, the
leaders start tasking everyone to look into that,"
explains W. Patrick Lang, a retired U.S. Army colonel
and former head of Middle East intelligence analysis
for the Department of Defense. "Whoever is at the top
of the pyramid says, 'Make me a briefing showing what
al-Qaeda in Iraq is doing,' and then the decision
maker says, 'Aha, I knew I was right.'"

With disproportionate resources dedicated to tracking
AQI, the search has become a self-reinforcing loop.
The Army has a Special Operations task force solely
dedicated to tracking al-Qaeda in Iraq. The Defense
Intelligence Agency tracks AQI through its Iraq office
and its counterterrorism office. The result is more
information culled, more PowerPoint slides created,
and, ultimately, more attention drawn to AQI, which
amplifies its significance in the minds of military
and intelligence officers. "Once people look at
everything through that lens, al-Qaeda is all they
see," said Larry Johnson, a former CIA officer who
also worked at the U.S. State Department's Office of
Counterterrorism. "It sort of becomes a
self-fulfilling prophecy."

Ground-level analysts in the field, facing pressures
from superiors to document AQI's handiwork, might be
able to question such assumptions if they had strong
intelligence networks on the ground. Unfortunately,
that's rarely the case. The intelligence community's
efforts are hobbled by too few Arabic speakers in
their ranks and too many unreliable informants in
Iraqi communities, rendering a hazy picture that is
open to interpretations.

Because uncertainty exists, the bar for labeling an
attack the work of al-Qaeda can be very low. The fact
that a detainee possesses al-Qaeda pamphlets or a
laptop computer with cached jihadist Web sites, for
example, is at times enough for analysts to link a
detainee to al-Qaeda. "Sometimes it's as simple as an
anonymous tip that al-Qaeda is active in a certain
village, so they will go out on an operation and
whoever they roll up, we call them al-Qaeda," says
Alex Rossmiller. "People can get labeled al-Qaeda
anywhere along in the chain of events, and it's really
hard to unlabel them." Even when the military backs
off explicit statements that AQI is responsible, as
with the Tal Afar truck bombings, the perception that
an attack is the work of al-Qaeda is rarely corrected.

The result can be baffling for the troops working on
the ground, who hear the leadership characterizing the
conflict in Iraq in ways that do not necessarily match
what they see in the dusty and danger-laden villages.
Michael Zacchea, a lieutenant colonel in the Marine
Reserves who was deployed to Iraq, said he was
sometimes skeptical of upper-level analysis
emphasizing al-Qaeda in Iraq rather than the
insurgency's local roots. "It's very, very frustrating
for everyone involved who is trying to do the right
thing," he said. "That's not how anyone learned to
play the game when we were officers coming up the
ranks, and we were taught to provide clear battlefield
analysis."

Even if the manpower and number of attacks attributed
to AQI have been exaggerated—and they have—many
observers maintain that what is uniquely dangerous
about the group is not its numbers, but the
spectacular nature of its strikes. While homegrown
Sunni and Shiite militias engage for the most part in
tit-for-tat violence to forward sectarian ends, AQI's
methods are presumed to be different—more dramatic,
more inflammatory, and having a greater ripple effect
on the country's fragile political environment. "The
effect of al-Qaeda has been far beyond the numbers
that they field," explains Thomas Donnelly, resident
fellow for defense and national security at the
American Enterprise Institute in Washington. "The
question is, What attacks are likely to have the most
destabilizing political and strategic affects?" He
points, as do many inside the administration, to the
February 2006 bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samara,
a revered Shiite shrine, as a paramount example of
AQI's outsize influence. President Bush has laid
unqualified blame for the Samara bombing on al-Qaeda,
and described the infamous incident—and ensuing
sectarian violence—as a fatal tipping point toward the
current unrest.

But is this view of AQI's vanguard role in
destabilizing Iraq really true? There are three
reasons to question that belief.

First, although spectacular attacks were a distinctive
AQI hallmark early in the war, the group has since
lost its monopoly on bloody fireworks. After five
years of shifting alliances, cross-pollination of
tactics, and copycat attacks, other insurgent groups
now launch equally dramatic and politically charged
attacks. For example, a second explosion at the Samara
mosque in June 2007, which destroyed the shrine's
minarets and sparked a wave of revenge attacks on
Sunni mosques nationwide, may have been an inside job.
U.S. military officials said fifteen uniformed men
from the Shiite-run Iraqi Security Forces were
arrested for suspected involvement in the attack.

Second, it remains unclear whether the original Samara
bombing was itself the work of AQI. The group never
took credit for the attack, as it has many other
high-profile incidents. The man who the military
believe orchestrated the bombing, an Iraqi named
Haitham al-Badri, was both a Samara native and a
former high-ranking government official under Saddam
Hussein. (His right-hand man, Hamed Jumaa Farid
al-Saeedi, was also a former military intelligence
officer in Saddam Hussein's army.) Key features of the
bombing did not conform to the profile of an AQI
attack. For example, the bombers did not target
civilians, or even kill the Shiite Iraqi army soldiers
guarding the mosque, both of which are trademark
tactics of AQI. The planners also employed
sophisticated explosive devices, suggesting formal
military training common among former regime officers,
rather than the more bluntly destructive tactics
typical of AQI. Finally, Samara was the heart of
Saddam's power base, where former regime fighters keep
tight control over the insurgency. Frank "Greg" Ford,
a retired counterintelligence agent for the Army
Reserves, who worked with the Army in Samara before
the 2006 bombing, says that the evidence points away
from AQI and toward a different conclusion: "The
Baathists directed that attack," says Ford.

Third, while some analysts believe that AQI drafts
Baathist insurgents to carry out its attacks, other
intelligence experts think it is the other way around.
In other words, they see evidence of native insurgent
forces coopting the steady stream of delusional
extremists seeking martyrdom that AQI brings into
Iraq. "Al-Qaeda can't operate anywhere in Iraq without
kissing the ring of the former regime," says Nance.
"They can't move car bombs full of explosives and
foreign suicide bombers through a city without
everyone knowing who they are. They need to be
facilitated." Thus new foreign fighters "come through
and some local Iraqis will say, 'Okay, why don't you
go down to the Ministry of Defense building
downtown.'" AQI recruits often find themselves taking
orders from a network of former regime insurgents, who
assemble their car bombs and tell them what to blow
up. They become, as Nance says, "puppets for the other
insurgent groups."

The view that AQI is neither as big nor as lethal as
commonly believed is widespread among working-level
analysts and troops on the ground. A majority of those
interviewed for this article believe that the
military's AQI estimates are overblown to varying
degrees. If such misgivings are common, why haven't
doubts pricked the public debate? The reason is that
alternate views are running up against an echo chamber
of powerful players all with an interest in hyping
AQI's role.

The first group that profits from an outsize focus on
AQI are former regime elements, and the tribal chiefs
with whom they are often allied. These forces are able
to carry out attacks against Shiites and Americans,
but also to shift the blame if it suits their
purposes. While the U.S. military has recently touted
"news" that Sunni insurgents have turned against the
al-Qaeda terrorists in Anbar Province, there is little
evidence of actual clashes between these two groups.
Sunni insurgents in Anbar have largely ceased attacks
on Americans, but some observers suggest that this
development has less to do with vanquishing AQI than
with the fact that U.S. troops now routinely deliver
cash-filled duffle bags to tribal sheiks serving as
"lead contractors" on "reconstruction projects." The
excuse of fighting AQI comes in handy. "Remember, Iraq
is an honor society," explains Juan Cole, an Iraq
expert and professor of modern Middle Eastern studies
at the University of Michigan. "But if you say it
wasn't us—it was al-Qaeda—then you don't lose face."

The second benefactor is the government of Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki, often the first to blame
specific attacks on AQI. Talking about "al-Qaeda"
offers the government a politically correct way of
talking about Sunni violence without seeming to blame
the Sunnis themselves, to whom they are ostensibly
trying to reach out in a unity government. On a deeper
level, however, the al-Maliki regime has very limited
popular support, and the government officials and
ruling Islamic Dawa Party feel an imperative to
include Iraqi troubles in the broader "global war in
terrorism" in order to keep U.S. troops in the
country. In June, when faced with increasingly
uncomfortable pressure from the Americans for his
failure to resolve key political issues, al-Maliki
warned that Iraqi intelligence had found evidence of a
"widespread and dangerous plan by the terrorist
al-Qaeda organization" to mount attacks outside of
Iraq.

Elsewhere within the Shiite bloc of Iraqi politics,
Moqtada al-Sadr has his own reasons for playing up the
idea of AQI. "The Sadrists want to overstate the role
of al-Qaeda in a way to emphasize on the 'foreignness'
of the current problem in Iraq; and this easily fits
their anti-occupation ideology, which seems to gain
more popularity among Shia Iraqis on a daily basis,"
said Babak Rahimi, a professor of Islamic Studies and
expert in Shiite politics at the University of
California at San Diego.

Bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, remain
eager to take credit for the violence in Iraq, despite
the bad blood that existed between bin Laden and AQI's
slain founder, al-Zarqawi. They've produced a long
series of taped statements in recent years taunting
U.S. leaders and attempting to conflate their
operations with the Sunni resistance in Iraq. "They
want to bring this all together as a motivating tool
to encourage recruitment," said Farhana Ali, a
terrorism expert at the RAND Corporation.

The press has also been complicit in inflating the
threat of AQI. Because of the danger on the ground,
reporters struggle to do the kind of comprehensive
field reporting that's necessary to check facts and
question statements from military spokespersons and
Iraqi politicians. Today, for example, U.S. reporters
rarely travel independently outside central Baghdad.
Few, if any, insurgents have ever given interviews to
Western reporters. These limitations are
understandable, if unfortunate. But news organizations
are reluctant to admit their confines in obtaining
information. Ambiguities are glossed over; allegations
are presented as facts. Besides, it's undeniably in
the reporter's own interest to keep "al- Qaeda
attacks" in the headline, because it may move their
story from A16 to A1.

Finally, no one has more incentive to overstate the
threat of AQI than President Bush and those in the
administration who argue for keeping a substantial
military presence in Iraq. Insistent talk about AQI
aims to place the Iraq War in the context of the
broader war on terrorism. Pointing to al- Qaeda in
Iraq helps the administration leverage Americans'
fears about terrorism and residual anger over the
attacks of September 11. It is perhaps one of the last
rhetorical crutches the president has left to lean on.

This is not to say that al-Qaeda in Iraq doesn't pose
a real danger, both to stability in Iraq and to
security in the United States. Today multiple Iraqi
insurgent groups target U.S. forces, with the aim of
driving out the occupation. But once our troops
withdraw, most Sunni resistance fighters will have no
impetus to launch strikes on American soil. In that
regard, al-Qaeda—and AQI, to the extent it is
affiliated with bin Laden's network—is unique. The
group's leadership consists largely of foreign
fighters, and its ideology and ambitions are global.
Al-Qaeda fighters trained in Baghdad may one day use
those skills to plot strikes aimed at Boston.

Yet it's not clear that the best way to counter this
threat is with military action in Iraq. AQI's presence
is tolerated by the country's Sunni Arabs,
historically among the most secular in the Middle
East, because they have a common enemy in the United
States. Absent this shared cause, it's not clear that
native insurgents would still welcome AQI forces
working to impose strict sharia. In Baghdad, any
near-term functioning government will likely be an
alliance of Shiites and Kurds, two groups unlikely to
accept organized radical Sunni Arab militants within
their borders. Yet while precisely predicting future
political dynamics in Iraq is uncertain, one thing is
clear now: the continued American occupation of Iraq
is al-Qaeda's best recruitment tool, the lure to hook
new recruits. As RAND's Ali said, "What inspires
jihadis today is Iraq."

Five years ago, the American public was asked to
support the invasion of Iraq based on the false claim
that Saddam Hussein was somehow linked to al-Qaeda.
Today, the erroneous belief that al-Qaeda's franchise
in Iraq is a driving force behind the chaos in that
country may be setting us up for a similar mistake.

Andrew Tilghman was an Iraq correspondent for the
Stars and Stripes newspaper in 2005 and 2006. He can
be reached at tilghman.andrew@gmail.com .

High input cost plays spoil sport in 1 lakh car package
9/6/2007 5:09:15 PM

High input cost may spoil the party for those who are waiting eagerly for Rs 1 lakh car as high input cost coupled with rising interest rate is likely to act as a dampner for Tata Motors to keep up the promise of Rs 1 lakh car.
Ratan Tata's dream project of offering India's first Rs 1 lakh car may not exactly be possible. High input cost may spoil the party for those who are waiting eagerly for Rs 1 lakh car as high input cost coupled with rising interest rate is likely to act as a dampner for Tata Motors to keep up the promise of Rs 1 lakh car.

Tata Motors has indicated that it may have to hike the price of its car as high input cost and fuel cost has made it more challenging to maintain the price at Rs 1 Lakh.

Commenting on the issue, Tata Motors, Managing Director, Ravi Kant said, "High input cost and fuel cost have made it more challenging to maintain the price at Rs 1 lakh. To know weather we will offer the car at a higher level or not, we need to wait. The actual price of the car will be evident only closer to the launch,"

However, the company maintains that there will be no delay in the launch of the car, which is scheduled to be launched by middle of 2008.
http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=2519

MATTHEW LEE reports for Associated Press from Washington:

President Bush's top two military and political advisers on Iraq will warn Congress on Monday that making any significant changes to the current war strategy will jeopardize the limited security and political progress made so far, The Associated Press has learned. U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who has been less forthcoming than Gen. David Petraeus in advance of his testimony, will join Petraeus in pushing for maintaining the U.S. troop surge, seeing it as the only viable option to prevent Iraq and the region from plunging into further chaos, U.S. officials said.Crocker and Petraeus planned to meet on Sunday to go over their remarks and responses to expected tough questioning from lawmakers — including skeptical Republicans. But they will not consult Bush or their immediate bosses before their appearances Monday and Tuesday, in order to preserve the "independence and the integrity of their testimony," said one official.

Petraeus and Crocker did have lengthy discussions with the president, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice when Bush visited Iraq on Labor Day.Crocker, a career diplomat with extensive experience in the Middle East who opposed the war when it began in 2003, is pushing for political change where progress has been elusive and the administration's options are limited under the fragile Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.Yet the diplomat will say that as poorly as al-Maliki's government has performed, it would not be advisable at the moment for the U.S. to support new leadership or lobby for a different coalition of Iraq's fractious Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, the officials said.Crocker also will discuss the challenges of corruption, reconciliation, de-Baathification and the difficulties of enacting wide-ranging legislation such as an oil law, according to officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations.Both Crocker and Petraeus will say the buildup of 30,000 troops, bringing the current U.S. total to nearly 170,000, has achieved some success and is working better than any previous effort to quell the insurgency and restore stability, according to officials familiar with their thinking.Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and Crocker were in the Washington area on Saturday working separately on final drafts of opening testimony on Capitol Hill. Later in the week, Bush plans a national address.The assessments by Petraeus and Crocker are intended to be considered equally. But officials expect Congress to focus on military matters, particularly possible troop withdrawals. Unless there are changes, the increase comes to a natural end starting in the spring and continuing through the end of

Terrific Sensex! Pm puts Stakes on Growth rate
Mukesh Ambani became the richest person in the world
Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

German chancellor Merkel on 4-day visit to India
Business Standard - 1 hour ago
India and Germany are likely to sign a slew of agreements on mutual cooperation in the fields of science and technology and defence during the four day visit of German chancellor Angela Merkel to New Delhi and Mumbai beginning tonight.
Merkel visit to focus on Asia policy Hindu
Ahead of India Visit, Merkel Signals Shift in Asia Policy Deutsche Welle

The bulls run the Indian markets have achieved another milestone with Sensex hitting the 20000 mark. It was a solid 700 points rally on the Sensex and Nifty hit 5900 levels scoring over a double century.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Monday headline inflation had remained suppressed in the September quarter due to lack of pass-through from higher global oil prices, while consumer prices were firm on costlier food prices.

India to relax overseas borrowing rules for firms
MUMBAI: India plans to relax overseas borrowing rules for local firms to enable them to tap funds at lower cost and will do so first for infrastructure projects, a finance ministry official said on Monday.

"I am not in a position to say when the (external commercial borrowing) norms will be relaxed.

They will certainly be relaxed in the shortest possible time and when they are relaxed infrastructure projects will be the first," D. Subbarao, finance secretary, told an Indo-US business conference.

Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Mukesh Ambani on Monday became the richest person in the world, surpassing American software czar Bill Gates, Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim Helu and investment guru Warren Buffett, courtesy the bull run in the stock market. Following a strong share price rally on Monday in his three group companies – India's most valued firm Reliance Industries, Reliance Petroleum and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd – the net worth of Ambani rose to $63.2 billion (Rs 2,49,108 crore). In comparison, the net worth of both Gates and Slim is estimated to be slightly lower at around $62.29 billion each, with Slim leading among the two by a narrow margin. Warren Buffett, earlier the third richest in the world, also dropped one position with a net worth of about $56 billion.

Ambani's wealth of about Rs 2,49,000 crore includes about Rs 2,10,000 crore from RIL (50.98 per cent stake), Rs 37,500 crore from RPL (37.5 per cent) and Rs 2,100 crore from RIIL (46.23 per cent).

Slim's wealth has been calculated on the basis of his stake in companies like America Movil (30 per cent), Carso Global (82 per cent), Grupo Carso (75 per cent), Inbursa (67 per cent), IDEAL (30 per cent) and Saks Inc (10 per cent).
According to information available with the US and Mexican stock exchanges where these companies are listed, Slim currently holds shares worth a total of $62.2993 billion, with more than half coming from Latin American mobile major America Movil.

Slim is closely followed by Gates with a net worth of $62.29 billion currently.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday 9-10 percent economic growth is sustainable for many years, and the government has ambitious plans to modernise infrastructure.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said signals from stock markets and foreign investment flows are positive and the government will work toward maintaining an encouraging atmosphere for investors. India is keen to receive gas from Turkmenistan via a planned pipeline and is also considering investments in gas and oil producer Qatar to meet rapidly rising domestic demand, India's oil minister said on Monday.

"Be it FDI flows, investments in stock markets, investments in our knowledge economy, the signals are all positive. We will work to keep these positive," he said at the Fortune Global Forum meeting here.

Singh's statement comes on a day when the country's stock markets touched a new record, with the benchmark Sensex surging past the 20,000-mark for the first time.

M Damodaran, Chairman of Sebi, while announcing the decision on the new policy on P-notes said that this was not a board meeting to decide on a single issue.

Speaking to mediapersons after the Sebi board meet today, he said the stock exchanges would be mandated to constitute a committee chaired by a non-executive member of a concerned exchange to focus on surveillance. This, he feels, would make the market a safer place for investors.

The meet also saw new policy announcements like clearing of Sebi's proposal to have an SME exchange.

But the most awaited decision on P-notes was that the board has decided that FIIs and sub-accounts shall not issue P-Notes as underlying as derivatives.

"All current position to be wound up within 18 months. Further issue of PNs by sub-accounts will be discontinued with immediate effect," Damodaran said.

It was a terrific day for the Indian markets. The Sensex conquered the 20,000-mark on the back of frantic buying by foreign and local investors in blue-chip stocks. The Sensex made history after it hit an all-time intra-day high of 20,024.87 points during the last five minutes of trading on Monday.The index took only 10 days to gain 1,000 points after it crossed the 19,000-mark on October 15.The major drivers of Monday's rally were index heavyweights Larsen and Toubro, Reliance Industries [Get Quote], ICICI Bank [Get Quote], HDFC Bank [Get Quote] and SBI [Get Quote] among others. With today's landmark, Sensex has joined the 20,000-point club, whose other members are Hong Kong's Hang Seng, Brazil's Bovespa and Mexico's Bolsa among others.The Sensex crossed three milestones in October as it breached the 18K on October 9, 19K on October 15 and 20K today!

Terming the signals from stock markets as positive, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said "India story looks so good" and promised to carry forward reforms to make the economy more efficient.

"Be it FDI flows, investments in our stock markets or investments in knowledge economy, the signals are all positive. We will work to keep these positive," Singh said inaugurating the Fortune Global Forum in New Delhi.

The comment coincides with stock markets benchmark Sensex crossing the 20,000-mark during the day for the first time.

Expressing satisfaction over economic growth, Singh complimented "the economic management team consisting of Finance Minister and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission for managing the economy so efficiently."

"I know very well that investment is an act of faith. It is shaped by perceptions, by expectations and by all uncertainties of life. I invite you to have faith in India. I assure you that your faith will not be misplaced," he told global investors and bankers.

"All those who invest in India, who invest in its future, who invest in India's prosperity and who invest in the capability of the Indian people will be investing in the future of democracy," the PM said asserting that no policy reform has ever been reversed despite different political parties holding the office over the last two decades.

"The beauty of Indian democracy is its vitality, its ability to periodically rejuvenate itself and its ability to reform itself," he said.

Referring to unleashing of Indian enterprise in the past decade, Singh said "our growth process is based on widening and deepening of our domestic market."

GDP may grow at 9% this year: Chidambaram
Indian economy is likely to expand at close to 9 per cent this fiscal and the government may take more steps such as relaxing norms for infrastructure companies to raise funds abroad for sustaining high growth, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Monday.

"There is nothing more important to sustain growth than infrastructure... this year growth is likely to be close to 9 per cent. The rate of investment in infrastructure is lagging behind GDP growth," he said at the US-India CEO Forum in Mumbai.

Chidambaram said India needs to raise investment in infrastructure from the current level of five per cent of GDP to nine per cent of GDP over the next five years.

The Planning Commission has estimated an investment of $488 billion in infrastructure, he said. Of this, 70 per cent will be met by the public sector through budgetary resources and retained earnings while the remaining 30 per cent will be funded by the private sector.

"Infrastructure financing is major challenge. We have identified some steps that have to be taken. Firstly, ECB norms for infrastructure must be made more flexible, pension and insurance funds need to invest more in infrastructure and its guidelines would have to be revisited and above all create a broad, deep and active corporate bond market," he said.

The statement assumes significance as the government had recently tightened norms for External Commercial Borrowings to arrest the rise in rupee against the dollar by encouraging capital outflows. There has been speculation that government may relax norms for core sector firms.

Chidambaram also observed that initiatives for dedicated infrastructure funds were stalled due to the lack of projects.

"We are sensitizing state governments to make a shelf of projects for investment," he said.

Wheat imports beyond judicial scrutiny: Govt

NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought the dismissal of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on wheat imports saying that the court should not interfere in its decision making process and cited various Supreme Court judgements to buttress its argument.

The government has been in the midst of controversy over its decision to import the grain at a rate of $325 per ton which many contend is too high. “International market is not predictable and changes in weather conditions, quantity of production etc. and large number of other factors influence international prices of wheat,” the government has said in its affidavit filed in the Delhi High Court in its response.

The PIL filed through advocate AK Thakur had also sought a CBI inquiry into the issue.

The Centre said the decision pertaining to wheat import was taken to fill the gap of 5 million tonne in the central pool stock which is being used for welfare schemes and emergencies.

It said filling the gap by purchasing wheat from domestic market would have adversely affected the consumers as the price of the product would have risen due to increased demand.

“If this gap was made up by purchasing wheat in the domestic market, it would have adversely affected the market sentiments and the prices would have gone up, compelling the consumers to pay higher prices,” the affidavit said.

The PIL had contended that to meet the shortfall in the buffer stock, the government placed the order of 5.7 lakh mt of wheat in July with three foreign firms at a much higher price of $325 per tonne against $263, the lowest bid received in May in a global tender floated by State Trading Corporation.

Industry asks Centre to simplify sales tax norms
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Policy/Industry_asks_Centre_to_simplify_sales_tax_norms/articleshow/2498324.cms

NEW DELHI: There is a need to announce a road map for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that would eliminate taxes leading to cascading and distortionary effects, industry chamber CII said. The chamber has sent its recommendations to the finance ministry on constituting the GST model, adding that it must be simple to administer with efficient tax collection and credit disbursement mechanisms.

CII has recommended that India should have only two indirect taxes — GST (Central & state GST) and property tax. The Central GST should include central excise, service tax and education cess while state GST could include a combination of all taxes currently levied by the state and octroi by municipalities, it said.

On levying the Central and state GST, CII said both must be levied on the common base price from manufacturing to retail stage on goods and services. Tax on property sale must be levied on the value addition under the state GST and not on the total amount as applicable currently, it added.

The chamber has suggested that municipalities should get financial support from states to meet their expenses and should be allowed to impose only property tax. The responsibility of tax collection should be divided and any tax-paying unit should pay Central and state GST to only one authority, CII said in a statement.

The Centre could collect GST from manufacturers and service providers while states could collect it from others, including traders, the chamber recommended. The input tax credit to be available for the Central GST as well as state GST should be paid irrespective of the collecting agency and a nationwide clearing house mechanism must be created to facilitate transfer of Central and state GST and allow credit for tax paid, CII said.

The chamber has made the case for allowing states to collect dual GST on certain services consumed directly like beauty treatment and levying dual GST on imports with credit for tax paid.

Other recommendations include no tax element in prices of goods exported, the tax collecting authority to be responsible for refunds, and refunds to be given based on the periodical return within stipulated time frame not exceeding the periodicity of return. The consumer, who is the actual taxpayer, should be able to find the element of total tax paid, CII said.

India today became the 20th nation in the world to have seen its stock market benchmark enter the league of bourses that have touched the 20,000-point milestone.
The bellwether index Sensex on Monday breached the 20k level in intra-day trade for the first time in its over two-decade history. As many as 32 indices spanning across 19 countries have already crossed this mark.

After crossing the magical figure in late afternoon trade, the Sensex, however, fell to close at 19,977.67.

In Asia, the bellwether index is second only to Hong Kong's Hang Seng to achieve this feat, while markets like China and Japan are yet to see any of their indices touching 20K points. Even in the West, markets like the US, UK, Canada, Germany and France have not seen their indices reaching this mark.

The countries whose stock market indices have crossed 20K level include Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Venezeula, Peru, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Italy, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Ukraine, Turkey, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Hong Kong.

Italy and Hong Kong have four indices each trading above 20K level, while South Africa and Peru have three such indices each. Mexico and Russia have two such indices each, while others have one index each to have crossed 20k level.

Argentina's Indice Bolsa General is trading above 1,28,300 points, while Jamaica's JSE Market Index is near 99,000 level.

Other big indices in terms of sheer value include Egypt's Hermes Index, Russia's ASP General, Brazil's Bovesta Index, Poland's WSE WIG Index, Turkey's ISE National 100 Index and benchmark index of Nigeria stock exchange, all of which are quoted above 50k points.

Ambanis fight their way to another Forbes list

ibnlive.com

New Delhi: Sometimes a fight can be the route to fame. Mukesh and Anil Ambani have yet again made it to a list of richest people compiled by Forbes, but this time the recognition is not only for their business acumen.

Forbes, in its latest list of "Billionaire Family Feuds", has bestowed the Ambani brothers with the recognition because of their fight over Reliance since the death of their father Dhirubhai Ambani.

Calling their fight a “silver lining”, the magazine has detailed how the fortunes of the brothers have continued to rise even though they have been at loggerheads. Ten families have made it to the list with the Ambanis being the only ones from India.

"Sometimes fighting has a silver lining, as has been the case for Indian brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani. Unable to get along, the brothers began fighting publicly in late 2004 for control of Reliance Industries, one of India's largest conglomerates. The situation became so untenable that their mother Kokilaben brokered a court- approved peace settlement that entailed divvying up the family businesses," the US business magazine wrote about the siblings in a report in its latest edition.

The magazine reports that in 2005, the brothers had a collective net worth of $7 bn, but fortunes changes soon after. In the Forbes' March 2007 list of world's richest persons, Mukesh was ranked at 14th place with $20.1 billion and Anil followed with a net worth of $18.2 billion ranked at 18th.

According to Forbes, the bickering is still continuing between the two brothers despite their mother brokering a settlement to divide the family assets way back in June 2005. "Anil has taken Mukesh to court a couple of times, most notably over a crucial gas-supply agreement. The recent court ruling gives the brothers four months to renegotiate a deal,” the report says.

But the magazine also commends that fact the infighting and the split has not affected the stock prices of the individual companies, which are making them much richer than what they were when the fight first started.

The other billionaire family feuds mentioned in the list include a then 19-year-old member of the Hyatt's Pritzker family, who successfully sued her father and almost a dozen other relatives, and a father and his beauty-queen fifth wife suing his son over the family fortune.

The Ambani family is the only one from India and half the list is dominated by American families. There are also feuds involving families in Canada, Germany, Hong Kong and Switzerland.

PTI reports Forbes has also listed the fight involving late celebrity actress and former Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith, who battled her stepson, of much higher age than her, for about a a decade to get the rights over the fortunes of her late husband.

While the case was yet to be resolved, both Smith and her husband died. They were married for just a month.

"For these wealthy dynasties, there just doesn't seems to be enough money in the world to convince them to get along. Instead they turn on each other, and very often, take their relatives to court.," the magazine said about the families mentioned in the report.

Following is the timeline on the rise and rise of the Sensex through Indian stock market history.
http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/oct/29spec2.htm
1000, July 25, 1990

On July 25, 1990, the Sensex touched the magical four-digit figure for the first time and closed at 1,001 in the wake of a good monsoon and excellent corporate results.

2000, January 15, 1992

On January 15, 1992, the Sensex crossed the 2,000-mark and closed at 2,020 followed by the liberal economic policy initiatives undertaken by the then finance minister and current Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

3000, February 29, 1992

On February 29, 1992, the Sensex surged past the 3000 mark in the wake of the market-friendly Budget announced by the then Finance Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.

4000, March 30, 1992

On March 30, 1992, the Sensex crossed the 4,000-mark and closed at 4,091 on the expectations of a liberal export-import policy. It was then that the Harshad Mehta scam hit the markets and Sensex witnessed unabated selling.

5000, October 8, 1999

On October 8, 1999, the Sensex crossed the 5,000-mark as the BJP-led coalition won the majority in the 13th Lok Sabha election.

6000, February 11, 2000

On February 11, 2000, the infotech boom helped the Sensex to cross the 6,000-mark and hit and all time high of 6,006.

7000, June 20, 2005

On June 20, 2005, the news of the settlement between the Ambani brothers boosted investor sentiments and the scrips of RIL, Reliance Energy [Get Quote], Reliance Capital [Get Quote], and IPCL [Get Quote] made huge gains. This helped the Sensex crossed 7,000 points for the first time.

8000, September 8, 2005

On September 8, 2005, the Bombay Stock Exchange's benchmark 30-share index -- the Sensex -- crossed the 8000 level following brisk buying by foreign and domestic funds in early trading.

9000, November 28, 2005

The Sensex on November 28, 2005 crossed the magical figure of 9000 to touch 9000.32 points during mid-session at the Bombay Stock Exchange on the back of frantic buying spree by foreign institutional investors and well supported by local operators as well as retail investors.

10,000, February 6, 2006

The Sensex on February 6, 2006 touched 10,003 points during mid-session. The Sensex finally closed above the 10K-mark on February 7, 2006.

11,000, March 21, 2006

The Sensex on March 21, 2006 crossed the magical figure of 11,000 and touched a life-time peak of 11,001 points during mid-session at the Bombay Stock Exchange for the first time. However, it was on March 27, 2006 that the Sensex first closed at over 11,000 points.

12,000, April 20, 2006

The Sensex on April 20, 2006 crossed the 12,000-mark and closed at a peak of 12,040 points for the first time.

13,000, October 30, 2006

The Sensex on October 30, 2006 crossed the magical figure of 13,000 and closed at 13,024.26 points, up 117.45 points or 0.9%. It took 135 days for the Sensex to move from 12,000 to 13,000 and 123 days to move from 12,500 to 13,000.

14,000, December 5, 2006

The Sensex on December 5, 2006 crossed the 14,000-mark to touch 14,028 points. It took 36 days for the Sensex to move from 13,000 to the 14,000 mark.

15,000, July 6, 2007

The Sensex on July 6, 2007 crossed the magical figure of 15,000 to touch 15,005 points in afternoon trade. It took seven months for the Sensex to move from 14,000 to 15,000 points.

16,000, September 19, 2007

The Sensex scaled yet another milestone during early morning trade on September 19, 2007. Within minutes after trading began, the Sensex crossed 16,000, rising by 450 points from the previous close. The 30-share Bombay Stock Exchange's sensitive index took 53 days to reach 16,000 from 15,000. Nifty also touched a new high at 4659, up 113 points.

The Sensex finally ended with its biggest-ever single day gain of 654 points at 16,323. The NSE Nifty gained 186 points to close at 4,732.

17,000, September 26, 2007

The Sensex scaled yet another height during early morning trade on September 26, 2007. Within minutes after trading began, the Sensex crossed the 17,000-mark . Some profit taking towards the end, saw the index slip into red to 16,887 - down 187 points from the day's high. The Sensex ended with a gain of 22 points at 16,921.

18,000, October 09, 2007

The BSE Sensex crossed the 18,000-mark on October 09, 2007. It took just 8 days to cross 18,000 points from the 17,000 mark. The index zoomed to a new all-time intra-day high of 18,327. It finally gained 789 points to close at an all-time high of 18,280. The market set several new records including the biggest single day gain of 789 points at close, as well as the largest intra-day gains of 993 points in absolute term backed by frenzied buying after the news of the UPA and Left meeting on October 22 put an end to the worries of an impending election.

19,000, October 15, 2007

The Sensex crossed the 19,000-mark backed by revival of funds-based buying in blue chip stocks in metal, capital goods and refinery sectors. The index gained the last 1,000 points in just four trading days. The index touched a fresh all-time intra-day high of 19,096, and finally ended with a smart gain of 640 points at 19,059.The Nifty gained 242 points to close at 5,670.

20,000, October 29, 2007

The Sensex crossed the 20,000 mark on the back of aggressive buying by funds ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting. The index took only 10 trading days to gain 1,000 points after the index crossed the 19,000-mark on October 15. The major drivers of today's rally were index heavyweights Larsen and Toubro, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and SBI among others. The 30-share index spurted in the last five minutes of trade to fly-past the crucial level and scaled a new intra-day peak at 20,024.87 points before ending at its fresh closing high of 19,977.67, a gain of 734.50 points. The NSE Nifty rose to a record high 5,922.50 points before ending at 5,905.90, showing a hefty gain of 203.60 points.

Ambanis 1st to hit $100-bn mark on wealth street, but together

Mumbai : The Ambanis on Monday became the world's first family to own a fortune of over 100 billion dollars in stock market wealth, based on the combined worth of two brothers Mukesh and Anil, separated for over two years now.

Mukesh Ambani's net worth on Monday surged to a staggering 63.2 billion dollars, while that of younger brother Anil rose to 38.5 billion dollars on the back of a sharp surge in the share prices of their group companies.

Their combined wealth of 101.7 billion dollars is well ahead of Waltons, considered to be the world's richest family. The Walton family is the promoter of US-based retailer Wal-Mart Stores and holds a net worth of about 71 billion dollars, based on its 39 per cent stake in the behemoth.

Mukesh and Anil - the two sons of legendary industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani, who started his career as a petrol station attendant in Yemen and later founded Reliance Industries - split the business empire between them in June 2005.

At the time of split, the Reliance empire had a market capitalisation of little more than Rs 1,10,000 crores, which has now grown over seven times to nearly Rs 7,75,000 crores.

According to the information available with stock exchanges, Mukesh controls shares worth Rs. 2,49,000 crores in his three group companies -- Reliance Industries, Reliance Petroleum and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd. Anil owns shares worth Rs. 1,52,000 crores through shares held in Reliance Communications, Reliance Capital, Reliance Natural Resources Ltd and Reliance Energy.

India is rapidly bulging in the ‘middle’

D.Murali
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200710291933.htm
Chennai: Take the current population figure of the US and add a 100 million to it. That’s about 400 million, or the number of Indian city dwellers who will belong to ‘middle class’ households, living at a comfortable standard with disposable incomes between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh a year.

Will! When? By 2025, forecasts a recent McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) study, “The ‘Bird of Gold’: The rise of India’s consumer market”.

India is rapidly bulging in the ‘middle’. With the economic engine chugging at 7.3 per cent annual growth over the next about twenty years, our ‘middle class’ is expected to grow eight times: to nearly 600 million, or 40 per cent of the population, from the current 5 per cent.

The size of the market, measured by private spending, will leap to Rs 70 trillion (or Rs 70 lakh crore), quadrupling from Rs 17 trillion or about 60 per cent of India’s GDP in 2005. In the process, India would become the world’s fifth-largest consumer market from twelfth now, the report declares.

“Higher private incomes and, to a lesser extent, population growth will encourage this rise in consumption. Changes in savings behaviour will play only a minor role.”

By 2025, ‘India’s wealthiest citizens’, earning more than Rs 10 lakh a year, would have grown ten-fold relatively, to 2 per cent of the population, from 0.2 per cent today; they’d number 24 million, which is 4 million more than the latest headcount of Australia.

These ‘global’ Indians, who would live in the eight largest cities, are likely to have ‘tastes similar to those of their counterparts in developed countries: brand name goods, vacations abroad, the latest consumer electronics, and high-end cars.’

Car purchases are anticipated to be the dominant transportation spend in household budgets. Ahead of this will be food, the single largest category of expenditure, declining however from 42 per cent to 25 per cent, during the forecast period.

While food outlays may rise at 4.5 per cent annually, healthcare spending will grow more than twice as fast, at 11 per cent a year, and account for more than a seventh of a family’s expenditure.

That may be worrying, but take heart at the projection for education; it will grow by 11 per cent over the next 20 years, to hog close to a tenth of household consumption, higher than today’s levels in any of the countries benchmarked by MGI.

Reassuringly, rural households emerging from poverty will make educating their children a priority, while higher-income urbanites will be spending more on better-quality education, university degrees, and study-abroad programs, predicts the report.

“Meanwhile, despite India’s fondness for cricket and ‘Bollywood’ movies, recreational products and services will take a smaller slice of household spending there than in other countries.”

Wish the ‘bird of gold’ in the story didn’t end up as the fabled golden-egg-laying goose.

**

Industry pullout threat
OUR CORRESPONDENT
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071028/asp/bengal/story_8482852.asp
Tamluk, Oct. 27: The companies that proposed the Rs 2,000-crore shipyard on the bank of the Hooghly in East Midnapore today threatened to pull out in the face of opposition by the Trinamul-led Bhoomi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee.

“We are ready to talk to the farmers. But if the government fails to provide us land, we shall shift elsewhere,” Subir Chakraborty, the vice-president of Bharati Shipyard, told a joint news conference in Haldia with Saurav Das Patnaik, an Apeejay Group director, by his side.

Chakraborty said they had surveyed land in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. “But we chose Bengal because the government promised to provide us with the land. The 12-15m depth of the Hooghly near Geonkhali would have been helpful for the shipyard.”

Bharati needs 400 acres to build the shipyard in collaboration with Apeejay.

“Over 40,000 people will get jobs,” Das Patnaik said. “Village youths who have passed Class X or XII will be trained so that they can be employed.”

Villagers who had decided to sell their land if the investors spoke to them directly changed their decision yesterday as political leaders stepped in.

Asked if the project can be shifted to Jelingham near Nandigram, as suggested by Trinamul, Chakraborty said: “No. We chose Geonkhali as it’s well connected by road and rail. Haldia port is only 20km away and Calcutta port about 60.”

The Pratirodh Committee refused to comment.

Paulson brings bank keys
- Official who can allow branches in US part of visiting team
K.P. NAYAR
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071028/asp/frontpage/story_8482972.asp

Washington, Oct. 27: Henry M. Paulson Jr., the US treasury secretary who will kick off three days of official engagements in India tomorrow with a visit to Calcutta’s Grameen Sanchar Society, is bringing two symbols of America’s commitment to closer economic ties with South Asia’s largest country.

In the run-up to his trip to India, the US Federal Reserve granted a licence to ICICI Bank to open a branch in New York, the result of more than three years of strenuous efforts by the bank to upgrade its token representation in the Big Apple.

And to underline his determination to allow greater access for Indian financial institutions to the US economy, Paulson insisted that Jack Jennings, a key official in the Federal Reserve Board — which grants bank licences — should accompany him on the trip.

Jennings can expect to be persistently questioned in Mumbai about the fate of a long-pending application by the State Bank of India to open a branch in “Little India”, the commercial section of New York’s Jackson Heights.

If the grapevine on Wall Street is to be believed, Jennings will return from his trip to India with Paulson and grant the licence to open the branch.

Seeking financial reform is at the centre of the treasury secretary’s meetings in Mumbai and New Delhi.

But his arguments will lack credibility when India’s leading banks find it difficult to negotiate the maze of US regulations such as the International Banking Act, the demands of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve to gain access to the American market, while Paulson is seeking a level-playing field for the US financial community in India.

Paulson will find in finance minister P. Chidambaram, his main interlocutor in India, a tough negotiator and he knows it. Only last month, at meetings of the Indo-US Trade Policy Forum and the Indo-US CEO’s Forum in New York,

Give us land, give us water

'Zameen do ya jail do'

Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

Tens of thousands of impoverished Indians arrived in the national capital on Sunday ending a monthlong march to draw attention to the plight of those dispossessed of their land by recent economic development. An estimated 27,000 protesters waved flags and chanted "Give us land, give us water," as they marched in long, orderly lines to central New Delhi where they plan to hold a massive protest Monday.The demonstrators, who marched some 185 miles from the central city of Gwalior, say they have not only been left behind in the wake of India's recent economic boom, but have suffered directly from the growth, with many forced from their land to make way for government-backed economic projects.

"We don't have food, land or water. We are going to Delhi to get this," Rasi Ram, one of the marchers in New Delhi, told the CNN-IBN news channel.

India is trying to attract foreign investment to spur its economy and help develop its largely backward infrastructure. To that end, it has set up Special Economic Zones, where companies get tax breaks to set up business and factories.

But critics say farmers are often forced from their land or cheated on its value when an area is designated for these projects.

In West Bengal state,four government supporters died in an explosion, a day after an activist who opposes the land grabs was shot dead by supporters of the governing Communist Party of India (Marxist), said Raj Kanojia, the state's inspector general of police.Farmers in the Nandigram area in West Bengal fiercely resisted efforts by authorities to force land sales at cheap rates to build a shipyard and a petrochemical plant. The government officially abandoned the plan to acquire 22,000 acres of land in Nandigram in March, but the violence has continued.
Those who support the farmers say the communists were killed when a bomb they were building prematurely exploded, while party officials say they were attacked to avenge the death of the activist.It's not only economic developments that have forced the poor from their lands. Some say India's vague property laws and endemic corruption allow them to be strong-armed off their land by powerful local landowners.

"When these landowners see that someone strong is coming up to fight for his land rights they get them murdered," Vishwas Prasad, a marcher told the NDTV news channel.

Raju Thomas <gcthomas2@yahoo.com> to me, palashc
show details 8:34 am (9 hours ago)

Dear Mr. Biswas,

Thank you for your regular messages on Dalits. I read
them with great interest.

Hindu Americans have built nearly a 1000 Hindu temples
in the US, many of them being multi-billion dollar
monstrous-sized temples. Hindu Brahmin priests
routinely come to the US to serve these temples. Are
Dalits allowed to enter these highly visible Hindu
temples in the US? Do you know the situation
regarding Dalit entry? Are there many Dalits in the
US or are they all upper caste Hindus only?

Best wishes.

Raju

Raju George C. Thomas
Visiting US Fulbright Professor
Faculty of the Political Sciences
Jove Ilica 165, Belgrade University
11000 Belgrade, Serbia Montenegro

http://www.lexingtonbooks.com/Catalog/SingleBook.shtml?command=Search&db=^DB/CATALOG.db&eqSKUdata=0739105175

http://www.marquette.edu/polisci/Thomas.htm

From: KMGuru

It is obvious that stupidity knows no bounds...whether one calls Harijana to a socially and culturally deprived group of people - or not, they are still deprived. All Gandhi did was to acknowledge the issue and try to uplift them.

While doing so, Gandhi, a non-technologist thought Indians can get by going back to the stone age or more accurately the bronze age.

Even today, a lot of Gandhians feel that way, that is why no technology deal was made with USA and hence, India can not get it from any source including Russia! But China can.

And without technology, the masses suffer, not the rich.

The government said on Monday it would set up a special panel on land reforms after thousands of poor and landless people converged on the capital to press for land rights. An estimated 27,000 people from across India gathered in New Delhi after marching 600 kilometres (370 miles) from the central city of Gwalior to demand land reforms. The panel would look into "all land related issues, including land reforms", the government said in a statement. The expert committee would make recommendations on land policies, judicial reforms and speedier disposal of court cases related to land disputes, and submit them to another council headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Organisers of the protest march, who were prevented by police from moving to the Parliament building earlier in the day, welcomed the announcement.

"Our demands have been met. We are fully satisfied, now that the rural development minister came here and made the announcement," said Bharat Bhushan Thakur, a member of protest organising group Ekta Parishad, or Unity Forum.

"These measures will clear the hurdles in giving land to poor people. We are now ready to go back," Thakur said, after thousands of people waving green and white flags spent a day at a dusty ground with no shade from the sun.

Seven people died of fatigue or illness during the trek, which began on October 2 - the day India celebrates Gandhi's birthday.

The protestors had demanded that the government introduce iron-clad legislation on holdings, deeds and tenancy rights - replacing the current system where ownership can easily be taken by the rich and powerful. The march has been the biggest show of anger yet over the problem of land grabbing in India, where poor farmers are being pushed off their land by both government and private developers.

"Many people here have been displaced many times over - first because of mining, then because of dams. They have nowhere to go," march organiser Puthan Vithal Rajgopal said.

A government plan to set up tax-friendly special economic zones across thousands of acres of farmland in a bid to lure overseas corporations has led to sometimes violent protests over displacement in at least two states.

"It is nothing but land grabbing," Rajgopal said. The Indian economy is expanding at around nine percent a year, with services and manufacturing clocking double digit growth.

But the farm sector is being left far behind and activists are increasingly pointing at a widening gap between the rich few and the hundreds of millions of poor.

"Our fight is for land, forests and water. Our slogan is 'give us land, or give us jail,'" said participant Sanjay Kumar.

Minerals can attract big FDI if export is allowed
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Policy/Minerals_can_attract_big_FDI_if_export_is_allowed/articleshow/2498003.cms

NEW DELHI: The National Mineral Policy (NMP), to be discussed by the Union Cabinet soon, will have the potential to attract $1.25 billion (about Rs 5,000 crore) as FDI in the next five years, but the government will have to allow export of minerals, including iron ore, to ensure the same.

“A long-term export policy would provide stability and prove to be an incentive for investing in large-scale commercial mining activity. Assurances on export of minerals will be a key factor for investment decisions, particularly for FDI in the sector,” the mines ministry said in a note to the government.

It said that to develop mining as a modern, stand-alone industry, substantial investment was required, “and the export policy should be based on a clear, long-term strategy for export of minerals”. Pointing out that minerals continue to be an important source of foreign exchange earnings, the note, however, suggested that the export policy should keep in view the dynamics of mineral inventories as well as the needs of the country.

“Efforts shall be made to export minerals in value-added form as far as possible. The indigenous mineral industry shall be attuned to the international economic situation in order to derive maximum advantage from foreign trade by carefully anticipating technology and demand changes in the international market for minerals,” it observed.

The long overdue NMP may soon see the light of day. The government will put the policy before the Cabinet later this month and table it in Parliament during the winter session.

“The NMP is ready and we will seek the Union Cabinet’s approval on it this month. We intend to table it in parliament in the winter session,” minister of state for mines T Subbarami Reddy said.

Even the high-level committee on national mineral policy, headed by Planning Commission member Anwarul Hoda, suggested that limitation on exports could also amount to restricting the market for Indian ores, thereby depriving the miners of the best international price for their produce.

This, the committee said, would have consequences in terms of profitability of mining operations and, therefore, on investment decisions. “A selective ban or limitation on exports would be a direct disincentive to FDI in the mining sector,” it had observed in its report.

Federation of Indian mineral industries (FIMI) president Rahul Baldota said that miners earned 4 billion dollars last year from iron ore export, mostly to china, which bought around 93 million tonnes of indian ore. “This year, exports are likely to fall by 15 per cent as heavy winter sets in northern china. Besides, there are logistics problems which could compound the situation,” he pointed out.

He said the current price of indian iron ore, which is hovering around 130 dollars, could stabilise in the months to come, but it is unlikely to go down.

According to a report, the landed price of iron ore of fe 63.5 per cent exported from india to china reportedly worked out at around 122-124 dollars a tonne (spot) as of august 20 last. This was over 78 per cent higher compared to 68 dollars to 70 dollars prevailing in the corresponding period previous year.

'Zameen do ya jail do'

Vicky Nanjappa in New Delhi
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/29spec.htm

October 29, 2007

Well, if ever you thought that Gandhigiri was dead then take a look at this. For 26 days 25,000 people took part in a Dandi March of its own kind.

Displaced from their land, adivasis and Dalits from 18 different states just completed a 325-km long padayatra [foot march] from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, to Delhi under the banner of Janadesh-2007.

The route chart

Seeking the restoration of land to the dispossessed like them, they called themselves the Satyagrahis of Janadesh (a non-violent movement to ensure land and livelihood for the deprived community). They had embarked upon this mission with a three-pronged agenda -- that a national land policy, national land commission and a fast track court be framed for the benefit of the poor and marginalised community.

Take the case of 65-year-old Jogeshwar, a blind man who supports a family of 11. Jogeshwar hails from the tribal community called Khairwar in Madhya Pradesh and was dispossessed after the forest department took his land away.

"What do I do? Do I go back and get listed under the BPL [Below poverty line]?" he asks.

A small group of men from Shivapuri near Gwalior said they had been thrown out of the land they had cultivated for generations. The forest department took their land on the pretext of protecting wildlife.

As the march paved its way into Delhi, one thing was clear, and that was the Great Divide that plagues the India of today. Factories, shopping malls, swanky cars on one side and the dark side of rural India on the other.

Strangely, between Faridabad in Haryana and Delhi, not one vehicle stopped to find out what was happening. Motorists would slow down and peep, only to zoom away. This is compassionate India for you.

The march began on October 2, but the participants hardly looked tired despite having walked so many kilometres. Perhaps drawing strength from their determination as they continued to walk peacefully.

The satyagrahis comprised both young and old, blind and handicapped; they said they had received more support in the rural parts of the country when compared to the cities.

"We had food stock for just 15 days, but several villagers came forward with water, sugar, grain etc," said Ram Singh Parmar, convener of the march.

The march was also fraught with danger and sad mishaps. Seven persons died during the padayatra. Three were run over by a truck while four took ill and died. But the undeterred marchers continued their journey.

Help for the satyagrahis came from the panchayat pradhans of the respective villages they passed through, who had arranged venues for public meetings. The organisers also said that support had come from Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress MP from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, who hails from Gwalior. Scindia termed the yatra as the biggest satyagraha in Independent India and said he was with the people in their struggle for justice.

The satyagrahis decided to adopt the Mahatma's principle and said they would fight their way out of this through non-violence.

"If Gandhiji could succeed so can we."

P V Rajgopal, president of Ekta Parishad, the organisers of the march, said realtors and other developmental projects had edged out the farmers in India.

"There is need for a comprehensive land policy. How is it that industrialists are given acres and acres of land when the rest never get any," he asked.

Although the march depicted a very dark side of the country, one could derive pleasure that for a change, so many people stood united in their cause. They shared food, lent a helping hand to the women and the old and stayed awake when someone was not well.

The march lasted 26 days and most of the walking was done between 8 am and 1 pm. Otherwise, they slept or rested by the roadside or at a nearby village.

The organisers says the marchers were trained in how to make their demands through ahimsa and non-violence before embarking upon this historic march. The marchers, who were very poor and often are deprived of a square meal a day, managed to save grain and whatever little money to make the journey.

Most of them came from Madhya Pradesh where displacement of the poor from their land is the highest. Over 11,000 participants were from MP while the rest came from Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala [Images], Orissa and Jharkhand.

They were divided into five groups -- Chambal, Yamuna, Mahanadi, Narmada and Cauvery, named after major rivers. Thirty per cent of the marchers were women, many of who had their children to look after.

As the marchers entered New Delhi, they were greeted by members of the Ekta Parishad and 650 others from various villages who were on a dharna at Rajghat and Jantar-Mantar since October 2.

Tibetan, Chinese, French, Japanese, German, Kenyan and Canadian marchers also participated in the event to support the cause and to spread the message of the Mahatma.

Prior to this march, a similar march had been conducted between Berne and Geneva in Switzerland [Images] from September 25 to October 2. This march was in support of the same cause for the people in India.

The marchers chanted, "Zameen [Images] do ya jail do," (give us our land or send us to jail) and ended their march at the Ram Leela Maidan on October 28. They now want to impress upon the prime minister to look into their grievances and want their land back as it is their only source of livelihood.

"We will take it back through non-violent means. It does not matter how long it takes," said the satyagrahis.

Thousands arrive in Delhi demanding land, livelihood

Culminating their 27-day long walkathon covering about 340 km, thousands of tribals, Dalits and villagers from 15 States on Sunday marched into the capital demanding rights to land and livelihood.
Walking 10 to 12 km a day from October 2, 2007 over 20,000 people started their journey from Gwalior to persuade the government for an overhauling of policies regarding land reforms and for eradication of poverty and hunger. The protesters, who will stay at Ramlila Ground, will be marching to Rajghat on Monday where they will chalk out their future course of action. The Janadesh March, organised by Ekta Parishad, is an initiative to bring land reforms to centre-stage in rural development policies, Parishad founder and rally leader P V Rajgopal said.

Over 25,000 people from different parts of the country, who have marched to Delhi demanding rights to land and livelihood, were on Monday prevented by police from carrying out the final leg of their march to Parliament.

"We have been told that we are under arrest. We have been asked to remain in the confines of the Ramlila Ground," Jagdish Shukla, spokesman for the organisers of the march, told PTI.

He said the gates of the Ramlila Ground, where the demonstrators have camped since their arrival in Delhi on Sunday, have been shut and they are not allowed to leave the premises.

"We are facing an acute shortage of water and the situation is miserable for the over 25,000 demonstrators who have walked all the way from Gwalior," Shukla said.

A senior police official, however, denied the demonstrators have either been arrested or detained.

"As of now there is no detention or arrest. We have been asked to confine the demonstrators to the premises," he said.

Shukla said Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad was expected to meet the demonstrators later in the day and make some announcement in response to their demands.

At a meeting which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] held with Prasad on Monday, it was decided that an experts committee would be constituted to look into the demands of the demonstrators.

The participants of the Janadesh Yatra 2007 had earlier planned to stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar.

Amending the programme at the 11th hour, the organisers decided to march towards Parliament from Ramlila Ground.

Among the leaders who met the demonstrators were erstwhile Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti, Communist Party of India leader A B Bardhan and Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Organised by a network of NGOs called Ekta Parishad, the yatra comprises tribals and Dalits form different states, especially Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, who have marched 340 km, walking 10-12 km a day from October 2.

The protestors started their journey from Gwalior and gathered in the Ramlila Ground on Saturday carrying white and green flags demanding setting up of a National Land Authority, fast-track courts and a single window system to deal with land and livelihood disputes.

"These villagers are not ready to go empty handed. This is an initiative to bring land reforms to centre-stage in rural development policies," said Ekta Parishad founder P V Rajgopal, who is leading the rally.

The protesters’ demands include setting up of a National Land Authority, fast-track courts and a single window system to deal with land and livelihood disputes.

Protesters also want the setting up of a "single window system" at the district level to deal with land and livelihood issues.

"We are deprived of land which we are otherwise entitled to. We want the government to do justice to us, otherwise we will not return home from here," a tribal from Madhya Pradesh who is participating in the rally, said.

Around 200 foreigners from 30 countries are also taking part in the rally lending support to the cause of the tribals, Dalits and landless workers.

During the four-week long march seven people have died till date. Four people died due to illness and three were killed in accidents.

Organised in a grand way, 50 trucks are carrying food items and medicines while 50 water tankers are carrying water for the protesters, an organiser said.

50 quintals of rice and 12 quintals of pulses and potatoes were consumed daily, he said adding, they received donations from Oxfam and Christian Aid among others.


Alarming drop in ratio of girls in India: UN study
More and more eligible men will find it difficult to get a bride given the pace at which ratio of girls against the boys is falling in India, a United Nations study has warned.

The Indian society will confront a situation what UN calls "the marriage squeeze" which will hit the poorest among the men the hardest.

"The poorest men will be affected at disproportionate rates by the marriage squeeze, and that many among them may end up remaining single for lack of resources to marry, as already observed in some Indian regions," the study Characteristics Sex-Ratio Imbalance in India and Future Scenario has said.

These individuals are likely to become the main losers in the new marriage system and may lead to class-based tensions, it said. The study was commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to researchers to probe in falling female births in India, Nepal, China and Vietnam.

The long-term impact of falling ratio will affect Indian society most which is hypergamic, that is, where a woman tends to marry a man little higher in status. At the greatest risk are elite women and destitute men, study points out.

US retailer recalls made-in-India clothes over child labour

ibnlive.com

New Delhi: US-based clothing retail chain Gap has recalled some of its clothes made in India after discovering that children had been involved in making them.

Gap, which intended to sell the garments for Christmas at the popular GapKids branches in the US and Europe, has pulled the order completely.

In an investigative operation, British newspaper The Observer discovered that children as young as 10-13 were making clothes for Gap in filthy conditions, in a derelict building in Shahpur Jat, Delhi.

The Observer quoted the children as saying that they had been sold to the sweatshop in Delhi by their families.

The children, some of who worked for as long as 16 hours a day sewing clothes by hand, said they hailed from Bihar and West Bengal. They added that they were not being paid because their employer said they were still trainees; nor would they be allowed to leave till they could repay the amount for which they were bought from their families.

When contacted, Gap gave the official statement that the sweatshop was being run by a sub-contractor. This is a violation of Gap's policies, said the fashion giant.

Gap spokesman Bill Chandler was vocal in his thanks to the media.

"We appreciate that the media identified this sub-contractor and we acted swiftly in this situation," he told the Associated Press. "Under no circumstances is it acceptable for children to produce or work on garments," he added.

Correctness-conscious America is very strict about the use of child labour.

The Observer also quoted one boy, Jivaj, who said that child employees who cried or did not work hard enough were struck with rubber pipes or had oily cloths stuffed into their mouths.

The sweatshop, the paper reported, was "smeared in filth, the corridors flowing with excrement from a flooded toilet".

Gap's official statement declared that an Indian vendor illegally sub-contracted work for an item of the GapKids line "in direct violation of our agreement".

The order in question was immediately stopped and the stock destroyed as soon as GAP was alerted to the situation, the statement said.

Although Gap has not cut ties with the supplier it accused of unauthorised sub-contracting, according to Chandler, the company was taking the breach of its child labour policy very seriously.

''We're willing to end relationships with vendors when they don't meet our standards,'' he said, explaining that the company requires that its suppliers guarantee they would eschew child labour to produce garments.

Last year, Gap stopped working with 23 factories because of violations revealed by its inspectors. The company employs 93 inspectors who conduct random, unannounced inspections at 2,300 factories

"The company plans to convene all of its suppliers in the Indian region at a summit in the coming weeks to forcefully reiterate the prohibition on any child labour," Chandler said.

Meanwhile, though Gap lost no time in beginning its own investigations of the matter, it has also been quick to quash speculations of pulling out its operations from India.

The head of Gap's North American operations, Marka Hansen, said that most of the Indian vendors fall in with Gap policies and have worked with the company for 15 years.

"I think for us to pull our business out of there would undermine the economy as well," she said on the American TV programme Good Morning America.

Will Prefer Death than sit for talks with Bhattacharjee, says Mamata as Buddha Asked for central forces
Centre said there is no proposal to set up a special economic zone at Nandigram

Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

The Trinamool Congress on Monday demanded Central intervention to stop continuing violence at Nandigram, dismissal of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and a CBI inquiry into the alleged firing on her convoy yesterday.

"Nandigram's border with Khejuri from where CPI-M activists are launching attacks should be sealed and if necessary central forces should be deployed," Banerjee told reporters here. She said the CBI should investigate into the firing on her convoy at Nandigram on Sunday.

My convoy was fired at, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee should admit it. He should be dismissed by the Centre. We have lodged an FIR with the police. It is not our claim. From where a cartridge could have come?" Banerjee also alleged that CPI(M) activists have blocked all roads and no one including the press could go to Nandigram. "I have to stay put at Contai," she said.

As tension prevailed in Nandigram, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday asked for Central forces to tackle the situation in the troubled areas while the Trinamool Congress demanded the state government's dismissal.On the other hand,The Centre on Monday said there is no proposal to set up a special economic zone at Nandigram in West Bengal, where fresh violence erupted yesterday over the issue of land acquisition for industrial projects. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, however, said Banerjee's a