ACHA
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ACHA
PEACE BULLETIN-Volume
VI, No. 2, February 4, 2004, Next Issue March 12, 2004
NOTE: On account of vacation,
the February issue is being sent on January 22, and the March issue will be
sent on March 12.
Editorial
Asiapeace salutes the Pakistani President and the
Indian Prime Minister
Peace
& Harmony News From & About South Asia
Mumbai
Declaration 2004 Against Imperialist Globalisation & War
Feature
Pakistan: A NEW perspective, Nihal Chauhan, Rediff.com
January 9, 2004
Indian JOURNEY, Munir Attaullah, Daily Times, 16 January
2004
Books
Nonviolent Response to Terrorism, Tom H. Hastings, 2004
Call
For Papers
July 5-9, Sopron, Hungary: Peace Education
Commission
Peace
Events
February 10-15, Dehradun, India: Integrity Camp-2004
World
Social Forum
REPORTS & ANALYSES
(For
a copy send a blank email to pritamr@open.org
with its subject as the UPPERCASE word in the article title. Please limit your
request to 3 articles. When requesting an article from an issue of ACHA Peace
Bulletin, other than the current one, please also mention date of publication
of that issue)
Communalism
Gujarat
CARNAGE and Muslim Women, Asghar Ali Engineer,
Secular Perspective Jan.16-31
India
No To Separate Muslim Political PARTY: Jami’at
ul-‘Ulama-i Hind, Yoginder Sikand, January 8
Understanding
INDIA, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Daily Times, 11 January 2004
Kashmir
Come Back, Yasin Malik TELLS Kashmiri Pandits, Kalpana Sharma, The Hindu,
January 21
Pakistan
The arithmetic on Pakistan's FRONTIER, Victoria Schofield, Daily
Star (Beirut), 13 January 2004
Musharraf has Signed the 'Dismiss and Dismantle'
ORDER for the Army, S Sehbai, January 16
Religion
Search for a Muslim Ideal in South Asia: The PATH to
Inclusion,
Akbar S. Ahmed, Inaugural Address: Fellowship of Peace Annual Lecture Series
South
Asia
TEXT of Additional Protocol on Suppression of
Terrorism adopted at the 12th Saarc Regional Convention at Islambad,
January 6,
2004
India unveils ROADMAP for peace in South Asia, T V Parasuram, Rediff.com,
January 21, 2004
Women
The EVE of destruction, Karen Armstrong, The
Guardian, January 15, 2004
______________________________________________________________________________________
EDITORIAL
*Asiapeace salutes the Pakistani President and the Indian Prime
Minister
Asiapeace is a worldwide network of concerned individuals dedicated to promoting peace, communal amity, social justice and human rights in South Asia.
We wish to express our great joy that at the 12th
SAARC Summit held recently in Islamabad, President General Pervez Musharraf of
Pakistan and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India showed great courage
and breadth of vision in deciding to turn their back on conflict and war. It is
only at crucial historical junctures, when difficult decisions have to be taken
in the true best interests of their nations, that leaders can demonstrate
convincingly their statesmanship. If President Musharraf and Prime Minister
Vajpayee remain sincere and steadfast in their resolve to establish durable
peace, posterity will remember them as men who made history by upholding each
other’s humanity and the right of the people of South Asia to live in peace and
security.
It is our belief that normalization of relations
between India and Pakistan is a pre-condition for also solving the Kashmir
imbroglio in a manner that benefits all the parties involved – Pakistan, India
and the various communities and groups constituting the variegated population
of Kashmir. Only within the framework of a friendly, prosperous South Asia can
various states and peoples realize their legitimate right to preserve their
distinctive cultural identities.
We are particularly heartened by the emphasis on
bringing down trade and other barriers within South Asia. Properly implemented,
we expect that it will not only improve local economies, but also increase
people-to-people contact and mutual understanding, and thereby form the bedrock
for an enduring and just peace.
It is also significant that both President Musharraf
and Prime Minister Vajpayee have given a solemn pledge to fight terrorism and
root it out from the South Asian region. Terrorism has no future in a world
that has reached a consensus on solving disputes through peaceful means.
However, we believe that terrorism can only be eliminated from South Asia and
the rest of the world when fairness, justice, mutual accommodation and
solidarity become the basis of political allegiance.
Through their trailblazing undertakings at the SAARC
Summit, President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee have taken the first
step towards a better South Asia.
Asiapeace is an electronic discussion forum of the
Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA). It is moderated by Dr.
Ishtiaq Ahmed. More information about ACHA can be found at www.asipeace.org, about asipeace at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/asiapeace
and about Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed at http://www.statsvet.su.se/stv_hemsida/statsvetenskap_04/hemsidor/ishtiaq
PEACE & HARMONY NEWS FROM & ABOUT SOUTH ASIA (Readers are
invited to submit similar information from other areas of South Asia to help us
broaden of our coverage. Please send the info to pritamr@open.org,
a week before the date of publication of the next issue of ACHA Peace Bulletin)
*Bangladesh
& India
India,
Bangladesh vow to bust terrorist camps
NEW
DELHI: Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) of India Ajay Raj
Sharma on Friday said New Delhi would get anti-Bangladesh terrorists,
insurgents and criminals and bust their camps in India. BDR Director General
Major General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury handed over to Sharma a list of 39
anti-Bangladesh separatists' camps which Dhaka alleges are in West Bengal and
Tripura states of India.
Sharma too gave Choudhury a list of 194 anti-India terrorist training camps and
100 prominent Indian insurgents based in various locations of Bangladesh and
sought Dhaka's cooperation in dismantling the camps. Daily Star, January 11,
2004
*Bhutan-Nepal
Nepal,
Bhutan to join economic grouping
THIMPHU:
Nepal and Bhutan will join BIMST-EC, an economic cooperation grouping of
Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand at the group’s first summit
in February. The formal admission of Bhutan and Nepal will be made on February
9 at the summit, which will be held at the resort island of Phuket in Thailand.
Kuenselonline.Com
, January 18, 2004 bilateral Agreement, India and Pakistan January 1
exchanged upgraded lists of nuclear facilities and installations fo
*India
Don’t wear faith on your sleeve, neck, arms,
head: Army to its staff
Expressing concern over its officers—men and
women—and jawans wearing ‘‘tilaks, vibhuti, birthstone rings and bracelets,’’
on January 8, the Army Headquarters sent a circular to all its formations
laying down strict instructions on the ‘‘use of religious symbols’’ while in
uniform. Kadas (steel bracelets) can be worn only by Sikh officers and
men or officers commanding Sikh troops. No charms or sacred thread can be worn
around the neck. If
worn, no part should be visible outside uniform. www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=39433
'Change
in RSS is positive'
'RSS
leaders have now accepted that Muslims are part of this country. Muslims and
Hindus are brothers. It is a good sign,' Jamiat leader Maulana Abdul Hameed
Nomani on the talks with the RSS
http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/19inter.htm
It's the
Sikhs who maintain mosque, temple here
Harmony
beyond barriers of religion and caste has been an integral aspect of Sikhism.
In village Kadham, in south Punjab, where the mosques or temples are by no
means restricted to only one religious group. In fact they are maintained and
looked after by the Sikhs. http://in.news.yahoo.com/040111/139/2auf5.html
Supreme Court issues notices on plea against manual scavenging
NEW
DELHI, JAN. 8. The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Centre, all the
States and the Union Territories on a petition seeking a direction to
immediately end the degrading practice of "manual scavenging." They
sought a declaration that manual scavenging and operation of dry latrines was
violative of the fundamental rights enshrined in Article 14 (equality before
law) Article 17 (abolition of untouchability) and Article 23 (right against
exploitation). http://in.news.yahoo.com/040105/43/2aqdd.html
Brush strokes for communal harmony
HYDERABAD:
About 300 students participated in the 'Mega Drawing competition,' organised by
Siri Oil Drawing and Oil Painting Institute, at Indira park on Sunday. The
topic for the competition was 'communal harmony.' Dec 22, 2003, Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/373349.cms
*India-Ayodhya
RSS,
Jamiat talks 'successful' http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/14ayo1.htm
Solution to
Ayodhya possible: Dalai Lama http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/14ayo.htm
*Kashmir
Centre,
Hurriyat open new chapter http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/22kash.htm
Five-member
Hurriyat team for talks with Advani
The
members of the team are -- Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal
Gani Lone, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Fazal Haq Qureishi. http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/15kash.htm
Kashmir: Advani will pass the baton to Vohra
The
two sides are expected to follow the path of recent India-Pakistan dialogue,
insisting on not discussing contentious issues in public. http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/15kash1.htm
*Nepal
& Bangladesh
Nepalese team off to Dhaka to boost trade
KATHMANDU:
Industry secretary Dinesh Chandra Pyakuryal and Binod Bahadur Shrestha,
president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI)
have left for Dhaka today along with other members of a delegation, in an
attempt to 'boost and explore' bilateral trade and investment opportunities
with Bangladesh. The Himalayan Times , January 20,2004
*Nepal
–India
India
stops dam construction on Nepal border
BIRATNAGAR: Responding to a
request from the Nepalese Water Borne Disaster Control Division (WBDCD) to
India's Ganga Flood Control, the government of India has halted construction of
a 14-km dam on the Nepal-India border across Mechi river near Panitanki in West
Bengal. The WBDCD pointed out that the construction would increase the chances
of floods in 6 VDCs of Jhapa district. Nepal and India have agreed to construct
the dam jointly, said WBDCD chief Gauri Shanker Singh. Himalayan Times,
January 10, 2004
*Pakistan
Musharraf
calls for war against extremism
ISLAMABAD:
President Pervez Musharraf said on Saturday that Pakistan was facing charges of
being an extremist society and supporting terrorism in Afghanistan, supporting
militants across the Line of Control (LoC) and spreading nuclear technology.
“We have to take important decisions to correct this image, otherwise our
future generations will have to pay a very heavy price for our neglect and
inaction,” the president said in his first-ever address to the joint session of
parliament. Daily Times, January 18, 2004
*Pakistan-India
India, Pakistan agree on new air route
NEW
DELHI: Within a week of the historic breakthrough between Prime Minister AB
Vajpayee and General Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad, its resonance was felt at
Bangkok where India and Pakistan agreed on a new air route between both
countries during an international civil aviation meet. The route, which has
been under discussion since June last year, is likely to be notified on
Thursday. It will stretch from India’s eastern coast (south of Bhubaneshwar),
across central India (north of Nagpur), to Sindh in Pakistan.
Significantly, it links up with air routes from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur,
opening up the airspace for more flights between South East Asia and Europe via
India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
With New Delhi and Islamabad revising the air bilateral during last month’s
civil aviation talks to allow jumbo aircraft, PIA can now plan more long haul
flights to South East Asia using this new route that does not require touching
either Delhi or Mumbai. Indian Express, Jan 20, 2004
Indo-Pak talks on talks from Feb 16-18
NEW
DELHI: India and Pakistan have decided to take their renewed bonhomie forward
by holding likely talks about the promised ‘‘composite dialogue’’ process from
February 16-18, it has been learnt.
Even as Delhi feverishly prepares for its discussions with the Hurriyat here on
January 22, Pakistan has offered to hold technical-level talks on the two bus
links, from Munabao-Khokhrapar in Rajasthan and Srinagar-Muzaffarabad in
Kashmir, on March 8-9 and March 29-30, respectively.
With Delhi having rejected outright the demand to hold ‘‘tripartite’’ talks
between India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris, the concomitant dialogue between the
two nations—first in Islamabad and now in Delhi next month—and separate talks
between the Centre and the Hurriyat is turning out to be a compromise formula
that seems to be acceptable to all sides. Indian Express, Jan 20, 2004
Peace
process: What's different?
'The
incremental approach initiated by India and finally accepted by Pakistan
ensures that ties in other areas of common interest, particularly trade and
people to people contact, are finally delinked from the Kashmir issue,' says
Ramananda Sengupta. http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/19ram.htm
Pakistan,
India head for Baglihar solution
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and India gave indication on Saturday they were moving closer to the
resolution of dispute on the construction of Baglihar hydropower project by
India on River Chenab in occupied Kashmir at the technical level of Permanent
Indus Commission (PIC). "We are getting closer to each other ... the
discussions are positive," Indian PIC Commissioner D.K. Mehta told Dawn at
the end of second day discussions of the three-day special meeting of the
commission. "We would tell you about the progress tomorrow," the
Indian official said. Dawn, January 18, 2004
Talks
in Feburary, India assures Pakistan
NEW
DELHI: Foreign minister Yashwant Sinha Saturday reassured his Pakistan
counterpart Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri over phone that India was committed to
resuming the “composite dialogue” next month even as the prime minister hoped
Islamabad would “sincerely” implement its part of the bargain to take the peace
process forward. Daily Telegraph, January 18, 2004
Delhi-Attari
biweekly from today
The
train will leave Delhi every Wednesday and Sunday at 2100 IST and reach Attari
at 0440 IST the next day. The return journey will be every Thursday and Monday
at 2005 IST.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/14train.htm
Pakistan,
India agree on fresh CBMs
ISLAMABAD
: Buoyed by the positive turnaround in bilateral relations, India and Pakistan
have decided to increase the staff strength in their diplomatic missions, lift
restrictions on diplomats’ movements besides working out a new timetable to
hold talks on stepping up transport links and narrowing down differences on the
construction of a power project in J&K. Diplomats of both the countries
during the past few days have agreed on a new set of confidence building
measures (CBMs), to consolidate the peace process. Times of India, January
9, 2003
Indo-Pak
scribes to move freely across border
AMRITSAR:
As the winds of change are blowing between India and Pakistan, journalists of
the two countries might also get a chance to move freely across borders for
performing their professional duties. This could be one of the major breakthrough
of the Saarc Journalists Summit organised by the South Asia Free Media
Association (Safma), once the foreign ministers of Saarc nations approves the
proposal in their meeting likely to be held in July. The journalists’ summit
was held on January 3 and 4 at Islamabad before the Saarc summit. Times of
India, January 8, 2004
India
resumes regular flights to Pakistan
NEW
DELHI: India resumed commercial flights to Pakistan on Friday after a two-year
halt. An Indian Airlines flight carrying eight passengers left New Delhi for
Lahore on Friday afternoon and was to return to New Delhi in the evening, a
company official said on condition of anonymity. Pakistan resumed its flights
to India on New Year's Day. Yahoo.com, January 9, 2004'India, Pakistan
to ink extradition pact'
Pakistani
daily The News said Advani has been invited to Islamabad to discuss the treaty.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/08pak.htm
India, Pak exchange nuclear facilities list
Under
their 1998 r the 13th year in succession. Press Trust of India,
Via India West, January 9, 2004.
Two
Pak towns honor Indian martyr Lajpat Rai
For
the first time since 1947 Partition, Quetta and Hyderabad (Sind), two important
Pakistan towns named November 18 roads after Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai, on
his 75th martyrdom day. Press Trust of India, Via India West,
January 9, 2004.
*Sri Lanka- India
India,
Sri Lanka working on defence pact
ISLAMABAD:
President Chandrika Kumaratunga Wednesday said India was more pro-actively
involved in the current peace process in Sri Lanka and the two countries were
poised to increase their relations on the military front by working out a
Defence co-operation agreement. ‘‘Defence co-operation between India and Sri
Lanka is on the increase. India is training our armed personnel. A Defence
cooperation agreement will be discussed shortly,’’ Kumaratunga, who was here to
attend the 12th SAARC summit, said. She said Indo-Sri Lanka ties have taken off
on many fronts, especially in the areas of Defence and trade. ‘‘The India-Lanka
Free Trade Treaty too is working well to our satisfaction,’’ she said. Indian
Express, January 8, 2004
*The Maldives & Sri Lanka
'Male, Colombo enjoys close relationship'
MALE:
Minister Jameel made the statement while speaking at the foundation-laying
ceremony of the Maldives College of Higher Education’s Central Library. The
ceremony was held last Sunday morning at 1000 hrs. The foundation was laid by
Minister Jameel and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tirone Fernando. During his
speech, Minister Jameel said that the closeness and ties between the two
countries date back to the beginnings of Maldivian history, and said that the
relationship was especially close in academic matters. He said that it was a
delight to have the new library building as a symbol of that long-standing
relationship. He also remarked that the library would be also part of the first
university in the Maldives. MIADHU
January 19,2004
We hereby declare the successful
conclusion of "Mumbai Resistance 2004 Against Imperialist Globalisation
and War", an international event held in Mumbai, India, 17-20 January 2004
participated in by more than 300 organisations and thousands of individual from
all parts of India and from other countries all over the world.
We have successfully achieved the
objectives of MR 2004 as conceived by the International League of People's
Struggles (ILPS) at the Thessaloniki Resistance in June 2003, to hold an
international event co-sponsored by the broadest range of anti-imperialist
groups, to consolidate and strengthen the anti-imperialist movement.
Drawing inspiration and strength from the
unity, commitment, energy and international co-ordination that MR 2004 has
gathered, generated and heightened, we make the following pledges and calls to
action:
We PLEDGE to fight imperialist
globalisation and war to the end. For this we will unite with all forces that
stand in opposition to the horrors resulting from this new anti-people
offensive.
We PLEDGE to steadfastly stand by the
poverty-stricken masses, who are the worst victims of imperialist
globalisation. We will unite with them in their struggles against
imperialist plunder and war throughout the world.
We PLEDGE to vehemently oppose the
disastrous impact on society in the form of the dehumanising poverty,
destruction of the peoples' livelihood, the destruction of the environment, the
crass consumerism, the heightened alienation, and the increasing degeneration
of the cultural life of the people.
We PLEDGE to fight against the further
infringement and even whole assault on the sovereignty of all oppressed
countries, that has come under massive attack by the forces of imperialist
globalisation and their institutions like the TNCs, World Bank, IMF, WTO, etc.
and also their imperialist governments, specifically that of US imperialism.
We PLEDGE to fight back the growing
fascist attacks of ruling classes around the world and their whipping up of
parochial hysteria, pitting one community against another. Particularly,
Racism, Zionism, etc., which act as the ideological content of fascism in
various regions of the world, will be opposed tooth and nail.
We PLEDGE to fight shoulder to shoulder
together with the people of various countries that have come under the
jackboots of imperialist aggression, particularly that of the US imperialists.
We PLEDGE to fight for the abrogation of
all the loans to the third world by the imperialists and their agencies like
IMF, World Bank, etc,
We resolve to put up a formidable fight
alongside the Iraqi people until all US and other occupation troops are
withdrawn from Iraq.
We resolve to fight alongside the
Palestinian and other Arab people shoulder to shoulder in getting back their
land and sovereignty; and that the Jewish and Palestinian people live in peace,
with equal rights.
We resolve to fight for the withdrawal of
all foreign troops from Afghanistan and all other countries of the world, and
the disbandment of all US military bases around the globe.
We resolve to fight for the unconditional
release of all political prisoners incarcerated by the reactionary regimes,
particularly of those fighting US imperialism and their lackeys.
We resolve to fight for the
scrapping of all the multilateral institutions like the IMF, World Bank and
WTO, etc, and the removal of TNC operations in the oppressed countries of the
world.
We resolve to fight for the forthwith
annulment of all unequal Treaties, Agreements and Military Pacts signed between
the imperialists and the oppressed countries of the world.
We are determined to achieve our full and
total sovereignty - economical, political and military - of all nation-states
of the world, and their fundamental right to national self-determination of all
nationalities, where these have been infringed in any way.
In India, where this Conference is being
held, we resolved to fight for:
· the end of 'economic reforms',
liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation of the economy, and the
unhindered entry of foreign capital into the country.
· the end of imperialist paradigm of
governance and development model. We stand for the establishment of people -
centred development and institutions of real democracy with full employment and
equitable entitlements. We resolve to fight for right to work.· the end of all
forms of State terror, in the form of undemocratic legislations like POTA,
banning strikes and TU activities, extra-judicial killings, torture, custodial
rape, disappearances and the banning of various parties and organisations.
· the end of state-sponsored Hindutva
Fascism and defence of all rights of the minorities, and punishment for all
those responsible for the demolition of Babri Masjid and the Gujarat
genocide.
· the end of army operations against the
nationality movements and withdrawal of all Indian forces from Bhutan being
used to crush the movements based there; grant all nationalities their right to
self-determination.
· the end of State terror against all
democratic movements, including the armed revolutionary struggles of the
masses, and demand the right to organisation and free speech to all.
· the end of the further infringement of
our Sovereignty by imperialism in general and the US/ Israel axis in
particular.
· the end of attacks on the peasantry,
badly hit by: the flood of cheap imports; cut in investments; end to
concessional credit, electricity, water; cut in subsidies, de facto scrapping
of PDS; and corporatisation of agriculture.
· the end of attacks on students and
youth as manifested in the privatisation of education, the loss of jobs,
opportunities, and the extensive promotion of degenerate cultural values.
· the end of the incessant
marginalisation of tribal people and the scrapping of all big projects leading
to their displacement and their right to the forest land, wealth and self rule.
· the end of attacks on the working class
and the growing spectre of unemployment; the repeal of the anti-labour laws,
and end to VRS, a stop to the contractualisation of labour, etc.
· the end of all forms of casteism and
the despicable practice of untouchability; and an immediate stop to the growing
attacks on dalits with overt and covert state support. We commit ourselves to
the struggles of all the oppressed caste people against Brahmanism that has
regained in strength under neo-liberal globalization.
· A large majority of Indian population
constitutes artisan castes and classes they have been adversely affected by the
policies of globalisation. Without showing any alternative their livelihood is
destroyed. We resolve to fight against this situation.
· the end the cultural
onslaughts of Hindutva forces on the Dalits, Adivasis and other oppressed
castes and their intrigues to use them as their cannon fodder for achieving
their vile goal of Hindu Rashtra.
· the end of all manifestations of patriarchy and the growing commoditification
of women in this period of globalisation; particularly the growing trafficking
of women and the intensified debasement of women through advertising, tourism,
pornography, etc.
· the end of Indian expansionism and the
outright bullying and treaties to the neighbouring countries by the Indian
ruling classes in close alliance with their US bosses.
We CALL on the people to boycott the
products of TNCs/MNCs and thereby bringing massive losses on the imperialists
and their empires markets, to leave the country particularly American
imperialists' and build militant mass struggles to drive away them from our
countries.
We CALL on the people to build firm
resistance to the US military camps worldwide. We resolve to take up a
consistent mass protest movement, till all US and other imperialist military
camps are completely withdrawn.
We CALL on the people of all countries of the world, including India, to unite
to fight back the imperialist offensive going on under the signboard of
'globalisation' and join to defend the rights of the working people throughout
the world.
We CALL on the people to smash the
imperialist aggressors, particularly the US, and ally firmly with the
resistance movements, particularly in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine until
victory.
We CALL on the people to oppose State
terror, and anti-democratic laws like POTA whatever its form, and fight back
their growing fascist onslaught across the world.
We CALL on the people not to be taken in
by imperialist schemes and tricks to diffuse discontent, particularly by NGOs
and Social democrats, but to build a mighty militant movement to smash
imperialism and its agents throughout the world, and work towards building a
new order, based on equality and justice for all - a world moving towards
socialism.
We express our deep sense of solidarity
and oneness with all people worldwide in struggles against imperialism and all
reaction and strongly seek coordination in building common battlegrounds
against our common enemy, that is, imperialism and the classes, which
constitute its composition.
On this, the 18th Day of January 2004,
let us all PLEDGE to unite and march forward in the path of struggle. Let us
create a new bright future for all the toiling masses of the world. As a first
step, let us OBSERVE March 20 as Anti-imperialist War-Day; the Day US/British forces
aggressed on Iraq - a day to be observed by mass protests against the
imperialists, and militant actions against imperialist forces and their agents
in India and throughout the world.
January 18, 2004
Signed by
311 Organisations that
Comprise MR-2004
FEATURE
*Pakistan:
A NEW perspective, Nihal Chauhan, Rediff.com January 9, 2004
http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/09diary.htm
A
visit to Pakistan left confused: why were the two countries such bitter
enemies?
As
we got down from the bus, we were surrounded; greetings flew at us from every
direction, making us feel very much at home. The girls were wearing tracks and
trendy pyjamas; some even wore sleeveless outfits. As for the boys, there was
not a single billowing Pathan salwar in sight! One guy, who smiled almost all
the time, introduced himself as Hamza. I could see he too was sorting out some
preconceptions in his mind. He took my bag and told me we would be sharing a
room.
Too
tired to change my clothes or brush my teeth, I dumped my stuff in a corner and
dropped into bed. The journey, with its excitement and tension, had worn me
out. I must have dozed off because the next thing I remember is my new
Pakistani friends waking me up so I could join in the fun and interaction going
on in the hall below.
There
was general horsing around and suggestions of Antachiri, the Pakistani version
of our very own Antakshari. Eventually the game Kho was decided on and we made
our way to the lawn. The large lake beside it was home to a gaggle of ducks.
One of the Pakistani participants, Currim, loved the ducks and would keep
trying to get as near to them as possible. Another, Mustapha Raja, was eager to
discuss the Kashmir issue and the highs and lows in the Indo-Pak relationship.
These discussions were friendly and filled with curiosity. We could have been a
bunch of students anywhere.
It
was all so surreal. Was this the same Karachi that our Navy would attempt to
blockade if war broke out between our two countries? Was this the hostile
country I was worried about?
We
began playing Kho, but it was not Pakistan against India. We were just two
teams, Ducks and Quacks, trying to best the other and having fun while at it.
The
next day, I got to know the Pakistani participants better. They had the same
fears and concerns as young people anywhere. They too wanted lasting peace in
the region. The commonalities were an eye-opener.
The workshop began after the group from Mumbai arrived. We were to make a 15
minute film focusing on the cultural richness of the two countries while
weaving in the beliefs that were creating deep, uncompromising fissures between
its people. It would be a unique experience because, for the first time,
youngsters from India and Pakistan were getting together to make a film.
Internationally renowned individuals, who had volunteered their time and
expertise, would guide us.
The
first task belonged to the script-writing team, comprising of five Pakistanis
and two Indians (including me). We had two days to come up with a script. So
off we went into the library with well-known writer Shandana Minhas, who had
volunteered to guide us. Besides working with theatre groups and writing
scripts for theatrical productions and television, Shandana is a regular
contributor to The Friday Times and the web-based portal, Chowk.
Before
we could even figure out a connecting thread in the maelstrom created by our
brainstorming session, Shandana had started using our abstract thoughts to create
a tangible picture. A day and half later, after working night and day and
downing gallons of the local soft drink, Pakola, a concrete story began
unfolding, complete with scenes, characters and dialogue.
Then,
director Pavitra Challam from Bangalore took charge and assigned characters to
all of us. The art and props team were busy creating the sets while the team in
charge of the music mulled over the soundtrack.
The
film revolved around a stranded group of Pakistanis and Indians. During the
time it took for their bus to be repaired, the differences between the two
groups took an ugly turn. Their bickering was not based on fact but on 'the
history' the two nations had 'imparted' to their people over time. The
accusations get more and more chilling as each group tries to prove the other
is 'worse.'
We
hired a local bus and chugged to a deserted spot on the Sindh Highway night
after night. The irony made me laugh! I had been so wary of coming to Pakistan
and now, here I was, hobnobbing with a group of Pakistanis on a dark highway in
an isolated corner of the country. This was something I definitely didn't want
my parents to know. Their worry, heightened by the article in Time
magazine, would have taken a new dimension.
As
the momentum of the shoot increased, so did our fatigue. But sheer motivation
and camaraderie kept us going. After three nights of filming, our project was
complete thanks to seamless co-operation between individuals who had met for
the first time a few days ago; many of whom had to work at putting their
preconceived notions to put to rest. All of us cheered and celebrated a job
well done as the sun rose against the orange-hued sky.
Yet,
a feeling of sadness lingered because this also meant the end of the workshop
and of our visit. The thought that we may never see our new buddies again made
it all the more painful.
For
the next two days, we shifted to a hotel in Karachi. We toured the city, which
has a Mumbai-like flavour, and experienced its culture. Karachi, too, has a
Sadar Bazaar very much like its namesake in Delhi and in cantonment towns all
over India. There were smaller versions of Delhi's Pallika Bazaar that went by
the name of Rainbow Centre.
The
visit to Karachi Beach revived nostalgic memories of Chowpatty in Mumbai, where
I had spent part of my childhood. Karachi -- with cricket matches in the
sprawling parks, football matches in the maidan, local ice cream amidst
salty breezes blowing in from the sea, chaat at a familiar-looking chaatwallah…
-- was very similar to Mumbai. Even Ayub, the kababwallah, could have
been beamed up from Cuffe Parade.
On
our final day in Karachi, our film, aptly titled Bus (meaning enough),
was screened for the media and some members of the public. It was well
received. At the presentation after the viewing, we participants got to speak
on our collective experience that had helped create deep personal bonds.
Besides, the workshop had given us skills to facilitate further movements for
peace and practical initiatives when we returned home.
Before
we knew it, it was our last night in Pakistan. Everyone was teary-eyed as we
exchanged home and email addresses and telephone numbers. It was
heart-wrenching to say good-bye to new-found friends who, in the last 12 days,
had become so much a part of us. At the airport, when the loudspeakers
announced our flight was ready to board, I dragged my feet; I wanted to spend a
few moments longer in this 'friendly' country.
*Indian
JOURNEY, Munir Attaullah, Daily Times, 16 January 2004
Munir
Attaullah is a businessman
After talking to Indians from all walks of life I came away with three powerful
impressions. The foremost is how little Pakistan really figures in their
overall thinking, particularly in the south.
If I attract flak from certain quarters for emulating Irfan Hussain today,
doing one of his travelogue numbers, so be it. With Vajpayee visiting us, I
thought it only appropriate to travel in the other direction, and readers may
be interested in what gives with our neighbour.
The border crossing at Wagah was hassle-free, probably because this facility is
strictly limited (why?) to those few with a foreign passport (or the specially
privileged). A 30-km taxi ride to Amritsar cost Rs 500. The landscape and the
lush fields, the villages, the houses, and the rural infrastructure of roads
and canals, the ever-creeping
urbanization, the people, and the way they dressed, spoke and went about their
business, were all powerful reminders that this was, after all, just another
part of Punjab. Of course you knew you were on the 'wrong'
side simply because of the turbaned Sikhs on view, and the visibly much larger
number of women confidently participating in the public hurly-burly of life.
From Amritsar to Delhi the idea was to take the deluxe and non-stop train
service, but a convoluted set of circumstances botched that plan (though my
Indian friends later suggested that had I greased a few palms
at the station - some things never change irrespective of where you are - a
seat would have magically materialised). As a result, I paid Rs 118 for a
standard seat on the slow train.
The last time I undertook such a humbling but entertaining journey with the
salt of the earth was from Lahore to Karachi by Tezgam over 40 years ago. Not
much has changed. Yes, the fine soot particles from a steam
engine are missing, the ubiquitous mobile phone is a new reality, and the
passengers are obviously better off, but the essence of the rail journey seemed
eerily frozen in time. The platform jostling, the dirty and smelly compartment,
the hard, uncomfortable wooden benches, the screaming little brats, travelling
hawkers selling everything from tea
and lassi, to boiled eggs, samosas, fruit, peanuts and channas, an ensemble of
very basic musical entertainers, the obligatory alms seekers, the student group
passing the time playing cards, all brought back long faded memories.
My dress and demeanour, and the intermittent attempts at reading a book in the
poor light, were the object of quizzical but respectful curiosity by my fellow
travellers, so it was a while before anyone attempted to engage me in
conversation. But once they discovered I was from Pakistan and spoke Punjabi, I
was a star for the rest of the journey. Thus, for all the discomfort, it was
still a serendipitous and heart-warming experience. One conspicuous observation
is worth recording. The railway stations and the trains (as well as planes and
airports) are all no
smoking areas and everyone abides by the stricture.
Until the late eighties I used to chide my Indian friends on how comparatively
far behind they were of Pakistan in the modernisation process: the roads were
poor, the telephone service pathetic, cars antedeluvian, consumer goods shoddy,
the airports and air services shabby, and even the thinking somewhat smug,
insular and bureaucratic. A
decade or more of sustained growth and liberalisation have produced
unbelievable changes. And, given a domestic saving rate in excess of 20%,
expanding exports and foreign investment, and a rapidly increasing middle-class
hungry to further improve its living standards, the show appears well and truly
on the road. Yes, one cannot escape from the demeaning and still visibly
widespread poverty, but the economic 'feel good' factor is a palpable reality
across the border, and let no one ever underestimate the many positive side
effects on a nation's psyche from the resultant fallout.
Here are some striking random numbers: ONGC - their OGDC equivalent - alone has
a market capitalisation in excess of all the companies listed on the KSE
combined. In the Delhi metropolitan area, at least three English newspapers can
each claim a readership of well over a million.
The capital city, once clogged with traffic, now boasts of more than fifty
fly-overs. In a Delhi suburb, a wholly private enterprise is building a
complete mini-city (including two beautiful golf courses), bigger than the
Lahore cantonment and DHA combined. That said, I must add that their airports
at Delhi and Bombay, even though built about the same time as the Jinnah
terminal, are still pathetic when compared to Karachi or Lahore airports!
After talking to Indians from all walks of life I came away with three powerful
impressions. The foremost is how little Pakistan really figures in their
overall thinking, particularly in the south. The Test match against Australia,
even in the serious English-language papers, was a far bigger story than the
good news from Islamabad. Uppermost, by far, in every one's mind were the
prospects and opportunities for economic self-advancement. And the thaw in our
relations is viewed primarily in terms of the likely economic benefits which
will follow. But what I found really depressing was how very few Indians
(including the educated and sophisticated lot) had any idea at all of what Pakistan
and its people are really like. As most have never visited our country,
pre-conceived notions, and the caricatures promoted by the media, abound -
almost without exception. What an overwhelming surprise awaits them when they
finally cross the border! And is that not a wonderful reason for us to make it
easy - unilaterally - for them to get a visa and open their eyes?
BOOKS
*Nonviolent Response to
Terrorism,
Tom H. Hastings, ISBN: 0-7864-1874-5, [256]pp. notes, bibliography,
index $39.95 softcover, McFarland & Company, Publishers (Box 611,
Jefferson, North Carolina 28640, USA) 2004
Terrorism,
which by definition targets civilians, is unacceptable, but a violent response
to violence usually causes more violence. This book outlines some of the best
thinking about nonviolent methods of resisting terrorism in the growing fields
of international aid and nonviolent interposition.
The first section covers immediate nonviolent response to terrorism:
international negotiations, mediations, and adjudication, UN and citizen
sanctions, cross-cultural communication, citizen initiatives, international
treaties and the World Court, the International Criminal Court, and nonviolent
resistance through raising consciousness to mobilization and resisting state-sponsored
terror. The second section, on long-term non-violent response to terrorism,
discusses halting arms trade and militarism, stopping arms flow to terrorists,
“defunding” the military, building sustainable just economies, aid to the poor,
reducing privileged overconsumption, peace and conflict education,
understanding and using the media, refugee repatriation, and helping indigenous
liberation struggles.
Tom
H. Hastings is the Director of Peace and Nonviolence Studies at Portland State
University. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
*July
5-9, Sopron, Hungary: THE PEACE EDUCATION COMMISSION (PEC) of the
International Peace Research Association (IPRA) invites submissions for its
2004 conference. The theme of the conference is "Pathways to Peace:
Educational Issues in the Context of Globalization". The deadline
for receipt of paper submissions is February 15th, 2004. For more information
about the conference, see details at: http://www.human.mie-u.ac.jp/~peace.
PEACE
EVENTS
*February 10-15, Dehradun,
India:
INTEGRITY CAMP-2004 for student leaders or youth leaders engaged in social work
or are a part of youth groups or college groups will be organized by South Asia
Youth Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. The applicants have to be above17
years and below 23 years of age. The objectives for organising the integrity
camp are: To bring youth into the mainstream of gender and peace education; To
establish peer groups and student leaders to work together on these issues; To
promote interfaith dialogue among students and identify the need for student
leadership in interfaith dialogue; To link various disciplines with peace and
reconciliation; To help facilitate student organisers in other colleges and
universities to organise peace groups; and To launch and establish a network of
nationwide youth groups working on socio-political issues. More info from Nazia
Y. Izuddin sayforpeace@yahoo.co.in
Slide
Show: The celebration ends
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/22sld01.htm
Images:
The Various Faces of WSF
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/20sld01.htm
Slide
Show: The Big Shots
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/20slid1.htm
Slide Show: When Hunger Strikes
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/20sld1.htm
Slide
Show: Why Bush is hated at WSF
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/19sld1.htm
WSF
Images: Plans for another world
http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/17spec.htm
WSF Images: Welcome Aboard
the Peace Boat
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/16slide1.htm
WSF Images: Painting another world
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/16sld01.htm
WSF Diary: Where's my mattress?
http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/16diary.htm
Complete coverage of World Social Forum
http://www.rediff.com/news/wsf04.htm