ACHA PEACE BULLETIN http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ACHAPeaceBulletin
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(ACHA) www.asiapeace.org
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K. Rohila, Ph. D.
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ACHA PEACE BULLETIN (Volume IV, No. 9, September 04, 2002
(Next issue, October 02, 2002)
CONTENTS
Something to
Think About
International
Day of Peace, September 21, 2002
Peace &
Harmony News
Peace &
Harmony Organizations
Centre
for Human Rights, Justice and Peace,
India
Pakistanis
for Peace and Alternative Development (PPAD
Oxford
Gujarat Initiative
Peace &
Harmony Resources
Feature
Learning
To Kill, Susan V.
Thompson (ed), 9-11 Peace, 8/07/02
Letters
Mixing
religion and politics in Pakistan,
Badruddin Gowani
Ayodhya Issue
Gujarat
Carnage
Jammu &
Kashmir Election
Pakistan
Elections
Books
The Mad Messiah: Osama bin
Laden and the Seeds of Terror, By Mantosh Singh Devji
Struggles
for Survival: A resource book on the status and rights of the
Adivasi communities in India, By John Samuel
Children
Conferences
September
7, Hong Kong: Ayurveda – Art Of
Being
September 9-11, London, U.K.: After September 11: Tv News And Transnational Audiences
September
12, 2002, New York, Ny, Usa:
Networking For Coexistence: Using
Linkages To Build Peace
September
12-15, New York, Ny, Usa:
Third Global Indian Entrepreneurs Conference
September
14, New Delhi, India:
Kashmir Imbroglio: A Quest For An Equitable Resolution
January
9-11, 2003, Hyderabad, India:
Towards Violence Prevention
Events
January
9-11, 2003, New Delhi, India:
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (NRI Day)
Environment
Fundamentalism
Vacancies
Interns
at the UNU/Institute for Conflict Resolution (INCORE), Londonderry, Northern
Ireland
Websites
Women
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)
Bangladesh
HUMAN Rights in Bangladesh : Focus on Communal Persecution, S Kabir
Children
Ruling on child MARRIAGE, Editorial, Dawn, 06.14.02
India
Where Freedom
REIGNS, T L Friedman, New York
Times, 08.14.02
Bihar: The Privatisation of TERROR, S K Jha, South Asian Intelligence Review, 09.02.02
India-Pakistan relationship
Partition: Why Shy Away From DEBATE? I H Malik, 09.04.02
The JEHLUM Connection (with India & Indians), K Hasan, The Friday Times, Lahore
Kashmir
Have India & Pakistan both FAILED in Kashmir? A voice from Kashmir, Interview By L Lifschultz
Democracy in the SHADOW of Terror, P Swami, South Asia Intelligence Review, 08.19.02
Kashmiri STRUGGLE and elections, Shabir Choudhry 08.28.02
Nepal-Bhutan
Nepalese MIGRANTS, P Tshering, South Asian Intelligence Review, 09.02.02
Pakistan
Musharraf REDRAWS Constitution, D Rohde, New York Times, 08.22.02
Musharraf AMENDS Constitution,, M Ahmad, Washington Post, 08.22.02
Who shall GUARD the guardians? Ishtiaq Ahmed, Daily News, Lahore, 09.02.02
Religion, Fundamentalism & Secularism
The rise of HINDU Nationalism in India, Q&A with Zain Verjee, CNN Anchor, CNN, 08.23.02
Role of Religion in SECULAR Society, Asghar A Engineer, Secular
Perspective, 08.16-31.02
ANALYSE this (Status of Muslim World), Irfan Husain, Dawn, 07.20.02
Politics, Value-Oriented, not POWER-Oriented, By Asghar A Engineer, Secular Perspective,
September 11
Advance DRAFT of Bush's Astounding 9/11-Anniversary Speech, (Opinion/Satire), B Weiner, truthout.org, 08.21.02
South Asia
CIVIL society and South Asia, Ishtiaq Ahmed, DailyNews, 08.25.02
Women
Brutality
Cloaked as TRADITION, B Sarwar, New York Times, 08.06.02
Women's role VITAL to check population growth, Staff Reporter, Dawn 07.12.02
2 TEENS sacrificed to tribal custom, K A Khan, Dawn 07.24.02
Many HURDLES for women seeking maintenance, M Hussein, Dawn 07.28.02
A good year for CRIME, By
Arif Jamshaid, Jang 2001 Year End Supplement
____________________________________________________________________________
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
"Since
wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that we have to erect
the ramparts of peace." -- UNESCO charter
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
In 2001, the
United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution (55/282)
designating September 21st of each year as an International Day of Peace.
The intention of the resolution is to have all member states observe a full day
of global ceasefire and nonviolence. All people and organizations are
invited to commemorate the day in an appropriate manner. To support the
International Day of Peace on a spiritual level, a group of lay persons and
NGOs, representing a wide variety of religious and spiritual traditions, have
committed themselves to the task of working with other like-minded individuals
and groups for an International Day of Peace Vigil with the following objective:
to encourage the observation of the day in every house of worship and place of
spiritual practice, by all religious and spiritually based groups and
individuals and by all men, women, and children who seek peace in the
world.
To register as
an individual or as an organization visit website www.idpvigil.com or mailing your commitment
to the International Day of Peace Vigil, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 575,
New York, NY 10017, USA.
PEACE & HARMONY NEWS
'Kashmiri militants want peace'
'No child wants to grow up an orphan.' Sunil Dutt on his march for peace.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/29inter.htm
LTTE names four-member team for talks in Thailand
The team's composition shows that the guerrilla group is not yet willing to send any of its key functionaries outside the island for talks. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/28lanka.htm
Sri Lankan PM
arrives on three-day trip
Ranil
Wickremasinghe, who is on a private visit, will go to Kancheepuram, Tirupati,
Hyderabad and Bangalore. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/23lanka.htm
Pakistan
offers to resume talks with India
The offer was
made at the SAARC foreign ministers' meet in Kathmandu. India rejected it
saying that the atmosphere was not conducive. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/21saarc1.htm
SAARC nations
to amend laws for terrorism
The move comes
ahead of their foreign ministers' meet in Kathmandu on Wednesday to discuss
threats posed by terrorism and steps to enhance economic cooperation.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/20saarc.htm
Sunil Dutt to
undertake peace march to Srinagar
'I will not
hesitate to talk to the Muslim clergy in Srinagar and even with the militant
leaders if it helps bring peace and tranquility to the trouble-torn valley',
the actor-turned-politician said.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/19dutt.htm
Candlelight ceremony at India-Pakistan Wagah border post on August 15
Unfazed by
booby traps, residents of border villages, who rarely stir out of their homes
after sunset came out in large numbers to witness the candlelight ceremony.
Organized for the last eight years by Hind-Pak Dosti Manch, Folklore Research
Academy, and International Punjab Culture Society, to mark Independence Day and
to promote lasting friendship between India and Pakistan went on well past
midnight. (Press Trust of India, Via India West August 23, 2002)
Setalvad,
Mander to get Sadbhavana Award
Teesta
Setalvad, a journalist, played a vital role in exposing the dubious role of the
Mumbai police force in the 1993 communal riots. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/07rajiv.htm
PEACE & HARMONY ORGANIZATIONS
*Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace, India
Several
organizations: national and local, together with several other citizens all
over the country have decided to observe August 15th 2002 as White
Ribbon Day to protest against the spread of communal violence and urge the
concerned individuals to put a stop to hatred www.stopthehatred.com (Via Fr. Cedric Prakash S.J.,
Director, ‘Prashant’, Tel: 7449744 / 7455913
*Pakistanis
for Peace and Alternative Development (PPAD), Coordinator Dr Ahmed Shibli, UK, ias23@hotmail.com
PPAD, August
15, expressed their strong disapproval of yet another bloody attack on a
Christian church and hospital in Taxila, Pakistan. Coming, as it does, hard on
the heels of the savage attack on a Christian run school in Murree, catching
law and order authorities completely off guard, we wonder if the government is
at all serious or even capable of taking concrete and effective steps to
safeguard the life of innocent citizens, the most fundamental duty of a state
in a civilized society, a PPAD press release said.
They urged the
government of Pakistan to immediately take the following basic steps:
1.
Identify
and prosecute all religious and sectarian militants involved in
advocating, preaching or committing violence. Where it is necessary foreign suspected
terrorists should either be deported, after due process of law, or prosecuted
in Pakistan.
2.
The
government should stop sending contradictory signals to the leaders of
extremists religious and sectarian groups with proven terrorist links by
alternately hobnobbing and playing tough with them. In this context we ask
for the abolition of the blasphemy law.
3.
We also ask
that the bulk of the Zakat funds should be used to expand the system of public
education and health for the poor. Such funds dispensed to the extremist
religious organizations and those madrassas spreading hatred through their
teaching and other activities should be frozen immediately.
4.
The
transfer of foreign funds to the extremist religious organizations should be
carefully monitored and audited.
5.
Preaching
hatred and inciting violence (religious or otherwise) through word of
mouth, media, graffiti and other means should be made a crime under the law and
those found guilty prosecuted.
6.
We ask the
Pakistani government that all school curricula and text books be reviewed and
any sections teaching religious or sectarian intolerance or martyrdom should be
taken out.
7.
The
ministry of religious affairs should either be abolished or given the
responsibility of spreading religious tolerance and freedom. All citizens
should be treated as equals irrespective of religion, caste, creed or ethnic
background. All citizens should be free to profess any religion dictated by
their conscience, so long as it does not lead to physical threat to others.
PPAD is a
Peace and Alternative Development group formed in 1998 by academics, peace
activists, intellectuals and professionals of Pakistani origin to work for
peace, tolerance and alternative development in Pakistan.
*Oxford
Gujarat Initiative,U.K., Pritam Singh, p.singh@brookes.ac.uk
A South Asian
Cultural Evening was organised by the Oxford Gujarat Initiative on July 21, to
raise awareness among the people of South Asian origin and the wider Oxford
community about the communal carnage in Gujarat in February and March this year
and to highlight its implications for democracy, human rights and secularism in
India. The event itself was attended by over 100 people, which included some
Gujarati families in an mixed audience from different religious and ethnic
backgrounds, and political groups including local community members, academics,
students, council workers, Green Party Councilors, journalists and campaigners.
Oxford Gujarat
Initiative (OxGI) is a group organised by concerned students and academics in
Oxford to work towards achieving justice for those who have suffered in the
brutal sectarian violence in Gujarat. A sum of over £1500 has been raised for
rehabilitation of the survivors over the past few months.
PEACE & HARMONY RESOURCES
*www.uwm.edu/Dept/Peace/pecnews.pdf is the website of Peacebuilding, the Peace Education Commission (IPRA) newsletter.
*www.unf.edu/~astomfay/ is the website of an excellent online newsletter of the Peace Education Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association.
*www.campus-adr.org is the
conflict resolution clearinghouse for higher education. Click on
"Classroom Building" or "Faculty Club."
*www.incore.ulst.ac.uk/cds/themes/psyc.html
is the website of the INCORE Conflict Data Service and has online articles and
much more on psychology and conflict that would be useful to anyone teaching
about conflict in a college course.
*http://nonviolence.gregmoses.net
has online articles on nonviolence, including many of the classics, as well as
the syllabus for the course on nonviolence at Marist College taught by Greg
Moses.
*www.wagingpeace.org/new/programs/peaceeducation/index.htm
is the website of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and includes many useful
resources, articles, lesson plans, etc.
*www.publicconversations.org
is the website of Public Conversations Project. It offers downloadable
resources on how to conduct constructive conversations on sensitive public
issues such as how to respond to terrorism.
*www.actagainstviolence.org The Act Against Violence website of the American Psychological Association has information about resources on violence and short articles on various violence prevention topics.
FEATURE
*Learning
To Kill, Susan V. Thompson (ed), 9-11 Peace http://www.9-
11peace.org/bulletin.php3, 8/07/02
Most moral,
religious, and societal rules dictate that killing another human being is
wrong. The terrorists in the WTC attacks, serial killers, and even soldiers in
a war that we don't agree with are condemned. It may seem impossible to imagine
that we ourselves could ever kill another human being, and as a result, it may
seem as though those who do are reprehensible, awful, insane, inhuman, or evil.
Yet we (as a
society and as individuals) often make a huge exception to the "thou shalt
not kill" rule in the case of war. Most societies train a portion of the
population to become professional killers in order to "defend" the
country. These members of the military grow up in the same society as the rest
of us. They are mostly not mentally ill or unstable, at least prior to combat.
They are not necessarily more aggressive or more dangerous than any other
person you meet in everyday life. So how are they trained to kill? What are the
psychological mechanisms that make this acceptable in their minds? What are the
psychological effects of engaging in the institutionalized violence of a war?
And how does society as a whole determine which enemy can justly be killed in
the first place?
In this issue,
we will explore how certain social situations make otherwise unthinkable
actions possible and even likely. We will demonstrate that belonging to a
group, whether that group is an armed force, a nation, or a neighborhood club,
can significantly alter us as individuals. And we will demonstrate that it is
the very rare individual indeed who is able to resist the psychological
mechanisms that can make good people do evil things.
Note: Please
keep in mind that while examples from the US military are used throughout, the
psychological theories described here can be are universal.
Creating An Enemy
Perhaps one of the most essential aspects of the process of training people to
kill is the creation of an enemy. This usually means designating another group
of people as being bad or evil, or less than human. According to sociologists
and social psychologists, the creation of an enemy is a fairly common part of
social interaction, especially in terms of identification with a group.
Groupthink is
the particular social dynamic which occurs in groups. Some of the
characteristics of groupthink include a belief in the inherent morality (i.e.
"goodness") of one's own group, and stereotyping of outsiders. http://www.9-11peace.org/r2.php3?r=99
In-groups, the
groups to which we belong and with which we identify, are generally perceived
as good. Out-groups are generally perceived as more evil and less human. This
dehumanization is the basis of a war situation; if the other group of people is
perceived as less than human, then it becomes far more psychologically possible
to kill them.
http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/problem/outgrp.htm
This
fascinating article provides insight into the completely arbitrary way that
stereotypes are made about other groups, and how rivalry and discord can arise
even between former friends when they begin to identify with different groups.
While reading, keep in mind that the military is particularly good at creating
a strong group identity through uniforms and other methods of minimizing
individuality; military personnel identify strongly with their
brothers-in-arms. http://www.9-11peace.org/r2.php3?r=100
This article
on scapegoating provides more insight into why we designate some groups as bad,
evil, or the enemy -- and why this brings us together. "Scapegoating
relies on the creation of a dichotomy between 'us' and 'them,' pitting the
familiar 'in group' against the alien 'out group.' By scapegoating our
fabricated enemy 'other' we not only create ourselves as heroes, but also
define and enhance group cohesion, the identity of the 'us.' In times when the
core identity of a society is imperiled--when we have trouble figuring out who
'we' are--the demand for enemy scapegoats is increased. The scapegoat thus
serves a dual purpose by both representing the evil 'them' and simultaneously
illuminating, solidifying, and sanctifying the good 'us.' "
http://www.publiceye.org/tooclose/scapegoating-02.htm
In "The
Psychology of Evil," Philip Zimbardo explains why the line between good
and evil is not as solid as we may think. Two famous experiments have proven
that given the right circumstances, ordinary people will do evil things. http://www.9-11peace.org/r2.php3?r=101
Training To Kill
This is the US Army's description of basic training. For nine weeks, new
recruits engage in frequent physical exercise, learn that their gun is their
best friend, and focus on developing aspects of the military
"character" that include loyalty and duty.
http://www.goarmy.com/tour/basic.htm
According to
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, U.S. Army (Ret.) a technique called "operant
conditioning" is used by the US military to overcome the human aversion to
killing. For example, bull's-eye targets have been replaced by human-shaped
targets that fall when hit, helping recruits to feel comfortable when shooting
at people. In combat situations, soldiers act reflexively, rather than stopping
to think; such techniques have increased the rate of fire by military personnel
from 55% in Korea to about 95% in Vietnam. http://www.killology.com/art_onkilling_overcoming.htm
This brief
summary of several thinkers on the subject of human violence explains that
humans actually have a natural aversion to killing, and concludes by outlining
Lt. Col. Grossman's model of the circumstances in which a human being will kill
another human being. They include:
A repected
authority figure demands killing and is close by;
"Group
absolution:" respected peers demand or accept the killing;
The killer is
predisposed to the act, based on conditioning or recent experience. (For
example, he has been trained to kill, and/or has recently seen friends killed
by the enemy.)
The victim is
at a physical or emotional distance, and is seen as an immoral or nonhuman
"other."
A cost-benefit
analysis dictates the payoff to killing the victim outweighs the risk or stress
of the act. http://www.spectacle.org/1196/hobbes.html
The war in
Afghanistan has demonstrated that technology is making it safer and easier for
military personnel to wage war. The ability to wage war from a safe distance
may also be making it psychologically easier to kill. The military chaplain who
wrote this article points out that ". . . as war becomes safer and easier,
as soldiers are removed from the horrors of war and see the enemy not as humans
but as blips on a screen, there is a very real danger of losing the deterrent
that such horrors provide." http://www.9-11peace.org/r2.php3?r=102
Technology is
dominating US methods of warfare, meaning that fewer soldiers actually have to
engage in close combat, or even see the people that they are killing. From the
article: "Is American policy drifting toward an approach that could be
labeled 'willing to kill but not to die?' By bombing from 15,000 feet and
beyond, and by insisting on a near zero-casualty policy, Americans have
signaled a willingness to take life as long as force can be used without fear
of retribution."
http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/lib_pov_rosenthal.html
Military
psychology is a field of psychology completely devoted to helping choose,
train, assess, and treat members of the military, meaning that military
psychologists are the ones at least partly responsible for finding ways to
prepare soldiers for killing.
http://www.apa.org/about/division/div19intro.html
LETTERS
*Mixing religion and politics in Pakistan, Badruddin Gowani, Los Angeles, CA, USA brgowani@hotmail.com
Most of the
time Pakistan was being accused of mixing religion and politics, to the
detriment of its own survival and regional peace. The accusation was not
baseless. The results are there for everyone to see. For the last few years,
its failure is being openly discussed; even within Pakistan, and also by its
Master. Religious violence against Muslim and non-Muslim minorities has become
a common thing. On the other hand, the last two decades have also witnessed India’s
self- destructive journey down the same slope; reaching the climax (one can
only hope that it is not the beginning), in February of this year. After the
gruesome murder of more than two thousand Muslims and rape of hundreds of
Muslim women, however, the murderous Hindu leadership in Gujarat is no mood yet
to show any remorse. Another South Asian country, Bangladesh, fell in love with
Islam after its secular founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated in
1975. Today, many communalist Bangladeshis have developed a good appetite for
Hindu blood and enjoy communal pleasure in humiliating Hindu women. But this
cannot go on forever – not that it is not possible – but than every thing would
be destroyed. To save South Asia from this catastrophe, it is necessary to
separate religion from the public sphere and make it a totally private affair.
This is only possible when the governments become totally secular. Only when
the country has an unadulterated secular democracy as a form of government, the
minorities and the women can gain equal citizenship. However, when you talk of
equal rights for all the citizens, including women and minorities, the
religious fundamentalists flare up and accuse you of being a western liberal.
It has become quite fashionable to accuse people who talk of equal rights as
western liberals. Undoubtedly, there are people who imitate west. But liberal
thought is neither the property nor the invention of the West. In South Asia,
twenty-five hundred years ago, Gautama Siddhartha Buddha and Vardhamana
Mahavira introduced Buddhism and Jainism, respectively, to protest the caste
system of Hinduism. After about three hundred years, Ashoka the Great renounced
violence, adopted Buddhism, and turned vegetarian. The Mughal Emperor Akbar
married a Hindu Rajput princess and had many Hindus in his administration. He
also used to indulge in religious discussions with Christians and people of
other faiths. Dara Shikoh, who lost Mughal rule to his brother Aurangzeb,
translated one of the Hindu scripture, Upanishads, in Persian. The proponents
of Bhakti and Sufi movements were all liberal and tolerant people. It is all of
the above reasons that Hindus and Muslims were able to live together quite
peacefully for so long. It was only in the Twentieth-Century that South Asia
got a new Dev: Bhagwan Saampradayikta or God of communalism, and amazingly it
has the most followers today, of all religions. I will give just one example of
how far the religious fanatics can go. Back in 1954, Sunni Muslims in Pakistani
Punjab targeted the Ahmadi Muslims. Many lives were lost. The then government
appointed an inquiry commission called The Munir Commission. After talking with
all the religious parties, it concluded that all the Islamic parties agreed on
one thing: Ahmadis should be declared non- Muslims. The Report also said that
when each of the Islamic party was asked to give a definition of a true Muslim,
no two parties came up with the same definition. Ahmadis stayed within the
Islamic fold. (The governments were corrupt then but were politically secular.)
However, after two decades the religious monster was reborn (or may be it never
died), and the Ahmadis were thrown out of Islam by an atheist ruler. (What a
religious irony!) Moreover, in 1979, a Muslim bigot prohibited them from
calling themselves “Muslims” and their places of worship as “mosques.
AYODHYA ISSUE
Parallel Hindu
Body Created to Build Ayodhya Temple Peacefully
A parallel
body of Hindu saints on Thursday resolved to work out an amicable solution to
the centuries-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masj dispute in Ayodhya. "We want
to see a grand temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram, but we do not want the
foundations of this temple to be laid on violence and communal
disharmony," said Baba Dharam Das, who is the caretaker of Ayodhya's
oldest temple, Hanuman Garhi. Brahmaswaroop Brahmachari, a prominent Hindu seer
from Haridwar, was critical of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. "[The] VHP has
only exploited sadhus and played with their religious feelings and sentiments,"
he said. "I find that Hindus and Muslims enjoy utmost cordial relations in
Ayodhya, but communal trouble is fomented by people sitting in New Delhi."
Another saint from Haridwar, Hans Das, who is also the general secretary of the
Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti said, "India is not a nation of Hindus alone --
it is a land of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians who have equal right over
this soil."
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/30ayo.htm
GUJARAT CARNAGE
Indian SC
receives presidential reference on Gujarat
The reference
will be placed before Chief Justice B N Kirpal, who will decide the suitable
bench of the apex court to look into the matter. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/20guj2.htm
JAMMU & KASHMIR ELECTIONS
The J&K
Assembly Polls 2002: Complete Coverage http://www.rediff.com/election/jk2002.htm
Hurriyat launches anti-poll campaign
'The so-called elections cannot be an alternative to the right of self-determination and the people should reject the frivolous elections,' it said. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/03jk5.htm
162 candidates in fray for first phase
A record number of 14 candidates are contesting from Rajouri constituency, closely followed by 13 in Baramulla. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/03jk3.htm
Farooq's brother escapes militant attack
The state industries minister's cavalcade was attacked at Khepora in Baramulla district.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/02jk3.htm
Militants kill two NC activists, injure another
With the assembly election just around the corner, the attacks have increased.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/02jk1.htm
J&K polls a fraud on the people: Panun Kashmir
'The (central) government does not have the decency to call us for (electoral) discussions,' Panun Kashmir president Moti Kaul said. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/02tara.htm
Farooq Abdullah visits Tirumala temple, meets Satya Sai Baba
The chief minister joins a long list of VIPs who make it a point to visit the temple before important political events such as elections. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/02jk.htm
'We say dialogue first, then elections'
'The government says first elections then dialogue. It does not work out like this,' says Shabir Shah, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Freedom Party.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/02inter.htm
Jamaat appeals
to India, Pak to start talks
The separatist
outfit said the resolution of the Kashmir issue was essential for lasting peace
in South Asia. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/31jk4.htm
Shabir Shah makes a U-turn; now says no to polls
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Shah complained that the coming elections are aimed only at giving an extension to the Farooq Abdullah government.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/30jk2.htm
Panun Kashmir calls polls meaningless
Other organisations of Pandits rejected the Centre's financial package for the return of the displaced Kashmiris, terming it an 'insult' to the community. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/30jk7.htm
Mirwaiz ready for unconditional talks with Centre The former chairman of the Hurriyat appealed to all militant groups to shun violence and help in resolve the Kashmir issue through talks.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/30jk6.htm
'If I had the power I would postpone the J&K election'
Ram Jethmalani, chairman of the Kashmir Committee, on his discussions with separatist leaders.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/30inter.htm
People's Conference leaders file nominations
Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi and Abdul Haq Khan filed their nominations from Handwara and Lolab constituencies of Kupwara district, sources said. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/29jk3.htm
Notification for 2nd phase of polls issued
Nomination
papers can be filed till September 5, while the last date for withdrawal of
candidature is September 9. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/29jk1.htm
Ladakh Union
Territory Front floated
The Front,
which was formed after the main political parties in Ladakh dissolved their
units, wants Union Territory for Ladakh. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/26jk1.htm
Polls a chance
to establish peace: US
`We came with
the message that the US does care about Kashmir and Kashmiris,' Lisa Curtis, a
senior Asian affairs advisor to the Bush administration, said in Srinagar.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/26jk2.htm
Polls to be
free and fair: Governor
G C Saxena
appealed to the separatist groups to prove their representative character by
participating in the polls. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/26jk3.htm
LK Advani's
"no" to trifurcation and the Sangh Parivar
LK Advani's
"no" to trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir notwithstanding, the Sangh
Parivar seems in no mood to give up the move. Senior activists of the RSS,
according to reports, have been sent to various parts of Jammu region to muster
support for a "Greater Dogra Desh" comprising Himachal Pradesh and
parts of Jammu region - Kashmir Global Network, August 25 kashmir-global-network-owner@yahoogroups.com
SC directives
to be enforced in J&K poll
The candidates
for the state assembly poll have to declare if they have been convicted or
chargesheeted in any case. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/21jk2.htm
First phase of
J&K poll to be set in motion
Elections to
twenty-six constituencies will be held in the first of the four phases on
September 16.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/21jk.htm
Return of
Pandits test of Kashmiri secularism: NCM
The commission
for minorities is leading a delegation of pandits to the Valley. They will meet
their neighbours, check the state of their property and see how things are.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/19bash.htm
Hurriyat,
JKDFP agree to talks with Kashmir Committee
This is for
the first time in the last 13 years since militancy erupted in J&K that the
Hurriyat has accepted an offer for talks with a non-governmental organisation. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/12jk2.htm
PAKISTAN ELECTIONS
Sharief to
back Benazir's party in government The October 10 general election in Pakistan
will decide the fate of 342 National Assembly seats. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/03pak.htm
Musharraf promulgates code of ethics for journalists
The code stipulates three months imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 for publishing 'defamatory material'. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/02pak.htm
Military hard-liners helping terrorist groups, says former Premier Benazir Bhutto
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said, on August 30, 2002, in London, that the Pakistani government has close links with terrorist groups such as the Al Qaeda. According to her, "I think General (Pervez) Musharraf's regime has strong links with terrorist groups like al-Qaeda… In one year al-Qaeda have regrouped in Pakistan with the backing of military hard-liners." Benazir added, "Musharraf has successfully convinced London and Washington that he is the best person to combat terrorism." Jang, August 31, 2002.
Nawaz Sharief withdraws
nomination http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/31pak1.htm
Pakistan reopens arrest warrants against Bhutto
The National Accountability Bureau has directed the police to arrest the former premier on her arrival, the Dawn reported. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/28pak.htm
Pak government draws up plan to counter Bhutto, Sharief
Members of the Sharief family, including former PM Nawaz Sharief, will
be detained and deported to Saudi Arabia. But Benazir Bhutto will be
handed over to the National Accountability Bureau.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/27pak1.htm
Over 4000 candidates sign in for Pakistan polls Another 9648 candidates had filed their nominations to contest the 728 seats in the four provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Baluchistan. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/27pak2.htm
Benazir accuses Musharraf regime
of pre-election rigging The former Pakistan premier also accused the government
of working against her party. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/27pak.htm
Bhutto files
nomination from 2 constituencies
The former prime minister has also challenged in court the new electoral rules brought in by Pervez Musharraf. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/23pak2.htm
BOOKS & VIDEOS
*The Mad Messiah: Osama bin Laden and the Seeds of Terror, By Mantosh Singh Devji, Inkwell Productions 276 pages, Illustrated, Paperback $19.95, ISBN#0-978155-3-4
The book
reveals the mysteries of bin Laden's background, examines the cultural
differences that generate such extreme emotions, and explains the network of
lies, corruption and political agendas that led to the US training some of the
groups responsible for the attacks on September 11! Among the topics examined
are: - Bin Laden's history and evolution, from boy millionaire, to CIA backed
freedom fighter, to the most wanted terrorist on earth. - 'Why Do they Hate
Us?', an examination of the fundamentalist perspective and a chilling glimpse
into the mind of the enemy. - Project Bojinka - the plot to use our own
airliners against us that was discovered as early as 1995 and included plans to
kill the Pope. - Islam - the history, meaning and corruption of one of the
world's oldest religions by terrorists. - Afghanistan-The Land That Time
Forgot, the history, culture and psyche of one of the harshest regions on the
planet. - Afghan women, the first and last victims of a hundred wars, their
suffering, their spirit, and their resistance.
*Struggles for Survival: A
resource book on the status and rights of the Adivasi communities in India, By
John Samuel (Ed), 364pp. Rs.
250 [in India] US $10.00 [Outside India], [Paperback], NCAS www.ncasindia.org, Serenity Complex,
Ramnagar Colony, Pashan, Pune - 411 021, Mahrashtra, INDIA
Tel./Fax: +91-20-2952003 / 4, email ncas@vsnl.com
This book is collection of fifteen essays which
provide the socio-political and historical background of the Adivasis in
different states, the impact of developmental programmes on their lives and
livelihood, the issues facing them in the context of their rights and the role
of voluntary organisations in their struggles for survival. It also contains
vital statistically information constitutional guarantees and various important
documents on the rights of the indigenous people, select bibliography and the
address of resource centres.
CHILDREN
NHRC issues
notice on 'burial festival'
The commission
has asked for a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu government on last week's
burial festival in Madurai, in which more than a hundred kids were buried alive
to propitiate local deities.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/26satya.htm
TN minister to
quit over 'burial festival' controversy In the bizarre event, which took place
last week in Madurai district, children were buried alive for a minute to
fulfil vows. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/27tn.htm
CONFERENCES
*September
7, Hong Kong: AYURVEDA – ART OF
BEING, Lim Por Yen Theatre, Basement, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2
Harbour Road, Wanchai, 852-2103-9508, HK$80 (Asia
Society members (HK$120 nonmembers); HK$60 full time students, seniors, and
groups of 10 or more.
http://www.asiasociety.org/events/calendar.pl?event=13356
*September 9-11, London, U.K.: AFTER SEPTEMBER 11: TV NEWS AND TRANSNATIONAL AUDIENCES, an international symposium to focus on the findings of new research by a team of some 30 multi-lingual researchers on transnational news agendas and audiences being organized by the British Film Institute, in conjunction with the Open University and other partners at the Stanhope Centre for Communications Policy Research in Marble Arch. More info at www.afterseptember11.tv
*September 12, 2002,
New York, NY, USA: NETWORKING FOR
COEXISTENCE: USING LINKAGES TO BUILD PEACE, 9:30 am – 11:00 am,
at the Center for War, Peace and the News Media
418 Lafayette Street, Fifth Floor. The session will provide an opportunity for
NGO’s with similar interests to network, and fosters the exchange of
methodology, resources, and information and will highlight the work of NGOs
that have used information tools (e.g. television, radio, and the Internet)
innovatively. More info from Craig Bischoff at 212-303 9445.
*September
12-15, New York, NY, USA: THIRD GLOBAL INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS CONFERENCE,
including a one-day conference on September 12 on “People of Indian
Origin-Technology, Investment, Business and Networking Opportunities, will be
organized by the Global Organization of the People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) at
the LaGuardia Airport Crowne Plaza Hotel. More info from Dr. Thomas Abraham
203.329.8010, gopio@optonline.net
*September
14, New Delhi, India: KASHMIR IMBROGLIO: A QUEST FOR AN EQUITABLE
RESOLUTION, a seminar organized by the Association
of Peoples of Asia (and cosponsored by the
Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, New Delhi; India
International Centre, New Delhi; Noida Management Association, Noida) 9:30 a.m.
– 5:30 p.m. at India International
Centre Annexe, 40, Max Mueller Marg. More info from the Seminar Office, 75,
Sector-29, Noida (U.P.), Tel: 91-4450774 or 615964, Fax:011-4693302, Email: virendra@del3.vsnl.net.in
*January
9-11, 2003, Hyderabad, India: TOWARDS VIOLENCE PREVENTION is the theme of
the 55th Annual National Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society. More
info from Dr. Vithal Rajan, 1-2-16/11, Block B, First Street, Habsiguda,
Hyderabad 500 007 AP, India. Tel: +91-40-717-2884, email: vithal2@hd1.vsnl.net.in
EVENTS
*January
9-11, 2003, New Delhi, India: PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS (NRI DAY). More info
from www.Indiaday.org, or indiaday@indiaday.org
ENVIRONMENT
Unmasking Aerosols
Forget health impacts, tiny particles floating in the air are altering regional climates, disturbing monsoon patterns and decreasing agricultural yield. These particles could be emanating from diesel and industrial emissions, biomass burning for cooking, forest fires and even dust. As scientists probe the complex science of aerosols, the larger picture of these tiny particles is only beginning to emerge. Neelam Singh reports.
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=3
Next Paani Yatra October 29 - November 2, 2002
CSE’s eighth paani yatra will take yatris to Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra. Witness the miracle of three outstanding leaders who have transformed local communities -- Fr Hermann Bacher of Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), Anna Saheb Hazare of Ralegan Siddhi and Popatrao Pawar of Hivre Bazar. Sign up at:
http://www.cseindia.org/html/cmp/cmp43_invite20020706.htm
A summit for
Mother Earth
The
Johannesburg summit will continue the work that began in 1992 at the Rio
Summit, which has notched up quite a few successes, writes Jeet Thayil. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/26spec.htm
Harvesting the
rains!
The tragedy of
Chennai, a city that suffers from acute water shortage, is that it lets almost
all its rainwater flow into the Bay of Bengal. The Akash Ganga project seeks to
help overcome the city's perennial
drought, writes Shobha Warrier. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/20spec.htm
FUNDAMENTALISM
UK-based
Muslims funding Pakistani madrassas: report
A London daily
said Islamic seminaries in Pakistan receive more than £800 million a year,
equivalent to the country's income tax collections, through charitable
donations, mainly from wealthy UK-based Muslims. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/10fund.htm
VACANCIES
*Interns at
the UNU/Institute for Conflict Resolution (INCORE), Derry/Londonderry, Northern
Ireland
INCORE (www.incore.ulst.ac.uk/news/employ/faq.html)
aims to address the management and resolution of conflict via a combination of
research, training, and other activities which inform and influence national
and international organizations working in the field of conflict. INCORE
invites applications for internships in its Research Unit, Policy and
Evaluation Unit, Conflict Data Service, Finance Department, and Marketing
Department. Preference will be given to applicants who hold an
appropriate Masters degree and can intern for at least 3 months. INCORE is unable
to provide financial support and travel costs and living expenses must be borne
by the interns or by a sponsoring institution. To apply submit CV, cover letter
and a brief writing sample (in English) to Catherine Sharkey, University of
Ulster, Magee Campus, Aberfoyle House, Northland Road, Derry/Londonberry, BT48
7JA, Northern Ireland. T: 44-28-7137
5504, F: 44-28-7137 5510 Email: cathy@incore.ulst.ac.uk
WEBSITES
*www.unitedsindhis.com
has the world's first online Sindhi directory. To join click on the 'register'
link and fill in the form.
WOMEN
'Lacking a
culture that respects women'
Between
January and July 2002, the Delhi police registered 75 cases of dowry death, 229
cases of rape, 243 cases of molestation, 306 cases of eve teasing, and 570
cases of kidnapping of women.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/02spec.htm
Sati incident
in India shameful, says NCW chief
Purnima Advani
said the police should arrest not only the spectators, but also those who egged
Kuttubai on to commit suicide. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/10mp.htm
Marriage for reconciliation be made an offense in Pakistan
The Punjab
Human Rights Commission has condemned the decision of a panchayat in Mianwali
to give away eight young girls in marriage to settle a murder case between
rival families, says a handout. The PHRC suggested to the government to make
the marriage for reconciliation an offense by amending Article 310 of the PPC.
(Dawn 07/26/2002)
Women guards
take to the air today
Pakistan's
first batch of women sky marshals will take to the air from Monday as part of a
plan to tame would-be hijackers, an officer, who trained them, said here on
Sunday. (Dawn 07/22/2002)
Honour
killings unjustified: Pakistan Supreme Court
The Supreme
Court has held that honor killings could not be justified on any ground,
especially the killing of those family members of the accused who have no role
in dishonouring of any person. (Dawn
06/04/2002)
Court allows girl to dissolve Nikah: Pakistan Childhood marriage Bureau Report
A two-member
bench of the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday, accepting a writ petition,
allowed dissolution of marriage of a girl who had fallen prey to the tribal
custom of Swara at the age of
six. The bench, comprising Justice
Nasirul Mulk and Justice Ijaz Afzal, observed that the petitioner had a legal
right to exercise her "option of puberty" after coming of age. (Dawn
06/13/2002)