Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) , June 24 (IANS) The Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) -- the apex body of the 13 akharas (religious orders) -- has summoned a meeting of all the akharas to decide on the steps to be taken to check religious conversions. The meeting will be held soon, said akhara sources. The development comes close on the heels of the arrest of two persons on charges of converting over 1,000 persons.
ABAP president Mahant Narendra Giri said, "We have to find a solution and provide an equal opportunity to all so that such incidents could be stopped.
"There are not only external factors for this but there are fault-lines within us also. Experiences have shown us that those who have been neglected in the mainstream or those who have been treated as outcasts, tend to take refuge in other religions.
"We will request the Hindus to rise above the considerations of caste and treat everyone with dignity, share mutual respect and avoid circumstances wherein someone changes his or her religion."
The Mahant said that soon, a meeting of the representatives of all the 13 akharas would be held and the agenda would be to ask disciples and common Hindus to rise above the caste system and mull over steps for bringing back to the fold those who have changed their religion.
Chief patron of Juna Akhara -- the largest of 13 akharas in terms of membership -- Mahant Hari Giri said, "We have always advocated welcoming back those who have switched over to other religions. Seers and disciples would be given the task of convincing people to rise above the narrow considerations of the caste system."
The ABAP, two days ago, supported the introduction of a legal draft for population control.
Mahant Narendra Giri, in a press statement, had said that the seers have always demanded that the ever-increasing population in the country should be controlled. He had said that under the Population Control Act, it should be ensured that couples, irrespective of their religion, should have only two children.
He said that if the population growth in the country is not stopped by bringing a law, then there may be a big population explosion in the coming days.
The Government should exercise fiscal discipline rather than exploiting oil prices to shore up revenue
While every graph of economic indicator is nose-diving, oil prices and inflation are defying gravity. This month, diesel also breached the Rs 100-mark in Rajasthan. In seven States, petrol is selling for more than Rs 100. This is indeed not a good sign for economy, which is reeling under severe recessionary pressures. Manufacturing is down, employment is low, and so is the purchasing power of the common man. The petrol-diesel prices put an extra burden on him. Oil prices push the prices further up as these have a cascading effect on economy. The Government is in no mood to relent. Moreover, volatility in the international market limits its options. These two factors are responsible for putting the fuel prices on fire. The prices were hiked 43 times this year. This has indeed helped the Government collect more revenue. The excise collection during April-November 2020 was at Rs 1,96,342 crore, up from Rs 1,32,899 crore during the same period in 2019. The central taxes increased from Rs 10.39 in May 2014 to Rs 32.9 in June 2021! This explains the dynamics of oil pricing. Before Modi Government, crude oil price constituted two-thirds of the fuel price, now taxes have taken that spot. The central and State Government taxes account for nearly 54 per cent of its cost.
The Government is justifying the high excise on petrol and diesel by saying that it needs money to spend on welfare schemes. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan concedes that it is problematic for people, though quickly adding that the Government spent Rs 35,000 crore on vaccines. So, apparently the logic is that people who drive should foot the bill. But then it is not only the cars and bikes that consume petrol and diesel. The trucks that carry freight and diesel pump sets that push water into the fields also run on diesel. That was one reason that diesel was always priced less but that consideration has been done away with. This naturally translates into higher input costs for farmers and a higher cost of farm products. However, adjusting excise and other taxes could control the fuel prices. With the Opposition struggling, there are hardly any street protests. Each time, the increased new price becomes normal. The Government has done little to tighten its expenses. It has failed to avoid wasteful expenditure on projects of little value. Fiscal discipline is missing in the Government. The petrol price hike comes in handy.
(Courtesy: The Pioneer)
An Opposition front is seemingly in the making, but its united impact on the BJP remains to be seen
It is best to think of the meeting of like-minded parties and individuals convened by Sharad Pawar and Yashwant Sinha as being exploratory. For, the invitation issued for the meeting is not clear about the real purpose of the deliberations at this juncture, who all are expected to put up a united political front to confront the BJP and the scope of the political strategy. The meeting between Pawar and political strategist Prashant Kishor preceding the invite gave rise to speculations in the entire Opposition camp. There is also ambiguity about the status of the Congress in this scheme of things because the invite did not go to the party but to three senior leaders who are part of the ‘G-23’ group. Prashant Kishor clarified that what they will look for is not the Third Front model. Be that as it may, the meeting comes just as the political parties gear up for the next round of Assembly elections, including in Uttar Pradesh. The second wave of Coronavirus has left most parties, in power in one State or the other, scarred by exposing their inadequacies in handling the pandemic. Both are good enough reasons for the politicians to take stock of where they stand individually and what it means to shape themselves into a united forum to challenge the BJP in 2024.
There is enough on the table even for an exploratory meeting. The regional parties are strong in their respective States, but lack national presence or relevance. Most of the leaders, save a few, do not have a national presence either. Many of them fight the Congress in regional politics. Some, like the YSRCP and the TRS, are partners with an umbilical rivalry. The true postures of these parties will become apparent in the next presidential election due next year. The national parties suffer from a shrinking area of influence even as they confront one another, like in Kerala, or are whipped by a regional force, like in West Bengal. Some of these parties are not even attending the meeting. Second, they will need to project a correct perception of their relations with the Congress. A non-Congress, anti-BJP bloc of regional parties is one thing. An anti-Congress, anti-BJP forum of regional parties is another. For, the latter, by definition, shares anti-Congressism with the BJP. The Congress, despite its dipping political fortunes, remains the fulcrum of anti-BJP politics, given that in both 2014 and 2019 it was the runner-up in upwards of 200 seats. It all depends on whether the Congress can retain Punjab and fare better in other States in the upcoming elections. The real issue, however, is coming up with an alternative to brand Narendra Modi’s political narrative that has an equal resonance nationally and a post-pandemic economic agenda. What the exploratory meeting can afford not to do is wait for the law of diminishing utility to eventually kick in against the BJP.
(Courtesy: The Pioneer)
Stung by the tragedy of one or both parents succumbing to the virus, thousands of children stare at an uncertain future, if they have one
Even as the country braces for the third Corona wave which experts feel would be tougher on children, the pandemic has already taken a toll. On June 1, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) reported in the Supreme Court more than 9,300 Corona orphans in India. These include more than 1,700 children who lost both the parents. The actual figure could be many times this number as the data is yet to be collected from across the country.
Unfortunately, as of now, the Government does not have a plan in place to rehabilitate these children. Let alone a plan, it has not even identified these children yet. Many children have been orphaned due to circumstances created by the pandemic. Many people lost their lives while going back to their hometowns during the lockdown. They carried children in their arms or dragged them on wheeled suitcases. Many never reached their destinations and the children were left in the middle of nowhere. Who can forget the pictures of a toddler trying to wake up her dead mother on a railway platform? Of course, these children would not figure in the Government data of Corona orphans.
The pandemic has already killed the dreams, aspirations and hopes of the Corona orphans. Their number is now in thousands, if not lakhs, after the second wave. Many people who succumbed to Corona could not even have the last word with their children. Some children are still waiting for their parents to return. They are fed on lies that their parents have “gone to work” and will “return with goodies”. The day they find out the truth would be shattering for them.
Often, especially in the second wave, both the parents died within a few days of each other. The child was left alone without any support system to fall back upon. Even those survived by a single parent do not have the normal childhood left for them. The person who got them toys, played with them, attended their PTMs is gone. A bleak future and hardships await them; the innocence all set to yield at the altar of the real world.
Corona took away the children’s childhood as it did their innocence. Most people at a tender age wilt under pressure. If it is a child, the chances of her/his being altered for life are high. For children, losing parents is traumatic. Parents fulfil not only the needs of a child but give him a sense of security which is important in the growing up years. Most of the behavioural traits of the children get consolidated in the first seven years. Losing parents during that time scars children, changing their worldview forever.
It is the time when we, as a nation, need to step up our efforts to take care of such children. The parents cannot be replaced but, in the least, the child can be given a sense that there is someone who cares and provides him support. It could be his relatives, adopting parents, non-governmental organisations, or the Government itself.
The moot question is, what next for these children? Indeed, adoption comes up as the most natural way these children could be given a second lease of life. But there are some inherent dangers. The chances of fake adoptions are high. Child traffickers see it as an opportunity. Often, the children get adopted by traffickers and sold off.
The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) handles adoptions in the country. Strict guidelines govern the process of adoption in India. Any adoption without following this process is illegal. It puts children at high risk. Many adopted children are exploited, trafficked and abused. Moreover, the adoption rate in India is rather low. Only around 4,000 children are adopted every year; so few children would find a family that way.
An abandoned child is an easy prey for traffickers. In this situation, it becomes the responsibility of each one of us to help a child in distress. At the least, one could call children’s helpline number (1098) and inform the authorities about the child in distress. Or, one can also contact the district Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) or inform the local police station. The CWC decides the fate of these children — whether the child needs to go to a long-term or short-term shelter or for adoption. The Prime Minister has announced that such children will get a monthly stipend once they turn 18 through a corpus fund of Rs 10 lakh under the “PM-CARES for children” scheme. But the important question is how a child, says age two, survives 16 years to take that stipend!
Foster care is another option that can be explored and encouraged. The kith and kin of the deceased can take care of the child. But then that, again, is not free of problems. Many a time, the children end up working as domestic helps, their education stopped, their rights curtailed. There must be an agency to monitor such cases. There is an urgent need to tackle this issue on priority so that these children do not fall into the wrong hands. We, as a nation, have to think out of the box to help these children of a lesser god!
(The writer is a columnist and documentary film-maker. The views expressed are personal.)
(Courtesy: The Pioneer)
New Delhi, June 22 (IANS) Nearly two years after the revocation of J&K's special status, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is all set to chair the All Party Meeting of J&K leaders in New Delhi. Kashmir based politicians, who remained in power for many years and had opposed the Centre's decision to change J&K's status-quo, need to acknowledge the fact that the newly carved out J&K Union Territory has witnessed massive development on almost all the fronts after August 5, 2019 -- when J&K was bifurcated into two union territories and Article 370,temporary provision of the Indian Constitution, was done away with once for all.
The transition of a 'separate state' into a 'super state' that too in a very short span of time is a remarkable achievement. It has proven the sincerity and commitment of Indian leadership towards the people of J&K.
Work is on to fulfill the promises that were made by the Indian Home Minister, Amit Shah, in Parliament when the Article 370 was scrapped. Prime Minister Modi had assured J&K people that the "new dawn has broken and there will be no looking back." He has remained true to his word.
Empowering a common man has been the mantra. The UT administration has focused on building "Naya Jammu and Kashmir'' and is working hard to achieve the goals that were set by the Indian Government after "biting the bullet" on August 5, 2019.
Socio Economic Development
Nearly a year after J&K's special status was revoked, Union Minister of State (Home) G. Kishan Reddy in September 2020 had informed Parliament that the decision to scrap Article 370 has "fully integrated J&K into the mainstream of the nation".
He had stated that as a result all the rights enshrined in the Constitution of India and benefits of all the central laws that were being enjoyed by other citizens of the country were now available to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The change, he had said, brought about socio-economic development in Jammu and Kashmir. "Empowerment of people, removal of unjust laws, bringing in equity and fairness to those discriminated against since ages who are now getting their due along with comprehensive development are some of the important changes that are ushering both the new UTs towards the path of peace and progress," Reddy had said.
The Mos Home had stated that besides the regular flow of funds under various schemes by different central ministries, an amount of Rs 30,757 crore was allocated to J&K in the Financial Year (FY) 2020-21. "Under the Prime Minister's development package announced in 2015 for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Rs 80,068 crore continue to be spent for 54 projects in J&K and across sectors such as road, power, health, tourism, agriculture, horticulture, skill development, etc." (1)
The funds from the PM's package are being utilized for setting up Indian Institutes of Technology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Indian Institutes of Management that would meet the aspirations of the local youth.
The AIIMS at Samba and Awantipora that were stalled due to land and forest issues have now been cleared for completion. Five new medical colleges at Baramulla, Anantnag, Rajouri, Kathua and Doda were approved.
The work on stalled projects -- such as the ShahpurKandi Dam project that has been in limbo for 40 years-- has been fast tracked.
Similarly, work has begun on several other such projects to ensure constant power supply, a crucial factor in the region's growth and development.
District Development Council Elections
In December last year, the first local elections since the abrogation of Article 370 were held in Jammu and Kashmir. Huge participation of people in the polls shattered the myth that J&K people don't believe in democracy.
Nearly six million voters across the 20 districts were eligible to elect 280 members of District Development Councils (DDC).
About 1,000 candidates from various political parties, including National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Conference, Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and other political formations participated in the polls.
Aneesa Gul, 32, who fought on the BJP's ticket in central Kashmir's Chadoora village had told Al Jazeera that her party's "motive is only development and (to) erase unemployment and funding for women". "BJP will develop Kashmir better than Gujarat," Gul had claimed.
A youth Zahoor Ahmad, who contested polls as an independent candidate, from Theed village in Srinagar outskirts had stated that he wanted to gain power and work for the betterment of youth in his locality.(2)
Before August 5, 2019, politics and power were always held by the leaders of traditional political parties in J&K. But during the past 2-years many new faces have emerged in the political arena of Kashmir.
The DDC elections posed a larger political question for J&K in the backdrop of the August 5 changes as these set the tone and tenor for the forthcoming events and restarted the stalled political process in the Union Territory.
New Industrial Policy
The industrial scenario has changed drastically in the region during the past two years.
The "New Industrial Policy 2021-30" unveiled early this month by the J&K government provided further impetus to the sector, opening up the region to the world.
The new industrial policy, which came into effect on April 1, 2021, has a spending outlay of Rs 28,400 crore (Rs 284 billion), the largest incentive to date, on the industrial development of Jammu and Kashmir for the next 15 years. It is expected to generate an investment of Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) and employment of 4.5 lakh (0.45 million) over the plan period.
This is the first block-level development project that intends to undertake the process of industrialization at the very grassroots level using the local resources, skill, and talent available domestically. The policy specifically promises an era of socio-economic development in the region, catering to the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. There is no bar for outsiders to come and invest in the union territory (3).
J&K receives investment proposals worth Rs 15 billion
According to the official figures, post August 5, 2019, more than 40 companies came forward with the investment proposals and the J&K Government accepted more than 30 proposals up to the tune of Rs1,500 crore (Rs15 billion). The companies that came forward were from various fields like renewable energy, hospitality, defence, tourism, skill, education, IT and technology and infrastructure (4).
5 lakh new jobs in J&K
After the New Industrial Policy came into vogue, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that the new industrial development scheme would further attract a huge investment of Rs 20,000-25,000 crore, besides providing employment avenues and opportunities to around 5 lakh youth.
The unemployment rate in the union territory dipped from 16.1 per cent in September 2020 to 9 per cent in March 2021 and LG Sinha had credited youth for this positive change (5).
According to the report prepared by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, J&K has less unemployment rate than Delhi, Goa, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan.
The J&K Government has put in place robust and efficient digital network infrastructure in the hinterland to provide transparent financial services to the people.
Paving way for a strong Women Entrepreneur Ecosystem in J&K, the UT government announced a scheme -- Tejaswini under Mission Youth, through which financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the girls between the age group of 18-35 years is provided to start their business.
During the Back to Village programme, the J&K Government had set a target of around 9,000 youth to be identified for financial support for starting their enterprise. The expected target exceeded and 18,500 youth were extended financial support to set up their business units.
The J&K Government under Mission Youth aims to engage 80 per cent youth in livelihood generation by 2025.
18,000 posts advertised
Last year the Jammu and Kashmir government had announced that 25,000 posts will be filled in the public sector and the government departments. During the past six months 18,000 posts have been advertised and the process is on to fill up the vacancies.
The aim of the present dispensation in J&K seems to ensure responsive, accountable, transparent governance. The promises that were made on August 5, 2019, are being fulfilled. The change in ground situation is ample proof of the fact that the Indian Government is out to transform J&K into a 'super state' to end the uncertainty that has prevailed in J&K since 1947.
1. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/removal-of-article-370-has-brought-socio-economic-development-in-j-k-ladakh-mha/story-0ioxNZ6veZsgL5Xlby9ViM.html
2. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/4/elections-resume-halted-political-process-in-kashmir
3. https://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/606056/World/Asia/New-industrial-policy-opens-Indias-Jammu-and-Kashmir-to-world
4. https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-rs-15000-crore-worth-of-investment-proposed-for-jk-after-art-370-abrogation-2787258
5. https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/front-page-2/new-industrial-policy-to-create-5-lakh-jobs-in-jammu-and-kashmir/
The Delhi Government’s decision on reopening bars means that the patrons must share the onus of safety
On the happy occasion of the Seventh International Yoga Day, the Delhi Government provided its denizens an exciting opportunity to indulge in some arm and elbow exercises. It threw open the doors to bars and restaurants serving alcohol with a loud three-cheers shoutout: One for the devotees of Bacchus, the second for the dehydrated hospitality industry and the last (certainly not the least!) one for the Government coffers. As anticipated, the heady news was met with exuberance and welcomed with joyous abandon by the connoisseurs who had literally been staying parched for a long time now. Of course, the booze shops had already upped their shutters but imbibing alcohol with friends sitting at a cool place with like-minded people around you is an altogether different experience. You don’t have to frequently keep running to the refrigerator to replenish the beer or worry about the performance of the ice tray or, worst nightmare, about the kebabs getting cold and limp or running out of stock. The people’s Chief Minister has heard his people’s inner voice and granted them their wish. Of course, the permission comes with certain riders but, still, having a little fun always beats having no fun at all.
So, now, apart from the congratulations, a few words of advice and caution to the spirited revellers. Start small. Don’t let the passionate enthusiasm breach the fine line and cross into the ludicrous and the ridiculous. It has been made abundantly clear that the restaurants and the bars, for now at least, will operate at only 50 per cent capacity, so don’t crowd or hog the place. Let your fellow drinkers also have a fair chance to revel. Go in small groups. Also, everyone would understand if you can’t partake alcohol or the savouries with your mask fastened religiously as per the COVID-19 protocol but please take more than usual care of your etiquettes when it comes to laughing your heart out or coughing or suchlike things. Also, “50 per cent capacity” doesn’t mean that 40 per cent of the inmates can agreeably be found on a single table because it’s a buddy’s birthday. Practise social distancing, please. All the hallmarks of genteel behaviour that you would display in a courtroom, you are expected to observe in pubs and bars, too. The Government has given you another chance, take it with caution. Meanwhile, Hip, hip, hooray!
The Centre’s invite to Kashmiri leaders for a meeting appears to have left them confused
Political leaders of the Kashmir valley, grouped under the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, are in a huddle over the Centre’s invitation for a meeting on Jammu and Kashmir affairs on June 24. They were indeed expecting some sign from the Union Government for kick-starting a political dialogue with the Valley leaders that would eventually lead to an understanding for holding of Assembly elections. Now that the invite is in, Gupkar leaders appear confused on how to respond to it. Their problem, yet not articulated by any top leader, is this: There is no clarity about the agenda for the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Would it be about the delimitation of constituencies leading to elections? Would it be about the assurances both the Government and the Valley politicians need to hammer out for reviving the political apparatus? Would it be a mere photo-op to show the world that Kashmir is always on the developmental agenda of the Government? The invite has landed Gupkar leaders in a predicament. They do not want to be seen to be eager to jump at the invite. What has changed on the ground that can enthuse the Gupkar to go to Delhi, they ask themselves. What is in it for them, is the real question. They have been out of the limelight since 2019 when the special status of J&K under Article 370 was revoked and the State divided into Union Territories.
They have since tried to rebuild their core constituency, shaping an anti-BJP, pro-370 stand. In the elections to the district development councils (DDCs) last December, the Gupkar alliance performed well as a political grouping, even though the BJP emerged as the single largest party. There was an attempt to raise a bunch of next-generation Valley leaders as an alternative to the mainstream parties, but it did not cut much ice with the local people, adding to the alliance’s credibility. The alliance meets on June 22 ostensibly to decide who will represent it at the meeting, but really to work out how to positively sell the idea of going to Delhi to their constituents. The Union Government, too, has worked step by step to reach the stage of inviting the State leaders for talks. The DDC elections marked the revival of the democratic process after 2019. Then came the restoration of broadband and data services after 18 months. The senior political leaders were gradually released from house arrest. A meeting in Delhi now would bring Kashmir back on the national agenda, relieving the international pressure on the subject. The border is quiet of late and Pakistan, for its own compelling reasons, is honouring the ceasefire. The completion of the delimitation process to hold elections and giving J&K its statehood back are two things well within the means of the Centre. But the moot point is the trust deficit between the two parties. The June 24 meeting will indicate where things stand.
Politically and historically, India has always been a steadfast ally of the Maldives. At home or at global platforms, India selflessly watches its back
The archipelagic nation of Maldives has witnessed tectonic undercurrents of geopolitical one-upmanship and unrest, which belie its idyllic perceptions. India’s historically benign and non-expansionist outlook ensured that the semi-autocratic 30-year reign of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and the subsequent, democratically elected Government of Mohamed Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) retained a pro-India tilt. In 1988, India famously quelled a roguish coup with the dramatic landing of its Parachute Regiment elements after flying 2,000 km non-stop in ‘Operation Cactus’. India’s predominant impulse then was to deter the intervention of any other foreign power in India’s backyard === it was portents of such a dangerous drift that ensued with the election of Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) from November 2013-November 2018. Yameen’s five-year tenure saw signature moves of President Xi Jinping’s aggressive Chinese inroads with a slew of investments (Belt and Road Initiative), free trade agreements and murmurs of a Chinese military base. India’s strategic sphere of influence was openly threatened with the Chinese conglomerates replacing Indian entities. The lure for the Chinese was the strategic encirclement of its regional nemesis, India, with its strategy of “String of Pearls” ports.
The traditional “India first” policy was duly restored in November 2018 with the return of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s MDP. India reciprocated with its “Neighbourhood First” policy — soon a record $1.3 billion financial package was announced, including the largest civilian infrastructure project connecting Male with three islands. The days of the unprecedented “India out” campaign unleashed by the previous Yameen dispensation are over for now. Maldives also became the first country, along with Bhutan, under the “Vaccine Maitri” diplomacy to receive COVID vaccines. Former President and current Speaker Mohamed Nasheed was quick to acknowledge: “During tsunami, the 1988 coup, water crisis or Corona, India has been our first responder and dependable friend.” This natural bonhomie was sought to be strengthened when India announced its support towards the candidature of Maldivian Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid, towards the UNGA presidentship in December, much before the alternative candidature of another pro-India candidate, Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul, was announced.
As amongst the highest offices in the UN system, the victory of Maldivian Foreign Minister is especially sweet for India after the biased and overtly political tenure of the previous UNGA president, Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir. In an unprecedented move whilst in Pakistani, Bozkir had recklessly conjoined the issues of Palestine and Kashmir and urged Pakistan: “I think it is the duty, especially Pakistan’s, to bring this issue (Kashmir) to the UN platform more strongly!” Bozkir lost all sense of proportion, propriety and even diplomatic pretence when he alluded to the ostensible “changed status” of Kashmir: “Throughout my term, and consistent with the UN policy, and applicable UNSC resolutions, I have encouraged all parties to refrain from changing the status of the disputed territory.” Bozkir was soon conferred with the second highest Pakistani civilian award, Hilal-e-Pakistan (third continuous Turkish recipient in three years), reflecting Islamist Recep Erdogan’s growing stranglehold over Islamabad.
Now, with Maldivian Abdulla Shahid’s one-year tenure, Delhi can expect a fair and friendly incumbent in the office. In a sign of times, Shahid appointed India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu, as his Chef de Cabinet. Though the one-year tenure may not allow any radical changes to the framework of the UN, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar alluded to the directional reset when he stated: “We look forward to working with him to strengthen multilateralism and its much-needed reforms” — the euphemism for India’s justifiable quest for a permanent seat in the UNSC is barely masked. China’s nefarious role in stymieing actions in favour of India is well documented. In this crucial tenure, India will have the opportunity to up the chorus of its preferred changes, just like Erdogan used the UNGA platform to play his own realpolitik to the occasional discomfiture of India during Bozkir’s tenure. Coinciding as it does with India’s two-year term as a nonpermanent member of the UNSC, the task is cut out for Indian diplomatic mandarins.
India will need to uptick and retrieve its diminished lustre among its once-friendly neighbours like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar (as done for Maldives), correct undeniable perceptions of its pandemic mismanagement and the growing concerns on its democratic liberties and freedom, for which it was always famed. The chessboard of diplomacy is forever changing, and Delhi must seize these serendipitously aligned circumstances to further its diplomacy. Maldives had a brief dalliance with the expansionist Chinese experience, as did Nepal (interference in Communist Government and landgrab), Sri Lanka (Hambantota takeover) and Bhutan (Doklam); the consequential difference vis-à-vis India needs to be gently asserted.
(The writer, a military veteran, is a former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry. The views expressed are personal.)
New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) A documentary follows a trail that leads to Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which seems to not only fight terror, but sponsor it as well, German broadcaster DW, which aired the documentary, said in a report.
'Who's financing, planning and commissioning terror attacks in Europe' is the question that the documentary titled 'The Business with Terror' seeks to answer.
The film aims to find out who's backing the Islamist terrorists. Most of those who've carried out attacks in Europe were found to be lone wolves or members of small, independent cells, DW said.
In the documentary, award-winning author Daniel Harrich looks a bit deeper into the incidents. Leads take him to Brussels, Madrid and London, and to an organisation called the Lashkar-e-Taiba, or the "Army of the Righteous". It was founded by, and is closely linked to, Pakistani intelligence service ISI.
DW said Harrich's probe has uncovered those who were pulling the strings behind many terror has attacks. They are ISI officers, who often work in cooperation with and receive money from their German, French and US secret service counterparts.
"The filmmakers observe that when the fear of new attacks grows in the West, the more money it sends to its partners in Pakistan. And the more money these partners have, the more terrorist attacks are carried out," the report said.
'The Business with Terror' probes ISI's role as a sponsor of terrorism and asks: Where do we draw the line in cooperating with partner intelligence services?
As per reports, the documentary has shed light on the involvement of Paris attack conspirator Muhammad Ghani Usman, a Pakistani national and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, in the planning and execution of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Usman is in a French jail after being arrested in connection with the 2015 attack on the French capital.
According to reports, Usman was questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which was probing the Mumbai attacks cases, in 2019. According to NIA, Usman was in touch with David Coleman Headley, the Pakistan-origin US terrorist who plotted the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) Is the world headed for Cold War 2 more than three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union? The contours were first visible just before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in a bitter trade war that erupted between the US and China and seemed to have taken a backseat as the world struggles to control the spread of the virus. However, US President Joe Biden's remarks backing NATO and QUAD to control China has again stoked the fires of what could happen in the 'new normal'.
Five years after he wrote "Pisoners of Geography" that showed how every nation's choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete, Tim Marshall is a leading authority on foreign affairs with more than 30 years of reporting experience, in its sequel, "The Power of Geography" (Simon & Schuster), says that since then, the geography hasn't changed, but the world has.
"It is apparent that we have entered deep into a 'multi-polar' era. This means the world's second-tier powers have more room to act independently of the major powers, especially as there is no 'world policemen' as there was during the Cold War. I believe we will eventually head back into a form of Cold War, this time between China and the USA," Marshall told IANS in an interview.
"It won't be the same as the previous one, but there will be similar pressures to choose sides. (India successfully resisted such pressures in the Soviet/USA era, but this time the geography of the new competition means India will probably not be as 'non-aligned' in the future.) So, I wanted to look at the geography of some second-tier countries/regions and how that influences not only their current behaviour in this multi-polar world, but also what role they might play in a future Cold War. It's clear, for example, that the UK and Australia have made their choice and will stick with the Americans," Marshall added.
Some of it was looking back at his own experiences in the regions (other than the chapter on Space of course). "The basis though is starting with the geography of the subject -- which way do its rivers flow, where are the borders, what are its ports like, what are the demographics, etc. Then a study of history and current affairs, supplemented with interviews with experts in the region," he explained, detailing the 10 regions -- Australia, The Sahel, Greece, Turkey, the UK, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Space -- that are likely to shape global politics and power.
"All countries and regions in some way influence current affairs, but not all could be covered in the space of one book. Australia is interesting not just because of its size, but because it's a clear example of how geography constrains a country's ability to increase the size of its population, given that so much of it is uninhabitable. It is also the best example of a country making its choice ahead of the coming Cold War competition.
"Iran and Saudi Arabia are both being impacted by the slow withdrawal of the USA from the Middle East as it pivots towards the Indo-Pacific region, and both countries also have their own domestic challenges to balance against this. The UK was an obvious choice because of Brexit. Greece and Turkey have entered into a period of intense competition for gas and oil in the Adriatic Sea.
"The Sahel region was chosen because the problems created by colonialism, climate change, poverty, violent Islamism, conflict and migration are all coming together, making it a very volatile region. Ethiopia is in because technology may finally allow it to harness the power of the Blue Nile and alleviate poverty, but that is causing tensions with its neighbours. Finally, Space is there because I believe it is a geographic area over which there will be competition and cooperation in the future, and it is important to prepare for that," Marshall elaborated.
Marshall was diplomatic editor at Sky News, and before that was working for the BBC and LBC/IRN radio. He has reported from 40 countries and covered conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Israel. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller "Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics" and the founder and editor of the current affairs site TheWhatandtheWhy.com.
"I was lucky enough to report from as many as 40 countries and learn about different peoples and cultures. What I learned is that although different people can think in different ways, which are sometimes hard to follow, at heart we are all the same. I also learned early on that peace is fragile, that there are always a few people with ill intent who will seek to provoke tensions between others in order to profit from it. Sadly, we are susceptible to anxieties about the 'other'.
"It has given me a somewhat 'realist' hardline approach to international relations and has also persuaded me of Churchill's truth that democracy is the least worst political system by which to organize societies," Marshall concluded.
New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Maulana Masood Azhar, the founder of Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, and key Mumbai attacks perpetrator Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi feature in India's list of 31 most wanted terrorists.
These 31 terrorists have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and figure in the list of most wanted individuals by the Indian government for their involvement in various anti-India activities such as bomb blasts, killings and other conspiracies which somehow compromised the country's internal security.
The names of these terrorists are mentioned in the latest updated list of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which is responsible for securing the internal security of the country besides with taking strict actions against those conspiring against India.
Azhar, Saeed and Lakhvi are among the top five in the list of 31 terrorists, along with dreaded Indian gangster-tuned-drug lord Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and Wadhawangh Babbar, a key leader of banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). Along with Dawood, 65, his Pakistan-based associates Javed Chikna alias Javed Dawood Tailor, Ibrahim Memon alias Tiger Memon and Shaikh Shakeel alias Chhota Shakeel are named in the list. All are accused in the 1993 Bombay blasts, when a series of 12 explosions claimed the lives of over 250 people.
The list also features Lakhbir Singh, chief of Pakistan-based terrorist organisation International Sikh Youth Federation; Ranjeet Singh alias Neeta of Khalistan Zindabad Force; Paramjit Singh of Pakistan-based Khaliastan Commando Force; Bhupinder Singh Bhinda of Khalistan Zindabad Force; Gurmeet Singh Bagga, a key member of Khalistan Zindabad Force based in Germany; Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a key member of Sikh For Justice based in the US; Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canada-based chief of Khalistan Tiger Force; and Paramjit Singh, the UK-based chief of BKI. They were all declared as designated terrorists by the Home Ministry on July 1 last year.
Among the others named in the list are Sajid Mir, Yusuf Muzammil, Abdur Rehman Makki, Shahid Mehmood, Farhatullah Ghori, Abdul Rauf Asghar, Ibrahim Athar, Yusuf Azhar, Shahid Latif, Ghulam Nabi Khan, Zaffar Hussain Bhat, Riyaz Ismail Shahbandr, Md Iqbal and Mohammad Anis Shaikh.
Ahead of the next meeting of the global watchdog for terror financing and money laundering, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), scheduled later this month, Pakistan has scrambled into action by registering two cases against Masood Azhar, Rauf Asgar and Sajid Mir -- the top leaders of JeM.
Pakistan had also reportedly carried out raids to locate Azhar, but the operation was unsuccessful as the raiding party only found his wife and a few aides from his Bahawalpur residence. A Pakistan court in January this year had sentenced Lakhvi to five years in prison for terror financing. He has been accused by India and the US of orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which at least 160 people were killed.
Last year, 70-year-old radical cleric Hafiz Saeed was sentenced to 15-and-a-half years in jail in Pakistan. He played a key role in carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Originally from Dongri in Mumbai, Dawood Ibrahim reportedly resides in D-13, Block 4 at Clifton, an affluent seaside neighbourhood in Pakistan's Karachi, with his extended family, though the Pakistan government denies it. Dawood heads the organised crime syndicate D-Company, which he had founded in Mumbai in 1970s.
Since the early 90s, India has been fighting a war against terrorism that has claimed the lives of thousands of people, including several personnel of the security forces. While the country over the last three decades has taken several steps and measures to mitigate terrorism, more needs to be done to avoid the radicalisation of the youth.
A team led by NSA Ajit Doval is assigned to escalate search for top terror accused and to change the soft state perception of Modi led NDA Government.
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