Monday, November 30, 2009
Indian sea based nuclear capability
By Javed Arshad
Jawahar Lal Nehru at the time of Independence had envisioned Indian Navy operating with at least three air craft carriers to achieve its strategic interests in Indian Ocean. Whosoever succeeded him as the prime minister, irrespective of his political affiliations, pursued Nehru's vision and worked towards acquisition of air craft carriers for Indian Navy.
To add to this vision was her daughter's who in early 70s tasked the Indian Navy to avail all means to ensure that India enjoys dominance over Indian Ocean. Consequently, the Indian nuclear scientists commenced working in 1971 on production of a compact nuclear power plant suitable for installation on nuclear submarines. The construction of nuclear submarines (ATV programme) was started in 1974 and to avail the Russian help a delegation visited Russia in 1982 during which they were introduced to a Russian Charlie Class nuclear powered cruise missile submarine (K-43), the submarine that was later leased to Indian Navy.
India rolled out its first of the ATV nuclear submarines named 'Arihant' and became the only sixth country in the world to possess under water nuclear capability. The launching of the nuclear submarine by India with Russian collaboration speaks of the kind of defense relationship that they enjoy with each other. Albeit, the development has altered the balance of power in the region and added a new dimension in Pakistan's threat perception. Since the on board missiles outfit comprise Club and Sagarika missiles with respective ranges from 300 to 1000 kms, the Indian nuclear submarines will be Pakistan specific. There is a need for Pakistan to acquire its own sea based nuclear capability over time to counter the impending threat.
Coming back to the Russian connection in Indian Nuclear submarine development it established a training centre for the Indian sailors at Vladivostok in 1982 to train them on handling of nuclear submarines and qualified the first batch in 1983. They were then trained at sea on board K-43 that was later inducted in Indian Navy for two years on lease as INS CHAKRA. The Indian submariners were imparted extensive training on board by a group of thirty Russian experts that remained on board through out its operations with the Indian Navy. INS CHAKRA covered 72000 NMs wherein the on board nuclear reactor remained critical for over 430 days during its service with the Indian Navy. After expiry of the lease of INS CHAKRA in 1990, a similar deal was re-negotiated with the Russians in 2001 with two aims. One, to keep the Indian navy personnel trained on board INS CHAKRA current with the nuclear submarines operations and two, to avail Russian expertise to complete its own ATV. As per the deal, India would fund two under construction nuclear submarines under Project 971 Nerpa (Akula Class nuclear submarines) with the first one to be delivered in 2004. However, the process got delayed and the final terms of agreement were finally signed in 2004 along with the contract for Admiral Gorshkov, the air craft carrier. It was also initially agreed that four Indian crews would be trained in Russia on board Akula Class submarines, the submarines would be leased for between three to ten years and that India would pay lease money worth US $ 25 million every year. Transfer of the first Akula Class Submarine to the Indian Navy was planned for August 2007 however; it was later postponed to September 2009 mainly due to the increased expenditures on its completion. Later on an accident on board the first designated Akula submarine for the Indian Navy during its sea trials further delayed the delivery. The second submarine is stated to be transferred to the Indian navy by 2010 however; the same also would likely be delayed much further. However, there are reports that Russia might transfer its own operational Akula Class Nuclear Submarines to India to compensate for the delays in meeting the delivery schedule.
As Russia is nurturing India to turn it into a global power so is United States. It was with the expertise of the later that India was able to install its first low frequency transmitter in the south of the country to communicate with the submerged submarines deployed over long distances. France also came handy in lending a great support to India in the provision of sonars expertise and helped it install the same on board India's ATVs. This courting of India in nuclear field by UN Security Council members who keep on voicing their concerns on nuclear proliferation, is despite the fact that India has a chequered history in safe guarding its nuclear stockpiles. Christopher Pine, a nuclear safeties expert working with Natural Resource Council in Washington has categorized India's nuclear safe keeping practices as worse with the least nuclear safeguards in the whole world. As per Press Trust of India's report of 12 April 2006, three people were arrested for selling a Kilogram of enriched uranium contained in India's Atomic Energy Department sealed box. There was also news that reported arrest of one Ravinder Singh, an agent of India's Intelligence agency 'RAW', trying to sell India's nuclear secrets to other countries. In November 2005 two British Companies were suspended for aiding India's nuclear capable Agni missile programme and a US court also fined 'Fibre Materials' a company that clandestinely exported missile control panel to India, which was reversed engineered by Indian DRDL and used on Agni Missiles systems.
The way the India is being all around nuclearised by the UN Security Council members, there is no option for Pakistan but to focus its energies to acquire sea based nuclear capability to thwart Indian hegemonistic designs and threat to its own sovereignty. India's clandestine activities in Pakistan's Baluchistan Province and the North Western Frontier Province, speak of the threat that it poses to the national security of Pakistan. Pakistan has always worked to preserve its national security and bears no inclination to rule or influence littoral states through age old medium, the seas.
(The writer is retired Naval Officer and free lance contributor)
http://www.markthetruth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=481&start=0
Thursday, November 26, 2009
We must be ready to fight Hindus, says Nizami
LAHORE - Editor-in-Chief The Nation and Chairman Nazria Pakistan Trust Majid Nizami has said that we should remain well-prepared for war against Hindus as they were casting bad eye on Pakistan and our independence, which is a blessing of Allah.
He was speaking at Aiwan-e-Karkunan Tehrik-e-Pakistan on the 53rd death anniversary of Maulana Zafar Ali Khan on Tuesday.
Majid Nizami said Maulana Zafar Ali Khan was a versatile personality as he was a journalist, poet, politician and orator. He stood with the Quaid in Pakistan Movement.
He started a movement in the name of Masjid Shaheed Ganj and wanted to take over the mosque but it is a dilemma that after freedom, the Muslims could not secure this mosque due to tolerant attitude and it is still closed. It is neither Gurdawara nor mosque.
He said Zafar Ali Khan published his poems on Page One of the newspaper Zamindar and it fetched great circulation. He said Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Trust should secure Zamindar office and make it a memoir. Majid Nizami mentioned J Thunder aircraft handed over to PAF, which can fly high than Indian jets and India admitted that Pakistan has taken supremacy in air defence. There would be a war against India on waters because it is building dams on our rivers and the solution lies is smashing the dams by missiles.
As such we should be prepared for war. He said though war is not good thing but it is better to die by warring instead of dying with thirst and hunger. He said Maulana Zafar Ali Khan was great lover of the holy Prophet (PBUH).
Vice Chairman Nazria Pakistan Trust, Prof Dr Rafique Ahmad said that NPT is reminding the forgotten lesion of Pakistan Movement and its heroes. Maulana Zafar Ali Khan was one of them. He fought for the Muslims particularly of the subcontinent. He remained successful whichever field he chose. He instantaneously translated Pakistan Resolution on the call of Quaid-e-Azam and formed Majlis-e-Ittehad-e-Millat.
Chairman Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Trust and provincial Ombudsman Khalid Mehmood said that those nations who do not remember their heroes and benefactors, stop producing heroes. He said the Trust has built mazar of Maulana and published all his poetry particularly the naatia poetry, which is great asset and a source for devotion to the holy Prophet (PBUH). Chief Executive Khabrain Group Zia Shahid said that NPT keeps these personalities alive. He paid tributes to Majid Nizami and said he was above the professional rivalries. He said a party is demanding abolition of word Islamic from the official name of Pakistan but it should not forget that we will never allow nor nobody could dare to do that for the sake of receiving aid from America. He said corrupt of Musharraf era should be taken to task. He said people are poor but our rulers are rich. US did not give aid under Kerry-Lugar Act to the government because it considered them corrupt. Our rulers should bring their money back to shed the loans.
India do not want to talk to us but we are running after it for talks. Agreements are signed by weak nations and strong tore apart the agreements. President CPNE and chief editor daily Jinnah Khushnood Ali Khan said that PPP government, Army and Aiwan-e-Sadr have different viewpoint on India, which is our arch is our arch enemy. He said NAB victims should quit, as they are not our representatives. "I also do not recognise a government which do not celebrate days like Zafar Ali Khan's.
Raja Masood Ali Khan said Nov 27 should be observed as Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Day. He said Maulana Zafar Ali Khan spent every third day average in jail. His father had command on Urdu, English, Persian and Arabic who trained Zafar Ali Khan in these languages. Columnist Rafique Dogar said that Maulana was present in 1906 meeting of ML in Dhaka. He was elected in 1937 elections.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Meeting The Mossad
60 Minutes' Ira Rosen Meets The Former Head Of One Of The World's Top Spy AgenciesSome kids read biographies about baseball players. In high school my favorite books were about the great accomplishments of the Mossad, Israel's intelligence service.
They had kidnapped war criminal Adolf Eichmann from Argentina before the police in the country knew he was there or even missing. A beautiful woman had inspired an Iraqi pilot to defect to Israel with his top-secret Mig-21. A Mossad mole nearly became Syria's Minister of Defense. And in a story popularized by Steven Spielberg's movie Munich, the Mossad quietly and systematically killed those responsible for the murder of their athletes at the Munich Olympics.
The man responsible for directing much of these accomplishments was the legendary Mossad chief Zvika Zamir, who I met and spoke with on several occasions in Israel. He was one of only three people who Egyptian spy Ashraf Marwan met with during his four years of spying for the Israelis. He didn't want to go on camera - Mossad agents are adverse to publicity - but Zamir wanted me to know how convinced he was about Marwan not being a double agent.
A former head of Israeli Military Intelligence revealed in the Israeli press a few years ago that Marwan was responsible for misleading Israel during the run-up to the 1973 Yom Kippur War; Zamir believed that the former military intel chief was just covering up for his own failings to predict the war.
Zamir is now in his late eighties but still quite sharp. He said that Marwan enjoyed fine cigars and good clothes and the company of beautiful women.
Zamir said he would often test Marwan. One time he asked Marwan to name the commanding officer of individual Egyptian military units, names Zamir had already known from another inside spy. Marwan, he said, never lied to him.
Zamir says the day before the war began, he met with Marwan in London where Marwan not only told him the war would begin but also gave him the war plans, which included specific points of where parachute landings would occur.
Amazingly, the Israel Army chief of staff didn't look at it until the fighting was well under way.
When Ashraf Marwan was found dead, Zamir said he blamed himself because he felt he didn't do enough to protect his identity. He also says Marwan's death will have long range repercussions for the Israelis in trying to recruit other Arab defectors.
Two days after my last Zamir meeting, I was directed, one afternoon, to go to a particular park bench in Ramat Gan, a Tel Aviv suburb. I felt like I was in a spy movie, as an old Jewish man who looked a little like the Jewish gangster Meyer Lansky, sat down next to me and said simply, "I hear you have some questions about Marwan."
It turned out "Shmuel" as we will call him, was the former head of European operations for over 30 years for the Mossad. It was Shmuel who was first contacted by Marwan in 1969, and hurriedly arranged a meeting at a London restaurant.
He directed one of Israel's legendary agents to meet Marwan that day, an agent simply called "Dubi." If Israel had a James Bond, it was Dubi.
Everyone from the Mossad avoids discussing details about Dubi, in part to protect him and in part to keep his accomplishments part of the secrets held by a small fraternity of Mossad agents.
For one extraordinary afternoon I was a kid again, hearing stories about the Mossad, from one of its most important figures. They are a very proud organization which might explain why they will never publicly acknowledge that Marwan might have gotten the better of them.
As a last question I asked how the relationship between Israel and Marwan ended, my new friend told me that it was the Israelis that ended it: "We had a peace with Arabs and he wasn't worth paying $100,000 for each meeting. What do you think he would give us, the Egyptian wheat reports?"
They had kidnapped war criminal Adolf Eichmann from Argentina before the police in the country knew he was there or even missing. A beautiful woman had inspired an Iraqi pilot to defect to Israel with his top-secret Mig-21. A Mossad mole nearly became Syria's Minister of Defense. And in a story popularized by Steven Spielberg's movie Munich, the Mossad quietly and systematically killed those responsible for the murder of their athletes at the Munich Olympics.
The man responsible for directing much of these accomplishments was the legendary Mossad chief Zvika Zamir, who I met and spoke with on several occasions in Israel. He was one of only three people who Egyptian spy Ashraf Marwan met with during his four years of spying for the Israelis. He didn't want to go on camera - Mossad agents are adverse to publicity - but Zamir wanted me to know how convinced he was about Marwan not being a double agent.
A former head of Israeli Military Intelligence revealed in the Israeli press a few years ago that Marwan was responsible for misleading Israel during the run-up to the 1973 Yom Kippur War; Zamir believed that the former military intel chief was just covering up for his own failings to predict the war.
Zamir is now in his late eighties but still quite sharp. He said that Marwan enjoyed fine cigars and good clothes and the company of beautiful women.
Zamir said he would often test Marwan. One time he asked Marwan to name the commanding officer of individual Egyptian military units, names Zamir had already known from another inside spy. Marwan, he said, never lied to him.
Zamir says the day before the war began, he met with Marwan in London where Marwan not only told him the war would begin but also gave him the war plans, which included specific points of where parachute landings would occur.
Amazingly, the Israel Army chief of staff didn't look at it until the fighting was well under way.
When Ashraf Marwan was found dead, Zamir said he blamed himself because he felt he didn't do enough to protect his identity. He also says Marwan's death will have long range repercussions for the Israelis in trying to recruit other Arab defectors.
Two days after my last Zamir meeting, I was directed, one afternoon, to go to a particular park bench in Ramat Gan, a Tel Aviv suburb. I felt like I was in a spy movie, as an old Jewish man who looked a little like the Jewish gangster Meyer Lansky, sat down next to me and said simply, "I hear you have some questions about Marwan."
It turned out "Shmuel" as we will call him, was the former head of European operations for over 30 years for the Mossad. It was Shmuel who was first contacted by Marwan in 1969, and hurriedly arranged a meeting at a London restaurant.
He directed one of Israel's legendary agents to meet Marwan that day, an agent simply called "Dubi." If Israel had a James Bond, it was Dubi.
Everyone from the Mossad avoids discussing details about Dubi, in part to protect him and in part to keep his accomplishments part of the secrets held by a small fraternity of Mossad agents.
For one extraordinary afternoon I was a kid again, hearing stories about the Mossad, from one of its most important figures. They are a very proud organization which might explain why they will never publicly acknowledge that Marwan might have gotten the better of them.
As a last question I asked how the relationship between Israel and Marwan ended, my new friend told me that it was the Israelis that ended it: "We had a peace with Arabs and he wasn't worth paying $100,000 for each meeting. What do you think he would give us, the Egyptian wheat reports?"
Babri Mosque
India does not realise it because of the prevalent Hindu-chauvinist ideology, but it will not come to any sort of closure over the 1992 Babri Mosque demolition until its main perpetrators are punished. This was demonstrated yet again as the Bharatiya Janata Party stalled business in the Upper House over the alleged publication in an Indian newspaper of the Liberhan Report into the demolition, and its naming of senior BJP figures, like former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and party chief Lal Kishan Advani, as responsible, and for judging the demolition 'meticulously planned'. The BJP continued its protest despite Home Minister P. Chidambaram's assurance that there was only one copy of the report with his Ministry.
As the demolition was carried out by the BJP and it allies, the present Congress-led government wants to take action, but it will not, not just because it shares the BJP's Hindu-supremacist ideology, but because a Congress government at the Centre did nothing to stop the demolition, and therefore any full probe will tear the mask off senior Congress figures and reveal them for what they are: people filled with anti-Muslim hate who preach secularism at the same time as their actions show them to be filled with prejudice.
Yet the present Congress-led government must not duck the task of bringing all the culprits to justice, even if they hold, or have held, high office. Previous reports have found leading BJP figures responsible, so the party should not try to cover up the successive electoral defeats it has suffered by protecting them. The party should be ready to make necessary sacrifices. However, the real task before both parties is to make sure that no Babri Mosque demolition occurs again, something that is only possible by an acceptance that the Nehruvian model of secularism has not just failed, but was always false, and that Indian Muslims are just as good citizens as anyone else.
India's N-doctrine dangerous, offensive: Pakistan
ISLAMABAD – Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are back to a cold war like situation with the dialogue process between the two neighbours taking a back seat, thanks to irresponsible Indian attitude, Hindu extremism and expansionist designs.
The two major South Asian powers that have fought three wars and were on the brink of a nuclear war in 1999 are back to 'Cold war' like situation following series of irresponsible statements by the Indian Prime Minister and Indian Army Chief.
Pakistan perceived the Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor's yesterday's statement as a warning for nuclear war. Deepak said on Monday "A limited war under a nuclear overhang is still very much a reality, at least in the Indian sub-continent."
Pakistan perceived the Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor's yesterday's statement as a warning for nuclear war. Deepak said on Monday "A limited war under a nuclear overhang is still very much a reality, at least in the Indian sub-continent."
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that these remarks only reaffirm India's dangerous and offensive nuclear doctrine.
India has long been working on the so-called 'Cold Start' strategy and preparing for a limited war against Pakistan. General Kapoor's statement confirms the hegemonic thrust of India's nuclear doctrine, Abdul Basit said on Tuesday.
"The international community should take notice of General Kapoor's remarks and India's long-term intentions", Basit suggested.
"The international community should take notice of General Kapoor's remarks and India's long-term intentions", Basit suggested.
He also said that Pakistan is fully capable of safeguarding its national sovereignty and defending its borders. However, as a responsible country, we will continue promoting peace and stability in South Asia on the basis of equality and mutual respect. The "peace process" between the two countries came to a halt after the 26/11 terror strikes in the Indian business capital Mumbai. Since 26/11, dialogue process has not resumed despite several sincere attempts from Pakistan. The heads of state of India and Pakistan have met twice. During the talks between Indian and Pakistani premiers Manmohan Singh and Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, the two countries came out with a joint statement de-linking dialogue with terrorism and including the Balochistan issue. This generated hope that the two countries would restart the dialogue process.
However, to the shock and disappointment of peace-loving Pakistanis, India has is dragging the sub-continent back to 'cold war' era, many think.
According to experts, the joint India-Pakistan statement came under sharp criticism from the Indian opposition parties, especially right wing Hindu party BJP, who felt that the Balochistan reference and de-linking terrorism from dialogue process was a 'defeat' of Indian diplomacy.
Following sharp criticism and after being cornered at the home-turf, the Indian Government hardened its stand vis-a-vis resumption of dialogue process with Pakistan and linked the restart of peace process with Pakistan's action against 'terrorist elements'.
Pakistan has several times conveyed to India that the stalling of dialogue process between the two countries is benefiting the terrorists.
The 'cold war' like situation between India and Pakistan will not be in the interest of any of the two countries. Instead it gives an opportunity to extremist elements to prove that 'force' is the only relevant means to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, many think
Islam and Pakistan can not be separated - Gen. Kayani
Chief of Army staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has arrived here at Peshawar on a day long visit on Wednesday. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said that Pakistan was achieved in the name of Islam and the religion (Islam) can never be expelled from the country. Addressing a gathering at Police Line Peshawar here Wednesday, the COAS said that no one can separate Islam from Pakistan as the country was achieved in its name. He said that Pakistan Army will succeed in its bid to root out extremism from the country in cooperation with the nation and the media. Announcing Rs 200 million for the martyrs of NWFP Police, Gen. Kayani said that the all kinds of needed weapons and ammunitions would be provided to police to make its progress better.The Chief of Army Staff was received by Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Muhammad Masood Aslam at Peshawar Airport. During the day long visit to Peshawar the Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will meet the NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani, Tribal elders and students. He will also visit city area to express solidarity with the bomb blast victims.
Friday, November 13, 2009
How the State Treats Friends and Foes of the Oppressed By Anand Teltumbde
Cases of Kadam and Sen
On 7 May 2009, a special court in Mumbai sentenced suspended SRPF officer Manohar Kadam to life after he was found guilty in the July 1997 Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar firing case. The court held him guilty of culpable homicide in the incident that led to the deaths of 10 people and injury to 25 others. The court observed that Kadam had ordered firing before taking stock of the situation. Kadam had led the SRPF platoon that was sent to control a mob protesting desecration of a statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar in Ghatkopar, a Mumbai suburb. Expectedly, the judgment was hailed by dalits in general although the victims wanted Kadam to be hanged for what they regarded as the cold-blooded murder of their kin. There were indignant comments from some senior police officers against the harsh punishment. The most notable reactions were to be found however on the blogs that reflect the character of what we call civil society. Fed on superfluity and untruth, these cyber nerds appeared unanimous in their support for Kadam by adversely commenting on the judgment and trashing dalit sentiments. Binayak Sen was arrested on 14 May 2006 in Raipur when he came all the way from Kolkata and presented himself to the Raipur police as he learnt that they had come for him. The accusations against him were that he used to carry secret letters written by an accused Naxalite lodged in the Raipur Central Jail, Narayan Sanyal, to his associates regarding the monitoring of the unlawful activities of the banned organisation, the Communist Party of India (Maoist), to which Sanyal belongs. He was charged under the draconian provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005, and also the Indian Penal Code. It was clear to the world that the charges against Sen were trumped up to punish him for daring to expose the evil operations of Salwa Judum, a state-sponsored anti-Naxalite force in Dantewada district. What was not known was the State's intention to make this a case to silence all democratic dissent. Enlightened opinion represented by 22 Nobel laureates among others sought his release but the State refused to heed. His bail was refused thrice, twice by the Raipur court and once by the Supreme Court. Interestingly, while such blatant victimisation had shocked the democratic world and Chhattisgarh's poor, a section of civil society vehemently upheld it.
Butcher of Ramabai Nagar
On 11 July 1997, the people of Ramabai Nagar, a predominantly dalit colony on the west side of the Eastern Express highway in Ghatkopar woke up to find the bust of Babasaheb Ambedkar with a garland of chappals. Soon people came out in protest and halted traffic on the road. An SRPF platoon, led by Manohar Kadam, was sent to control the mob. Within minutes of reaching the colony, Kadam ordered firing, which killed 10 people and injured 25 others. A fact finding by the Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR) and the Indian People's Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) revealed, among other things, that the firing was totally unjustified, motivated as it was by casteist hatred for the protestors. The firing was from close range as could be noted from the dimensions of bullet holes in the metallic sheets of nearby houses and was intended to kill people. The gruesome incident was so revolting that it impelled a sensitive balladeer, Vilas Ghogre to hang himself in protest in his shack in a Mulund slum. There was a widespread disgust over the incident, which spilled out in the form of outrage against dalit leaders. The non-political youth formed a Ramabai Ambedkar Hatyakand Vidrohi Sangharsh Samiti (RAHVSS) and demanded action against Kadam. Despite an intensive agitation, the State did nothing and sheltered Kadam. It took full six months to institute a commission of enquiry under Justice S D Gundewar to further investigate the incident. The Gundewar Commission almost corroborated the findings of the above-mentioned fact finding reports, as also the contentions of the Sangharsh Samiti. Its main conclusions were that there was no need of firing, the entire liquefied petroleum gas tanker story created to justify the firing was a lie, the video film shot by someone, which was projected in support of the tanker story was fake, and that the firing had taken place not on the protesting mob but inside the colony where there was no protest. The commission unusually observed that a person like Kadam was not fit to continue in the police force. And yet the State continued to shelter him until it could not do so any more. It ordered Kadam's prosecution in August 2001. A first information report (FIR) was lodged against him with the Pantnagar police station on 30 August that year, and he was arrested in December 2002, only to be admitted to hospital in January 2003 as he complained of chest pain.
Saintly Sen in Chhattisgarh
Binayak Sen, General Secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties' (PUCL) Chhattisgarh unit and its national vice- president, was naturally involved in the investigation of cases of civil rights violations perpetrated by the State in the name of fighting a Maoist insurgency. He participated in many inquiries, which drew attention to severe human rights violations, including murder of unarmed and demonstrably innocent civilians by the police. For instance, he had exposed the fact that 12 alleged Maoists, killed by the police in Santoshpur village in a supposed gunfight on 31 March 2007, were actually tribals executed at close range. The State Human Rights Commission took note of this investigation, and ordered the bodies of the victims exhumed. Just a few days later, Sen was arrested. Sen had consistently spoken against Salwa Judum, a vigilante organisation southern Chhattisgarh that has been armed and supported by the state government and the Ministry of Home Affairs since June 2005, apparently in order to combat the Maoist insurgency. The primary motivation behind it is said to be the need to vacate this mineral-rich part of the country to make way for several corporate houses with whom the Chhattisgarh government had signed memoranda of understanding. It is primarily PUCL's investigations into the massive human tragedy that this evil design entailed that brought it to the notice of the public elsewhere. As it now stands, many civil rights' groups, journalists, intellectuals, study groups and committees of the government itself, and even the Supreme Court have adversely commented on this "ritual of cleansing" (as Salwa Judum translates into a local tribal language) the tribal community of the "disease" of Maoism. Already over 1,00,000 people have been displaced and hundreds of villages abandoned, besides the killing of hundreds in the crossfire between the police and the Naxalites. Despite this enormous human tragedy and huge load of condemnation of the Salwa Judum, it still continues to operate. The police case against Sen is mainly pivoted on his meetings with Narayan Sanyal. But the fact remains that all his visits took place with the permission of the deputy superintendent of police, and under close supervision of the jail authorities. The lies of the State were exposed in the trial, which began on 30 April 2008. As per the original charge sheet, 83 witnesses were meant to depose against him. Of these, six were declared hostile by the State and 16 were dropped while the remaining 61 testified in court. Not one of these witnesses has provided any legally admissible evidence to support the accusations in the charge sheet. Even the jail officials, the superintendent and the jailer, who were called as witnesses by the prosecution, have ruled out the possibility of Sen carrying letters from Narayan Sanyal out of the high security Raipur jail. This suggests that the alleged Naxalite connection of Sen was just a ploy to charge him under draconian laws that would retain him in jail for a long time and harass him still further. The purpose was well served inasmuch as the State could incarcerate Sen for over two years despite the clamour of the entire world for his release. The underscoring message was loud and clear that the Indian State could do anything to anyone who dares to disagree with it.
Uncivil State
A comparison of these two evidently incomparable persons may appear disgusting. Kadam is a run-of-the-mill police officer whereas Sen is a highly qualified, gold medalist doctor, who relinquished a potentially lucrative career and chose a path of service to the poor. Kadam has been utterly insensitive to the sentiments of dalits who protested against the insult heaped on their messiah. Sen has been intensely sensitive to the plight of poor tribals. Kadam sought to curry favour of the State by killing innocent dalits, whereas Sen incurred wrath of the State in exposing its unconstitutional and anti-people operations. It is therefore that the State zealously sheltered Kadam, its petty minion, ignoring the persistent demands of dalits and acting only when it was impossible to do otherwise, whereas it arrested Binayak Sen and persisted with its lies that he was actively involved in Naxalite activities. Kadam, despite serious indictment, was allowed to remain a freeman, and even when arrested, could be rushed to the hospital when he complained of chest pain, and be allowed to rest there. Sen, without even an iota of evidence against him, could be arrested and kept in jail for two years and not allowed to get due medical treatment despite having a history of heart ailment. Kadam gets bail within a fortnight without a single day in jail, whereas Sen is denied it repeatedly over two long years, without any court going into the merit of his case. The contrast could indeed be endless and rather shameful. The glaring difference between these two cases can be reduced to a single vital factor: their attitude towards poor dalits and tribals, the primordial marker of our intrinsically uncivil caste society which feigns civility for itself. It has zealously maintained the divide between the dalit and non-dalit universes within itself. It is unfortunate that the modern constitutional State that we created, instead of doing away this "un-civility", has itself imbibed it in full measure, in turn promoting and accentuating this divide. The State apparatus favours those who are against dalits and tribals, and vice versa. If you sympathise with dalits and tribals, you become an outcaste, but if you despise them, you get naturally accepted. Sen's taking cudgels for tribals being butchered by the police and by Salwa Judum provoked the State to teach him and his ilk a lesson, but Kadam's disdain towards dalits got him the natural protection of the State. Naxalism and nationalism then just become modern day euphemistic epithets for outcaste and caste, respectively.
Anand Teltumbde is a civil rights activist and writer based in Mumbai.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Support the boycott-Israeli campaign
By Adel Safty
A new dimension of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is emerging as an effective means of peaceful protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land: boycotting Israel. Some four years ago, a loosely connected group of Palestinian activists and civil organisations launched an international appeal calling on citizens and corporations to join the boycott-Israel campaign to protest the occupation.
The Israeli war in Lebanon in 2006 and the brutalities of the Israeli war on the people of Gaza galvanised opposition to Israel and its continued occupation and colony construction. It also brought the boycott movement to prominence.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign quickly became a global movement, effectively protesting against Israeli violations of international law. It has been driven by ordinary concerned citizens distributing pamphlets in the streets of European and North American cities, and television and film stars withdrawing their films from film festivals.
The movement is gaining momentum. Recently, the vast Norwegian global pension-fund portfolio decided to divest from the Israeli arms company Elbit. Meanwhile, the French conglomerate Veolia, which has been involved in the building of the light rail system to connect Occupied West Jerusalem to Israeli colonies in the West Bank, has suffered setbacks as a result of negative publicity from the boycott campaign.
Western critics of the boycott movement argue that it is not likely to be effective, partly because unconditional American support for Israel guarantees that American taxpayers will continue to bankroll the Israeli economy, including the construction of Israeli colonies.
Firstly, while the above-mentioned examples may not bring the Israeli economy to its knees, they illustrate unprecedented and growing public awareness of the injustice and illegality of the occupation and of Israeli colonies. They also demonstrate a popular resolve to act to promote international law in the face of the impotence of the international system. In a recent message to the United Nations International Meeting on the Question of Palestine, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, president of the UN General Assembly, illustrated that point: "With governments and the United Nations standing ... unable to provide...protection to the people of Gaza...we would do well to follow [the boycott movement's] example in bringing international pressure to bear on the Occupying Power...to bring about an end to the violations of international humanitarian law."
Secondly, cracks have started to appear in the unconditional American support for Israel. This is clear from the Obama Administration's insistence that all colony construction must stop, and from polls indicating American public support for their president's approach to the conflict.
Moreover, all violations of international law should be condemned regardless of who is committing them, but the enormity and persistence of the violations in the case of the Israeli occupation and the continued dispossession and collective punishment of a whole people for over 42 years set this case apart. However, what makes it a really special case is the ability of Israeli apologists in the West to blame the victim.
In a sense, the boycott movement represents a global grassroots response to this unique ability to justify the occupation, the dispossession, and collective punishment by blaming the victim. It is also challenging individuals and corporations to act ethically by dissociating themselves from violations of international law that perpetuate oppression and injustice. Therefore, these are compelling reasons to support the boycott movement.
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