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| << October14, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net]Friday Digest |
October16, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net]Counter currents,RK,Vishwanath,Regi etc >> |
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[1] From: Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> Date: Fri Oct 14, 2005 Subject: A Debate on Nobel Peace Prize suklasen * George Monbiot, Author and columnist for the London Guardian. * Nancy Soderberg, She held senior positions on the National Security Council staff, and the U. S. delegation to the U. N., during the Clinton administration. She is author of the book, "The Superpower Myth, The Use and Misuse of American Might." Read the article at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mahajanapada/message/8196 ----------------------------- [3] From: rkurian1@vsnl.com Date: Thu Oct 13, 2005 Subject: Searching for God in the time of Chaos.. The Age, October 12, Searching for God in the time of chaosDisasters are always most poignant, most chilling, when you know the terrain and the people, writes Peter Preston. Disasters are always most poignant, most chilling, when you know the terrain and the people. So I had stood on the sea wall in Galle, watching kids fly kites, a few months before the tsunami engulfed the south of Sri Lanka. So I remember sitting in a waterfront square in New Orleans early, too early, one morning, hearing the band from the night before still playing. So the roads north from Islamabad, deep into the Hindu Kush, are roads I have travelled in peace and in war. What you mostly miss from Pakistan earthquake coverage is a sense of the people. Not bodies pulled from beneath piles of rubble, but the sheer mass of humanity exploding round every bend of every road. What's Pakistan's population now? Maybe 162 million, heading for 163 million before the northern autumn ends. When I first went there in the 1960s, for one of those ritual wars against India, that figure was only 68 million or so, but even then accelerating pell-mell as medicine brought infant mortality down. The nation General Pervez Musharraf strives to control doubles in size every 33 years. Half its citizens are 15 or under. It is a constant crowd, a teeming throng. And that gives this earthquake its deadliest edge. The towns and cities are full, concrete blocks and wooden shacks hurled together in a desperate effort to cope, but it is the countryside that somehow seems over-born: village after village perched on steep, sliding hillsides or hunched in valleys, a clutter of huts and tin roofs, a TV satellite dish and, if their luck has held, one imposing mansion a hundred metres away where the village boy who went to Bradford or Atlanta 30 years ago to make good has returned to spend his retirement, his accumulated largesse, and to die. It is this landscape, down rocky, rutted tracks, crisscrossed by streams with broken bridges, that the earthquake has shaken to its frail foundations. Sometimes early death counts are too fearful; but this time, I guess, there can be no good news. This time the toll will rise and rise - with so many children lost since, simply, there are so many children. The chill grows deeper, then. "I am driven with a mission from God," George Bush may - or may not - have said the other day. God may - or may not - have told him to "end the tyranny in Iraq". How does that strike us? As devout, foolish, or (as a harassed White House spokesmen quickly added) "absurd"? But the past 10 months, right on through an absurdly benighted 2005, have been full of missions from somewhere and perhaps from someone. Where was the weekend's earthquake most devastating? In Kashmir, where the war I covered long ago, like so many other Indo-Pakistani wars, began, a land divided by armies, terrorism and religion. But look around as more disasters pile in. Who has died in the past few days? Thousands of Muslims in Pakistan, surely hundreds of Hindus or Sikhs or Christians across the border in India. Modestly publicised hurricane Stan, the one that didn't threaten Texas or Louisiana, has just killed hundreds more - Catholics - in Central America: more schools swept away, more children gone. Let's put 2005 in pulpit perspective. The tsunami, as the old year ended, destroyed Buddhist and Hindu temples, mosques and churches with indiscriminate violence. It swept away the agnostic pleasure domes of Thailand's tourist coast. It drowned people of almost every religion and none. Add New Orleans for the cymbal clash of the born-again and the black, for Southern Baptists and old-time religionists, and what have you got? A year of disaster spread and shared. A year when every God - or no god at all - seemed angry. A year with a mission to destroy. Here is a year when those (like me) who can find no faith look out in bemusement at a globe defined and divided by religion. Oust the godless Saddam from Iraq. Bring Sunni and Shiite together to worship the great lord democracy. Trade new popes and Paisleys for old. Never stop talking about Jerusalem, or the "glory" of the suicide bomber. It is all, this bleak morning in Azad Kashmir, somehow beside the point. So many dead children, but what does their death mean - except that our earth is fragile to the core and that no nation and no mission can escape its power? Some of the dead laid out here will be terrorists, used to cross-border infiltration, assassination, bombing. But they will have perished, too, like the kids in the streets, the politicians in their offices, the mullahs at prayer - all victims of our doomed human mission to understand. Peter Preston is a Guardian columnist. ---------------------------------- [2] Date: Sat Oct 15, 2005 Subject: We Need To Be Told...John Pilger http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10615.htm We need to be told When journalists report propaganda instead of the truth, the consequences can be catastrophic - as one largely forgotten instance demonstrates. ------------------------------------- [3] From: rkurian1@vsnl.com Date: Thu Oct 13, 2005 Subject: Politics raises its ugly head again.. Why the dispute over Indian army help? By Jill McGivering BBC News, Delhi Assertion and denial. Pakistani officials are vehemently rejecting reports from India that Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Control in the disputed territory of Kashmir to help Pakistani troops repair their damaged bunkers. The reports came from the Indian army which says it was invited across the Line of Control by Pakistani troops. The dispute has fuelled speculation about how much India and Pakistan are prepared to cooperate on relief efforts for the earthquake victims in the Kashmir region. This is a deeply sensitive issue and both India and Pakistan are adamant that their versions of events are correct. Emotionally charged The Indian army says Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Control, dividing Indian and Pakistan administered Kashmir, to help Pakistani troops rebuild some of their bunkers after they had been sleeping in the open in increasingly cold temperatures. The story has been given some prominence in the Indian media, even making the headlines in some cases. But Pakistani officials are now saying the incident never happened - "pure fabrication" is the verdict of Pakistan's military spokesman, Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan. The idea of Indian troops crossing the Line of Control to help soldiers on the other side is certainly emotionally charged. For decades, it's been a fortified frontline and the scene of regular clashes. Since the launch of the current peace process, tensions across the Line of Control have reduced, helped by better communications being established. But even now, there is still a long way to go. Pakistan has accepted relief from India, like blankets and tents, but is still refusing an offer of Indian military helicopters. The status and performance of the military is a matter of national pride on both sides. Images of Indian troops on Pakistani-administered territory, helping local people, would be politically embarrassing for Islamabad. It is also unclear what the strategic loss might be if Indian troops were given access to areas under Pakistani control. Although this latest peace process has held so far, its future is still far from assured. The difficulty for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is weighing the cost of that choice - in terms of politics on the one hand and the welfare of survivors on the other. Several Indian analysts have commented that if the situation were reversed and Delhi were being offered help from the Pakistani military in Indian Kashmir, they too would be unlikely to accept. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/4337856.stm -------------------------- [4] From: "Arif N. Khan" <ank2000pk@yahoo.com> Date: Fri Oct 14, 2005 Subject: Coordinating Relief Work for Quake Victims The office of the Federal Relief Commissioner (or whatever title he is given) must arrange for daily briefing of NGOs and media and indicate the type of goods and help needed and the areas where that are needed. The incharge of relief work in different locations must file daily reports on phone and requisitions with the Central Coordinating officer. At present such activities do not appear to well planned and dead bodies are still lying under debris! Besides army jawans few civilians are attending to this work. Contact numbers/addresses of coordinating and relief cells at different locations must be widely circulated and advertised beside placing on the Government websites. Arif Khan http://www.netvert.biz/paklink ----- [5] Be Prepared, Not Scared It is heartening to see the positive roles played by the university and college students and other volunteers in collecting and depositing aid for quake victims. Our city, provincial and federal governments must devise special programs to encourage participation of youth in community development and social uplift. Whatever Disaster Management Plans are laid creating public awareness must be given the importance that it deserves and our youth should be trained to carry the message to different segment of the population. Organizations like Boy Scouts and Girls Guide must be encouraged to help in the massive efforts for creating awareness among masses for not only fight against pollution and environmental hazards but also what to do in event of a natural disaster. In every Union Council the councilors or other volunteers must be trained to learn more about Pollution and Environmental Hazards and Earthquake Preparedness to be able to give Self-Help Advice for Families and Individuals. In Canada they use the slogan - Be Prepared, Not Scared (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada) and here are some extracts from their Public Awareness Program. What should you do during an earthquake? Falling objects pose the greatest danger during a major earthquake. In Canada, no house has ever collapsed during an earthquake. However, many types of objects may fall and cause damage or injuries. Of prime concern, therefore, is protection from falling objects such as framed pictures, light fixtures, plaster from ceilings or the upper part of walls, or chimneys which may fall outside or through the roof into the house. Here is what to do: Stay calm - don't panic. If you are indoors, stay there. Do not run outside: you could be hit by flying debris or bits of glass. Take cover under, and hold on to a sturdy desk, a table, or a bed - or stand in a doorframe. Never use the elevators (they may have been damaged and/or the power may fail). If you are outdoors, stay there. Keep away from power lines and buildings. (House chimneys are likely to topple during a strong earthquake). If you are in a vehicle, stop and park away from buildings, bridges and overpasses. To learn more about earthquake preparedness: Self-Help Advice for Families and Individuals - Be Prepared, Not Scared (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada) What should you do after a strong earthquake? Stay calm. Help the injured, if any. Speak calmly with family members, especially children about what has just happened, in order to relieve stress. Stay tuned to the radio and follow instructions. Use the telephone only in an emergency. Do not enter damaged buildings. To prevent fire, check the chimneys or have them checked before using the furnace or fireplace. Check all gas lines. To learn more about earthquake preparedness: Prepare yourself and your family Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada What causes damage? Most earthquake damage is caused by ground shaking. The magnitude or size of an earthquake, distance to the earthquake focus or source, type of faulting, depth, and type of material are important factors in determining the amount of ground shaking that might be produced at a particular site. Where there is an extensive history of earthquake activity, these parameters can often be estimated. The magnitude of an earthquake, for instance, influences ground shaking in several ways. Large earthquakes usually produce ground motions with large amplitudes and long durations. Large earthquakes also produce strong shaking over much larger areas than do smaller earthquakes. In addition, the amplitude of ground motion decreases with increasing distance from the focus of an earthquake. The frequency content of the shaking also changes with distance. Close to the epicenter, both high (rapid)and low (slow)-frequency motions are present. Farther away, low-frequency motions are dominant, a natural consequence of wave attenuation in rock. The frequency of ground motion is an important factor in determining the severity of damage to structures and which structures are affected. Shah Nawaz Khan Editor, Weekly Paklink eDigest http://www.netvert.biz/paklink ---------------------------------------- [6] From: rkurian1@vsnl.com Date: Thu Oct 13, 2005 Subject: New York Subway threat was a hoax! http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5307043-110878,00.html New York subway threat was a hoax, security sources admit Jamie Wilson in Washington Wednesday October 12, 2005 Guardian The alleged terror threat that sparked a big security alert on New York's trains and subway last week turned out to be a hoax concocted by an unreliable US informant in Iraq, it emerged yesterday. ----------------- [7] From: "sanjeev nayyar" <exploreindia@vsnl.net> Date: Thu Oct 13, 2005 Subject: Jihadi outrage in j & k Jihadi outrage The Pioneer Edit Desk http://dailypioneer.com/ 12th Oct 2005 The gruesome killing of nine Hindus in a remote village of Rajouri on Sunday night is a grim reminder that the ethnic cleansing of Jammu & Kashmir by jihadis continues unabated. It also proves that all claims of communal harmony in that State, especially as articulated by the All-Party Hurriyat Conference which of late has been shedding crocodile tears over the plight of more than 250,000 Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to flee their homes in the Valley 15 years ago and now live wretched lives in refugee camps, is nothing more than fiction. What underscores the brutality of Sunday night's killing more than the ritual slitting of the victims' throats is that many of the dead had barely escaped Saturday's devastating earthquake only to die at the hands of rabid Islamists. Early reports indicate that the killers are foreign terrorists who crossed into Indian territory from Pakistan which only goes to show that contrary to Islamabad's assertion that it has dismantled jihadi camps and cracked down on Islamists, the terror infrastructure remains intact and active. Showing total, though not surprising, disregard for the tragedy inflicted by Saturday's earthquake, the jihadis struck at a time when security personnel were busy rescuing people from the rubble of collapsed houses. Such pre-meditated murder comes easily to marauders who swear by god but do the devil's bidding. Therefore, there is no need to take note of the "truce" announced by the Jihad Council headed by Syed Salahuddin, commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, and its laughable offer to help the victims of the earthquake. Attaching any importance to the so-called "truce" is akin to suggesting that a viper can be trusted. Those whose hearts beat for Pakistan's jihad brigade, who shamelessly seek to either justify or gloss over targeted killing of Hindus by Islamists in Jammu & Kashmir and who are happy to repose their trust in Gen Pervez Musharraf - we need not look towards Washington for such people for there is no dearth of fifth columnists both within and outside the establishment in India - would do well to look at the fresh attempts being made by terrorists to sneak across the border and the LoC into India. Ever since Saturday, in their mistaken hope that the earthquake has distracted the attention of India's security forces posted along the border and the LoC, these holy warriors of an unholy war have made several foolhardy attempts at infiltration, only to be shot dead. Any distraction that may have been caused by the earthquake has not overshadowed the determination of our men in khaki to stop the killers in their tracks. But, as recent history shows, this is unlikely to deter the many other zealots being trained in Pakistani camps. Islamabad's attitude and support for jihad remains unchanged; it is as recalcitrant as ever, never mind the rhetoric which the UPA Government finds so soothing and with which Gen Musharraf has so successfully conned his patrons in Washington into believing that Pakistan is an important ally in the war against terror. This simple point has been driven home by Pakistan's rude rebuff to India's offer of joint rescue and relief operations. Meanwhile, there have been amazing suggestions that the destruction of life and property by the earthquake has opened a window of opportunity for India to build further bridges with Pakistan. The damaged Aman Setu silently mocks at the banality of such suggestions that cunningly ignore the grief of those who saw their family members being slaughtered on Sunday night.- ------------------- |
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