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a to accede to convention on NUKES, India Network News Digest, Jan 23, 2002Pakistan READY for denuclearisation of S Asia, sign No War Pact, The Hindustan Times
ACHA Peace Bulletin 02.06.02– Page #
ACHA PEACE BULLETIN http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ACHAPeaceBulletin
A publication of Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA) www.asiapeace.org
Editors: Pritam K. Rohila & Azam Saeed
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ACHA PEACE BULLETIN (Volume IV, No. 2, February 06, 2002 (Next issue, March 06, 2002)
CONTENTS
Invitation
Something To Think About
Peace & Harmony News
Peace & Harmony Organizations
Drishitpat
Friends Of South Asia & Qaumantri Punjabi Bhaichara
Pakistan Peace Coalition
Friends Of Earth Sydney - Nuclear Campaign
Global Vigil For Peace Between Pakistan And India
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance
Pakistanis For Peace And Alternative Development
Joint Action Committee And Citizens For Peace
Pak India Forum For Peace And Democracy, Indo-Pak Soldiers For Peace Initiative, Asia Peoples Alliance, & Coalition For Nuclear Disarmament And Peace
Citizens' Peace Committee
Feature
No Neighbourly Love Lost: Letter From Pakistan, Tehelka.Com
Keeping People Apart Suits The Agenda Of The Generals In Pakistan And The Nationalists In India, By S. Tripathi, The Asian Wall Street Journal
U.S. Indian-Pakistani Bonds Defy Hostilities Back Home, By S. M. Kalita, Newsday
War Doesn’t Divide Indians, Pakistanis In Atlantic City, By M. Bora, Atlantic City Press
New York Indians And Pakistanis Have No Problem With Each Other, By C. W. Dugger
A Solution Must Be Found For The Sake Of The Kashmiris, By K. Shamsie
Books, Journals, Videos
Raising Our Voices: South Asian Americans Address Hate (Video)
The Nuclearization Of South Asia, By K. Matinuddin
The Journal For The Study Of Peace And Conflict
The International Journal Of Humanities And Peace
Gender And Property Law In Pakistan: Resources And Discources, By R. Mehdi
Meeting Hindus, Edited By Gwyneth Little
Wisdom Of The Sikhs, By C. A. Singh
Can Asians Think?: Understanding The Divide Between East And West, By K.
Mahbubani
Children
Classes, Courses & Workshops
February 7-28, New York, NY: Islam Through Muslim & Mystical Islam
Coexistence Resource: For info about Courses, Calls for papers, Conferences, Fellowships,
Grants, Jobs & Practical Resources featured in recent issues of Coexistence Network Notice Board send a blank email to pritamr@open.org with the word COEXISTENCE as its subject
Environment
Events
February 7-9, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India: Gandhian Alternative To War & Terrori
April 6-7, Oxford, U.K: Religious Freedom
May 21, Oxford, U.K.: Bridges To Peace: Interfaith Initiatives For Conflict Initiatives
Human Rights
Kashmir
Letters
There Was Not A Single Villager Who Was In Favour Of War, By F. Tariq
I Blame Pakistan's Silent Majority For Its Present Crisis, By Ambassador K. K. Ghori
Vacancies
Consultants Opportunities In South And Central Asia
Faculty Members- Interpersonal Violence And Conflict Or IDevelopmental Cognitive
Neuroscience
Websites
REPORTS & ANALYSES
(For a copy send a blank email to pritamr@open.org with its subject as the UPPERCASE word in the article title. Please limit your request to 3 articles)
Afghanistan
Kabul's LION king, Chicago Tribune, Jan 31, 2002
Bangladesh
New Yorkers BENGALI Groups Sound Off; By M. English, Newsday, Jan 7, 2002
Fundamentalism vs. Secularism
TEMPLE Once Again, By R. Puniyani, Issues In Secular Politics, No.3, Jan 2002
September 11 & MUSLIM fundamentalism, By I. Ahmed, The Friday Times, 18 Jan, 2002
DEBATING the dangers of the revival of secular sentiment in Pakistan, By A.G. Noorani
Human Rights
Human Rights Watch Report -BANGLADESH, 2001
Human Rights Watch Report -BHUTAN, 2001
Human Rights Watch Report -INDIA, 2001
Human Rights Watch Report - NEPAL, 2001
Human Rights Watch Report - PAKISTAN, 2001
Human Rights Watch Report - Sri LANKA, 2001
India
INDIA’S Reaction to Musharraf Speech (Full Text), Reuters, Jan. 13, 2002
On India's FRONT line, war Clouds bring ruin, Rediff.com Jan 16, 2002
FOREIGN Policy in Focus: India's Politics of Brinksmanship, By A. Vanaik, Jan 9, 2002
FEAR and Flight in Deadly Kashmir, By Somini Sengupta, The New York Times, Jan 16,
India-Pakistan Relations
Keeping people apart suits the agenda of the generals in Pakistan and the nationalists in
India, By S. Tripathi, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Jan. 9, 2002
Pakistan can DEFUSE the Kashmir Crisis, By M. Ijaz, Los Angeles Times, Jan 9, 2002
Musharraf's BIND: Averting War Without Humiliation, By J. F. Burns, The New York
TIME to provoke peace, By Beena Sarwar, The News International, Jan 15, 2002
STRUGGLE for Kashmir Is Fueled By Clashing National Narratives, By S. Sengupta
A VISION for India-Pakistan collaboration, By Akbar Ahmed and Amit Pandya
Nuclear weapons
More REALISTIC thinking on the nukes, By M B Naqvi, The News International, Jan 30
Hiding behind a nuclear CLOUD, By N. Iqbal , Asia Times Jan 11, 2002
India to accede to convention on NUKES, India Network News Digest, Jan 23, 2002
Pakistan READY for denuclearisation of S Asia, sign No War Pact, The Hindustan Times
Pakistan
Pakistan's WELCOME Gestures, Unsigned Editorial, The New York Times, Jan 3, 2002
Peace, progress and the PRIVATE armies, By Naeem Sadiq
Even Patriots Grow WEARY Over Kashmir, By Craig Whitlock, The Washington Post,
Second COUP, By Praful Bidwai, The Hindustan Times, Jan 25, 2002
The ISI FAÇADE, By Hamid Mir, The Weekly Independent, Jan 3, 2002
Need for HRC-like INQUIRY commission, Dawn, January 14, 2002
Sri Lanka
Talking with TIGERS, By George Iype, Rediff.com Jan 22, 2002
War on Terrorism
The SHAPE of the world: part 1, Interview with F. Zakaria, PBS, Jan 3, 2002
Bush's South Asia Strategy: Keep Terrorism as the VILLAIN, By D. E. Sanger, Jan 7,
Bush Seeks Terror PLEDGE by Pakistan, By T. S. Purdum, The New York Times, Jan 8,
India Stands FIRM In the War Against Terror, By G. Parthasarathy, The Wall Street J
Pakistani Militants Forced Underground, By K. Khan & C. Whitlock, The Washington Post
Women
WOMEN face hostile conditions at workplaces in Asia: ILO report. Dawn, Oct 02, 2001
Karachi: KARO-KARI victims include 3-year-old, Dawn, Oct 10, 2001
________________________________________________________________________
INVITATION
Dear ACHA Peace Bulletin subscribers:
If you like what we are doing, we invite you to support our work by becoming a member of Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA), or by sending us a donation.
Dedicated to promote peace in South Asia and harmony everywhere among South Asians of all ethnic, religious, and regional communities, ACHA was formed in 1993, in the wake of Babri Masjid destruction and the events that followed it in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Beaverton, OR. Do not hesitate to contact us at pritamr@open.org if you need more information about us, or you can visit our website www.asiapeace.org.
Membership of ACHA is open to adults of any nationality, religion, or ethnic background, who (1) Dedicate themselves to its objectives, and its mission, (2) Agree to follow the ACHA Declaration of Commitment in their day to day conduct, (3) Complete ACHA Membership Application, and (4) Pay annual dues.
Annual dues are payable in the currency of the country the applicant’s current residence (e.g., In U.K. dues are 10 Pounds/Euros for individuals, and 25 Pounds/Euros for couples or families), except that in South Asian countries the amount is multiplied by 10 (e.g., in India dues are Rs.100 for individuals, and Rs. 250 for couples or families, and in Bangladesh dues are100 Taka for individuals, and 250 Taka for couples or families)
Membership Application
Please provide the information below and mail it with a check made out to ACHA, to Association for Communal Harmony, 4410 Verda Lane NE, Keizer, OR, USA. Membership is renewable each year on January 1.
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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
At the end of the day Allah will not ask me what I achieved in life, or whether I changed the world. I will only be asked whether I did what I could do. That’s the only question that will be asked of us. You were given so much time, so much money; these are the talents I gave you. What did you with them? Not whether you changed the world’s problems. Whether you brought about gender equality, interfaith understanding, harmony, solved the problem of the Balkans…You won’t get asked any of these things. What did you do with what I gave you? That’s all that we are responsible for. – Farid Esack, South African Muslim theologian, writer and social activist (From December 2001 Newsletter of International Interfaith Centre www.interfaith-center.org)
PEACE & HARMONY NEWS
SAARC ministers finalise 'Kathmandu Declaration'
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/03saarc5.htm
Talks key to solve bilateral issues: Musharraf
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/04saarc3.htm
Pakistan continues crackdown on militants
Reports said the police had arrested 80 militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed on Thursday. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/04pak.htm
42 militants surrender in Nagaland
They accepted cash incentives and are expected to undergo vocational training as part of a rehabilitation package. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/04naga.htm
FICCI lobbying for free trade agreement among SAARC nations
http://www.rediff.com/money/2002/jan/04saarc.htm
SAARC leaders denounce terrorism in all forms
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/05saarc8.htm
We want peace with India: Pakistan http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/08pak3.htm
Senior Jaish leader arrested in Pakistan
With the arrest of Hasan Barki, almost all major leaders of the terrorist outfit have been detained by the Pakistani government. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/10inpa.htm
Pak court upholds detention of JeM, LeT leaders
Maulana Masood Azhar and Hafeez Mohammed Saeed were arrested by Pakistan on charges of making inflammatory speeches. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/11pak1.htm
Pakistan begins crackdown on terrorists in PoK
A report in the daily Jang said President Musharraf would ban all organisations, which provide military training in Pakistan. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/11pak2.htm
Musharraf bans LeT, JeM
'We condemn the terrorist acts of September 11, October one and December 13', Musharraf said, adding any group involved in such terrorist acts would be dealt with a heavy hand.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/12mush.htm
Madarsas raided in Karachi, 25 arrested
The arrests, senior officials in Islamabad said, were a precaution against any violent reaction by extremist Islamic groups after Musharraf's scheduled address to the nation.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/12parl3.htm
Pakistan seals Lashkar headquarters; 1600 held
Reports said the police on Sunday also raided offices of Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammed in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Mirpur, Bagh, Batian Bala and Rawalakot.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/14pak1.htm
LTTE asks India to host talks
The Tigers have requested the Indian government to allow it to hold talks with the Sri Lankan government in a south Indian city. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/14ltte.htm
Sri Lanka lifts economic embargo on Vanni
With this, the ruling United National Party has initiated action on an election promise to Tamils to create normality in the north before opening talks with the LTTE.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/15lanka.htm
Pak's Kashmir panels plans to send delegation to India
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has set up a National Committee on Kashmir headed by former prime minister and president of Pakistan occupied Kashmir Sardar Qayyum Khan.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/16pak2.htm
Haj pilgrims can embark from Lucknow now
Air India will be operating 35 flights from Lucknow to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia till February 15.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/16sharat.htm
Pak keen to ease tensions with India
Speaking to a delegation of businessmen, Pakistan President Musharraf said the crackdown against militant groups was not being carried out at the behest of any country.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/17pak2.htm
Pak scraps separate electorate system
The decision to allow religious minorities to vote and contest elections along with the Muslim majority has been welcomed by political parties. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/17pak1.htm
Time for politicians to take over from militants: Hurriyat
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/19jk1.htm
India's concerns will be addressed: Pakistan
High Commissioner to India A J Qazi said the steps outlined by President Musharraf in his speech on January 12 will be implemented. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/21inpak.htm
India ready to act on Pak's list: Jaswant http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/21jas.htm
Lankan govt extends truce with LTTE
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Sunday had extended the truce with the government for another month 'as a gesture of peace and goodwill'.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/21ltte.htm
Tamil Tigers release 10 Sri Lankan PoWs
Tamil newspapers quoted LTTE chief V Pirabhakaran as saying that the prisoners were treated with dignity and compassion in custody. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jan/22ltte.htm
Abjure violence to resolve conflicts: Hume
'Violence has no role to play in solving a problem. It only divides people and deepens the divide,' Gandhi Peace Prize winner John Hume said. Hume is the architect of the Northern Ireland Peace Settlement. http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/feb/02peer.htm
Ganges water sharing treaty is beneficial: Bangla govt
The latest stand is a departure from the earlier position of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which alleged that the treaty favoured India and pledged to review it if voted to power.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/feb/04bang.htm
Indian-Pakistan cricket players embrace each other
A diplomatic incident occurred at the ICC Under-19 World Cup today between the Indian and Pakistan sides – but it was not the sort of incident to cause antagonism or shame. It was a moment of pride and a moment of joy, for both countries, as they put aside the differences being experienced on the Kashmir frontier. The two teams went into a marquee at the ground after the game and embraced, each player, manager, fitness-trainer, the works. Pakistan captain Salman Butt, who had led his side to victory with an unbeaten 85 summed it up afterwards when he said, "We don't want this, this is our game. We are not at the border, we are not at the war.
We are going to play at the next level of the game against each other. We want to play in a brotherly manner." (Lynn McConnell - 31 Jan 2002) Via CricInfo: The home of cricket on the Internet http://www- aus.cricket.org/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2002/J AN/089161_NZ_31JAN2002.html
India-Pakistan letter leads to motion in British Parliament
Up to 297 members of parliament signed an Early Day Motion tabled on February 1 urging India and Pakistan to resolve their problems through dialogue -- the most support received by any Early Day Motion in the British House of Commons, according to information from Malcolm Savidge, who tabled the motion. Savidge said, he had been encouraged to take the step after he received a similar letter initiated last month by Hallam to the Indian and Pakistani governments. The letter was endorsed by over 250 members of parliament, organisational representatives and individuals from around the world. The News International (Pakistan), Feb 03, 2002
PEACE & HARMONY ORGANIZATIONS
*Drishitpat, http://www.drishtipat.org Contact person: Naeem Mohaiemen
“We are all painfully aware of the unprecedented communal persecution unleashed upon our hapless minority community of Bangladesh immediately preceding the general election of 2001 and in it's bloody aftermath. We are extremely saddened and enraged at the extent and ferocity of this crime against humanity perpetrated by none other than a section of our own countrymen,” reads a recent statement from Drishitpat.
Drishitpat is a non-profit, non-political, U.S.-based expatriate Bangladeshi organization committed to safeguarding every individual's basic democratic rights, including freedom of expression, and is opposed to any and all kinds of human rights abuses in Bangladesh. They have now launched Cheye Dekho Campaign, a fund-raiser for Hindu victims of communal violence in the Bangladeshi village of Annada Prashad in the district of Bhola, predominated by the Hindu community. Drishitpat plans to raise $25,000 by Jan 31 and to use the money to provide the aid to the victims through the auspices of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and other associated reliable entities in
Bangladesh, as well as through SpaandanB, a US based non-profit organization that promotes and supports education, medical projects and development activities in Bangladesh.
Please make your check payable to SpaandanB, fill out “Cheye Dekho campaign” in the memo line and mail to: SpaandanB ATTN: Simee Adhikari 2041 Westcreek Lane, Apt D91, Houston, TX 77027. Also you can pay by credit card to charity@drishtipat.org.
*Friends of South Asia , P.O. Box 20136 Stanford, CA 94309, 408-265-2795, FOSA_US@YAHOO.COM and Qaumantri Punjabi Bhaichara (Punjabi International Friendship) Group of California, USA 408-935-9160
"What do we want?" "We want peace! Atal Bihari ... We want peace! Parvez Musharaff ...
We want peace!" With a chorus of these slogans the groups organized a peace demonstration on the University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto, California, on Jan 27, to urge India & Pakistan to resume dialogue. Under the banner of "People for Peace between India and Pakistan" more than 120 people assembled at the Lytton Plaza to light candles, sing songs and shout slogans affirming their faith in peace. Participants took heart from what a peace activist from Oakland, Kiran Patel said, "If we people from India and Pakistan can enter into arranged marriages with strangers, learning to make a lifetime of love and warmth within it and carrying it down to our
children, I’ll be darned if we cannot learn to love one another across the border.” ( For photos by Bhaskaran Raman and Aniruddha Vaidya visit http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/FOSA-bayarea/lst or http://jake.cs.berkeley.edu/~bd//peace-vigil-jan-2002/ Video coverage by Angad Bhalla: abhalla@stanford.edu, Article in San Jose Mercury news: “Indians, Pakistanis appeal for peace”, Katherine Corcoran, San Jose Mercury News, Jan 28, 2002. http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/local/docs/vigil28.htm
*Pakistan Peace Coalition, ST-001, Sector X, Sub-Sector V, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi-75340, Contact Persons: B. M. Kutty and Karamat Ali
Statement issued by the group on Jan 28 said, “ Two recent public statements made by President Musharraf deserve to be welcomed by all those who yearn for peace and stability in South
Asia; one offering No War Pact to India and the other expressing Pakistan's willingness to work for the denuclearisation of South Asia.” It urged Indian and Pakistani governments to break themselves “free from the hangover of the last fifty five years of mutual hostility” and to return “to the saner option of facing each other across the conference table.” “The peoples of Pakistan and India ardently desire peace, no matter what the biased information media of the two countries want the world to believe. They want to see the budgets of the two governments allocate a lot more funds for health, education, housing and other basic civic amenities and not for the
murderous ‘Agnis’ and ‘Shaheens.’” It called upon the Government of India “to respond positively to President Musharraf's offer of a No War Pact and the denuclearisation of the subcontinent” and President Musharraf and the Government of Pakistan to “not only to stand by their public commitment on a No War Pact with India and the denuclearisation of the subcontinent, but be bold enough to proceed unilaterally to cut down military expenditure in the forthcoming budget and take concrete steps to progressively move away from the suicidal path of nuclearisation of Pakistan., irrespective of what India does.”
*Friends of Earth Sydney - Nuclear Campaign nonukes@foesyd.org.au
Friends of Earth Sydney sent a petition to the Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan to express their “extreme concern” over the possibility of conflict between the two countries. The petition pointed out that “military conflict could all too easily become a devastating nuclear exchange.” t added, “We do not seek to prescribe in detail any particular solution to the Kashmir issue. Rather we point out that the losses that would be incurred equally by both nations in a nuclear exchange are so vast, and so incomprehensible, that no political, security, or other goal whatsoever could possibly justify taking the risk of those losses.” Therefore, the petition urged them to rule out “military solutions,” to urgently “initiate a dialogue on Kashmir in whatever is the most effective manner, leading to a real solution to the Kashmir problem,” and to work towards lasting solutions toward peace and stability in the region.” The petition was signed and supported by groups and parliamentarians, representing people and organizations from Australia, Canada, Europe, India, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russia and USA.
*Global Vigil For Peace Between Pakistan And India
To put pressure on the representatives of both the countries to shun war and to engage in a dialogue, the group invited Pakistanis and Indians world-wide to organize Peace Vigils, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (local time), on the last Sunday of every month, beginning 27th January, 2002. They suggested that people at all these vigils hold up lighted candles and make a set of common demands to portray the unity of purpose. They suggested the following common demands:
“Both Pakistan and India should:
Open up all communication and travel links between them.
Immediately sign a No War Pact.
Set up a Permanent Dialogue Process for continues and uninterrupted negotiations to settle all outstanding issues (including the issues of Kashmir by also involving the people of Kashmir on both sides of the border, cross border terrorism etc.).
Dismantle all nuclear weapons and make the Sub-Continent nuclear free.
Immediately establish trade and commerce links.
“They may not be able to break the talks and walk away empty handed, as had happened at Agra, if they know that thousands of citizens of both the countries in hundreds of locations all over the world are standing Vigil on their actions,” the proposal said.
*The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, 122 W. 27th St. 10th Floor, New York City, NY 10001, USA, Contact person Bairavi Desai 212-627-5248
“In light of the looming war and continuing violence in SouthAsia” the group announced a meeting to be held on Jan 31, at 6:00 pm at their office to plan a coalition-held peace rally “to call for peace and justice in our war-torn region, sending a message of unity to offset the opportunistic war mongers who militarily, politically and economically continue to offer our people as pawns for imperialism. About 60% of the taxi driver workforce (120,000 licensed yellow cab, black car and car service drivers) in New York City are from either Pakistan, India or Bangladesh.
*Pakistanis for Peace and Alternative Development - [PPAD]
In an open letter to General Parvez Musharraf, PPAD, an international group of scholars, professionals and activists, welcomed the Pakistan government’s decision to abolish separate electorates for Religious Minorities in Pakistan. “We see it as a small first step towards eradicating the causes of incipient religious fascism that has plagued Pakistan in the past decades and threatens to completely undo the State” the letter read. It argued, “A Nation State does not have the prerogative to control the religious beliefs of an individual. Such measures only encourage hypocrisy and superficiality in matters of belief, which remain the prerogative of an individuals' conscience and very individual and private inner quests. We believe that all citizens of Pakistan ought to enjoy the same rights and privileges regardless of religion, race,
ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation.”
Additionally, the letter pointed out that it was “equally important” to undo the Blasphemy Law, “a vestige of the British Common Law which then was completely abused by the Muslim fanatics.”
”The Blasphemy Law” it said, “flies in the face of both the teachings of the Quran (Sura 2: Vers e 256) and the UN convention on the freedom of belief and conscience. It promotes and condones an intolerance that is completely out of step with the current international community's value of religious freedom and inter-religious harmony from which Muslims as minorities in Western countries have greatly benefited.”
”Moreover the requirement to make a declaration of one's belief on the application forms for the National Identity cards and passports” it continued “is a disturbing and telltale sign of religious fascism which is reminiscent of the intimidating and humiliating imposition of identifying marks on the clothing of religious minorities. Since religious belief is a private matter of individual conscience the application forms for National Identity cards and passports ought to be revised to exclude the clauses that pertain to religious matters.”
*Joint Action Committee and Citizens for Peace (JAC), Karachi, Pakistan
KARACHI, Jan 03: Members of the have joined forces in the struggle for peace in the region, with a consensus on the basic agenda 'No to War, No to terrorism'.
”Mindful of the dangers of a war, which could lead to a nuclear holocaust in the subcontinent,” planned another peace rally, on Jan 7, at 5.30 pm, at Hasan Square, Karachi to urge “India and Pakistan to exercise reason and restraint, reduce tension at the borders and solve their problems through peaceful dialogue.” They requested participants to wear white and bring a white candle, and promised to continue the 'Cloth banner signature campaign' they had initiated at the Citizens for Peace held on December 31. Also they “planned to continue the agenda for building a peaceful society, including an Aman Mela to be participated in by artists and singers, and 'teach-in' seminars at educational institutes.”
*Pak India Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), Indo-Pak Soldiers for Peace Initiative (IPSI) , and Asia Peoples Alliance Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (India)
The groups welcomed the initiatives announced recently by Gen Pervez Musharraf, to curb extremism, religious fundamentalism, and terrorism inside Pakistan and to prohibit terrorist groups to carry out militancy outside Pakistan, including in Jammu and Kashmir.” In response, they urged Govt of India “to demonstrate its acknowledgment of the positive nature of the steps announced by General Musharraf and to do the following as an initial act of goodwill:
- restore communication links including, air, land and rail transport between our countries to the pre Dec 31st status.
- defuse and de-escalate the current `eyeball to eyeball' confrontation along the International border and Line of Control in J&K.
- resume the dialogue process as soon as possible.”
*Citizens' Peace Committee (CPC), Islamabad, Pakistan Via A.H. Nayyar
CPC organized a fund-raising concert on Friday 11 Jan in Islamabad. Tehreema Mitha's classical and modern dance renderings were excellent. An introduction to CPC and its position on the present situation were distributed in print. The latter was also read out, receiving a loud applause of agreement.
The concert was a resounding success. The hall, with about 340 seats, was jam-packed. Some sat in the aisles also. The total earning is estimated to be above Rs. 50,000. It will allow CPC to be more active.
FEATURE
*No neighbourly love lost: LETTER from Pakistan, Tehelka.com, 29 Jan 2002 Via Harsh Kapoor <aiindex@mnet.fr>
Pakistani schoolgirl Ragni Marea Kidvai recounts her trip to Delhi, where she discovered, pleasantly enough, that ordinary Indians have no animosity towards Pakistanis and visa-versa. (For full text send a blank email with LETTER as its subject)
*Fighting Over IDENTITY: Keeping people apart suits the agenda of the generals in Pakistan and the nationalists in India, By Salil Tripathi, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Jan. 9, 2002, Via South Asian Journalists Association http://www.saja.org
Kashmir is only a symptom of this separation, not the cause. It will remain at boiling point, and the two armies, both nuclear-capable, will continue to stare at one another suspiciously. The sad reality is that the kind of visionary leadership that can leapfrog over history is in extremely short supply in both India and Pakistan at the moment. (For full text send a blank email with IDENTITY as its subject)
*U.S. Indian-Pakistani BONDS Defy Hostilities Back Home, By S. Mitra Kalita mitra@desiwriter.com Newsday, January 7, 2002, Via South Asian Journalists Association http://www.saja.org
Along the South Asian commercial strip in Jackson Heights, Indians and Pakistanis patronize one another's shops, employ one another and work side by side. In Long Island, they gather as teammates for weekend cricket matches in the spring and summer months. Indeed, the relationships Indians and Pakistanis have forged on U.S. shores appear to defy the ever-growing
hostility on the subcontinent. (For full text send a blank email with BONDS as its subject)
*War doesn’t DIVIDE Indians, Pakistanis in Atlantic City, By Madhusmita Bora mbora@pressofac.com, Atlantic City Press, December 27, 2001 Via South Asian Journalists Association http://www.saja.org
"The common man has never wanted war," said Kuldip Bhargava, an Indian, who owns a store at Ocean One. "It's very unfortunate what's happening there." Mohammad Shakar, an immigrant from Pakistan, said he does not see any difference between people from the two nations. (For full text send a blank email with DIVIDE as its subject)
*New York Indians and Pakistanis Have No PROBLEM With Each Other, By Celia W. Dugger, archived story from The New York Times, August 15, 1997 Via South Asian Journalists Association http://www.saja.org
Fifty years after Pakistan was carved from India at the moment of independence from the British Raj, this layering of celebratory efforts -- Chauhan, a Hindu who owns the building, rents to Beg, a Muslim -- is no anomaly in Jackson Heights. Thousands of immigrants from countries that
have been enemies since 1947 live together peaceably in the commercial heart of New York City's South Asian population. (For full text send a blank email with PROBLEM as its subject)
*A SOLUTION must be found for the sake of the Kashmiris, By Kamila Shamsie, The Guardian Jan 3, 2002, Via Communalism Watch and Governance Monitor, http://www.saccer.org
But here is a truth we can all agree on: a solution to the Kashmir dispute must be found so that the phrase "threat of nuclear war" can be consigned to the history books and the next generation of Pakistanis and Indians does not become so accustomed to such a phrase that, in the midst of the massive build-up of troops along the border, it continues to live its life as though nothing out of the ordinary is going on. ((For full text send a blank email with SOLUTION as its subject)
BOOKS, JOURNALS, VIDEOS
*Raising Our Voices: South Asian Americans Address Hate, a 25-minute video produced by Omusha Communications, for SAALT (South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow) http://www.saalt.org to launch with a press event and screening Jan 30, a national campaign, in New York City, to counter hate crimes targeting South Asian-Americans. This new educational video profiles South Asian American hate crime victims and community leaders. More info from saalt@saaltcampaign.org
*The nuclearization of SOUTH Asia, By K. Matinuddin, Oxford University Press (5 Bangalore Town, Sharae Faisal, Karachi-75350, Tel: 021-4529025, ouppak@theoffice.net) ISBN 0-19-579416-8, 356pp. Rs495 (From a review “Insecurity of nuclear security” by Dr H. K. Nizamani, in
Dawn, 29 Jan 2002, Via Harsh Kapoor <aiindex@mnet.fr>
Nuclearization of South Asia has brought with it "unacceptable" vocabulary of decimating innocent people as a legitimate strategic move. Strategic analysts trade innuendoes in the name of analyses and tread warpaths in search of strategic stability. Joining the Western bandwagon of
nuclear alarmists in portraying South Asia as the most likely venue for nuclear conflict may not be warranted at this juncture, but living in complacency that deterrence will work irrespective of
strategic adventures of New Delhi and Islamabad could be equally dangerous.
*The Journal for the Study of Peace and Conflict, 2002-2003 Annual Edition invites submission by April 1, from all disciplines, from all disciplines of scholarly articles and essays on topics such as war, peace, global cooperation, domestic violence, and interpersonal conflict resolution; including questions of military and political security, the global economy, and global environmental issues. Submit four copies of the manuscript (max. 25 pages, double-spaced, Bookman Old Style font, 10-point) including citations in the body of the text, a full bibliography at the end of the article, a brief biography with institutional affiliation and full contact information to The Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, UWSP LRC, 900 Reserve Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA. More info from 1-715-346-3383, wiinst@uwsp.edu, or www.wisconsin-institute.org
*The International Journal of Humanities and Peace (IJHP), which is dedicated to ‘Peace Through Development,’ invites submissions by April 30, of articles (800, 1600, or 2400 words), poetry, art, and book reviews on Dialogue Continued: Sustainability and Peace, the general topic for this issue. are welcomed for the next issue. Send submissions in triplicate and on a floppy disk, and/or as an email to Dr. Mark Siegmund, Associate Editor, IJHP, PO Box 2732, Big River, CA 92242, USA. More info from 1-760-361-1780, Tetworld@highstream.net, or www.ijhp.net
*Gender and Property Law in Pakistan: Resources and Discources, By Rubya Mehdi, ISBN 87-574-0695-2, Jurist- og, Økonomforbundets Forlag, Lyngbyvej 17, Postboks 2702, 2100 København Ø, Denmark. T: 45-39-135500, F: 45-39-135555, Email: fl@djoef.dk, Cost: DKK 300
The book is based on extensive fieldwork in four villages in different provinces of Pakistan, and takes both a socio-legal and an anthropological approach. The book offers insights into the interaction of customary and state laws in Pakistan, that will be of interest to scholars, lawyers, and development specialists. The book also provides background to students, researchers, and scholars engaged in studies on Pakistani immigrants in Europe.
*Meeting Hindus, Edited by Gwyneth Little, Christians Aware, 2 Saxby Street, Leicester LE2 OND, UK, 11.50 Pounds + 2.00 pounds for postage etc.
*Wisdom of the Sikhs, Charanjit Ajit Singh, One World, Oxford, UK www.oneworld-publications.com, 9.99 pounds/$15.95
*Can Asians Think?: Understanding the Divide Between East and West, By Kishore Mahbubani, Steerforth Press, http://www.steerforth.com, (Via South Asian Journalists Association http://www.saja.org)
On 11 September 2001 a new era was born, writes Kishore Mahbubani in the preface to this provocative collection of essays that is sure to challenge the thinking of anyone who reads them. Unlike the Cold War era, which ended with a whimper, the new era was born with a loud bang
heard all around the world. . . . Our world is shrinking in size, not in complexity. . . . [The] purpose [of these essays] is to open windows into the minds of the billions of people who live in Asia.
The world's largest continent stretches from Japan and Indonesia across central Asia to the Arab world. Asia¹s economies are poised to surpass those of Europe and North America within the next fifty years, and yet Westerners have done little to adjust their attitudes in light of present-day realities. In order to avoid a "clash of civilizations," Mahbubani believes that a great deal of self-reflection will be required by all concerned. His analysis of the past and his predictions for the
future are a wake-up call to Asians and Westerners alike.
CHILDREN
*Sale of children thrives in Pakistan, By Andrew Bushell, The Washington Times, January 21, 2002 http://www.washtimes.com/world/20020121-13745080.htm
CLASSES, COURSES & WORKSHOPS
*February 7-28, New York, NY: ISLAM THROUGH MUSLIM EYES (Thursdays at 6:30 pm., $120), and MYSTICAL ISLAM: A TASTE OF THE SUFI PATH (Thursdays at 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm., $120), Courses On Islam by Feisal Abdul Rauf, at Center for Religious Inquiry, St. Bartholomew’s Church, 109 East 50 Street. Educated in England, Egypt, Malaysia and the United States, Dr. Feisal Abdul Rauf has been Imam of Masjid al-Farah in New York City since 1983. He is president of the American Sufi Muslim Association.
ENVIRONMENT
Arsenic hurting crops in Bangladesh
Arsenic contaminating Bangladesh’s drinking water has leeched into the food chain through irrigation systems used to grow crops, Prof. Mahmuder Rahman of Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH), a pioneer in arsenic research, told Reuters on the sidelines of a two-day international conference here by DCH and the School of Environmental Studies of Jadavpur University of India. Around 10,000 people in Bangladesh have been identified to be suffering from arsenic-related diseases while more than 25 million others may be facing similar danger, according to healthofficials. http://www.cseindia.org/html/dte/dte20020131/dte_edit.htm
Sinking Slowly
Tehri prepares for a watery grave as the controversial dam becomes a reality.
http://www.cseindia.org/html/dte/dte20020115/dte_srep.htm
Rainforest Festival
A unique festival epitomises efforts for conservation of Assam rainforests, which have been lying in a state of neglect for decades. http://www.cseindia.org/html/dte/dte20020115/dte_grass.htm
Indian Cabinet approves Auto Fuel policy; Euro-II norms by Apr 2005
http://www.rediff.com/money/2002/jan/08auto.htm
EVENTS
*February 7-9, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India: GANDHIAN ALTERNATIVE TO WAR & TERRORISM, a conference being organized by the University of Kerala’s Centre for Gandhian Studies More info from cgsku@rediffmail.com or nrsabarmati@rediffmail.com
*April 6-7, Oxford, U.K: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, 9th annual conference of International Interfaith Centre will be held at Harris Manchester College. It will include “presentations, and case studies, workshops and discussion on religious freedom, issues in Europe, India, Tibet, Iran and for indigenous people.” Cost, including registration, all conference meals and refreshments, is 100 pounds for non-residential and 150 pounds for residential participants. More info from website www.interfaith-center.org, by email iic@interfaith-center.org, by phone +44(0)1865 202745 or by fax +44(0)1865 202746
*May 21, Oxford, U.K.: BRIDGES TO PEACE: INTERFAITH INITIATIVES FOR CONFLICT INITIATIVES, a seminar being organized by the International Interfaith Center (IIC). More info from IIC, 2 Market Street, Oxford, OX1 3EF, U.K., Phone +44 (0) 1865 202745, Fax +44 (0) 1865 202746, Website www.interfaith-center.org Email iic@ interfaith-center.org
HUMAN RIGHTS
Pakistan minorities cheer reforms
"The good old days are back", was the delighted response of the Christian community to a decision by Pakistan's government to bring minorities back into mainstream politics. " The military government said for the first time in 16 years, Pakistan's 140 million people would all vote for the same candidates when President Pervez Musharraf restores democracy with parliamentary elections to be held by October. The separate voting system is a legacy of military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq, who introduced it in 1985 as part of an Islamisation campaign from 1977 until his death in a plane crash in 1988. The system meant minorities could not vote for mainstream parties and were in effect politically sidelined. (The Telegraph, Jan.19) Via India News" <christianpatriot@mantraonline.com>
Poorest fail to keep pace with overall poverty reduction rate: BS
http://www.rediff.com/money/2002/jan/10poor.htm
Adivasis
Aborigines in India number close to 100 million, one tenth of the population of the country. Yet, the "educated" urban elite are too often unconnected to their lives, and have rarely stopped to ask, "Who are the tribals?" This disconnect between the empowered and the victims, and the continuing deprivation that adivasis face, is being addressed by the Baroda-based NGO, Bhasha. http://www.indiatogether.org/tribal/articles/bhasha.htm
Caste discrimination
Caste discrimination is a global concern, according to a report by Human Rights Watch for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. Durban, South Africa, September 2001.
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/globalcaste/
Facilities to minorities not unconstitutional
Recognising certain communities as minorities and providing them special facilities do not violate the secular nature of the Indian Constitution, Chairman of the National Minority Commission Justice Mohammad Shamim has said. Reacting to a public interest petition filed by an NGO, Secularist India challenging the National Commission Act 1992, he said, "The diversity of the country is a cohesive force that binds all communities in this country together. To maintain this cohesive force it is necessary to give recognition to the minority communities. The efficiency of any government depends on the way it treats its minorities." (Deccan Herald, Jan.14) Via India News" <christianpatriot@mantraonline.com>
Presidential assent to bill on scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
President K.R. Narayanan gave assent to the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2001, which accords "consequential seniority" to Government servants belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with effect from June 1995. (The Pioneer, Jan. 15) Via India News" <christianpatriot@mantraonline.com>
KASHMIR
NYTimes.com Interactive guide: Focus on Kashmir - A Legacy of Conflict
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/international/20020114_kashmir_PROFILE/
WashingtonPost.com Interactive guide: The Conflict in Kashmir
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/kashmir/front.html
WashingtonPost.com Articles collection: Kashmir on the brink
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/world/issues/kashmir/
A brief explanation of the rivalry between Pakistan and India and Kashmir's place in it all, from CNN's special report on the 50th anniversary of Indian and Pakistan's independence in 1997.
http://www.9-11peace.org/r.php3?redir=81
A comprehensive primer on Kashmir. Read this if you want to get a full and accurate understanding of this disputed region.
http://www.bullatomsci.org/issues/1997/ma97/ma97oberoi.html
Kashmir since 1990. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/13850
This journalist argues that America has no interest in addressing the Kashmir issue, or in building a real and lasting peace, but rather is simply interested in keeping both Pakistan and India as its political allies, in order to further US interests in the region.
http://freedomofpress.tripod.com/stratfor18.htm
LETTERS
*There was not a single villager who was in favour of war, By Farooq Tariq, Labour Party Pakistan, & Member Asiapeace http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsiaPeace
I had a chance to visit the borders areas near Lahore today on 11th January. The Joint Action Committee For people Rights (JAC Lahore) had decided to send a fact finding mission to the Wahga and other borders with India to see the conditions of the villagers, the effects of the
migration, the consciousness among those who live under fire and so on.
It was also decided that I go along with Romana Shabnum, LPP elected city counsellor from this area as an advance delegation to make preparations for the fact finding mission.
We visited few villages alongside the Indian borders and spoke to many including elected counsellors. There was not a single villager who was in favour of war, we observed.
Latif, a shopkeeper at the village Padhar, a kilometer from Indian border told us " We are already in a war, although the war is not yet started, We can not go to our land as this has been taken over for defense purpose. Most of our village fellows have left the village and there are no women and children in the village anymore. Even if the war is not started, it will take at least a year to recover from the effect of this mass migrations. Our land crops will not be ready for years as
land mines are spread all over on both sides of the border, he told us.
Another villager told us this social effect," we are finished as citizens of Pakistan. This is second time in three years that most of us had to leave these villages. Apart from economic effects now our daughter will not be wed in time as we are the people of borders who are always in danger".
One more informed us about the city peoples behaviour "a truck came here from Lahore and bought many animals from us on throw away prices. We had to sell the animals as we are leaving this village. They are looting us even this hour of need".
Arif a local counsellor at Nathoki village told us that the village is near empty and there is army every where. We do not want war but for us war has started. we are the most effected people even without a war.
We observed heavy army presence everywhere. Many new measures for the defense purposes have been taken by the army. The schools and dispensaries have been taken over by the army for defense purpose. It is border with full alert and ready to deal with any happenings.
Any small incident at the border can start the war. Already there has been casualties on both sides by accidental reasons. It seems that the war is only few days ahead.
There is no war feelings among the villagers as been posed by some main stream media. They want peace and want to live in peace. We spend few hours and felt the need to strengthen the peace movement across the country. Every single person we met knew about our Wahga peace
demonstration on 31st December and had a lot of respect for us.
The JAC will decide the date for the fact finding mission with journalists included and expose the myth that the border normal citizens are for the war.
*I blame Pakistan's silent majority for its present crisis, as much as I do the Bonapartes in the army, By Ambassador Karamat K Ghori, Member Asiapeace
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsiaPeace
Incredible as it may look--the Lashkar's threat to blow up the Taj Mahal--but it epitomises Musharraf's biggest dilemma. His challenge number one--and the one that the world, especially India and U.S., expect him to accomplish on the trot--is to rein in these jehadis. But that is easier said than done.
It is hard to imagine the extent of influence these madcaps wield on the naive Pakistani masses, simply because of the latter's ignorance. In a country like Pakistan, where literacy rate is no higher than 20% by UNESCO standard, it is a piece of cake to exploit a people sentimentally in the name of religion.
We are, in Pakistan, reaping the whirlwind sown during those baneful 11 years of Ziaul Haq. You can't imagine how much Zia changed the psyche of the Pakistanis, especially of the Pakistan Army. Its young zealots, recruited largely during the Zia era, believe themselves to be an army
of Islam; the jehadis are a spin-off of this sentiment. They have been fostered and pampered by the likes of General Hamid Gul who believe, as a matter of conviction, that it is a mission of the Pakistan Army to liberate the oppressed Kashmiris in the valley by whatever means.
Interestingly, there has never been a groundswell of popular support for this religious mafia in Pakistan. But it has still managed to acquire a great nuisance value for two reasons : one, because of unstinted patronage from the state, actively during the Zia era but still given passively in the years since; and two, because of the criminal neglect and silence of the so-called ' silent majority ' which every dictator and strongman has counted to be in his corner. I blame Pakistan's silent majority for its present crisis , as much as I do the Bonapartes in the army.
Musharraf will have a hard nut to crack if he decides, seriously, to stamp out the terror of these jehadis. I doubt if he'll be given a free hand to do it by the men-in-uniform close to his own circle. He'll need all the help in the world to pull this chestnut out of the fire.
VACANCIES
*Consultants Opportunities In South And Central Asia: The Research Triangle Institute's (RTI) Center for International Development http://www.rti.org/cid is seeking high-calibre experts in the areas of health, education, water & sanitation, municipal finance, governance and local government development for potential short-term and resident assignments in Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan aiding with medium to long-term social and economic development programs. Technical and project management specialists require a Masters or Ph.D. degree, minimum of 10 years experience, with field experience in one or more of the South and Central Asian countries. More info from Eric Bergthold <mailto:ebergthold@rti.org>
*Three faculty members with research interests in the areas of interpersonal violence and conflict or in developmental cognitive neuroscience are needed at the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston. Submit a curriculum vitae, representative publications, and 3 references to H. Julia Hannay, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5022. More info about these positions from Dr. Hannay at 713-743-8500, jhannay@uh.edu, about the University from http://www.uh.edu, and about the Department of Psychology from http://www.psychology.uh.edu
WEBSITES
http://www.aurumxxl.de/ny/ny.htm
This website has slides of New York taken before September 11, by Photographer Irmingard Anna Kotelev. The slides include views of World Trade Center, Empire State Building, Wall Street, Statue of Liberty, and panaromic views of New York city. Once you start the show, slides change after every few seconds.
http://www.asiasource.org/news/at_mp_02.cfm?newsid=70515
Tensions between India and Pakistan have been high since December 13, 2001, when suicide bombers stormed the parliament in New Delhi, leaving 13 people dead. Keep track of developments in South Asia with this special report.
http://www.asiasource.org/religion.cfm
Almost every major world religion finds significant representation in Asia. AsiaSource has put together a number of helpful resources that explore the diversity and breadth of Asian religions both in Asia and throughout the world.
AsiaSource is a service developed by the Asia Society to meet the need for timely, reliable, unbiased information and assistance regarding the cultural, economic, social, historical, and political dimensions of Asia. With a daily digest of international news coverage of Asia, special reports, country profiles, thousands of annotated links to the best resources and articles on the Web, a calendar of Asia-related events around the world, a database of specialists on Asia, a glossary of Asian language terms, and numerous other features and resources.
http://www.asiabusinesstoday.org/highlights/highlights_interview_gupta.cfm
The Managing Director of McKinsey & Company recently addressed the topic, "Brains Abroad: Can Emerging Countries Stem Talent Drain?" In this interview, Mr. Gupta examines these issues as well as the management culture in Asia.
Access resources for K-12 educators and students on AskAsia, a comprehensive site on Asian and Asian American studies.
WOMEN
Both in urban and rural society, women in India experience a number of deprivations
Deprivations place them at enormous disadvantages relative to men, as well as in comparison to women in most other democracies. Behind a veil of apparent progress, and in the shadow of celebrated successes among a small minority of the empowered urban elite, a woman's life in India is still characterized by endurance and suffering, above all else. IndiaTogether http://www.indiatogether.org/women/issues.htm
Women in India at the receiving end
According to statistics by Swayam- a calcutta based organisation committed to fighting violence against women- for every 100 men, 105 women should be born. Accordingly, there should be 512 million women in India. But there are only 489 million women, which makes 23 million "missing" women. The reason for this anomaly is attributed to female infanticide and lack of care/nutrition for women and girls. Three hundred women die every day due to improper care or abuse during pregnancy. It is estimated that more 85 percent of the women are sexually harrassed on the streets. Over 50 per cent of girls are sexually abused as children. (Statesman, Oct23)
Girls as young as seven are sold into prostitution
Take a walk through Kamathipura, Mumbai, the biggest red-light district in Asia, at any time of the day or night and you will see hundreds of women lounging in doorways and verandahs, waiting for their next client. They are regularly beaten, addicted to drink and drugs and suffer from a whole range of STDs. Apne Aap seeks to make a difference
http://www.indiatogether.org/women/profiles/apneaap.htm
The fall of the Taliban has brought an unexpected windfall to stall-holders in Afghanistan
With the lifting of the strictly enforced Taliban laws, which banned women from working and from going outside unless accompanied by a male relative, sales of burqas are sky-rocketing in city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The News International, Jan 31, 2002, Via Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan rawa2@rawa.org