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Guest Editorial: Dharmendra Vahalia India-Pakistan Independence Day Messages: Gulzar Ahmed & Pritam Rohila *International South Asia Forum (INSAF) *The Reformers, Pakistan *Mumbai Marched on Hiroshima Day *Pakistanis for Peace and Alternative Development (PPAD *National Convention Against Communalisation of Education, India *Initiatives on Kashmir by Institute For Multi-Track Diplomacy *University Teachers for Human Rights -Jaffna, Sri Lanka (UTHR(J)) www.uthr.org *South Asian Conference on Fundamentalism & Communalism: Role of Civil Society, Dhaka *Indo-Pak People's Summit for Peace and Prosperity *One Day of Peace – a Holiday for the World *Notes from the FIELD: The Vanni (Sri Lanka) By Sharif M. Abdullah, Commonway Institute *Consultants Database: A call for submissions *Making Peace Where I Live Project *Raising Women's Voice for Peacebuilding, By S. McKay & D. Mazurana *Crossing the Border: Shared Hindu-Muslim Traditions, By Yogi Sikand *Lanka: The Arrogance of Power - Myths, Decadence and Murder *Secularism's Last Sigh?—Hindutva and the [Mis] Rule of Law, By Cossman and R. Kapur *India Pakistan Arms Race & Militarisation Watch (IPARMW) # 46, 21 August 2001 *Maoist Movement in Nepal, By Anand Swaroop Verma *Out of The Nuclear Shadow, Edited by Smitu Kothari and Zia Mian *Accord: An International Review of Peace Initiatives *The Amerasia Journal *Nuclear Proliferation in the Subcontinent, September 15, Bethesda, MD, USA *Artistic, Cultural and Literary Variations of Ramayana Worldwide, Sept 21-23, DeKalb, IL, USA *Third Global Indian Entrepreneurs Conference, September 23-26, New York City, NY, USA *2001 Pak-Millennium Conference, October 20-21, Boston, MA, USA *The World Women Managers Forum 2001, November 8-10, 2001, Istanbul, Turkey Events
REPORTS & ANALYSES (For a copy send a blank email to pritamr@open.org with its subject as the UPPERCASE word in the article title) Communalism & Intolerance Growing Intolerance for DISSENT in South Asia, By V.B.Rawat, The Daily Star Sanctified VANDALISM as a Political Tool, By Yoginder Sikand, South Asia Citizens Wire Tackling JIHADI Groups, Editorial, Dawn There can Never be Another AYODHYA in India, By M.R. Narayan Swamy, Indo-Asian News Service Hindu Taliban: The Outreach Of EVIL, By I.K.Shukla Hindutva, Nationalism And VIOLENCE, By Asghar Ali Engineer, Secular Perspective Srikrishna Report INDICTS 31 Police Officers (Mumbai riots in December 1992), By Sanjay Singh Education & History Muslims And EDUCATION, By Asghar Ali Engineer, Secular Perspective THUMB Impressions, By Shahid Amin Will We Ever LEARN? By Swapan Dasgupta, India Today India Celebrations SANS People By Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal, Kashmir Times NEGLECTED Northeast, By Wasbir Hussain, The Newspaper Today Northeast India: Crisis Of Perception And CREDIBLE Action, By BB Kumar, Dialogue Peace Has More Than A CHANCE (Northeast India), By Barun Das Gupta India-Pakistan Relations Outlook: BLURRED as ever, Editorial, Dawn Post-Agra, Time To CONVERGE, By Praful Bidwai, Frontline Hardliners FORGET Something, By M. B. Naqvi, The News Wars Are Easy To Win On The SILVER Screen, By Salil Tripathi The Asian Wall Street Journal Shadow LINES, By Stephen Alter The YOUNG Ambassadors from Across the Border, By L. Ramdas Kashmir Kashmiris Must LEARN Lessons Of The Past, By Michael Newbill, the Henry L. Stimson Center, Washington, D.C. The Forgotten Kashmiris Of The VALLEY, By Ajay K. Mehra, The Newspaper Today Kashmir And Nagaland: Lessons From The LATTER, By Sanjoy Hazarika, Tehelka.com Nuclear Energy & Weapons NUCLEAR Proliferation in South Asia: U.S. Policy Challenges, By Samina Ahmed Yet Another Nuclear DANGER, By Zia Mian, R. Rajaraman, and M.V. Ramana, Frontline HIROSHIMA In Jharkhand Radiation Hazard: Uranium Mines Turn Jaduguda Barren, By K. Bhelari Pakistan Human Development Taskforce: The KEY is Social Interest Articulation, Zubair F Abbasi The CRISIS Of Governance In Pakistan, By Mieko Nishimizu Press The TONGUE Set Free, By Ritu Menon, The Hindustan Times Religion VEDIC Myths & Distortion: Why BJP Education Is Flawed, By Prabha Chandran The Concept Of ‘OTHER’ In Islam, By Asghar Ali Engineer, Islam and Modern Age REPEAL of Blasphamy & Other Draconian Laws, By Isa Daudpota, I.B.A.D.A.T Islam and Modern AGE, By Asghar Ali Engineer, Institute of Islamic Studies, Aug, 2001 South Asia & USA U.S.-India-Pakistan Relations Under BUSH, By Stephen P. Cohen & S Dasgupta, Brookings Institution Sri Lanka A TALE Of Three Constitutions, By Neelan Tiruchelvam, Daily News DIRE Straits: Sri Lanka: Situation Report, By Clare Wicklow, AsiaWise Women A SLAP In The Face For Pakistani Women, By Muddassir Rizvi, Asia Times The EVIL That Men Do, By Hannah Bloch, Time Asia A Life In The Day Of Zoya,Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan DEEP-Rooted Evil, By Sarabjit Pandher Dharmendra Vahalia, Petaluma, CA, USA The world has entered the
21st century amidst new opportunities and challenges. There's relative
peace, freedom, and prosperity in the homes of its dominant inhibitors
- the Haves. Cold War over communism is
But in some parts of the world - the Have-nots: men, women, and children are dying, most of them innocents, victims of hatred in many forms. Geo-political hot spots have changed their geography from the West to the East. The Balkans, Middle East and South Asia continue to boil over race and religion, while the Dragon has replaced the Bear in the Cold War of economic dominance. Thus, the human struggle for security, respect, and prosperity rages on in different spheres of life. It is in our struggles that the brighter and stronger seize opportunities for self- and community- enhancements. This has defined the pattern of progress of our race and civilization through centuries of existence. We could apply the above hypothesis in the South Asian context. In our lands we posses a
microcosm of all the problems and opportunities that are prevalent world
over: Instances of economic, social, and political deprivation provide
daily news headlines, while death and debilitation to disease and malnutrition
make good articles in International economic and scientific journals.
The strength of the human spirit and endurance are on display in eyeball-to-eyeball
confrontation in the highest battlefields of the world, and the strength
of our passions the greatest in epic battles between rivals on cricket
and hockey fields. Our endearment to Gods leads to our greatest divide,
and our persisting
Amidst all the heat, dust, and chaos, rise great statesmen, philosophers, scientists, and even entrepreneurs, - people whose lives and contributions exemplify the victory of the mind over body. The influence of these individuals has transcended borders, unified masses, wiped tears, inspired the best in our people, and shone the indominatable spirit of the South Asian. We all have a leader in us, and our actions define our future. One hundred thousand imperialists ruled over 300 million of us for 200 years. Can one-fifth of humanity that resides in our lands turn the tables on the rest of the world? We certainly can, by liberating ourselves from prejudice, war, ignorance, and disease. Let us lead and not be led. Let us choose and not be imposed upon. Let us give and not be given. Let us bring peace, literacy and good health that would raise productivity, prosperity, and influence. Let us promise ourselves to never give up. Fellow South Asian, let us show the way! (Dharmendra Vahalia is an India-born Engineer, living in the US since 1994. He has had rich multi-cultural, multi-dimensional experiences living in 3 countries (6 cities) under as many religious dominions, gaining ability to use 6 languages (including Arabic and Spanish). His formal learning includes two college degrees in different engineering disciplines and in as many different educational systems. His professional experience spans over six years, 3 jobs in as many different industries. He is now employed as Manager, at an International Research & Development company, in Northern California. He's an active member of World Affairs Council of Northern California, ACHA, and Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). His primary interests include geopolitics, writing articles, and travel). INDIA-PAKISTAN INDEPENDENCE DAY MESSAGES (The messages were broadcast on August 19, 2001, over Sada-e-Watan Radio, Portland, OR) *Gulzar Ahmed On August 14th and 15th, 1947, British rule in India ended and two nations emerged from this: Pakistan and India. Pakistan consisted of majority Muslim areas whereas India consisted of majority Hindu areas. Both countries celebrate these days of independence every year. Both countries are neighbors, share common culture, language, and art. There are more similarities than differences. Both countries have common problems of illiteracy, poverty, food and water shortages, energy, corruption, and environmental issues. At the same time they have many natural resources that may be managed for the betterment of their people. There are talented people in both countries who I believe are capable of solving ALL problems facing them if they are inclined to do so and put their minds to it. And yet for the past 54 years they have been at odds with each other, have fought wars, and have perceived each other as enemies. Out of their meager resources they have spent a great deal on defense and instruments of destruction. One would think that if a certain behavior did not draw desired results on either side that there might be a lesson in it that such a behavior has not worked. And there is no reason to think that continuing such a behavior is going to bring about different results. It is therefore evident that in order to bring about positive results there has to be a change in behavior on both sides. This behavior must bring a change at the grass roots level, where each side would look at the other as a good neighbor, human being, and possibly a friend. I have talked to people on both sides and firmly believe that on the people-to-people level there is a genuine interest to resolve the issues and come up with solutions to some of the problems facing them. An evidence of this is that prior to the Musharraf-Vajpayee meeting in July, there was a joint declaration from a Karachi-based Pakistan Peace Coalition and an India-based Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace. The people of both countries spoke and came up with an outline under which a solution to their problems was a possibility. I am sure both leaders must have looked at the joint declaration and considered it. Last month’s meeting between Musharraf and Vajpayee was a positive step. Although they did not come out with a joint declaration, it set up the stage for future dialog and possible resolution. I disagree with those who say that Agra Summit had failed. The two sides came close to adopting a joint declaration. Progress was made at Agra on evolving a structure to facilitate sustained dialog on Kashmir, peace and security, terrorism, and drug trafficking. It was unfortunate that the conclusion of the exercise was aborted. The Agra Summit was inconclusive but it did not fail. In fact, the two leaders succeeded in covering much common ground in the draft declaration. That will provide a valuable foundation for the two leaders to reach full agreement at their next meeting. We should never give up and never be pessimistic about the future. There are indeed enormous problems facing India and Pakistan from within. The problems of corruption, poverty, extremism, and lawlessness are eating Pakistan from inside. Similar problems exist in India. Last Tuesday Dr. K.N. Pannikkar, professor of Modern History at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India presented a lecture at Portland State Univerity. This lecture was organized by ACHA, Association of Communal Harmony in Asia. In his lecture he talked about the present and potential communal problems facing India. He painted a very bleak picture indeed. And in his opinion the communal conflicts are going to get worse. I maintain that India and Pakistan have a lot to gain by cooperating on many issues facing them. The issues of education, poverty, environment and hatred among the various factions are so important that the present issue of Jammu and Kashmir is insignificant by comparison. In fact these issues are so vital that we do not have any choice but to resolve the outstanding problems between our nations, including the problem of Jammu and Kashmir, as soon as possible so that we could go on with our lives and start working on bigger and better things. On this Independence Day, let me congratulate our brothers and sisters in India and Pakistan and offer best wishes for the future. I look forward to the day when both our people live in peace and tranquility, as good neighbors, working on eliminating misery from the lives of their people and help each other on problems facing the whole South Asian territories. (Gulzar Ahmed was born and raised in Narowal, District Sialkot, Pakistan. He has been in Portland area since 1973. He has a Master’s in electrical engineering from Washington State University, Pullman, and owns and operates Crescent Systems, Inc., where he designs elctromagnetically operated industrial movers and shakers. Co-founder of Islamic Society of Greater Portland (ISGP) in 1973, he served as its President through 1994. Now, he is the President of American Muslim Alliance and is on the Board of the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA). He lives in Tigard, OR). *Pritam Rohila, Ph.D. Disagreements between and within various ruling families of India led to the establishment of British suzerainty over the Indian subcontinent after Robert Clive's victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The subcontinent passed under direct British rule, when lack of organization, coordination and resources had resulted in a crushing defeat of the leaders of India's First War of Independence, exactly one hundred years later, in 1857. The British ruled India for 90 more years, before the people of the Indian subcontinent succeeded in achieving Independence in 1947. The Road from Slavery to Freedom on the Indian subcontinent is paved with sacrifices made by thousands of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. But the problems that led to our slavery and those that kept us under the foreign rule continue to plague us even today. The rulers disagree. The leaders are disorganized. The governments are corrupt and inefficient. They would rather spend the national resources on bombs than on books. The people are illiterate, and without adequate shelter and food. Women, children and the elderly are abused. Minorities are persecuted. The Road from Slavery to Freedom can easily become the Road from Freedom to Slavery once again, if the people of the Indian subcontinent are not vigilant and assertive. It is time that people of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan let everyone know that they will not tolerate governmental corruption, inefficiency, disorganization, and persecution of the weak. People should tell their leaders that they want peace in the subcontinent so that there can be prosperity for everyone, that they demand freedom from want, an end to hate-mongering, establishment of harmony among various religious and ethnic groups, and respect for the human dignity in every man, woman and child. As we celebrate the 55th anniversary of Independence of India and Pakistan, I invite your listeners to join us in our efforts to help South Asia become a region of peace and harmony- Where there are no wars or threats of wars, and nations respect each others' borders and solve their disputes through peaceful means; Where governments respect the human rights of all their residents and do not engage in persecution or repression of any individual or group on account of caste, ethnic or national origin, beliefs, religious practices, or political affiliations; Where children of either gender, and women enjoy respect and protection. Let us pray that the path between India and Pakistan, which so far, haltingly and by fits and starts, has gone through Tashqand, Shimla, Lahore and Agra, becomes the Grand Trunk Road of Peace. India Zindabad, Pakistan Zindabad! (Dr. Rohila, grew up in Haryana and Panjab in India, and has been in the United States, since 1967. He is a founding member of ACHA, and has been its President since its inception in 1993. In 1995, he served as the President of India Cultural Association. A psychologist by profession, he retired in 1999. He lives in Keizer, OR). Ayodhya-like situation defused in Rajasthan town Authorities said the tense
situation was defused after Hindu and Muslim community leaders sat
http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/01mosk.htm Andhra Pradesh govt willing to talk to Naxalites The underground leadership
of the People's War Group had recently said that it was ready for talks
Hurriyat keen to talk to Pant The Hurriyat's latest overture is important, as the group had refused to meet Pant when he had first visited the state in May-June. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/02jk.htm Musharraf orders crackdown against terrorists The president asked Interior
Minister Moinuddin Haider to check the sectarian attacks and submit a report
on the law and order situation in the country by the next cabinet meeting.
Padmanabhaiah in Amsterdam to hold talks The chief government negotiator Padmanabhiah left for the Dutch capital on Thursday evening for Naga Ceasefire talks. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/03naga.htm There can never be another Ayodhya Despite the communal poison spread by the Hindu fanatics, the bulk of the Indian society refuses to accept the politics of hatred. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/04mosk.htm Indo-Pak foreign secretaries to meet on Friday The foreign secretaries will
discuss the final contours of a possible meeting between Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines
of UN General Assembly in
India, Pakistan to hold centre-stage at SAARC meet Foreign secretaries of the member states will meet on Thursday and Friday with the postponed 11th summit of leaders in Kathmandu high on the agenda. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/08saarc.htm Former rebel now revives Tripura's folk music From wielding a gun to rendering folk songs on stage, life for Hemanta Jamatia has turned a full circle. He is now considered the sole custodian of Tripura's dying folk music. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/08trip.htm Thousands take part in Guwahati peace march The protestors, holding anti-militant posters and banners, marched through the streets of Assam's principal city, shouting peace slogans and singing patriotic songs. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/09assam.htm Two apex Naga church groups call for reconciliation Nagaland Baptist Church Council and Council of Naga Baptist Churches at a meeting made the appeal after discussing the present political situation in the northeast region. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/10naga.htm Indians, Russians join hands to celebrate Janmashtami The main attraction of the day was a gala celebration at Moscow's famous Youth Palace on Sunday evening. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/13jan.htm Candles light up Wagah border on I-Day Led by MP and noted journalist Kuldip Naya, activists of Indo-Pak Peace Forum and other social organisations lit candles near the Wagah post on the Indo-Pak border to mark the 54th Independence Day anniversary and promote love and friendship between the two countries. A cultural programme was also organised where Hans Raj Hans, noted Sufi singer, ent hralled the audience. (Times of India, PTI, Aug. 15) Truth Commission Begins Work in Sri Lanka Wit retired Chief Justice S. Sharvananda as its Chairman, the three member Presidential Truth Commission on Ethnic Violence will accept public submissions on incidents of ethnic violence that occurred during the period commencing from the beginning of 1981 and ending in December 1984, till October 15 this year. The Commission will recommend remedial measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the country. (Daily News, Colombo, August 10) Nepal PM calls Maoists for talks After a 39-day ceasefire, Maoists had announced on Wednesday that a three-member committee would negotiate with the government. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/16nepal.htm Musharraf's trip led to better awareness: Narayanan In a message to Musharraf
on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day, Narayanan said: "The initiation
of the dialogue process between our two countries will contribute to the
furthering of our bilateral
Bhutan's crown prince to visit India The prince's 11-day visit
will be his first official visit outside his sequestered mountain kingdom.
Jaswant discusses bilateral ties with Nepali leaders I have come here as a friend of Nepal. I have also come as an ambassador of goodwill and to promote good relations between the two countries," said the Indian external affairs minister. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/18nepal1.htm 2002 Pakistan polls to be held on party basis A government spokesman said reports that some other system would be introduced instead of the parliamentary one were baseless. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/18pak.htm Sindh (Pakistan) govt. bans fundraising in the name of jehad The provincial government
ofPakistan's Sindh province has banned Islamic groups from raising funds
publicly in the name of Jehad (war against all evils) and has ordered them
not to display the name of their groups on signboards outside their offices.
The groups include the Pakistan-based Islamic freedom organizations such
as Lakshar-e-Toiba, which are fighting against Indian rule in Occupied
Kashmir.
Bangladesh election will take place under the supervision of the caretaker government headed by former chief justice Latifur Rahman. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/20bang.htm PM agrees to meet Musharraf in New York The meeting would provide
an opportunity to the two leaders to pick up the threads from the
http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/27pak.htm Islamabad-New Delhi peace walk planned Artist and social worker, Jimmy Engineer, will begin 900 km-long "Solo Peace Walk" at Parliament Building, Islamabad to promote friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries on Nov 30. He said that during his talks, he would stress that rapid economic progress would not come to the region unless both the neighbours lived in peace and harmony. He said that through this walk he would also pay homage to the millions of people who undertook migration at the time of Partition, many of whom also died along the way. (Dawn, August 28) Caste-based discrimination
blights the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world, and
the World Conference Against Racism should have the issue squarely on its
agenda, Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/globalcaste India repatriates 24 Pakistani prisoners While some of the prisoners had been booked under the Passport Act, others were apprehended at the Attari railway station with fake Indian currency notes. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/sep/01inpak.htm Vajpayee to meet Musharraf on Sept 25 The prime minister will follow it up with a meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on September 25 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/sep/01vaj.htm *All India Secular Forum The Forum has decided to
hold two-day convention of Activists on secularism from Karnataka, Kerala,
Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on 29 - 30 September 2001 in Hyderabad. It
will be hosted by COVA
* International South Asia Forum (INSAF) , President Dr. Hari Sharma sharma at sfu.ca Hosted by South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD) the Conference of South Asian Diaspora on "Secularism, Democracy and Social Justice" was held August 10-12 at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. ). About 100 delegates attended it. The delegates from South Asia included Tapan Bose, Dr. Parvez, Dr. Mazher, Zafar Meraj, Dr. K. N. Panikkar, Abeydeera Wijewickrama, Dr. Hamida Bano, Farhad Mazhar. The thematic papers will soon be posted on the INSAF website, and will also be included in the proceedings of the Conference under preparation now. After extensive deliberations, discussions and debates, the Conference adopted resolutions on the Erosion of Secularism and Democracy in India, Liberalization and Globalization, Militarization and Nulearization, Kashmir, Minorities, the Dalit Situation, the Sri Lanka Civil War, the Amendment of the Bangladesh Constitution, Nepal, Bhutan, and Women. *The Reformers, 206 Fortune Centre, Near Nursery, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi, Pakistan Phone: 92-21-4552186-7, Fax: 92-21-4547919, E-Mail: info at reformers.org.pk, Website: http://www.reformers.org.pk (President: Nisar A. Memon, Secretary-General: Nazim F. Haji) (The Reformers was formed in October 1998 in Karachi to deeply involve the Pakistani citizens in the process of governmental, economic and social reforms. It addresses the following 7 key issues: (1) Peaceful, secure and civilized environment. (2) Justice for all, in all walks of life. (3) Employment opportunities and protection against inflation. (4) Good governance and elimination of corruption. (5) Education, health and social security. (6) Civic facilities: Public utilities (water, sanitation, electricity, etc.) and public transport. (7) Empowerment of Women). During the last few years, we have remained silent spectators to senseless killings in Karachi in particular and the country in general. While it is the primary responsibility of the state to provide security of life to its citizens, it is the responsibility of the citizens to create an environment for the state to respond according to the wishes of the silent majority. Therefore, The Reformers have decided to hold a Citizens' Meeting at the Karachi Press Club, Shaheed Sarwar Road, near Saddar on Friday, 10th August 2001 at 2:30 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. (for one hour duration) up to 4:00 p.m. *Mumbai Marched on Hiroshima Day Via Sukla Sen" <suklasen at yahoo.com Keeping up the long tradition,
that it can quite legitimately be proud of, this year again the youth of
On their way, from the Azad
Maidan to the Hutatma Chowk, a large number of leaflets, in English, Hindi
and Marathi, were distributed among the inquisitive passers by. The leaflet,
among many other facts, pointed out that in India today while our budgeted
expenditure on Defence is Rs. 62,000 crores (about 14 billion US dollars)
that on Health is only a paltry amount of Rs. 2,300 crores (about half
a billion US dollar), and that "Dropping a bomb on Lahore would have direct
effect on Amritsar; a nuclear attack on Mumbai would affect the entire
coast of Pakistan.
*Pakistanis for Peace and Alternative Development (PPAD). Coordinator, Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed Ishtiaq.Ahmed at statsvet.su.se (PPAD is a world-wide network of Pakistanis dedicated to working in the interest of peace, social justice and enlightened humanism in Pakistan, South Asia, and in the world) PPAD appealed to all freedom-loving people, human rights activists and governments of the world to join ranks to urge the Government of Pakistan to spare the lives of Pakistanis Dr Younas Shaikh and Ayub Masih, who have been sentenced to death on charges of blasphemy. They argued that there is absolutely no justification for retaining the Blasphemy Law in the legal system of a modern state committed to human rights through a number of international treaties and conventions. They added, the Talebanization of Pakistan is no longer a theoretical possibility. It is an imminent threat which can result in independent exercise of intellect and reason being declared capital crimes, irrespective of whether one is accused of blasphemy or not. Religious obscurantism is nothing but a form of cultural fascism. *National Convention Against Communalisation of Education, India The three-day deliberations of the Convention witnessed participation by over 600 delegates, including educationists, vice-chancellors, scientists, economists, historians, representatives of teachers' associations, former chairmen of ICHR and UGC, artists, cultural activists. Satish Chandra, Irfan Habib, K.N, Panikkar, Romila Thapar, K.M. Shrimali, D.N. Jha, Suraj Bhan, C.T. Kurien, Vasanthy Devi, Ram Puniyani, Teesta Setalvad, Obaid Siddiqui, Pushpa M. Bhargava, T. Jayaraman, Prabhat Patnaik, Vivan Sundaram, Gulammohammed Sheikh, Geeta Kapur, Gyanendrapati are some of the prominent names. A statement released at the end, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, characterising it as devoid of legitimacy. The Convention was of the view that the introduction of new courses by the UGC in higher education, in the name of traditional knowledge are aimed at fostering revivalism and destroying the scientific academic character of our higher education. The signatories to the statement included Chief Minister of Chattisgarh; Education Ministers of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Karnataka, Pondicherry, and Chattisgarh; some Members of Parliament and Leaders of Political Parties. *Initiatives on Kashmir by Institute For Multi-Track Diplomacy, 1819 H St. NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20006 USA, Phone: 202-466-4605, Fax: 202-466-4607, E-Mail: imtd at imtd.org, Website: http://www.imtd.org 1. Bus link from Srinagar to Muzzafarabad Allowing citizens to move freely between rival countries breaks down the stereotypes that are often generated because of isolation and fear-mongering. Sustained communication among all Kashmiris is an effective step toward establishing stable, peaceful relations. For this reason IMTD has proposed a bus link between Srinagar and Muzzafarabad, the capitals of Indian Kashmir and Pakistani Kashmir to help families, that had been were separated during partition to visit each other. This would be a bus for people not politicians. The route between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad already has a paved road in place and the 120-mile trip would take less than three hours. After all, if North Korea, the world's most Stalinist and isolationist state can allow citizen exchanges with South Korea, then surely India and Pakistan cannot object to such a peaceful interchange of citizens. 2. Negotiation skills training for people from Azad (Pakistani) Kashmir In February 2000, IMTD and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) collaborated to facilitate a diplomatic and negotiation training for a delegation of parliamentary and political leaders from Azad Kashmir. This training took place in Washington, DC and was co-sponsored by the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR). The training was designed as a general introduction to international negotiation, taking into account that the delegates all possessed varied levels of negotiating experience. The second training in July 2000 took the group a step further. After a review of the lessons of the previous training and the general rules of diploma tic protocol, the trainers moved on to more sophisticated exercises and simulations. By the end of the week the delegation participated in a mock multi-lateral negotiating exercise, allowing the Kashmiris to view their interests from a variety of different perspectives in the context of international negotiation. IMTD and Peter Swanson facilitated
a third five-day diplomatic and negotiation training for fifteen Azad Kashmiris
in March 2001. This group included business people, journalists, a human
rights expert, lawyers and other professionals. A dual emphasis was placed
on diplomatic and negotiation training, as well as
IMTD is also organizing an Inter-Kashmiri Dialogue and Training, a unique and absolutely critical initiative that will allow Kashmiris from both sides of the Line of Control to meet, for the first time in fifty years, in a neutral setting and discuss common interests and problems. *University Teachers for Human Rights -Jaffna, Sri Lanka (UTHR(J)) www.uthr.org UTHR(J) was formed in 1988 at the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, as part of the national organization University Teachers for Human Rights. It has published It has so far published 13 reports, 12 Special Reports, 25 Bulletins and 3 Briefings on human rights violations by all forces, the Sri Lankan state, Indian Peace Keeping force and the armed groups. All the reports are available on its website. *South Asian Conference on Fundamentalism & Communalism: Role of Civil Society, Dhaka, Bangladesh, June 1 and 2 (From a report entitled Allah be praised! By Ardeshir Cowasjee) Two participants from Pakistan were Air Marshal Asghar Khan and Educationist Hamza Alavi, both of whom delivered strongly worded papers on how this malaise affects Pakistan. The Air Marshal's theme was universalism and the inability of the Muslim countries to come to grips with the modern world, adapt to it, and learn to live in and with it. Hamza Alavi's concentration in his paper, The rise of fundamentalism in Pakistan, was on how this bogey has overtaken Pakistan's society and politics, slowly and surely. *'Indo-Pak People's Summit for Peace and Prosperity, on August 8, at Panchghani, India. (From a report entitled Kashmir solution: where the mind is without fear, By Rahul Jalali, New Delhi, August 21, 2001 The Kashmiri representatives including former militants, Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims, pro-independence activists and members of pro-Pak, retired Generals, poets, industrialists, former foreign affairs officials, representatives of non-governmental organisations, academicians, bankers, writers and peace consultants. from as far a place as California, Florida, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, New Delhi, Bombay, Chennai and Pune attended this four-day conference at a resort near Pune. Out of a total of 85 persons attending the 'people's summit', nearly 30 were from Kashmir. It was organized by US-based Foundation for Human and Economic Development (FHED) and Pune-based Pragati Foundation.. "We urge all combatants in the state of Jammu and Kashmir to abjure violence.," said their statement called the Panchghani Declaration. It continued, "In this context we call upon both the Governments of India and Pakistan to rein in the guns and provide an atmosphere in the state in which the value of human life and dignity are upheld. We feel that all people of the undivided state of Jammu and Kashmir should engage in a dialogue, at a conference preferably held in Jammu and Kashmir, to be facilitated by the Governments of India and Pakistan. We feel that the recommendations of such a conference can be the basis for lasting peace in the sub-continent." The declaration was given to heads of both India and Pakistan on the occasion of Independence Day of the two countries. *One Day of Peace – a Holiday for the World, One Day of Peace Coalition, 7907 N. Albina, Suite B, Portland, OR 97217, USA, Phone 503-293-3186, Email info at onedayofpeace.net, www.onedayofpeace.net, Co-chair Larraine Brannan A coalition of business people, organizations, teachers, lightworkers of every stripe and vibration has gathered together in the past few months with the aim of promoting January 1st as a Holiday of Peace and Sharing. They are affiliated to a national organization that got the US Congress last year to proclaim January 1st, 2001 as "One Day of Peace & Sharing." This effort to create a world-wide holiday of Peace was pushed forward by thousands of schoolchildren and adults and was adopted at the Millennium by 100 countries. It is the coalition’s mission to get this day adopted as an ongoing holiday in Oregon, and they are working with national and international groups to get it officially recognized throughout the US and the World. The celebration being developed in Portland is one of the first, and it will provide a model for other communities. The programs will focus on creating an experience where people can come together to recognize their unity while enjoying their diversity. They will include the sharing of food, art, music and dance among groups of different cultures, faiths and backgrounds. There will be an educational program in the schools leading up to the holiday, that will culminate in a published book and exhibits around the state that showcase the youngsters’ art and written views on peace and sharing. *Notes from the FIELD: The Vanni By Sharif M. Abdullah, Commonway Institute, P.O. Box 12541, Portland, OR 97212, (503) 281-1667, Website http://www.commonway.org Describes the first-hand experiences of the author crossing the border at the Tamil-held area in Sri Lanka. *Consultants Database: A call for submissions The Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs Department (CHAD) at the Department for International Development (Website www.dfid.gov.uk) is compiling a database of consultants with a background in conflict policy. Interested individuals should submit their CVs to them c/o Melinda Simmons, DFID, 94 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5JL, UK. Phone 44-(0)20-7917 7000, Fax 44-(0)20-7917 0019, Email m-simmons at dfid.gov.uk, *Making Peace Where I Live Project Intended as a contribution
to UNESCO’s Year and Decade for Education for a Culture of Peace, this
is a learning guide designed to support young people in researching the
peacemaking traditions in their own communities. It is an international
curriculum based on teaching the skills of oral history so that young people
may interview local peacemakers in their communities and includes a supplement
for teachers or youth leaders. The group is interested in networking
with other groups in other countries who are interested in developing materials
for youth projects focused on local peacemaking as a way of strengthening
peacebuilding capacities both for the children and for the communities
in which they live. Materials can be downloaded from www.crinfo.org.
More info from
*Coexisting Contemporary Civilizations: Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese and Western,By Guy Ankerl, 530 pp, ISBN 2-88155-004-5, $40. Contact in Europe: Interuniversity Institute, 5044, CH-1211 Genève-11, Switzerland, Phone 041-227-341 718, In US: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Box 397047, Cambridge, MA 02139-7047, USA.Email: inu at inuge.ch, Website: www.inuge.ch The Interuniversity Institute of Geneva (INU) works for coexistence among various living civilizations by working for civilizational pluralism. This publication includes chapters on communication and civilizations; Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese and Western civilizations; globalism; and the federative agenda. *Raising Women's Voice
for Peacebuilding: Vision, Impact and Limitations of Media Technologies,
By Susan McKay
and Dyan Mazurana, ISBN 1-898702-06-8. Contact: Bethan Cobley,
International Alert, 1 Glyn Street, London SW11 5EH, UK. Phone 44-(0)207-793
8383; Fax 44-(0)20-7793 7975
This book explores how women have used communication technologies in their quest for peace, it documents their experience from their own perspectives and provides a rich analytical framework to understand the challenges they face in realizing their vision and using these tools. It shows how women with extremely limited resources are making a difference and documents concrete examples of women's access to and control over today's means of communication. This book provides an accessible means to understanding and increasing our knowledge of women, violent conflict and peacebuilding and is a fascinating work being carried out by women world-wide in this field. *Crossing the Border: Shared Hindu-Muslim Traditions, By Yogi Sikand, 52 pages, Rs. 15. Contact ysikand at hotmail.com It consists of 13 short chapters like : Adam: The First Indian? Guru Nanak: Messiah of Universal Brotherhood; Bulhe Shah: The Sufi Poet of Kasur. *Lanka: The Arrogance of Power - Myths, Decadence and Murder, Rs. 800. More info from The book is the story of how the State, its ideology and inherent violence spawned the LTTE as its mirror image, a violently obscurantist JVP within Sinhalese society itself, and continues to suffocate in that legacy. The book traces the connections between major events in post-independenceSri Lanka. It elucidates crucial aspects of the 1977 violence that have been papered over. The central sections deal with the JUly 1983 holocaust and the Welikade prison massacres that still form an elusive watershed in this country's political history. Other chapters deal with the demoralisation in the security forces. Political assassinations and the fascist drift among Tamils. A final chapter tackles the question of peace. *Secularism's Last Sigh?—Hindutva
and the [Mis] Rule of Law, By Cossman and Ratna Kapur, Oxford University
Press, New Delhi, 2001, pp: 190, Rs. 225, ISBN: 019565798-5, Reviewed by:
Yoginder Sikand ysikand at hotmail.com
*India Pakistan Arms Race & Militarisation Watch (IPARMW) # 46, 21 August 2001 Information & news for peace activists on arms sales to the region defence budget figures, acquisitions & updgrades of weapons systems, development and deployment of new weapons, implications of militarisation (of the state & of non-state actors); the developments on the Nuclearisation front and the doings of the 'intelligence' agencies. The complete IPARMW archive is available at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IPARMW/messages *Maoist Movement in Nepal, By Anand Swaroop Verma, 2001, pages 144, Rs 135, Samkaleen Teesari Duniya, Q-63, Sector-12, Noida-201301, Review by V.B.Rawat Was the Narayanhiti Palace
killings in Nepal in June just a marriage dispute as the official would
like us to believe or were they the part of a larger international conspiracy
to eliminate the growing people's movement in Nepal, in the form of Maoist
movement through out the country? Was it because King Birendra had ruled
out any army intervention to tackle the Maoist rebel in the country while
the Prime Minister Koirala desperately wanted an armed intervention? Was
it because the American fear the growing Chinese intervention in South
Asia if the Maoist captures power in Nepal? Was it because the American
after failing to contain Cuba think that it could be equally difficult
to contain another small country in the
*Out of The Nuclear Shadow,
Edited by Smitu Kothari and Zia Mian, 2001, 525 pp., In India ISBN 81-86962-25-5
(Hb) Rs. 500, ISBN 81-86962-26-3 (Pb) Rs. 275, Lokayan, 13 Alipur Road,
Delhi 110054, 011-3969380; In USA and Europe ISBN 184277 0586 (Hb) $69.95,
ISBN 1842770594 (Pb) $27.50, Zed Books, 7 Cynthia Street London N1 9JF,
Tel: 44(0) 20 7837 8466 Fax: 44(0) 7833 2960 http://www.zedbooks.demon.co.uk/home.htm
*Accord: An International Review of Peace Initiatives, Email accord at c-r.org, Website: http://www.c-r.org Accord publications and project activities aim to create resources for comparative learning and, through collaboration with partners, provide support for the consolidation of specific peace processes. Each Accord project is developed with the extensive involvement of those closely linked to the conflict, many of whom are directly involved in the peace process. Previous projects have been on the peace processes in Liberia, Guatemala, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Mindanao, Georgia-Abkhazia, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and Tajikistan. *The Amerasia Journal, UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press, 3230 Campbell Hall, Los Angeles 90095-1546, phone (310.825.2968) email: thaocha at ucla.edu, Website www.sscnet.ucla.edu/aasc. Issue (vol. 27, no. 1) entitled "Act, Memory, Voice" offers three articles exploring the questions of what it means to be South Asian in an ever-changing America. AND examines how South Asian culture can change meaning when transplanted to America. *Kashmir in Crisis: Pathways to Peace, Sep 13, 2001, The University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA. Speakers from India, Pakistan and Kashmir will participate in a dialogue chaired by Mr. David Barsamian, a renowned journalist from Boulder. Contact Ayesha Nawaz ayeshabano77 at yahoo.com. *Nuclear Proliferation in the Subcontinent: Impact on Global Socio-Economic, Environmental, and Health Policies, September 15, Bethesda, MD, USA Achin Vanaik (Veteran Journalist, Peace Activist), Dr. Arjun Makhijani (President, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research), Dr. Hameed Khan (Health Scientist Administrator, National Institutes of Health) and Prof. Pervez Hoodbhoy (Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan) will make presentations in this meeting to be held 3:00-6:00 p.m., in Conference Room, 6C6, Building 31, 6th Floor, National Institutes of Health (NIH), 31 Center Drive. Admission is free. More information from Dr. Sirish Agarwal 703-892-3415 sirish_ashadc at hotmail.com, Rohit Tripathi 301-515-1871 azza at glue.umd.edu, Dr. Zafar Iqbal 703-521-6371 raabta at 123india.com *Artistic, Cultural and Literary Variations of Ramayana Worldwide, International Ramayana Conference 2001, Sept 21-23, 200, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA The Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the Office of the President and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Northern Illinois University, in cooperation with the International Ramayana Institute of North America are sponsoring a conference, workshops, and a fair on the artistic, cultural and literary variations of the Ramayana worldwide. Contact Julia S. Lamb, Outreach Coordinator enter for Southeast Asian Studies, Northern Illinois University, Adams Hall 404, DeKalb, Illinois 60115, Phone 815/753-1595, Email jlamb at niu.edu, Websites: www.niu.edu/cseas & - www.seasite.niu.edu *Third Global Indian Entrepreneurs Conference, September 23-26, New York City, NY, USA The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) is organizing this conference at Crowne Plaza Hotel. More info from www.gopio.net or GOPIO International P.O. Box 1413, Stamford, CT 06904, USA, gopio at gopio.net *2001 Pak-Millennium Conference, October 20-21, Boston, Massachusetts, USA "Abstracts for papers are invited for this Conference with the theme of "Higher Education in Pakistan - Challenges for Reform." More info from www.pak2000.org *The World Women Managers Forum 2001, November 8-10, 2001, Istanbul, Turkey Organized by the Marmara
Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation, this forum aims to provide
an opportunity to exchange views and knowledge in order to promote women
in decision-making posts and create an international cooperation network.
Women of remarkable success in the management of economy, health, science,
politics, law, press, and the arts are invited to participate. Cost is
$190 (includes lunch, coffee breaks, dinner, gala dinner, one-day tour,
and congress booklet). Free – for members of the press and
university students. Contact organization for lodging information.
Registration by September 30, 2001. Contact Head Office, Barbaros Bulvari,
Iba Bloklari No. 16, Balmumcu 80700, Istanbul, Turkey, Phone 90-212-213
0556/57/58, Fax 90- 212-213 0559, Email: marmaragrubuvkf at superonline.com,
Website: www.marmaragrubuvkf.com
(Send a blank email to pritamr at open.org with Coexistence Noticeboard as its subject) EVENTS
*Shabana Joins Burqa Protest New Delhi, Aug. 27: In the wake of the Lashkar-e-Jabbar threat to attack women who flout their diktat that they should wear burqas outside their homes, college students and activists today organised a campaign to end violence against women. The campaign began with a
street play, Touch the Sky, written and directed by Gauhar Raza. The play,
enacted by both male and female students, opened with harrowing statistics
of atrocities committed on women in South Asia - 6,000 women are set ablaze
every year in India,
*Politicians to train women on how to win elections A step towards political
empowerment of women, a three-day workshop organised by the Delhi Commission
for Women in New Delhi, will see politicians giving a crash course in `leadership'
to women.
*Christian divorce (amendment) bill gets parliamentary nod It gives Christian women
the right to seek annulment of a marriage and also leaves it to the discretion
of the district court to fix the quantum of maintenance. http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/30divo.htm
For more information please visit ACHA's website <www.asiapeace.org>, or contact us by email at <pritamr at open.org> or by telephone at 503.393.6944, or 503.251.0070. The website has been designed and is maintained by Dr. Ingrid H. Shafer.
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