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Friday, August 29, 2008

[mukto-mona] An interview with Ajit Sahi of "SIMI fictions" fame

An interview with Ajit Sahi of "SIMI fictions" fame

Ajit Sahi, a journalist with the weekly Tehelka, recently created a storm with his investigation of cases of scores of innocent Muslims languishing in jails falsely accused by the police of being members of the outlawed Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and of being behind a string of bomb blasts and other terror acts across India.

In a series of articles recently published in Tehelka he has exposed the lies of the police and argues that this is part of a premeditated campaign to wrongly implicate and harass Muslim youths and demonise the Muslim community. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand he talks about his investigations and startling revelations.

Q: What made you take up the issue of SIMI activists and those accused of being associated with the banned group ?

A: For some years now, the Indian media has been awash with stories about the SIMI being allegedly behind a spate of bomb blasts across India. It's like SIMI here, SIMI there, SIMI everywhere. I have been working with Tehelka for just six months now but I have been a journalist for over two decades, starting with the Indian Express , and that has taught me to distrust the stories put out by the police, by the administration, by the government. Governments lie, and this is irrespective of whether they are formally democratic or dictatorial. It's in their DNA, as it were. So, when the police continued coming out with stories about SIMI activists being involved in all these bomb blasts, my first, instinctual response was to smell a rat. I knew these stories had to be questioned because what the media was reporting was essentially based on what was being dished out by the police and the intelligence agencies.


So, the first thing I did was to contact a Delhi-based lawyer who was defending SIMI in the courts. From him I got the basic facts of the case, of the various charges of the government against SIMI. The government banned SIMI on what it said were urgent grounds, but these were only vague allegations, not on any solid proof. To take one bizarre instance: The background note accompanying the ban notification on SIMI says that one of the reasons for the ban is that among SIMI's stated purposes is the propagation of Islam! How can that be cited as a ground for banning an organisation? Surely, the Constitution of India provides every religious group, including Muslims, the right to propagate its faith.

The situation is really Kafkaesque. The law has it that the ban on any banned organisation can be challenged in a tribunal but then, it adds, only an office-bearer or member of the said banned organisation can do so. But the same law says that a member of a banned organisation can be liable for up to three years' imprisonment! So, then, how can the ban be at all contested? This struck me as bizarre, and so I decided to go further into the issue, particularly since almost all other media persons were simply toeing the government's and the police's line. And my investigations showed that scores of innocent Muslim youth have been picked up by the police and wrongly accused of being terrorists. This menacing trend continues unabated.

Q: So, then, what did you do next?

A: I travelled along with the members of the Tribunal dealing with the ban on SIMI, and from the end of May till the middle of July this year I visited numerous places, including Trivandrum, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Udaipur, Bhopal, Aurangabad, and Mumbai—places which the Tribunal was visiting. In addition, I went on my own to Bhiwandi and Ahmedabad, and met a number of former SIMI activists. Meeting people in all these places and going deeper into the facts of the case, I realised that scores of innocent Muslims were being wrongly and grossly unfairly framed by the police and the state apparatus for being allegedly behind various bomb blasts. Under Indian law, you are presumed innocent until you are proven guilty, but this principle has been completely violated in the case of these people, in the case of hundreds of innocent Muslims who have been picked up by the police and tortured by them and forced to make false confessions. In not a single
case has it so far been conclusively proven that SIMI activists have been involved in terrorist offences. There is no merit in any of these cases.

As I said, I discovered to my horror that the charges against these innocent Muslim youth were based on confessions before the police, and we all know how these confessions are made. There is routine torture of the most barbaric kind, forcing the detainees to admit to the false accusations against them. According to the Indian Evidence Act, enacted by the British over a hundred years ago, no confession given to the police can be even presented to the court, let alone be used as evidence. The British knew that the police would resort to torture to force people to confess to crimes they had not committed and so made this law to prevent this sort of thing. But this is precisely what is happening in these cases. No other proof is being presented. According to the law, only confession made before a magistrate can be accepted, but in these cases months go by without the accused being presented before the courts, during which they are routinely tortured by the
police and generally falsely implicated.

Q: How do you see this wave of arrests of Muslim youth across the country? How do you explain it?

A: Obviously the intention is to further reinforce hatred against Muslims, to justify the denial to the community of its dignity, of its right to exist with respect.

Q: Who, then, do you think the real culprits are?

A: Look at the record of the past fifty years. The police have killed scores of innocent people, wrongly branding them as terrorists.

Q: What you say about many of the implicated Muslim youth, including some former SIMI activists and members, might be true. But, surely, you would agree, the SIMI's pan-Islamist ideology, its call for a global Caliphate, its radical rhetoric and so on, are problematic, to say the least?


A: The Constitution of India allows for groups to be pan-Islamic, pan-Christian or pan-Hindu or whatever. That itself is not a criminal offence. I am a Hindu. I believe that the Gita is a divine revelation, and I regard it as superior to the Indian Constitution, which is a human creation. Am I not within my rights to say that what I believe to be God's word is superior to man's word? Can you send me to jail for that? The same holds true for Muslims or others. I believe that Hindus and Muslims are the eyes of India, without either of them India will die. Much though the Indian elites want a homogenised India created in their image, India will die the day that happens. I'll never become a Muslim myself. I'll die a Hindu. But, still, it is my belief as a Hindu that Hindus and Muslims are equally my brethren. As a Hindu, I believe that my religion, my dharma, commands me to stand by the truth, by my Muslim brethren against whom vicious canards are being
spread and who are being unfairly targeted by the police and the state as 'terrorists'.

I am not a social activist. I am just a simple journalist. Doing these investigations into the SIMI affair and exposing the heaps of lies of the police and the state about the blasts and the arrested persons has made me feel purposeful as never before. I am 42 now, and so far I have been chasing money and highly-paid jobs. But now, after going through all this in the course of the investigations I have been doing into charges against innocent Muslims, I have more clarity as to my purpose in life.

Q: And what is that?

A: It's the purpose that every decent journalist should have: to investigate the truth. I have to speak out the truth and expose the lies that the government and its agents are so blatantly spreading.

Q: As you rightly point out, literally hundreds of Muslims are being wrongly branded as terrorists and arrested indiscriminately across the country for terror acts that might actually have been done by other agencies or groups. In such a situation, what hope is there for justice?

A: Things have become so bad now that even hope from the courts seems unlikely. Many judges are extremely communal and heavily prejudiced against Muslims. I don't think we can expect anything from the judiciary. There's this magistrate in Bangalore whom I interviewed who says that because one person who was nabbed had a dollar on him he has international links! Can you imagine!? It is easy to wake up a sleeping person, but almost impossible to do that to someone who is awake. Going by how things presently are, I don't think Muslims can expect justice from the government or the police either.

At this critical juncture, I think it is vital that Muslims do not lose courage. I think the only way is to stand up against this wave of oppression and engage in non-violent resistance against oppression. History shows that the oppressed have always stood up to injustice and Muslims will, and must, do that, in solidarity with people of other faiths, like myself, who are extremely concerned about what's happening.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ajit Sahi can be contacted on ajit@tehelka.com. Ajit Sahi's articles on the SIMI issue can be accessed on the Tehelka website www.tehelka.com,

Link:

http://www.tehelka.com/home/20080816/

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Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

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[mukto-mona] Re: The Racism Excuse - The Wall Street Journal

WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/49607

--- In mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, "Dr Jiten Roy " wrote:
>
> WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/49584
>
> 'Race' has worked for Obama up to the Primary. It will not help him
get through the next phase, where only things matter are the
demonstrated leadership, experience, accomplishments, character,
judgment and ideology of the candidate.<

Jaffor Ullah (JU) replies as follows:

The first primary Obama had won was in Iowa. Our deshi intellectual
has no idea that Iowa is predominantly a white state. The farmers
and common people of Iowa must have seen something in Obama beyond
the color of his skin to vote for him. It was the Iowa primary that
catapulted Obama into the national scene. In Super Tuesday, he won
many a state. This is utterly nonsense that the Race Card played
very well for Obama. Lest the Bangalee intellectual forgot, WSJ is a
mouthpiece of conservatives. What could one expect from this
newspaper - a glowing encomium for a Democratic hopeful? mark my
word! After choosing Governor Sarah Palin (a photogenic face) as his
running mate, Senator McCain proved one more time that he lacks good
judgment. He essentially took a political neophyte who has zero
experience in affairs relating to the nation. Please read in coming
days how the press evaluates McCain's selection. Forget about the
liberal press. Read the conservative columnists. You will be hard-
pressed to find a few good columnists endorsing McCain's choice.


>In all these accounts, Obama fails. He has no example to site for
his leadership, except being a Senator (out of 100 Senators).>

JU replies:

It should be "cite" and not "site". Yes, I also do mistake but not
this simple kind.

<That's not enough to justify to be the President. He has not done
much on the Senate floor to mention as his major accomplishments.>

JU replies:

This guy hardly knows how the system work. In the senate, seniority
matters the most. Even Hillary Clinton could not sink her teeth into
any committee's chairpersonship. It takes years before one could
become chairperson of a committee. Know the system first before
pontificating in Mukto-mona.

<The most disturbing of all is his judgment and ideology. He has
associated himself with all the questionable characters, most of
them hate American system. Most of them are leftists. His friendship
with Bill Ayre is extremely disturbing. Bill Ayre bombed various
cities in America during 1969 - 1972. He has bombed police stations,
Pentagon, and other government establishments in an effort to
destabilizing the system. He is a radical leftist. Bill Ayre is
Obama's mentor. What that tells about Obama's judgment? What that
tells about his ideology? In all account, Obama is a leftist.>  

JU replies:

So far, Obama is +5 and McCain 0 when it comes to select the VP. Joe
Biden is a powerful senator as opposed to Governor Palin who was the
mayor of a small town with population 6,500 and she was elected as
the governor of Alaska not too long ago! Therefore, in the case of
judgment Obama wins hands down. What is so wrong in Obama's
ideology? Is he a communist or socialist? What is so wrong being a
champion of common people? As a deshi, I thought you should be more
sympathetic towards poor people. It seems as if the crow is trying
to disguise as a peacock. I was in this country when Ayre and his
group (Weather Underground) were doing the bombing. Do you know why
they bombed the science lab in Madison, Wisconsin? If you don't
know, then I suggest you read. Ayer is a mild manner professor. No
harm could be expected of him. If he is such a dangerous person,
then how come the FBI and police are not arresting him? Go figure
this one out.

This participant in Mukto-mona hardly knows America's modern history.
But the way he writes, one may wrongly assume that this man has a lot
of erudition. By the way, this country had changed a great deal from
the turbulent days of Vietnam era. Forty years ago Dr. ML King gave
his famous speech. And look what happened since then. A colored
person had defeated the member of the most powerful family in America
to become the flag-bearer of the Democratic Party. I am sorry to
mention here that many deshi folks have to see a "leftist" become the
president. What will they do then? Pack up and leave this nation
for India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan?

> Obama has nothing to show, except "CHANGE." Yes, we need a change
of Government every 4 years. But, the change Obama is talking about
is not the change in government only, he wants to change the
American System, which is, by the way, the best in the world. Do we
need to CHANGE American System for a failed system like Socialism? I
don't think so. American people do not know Obama yet. As they begin
to know him, they will change their mind for a 'change' they can
really believe in, and that is voting for the good old American
System that John McCain believe in.
>  
> Jiten Roy 

JU replies:

Oh, wow! Obama is going to change the capitalistic society into a
Marxist Utopia! Keep on spreading your lies and let us see how far
you could go mister! Maybe, Obama is an agent for Cuba, North
America and West Bengal where communism is still flourishing.

Hello mister, why not become a mouthpiece for John McCain and then
scare the entire American electorates with your concocted stories.
First it was that Obama is a closet Muslim. That label of yours did
not stick. Now the story has changed. Obama is a closet socialist
who is out there to change the system. If Americans buy your seminal
findings, McCain campaign will reward you big time. There is still
enough time to enlist your name in the McCain campaign. The way
things are going for the Great American patriot, his campaign needs
you badly. If I were you, I would join the campaign in a
heartbeat.

------------------------------------

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Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

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Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
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MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

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Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
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Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
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MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
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German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
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[ALOCHONA] Rohingya refugees: Some legal issues

Rohingya refugees: Some legal issues

 

Mir Md. Amtazul Hoque
 
On 9 August 2008, the learned judges of Cox's Bazar judgeship, including the learned judicial magistrates, spearheaded by the learned District and Sessions Judge Mr. Nirmal Kanti Chowdhury visited the Kutupalong refugee camp at Ukhya, Cox's Bazar. Kutupalnog and Nayapara, two places situated at the south eastern end of the country, have the considerable concentration of Rohingya refugees in two cramped camps. Through this visit, the learned judges have gathered some unique experience. In the light of the visit I, in this write-up, would like to focus on the legal aspect of this Rohingya refugee problem in the perspective of our country. Relevantly, the history of this problem, the involvement of the UNHCR in these camps and several other aspects would also come up.
 
The emergence of the Rohingya refugee problem dates back to the era of European colonial rule in this part of the world. As we experienced in the then Indian sub-continent, the British has also successfully adopted and implemented the infamous "divide and rule policy" in Burma (Myanmar). The ruler British showed little respect for the ethnic and cultural diversities of the people of this area. In the indiscriminate pursuit of the said policy, the British premeditatedly ignored the historic origin of Rohingyas in Arakan State of Burma, and deliberately started identifying the Rohingyas as "Chittagonians", taking fully the advantage of their striking lingual, cultural and religious proximity across the Naaf river with the Chittagonians in Bangladesh. This striking similarity in terms of language, culture and religion had differentiated the Rohingyas from the other ethnic Buddist group in Arakan, namely Rakhine (the Moghs). The Rakhine also added fuel to the dividing policy in furtherance of their petty interest of grabbing the Arakan State single-handedly Rohingyas became target of torture for both the British and the Moghs in possible and impossible ways. The lawlessness became so acute and widespread that the Rohingyas begun fleeing into the neighbouring countries, especially into the southern part of Bangladesh. The fleeing Rohingyas used to term Arakan state as "Mogher Mulluk" meaning a lawless country of the Moghs. The term "Mogher Mulluk" has long found a niche as an adage in our day-to-day language.
 
The said legacy of "divide and rule policy" seems to have successfully been carried by the military government in Burma. The Rohingya problem has reached, by now, the crescendo due to their propaganda, research manipulation by a fraction of Burma intelligentsia fulfilling the requirements of the vested interest quarters furthering conflict between the Rakhins and the Rohingyas. Making the situation worst, the government has declared the Rohingyas as non-citizens of Burma. With a view to exterminating the Rohingyas, they enacted the notorious "Burma Citizenship Law 1982" on 15 October 1982. Three categories of citizenship have been mentioned in the Law, such as:
 
1) Citizen (the ancestors of whom used to reside in Burma as far back as 1823, and this should be proven); 2) Associate citizen; 3) Naturalised citizen.
 
An individual has to have any form of citizenship for access to basic social, health and educational services. The vast majority of the Rohingya people face difficulty in falling in any of these categories mostly due to family situation and the difficulty in providing proof of eligibility. Consequently, the military government of Burma terms them as "foreign residents".
 
Since 1989, the government has made it mandatory to apply for "new Scrutiny Cards", a colour-coded card for ease of categorisation of citizenship status. In addition to the aforementioned three cards, the government issues "white" card (namely Foreign Registration Card, FRC) to the foreigners. These cards have overwhelming presence in almost every transaction in Burma. Immediately after the enactment and enforcement of the said law horrified Rohingyas began leaving Burma in a large scale. In the early 90's (1991-1992) the world saw the painful extermination of 2,50,000 Rohingyas with the excuse of they being "foreigners" in Burma. The saga of extermination has never ended. The influx of these Rohingyas into Bangladesh has piteously intensified her plight and has added an international dimension to her already existing innumerable national problems, over population and scarcity of land being two of them.
 
Here lies the confusion of Bangladesh in accepting the Rohingya refugees, for she has signed neither the UN Convention of 1951 relating to the Status of Refugees, nor the Protocol of 1967 of the Convention.
 
The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees defines who are "refugee" and sets out, inter alia, which people do not qualify as refugees. The United Nations opened it for accession by the States on 28 July 1951. By now, 147 signatories have become parties to the either the Convention or both the Convention and its 1967 Protocol. Initially the Convention, popularly known as the Magna Carta of International Refugee Law, stipulated itself to protecting European refugees after World War II, but a 1967 Protocol removed the geographical and time limits, extending the Convention's scope. Article I of the Convention as amended by the 1967 Protocol defines a "refugee" as:
 
"Any person who: [2] owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his formal habitual residence, is unable or owing to such fear is unwilling to return to it…"
 
Not being a party to the 1951 Convention or its 1967 Protocol, Bangladesh feels reluctance to fit the Rohingyas in the definition of "refugee" and also to shoulder any duty or responsibility in compliance with the provisions of the Convention. Notwithstanding the fact, the refugees of early 90's received "prima facie" refugee status. An estimated 26,000 of such Rohingya refugees live in two separate and squalid camps at Kutupalong and Nayapara of Cox's Bazar. Besides these, an estimated 100,000 unregistered Rohingyas live in Bangladesh near the border with Myanmar. The registration of the said 26,000 refugees has rendered UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) a scope to protect and assist them.
 
However, in 2003 UNHCR took a decision to phase out its support for the 20,000 refugees remaining in the camps and forwarded to Bangladesh Government a "self-sufficiency plan", wherein UNHCR proposed to integrate the Rohingya refugee population with the local Bangladeshi community. On September 2004, Bangladeshi authority rejected the self-sufficiency plan. In 2005, UNHCR presented again a plan to Bangladesh Government that proposed temporary stay and freedom of movement of Rohingyas. In the meantime, the responsibilities of the camps have been handed over to the Government of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has not enacted any law regarding asylum and refugee matters, even though, she has been suffering from two large scale refugee problems, namely Behari refugees and Rohingya refugees. The provisions of the 1946 Foreigners Act governs the activities of non-citizens in Bangladesh. Section 3 of the Act empowers the government to enact rules regarding the banning or controlling of entery, stay or exit of foreigners in Bangladesh. Section 4 has specifically spelt out that any foreigner can be interned in a limited space vide this Act.
 
The provisions of the 1946 Foreigners Act had been discussed during the visit in Kutupalong. Besides this, the Learned District and Sessions Judge of Cox's Bazar Mr. Nirmal Kanti Chowdhury had extended his support on behalf of the Cox's Bazar judgeship to aptly deal with the Rohingya refugee problem so far it touches the legal aspect. The Learned Chief Judicial Magistrate Mr. Mujibur Rahman had also reiterated the support. The Learned District and Sessions Judge had stressed on appointing a coordinator to deal with the legal matters of the Rohingya refugees. He had further opined that UNHCR could organise seminars, workshops etc. on regular basis regarding the legal aspect of the Rohingya refugee problem and there it could invite for participation the learned judges, learned advocates, police officials and other stakeholders of the society.
 
The matter of infamous "November killing" had also cropped up. On 18 November 2004, a brawl between the refugees of the Kutupalong camp and the camp authority turned into a clash at the end of which three refugees, including a minor, got killed in police action. The police also detained 42 refugees. The UNHCR officials requested the Learned District and Sessions Judge to ensure fair and impartial justice in the November killing case. He assured that Cox's Bazar judgeship would take every step possible on its part to that effect.
 
Nearly 17 years have elapsed, but the Rohingya refugee problem has failed to register any noticeable headway. Bangladesh cannot sit on her back for an uncertain period with this nagging problem days in and days out. Given the reality, the visit of the kind may have a far-reaching positive impact.
 

The writer is Senior Judicial Magistrate, Moheshkhali, Cox's Bazar

 

http://thedailystar.net/law/2008/08/05/review.htm


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[mukto-mona] McCain chose Gov. Palin, a neophyte in politics as his running mate

McCain chose a political neophyte as his running mate
 
A.H. Jaffor Ullah
 
John McCain, the Republican presumptive nominee, just turned 72 right before the St. Paul convention, which is slated to open after the Labor Day.  As far as Republican Party is concerned, all eyes were on Dayton, Ohio where McCain threw a party to announce his running mate. 
 
Senator McCain surprised all the political pundits when he chose a political neophyte by the name Ms. Sarah Palin who happens to be the first term governor of Alaska, a solidly Republican state.  The pundits are all baffled by the news because the Internet was abuzz with speculations pointing to either Governor Mitt Romney or Governor Tim Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota as the obvious choice.  But McCain surprised even his ardent supporters by choosing a person who has very little experience in politics.
 
Before becoming the governor of Alaska, Ms. Palin was a two-term mayor of Wasilla, a town with population of merely 6,500.  So, what is she bringing in terms of national experiences as a politician?  We all know that the position of vice presidency is very important and the person holding the post should be prepared to step into the highest position in a moment's notice.  I have heard such comment as "being a VP is heartbeat away from becoming president."  Therefore, the media will scrutinize Governor Palin severely to make sure that she is qualified enough to become the president in the event McCain is elected in November election and should he become incapacitated due to unforeseen events or physical ailments.
 
The adage "Morning shows the day" is very appropriate here.  Senator McCain as the nominee of his party took the first decision and by all account it is not a very sound one.  There were about half a dozen qualified candidates but he decided to select a very weak one when he chose Governor Palin to be his running mate. 
 
The media scrutiny has already started to check what kind of person Governor Palin is.  She is certainly young and photogenic.  But some negativity has already started to emerge.  She has an ethical issue to confront. Alaska lawmakers are investigating now to see whether Palin abused her executive power in firing a public safety commissioner of Alaska. Lawmakers now say they want to know whether Palin was mad at the commissioner for not firing an Alaska state trooper who went through a messy divorce and ongoing child custody battles with Palin's sister.
 
Many analysts who were caught dumbfounded by McCain's capricious decision are puzzled and they wanted to figure out why he chose a much younger and inexperience politician to be his running mate? 
 
First, McCain wanted to lure women voters from Democratic side.  He knows very well that many women supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton who are steadfastly refusing to vote for Obama-Biden ticket need a nudge to move to the Republican side.  Therefore, as per McCain's infinite wisdom, by selecting a woman to run as his VP those disenchanted voters may now switch to vote for him and Ms. Palin.  However, the Republican senator is yet to take into cognizance the fact that the Democrats have solidified their base and many of the disenchanted women have now returned to the base and they will support the Obama-Biden ticket.
 
From Obama campaign's perspective, it is an unexpected development indeed.  By selecting Senator Joe Biden Senator Obama chose a seasoned politician who knows very well how the federal government runs, legislatively speaking of course.  However, Senator McCain probably does not give a hoot to this important issue.  If McCain gets elected by the stroke of his luck and something happens to him, the nation will be forced to have an inexperienced person as the president.  This would be quite opposite if the same scenario plays out in the case of Obama presidency.
 
Does McCain want a loyal VP who will never ever question him concerning any decision?  The same senator was very puzzled in 1988 when President George H. W. Bush chose another political neophyte by the name Dan Quayle of Indiana as his VP.  Therefore, it seems as if Senator McCain has dual standards – one for himself and the other for others. 
 
Please contrast the decision made by Senator McCain with that of Senator Obama over the issue of selecting the candidate for vice president.  Obama wanted a partner who could challenge him over any decision.  But McCain is following his predecessors from the Republican Party.  George H.W. Bush chose Senator Dan Quayle who was simply there to fill the position.  He was not an activist VP such as Al Gore.  The same goes for Ronald Reagan who had an inactive VP by the name George H.W. Bush. 
 
Let us now ponder over the age and experience of Governor Palin.  In her early forty's she is only 3 year younger than Obama who served in her statehouse for 20 months. Obama, on the other hand, had served in his statehouse for eight years (1997-2004).  Obama's experience as legislators covers both at state and federal level but Governor Palin mostly served at the municipal as mayor of small town and now she is serving as the governor of Alaska. 
 
Ron Fournier, an Associated Press analyst, wrote an interesting article today (August 29, 2008) in which he mentioned that Senator McCain's "risky choice of Gov. Sarah Palin gives him a running mate who doubles down on his maverick image."  He also added the following: (this choice) "may appeal to "hockey moms" and other women, and counters Barack Obama's aura of new-generation change. But he may have undercut his best attack on the Democrat."
 
The more is yet to come on Governor Palin's qualification to run for the office of VP.  We hope she was vetted thoroughly.  Any negativity concerning Governor Palin's candidacy that may surface later will ruin McCain chances to win the election.  We should also wait and see how Governor Palin is sized up by her party's bigwigs. 
 
Needless to say, we had two consecutive days of history making.  Yesterday (August 28, 2008), Senator Obama had delivered a historic acceptance speech and today (August 29, 2008), Senator McCain announced that he chose a woman to be his running mate. 
 
Lest we forget, this is the first time ever that any Republican presidential hopeful had selected a woman to be the VP.  Conversely, Vice President Walter Mondale, a Democrat, chose Geraldine Ferraro, a Congresswoman from upstate New York to be his running mate in 1984.
 
It remains to be seen whether the selection of Governor Sarah Palin would handsomely reward Senator McCain who badly needs tens and thousands of disgruntled women voters, who once voted for Hillary Clinton in the primaries, flock to his side at least in the battleground states such as Ohio, Missouri, Virginia to help him win the election on November 4, 2008.  Will it happen?  Stay tuned for more developments and prognosis.
--------------------
Dr. A.H. Jaffor Ullah, a researcher and columnist, writes from New Orleans, USA
 
 
 
           
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Re: [mukto-mona] Je Somudra Guptoi theke gelo (Bangla)

Johir bhai,
Prothomei aapnake kritoggota janachchi apni lekhati hridoy die porechhen bole. Asolei Somudro da ke nie temon ullekhjoggo kono lekha amaro chokhe poreni. Sejonnoi e lekhatir sutropat. Sharirik vabe tini amar kachher keu non. Kintu manosik vabe ottonto kachher. Take nie somvabbo sob lekhai ami porar chesta korechi. Kintu keu tar kaj nie temon ullekhjoggo kichui likhen ni. ba likhleo amar chokhe poreni. Se jonnei ojoggo amar e bertho cheshta. Tar proti amar lekhoksulov kritoggota prokash matro. Jedin jooggo keu Somudro da'r upor purnango proyas nebe, sedin ami khub khushi hobo.
Apnar blogspot ami bookmark kore rekhechi. Porbo. Bhalo thakben sobsomoy, ei kamona roilo.
Dhonnobad apnake.
Amar blogspot address: http://horoppa.blogspot.com/

Ranadipam Basu. 

--- On Fri, 29/8/08, Islam@yahoo.com <Islam@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Islam@yahoo.com <Islam@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Je Somudra Guptoi theke gelo (Bangla)
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, 29 August, 2008, 9:59 PM

Ranadipam Basu Dada,
 
Apnar lekhati adyapanto porlam, shomudro dar opor eto bhalo lekha keu konodin lekheni...apnar lekhati porte porte amar chokh theke pani goriye porchhilo... .tini amar khub kachher manush chhilen, amio tar janya kichhui korte pari ni...tar jonmodine ekti lekha likhechhilam, shomudro da nijei shei lekhata ekti kagoje diyechhilen, kintu ora chhapeni, ami ar shei kagojer namta bole oder bibroto korte chai na....Apnake ei oshadharon lekhatir janya dhanyabad... shathe amar lekhatio pathalam....
 
Bhalo thakben,
 

 
Quazi Johirul Islam
UN Operations in Ivory Coast (UNOCI)
Hotel Sebroko, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
 
Ph: +12129634432 Ext. 1723368
http://quazijohirul islam.blogspot. com/

--- On Thu, 8/28/08, Ranadipam@yahoo. com <Ranadipam@yahoo. com> wrote:

From: Ranadipam@yahoo. com <Ranadipam@yahoo. com>
Subject: [mukto-mona] Je Somudra Guptoi theke gelo (Bangla)
To: "Banglamati Web-mag." <banglamati@yahoo. com>, "Khabor Washington" <news@khabor. com>, "Mukto-mona Forum" <mukto-mona@yahoogro ups.com>, "sa7rong" <editor@satrong. org>
Cc: "Avijit Roy" <charbak_bd@yahoo. com>, "nondini" <nondinihussain@ gmail.com>
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2008, 8:00 AM

http://www.mukto- mona.com/ Articles/ ranadipam_ basu/samudro_ gupta.htm



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[mukto-mona] Obama's tryst with destiny at Denver

Obama's tryst with destiny at Denver

 

A.H. Jaffor Ullah

 

Senator Obama is no longer the "presumptive" nominee of his party for the highest office in the land.  After affirmation by proclamation, he facilely won the nomination; there weren't any fight from any rival faction.  This happened on the third night (August 27, 2008).  The jubilant candidate for White House made a surprise appearance before delegates in the Pepsi Center (an indoor sports arena) when he invited everyone to get ticket for Invesco Field (an outdoor sports arena) where he gave a historic acceptance speech before 84,000 Americans.

 

The famous speech had spellbound not only the delegates and attendees at the venue but many newscasters, political talking heads and pundits such as David Gergen, John King, etc., had opined that it was truly a historic speech by any measure. 

 

Senator Obama had re-introduced himself to Americans through this speech, which lasted about 50 minutes.  It was a defining moment for Obama, son of a Kenyan and a Midwestern woman. Through the acceptance speech, he rebutted quite a few allegations leveled by the McCain campaign.   The issue of Obama's inexperience for the highest job in the land, lack of foreign policy experience, the celebrity-like status, etc, and more were answered by Obama to dispel any doubts about his qualification to become the commander-in-chief or for that matter, taking the emergency call at 3:00 am. 

 

Obama spoke eloquently before the crowd and national audiences through the airwaves.  He looked quite dignified and presidential; not to mention his utmost confidence in him.  The speech was a reminiscence of the one given about 40 years ago by Reverend martin Luther King Jr. at Washington DC in a civil rights protest march.  In fact Obama concluded his speech by borrowing phrases from M. L. King's speech.

 

Most political observers in America said during the convention that Obama had a huge task of unifying the Democratic base, which was shattered by lengthy and divisive primaries.  Furthermore, he had to present a memorable acceptance speech, which he gave.  Now, there is no question in the minds of millions about his qualification to become the president of this powerful nation on earth. 

 

In a true sense destiny had brought Obama to national politics.  As a fresh lawyer just graduated from Harvard he joined a movement to rehabilitate displaced workers in the late 1980s in south side of Chicago.  Stunned by his capability to organize movement many, Illinois people asked him to join the state politics.  He however took time out to teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago and in late 1990s he immersed in the state politics to find himself elected to the state legislature. Springfield, the capital of Illinois is located in the middle of cornfield, became his home for few years when he learned and honed the art of persuasion quite well. 

 

In 2004, during the Democratic convention at Boston where Senator Kerry was nominated to run against George Bush, the party selected an unknown legislator from Springfield, Illinois to give the keynote speech.  His name was a strange one and no one was familiar with him.  Nonetheless, he gave an electrifying speech.  After which he became right away a star in the Democratic Party.  Obama ran for the senate seat from Illinois and was elected in November 2004.  

 

As a young senator he quickly learned that Washington was a place where senators and congressmen play a partisan game to the detriment of the nation.  By defying the norm he started mingle with legislators from the other side of the aisle.  Bipartisanism became his mantra at the senate.  Obama could hardly get a senior position in the myriads of exclusive committees those that oversee many branches of the government.  But that hardly deterred him from getting the visibility. 

 

Obama's political future took a quantum leap in 2007 when to the surprise of many he announced that he would run in the primaries that was already crowded with nationally known Democrats.  Many political pundits had pooh-poohed him for becoming that ambitious being merely a political neophyte.  Come to think of it, I don't think that it hardly crossed Senator Hillary Clinton's mind that this obscure and junior legislator from Illinois could through a hardball in her ambition to receive the nomination of her party further down the road. 

 

In actuality, the farmers and most ordinary people of Iowa had catapulted Barack of Obama to presidential politics in January 2008 when he won decisively in the primaries in Iowa in which Senator Clinton came out the third.  Suddenly, Obama's campaign caught fire while his message resonated with the voters allover America.  What followed next is known to everyone. To put it mildly, Obama is a political phenomenon the like of which was never seen before!

 

The events of last few weeks did not bode well for Obama campaign.  And thanks to John McCain's negative campaign.  Consequently, Senator Obama came to Denver all bruised.  First, it was Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign that hurled all kinds of epithets to characterize him as an inexperienced first time senator who is not fit to be the president of this great nation.  Then once he secured enough delegates to lock the nomination, the McCain campaign started in earnest a fusillade of negative Ads.  They borrowed lines from Clinton's negative Ads, made them caustic and bitter and aired them in the battleground states.  When Obama visited Europe, Middle East in the summer of 2008 to meet the heads of states, he chanced to give speech in a soccer stadium in Berlin.  It was a feat that John McCain could hardly repeat.  Thus, to belittle Obama, the McCain campaign had coined the term "world class celebrity" to stick it on Obama.  And that was not all.  The democratic presidential hopeful was compared with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, the two most sought after celebrity by the National Enquirer, which is a popular gossip magazine in America.  Unfortunately, McCain's mischaracterization of Obama had backfired.  In polls after polls, Obama came out a few percentages ahead and that is causing a concern in the minds of Republican operatives such as Karl Rove.

 

Finally, the last week of August arrived and Democrats assembled in Denver to give their seal of approval to Obama to recapture White House after 8 years when Bill Clinton left the catbird seat power with a strong economy, a reasonable peace throughout the world, and a huge budget surplus. 

 

All attentions of the media were on Democratic convention, which ran very smoothly.  Some political talking heads and a few Republican operatives thought the convention would be mired in utter chaos and floor fight a la 1968 convention held in Chicago in the height of the Vietnam War.  The Democratic nominee, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, was bruised by all the street protestation and floor fight.  The result was a divided Democratic Party; consequently, VP Humphrey lost the election to Richard M. Nixon in 1968.

 

The Democrats did not wish for a return of 1968-like convention.  Rather they wanted a unified front to energize the campaign this year.  The Clintons were very cooperative in this respect.  All the fences were mended and both Bill and Hillary Clinton gave excellent and uplifting speeches at the convention to efface any sign of discord and division.  At the end, the party was unified to the satisfaction of Obama campaign.

 

In a way, Senator Barack Obama had a tryst with destiny in Denver.  His journey to politics got underway in 1997 and in a short span of 11 years he received the nomination of his party to run for the highest office.  His candidacy is unique in the sense that he does not quite fit the description of a politician who runs for the coveted position.  Thus far, all the presidents were male and white.  Are Americans ready to elect a minority?  Stay tuned for the answer.  In about 67 days Americans would go to polling places to elect a new president.  The collective judgment will surely come the.

----------------------

Dr. A.H. Jaffor Ullah, a researcher and columnist, writes from New Orleans, USA

        

                   

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[mukto-mona] Tehelka's Report on Kandhamal Violence

Prelude To Carnage?

The killing of VHP's Swami Laxmananda Saraswati in Orissa has set off a wave of communal violence

BIBHUTI PATI
Bhubaneshwar

COMMUNALLY-SENSITIVE Kandhamal district, the site where India's worst-ever anti-Christian violence broke out last December, is a lit fuse fast inching into conflagration after the gunning down of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Laxmananda Saraswati and five other persons last week.

Mourning Children paying homage to Swami Laxmananda Saraswati

Eighty-five-year-old Sarsawati, who was an active campaigner for converting the state's Christian tribals to Hinduism, had been a guest at an ashram for girls in Jalasapeta village in Kandhamal's Tumudibandha block. On the evening of August 24, armed assailants entered the ashram and fired indiscriminately; along with Laxmanananda, two women and a child were also among those killed. The assailants are suspected to have been Maoists — a letter found at the spot bore the name of one Azad, said to be from the Bashadhara Committee of the CPI (Maoist), and stated that the VHP leader "had to pay the price for last year's riots". State Director-General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda was, however, cautious about assigning responsibility for the assassination, stating only that it appeared to have been the work of "extremists".

The VHP, however, has been quick to blame Kandhamal's Christians, reopening the floodgates to the poison that swept the district in the last weeks of 2007. Saraswati was at the centre of that conflagration as well with a rumoured attack on him last Christmas Eve providing the impetus for the riots that killed at least four people and damaged over 800 homes. Most of those affected were families below the poverty line, the average economic profile in this deeply under-developed region. As of this writing, in the upsurge of rage that has followed Saraswati's assassination, a lynch mob has reportedly burned one person (a paralytic) alive; at least three prayer houses and 10 homes are said to have been gutted as well. An orphanage in Phutapali in Bargarh district was set on fire. A pastor was hurt in the fire, but 20 children escaped unhurt. Road and rail blockades and demonstrations across the state have prompted the issuing of prohibitory orders in Kanhamal, while the rest of Orissa is on high alert.

Saraswati, a member of the VHP's central advisory committee, had apparently anticipated an attack for some time. Last Friday, he had sought security cover from the Tumudibandha police station. Who he was in apprehension of is not immediately known, but, after last year's riots, while Christian groups blamed the VHP, he, in turn, accused local Maoists of fomenting communal tensions. Just before his arrival in Tumudibandha, he had been an active participant in a state-wide agitation over the Amaranath shrine land row.

Bordering the notoriously impoverished Kalahandi, Kandhamal shares in its neighbour's indigence. The district's population is numbered at over six lakh, more than half of whom are Kandh tribals, who are mainly Hindu. Dalit Panos form another 18 percent of the population; of them 70 percent are among the district's 1,50,000 Christians. Communal animosity here is thus steeped in the added venom of tribe versus under-caste, locked in contest for the advantages that accrue from reservations. Flashpoints have erupted between the two for 20 years now. VHP belligerence over conversions, however, has a history here of more than four decades. Saraswati's main ashram at Kandhamal's Chakapad was established in the late 1960s. It has been stoking anti-Christian sentiment in the region ever since.

This week will be a tense time not only in Kandhamal but across Orissa. The state's politicians, bureaucracy and police have been blamed in the past for the deep communal polarisation said to be entrenched in their ranks. In the days to come, Saraswati will be hailed as a martyr while Orissa's minorities will wait in dread. The political will of Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik to prevent the state from descending into carnage is now under great test. •

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[mukto-mona] INSAF PRESS CONFERENCE ON COMMUNAL VIOLENCE

 
Dear Friends,
INSAF had conducted a Press Conference on Communal Carnage in Orissa at 3PM today at Red Cross Bhavan.
Please find its Press Release for your reference.
Regards,
Dhirendra
 
INSAF (Indian Social Action Forum)

A-124/6, First Floor, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi, India - 110 016,

Tel. + 91.11.26517814 e-mail: insaf@vsnl.com, website: www.insafindia.org

PRESS RELEASE

Dated, 29th August 2008

STOP COMMUNAL VIOLENCE OR RESIGN

 

We are deeply pained and shocked at the happenings in Odisha since 23rd August evening. The mysterious killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was used by the Sangha Parivar as a pretext to unleash the dance of terror throughout the State, particularly in Kandhamal and neighboring districts. Attacks on innocent adivasis, dalits, women, children belonging to minority community were planned, led and carried out by the Sangha Parivar (RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal, ABVP, BJP) without any limit.  The violence is continuing since 23rd August till now. Begin from raping nuns, lynching innocent women-men, disable persons and others to burning houses, shops, schools, orphan homes, churches has been going as if, there is no end to it. As of today more than 20 persons have been killed for no fault of theirs. Thousands and thousands of people, who are no way connected to the killing of Saraswati, including pregnant women, toddlers and old ones were forced to leave their homes and are languishing inside the forests amidst rains without food, water, cloths till now. The Orissa Government led by BJP and BJD has miserably failed to protect lives, property and dignity of the citizens. It looks as if the entire Administration and Police have become deaf and dumb.  There are enough ground to believe that there was a deliberate move by a section within the government that crippled the administration and police – leading the complete breakdown of governance systems.  To mention few points -

 

Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was provided with special security by the Home Department. Also he had filed an FIR before 48 hours of the attack on him and sought adequate security arrangements viewing the letter from an unknown person threatening to his life. The Administration did not take any security measures to save the life of the Swami and others.

 

The Administration have allowed the funeral procession from Jalespata to Chakapada (about 130 kms) passing through communally sensitive places like Tumudibandh, Baliguda, Nuagan, other places with thousands of already agitated and armed mob and  the leaders of BJP, RSS, VHP without doing adequate security arrangement. This mob led by Mr. Pravin Togadia and three Ministers of the present Orissa Government which caused severe violence against minority in almost all the places it passed through.

 

On the 23rd August night the RSS,VHP and BJP had announced that there would be statewide bandh on 25th August. The government, which already experienced the wide spread violence during Kandhamal bandh on Dec 25th 2007,  was expected to take all the measures to prevent communal violence during the bandh such as deployment of adequate police force, preventive arrest of BJP,VHP,RSS leaders and others etc. But they failed severely to take up necessary security arrangement. The hooligans under the direct command of BJP and RSS leaders could burnt down shops, houses of Christians, ransacked and looted several Churches, burnt down some NGO offices, lynched a girl student of a Kanyashram and a priest at Baragarh, killed 3 persons in Kandhamal in the presence of Police forces. The Police failed to take steps to stop the nuisance. Is it because that there were no adequate numbers of Police forces? Why did not the government ask/mobilize adequate number of police forces?

 

Immediately after the murder of the Ashramites, the Sangha Parivar announced the bandh call for 25th. The just before a day of Bandh the government ordered the suspension of the Kandhamal Police Superintendent Mr. Nikhil Kumar Kanodia along with the local Police Inspector without posting any substitute to him and too knowing well what would happen on the next day. The same SP and his Team prevented a communal riot on July 22, 2008 following the tension centring round the RSS's opposition to beef eating by scheduled castes and tribes of Malipada village and RSS/VHP leaders had been demanding his transfer.  

 

Viewing his roles during Gujarat riot 2002, Mr.Pravin Togadia, a national level VHP leader, who had been disallowed by different state governments to enter into their respective states as a preventive measure to check communal riots, was allowed by the Orissa Government to land on 25th during a very sensitive period and escorted to travel a 300 km long distance on road from Bhubaneswar to  Chakapada, while several passengers were suffering a lot being struck in the airport because of the bandh. He appealed to the mob to take revenge of the killing of Swamiji and finish all the houses of Christians in the district within fifteen days. What made the government to allow such a person to visit the communally sensitive areas? Was the Govt. confident enough to tackle the situation even if such people lead the procession of already agitated mob?  

 

Under the leadership of Mr.Pravin Togadia and in the presence of BJP Ministers and leaders accompanying the funeral procession, the attacks on minority community people was going on. Has the administration filed any FIR against such leaders and the rioters?

 

While Mr.Togadia was escorted to enter into the remote areas of Kandhamal district, the Minister of State, Home Department, Government of India was denied the entry by the Orissa Government for security reasons. If the Union Home Minister can not be provided with security - this is enough to understand what kind of security must have been provided to the poor villagers. And common people are being abused, raped, killed on every passing day.

 

In this context, we would like to put forth our demands for your kind consideration, as follows –

 

1.     To immediately undertake the necessary rescue and relief measures for the affected persons, victims and bring back the people who have fled into the jungles out of fear and ensure complete security, food relief, medical treatment, shelter for homeless.

2.     To declare compensation of Rupees Ten Lakh to the next kin of the deceased persons during the violence and bear all the medical expenses of the people injured during the riot.

3.     To censure the present Government for its utter failure of the governance systems to protect the lives, property and dignity of the people and to take stern action against the individuals or organizations including the ministers and leaders who instigated/participated/involved in the violence.

  1. That all organizations who had declared the Orissa Bandh, led the mob on during funeral procession and who have been directly involved in the violent attacks on people, should be declared as "terrorist" organizations and should be put under the same category of other banned organizations in the country, with  immediate effect.
  2. That the brutal killing of Swami Laxmananda and his associates should be thoroughly and impartially investigated, and that the killers be punished in accordance with the law.
  3. To stop the so-called Asthi Kalas Jatra throughout the state as declared by Mr.Pravin Togadia; which is intended to spread communal vandalism to other areas.

 

The Press Release is signed by:

1.     Mr.Anil Choudhury, Social Scientist

2.     Mr.Wilfred D'Costa, General Secretary, INSAF

3.     Mr. Prasant Paikray, Convener, INSAF Orissa Adhoc Committee

4.     Mr.Kedar Roy, Columnist and Political Analyst

5.     Mr.Sangram Mallik, Dalit Rights' Activist

6.     Mr.Narendra Mohanty, Social Activist, Kandhamal

7.     Mr.Dhirendra Panda, Human Rights' Activist

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