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Sunday, September 19, 2010

[ALOCHONA] Vitamin C Prevents Cancer, Stroke, Diabetes and Heart Disease



Vitamin C Prevents Cancer, Stroke, Diabetes and Heart Disease
 
(NaturalNews) Vitamin C is a vital nutrient that can prevent major diseases such as diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and even cancer. Most other animals (for instance monkeys and guinea pigs) produce their own vitamin C but a few other animals, as well as human beings, do not. Because vitamin C cannot be manufactured in the human body, intake from foods or supplements is necessary. Vitamin C is easily sourced in citrus fruits, as well as cherries and many other fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin C Functions in the Body
Vitamin C has a number of important functions in the
body. It helps create collagen, which is needed for healthy skin, as well as bones and tendons. It helps stimulate neurotransmitters and aids brain function. Vitamin C also stimulates the production of carnitine, an important part of the body's energy conversion system. Vitamin C is important in reducing cholesterol and in preventing gallstones. It's also an antioxidant, and in this capacity, prevents colds and flu.

Vitamin C Deficiency
A severe
deficiency of vitamin C leads to the disease scurvy. Scurvy can be diagnosed by blood tests to detect either carnitine or norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter.

Vitamin C Prevents Heart Attacks
With only 50 mg a day of
vitamin C, heart disease was reduced by over 40 percent in a study with men. In the same study, women showed a 25 percent reduction.

Vitamin C and Diabetes
Research has shown that individuals with high amounts of vitamin C in their blood have a lower incidence of
diabetes. This research was conducted at the Addenbrooke Hospital by reviewing medical records.

Vitamin C Lowers Cancer Risk
Research on over 800 men with lung
cancer during a 25 year period showed a 64 percent reduction by taking only 83 mg of vitamin C a day. Further research has shown a 50 to 75 percent reduction in cancers in laboratory mice by adding vitamin C to the diet. This has fueled the National Cancer Institute to recommend five to ten servings of vegetables or fruits each day.

Vitamin C Reduces Risk of Stroke
Over two thousand participants in a Japanese study showed a 54 percent lower risk of
stroke. These individuals ate fruit at least six times a week, compared to those who ate fruits less than twice a week.

[Editor`s Note:
NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.]

http://www.cforyourself.com/Conditi...
http://www.ukdrn.org/eastern/team.html
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocent...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...
http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.c...
ttp://www.naturalnews.com/029018_hair_los...

About the author

Melanie Grimes is a writer, award-winning screenwriter, medical journal editor, and adjunct faculty member at Bastyr University. She also teaches homeopathy at the Seattle School of Homeopathy and the American Homeopathic Medical College. A trained homeopath, she is the editor of the homeopathic journal, Simillimum, and has edited alternative and integrative medical journals for 15 years. She has taught creative writing, founded the first Birkenstock store in the USA and authored medical textbooks.
Her ebook on Natural Remedies for the Flu is available at:
http://melanie-grimes.blogspot.com/...
Follow her blog at
http://melanie-grimes.blogspot.com/

www.melaniegrimes.comhttp://www.naturalnews.com/029781_vitamin_C_cancer.html


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[ALOCHONA] Shaping of the Indian Military



Shaping of the Indian Military
 
By Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy
 
On 3 Apr, 1989 Ross Munro published an article on India – as the Superpower Rising, primarily focusing on its military might. It talked about India quietly transforming itself into regional superpower with a dominant military. The hypothesis was researched by many. Some scoffed at such an idea. They said since Rajiv Gandhi visited China and the relationship with China was improving, India should seriously consider cutting its force levels. Coincidentally that year, Pakistan launched cross border terrorism to gain Kashmir and weaken India. Over the next decade, thousands perished in India as the consequence that nearly brought the two countries to the brink of war. Certainly India showed no sign of superiority or power in dealing with Pakistan. Operation Parakram that ensued took the wind out of the prophecy. When India pulled its troops back after staying nearly one year at the brink, Pakistan took the credit of having deterred India from taking a drastic step. Indian Army whined about the significant loss of superiority over its adversary in combat power.
 
India then took a different turn focusing on its economy and building strategic capability. Over the next two decades India established a consistent economic growth of 8%. A triad nuclear weapon delivery capability is in the making so also a credible command and control structure. Building a blue-water navy was seen as a necessity. Long strategic reach of its air arm supported by aerial tankers is today a reality. Professionalism of its military is acknowledged and it's potential to be of stabilising influence. India's space programme is growing steadily. It has established ability to recover space capsule reliably and accurately. Lunar orbital mission is given a go-ahead and manned missions are under study. India is one among very few countries that have proven ability to design, produce and launch satellites.
 
India's global mission is dictated by our Constitution. It states that India shall "endeavour to promote international peace and security; maintain just and honorable relations between nations; foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples". India is still to take the lead towards regional stability for which peace is essential. Diplomacy and credible military are the means of achieving peace and stability; together they constitute the elements of power projection. There cannot be power without economic strength. Strong economy cannot obtain power without the muscle of the military to secure. The military has no legs witout indigenous capability – the capability to design, develop and produce. Such a capability is not possible without the vision, effort and attitude. Attitude is dictated by national Morale and Will. An American strategic analyst observed: "India's armed forces are powerful, but they play a smaller role in security policy-making than their counterparts in almost all other countries". This attitude must change. Military diplomacy is an important part of external relations that needs to be recognised and vigorously pursued. The world is not necessarily friendly to a weak and vulnerable state. India has a destiny to fulfill.
 
Thus we see India reaching out to take a regional role and a power in its own right. Prime Ministers have expressed India's regional interests over an area that stretches from the Gulf of Aden in the West to Japan in the East. Regional interests do not mean much unless India is ready to face regional responsibilities. The crucial decade would witness whether India faces such a responsibility boldly or withdraws to battling internal politics and turmoil. India must pursue independent policy that would nurture trust and interdependence with nations in the region particularly, Iran, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The US National Intelligence Council Report -2004 states that "rise of India will present strategic complications for the region. India seeks to bolster regional cooperation both for strategic reasons and the desire to increase its leverage with the West. As India's economy grows, governments in SE Asia – Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and other countries may move closer to India to help build a potential geo-political counter weight to China while India will seek to strengthen its ties in the region without excluding China".
 
The Defence forces had to handle clandestine threats such as the Purulia arms drop, terrorist activities like aircraft hijacking, fighting piracy over the high seas and poaching in our coastal waters, counter infiltration of smugglers and terrorists from across our borders and now combat global terrorism. It is now the declared policy of the Government that internal security is to be one of the primary duties of the military. The three services need also rise to meet any contingencies arising such as natural calamities, civil disturbance when it goes beyond the control of the police and in combating terrorism. The military must be ready to manage essential services like communication, railways, aviation, harbour and ports if they get seriously affected by civil disturbances. It is necessary that they are familiar and fully integrated with civil in order that the take over when inevitable would be smooth. Airspace management of civil and military over the entire country should be integrated and yet each maintains its independent role. Where and when necessary, the military must be prepared to support the police and para-military forces in their operations against terrorism. This calls for a very capable, integrated and highly trained military. The current status of the military in India falls well short in its ability in coping with all the demands described. Mr K Subramanium rightly conveyed his apprehension in demanding that "a high power commission to go into the entire question of role of Indian Armed Forces for the 21st century, their sizes, composition, equipment, personnel policy, training and their relations with other friendly powers. That is to be the first step in modernising the Indian Armed Forces". The Sixth Report of the Standing Committee of Parliament on Defence conveyed similar apprehension while recommending that the government should urgently set up a formal institutional mechanism with adequate support structures to monitor the state of our Defence preparedness and to oversee progress on Defence programme modernisation /upgradation /acquisition/ re-equipment apart from achieving speedy decision-making on crucial issues affecting national security. Modernisation is not just about inducting modern weapon systems and advanced technology. It is also to do with running the military in a most cost-effective manner, as a professional service and not as government jobs. Regrettably, the pulls are towards the latter that must be desisted.
 
Current Status and Remedies
 
Structure and Credibility
 
No reform in the decision-making structure of the military has been made since instituted by Lord Ismay in 1947. While the size, elements, composition, structure, capability and posture of the Indian Defence Forces should be dictated by national objectives, what we have today is that inherited from the British Raj at the end of the World War II. Modern weapons are acquired and they just replace the earlier weapons without any changes in the structure of the forces or their overall sizes. No serious analysis has been done to the ratios in the sizes of Army, Air Force and Navy in spite of Revolution in Military Affairs driven by technology and globally evolving military tactics and strategies. Today, India possesses one among the world's largest military manpower but relatively poor in firepower and in certain operational capabilities such as mobility and ability to conduct operations effectively overseas. Chinese invasion of 1962 has left a serious scar on our military thinkers and planners as well as those who influence. The scar is about having to physically guard every inch of our border. Failure of intelligence and monitoring the border led to Kargil infiltration and so in the case of Chinese invasion. Such instances make us rush troops and leave them there permanently to guard but not putting enough effort to improve intelligence. More hill tops are physically guarded these days than ever in our history. Besides, ITBP and BSF have been raised just for the purpose of the strength of which is continually expanding. This syndrome has prevented out-of-box solutions like effective monitoring by other means or deterrence of severe punishment if infringed. We need to obtain the cost of guarding our borders and explore means of doing it more cost-effectively. We need to have developed special weapons and mobility means in hills. We have not explored seriously unmanned means to monitor and gather intelligence along and across the borders that could reduce troop deployment. Our Forces have not acquired adequate skills in languages which are vital for intelligence gathering and analysis, especially learning Chinese language. Learning the foreign language opens up the possibility to understand the thinking process and their strategy and not merely translating books and papers. We waste effort on non-productive effort. For example, a large body of government employees of nearly 100 is kept busy translating engineering manuals in the Air Force written in English to Hindi which are never read!
 
Equipment
 
Combat systems availability for training and operations is poor though the inventory is large. Among major powers, other than members of erstwhile Soviet Union and China, Indian Forces probably have the largest non-available inventory. Significant proportion of equipment held by Indian Forces is obsolete or awaits spares. Management of logistics chain is primitive. CAG has criticised all the three Services for holding large stock of unusable and wasteful inventory costing hundreds of crores of rupees and a sizeable proportion of combat equipment lying unfit for operations. When the Air Force puts up a procurement case, the number required is examined most critically. Every single accretion has to be justified. That is how we come up with an odd figure of 126 (MRCA) or 66 (AJT). But it makes no sense if the Air Force cannot maintain serviceability better than 50 or 60%. If that be the case, we could well have procured less but put more money to ensure better availability. Indian Air Force serviceability and availability are lower than international norms. A civil airline with less than 85% availability would fold up. The US Air Force minimal availability demanded is of the order of 71% while some fleets are as high as 90%. Japanese Self Defence Forces maintain 85% operational serviceability. Israeli Air Force is selective and mathematically models their supply chain balancing costs and operational requirement. It is bad economics to ever have nearly 50% of the work horses unavailable. Indian Army routinely charters civil airlines to transport its personnel going on leave from J&K to the plains of Delhi while the IAF transport fleet stands on ground needing spare parts. The long waiting time to repair and overhaul is mainly due to want of spares. At times, it takes years to even contract for spares. For want of spares, 'cannibalisation' is resorted to – pulling out parts from the guts of an aircraft and fit these on another as almost routine! Besides being an unhealthy practice, it increases the quantum of work many fold. Serious attention is required by the government to go into the depth of the reasons and remedies. The government must have a mechanism to periodically review the equipment and training status and shortfalls in programmes implementation. This recommendation also figures in the Sixth Report of the Standing Committee of Parliament on Defence.
 
Training
 
Indian Armed Forces have some of the finest institutions for teaching on all facets and ideally tailored to educate people from different parts of the country under one roof. The stages of training have evolved over years of experience. However, the level of untrained manpower in operational Units is high due to inability to cope with the turnover. An operational Unit could have as much as 20% of its manpower unskilled. This brought in a process in the IAF to categorise personnel based on skills and experience. High skills are vital for functioning of industrial based Units such as BRDs. It is very difficult for the military to maintain skill levels as that of civil industries because of turnover of personnel every four years. Considering that the civil has acquired the ability to provide quality engineering services, the Services should consider outsourcing industrial activities in stages. Government decision is awaited in creating the National Defence University, an institution that would cover advanced education in Defence. All ranks of one star and above must possess post graduation on professional subjects as a policy.
 
Force Composition
 
The size of Forces is equally important as the composition and capability. There is a slight danger of the focus shifting to extending the reach and capabilities of our Forces without ensuring the ability to protect homeland. For example, it is not true if the Air Force believes that equipping for longer reach and advanced munitions would meet the contingencies that may arise in supporting the Army in the Himalayas. Tankers, AWACS and long range missiles will not help when precision strikes are needed in deep gorges of the mountains or in fortifications that are not easy to locate. Weather in valleys and hill tops close down after a few hours in the morning. Air Force may not have the capability to reconnoiter and deliver weapons under cast. Similarly, helicopter and transport aircraft mobility get seriously restricted in cloudy weather conditions and at night. High altitude airfields like Leh become unapproachable quite often. Under these limitations how would the Air Force fight? There is a need to develop special navigation and approach system; to develop special sensors and weapons that can be delivered under cast; develop special capabilities to provide mobility to the Army day, night and in all weather in the hills. The challenge on the Air Force is to provide 24×7 support and capability to combat in the Himalayas. This calls for formidable effort. Acquiring 45 or 65 squadrons will not serve the purpose unless focused specifically on these issues. Similarly, the Navy could seek to be a blue water Force with the ability to patrol beyond 1,000 nm and the strategic straits. But, the thousands of square kilometers of coastal area need to be protected against threat of clandestine nature that terrorises and weakens our country. Substantial investments and innovation are necessary to protect our coasts, the economic activities, strategic assets like oil rigs and pipe lines and against smuggling and poaching. Coast Guards need to be suitably strengthened and the working and responsibilities of Coast Guard and the Navy need integration. Army must develop means to improve war fighting capabilities day and night over the hills. Innovative methods are necessary to be able to deploy in all weather in the hills, a comprehensive logistics capabilities to support, lethal and effective targeting capability and special weapons that are light, accurate, lethal that can be launched against target that are entrenched. Expanding force levels is not the answer. Every man added increases pressure on logistics disproportionately. Services must develop special sensors and means to paralyse enemy communication and power sources. Develop capabilities to focus destruction without collateral damage. Most importantly, acquire excellent and comprehensive intelligence gathering capabilities which lead to 50% of winning the war! These do not call for expansion but improving the inventory, quality and management. Our investments must flow on to these areas. Capabilities to surprise should be inherent that calls for professionalism and high standards of training and preparedness.
 
Indigenous Capability
 
Recently, the DRDO has been criticised for delays and cost over-runs. Criticism alone would not do since it can only demoralise. We need to make a fresh start. We need to focus on priorities and form Project Teams from the Services that would closely interact with the design teams and guide. We need to learn the art of acceptance. We cannot jump to the moon in a single stage. We need to phase development and production, enhancing capabilities in phases than expecting wonders in one go. The flow of budget and related resources must allow for such a process to be adopted. JSQR, ASR or NSR should be the guidelines and not be used as the sledge hammer to reject indigenous effort. We need cost-effective evaluation of the output of DRDO and PSUs in deciding inductions. For example, the first batch of LCA or Arjun tank or LAH or IJT could be well utilised to train the operators and get the right feedback to improve the next batch. Services should not expect to go to war with the first batch of the production models. In fact, such process is adopted in all countries that build indigenous capabilities. We should explore outsourcing part of R&D and also encourage in-sourcing that would optimally utilise the infrastructure and resources of DRDO and the Services. We do not need to work on hypersonic planes but we need indigenously developed and produced laser-guided weapons and UAVs and such like equipment that has large demand.
 
Budget and Expenditure
 
It is suspected that the government finds it convenient to park budget provisions in MOD in order that this could be diverted when required to higher priority areas. Otherwise there cannot be a reason for surrendering substantial proportion of Defence budgets year after year. Over a period of five years, the Air Force surrendered one full year's capital budget. While the Services are focused on spending the budget, similar enthusiasm is lacking in controlling expenditure. We need good database on cost of equipment and cost of activities without which it will not be possible to effectively outsource that which could bring in higher efficiency and performance. Every activity should be costed and cost-accounting and should be pursued as followed in the West. The cost of manpower and related infrastructure is increasing exponentially. Improved quality of life demands greater expenditure and attention to the needs of personnel. Over 60% of the services go towards manpower costs. Western nations spend not more than 40% of the budget on manpower. There is no way to reduce manpower costs without reducing manpower! Services must treat reducing manpower in the same light as capability enhancement. We need an attitudinal change. Currently it appears impossible to emulate Israeli Defence Forces in this regard. Their example could serve as an inspiration!
 
Wasteful Effort
 
Defence Estate Department has a very large inventory of land having no use for the military. Military possesses huge land and related infrastructure unwanted or most sparingly used – that cost a great deal in terms of manpower and expenditure to maintain. Airfields uneconomical are owned and maintained by the Air Force. The military possesses large useless inventory that has been criticised by CAG. Weapon systems beyond useful life are maintained at extraordinary effort and cost since they are not replaced in time. We operate at least four different aircraft and use five different engines that had become obsolete and do not fly anywhere else in the world! Upgradation of the Air Force fleet comes at the near end of the life of a weapon system when there is no replacement in sight – to give it a fresh life. This is a bad strategy. The West talks about mid-life upgrades and never an upgrade at the end of life! Our MIG-21 upgrade, the BISON project has still not been completed. It is now a race to complete the upgrade before the technical life gets over! There is plenty of scope to improve interoperability between the three services. Many systems used by the three services have many commonalities. Currently, the logistics systems followed by the services are not linked. A spare which one service needs may be in surplus with another but there is no way to know it. Facilities are duplicated or even triplicated without being aware. Besides improving efficiency, costs and manning could be significantly reduced through integration among the Services.
 
Future Military Operations
 
It would be impossible to hide large forces, ships and large fleet of aircraft from detection in future. While force deployments would be known, only the intention could be concealed. Strategic forces would be continually tracked and communication monitored. Collateral damage to civilian lives and property would not be tolerated by international community.
 
Economic assets in the country are growing geometrically and are highly vulnerable. These have to be defended strongly from attacks by air and sea. The air defence network should gear up to cover the essential and vulnerable areas and points.
 
Quality would be the element and not quantity. The man behind the gun and the machines would be irreplaceable and would need to be given best protection possible. A modern soldier would be better qualified, educated and trained. Manpower cost would escalate rapidly. A serious study is needed to arrive at the optimum mix of forces. Such an exercise must ensure that core competency is not diluted or duplicated, integrating operations, logistics, administrative and training support between the services and enhancing interoperability.
 
Transformation
 
The government must formulate National Doctrine on Defence. The Doctrine in turn would guide the long term plans – equipment, infrastructure, organisation, force structure and methods of employing the forces. Short term plan must be guided by government directives that would specify tasks that the military is likely to undertake over the next 10 years. It is not mere technology upgrade and acquisitions but a single focus by the three services in meeting the objectives dictated by the government jointly in an optimal and cost-effective manner. Services must build joint capability – the ability to achieve desired operational effects under the specified conditions in a combined optimal way with the right choice of systems and personnel. Interoperability of every system between the Services must be ensured. Since time would be always at premium, speed and effectiveness are most essential. Concepts and capabilities must be validated through training followed by realistic exercises. Cost and time would be the important drivers in assessing efficiency of all activities – of the military in being and the military at war. The Department of Defence of US formed the Office of Force Transformation to deal with evolving concepts, processes, organisation and technology to meet the emerging challenges. It evolves and encourages new ideas through experimentation and exercises. It studies and assesses lessons learned on battlefields from every part of the world. India could possibly create such a department within the Joint HQ. We should hope for healthy debate in the Parliament on the capabilities of our military and budget allocations which would enhance accountability and performance.
 
________________________________
 Air Chief Marshal (Retd) S Krishnaswamy, PVSM, AVSM, VM & Bar, Fellow Ae Sl is Member, National Security Advisory Board
 


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[ALOCHONA] Dr Abul Barakat or Dr Atiur Rahman do not write on these anymore



Dr Abul Barakat or Dr Atiur Rahman do not write on these anymore
 
The number of beggars is increasing in Dhaka city. A
small child is seen begging
 


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[ALOCHONA] Re: BNP was born in Dhaka Cantonment



http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2010-09-20/news/94920

On 9/19/10, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:

 
 
On 9/18/10, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Read about how BNP was born in Dhaka Cantonment as told by Stephen Eisenbraun (possibly Editor in Chief, the editorial staff of the Country Reports Team,Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor,USA) tomorrow in Prothom Alo
 




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[ALOCHONA] Burqa can't be forced: High Court

Borqa is being banned by all European Countries, where ever there are Moslim Immigrants. In France now, Fine is 190 Euros on wearing Borqa and 19,000 Euros on forcing someone to wear Borqa.

--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Farida Majid <farida_majid@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> From: farida_majid@...
> To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] Burqa can't be forced: High Court
> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:05:49 -0400
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Many people think that secularism is a gray (as opposed to the 'black' of the burqa) burlap sack that you can whack over a person's head.
>
>
>
> A black burqa is a very good thing for Muslims, they say.
>
> It can put a ink-blot over the person's existence and obliterate the person's humanity. That is supposedly a very Islamic thing to do,
>
> though there is no Qur'anic injunction or dress-code for the purpose of blotting out the humanity of a person.
>
>
>
> This gray burlap sack called secularism, they say, is an evil thing that can be 'imposed' and can make you look like
>
> the devil incarnate otherwise known as Hindu. This sack is rumored to be outfitted with a devilish mechanism
>
> that can make the whole religion of Islam disappear from the realm in a twinkle of an eye!
>
>
>
> They also say that this devil incarnate Hindu should be eliminated from the land by any means. The means
>
> may take the form of mass murder but if that is what it takes to do the job there should not be any hesitation .
>
> Anybody showing tendencies like a Hindu should be eliminated. This Hindu Hasina should take heed. Her father was wiped out.
>
>
> "Did not hindu hasina learned anything from her Father"? wondered one of the angry respondents to the news of
> burqa's non-enforcement.
>
> Did not hindu hasina learned anything from her Father?
>
> However, the people who speak in the above language have not been able to provide a sample of the grey burlap sack
>
> called secularism that can be 'imposed' over people's head and that can make Islam disappear in a twinkle of an eye.
>
>
>
> Until they do, we have the Holy Qur'an to turn to for guidance, solace and fortitude. In this holy month of Ramadan,
>
> time for penance and self-purification, we should recognize that the above talk is itself a kind of 'covering' or clothing
>
> or 'lebas'. And the Qur'an warns us to be wary of these attempts at falsehoods:
>
>
>
> "Wa la talbisu al Huqqa bi-l batili wa taktumoo ul Huqqa wa antum taAlamuna" 2:42.
>
> (And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor coceal the Truth when ye know whar it is)
>
>
>
> For those who want be sure that there is no Qur'anic mandate for women to wear the burqa or the hijab,
>
> please read the following article which was published in the Daily Star, and then archived by the Islamic
>
> Reasearch Foundation Information. It is the only article by a Bangladeshi scholar in IRFI.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Fashioning lies, veiling the truth
>
> Farida Majid As the hijab issue heats up in France and Germany, and the psychological pressure and the brainwashing of women intensifies all over the Muslim world, the feverish ...
>
> irfi.org/articles/articles_201_250/fashioning_lies.htm · Cached page
>
>
>
> To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> From: qrahman@...
> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:38:27 -0400
> Subject: Re: [ALOCHONA] Burqa can't be forced: High Court
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I think burqa should not be forced but the new law does not have some "Common sense" exceptions. For Islamic institutions "Islamic" dress should be enforced (That may include Burqa if the local community feels right about it). Albeit there are difference of opinion among scholars if Burqa is mandatory in Islam or not. Most scholars think "Hijab" covers Islamic requirements for women.
>
> While I agree Burqa should not be forced but secularism should not be forced on our people either. Maybe experts should be looking into the verdict more to ensure some "Activist" judges going overboard or not. There are some concerns from liberal groups about civil rights in another ruling regarding Shaheed minar.
>
> Personally I feel that, God created us as "FREE" men and women and gave us freedom to obey or disobey Him. Therefore, we should encourage honest and open discussions/debates about religion. Blaming everything Islamic TODAY for what some Jamaat-e-Islami leaders did 40 years ago does not seem fair or logical to me.
>
> Peace.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mo Assghar <moassghar@...>
> To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tue, Aug 24, 2010 9:02 am
> Subject: Re: [ALOCHONA] Burqa can't be forced: High Court
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> But Secularism can be forced? Give me a break!!
>
> Did not hindu hasina learned anything from her Father?
>
>
> --- On Mon, 8/23/10, Isha Khan <bdmailer@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: Isha Khan <bdmailer@...>
> Subject: [ALOCHONA] Burqa can't be forced: High Court
> To:
> Date: Monday, August 23, 2010, 2:36 AM
>
>
>
>
>
> Burqa can't be forced: High Court
>
>
> The court also ordered relevant officials to explain why forcing girls to wear burqa (veil) and keeping them out of sports and cultural activities were illegal.
>
>
>
> Dhaka, Aug 22 (bdnews24.com)—The High Court has ruled that no women can be forced to wear burqa at work and educational institutions. In it's ruling The High Court on Sunday in a suo moto order directed the government to ensure that no women were forced to wear veil or religious dress in the educational institutions and offices.
>
> The court also ordered the government to ensure that the cultural activities and sports in the educational institutions are not restricted.The orders came in the wake of a public interest petition filed by Supreme Court lawyers Mahbub Shafi and A K M Hafizul Alam on Sunday. The bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain also ruled that they cannot be barred from taking to culture and sports
>
> The court also ordered relevant officials to explain why forcing girls to wear burqa (veil) and keeping them out of sports and cultural activities were illegal.
>
> The A Bengali daily news item said that principal of the college in Natore ( Northern Bangladesh ) has stopped any cultural activities and sports at the college and forced female students to wear Borka or veil in the college.The HC also directed principal of the college Mozammel Haque to appear before the HC bench on August 26 to explain the matter.
>
> It also issued a rule upon the government to explain why imposition of restriction on cultural activities and sports in the educational institutions and offices and forcing the female students to wear veil should not be declared illegal.
>
> Secretaries to the ministries of home, education, social welfare and women affair and principal Mozammel Haque has been made respondent to the rule and orderThe education, home, social welfare, and women and children affairs secretaries and principal of Rani Bhabani Mohila College Mozammel Huq were asked to reply to ruling. Following a brief hearing, the court also asked the principal to appear before it on Aug 26.
>
> The lawyers in their petition on Sunday cited a report carried by a Bengali newspaper the same day headlined, 'Burqa mandatory at Rani Bhabani Mohila College'. The lawyers stated such enforcement was discriminatory.
>
> http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=332264
>


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[ALOCHONA] Some rule, some law !




It does not surprise me at all to come across people letting out sighs of helplessness at the way certain legal matters have been handled of late. So much for the rule of law in Bangladesh, they say, more in a hapless rather than accusatory tone. And one can hardly disagree.

The causes of their outbursts relate to the case of murder of one Ibrahim and the presidential pardon to 20 murder convicts a few days before Eid.

As for the first, the case is under investigation, and one should not comment on the substance. But what has caused public consternation are the process of investigation and the contradictory statements emanating from people in high positions; and all because the person that happens to be at the centre of the issue happens also to be an AL MP. The matter has assumed a murky character because of the degree of opacity that has come to be associated with it.

The police are acting very shy, almost to the point of being apologetic when it comes to the question of Mr. Nurunnabi Choudhury Shaon, the said MP. What is most surprising is that the police on the very first day of investigation had pronounced the "not-guilty" verdict in his favour. Whether the police can make such pronouncements before completing the investigation is a question that assails our mind.

A month has elapsed since the murder but Shaon is yet to be questioned. And reportedly too, the police are deeply engrossed in contemplation as to whether the pistol, the murder weapon, which happens to belong to the MP, should be seized or not. One finds it difficult to believe that the police are still not decided about one of the most important material evidence in the case. In the backdrop of the clean chit given by the police, the statement of the state minister for law that the MP is liable for arrest under the Arms Act, has been contradicted by the police. Whose words do we take as correct?

Without attempting to pass a value judgment on the case, or pointing fingers at anybody, one cannot help wondering whether we should let our political future rest on people who cannot even assure the safe custody of their personal weapons. Can we trust a person who leaves his pistol in his car unattended? By the way, it is the same person whose name was deleted recently from the list of accused in the Malibagh murder case.

The other matter relates to the pardon granted to 20 persons under sentence of death. Nobody questions the president's prerogative to mercy given him by the constitution. And it is not the first time that that prerogative has been exercised.

During the erstwhile 4-Party Alliance rule a person sentenced to death on charge of murder was granted pardon by the president, and that was severely criticised by the AL. President's prerogative to mercy has also been exercised by the current regime in the case of the son of the deputy leader of the House. But the Grand Alliance government has gone one up in that while the former had surrendered to the court and then sought mercy, in the latter case the convict was granted pardon while still a fugitive -- in violation of the law.

The Gama murder case is unique on several counts. Hardly have we seen so many given the death sentence in a murder case, and hardly have we seen the presidential prerogative invoked before the end of the trial process. For all that we know all the convicted persons could have been victims of a frame up. But we have no way now of ascertaining that since the trial process has been brought to an abrupt halt. And that has raised many eyebrows.

The question is why did the Ministry of Law feel it necessary to initiate mercy petition while the case was in the High Court? Does it display lack of confidence in the higher judiciary, or was it anticipated that the sentences would be upheld by the appellate court?

I am personally against capital punishment and certainly believe in the maxim that it is better to err on the right side of judgment, that it is better to have 20 accused go free rather than one innocent punished wrongly; but everything must be done through the legal process. And when one sees some of the death-row prisoners emerging from the jail gate with pedestal fan and TV antennae in hand one is kept wondering at the way rules have been defiled.

Regrettably, this has been a subversion of the judicial process, an expression of no-confidence on the judiciary. And it has dragged the President's Office in the shoddy process. While the president can do little but to sign on the dotted line, one would have hoped, being a lawyer himself, that he would have combined the dignity of his office and the wisdom of his legal mind and sent it back to the ministry for reconsideration.

It is well to keep in mind what Aristotle said about the fate of man when separated from law and justice.

Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd) is Editor, Defence & Strategic Affairs, The Daily Star

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=154538



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[ALOCHONA] Bangladesh's President or Awami League's President?



Bangladesh's President or Awami League's President?

By Shimul Chaudhury

In the run-up to general elections, we as citizens tend to maintain extreme political affiliations and launch tireless campaign for our preferred parties. However, ideally, after elections when we have a new government, we lend our allegiance to the new leaders of the country. Equally, people in power are also expected to accept the whole country as one family and treat us all fairly. We as citizens may sometimes fail to live up to this ideal; but, our leaders are morally obliged to forget about their political biases once they assume power. Even more so because they are our paid ˜servants. It is our country and they are in power only for a certain period of time; and that with the consent of the people. If those who are in power still maintain political biases and prejudices, the country is bound to regress.

On Eid occasion, our current President disappointed us as he failed to prove himself as the guardian figure for all of us. He granted clemency to 20 convicted murderers and all of them happened to belong to his party Awami League. This selective clemency is not the first during his tenure. He did it before (during the first year of his presidency) when he chose Awami League leader Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury̢۪s son Shadab Akbar for showing clemency.

This recurrent selection of Awami convicts for clemency may have two interpretations. The first is that, Bangladesh's prisons are full of Awami criminals, which did not allow the President to strike a good balance in granting clemency. Or, despite holding such an honorable position of the guardian figure of us all, he proved himself extremely biased and partisan. These two explanations are my hypothesis, and I do not know for sure which one is the case.

If the President's selective clemency is politically motivated and if it is wrong, we should condemn it unanimously (irrespective of our political leanings). Unfortunately, we have heard an inappropriate justification from people in power: BNP did it before. This BNP-did-it-before argument has become a chronic Awami reasoning.

Whenever the Awami League-led government commits injustices or goes against the interest of the country (for example, by giving undue privileges to India at the expense of Bangladesh's future), ministers come up with this BNP-did-it-before argument. Now, whether BNP did it to such an extent or not is a different question altogether. Let us say that BNP did it. But does this make it right? If BNP was wrong, does Awami League have to follow its example? If Awami League continues to do what BNP had done in the past, how the former is better than the latter? I know these questions do not have answers, and I know people with Awami orientation (though many of them are well-educated and apparently sensible) will maintain mysterious silence about the party's undemocratic practices. As a result, our unity is at stake and our beloved Bangladesh is heading towards an uncertain future. May Allah protect our land and its people!

Shimul Chaudhury
E Mail : honestdebater@yahoo.ca
 


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