Aseema November 2014 by aseema magazine

www.facebook.com/AseemaMagazine

VOL. 16 ISSUE 04 PAGES 52 NOVEMBER 2014

KAARTHIKA (JAYA) PRICE ` 30 www.aseema.net.in

IN THIS ISSUE

Sikhs Scared Persecution Rampant in Pakistan

India-US Ties

Modi especially welcomed “the US defence companies to participate in developing the Indian defence industry”, but it is unlikely that even with the FDI ceiling in defence raised to 49%, US companies will invest in India’s defence sector substantially. On the WTO wrangle, the officials were “directed to consult urgently” along with other WTO members on the next steps.

Existing Legal Provisions Need Review

ISIS Barbarism It has done enough damage, more may come

Converting to Peace

Christianity is spreading even as the Islamic militants led by ISIS are spreading terror in Iraq and neighbouring regions and forcefully converting nonMuslims. Yes, this paradox is reported from regions in and around Mosul, the city that is facing the brunt of ISIS terrorism. A group called the Christian Aid Mission is extending aid to thousands of displaced persons against heavy odds and many Muslims are drawn to Christianity because of the aid mission’s humanitarian work.

Cow Slaughter

Muslims Resist Clampdown on Cow Slaughter in Gujarat

IN THIS ISSUE

Transcending Boundaries Volume: 16

Issue: 04 November 2014 Kaarthika (Jaya)

Published & Printed by NARAYAN SEVIRE for and on behalf of the owners JNANA BHARATHI PRAKASHANA, Mangalore aseemamagazine@gmail.com / 0824-2497091 Published at JNANA BHARATHI PRAKASHANA City Point, 4th Floor, Kodialbail Mangalore 575003

Dangers of Incest

When Brother marries Sister…

Dragon’s Intrusions

India’s border with China Flush with Troubles

The Big Bang

33 35

Modi’s Make in India making waves

China’s Army

Hawkish and Nationalistic approaches

Madrasas and Terrorists Burdwan Blast Uncovers the Holy Nexus

Printed at DIGANTHA MUDRANA LTD., Yeyyadi Industrial Area, Yeyyadi Mangalore 575008 Editor NARAYAN SEVIRE

Editorial Team CP NAMBIAR, RAJU SHANBHAG NARAYAN A, SHRIDHARAN MK BELURU SUDARSHANA PRASHANTH VAIDYARAJ Production | Logistics JAYAVANTH Advertisement | Subscription MAHARASHTRA: VIKAS PANDURANG PATIL vikas77aseema@gmail.com / 09049958797 GOA: TUSHAR BABURAO PARAB hindutushar@gmail.com / 09422739862 GUJARAT: DHIREN CHANDULAL BAROT dhi77ren@gmail.com / 09687183734

HIMACHAL PRADESH: SURENDER SHARMA surender77sharma@gmail.com / 09459552352 PUNJAB: SURENDER KUMAR surinder77aseema@gmail.com / 09318720289

Design, Pre-Production, Marketing & Editorial Services

RIVERTHOUGHTS MEDIA PVT. LTD.,

We acknowledge that the trademarks shown/featured in this magazine are the property/s of the respective owners. All rights reserved. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of JNANA BHARATHI PRAKASHANA. It shall not be used for any form of advertising, sales promotion or publicity.

Cover Price: ` 30

#72/1, Floor 3, 1 Cross, Shankara Park, Shankarapuram, BENGALURU 560004, Karnataka

To contact us, send an e-mail to info@riverthoughts.com 080-22426433

www.aseema.net.in

Sikhs Scared

Persecution Rampant in Pakistan

n the land of Guru Nanakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birth, things havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been apparently going on well for Sikhs. Pakistan, which is believed to be the birth place of Guru Nanak, is doing all it can to ensure that Sikhs in that country are living in fear and are under the threat of being completely eliminated from the country. As intolerance towards religions other than Islam rises in Pakistan, Sikhs, who form a minority in the country, are living in fear. Recent weeks have witnessed an alarming increase in the number of cases of targeted violence against Sikhs in various parts of Pakistan. What is more disturbing is the inactivity or unwillingness of the Pakistan government to protect the minorities of that country. This has forced the All Paki-

N O V E M B E R 2014

Nankana Sahib near Lahore is sanctified by the birth of Guru Nanak, but his followers find themselves at the mercy of a government that turns a blind eye to the atrocities committed on them by the extremist and other fanatical groups in Pakistan. The contribution of Sikhs in Pakistan is substantial, culturally and financially, and yet they find themselves as outsiders in their own country of origin. Recently there have been cases of Sikhs being shot dead. The discrimination of Sikhs is bound to continue so long as there is a government in Pakistan which is intolerant of other faiths.

stan Hindu Rights Movement to come out in the open and threaten a countrywide strike if Sikhs are not given protection. The violent ways of Islam are not new to the world, and of late their intolerance towards other religions, whom they call ‘Kafirs,’ is on the rise. Recently, a man named Amarjeet Singh was killed by unknown assailants inside his shop at Shaheedan Bazaar. Another Sikh trader, identified as Har Jeet Singh, was shot dead in Peshawar. Many religious places of minorities had been lying closed across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa owing to the deteriorating law and order situation and threats to minority communities. Sikhs may be a minority in Pakistan, but they have a rich tradition and countless landmarks of historical importance in that country. They have contributed immensely to the development of culture and tradition in many regions of Pakistan. Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled his massive

N O V E M B E R 2014

The face of intolerance Sikh empire from Shahi Qila, which is now situated in Pakistan. Some of Sikhism’s most sacred shrines are in Pakistan, including Nankana Sahib near Lahore, where the faith’s founder Guru Nanak was born, and Panja Sahib near Islamabad where he performed a miracle. “Jathas” of thousands of Indian Sikhs visit these shrines half a dozen times a year. Sikhs from abroad also frequently travel to Pakistan on pilgrimage. But the fundamentalists in Pakistan are in no mood to recognise Sikhs’ contribution and let them live in peace. They have been committing various types of atrocities against Sikhs from the time of partition. Paki-

stan is said to have a major hand in the mayhem created by Khalistani secessionists on the Indian side of the Punjab border. And the country has a history of propaganda of hatred against Sikhs, which is partially generated from the times of partition and various failed wars of Pakistan with India. A whole generation of Pakistanis has grown up listening to the stories of Sikh mobs which are said to have massacred Muslims travelling through Punjab on their way to Pakistan during the partition of 1947. To make matters worse, Pakistan’s biggest humiliation, the surrender of 90,000 soldiers in Past Pakistan in 1971, is stamped

Migrating to a better place T

he ill-treatment of Sikhs in Pakistan has led many of them to migrate to India. Recently, it was reported that at least five Sikh families have left Pakistan for India, citing financial woes. These migrating families traded in commodities including textiles with India and had moved to seek better business opportunities. Members of the community have to meet stringent visa rules for a pilgrimage to the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines, in Amritsar, India. Most pilgrims are allowed to visit India after they submit a written undertaking that they would not seek asylum and would return to Pakistan within 30 days. Despite efforts by Islamabad, the current wave of migration seems to be continuing as most minority communities leave the country bearing tales of discrimination, mistreatment and widespread uncertainty.

with the face of a Sikh Lt-General J.S. Aurora who accepted the surrender. Pakistanis who have, for years, been fed on a diet of anti-Indian propaganda, ironically regard the Sikh’s face as the one that is discernibly recognisably Indian. The Pakistan government has never been a champion of minority rights and its handling of attacks Sikhs leaves no doubts with whom its sympathies lie with. In fact, the Pakistan government has many a time, done its bit to further ignite the hatred. For example, whenever there is communal unrest in Pakistan, which is often, government-controlled “Pakistan

Times” too, frequently pins the blame for the killings on Sikhs. As a result, Sikhs in Pakistan have been often driven away from their homelands, fearing execution and in fear for their lives and those of their loved ones. At least 500 Sikh families have recently migrated to Peshawar due to a military operation against the Taliban militants in the North Waziristan region on the Afghan border. A multi-storey shopping mall in Peshawar, Orakzai Plaza, where Sikhs own a range of shops, stands abandoned after Sikhs closed their businesses for security reasons. Pakistan is a nation of 160 million

with 95% being Muslim. While Christians (2.5%) and Hindus (1.5%) make up the largest minority faiths; Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Buddhists and Ahmaddis (legislated as non-Islamic in Pakistan) and some adherents to animist religions make up the remaining 1%. There are between 20,000 and 30,000 Sikhs in Pakistan. However, their number is dwindling, as fear of persecution by the Taliban is causing a surge in emigration to other countries. Pakistan’s elite community and media often stay with Sikhs and their rights. But the inaction of the government and the forces power has caused increasing disillusionment in the minds of Sikhs living in Pakistan. A large section of these Sikhs has already migrated to countries like Canada and the US. A change in attitude towards Sikhs and their contribution to Pakistan should start from the government. Unfortunately, that’s not happening. Unless the Pakistan government takes measures to safeguard the interests of minorities in its country and takes steps to educate the people, Sikhs and other minorities will continue to live in fear and distress. And that’s not good for any country, even for Pakistan.

N O V E M B E R 2014

India-US Ties

Opportunities and challenges

Modi especially welcomed the US defence companies to participate in developing the Indian defence industry, but it is unlikely that even with the FDI ceiling in defence raised to 49%, US companies will invest in India’s defence sector substantially. On the WTO wrangle, the officials were “directed to consult urgently” along with other WTO members on the next steps. The two leaders reaffirmed “their deep concern over the continued threat posed by terrorism, most recently highlighted by the dangers presented by the ISIS. It is on Asia-Pacific that the joint statement shows a more substantial convergence of interests. The most important outcome of Mod’s US visit was, in a sense, the self-assured and confident way he conducted himself, projecting in the process a new and confident India. • Kanwal Sibal

rime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US was undoubtedly a great personal success. President Barack Obama, following the personal gestures made by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Modi and those made by the latter to Chinese President Xi Jinping,

N O V E M B E R 2014

probably felt it would be diplomatically politic if he too could emulate them in some way. He made the unusual gesture of accompanying him for a tour of the Martin Luther King memorial, and through this show of regard sealing the reconciliation between a forgiving Modi and a defensive Obama on the visa denial issue. By providing firm leadership, expressing determina-

tion to attend to some long-neglected basic social issues, focusing on development, wooing the business community, emphasising his agenda to make India a manufacturing hub, Modi has caught the imagination of not only the Indians settled in the US but also the foreign partners of India as they see doors opening for more economic opportunities in India. By his remarkable self-assurance and the confidence he exudes, Modi is changing perceptions about India. This is in itself a major achievement. But now that he has raised expectations about the changes he intends to bring about, his performance in the months ahead will be closely watched. Modi’s US visit presented him with a particularly difficult challenge, as the relationship between India and the US presents opportunities as well as problems that are on a different scale compared to our relationship with any other country. At the rhetorical level, projecting the IndiaUS relationship is easy, especially as rhetoric comes easily to the Americans and we too are comfortable with platitudes. The US can call its relationship with India as a defining one in the 21st century, though what it means is unclear and actual US policies towards India do not support that rhetoric. Our hype about India and the US being natural partners, or “natural global partners” as embellished by Modi, is not justified by the record of our relations with the US ever since our independence. Even after the end of the Cold War,

we were not brought together “naturally” and even now, with the general perception that India-US relations are marked by loss of dynamism and have entered a phase of stagnation, the rhetoric of a natural partnership seems unconnected with reality. One big underlying problem is the widespread US grouse given vent to in US official and strategic circles that India has not adequately rewarded the US for lifting nuclear sanctions on

it through the bilateral nuclear deal and the NSG exemption. The US can certainly lobby for an amendment to the Indian nuclear liability act in order to facilitate the business interests of its firms, but to make it almost a central reason for the malaise currently affecting the relationship is taking a transactional, not a strategic, view of the India-US nuclear deal. The other grievance colouring US views of India is the exclusion of its firms from the magnum combat fight-

er deal. After that “unfair” blow, the US now eyes a big share of the Indian defence procurement pie as compensation. On the economic side, apart from the slowdown of India’s economic reforms, particularly in the financial sector that has cooled off the ardour of US firms towards India, US corporations have launched a political campaign against India’s intellectual property, trade and investment policies for the damage they do to US corporate interests, especially in the pharmaceutical sector. On WTO issues, the US sees Indian positions as obstructing consensus. Unfortunately, the US government converts differences in a multilateral forum that affect several countries into bilateral differences. This then becomes a point of pressure on India bilaterally, adding to the list of divergences between the two countries on shaping the global trading system. It is in this background that one must assess the results of the Modi visit. In effect, Modi and Obama have discussed these issues without being able to close differences. Normally, at a joint press briefing, both sides highlight the principal agreements and concrete understandings reached. A careful reading of Modi’s remarks shows that while discussions may have clarified respective positions, they did not produce concrete results. In his remarks, Modi said he “believes” that with the change in Indian policies and processes intended to make it easy and productive to do business in India, the India-US eco-

N O V E M B E R 2014

nomic partnership will grow rapidly in the coming years. This is a reasonable expectation to have. On IT related issues, Modi pointedly mentioned that he had sought Obama’s support “for continued openness and ease of access for Indian services companies in the U.S. market”- a major concern for us. He did not clarify what Obama’s response was to his expression of dissatisfaction. On the “candid discussion” on the WTO stand-off over

N O V E M B E R 2014

the trade facilitation-agricultural subsidies issue, Modi maintained the position that while India supports trade facilitation, he also expected a solution, hopefully soon, “that takes into consideration our concern on food security”. It is to be hoped that Obama found force in Modi’s concerns and that India will not be berated diplomatically by the US in the WTO. On a more positive side, he spoke about the great convergence on sta-

bility on “peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region” and of the US being intrinsic to our “Look East” and “Link West” policies. This is a significant statement as it recognises the role of the US in our larger strategic calculus. However, on terrorism and the “new threats of terrorism in West Asia”, contrary to advice being proffered by many in the US and India, he did not mention the ISIS by name in his joint press conference,

Modi’s historic address simply mentioning the agreement “ to intensify our counter-terrorism and intelligence cooperation”, which is unexceptionable. Modi’s reticence in supporting the US-led “coalition of the willing” in West Asia would have disappointed those campaigning for India to join Obama’s war against the Islamic State. Why India should not have learned the right lessons from the abysmal failure of an earlier such coalition in Iraq is not explained. The current US action is outside the UN framework, and to that extent is contrary to international law. Bombing Syria without obtaining the consent of the Syrian government is against international law too. Obama himself has been ambivalent about military action in Iraq, as the centre-piece of his strategy has been to extract the US from wars in this region. The US has decided to arm and train Syrian “moderate extremists” to fight the ISIS as well as the Assad government. With these kinds of legal and geopolitical complexities, it hardly made sense for India to feel obliged politically or morally to support the US in its military action against the Islamic

State, however odious this group is. In his joint press conference, Modi especially welcomed “the US defence companies to participate in developing the Indian defence industry”, without mentioning any specific initiatives, in particular the US offer of 10 co-development and co-production projects. It is unlikely that even with the FDI ceiling in defence raised to 49%, US companies will invest in India’s defence sector substantially and transfer technologies meaningfully. They would want majority shareholding, and even then they would deny certain technologies so that any recipient country remains dependent. Those curious to know whether the joint statement would say more about the nature of discussions and the concrete outcomes would not have been better enlightened. The joint statement expresses positive intentions and decisions to set up committees or other mechanisms to deal with issues on the agenda, but without announcing any breakthroughs. Some are arguing that this vision statement has a longer-term perspective and not immediate deliv-

erables. This begs the question why it was not possible to have immediate deliverables if the relationship is otherwise so fecund in prospects. Is there nothing achievable with the US in the short term? If not, what is the guarantee that the medium to longerterm prospects would be better? The joint statement says that both sides “will facilitate” actions to increase trade five-fold, meaning that the figure will almost reach US-China levels. This might be a desirable objective but it is simply not achievable in any realistic time frame. India needs to modernise its poor infrastructure. On the bitter WTO wrangle, the officials were “directed to consult urgently” along with other WTO members on the next steps. With India now believing that unlike at Bali where it got limited support on food subsidies, the number of countries now supporting India’s position has swelled. Would this make an India-US understanding on the subject easier? The two leaders “committed to work” through the Trade Policy Forum to promote an attractive business environment (how and what are the metrics?) and to

N O V E M B E R 2014

establish an annual high-level Intellectual Property (IP) Working Group with appropriate decision-making and technical-level meetings as part of this Forum (will this bridge real differences, especially when the US is too demanding and India insists that our policies are TRIPS compliant?). Already “officials” on our side have made it known that India will not budge from its position and that the Working Group agreed to is not for making concessions to the US. On civilian nuclear cooperation, the two sides have reaffirmed their commitment to implement fully the US-India civilian nuclear deal and establish a Contact Group to advance it. This poses the question whether we are willing to revise our liability act, and if not, is the US willing to work within it and find a mutually acceptable solution that limits the liability in time and in financial terms. On defence cooperation they “stated their intention” to expand it to bolster national, regional, and global security- which in effect would raise such cooperation to an unprecedentedly high level. The decision to renew for ten more years the 2005 framework for the US.-India Defence Relations is to be welcomed, but directing the defence teams of the two countries “to develop plans” for more ambitious programmes and activities means that specific proposals are lacking at this stage. Nonetheless, the intention to be more ambitious in the sector is significant politically, and other partners of India will watch carefully progress in this area. Enhancing technology partnerships for India’s Navy, including assessing possible areas of technology co-operation, will be considered, which is important if it can be accomplished. The agreement to upgrade the existing bilateral exercise MALABAR is important in terms of the two sides working closely together in the Indian Ocean to safeguard the sea-lanes of communication. Surprisingly though, there is no mention of

N O V E M B E R 2014

the 10 projects the US has offered for co-development and co-production. On terrorism, which is a prime issue for both India and the US and on which there is much convergence in theory but less in terms of priorities and required action, the two leaders reaffirmed “their deep concern over the continued threat posed by terrorism, most recently highlighted by the dangers presented by the ISIS, and underlined the need for continued comprehensive global efforts to combat and defeat terrorism”. The joint statement stresses the need for joint efforts, including the dismantling of

safe havens for terrorist and criminal networks, to disrupt all financial and tactical support for networks such as Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e Taiba, Jaish-eMohammad, the D-Company, and the Haqqanis. It is on Asia-Pacific that the joint statement shows a more substantial convergence of interests. Significantly, it makes a subtle link between India’s “Act East” policy and the United States’ rebalance to Asia. The joint commitment to work more closely with other Asia Pacific countries, including through joint exercises, points towards more cooperation

with Japan and potentially Australia. Overall though, despite the fact that the parsing of the joint statement brings out areas where the two sides are not on the same page, Modi’s visit to the US has been a huge publicity success, both for him and India. The rapturous welcome he got from the Indian American community in New York indicates the hopes he has raised about India amongst our people abroad, with his focused approach to making India strong. His appearance at the Central Park event was imaginative and dismissing such unorthodox initiatives as “event management” shows narrow-mindedness. His joint editorial with Obama was a coup as it equated the two politically and conveyed that there was enough convergence of their respective views on bilateral and international affairs to allow them to put their thoughts together in a public text. The most important outcome of the visit was, in a sense, the selfassured and confident way Modi conducted himself, projecting in the process a new and confident India. He handled Obama as an equal and did not feel obliged to make any unilateral effort to establish the right chemistry with him and convince him of his own credentials and those of India as an eligible strategic partner of the US. This was contrary to the defensive advice proffered by many in the American and Indian strategic communities that Modi should assume the burden of responsibility in winning over Obama. Resolving problems with the US will remain a challenge, but India should be wise to address that challenge as it needs good, stable relations with America for dealing with a very complex geopolitical chess board on which it must try to win advantageous positions. The author is Dean, Centre for International Relations and Diplomacy, VIF

Existing Legal Provisions Need Review

Slaughter of cows is an offence in Karnataka. This was enforced under the law passed decades ago. What is now needed is a review of several provisions of the law in order to make it more effective. People must be educated to take an active interest in movement against cow slaughter. Media also can play a major role in creating awareness among the public about the need to prevent the slaughter of cattle.

he cows are protected in Karnataka state. The Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964, provides legal provisions for preventing cow slaughter. With demand for cattle protection increasing, there is a renewed debate for stricter version of cow protection laws. While the discussion for better laws should continue, there is a need to review the existing legal provisions and make an attempt to comply with them.

History of the bill There were two laws in the Karnataka state to protect cows. In the Mysore region, the Mysore Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1948, was applicable. In the areas which were part of the Bombay area, the Bombay Animal Preservation Act, 1954, was in force. In view of some case laws and administrative convenience, a uniform law for the

whole state was proposed. The KARNATAKA PREVENTION OF COW SLAUGHTER AND CATTLE PRESERVATION ACT, 1964, was published in the Karnataka Gazette (Extraordinary), Part IV-2A dated 20th November 1963 as No. 144 at page. 9.)

Amendments to the 1964 Act Two amendments have been made to the 1964 Act, one in 1966 and another one in 1975. Both the amendments provided exceptions to the Act of 1964 under different circumstances. The 1966 amendment exempts cow or animals that have been subjected to medical, research and experimental purposes. The 1966 amendment also exempts cows or animals belonging to the Indian army. The 1975 Act exempts animals belonging to the Ministry of Defense or to the state government under certain conditions.

N O V E M B E R 2014

Which animals are protected by the law? The term ‘animal’ means bull, bullock, buffalo-male or female, or calf of she-buffalo, whether male or female. The term ‘cow’ includes cows, calf of a cow, whether male or female.

Who are authorised to take action? The term ‘competent authority’ means a person or a body of persons appointed by the state government to perform the functions required to enforce the law in specific areas under this Act. The term ‘notification’ means a notification published in the official Gazette. The term ‘prescribed’ means prescribed by rules made under this Act.

What exactly is prohibited? Slaughtering, offer for slaughter, intentional killing, offer for killing of cow, or calf of she-buffalo are prohibited. Similarly causing others to slaughter, cause to be offered for slaughter, cause to be offered for killing are also prohibited. It should be noted herein that any law, custom would not resist the ban on slaughtering of the animal. Transportation or offer for transportation or causing to be transported of any animal or cow from any place within the State to any place outside the State, for the purpose of its slaughter is prohibited. Purchasing, selling or offering to purchase, sell or otherwise dispose of or causing to be purchased, sold or otherwise disposed of, cows or calves of she-buffaloes for slaughter is prohibited.

Legal slaughtering – what is allowed in the law? Slaughtering is possible with respect to a cow or an animal if a certificate in writing from the competent authority appointed for the area certifying that the animal is fit for slaughter is available. A certificate may be granted by a competent authority if the animal is over the age of twelve years; or The animal has become permanently incapacitated for breeding, draught or giving milk due to injury, deformity or any

N O V E M B E R 2014

other cause. The certificate may be granted in such form and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed. No certificate can be granted if the animal is suffering from any disease, which makes its meat unwholesome for human consumption. The animal allowed for slaughtering through a certificate may be slaughtered in a place specified by an authority or officer designated by the State Government. The following animals are exempted from the Act Animals operated upon for vaccine lymph, serum or for any experimental or research purpose at an institution established, conducted or recognised by the State Government; Animals certified by a Veterinary Officer authorized by the State Government, to be necessary in the interest of the public health; Animal which is suffering from any disease which is certified by a Veterinary Officer authorized by the State Government as being contagious and dangerous to other animals; Animals certified for slaughter on the ground that it is suffering from an incurable disease or injury; Animals belonging to the Central Government in the Ministry of Defense, by a Veterinary Officer of the Indian Army; and Animals authorised by the State Government and slaughtered by a Veterinary Officer.

What is the punishment for illegal cow slaughter? Conviction based on this act would be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend up to six months, or with fine which may extend up to one thousand rupees, or both. Conviction based on this Act would be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both. All offenses are cognisable under this Act. Abetment under this Act or attempts would be punished in a similar way.

Powers of the Authorised person The competent authority or any person authorised in this behalf by the competent authority (hereinafter referred to as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;authorized personâ&#x20AC;?) shall have power to enter and inspect any premises where the competent authority or the authorized person has reason to believe that an offence of slaughter has been or is likely to be committed. Each and every person in occupation of any such premises should allow the competent authority or the authorised person such access to the premises as may be necessary for the inspection and shall answer questions by the compe-

How to enhance compliance of the law? 1. Know the rules formulated by the state government for enforcing the law. 2. Know the competent authority or authorized person in an area where compliance to be enhanced. 3. Identify individuals, and organisations interested in participating enhancement of compliance of cow protection laws. 4. Encourage eligible individuals and organisations to take up the responsibility of authorized persons. 5. Request government to authorize eligible individuals and organisations as competent persons. 6. Engage with the violators of the law in a systematic way with the help of authorized persons and the government officials. 7. Pursue the violations with police, and with courts. 8. Demand government to take additional steps in the light of observed incidents, violations and case laws. 9. Educate the people to take an active interest. 10. Sustain a media campaign in favor of cow protection.

N O V E M B E R 2014

tent authority or by the authorized person. All persons exercising powers under this Act shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code. The authorised persons acting in good faith are protected under this Act. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall be instituted against the competent authority or any person exercising powers under this Act for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act or the rule made thereunder.

Implementation of the law The State Government may, by notification, delegate its powers to any local authority or to any officer of the State Government. The State Government may also establish, or direct any local authority or society registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960, or any association or body of persons to establish institutions at such places as may be deemed necessary for taking care of cows or other animals sent thereto. Those who take care of animals legally may levy such fees as may be prescribed for the maintenance of such institutions. The State Government may provide by rules for the proper management of such institutions for the care of cows or other animals therein and also for the class or variety of cows or other animals. 1. The State Government may by notification, after previous publication, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. In particular, such rules may provide for 2. The powers and duties of the competent authority. 3. The form of the certificate to be issued to allow legal slaughter. 4. The amount of the fee to be paid. 5. The conditions subject to which this Act shall not apply to any animal. 6. The management of institutions established and the fee to be levied for their maintenance; and 7. Any other matter which is to be or may be, prescribed. The rules formulated by the state government have to be passed by each House of the State Legislature while it is in session for a total period of 30 days, which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if before the expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, and both Houses should approve the rules. The State Government has the power of revision of the orders passed by the competent authority and can call for and examine the records of the case and may pass such order in reference thereto as it thinks fit. Any order passed by the competent authority or by the State Government cannot be called in question in any court.

Cow Slaughter Muslims Resist Clampdown on Cow Slaughter in Gujarat

ow slaughter is always a sensitive issue in India. While Hindus worship cows as a form of goddess, Muslims routinely slaughter them to be consumed as food. Cow slaughter has been the root cause of tension in many instances between the two communities and the issue refuses to die down, with both parties holding on to their views. In India, no state law explicitly bans the consumption of beef. As of August 2013, 24 states/UTs have strict laws that either prohibit the slaughter of cows completely or ban killing cattle under a certain age, which make it difficult for restaurants to source, store or serve beef legally. But illegal cow slaughter and trading is rampant all over India, with large, illegal slaughter houses operating in broad daylight in cities like Mumbai and Chennai. While almost all the states have numerous laws in place against cow slaughter, Gujarat has been among the very few states in India that has actively implemented the law and is working to send the guilty to prison. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not easy to implement the law when most of the beef eaters are fighting tooth and nail against it. Recently, a mob in Dabhel village on Surat-Navsari Road in Gujarat attacked the police who had gone to check cow slaughter in the region, leaving three policemen injured.

The cow is treated like mother or goddess by thousands of Hindus, and so to slaughter these animals for meat is unthinkable to them. But here in our country there is a large section of people who eat beef and so there arise conflicts of interests and communal tensions. Some states have banned cow slaughter, and among them Gujarat has been implementing the provisions of the law strictly. But the Muslims too have shown an understanding of the anticow slaughter sentiment. One of their organisations has banned cow slaughter in a fatwa and advised people to consume other meat products. Nevertheless, the issue continues to simmer and there doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be a permanent solution to this problem in the near future. N O V E M B E R 2014

Following specific information about the cows being slaughtered, DH Soni, police sub-inspector of Navsari rural police station, and his team went to check the slaughter house in the village around 6 am. Police found two slaughtered cows and two living calves from a slaughter house in the Navinagari locality of the village. While they were checking, a mob gathered near the slaughter house and attacked them. This incident was followed after an incident in Ahmadabad where the police were attacked by the locals. The police had claimed that during Eid, some slaughter house operators slaughtered cows, which is prohibited in the state. The police claimed that local residents threw stones at the police who had gone to nab a person involved in a cow slaughter case in Shahpur. Beef eating is allowed in Islam and there are many people who run slaughter houses across the country. Stopping cow slaughter not only affects their beliefs, it also affects their livelihood. On the other hand, Hindus worship cows as their mother and like in any other country, use of dairy products is high in India. This has given rise to an illegal cow slaughtering industry in India, which often operates under various guises. Cows are routinely shipped to states with lower or no requirement for slaughter, even though most states make it illegal to transport the animals for slaughter across the state borders. While there are approximately 3,600 slaughter houses operating legally in India, there are estimated to be over 30,000 illegal slaughter houses. Efforts to close them down have, so far, been largely unsuccessful. In 2013, Andhra Pradesh estimated that there were 3,100 illegal and six licensed slaughter houses in the state. An investigation found

N O V E M B E R 2014

Justice for the Cows A

fter years of unabated cow slaughter in the country, justice finally comes for these mute animals. Seven persons (Ankur Kumar, Anwar, Sanwar, Khalid, Tasleem, Hasrat and Asif) were awarded life imprisonment by a Delhi court for thieving three cows, one calf, and one buffalo for slaughtering last year. The act of catching the culprits involved a long chase and a policeman taking bullet wounds on his body. The convicts were running in a Tata 407 tempo in which the cattle were being transported. Earlier, they had also fired at some people while running away after stealing the cattle. Finally, when they were caught, the court convicted them under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Delhi Agriculture Cattle Preservation Act. In its verdict, the court said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the basis of the evidence that has come on record in the form of oral testimonies of the witnesses, forensic reports, medical reports, electronic evidence, and other circumstantial evidence, we hereby hold that the prosecution has been able to successfully establish that the accused persons have entered into a criminal conspiracy to commit theft of cattle for the purpose of slaughtering.â&#x20AC;?

that tens of thousands of cattle are sold annually for slaughter in the market in just one of that state’s 23 districts. India produced 3.643 million metric tons of beef in 2012, of which 1.963 million metric tons was consumed domestically and 1.680 million metric tons was exported. The country ranks fifth in the world in beef production, seventh in domestic consumption and first in exporting. Most of the exported beef is buffalo meat. Since buffalo meat is not consumed to the extent to which it has the potential, it is surplus for export unlike goat, sheep, fish or poultry meat, which is preferred by Indians. Not only Muslims and Christians, but also India’s scheduled tribes and scheduled castes - who account for 25 percent of the country’s population, are beef eaters. In the states of Kerala, West Ben-

gal and most of the northeastern region, where cattle slaughter is legal, beef is widely consumed. While the proposed anti-cow slaughter law has met with opposition, even from allegedly intellectual Hindus who bend over backwards to please the minority communities, there are many Muslims looking to strike communal harmony by supporting Hindu sentiments. Recently, Islamic seminary Darul-Uloom, Deoband, issued an edict which stated that ““Muslims must refrain from cow slaughter, beef eating or trading in cow hide. Meat eaters can opt for buffaloes, goats, chicken and fish. Shariat doesn’t allow beef-eating if it’s prohibited under law.” After a three-member committee looked into the issue, Mufti Rehman said Shariat disallowed anything against law. “Cow slaughter, therefore, was najayaz even though Islam allows beef-eating,”

the fatwa said. It said any act which brings bad name to the community or evokes possibility of imprisonment is “haram” and should be avoided. Muslims have taken the onus of cow protection in Gujarat. Following the riots on Eid-ul-Adha over cow slaughter at Sansrod village in Vadodara district, local Muslims have formed a cow protection group. They are trying to convince butchers that they should give up slaughtering cows. They are opposing cow slaughter as it is against the law. Every country has its own set of laws. Religious sentiments of one community cannot be exploited against another community in the name of personal rights. For thousands of years, the cow has been a very special part of Indian mythology and culture. It would be inadvisable for them to be viewed as just a source of meat.

N O V E M B E R 2014

ISIS Barbarism

It has done enough damage, more may come

n civilized countries, disagreements are solved through mutual discussions. But it has long been proved that where terrorists rule, civilization is only a distant dream. This is amply proved by the barbaric beheading of journalists by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). The video, made obviously to garner the attention of world media and governments, shows a masked man beheading freelance journalists in the name of holy war against Americans and its allies. This is neither the first, nor will this be the last brutality of this bizarre terror organisation, which is taking the Middle East by storm. ISIS is known all over the world for beheading children, raping women and committing atrocities on anyone and everyone who they think deserve punishment in the name of Allah. Recently, the world woke up to the horrible acts of violence when a jihadist named Jihadi John beheaded freelance journalist Steven Sotloff. A few days later, the organisation beheaded another journalist James Foley in a similar fashion. While the world reacted with shock and anger at this heinous crime, analysts say that violence is the only way for ISIS jihadists. In recent months, ISIS has looted the central bank of hundreds of millions of dollars and massacred the prisoners of war. ISIS leaders claim to be the true Muslims because Allah has favoured them with numerous victories, just like Mohammad. They have looted the banks and distributed the spoils amongst themselves. They even lined up the prisoners after forcing them to dig their own graves. Killing an innocent human being is

N O V E M B E R 2014

ISIS has become the synonym for brutality and barbarism and all that is evil. Such were the sentiments aroused among the people all over the world when the ISIS jihadists uploaded the video of an innocent freelance American journalist being beheaded. The viewers were stunned and perplexed beyond belief. And the question began to be asked, are we going backward to the most primitive state of human existence or to a neither world where these things reportedly take place to punish the so-called sinners. And this group is claiming that they are doing all this in the name of Allah! This is a gross perversion of their own ideal. It is high time the people of the world united to fight these maniacs. a dastardly crime. But ISIS seems to be hell bent upon taking its depravities now new lows. There were reports of thousands of Yazidi men (a minority community in Iraq being murdered in scenes reminiscent of the Bosnian Srebrenica massacre when the jihadists hit the Kurdish region in August. Tens of thousands of Yazidis, whose population is mostly confined to

northern Iraq, have been displaced by the four-month-old jihadist offensive in the region. Yazidi leaders and rights groups warned in August that the small community faced genocide and that warning was put forward by Washington as one of the main reasons for launching air strikes. Thousands of Yazidis remained trapped on a moun-

The horrible face of terrorism tain near their main hub of Sinjar for days in August, while others were massacred and the fate of hundreds of missing women and children remained unclear. The Yazidi faith is a unique blend of beliefs that draws from several religions and includes the worship of a devil figure they refer to as the Peacock Angel. One 15-year-old girl who escaped on September 7 told Human Rights Watch (HRW) that the Palestinian fighter who bought her “told her with pride” that he had paid $1,000 (INR 60,000) for her. She said the fighter took her to his flat in the city of Raqa, the group’s main hub in Syria, and sexually assaulted her. HRW said that the extent of the sexual abuse inflicted on enslaved Yazidi girls remained unclear, but stressed that the stigma surrounding rape in Yazidi culture could explain the low number of firsthand accounts. The atrocities of Islamic fundamentalists are nothing new. There is a Hindu Kush (Hindu slaughter) mountains in now Afghanistan and Paki-

stan region where just on one day they beheaded 100,000 Hindus. On Direct Action Day in 1946 hundreds of thousands were slaughtered that resulted in one million people killed and many beheaded and paraded in the streets. Most of the reduction of Hindus/Sikhs from 25% to 1.8% in Pakistan happened in the first few months of the formation of Pakistan. In Bangladesh the ongoing genocide has reduced Hindus from 30% to 10%. Mosques encourage rape of Hindu Kafir women. Love Jihad, where mosques encourage Muslim boys to seduce and marry Kafir girls for conversions is rampant not just in India but also in the UK. The boys’ task is to marry, produce children and move on to another girl. In a small town in the UK, 1400 minor girls were raped by Muslim men and threatened to douse them with fire if they mentioned about it to parents and adults! In 1989, mosques blared in Kashmir asking Hindu men to leave after leaving behind Hindu women this resulted in half a million still living as refugees

in their own country. In Delhi Nirbhaya rape case, it is a Muslim juvenile who inserted a rod in Nirbhaya’s vagina and pulled out her uterus and intestines. India is most affected by Islamic terrorism after the Middle East, but Islam is doing its job where 150,000 were killed since 9/11 itself in Kafir lands. Half a million were slaughtered in Middle East itself where one Muslim sect considers the other as Kafir. The world is slowly recognising the only way to destroy destructive people is to turn them on themselves (like the Hindu mythological story of Mohini and Bhasmasura). Dialogues and compassion will not help. The world leaders need to come together and recognise Islamic fundamentalism for what it really is and take action before it’s too late. Already, scores of prospective militants are leaving their homelands (including India) and idiotic MPs are making derogatory statements about Hindus. It’s time the world acted against Islamic fundamentalism.

N O V E M B E R 2014

BRINGING NATIONAL RESURGANCE TO THE FORE, SINCE 1999

Roots of ISIS I

SIS not necessarily a distant threat to India. There are reports of Indian youths leaving the country to join the so-called holy war. There are also reports of citing ISIS flag in the terrorist infested areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The first time, when ISIS flags were seen in India, was on June 27. Despite all precautionary effort by the Indian security agencies and intelligence bureau, ISIS flags have been noticed once again during a rally at the Idgah Maidan in Srinagar during the Eid celebrations on September 29. Security agencies were put on high alert as masked men were seen waving IS flags and shouting slogans in Kashmir. General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha, was quoted as saying, “Certainly, we are watching and closely monitoring the situation as it were.” It may be recalled that men from Tamil Nadu were also arrested for allegedly ordering and distributing T-shirts with the Islamic State emblem. A group photo of young men wearing the shirts went viral, triggering an uproar.

Aseema now extends its digital operations with its presence in Facebook!!

Join me @ https://www. facebook.com /AseemaMagazine Be a Friend and Follow me to explore beyond the boundaries............

N O V E M B E R 2014

Converting to Peace Christian Aid Mission scores over ISIS

hat happens when your religion deserts you? What happens when your religion, which you believed is from God himself, is used to kill your near and dear ones? The innocent Muslims caught in the web of terrorism in Iraq are learning it the hard way. They are being tortured, their children are being mercilessly butchered and their women are being taken away, all in the name of God. While life is frightening in this part of the world, many Muslims are doing the unthinkable. Attracted by the aid work and the compassion shown by Christian missionaries there, they are converting to Christianity! Many Christian missionaries are working in

Christianity is spreading even as the Islamic militants led by ISIS are spreading terror in Iraq and neighbouring regions and forcefully converting non-Muslims. Yes, this paradox is reported from regions in and around Mosul, the city that is facing the brunt of ISIS terrorism. A group called the Christian Aid Mission is extending aid to thousands of displaced persons against heavy odds and many Muslims are drawn to Christianity because of the aid mission’s humanitarian work. northern Iraq’s Kurdish region to cater to the needs of the people who were displaced by Islamic militants. Members of an Iraqi ministry team recently came into contact with a Colonel from the Kurdish forces battling ISIS. The Colonel belonged to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s armed

forces, and he is a division commander of the Peshmerga. His military has been fighting the march of militants with the help of the US army, which is supplying various kinds of ammunitions to fight the terrorists. The ministry team is working in this area and is ably assisted by the Christian

N O V E M B E R 2014

Aid Mission in distributing food, clothing, beds and medicines to displaced people. Like any other military personnel, the Colonel was initially apprehensive about the people from the Christian Aid Mission and asked some probing questions. What was the reason for offering all this aid? What was the motivation, what was the source of it? But after receiving proper answers, his doubts were dispelled and he was even critical of his own people. He said,”You see the Arabs around you in the Gulf states who claim to be religious Muslims; they have not sent us anything but terrorists,” he told the ministry team members. “But you who follow Christ send love and peace and goodness to people every day.” The Colonel is not the only person to have found solace in Christianity in this country ravaged by war. The missionaries working in this area are reporting that may Muslims are turning to Christianity at a rapid pace. Tent churches are springing up in the makeshift camps. Under normal circumstances, mission strategies focus on how to proclaim Christ effectively, but the challenge now is keeping pace with the number who would receive Him. It’s not as if spreading the message of Christ is walk in the park for these missionaries. There are countless stories of ISIS terrorists killing scores of children because they refused to give up their faiths in other gods. Many Christian missionaries are staying back and risking their lives to spread the message. Of course, when the Iraqi ministry workers assisted by the Christian Aid Mission obtain more funds for food, water, medicines and other supplies, they have the opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love in a tangible way. While the Christian missionaries are trying to convert people with

N O V E M B E R 2014

A Book About Conversion I

n his new book, ‘A Wind in the House of Islam: How God is Drawing Muslims Around the World to Faith in Jesus Christ,’ missionary Dave Garrison writes why, according to him, a large number of Muslims are converting themselves to Christianity. For his research, Garrison has selected Muslim-dominated countries like IndoMalaysia, East Africa, North Africa, Eastern South Asia, Western South Asia, Persia, Turkestan, West Africa, and the Arab world. According to him, conversion is not only happening in Iraq, but it’s happening all over the world. In Algeria, after 100,000 died in Muslim-on-Muslim violence, 10,000 Muslims turned their back on Islam and were baptized as followers of Christ. This movement has tripled since the late 1990s. In an unnamed Arab nation, an Islamic book publisher Nasr came to Christ through satellite broadcast evangelist Father Zakaria. Sensing a call to evangelize, Nasr started a local ministry that in less than one year baptized 2,800 individuals.

messages of love and economic help, the militants of ISIS are doing the exact opposite. When these militants captured the largely Christian dominated area of Qaraqosh in Iraq, they simply gave an ultimatum to the Christian residents of that region, asking them to, “Leave, convert or die.” The town had previously been a safe haven for those fleeing Mosul and for those hoping Christianity had a future in the country. The town had been cut off from water and electricity ever since the ISIS took Mosul. Food had been hard to come by and distant shelling constant. All over Iraq, countless Christian families are forced to leave their homelands and live a life of nomads, as militants make their lives a living hell. Under ISIS rule, Christians need to pay jizya – a special tax imposed on Christians under Islamic rule – or leave. An ISIS-issued ultimatum to Christians remaining in Mosul expired on July 19. Houses belonging to Christians were daubed with the letter “N” – short for Nasare – a Muslim term for Christians which derives from Nazareth, the home town of Jesus. Properties were confiscated and given to Muslims. Those leaving were not allowed to take much with them. Refugees tell stories of wedding rings being confiscated, some even being cut off with fingers attached to them. They share videos of churches, such as the tomb of Jonah – of Jonah and the Whale fame – being bombed. All are certain there is no future for them in Iraq. While the aid work done by Christian missionaries is laudable, their conversion strategies will always be open for debate. But considering what ISIS has been doing to people in the name of religion, these Christian missionaries appear like angels from heaven to people in Iraq. And that’s the reason for such large-scale conversion.

When the Pakistani troops went on a shoot nuclear-armed states were trying to wrestle has become inevitable for Pakistani politicia battlefield appears to be a far safer propos

Sharif Challenges India to Silence His Opponents

N O V E M B E R 2014

ting spree along the border with India, the world looked puzzled as to why the again. Politicians in Pakistan were aware of the reason. Keeping the army busy ans to stay on in power. In today’s Pakistan, keeping the army engaged in the sition than leaving them idle in the barracks.

• Prashanth Vaidyaraj

addened by the disastrous Kargil war a decade ago, Nawaz Sharif had severely criticised Pervez Musharraf, describing the war as “ill-conceived, ill-planned and ill-executed misadventure”. He had even set up a commission to figure out why Pakistan suffered such a humiliating defeat and why it sent soldiers to the mountain tops in the garb of terrorists. That was in the ’90s. The truth is politicians in Pakistan have a long history of using war with India as a tool to douse political fire back home. Over the past two months, Pakistani soldiers have been firing across the border without any provocation. Some Indian officials see it as a strategy to drag the attention of Indian soldiers and make way for terrorists to sneak into the Indian territory. The firing went on for so long that it created a fear among border villages as it left more than 10 dead and forced thousands to flee to safer places.

N O V E M B E R 2014

Several Pakistani soldiers were killed in the retaliatory fire by the Indian military which also destroyed many Pakistani outposts that bordered Jammu. The result was once again a humiliating defeat similar to Kargil. India did not indulge in full-scale battle despite repeated provocations. At the time firing began, former cricketer Imran Khan and other politicians had been organising large public rallies across the country calling for the resignation of Sharif, accusing him of rigging the election. As the protests engulfed entire Pakistan and the demand for his resignation became ever more intensified, Sharif thought of skirmishes with India. As we know, Pakistani politicians have long been cashing in on the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dispute with India over Kashmir. The other explanation for this misadventure, according to some experts, is that the Pakistan army wanted to keep its eastern front on the boil to avoid being sent to fight with Taliban militants in the lawless tribal region.

Sharif, whose last term in office ended abruptly when Pervez Musharraf overthrew him in a bloodless coup, might have thought of keeping the army engaged. For Pakistani politicians, keeping the army busy in battlefields is safer than leaving it idle in the barracks. Sharif was obviously worried at the prospect of losing his seat. There was no reason for him to bring up the Kashmir issue at the United Nations. The UN ultimately made it clear that it would not intervene in Kashmir.

Instead, the United Nations reiterated that New Delhi and Islamabad should resolve their dispute through dialogue. This came as another embarrassment for the embattled prime minister. Dragging India into a battlefield and pleading with the UN and the US for the intervention is the Pakistani way of dealing with things. Endless political wrangling, repeated military coups and growing extremism and Talibanisation have already weakened the very foundation of Pakistan. Bomb blasts have become the order of the day in its main commercial

N O V E M B E R 2014

cities like Karachi. It is the only country in Asia, where the army is fighting its own people. In the tribal lands bordering Afghanistan, the government has almost lost control to Taliban. Here, invisible American drones hunt and kill terrorists. When the US bombs mistakenly destroy innocent lives, the country boils in anger and vows to support the Islamists. Political establishment in Pakistan is feeling insecure with the Taliban fighters finding more sympathisers in the country and the United States putting its territory under surveillance. The current political and economic instability in the country only adds to their woes. Therefore, a war with India can only bring relief, albeit temporary. That will also please the Islamic fundamentalists, who are seething in anger over the government’s decision to eliminate Taliban fighters in tribal areas. Thus a war with India gives Sharif ample room to keep the opposition at bay and hold onto his seat longer. The ISI, Pakistan’s spy agency, is now backed by Islamic terrorists under the United Jihad Council (UJC), which is also supported by the separatists in Kashmir. The aim is to keep the status quo in flux due to the ensuing elections in J&K. Successful conduct of the elections is no doubt anathema for Pakistan. But its deeper fear is that the elections could enable India’s nationalistic forces to come to power and the new government would follow strong nationalist policies and severely curb the separatist forces in the state. Hence it is imperative for Pakistan to try and revamp its entire apparatus in the Kashmir valley, as the terrorist strikes are not providing any tangible results. Furthermore, the Indian security establishment laudably has thwarted any

N O V E M B E R 2014

attempt to exploit the flood situation in the state. Pakistan’s increase in intensity and firing on civilian positions both along the border and around is part of an orchestrated strategy aimed at provoking India to relocate civilians to deeper areas thereby facilitating infiltration. Locations of cross border tunnels are proofs of Pakistan’s nefarious designs. It is to be noted that a former CIA analyst Riedel had written in a

Bomb blasts have become the order of the day in its main commercial cities like Karachi. It is the only country in Asia, where the army is fighting its own people. daily that Pakistan’s army and the ISI are using “terrorist brinkmanship” to threaten India and undermine their own Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to secure domestic gains against their civilian leaders. He also wrote that the ISI is suspected of aiding Al-Qaeda to establish roots in India. India, on its part, has been

doing well to thwart Pakistan’s attempt to gain an upper hand at the border through its swift, sharp and effective response and has also successfully foiled its attempt to internationalise the issue. To further safeguard itself from the nefarious machinations emanating from Pakistan, India should adopt a three-pronged approach. First, it needs to enhance its internal security structures, improve intelligence gathering abilities, and rebuild covert capabilities. Second, with Pakistan deeply embroiled in internal strife and a strong government in India, there is a window of opportunity to expeditiously improve its military and border management capabilities. Third, post-flood reconstruction work in the state must gain momentum and fair distribution of materials and rehabilitation must ensue. The state administration must be supported in rebuilding the infrastructure in the state and also aid in setting up of industries that generate employment. These measures will no doubt help the state stand on its feet again and will also nullify any asinine acts of Brinkmanship by Pakistan.

Dangers of When Brother marries Sister… • Raju Shanbhag

hroughout human history, various religions and cultures of the world have interpreted the family and its importance to society in numerous ways. But almost all the religions agree on the importance of family for the health of the society and nation. That is why they have imposed restrictions on what is acceptable and what is not within the framework of family. For ages, these laws or conventions have been adhered to by the majority of people all over the world. One such restriction is on the incestual relationships. Almost all the religions and governments identify this as morally sinful and a legally punishable offence. Again, this is done to protect the sanctity of family in the framework of society. Sexual relationship between brothers and sisters or other family members is taboo, and society frowns upon it. It is illegal everywhere and is punishable under laws in any country. But then, things change, for good or for bad. If a government ethics com-

Incest: the very word evokes disturbing thoughts among most people, but now stray cases of incestual relationships are emerging from different parts of the world. One is from Germany, where a brother and sister had had sexual relationship for many years and begot children. Society frowned upon such a relationship long long ago due partly to the danger of inbreeding that causes deformities and diseases among the offspring and largely due to ethical reasons.

mittee in Germany has its way, laws banning incest between brothers and sisters in Germany could be scrapped soon. According to the committee, these laws were ‘an unacceptable intrusion into the right to sexual self-determination.’ “Criminal law is not the appropriate means to preserve a social taboo,” the German Ethics Council said in a statement. “The fundamental right of adult siblings to sexual self-determination is to be weighed more heavily than the abstract idea of protection of the family.” This statement from the German Ethics Council came after the bizarre case of a brother and sister who were living in Saxony under the live-in relationship. They had four children when the brother was arrested by the authorities. The couple made endless attempts to get the man released but that didn’t happen. The brother was sentenced to more than three years in prison for incest. The champions of individualism were up in arms against the government and law enforcement authori-

N O V E M B E R 2014

BRINGING NATIONAL RESURGANCE TO THE FORE, SINCE 1999

aseema

YES!

I WANT TO BE A PART OF IT & SUBSCRIBE

SUBSCRIPTION FORM ¨ for myself ¨ to gift a friend OPTION 5 years (60 issues): INR 1500/¨ 2 years (24 issues): INR 600/¨ 1 year (12 issues): INR 300/¨ (Please write in Block Letters)

I wish to pay by CASH / MO / CHEQUE / DEMAND DRAFT / PAY ORDER INR:......................................................... (in Rupees)

Name: Sri/Smt.

................................................................

Designation

................................................................

Department

CHEQUE / DEMAND DRAFT / PAY ORDER #:

Institution

Dated:

Address (Office)

Drawn from Bank: Payable to “ASEEMA JNANA BHARATHI PRAKASHANA TRUST” at MANGALURU

(Residence)

l For

gift subscriptions add receiver’s name & address on a separate sheet l Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery

City State

Please fill this order form & mail/fax to:

Country PIN Telephone (Office) Mobile E-mail Fax

(Residence)

RIVERTHOUGHTS MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED #72/1, 1st Cross, Shankara Park Shankarapuram BENGALURU 560 003 9986088100 / 080 - 22426433 info@riverthoughts.com

Tr a n s c e n d i n g B o u n d a r i e s

ties for not allowing the brother and sister to continue their incestual relationship. But these self-styled champions of personal freedom conveniently forgot the innumerable illeffects of such relationship on society and even the children born out of their relationship. Genetic studies have proved that children born out of incestual relationships run a higher risk of having physical disabilities. This is not an opinion; this is a fact backed by research and studies. If someone is looking for more proof, among the four children born out the incestual relationship between the brother sister in the above case, two had physical disabilities. Personal freedoms and right to sexual self determination look to be a noble cause; and they are. But personal freedom should not come at a cost to others, especially infants. Smoking too is a personal choice. But then, it’s banned in many public places because it harms other passive smokers. Similarly, no individual rights can allow a person to put children in danger of being born with physical disabilities. That’s one of the reasons why incestual relationships and marriages are banned in most parts of the world. History gives us more examples as to why incest is wrong, scientifically and morally. An abnormally high rate of deformities found in early human fossils discovered in China suggests that at least in some regions, inbreeding was common. Whether the practice was cultural, or out of necessity, or some combination of the two, remains to be seen. Our ancestors may have lived in isolated areas where it was easier to keep it in the family rather than go searching abroad for a mate. There were incidents of hemophilia in European royal families of the 19th and 20th centuries or the frequent occurrence of genetic disorders like Tay-Sachs disease and cystic fibrosis in isolated ethnic or religious enclaves, such as the Ashkenazi Jews or various Amish communities. Even many species of animals stay

What the law says in India? T

he Indian Penal Code (IPC) does not contain any specific provision against incest, but there are general provisions relating to sexual abuse of children by their custodian, such as a parent or teacher. In the US and UK, incestuous rape has been identified and the offence attracts adequate punishment. But the Indian law is still in denial. In India, when the laws against rape were amended in 1983 to include policemen, hospital and prison staff who abused women in their custody, which amounted to custodial rape, the amendment did not include sexually abusive fathers, which is the worst form of custodial rape. Many countries like the UK, US and Germany have strong laws against incest. The UK, which made incest punishable (Familial Sex Offences Act now replaced by Sexual Offences Act 2003) sets a prison term of 12 years for the offence. While punishment in the US (Massachusetts) for the offence extends to 20 years, in Australia it has been made a Federal Offence (though ordinary crimes are dealt with by States). The minimum punishment prescribed there is 10 years which may extend to 25 years.

from incest. To combat the convenience of incest, many animals and plants carry a host of natural mechanisms that guard against inbreeding. One of the more common methods is dispersal – movement of a creature from its place of birth. Another possible method, especially among socially monogamous species, is promiscuity. Take the case of splendid fairy-wrens, which live in small groups consisting of one ostensibly monogamous breeding pair, along with several helper birds of either sex that tend to be closely related to the main pair. Thanks to the close social ties of the group, if all offspring were sired by the senior male, there would

be an extremely high rate of inbreeding; but fairy-wrens, it turns out, tend to stray. Individual rights and sexual self determination are all right as long as they do not pose any danger to others. The moment one’s actions start putting other people in danger, the scope is no longer limited to individual rights. It then covers the whole society. The rules are applicable to proper functioning of an ideal society. Incestual relationships are issues that concern the whole society because of the scientifically proven dangers they bring. Hence, they are issues that relate to the whole society.

N O V E M B E R 2014

India’s border with China is not only porous but also vulnerable to frequent intrusions from China. While strong infrastructure and powerful military arsenal propel Chinese interests, poor roads and inhospitable terrain, on the other hand, hamper India. We must keep a close watch on China’s modernisation of its army and continue talks over border disputes for a peaceful settlement.

Dragon’s Intrusions

India’s border with China Flush with Troubles

• Prashant Vaidyaraj

ne of the major challenges for India’s physical security is the boundary dispute with China, which often hits the headline, especially when the Chinese army intrudes. India looks weak as it tries to ignore the incursion on the pretext of misperceptions about the LAC. The disputed land is 90,000 Sq kms of territory in the country’s eastern sector and 38,000 sq kms in the western sector. Such intrusions, though temporary, have become more frequent in recent years. There were 180 intrusions in 2011 and the number went up further in the following year. In 2013, troops exchanged fire when a Chinese border patrol set up a

N O V E M B E R 2014

makeshift camp in the Ladakh sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Later similar incursions in Daulat Beg Oldi sector created tension for a brief period. On July 16, 2013, about 50 soldiers on horseback cruised into Chumar and staked claims to the territory. They, however, retreated after the Indian military drill. This came a week after two Chinese helicopters violated Indian air space over Chumar. It seemed to be the Chinese way of responding to Indian decision to amass about 50,000-strong troops along the border, A month later, in August 2013, a large battalion of Chinese army came 20 km deeper into Chaglagam area of Arunachal Pradesh and went back quietly two days later. China has kept on intrud-

ing into our territory even after Narendra Modi took oath of office. While President Xi Jinping was on an official visit to India, hundreds of Chinese troops swept into Indian territory and set up tents in a brazen display of aggression.

Chinese Military Infrastructure The communist neighbour has been building up armies along India’s border with Tibet. All it wants is to exhibit its military might and assert its military prowess with sporadic intrusions and military parade. China has built high-speed train network for easy movement of people and goods

between Tibet and its mainland. The same network can also be used for troops to access Indian border. Over the past years, it has added two new airfields in Tibet and ballistic missiles to its arsenal. Most of its missiles are aimed at Indian air force assets along the LAC. In Delingha, north of Tibet, China has deployed intercontinental missiles such as the DF-31 and DF-31A. China has also deployed the solid fueled DF-21 in Delingha with a range of 2, 150 kms, which is within a striking distance of Delhi. Missiles can also escape detection since they are housed in underground tunnels. Such tunnels exist in the Chumbi valley, close to Sikkim. China has exploited the flat terrain of Tibet for deploying the main battle tanks and infantry combat vehicles. PLA’s Construction Corps has the capability to roll out metalled roads during war and aid deployment of its Rapid Reaction Forces (RRF). The RRF is the PLA’s rapid strike force. The airborne RRF are strategically located within TAR and can be deployed within 48 hours on the LAC.

stan and occupied Kashmir. The 1966 Sino-Pak accord enabled Pakistan to access Chinese weapons through the KKH. Thanks to Chinese military contribution, Pakistan has sustained skirmishes on the eastern front and a low intensity conflict along the LoC. For China, KKH also serves as a corridor for arms smuggling, besides helping China keep a close eye on the

in Arunachal Pradesh will play a critical role in defending the border against any Chinese attack. Given the present road conditions in Arunachal Pradesh, the physical movement of Indian troops to the border areas takes five to seven days. India has announced construction of many roads here, but many are yet to be built. India should advance its military in-

developments across the region, J&K in particular. Pakistan used KKH to supply high-tech weapons, including unexploded American missiles from the Afghan jihad theatre, to China for reverse engineering.

frastructure across the border. Raising of Mountain Strike Corps and a vigilant Air Force will help India keep a vigil across this border. Indian defence planners should beef up defences in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and the joint Andaman and Nicobar command as a deterrent against Chinese moves in the Himalayas to address the worst case scenario. India should focus on establishing comprehensive and quality relations with regional countries (Southeast and East Asia). Closer defence relationship with Japan, Vietnam, Myanmar and Singapore will also be helpful. China’s strategic behavior should be constantly under watch and military ties with willing partners must be upgraded to deter any aggressive move by China in future.

Karakoram Corridor China exploited Pakistan’s geographic and strategic vulnerability for their mutual benefit. Gilgit-Baltistan region is strategically important for China because of its proximity to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Xinjiang as well as Tibet. This was the very reason why China and Pakistan developed the Karakoram Highway (KKH). The KKH, a 1,300-km long stretch of road connecting the strategic trading post of Kashgar in Xinjiang to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, pierces through the Himalayan mountain ranges. China could never have accessed the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal without this highway. This highway diplomacy has helped both the countries to contain the influence of India. Recent estimates of the locals in the Gilgit-Baltistan region suggest there are about 5,000 Chinese Uyighur rebels living in Paki-

Indian Strategy Aside from the formal dialogue, India must explore ways to open up unofficial channels of communication with China. Along side the talks, there is a need to keep a close watch on China’s military modernisation. India must continue talks over border disputes to make it clear that peaceful border is as important as expansion of bilateral trade. Building good roads and highways will bolster security along the border, as it will also ease the movement of military for the army. Strategic roads

N O V E M B E R 2014

The Big Bang

Modi’s `Make in India’ making waves • C P Nambiar

t is heartening to note that economic reforms are gaining momentum with many of the restrictions in doing business in India being eased by the new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Big Bang slogan “Make in India” is reverberating all over the world. It is a slogan that has caught the imagination of not only the people of India, but also the businessmen all over the world who are eager to invest in India, but were hesitant so far to do so because of too many do’s and don’ts that the babudom under the UPA government had imposed. Now, they are being done away with one after another by the new government, though with caution, and this has raised optimism among the business class that Modi “means business”. For example, the decision to allow loss-making public sector companies to deregulate diesel prices has been widely welcomed. This is the first cut in diesel plrices since September 2010 and is expected to ease

The government is going in top gear with economic reforms. The series of measures announced by it such as the promulgation on coal block allocations, move to ease company registrations and radical labour reforms are a pointer in this direction. The country can expect more measures aimed at boosting economic growth in the coming days. inflation, reduce subsidy burden and bridge fiscal deficit. From now on, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, retail prices will reflect global prices. Though global diesel prices have dipped at present, there is of course the possibility of its going up and consumers ending up paying higher prices. But there is no going back on such a price mechanism since no company/distributor can afford to bear the loss for an indefinite period.

In fact, IOC has been suffering loss of crores of rupees every day because of the subsidy burden. Now that it has been lifted, it can heave a sigh of relief. The prices will be reviewed every month by the retailers. Diesel prices were revised 19 times since January 2013. The reduction in diesel prices will also bring down freight rates by 3-4%, which means many commodities of mass consumption will cost less in the coming months. Another decision of importance that the government has taken is with regard to coalfield allocations. It has promulgated an ordinance allowing private companies in power, cement and steel to get their own coal mines through e-auctions, thus overcoming the legal hurdle that stood in the way of coal mining due to the Supreme Court order cancelling the allocation of captive mines since 1993. The decision will ensure steady and assured supply of coal to end-users in a more transparent manner. The government has, however, made it clear that it this does not amount to denationlisation of the coal sector. The ordinance would have an enabling provision for

Handsome gains in Sensex Sensex closed 64 points higher during the Muhurat (Samavat 2071) trading on the Bombay Stock Exchange on October 23, spurring hopes of the investors that reforms are going to be initiated by the Modi government at a fast pace. The index closed at 26,851. The push was guided by the biggies in the corporate sector like RIL, TCS and ITC. This is in sharp contrast to a meager gain of 7, 9944 during Samavat 2062 (November 1, 2005), a difference of 7944 points. Brokers said the day’s gains added about Rs.27, 000 crore to investors’ kitty. This has also raised the capitalization of BSE to Rs.94.1 lakh crore. Analysts do not expect any sudden backward swing since all indications, according to them, seem to be positive, though a slight correction can be expected in the coming days.

N O V E M B E R 2014

commercial coal mining by private companies in future. State-run Coal India will not be affected by the ordinance, Jaitley said. Power Minister Piyush Goyal emphasized that the miners’ interests would be fully protected. Until recently, doing business in India was considered difficult by our businessmen and that was the same view of foreign companies as well. Now a miracle is going to happen: The Modi government is working on a plan to cut down the time for registering a business from 27 days to just a single day! Towards this end, the Centre is putting in place a series of measures which will include single registration for all labour laws, reduced number of permits, overall the tax system and relaxation of laws relating to property registration. This will make India a friendlier investment destination and thus remove the stigma of being the notoriously difficult place to do business. At present, India ranks 134 out of 189 countries as per the Ease of Doing Business index of the World Bank. In order to remove this impression, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has asked all ministries to ease the regulatory structure. State governments also will be roped in this endeavour. One

of the areas that will be covered will be the existing tax system. States will be encouraged to reduce the number of taxes and allow online payment of taxes. According to officials, education and higher education cess and dividend taxes can be incorporated under the corporation tax to ensure simplification of the system. There is also a move to speed up implementation of the direct tax code and goods

The Modi government is working on a plan to cut down the time for registering a business from 27 days to just a single day!

and services tax. The DIPP has set a time frame for implementing all these measures. There is also a suggestion for a uniform policy and procedure for all states so as to enable the single window clearance system. The aim of the government is to implement all these measures on a war footing. Labour laws have long been a bone of contention among the political parties, as they are a sensitive issue. The Modi government has now boldly an-

nounced labour reforms which will go a long way in ending “inspector raj”. It has launched a single window portal to increase the ease of doing business and push local manufacturing. This has become an integral of part of Modi’s Make in India campaign. “Ease of business is the priority for Make in India,” he has said. The reforms rely on trust and promote the ease of doing business, Mr. Modi said, and added that it will go a long way in “changing India’s work culture, promote social security and provide skills to the youth.” As for factory inspection, he said, a computer will now determine where an inspection will be carried out the next day. The inspectors will have to upload their reports in three days. The measures announced so far by the new NDA government are only tip of the iceberg. More radical measures can be expected contrary to the baby steps taken by the UPA government to reform the economy. Judging by the current trend it can be safely expected that investments will start flooding the country and new ventures will be launched providing employment to our youth who have pinned high expectations on the Narendra Modi and his colleagues.

N O V E M B E R 2014

China’s Army Hawkish and Nationalistic approaches In a dispensation that was ushered under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, technocrats, many of them from PLA’s combatant and political cadres, took over the reins of the country’s march to modernisation. It is at that stage that the Government of PRC was allowed a more distinct identity and an exclusive structure, in form if not in substance, the development being aimed at assuaging domestic as well as foreign reservations in dealing with a Party rather than a sovereign state-apparatus.

N O V E M B E R 2014

• Lieutenant General (Retd) Gautam Banerjee

n republican scheme of matters, warfare is the ultimate political recourse that is to be prosecuted to seek conditions for advantageous settlement of external disputes. Conversely, in communist theology, military force is but an integral component of external as well as domestic political articulation, more of the latter in fact, for it to remain committed as the guarantor of the regime’s autarkic endeavours. This is a major distinction which determines the relationship between the state and its military institution in the two contrasting political systems. It also governs the diversities between the civil and the military institutions in the two systems of governance, the fundamental difference being the communist regime’s deliberate politicisation of its armed forces and banking upon political-military integration to perpetuate communist rule. Principally, communist states require ‘Party’ representation, and therefore Party control, over the entire governing establishment and its executive arms. In the case of the people’s army, this relationship is more deep-

ly rooted by having the army as the Party’s politically integrated component. This principle is best evidenced in the PRC, so much so that it is impractical to draw any distinctive line between the CCP and the PLA. No doubt, triggered by the fundamental diversities between party work and the profession of soldiering, there must brew disconcert among the two pillars of the state from time to time, but in communist tradition, such contentious issues are well reconciled through various ‘standing committees’ for policy making. This is a system opaque that functions behind a solid ‘bamboo curtain’. It remains therefore an engaging obligation for China watchers to arraign past trends and experiences of Party-PLA engagements, and build upon these from observations of recent developments to draw out the concurrent situational inferences During the recent years, at the initiatives of the CCP and its Central Military Commission (CMC), substantive revisions have been effected in the structure as well as policy pronouncements of the PRC’s Ministry of National Defence. It may therefore be interesting to delve into the current trends of CCP-PLA engagement (2). Towards that end, the highlights of the Party-PLA re-alignments have been discussed in this part.

PLA Under a ‘New Dispensation’ By the time the disastrous Cultural Revolution ended in 1969, a group of far-sighted leaders led by Deng Xiaoping could see the inevitability of the people’s disillusionment with the anarchic political system bursting out some day. Thus, as the stranglehold of Mao Zedong’s inner-circle weakened with his passing away, advent of a New Dispensation was a natural way forward. Taking note of the periodic revolts that have rent the Chinese society throughout the history and the destructive fallouts of the resultant mayhem that had been perpetrated upon the Chinese society,

the purpose of the New Dispensation was to adopt more agreeable paths to govern a stable realm – and so achieve the lofty national objective of reclaiming China’s past glory under the solely competent ministration of the Communist Party. Till the mid-1970’s, the CCP was the de jure as well as de facto government, existence of the constitutional state’s ‘Government of PRC’ being confined to the purpose of legitimising the Party Rule. Thereafter, in a dispensation that was ushered un-

ment bodies even if most of the top incumbencies may be common. In the case of the PLA, the kind of arrangement discussed above had been in existence since the days of the ‘Long March’. Constitutional appointments of venerated PLA Generals into the CCP’s top policy-making bodies had formalised the PLA’s participation in governance of the state, just as it ensured its implicit obedience of the Party’s promulgations. However, in contrast to the rest of the Government, the military brass en-

Chinese President Xi Jinpeng der the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, technocrats, many of them from PLA’s combatant and political cadres, took over the reins of the country’s march to modernisation. It is at that stage that the Government of PRC was allowed a more distinct identity and an exclusive structure, in form if not in substance, the development being aimed at assuaging domestic as well as foreign reservations in dealing with a Party rather than a sovereign state-apparatus. The CCP’s absolute control over the Government was ensured by having every rung of the latter’s hierarchy supplanted with parallel CCP hierarchies. Obviously, in line with communist principles, all these CCP forums wield overriding authority over the Govern-

joyed much autonomy when it came to management of the PLA, as it was necessitated by the unique professional imperatives of the military establishment. It was that exclusivity which allowed the PLA to build up a vast industrial empire, which, to begin with, was meant to generate revenue for its partial self-sustenance, but later developed into a distinct sector by itself, to the benefit, regular as well as shady, of elite groups within. In the overall context, no doubt, the regime of orthodox communism remained all-pervasive and dexterity in its ideology continued to score over purely professional competence. In fact, marriage to communist ideology was viewed as the sole source of professionalism amongst, say, even

N O V E M B E R 2014

the scientists and generals. That was the situation till the era of the aforementioned New Dispensation dawned. The New Dispensation opened the doors for higher professionalism in all state institutions while easing out on the emphasis on commitment to hardline communism. Gradually, with the Party’s foresighted understanding and endorsement, these changes led to propriety in observance of rules, regulations and procedures in the PRC’s governing establishment, and that in turn led to empowerment of the temporal bureaucracy. This is one of the reasons that in spite of much obfuscation, cases of corruption at high places have come to be exposed during the recent years, the other reason being the innate communist fear of having to confront their own patented method of toppling the state, that is, outbreak of mass-movement against autocratic highhandedness and socio-economic disparity. A similar development has permeated the PLA; military professionalism is no more identified with ritualistic dem-

N O V E M B E R 2014

onstrations of communist ideological vows and corrupt practices among the military brass are being called to question, with due subtlety of course.

PLA’s Role in Perpetuation of Party Rule At the end of the 1970’s decade, with Deng Xiaoping at the helm, PRC commenced its four modernisations’. Conceptually, the goal of military modernisation was listed at the fourth place, the precedence pointing to the interdependency among the four sectors of modernisation rather than any priority. PLA heavyweights in the Party’s apex policymaking bodies, the CMC included, had endorsed that concept because they understood that technological and economic modernisation was prerequisite to restructuring the PLA in the form of a modern military power. As a result, advent of the 1980’s saw the state proceed towards achievement of technological, industrial and economic breakthrough by means straight and crooked, while the PLA

engaged in such structural and procedural reforms which would cascade its modernization when its turn came. A fallout of this arrangement was the delegation of professional autonomy to the domain experts - technocrats and economists - relatively freeing them from arbitrary impositions of Party apparatchiks. At the highest level at the Centre, however, the CCP continued to maintain, to the necessary extent, its ideological and executive stranglehold over all matters of governance – civil services, the judiciary, foreign trade et el, and above all, the PLA. The New Dispensation has had its effect on the Chinese citizens of all hues. People have started articulating, even asserting, their perceptions on political dissension, religious observance, crony-corruption, exploitation of bonded labour, inducement of demographic migration to peripheral territories etc. For the CCP to retain its authoritative supremacy therefore, it has become necessary to court people’s solidarity. To meet that end, the CCP is intent on fostering a regime

of economic and societal progress, clamping down on corruption and disparate behaviour, and even growing tolerant to mild deviations from the Party-line. Orchestration of a new sense of assertive ‘Chinese Nationalism’ among the younger people is another scheme for the Party to find a cause of solidarity with the citizens, captive as they otherwise are to the autocratic communist system. Promotion of the idea of China’s ‘rightful’ claim to Han supremacy over lesser societies and her ‘historically undisputable’ territorial rights is one part of that scheme, while raising people’s ire over the “trouble makers” who are stated to have “lost their mind” to question China’s ‘sovereignty’ over lands and seas far and wide, is the other part. Obviously, having ruling stakes over the state’s civil society, economy and internal as well as external politics, PLA has substantial roles to play in promoting these measures, and inter alia, ensuring a trouble free continuation of Party Rule. Needless to state, should matters show signs of going out of control, as it happened during the’ Cultural Revolution’, and as it is wont to happen again should the masses go’ recalcitrant’ to demand liberalisation, the PLA must be ready at hand to respond in favour of the CCP, as it eventually did at the Tiananmen Square in 1989. Recently, in the context of national defence, a third factor of the New Dispensation has emerged. Described as ‘The Diversified Employment of China’s Armed Forces’, PRC’s Defence White Paper of April 2013 mandates deployment of the ‘People’s Militia’ in implementation of massive social, economic and engineering schemes, and commitment of the ‘People’s Armed Police Force’ (PAPF) in controlling uprisings in peripheral provinces, while mandating the regular PLA to modernise, so as to be able to promote the nation’s sovereign will. Thus the White Paper identifies the PLA with its Army, Navy, Air Force and Second Artillery, while the PAPF as well as the People’s Militia are referred to as distinct entities, all under the combined

terminology of ‘armed forces’. Heretofore undistinguishable within the overarch of the PLA, these three grades of state power seem to have been bestowed with more clearly delineated identities thus – and mandated distinctly of course. Viewed in light of the distinct roles assigned through the above mentioned White Paper, these statutory delineations are bound to be a part of theca-guided re-alignments within the military structure. Needless to state, this realignment would facilitate rightsizing, professionalising and modernising the PLA, while dedicating

A Caveat on China’s “Peaceful Rise” It is known that having recovered from her past “hundred years of humiliation” at the hands of the Western Powers and Japan, and the anarchies inflicted by its own tottering Qing Dynasty, intransigent ‘warlords’ and the Kuomintang ‘nationalists’, the post-1949communist regime of PRC has vowed to not let that ignominy befall China ever again. It is so therefore that in the CCP’s scheme for the future, the agenda of “recov-

A view of Chinese terracotta sculptures found in Xian, Shaanxi province. the PAPF towards the internal security role and engaging the PLA veterans on national development schemes through the People’s Militia, particularly in distant regions. It would also facilitate simultaneous commitment of all of these three force elements to preserve PRC’s national stability – and inter alia, perpetuation of Party Rule over the realm. As therefore the CCP engages in a transformational role for the PRC’s all round development, so does the corresponding role of its military institution in guaranteeing a perpetual and stable Party Rule.

ery of lost territories” and “integration” of peripheral nationalities run concurrently with the scorching pace of technological, industrial and economic advancements, each of these exactions converging to restore China to her super-status ordained (4). In this context, the CCP propounds a caveat: that for such an objective to fructify, China’s destiny must be steered under the Party’s all pervasive control. No doubt backed up with historical evidences, there is merit in that argument. Besides the invading marauders of peripheral ethnicities – Mongols, Turks, Huns, Jurchens, KItans, Manchurians etc., all viewed

N O V E M B E R 2014

as “barbarians” by the ‘superior’ Han civilization - the edifice of the Chinese state has also been damaged time and again by long and vicious internal revolts and instabilities raised by its numerous regional, ethnic and power-seeking constituencies. Even in the post communist period, there have been bloody and forgettable turmoils like the ‘Great Leap Forward’ and the ‘Cultural Revolution’ which had been triggered, not by the CCP per se, but by coteries of power-centres which hijacked the Party’s authority by manipulating Mao Zedong’s personality

measures. As history points out, political product of such economic compulsions and external dependencies can be a potentially harmful concoction. In that context, the PRC is live to the possibilities of provoking international confrontation, and consequently, feels the need to build up its military superiority to protect its interests, should such a course becomes unavoidable. As stated, in her leadership’s reckoning, China’s rise is considered to be contingent upon the CCP ruling the roost, which in turn requires complete mastery over an ideologically bound military structure. Indeed, that military structure must be committed to serve the Party’s purpose and powerful enough to: one, enforce internal order; and two, to browbeat, or actually force into submission, those who may be seen as external “troublemakers”. Going a stride further, China’s Defence White Paper of 2013 has added to these roles of the PLA, the formal commitment of undertaking infrastructural developments in China’s difficult peripheral regions. The CCP-PLA bonding is cemented thus.

PLA – The Party Vehicle

cult. In a nation so large, complex and demanding, the CCP’s caveat against China’s such innate societal tendency to invite disaster does make some sense. The contemporary era has seen many far-reaching socio-economic changes in the PRC. No more mute sufferers, citizens are turning vocal in their demands and many times massing up to indulge in vociferous activism in defiance of the Government. To pacify people’s rising sense of entitlements against the finite reservoir of resources and so retain its grip on state-power, the CCP is obliged to adopt a range of rough and ready

N O V E M B E R 2014

In sum, to refer to a mythical example, PLA is the Party’s Vahana, dutifully carrying its ‘lord’ against all obstacles and keeping him out of harm’s way even at the cost of its own life. It is a Party’s army, mandated to keep the Party in power – so that China may reclaim her superior status. CCP would therefore do everything to keep the PLA strong in terms of warwherewithal. More importantly, the traditional Chinese wisdom would ensure that the PLA is best served by military intellect and professional acumen. The dynamics of such an inter-dependency is discussed in the next Part. As in any coterie-ruled regime, factional sparring among the lead agents of the CCP to gain inter se influence has ever been an acquiesced practice. Of late, there have emerged

three groups of participants in this dynamics of power-posturing, each exerting reckonable influence, contrary in some ways and congruous in some, in the management of the PLA. In conformity to the communist practices, each of these groups is subscribed to by military as well as civilian membership. Recent pronouncements of the CMC Chairman Xi Jinping, published by the PLA Press in the form of a document titled ‘The Selected Important Expositions on National Defence and Army Building’, and distributed at regiment level and above with instructions to organise its group study in the PLA and the PAPF, should be seen in this light. The document reveals that taking off from the Plenum of 18th Central Committee of the CCP, the CMC has undertaken a series of major exercises on strategic thinking, military theology and building a powerful military institution. Besides according primacy to realistic training, procedural and organisational reforms and professional military competence, the thrust of the CMC is also on organisational discipline, personal conduct, austerity and probity among the higher military leadership. Further, the CCP leadership envisions the PLA to serve the cause of the nation’s scientific and infrastructural advancements in the course of its modernisation, the unorthodox process being qualified by the expressions “under the new situations” and “according to Chinese characteristics”. The rise of nationalism is prominent in its hawkish support to the PRC’s growing assertiveness of its predatory territorial claims over the neighbouring regions. In fact, for the neighbourhood, this must be a dangerous trend that commits the rising global power to the use of its military force to reclaim what it propounds as its “lost territories”, apparently under the compulsion of redeeming public opinion that grows critical of an autocratic regime. Thus, what had purportedly been a device of diplomatic posturing to start with, might turn into a passionate, inflex-

ible national objective that pushes the PRC into political hot-rhetoric and military muscle flexing. No doubt, that situation would be much to the misfortune of the regional countries, even the world at large, the ultimate outcome of which cannot be but detrimental even to the PRC’s interests. This aspect nevertheless bears upon the PLA’s mandate, hawkish expectations coming both from within its ranks as well as through popular obsession. A discussion on the leadership of the CCP-PLA would remain incomplete without a mention of the PLA’s Political Officer Cadre. These political-soldiers play the role of interface between the above mentioned three groups of CCP’s policy-framers, and therefore, stand to garner the maximum advantages in the game of power-play. A good number of the top leadership of PRC-CCP comes from this cadre. Presidents of the PRC, General Secretaries of the CCP and Chairmen of the CMC, past and present, have risen from that background and therefore have enjoyed strong camaraderie base among the military hierarchy. Influence of this cadre in nurturing the CCP-PLA engagement has ever been overwhelming. Point to reiterate is that each of the factions of the CCP-PLA leadership described here have a mix of civilian

and military stake-holders; common ideals and interests subsuming the diversities of civilian-military characteristics, particularly when there is solidarity among the new generation members who subscribe to the caveat of continuation of Party Rule. Having dusted off the traces of communist economy in thepost-1980 era, all the three power-groups are one in their commitment to perpetuation of the Party-Rule – “for the sake of China’s great future”, as they aver. Notably, having suffered to no end under the Maoist cult, serious concerns of emergence of another’ supreme leader’ or ‘power-gang’ continues to bother the CCP. All efforts are made therefore to nip in the bud the emergence of any such leader or coterie – indictment of Bo Cilia for example – and select the ruling functionaries of the autocracy through consultations, grooming and consensus within the Politburo.

The State’s Nurturing of the Soldiery In continuity with the theme of the New Dispensation, the CMC has propounded its mission of building a powerful military. Enjoining it as a bounden responsibility of the servicemen of the current generation, the focus is on the meaningful com-

bat training and buildup of modern combat power with ‘Chinese characteristics’. The ultimate mandate, of course, is to have as a national – Party, actually - asset, a “strong military capable of supporting the progress for building a powerful China”, as it has been described.

Conclusion There are points of stresses among the groups of communist and combat generals and between the PLA and the Party apparatus. The tangle is further complicated by dynamic permutations and combinations of hawkish and rationalist approaches, and internal turbulence within the PLA’s policy-making hierarchy. Meanwhile, the Politburo experiences pulls and pressures, either to accelerate China’s diplomatic-military assertiveness or to defer it, and either to administer upon the regional players the consequences of trying to contain her sabre-dance or to mouth reassuring syllables to calm them down till the time to discipline the intransigence is ripe. PRC’s hot and cold stance on American involvement in Asia-Pacific, arbitrary claims over East and South China Sea, and territorial claims over neighbouring countries point to that situation. Of course, the PLA, in true communist tradition, must be a major factor in such of the PRC’s political and diplomatic articulations. The PLA is under varying degree of influences: old communism, rising nationalism and professionalism. But the CCP has seen through such stresses before; it will do so in the foreseeable future too. Meanwhile, as the CCP-PLA engagement gets steadied, the hapless victims of PRC’s brazen aggressiveness – termed as ‘assertiveness’ indifference to her ability to inflict economical and military punishment - might find the three decade old break from military arm-twisting coming to an end. The author is member of the Executive Council, VIF

Chinese Communist Party Conference at session

N O V E M B E R 2014

Pak soldiers fire to uproot Hindus M

any in the Indian Army believe that the latest firing by the Pakistani Army targeting the border villages is to unsettle the local Hindu population and thus give a new dimension to the ongoing skirmishes at the border. The Pakistani army, indoctrinated in large part by religious fundamentalism seems to be

testing the Indian government, led by Modi on new dimension. A senior Army official was quoted as saying that unsettling civilians along the IB is far more impactful from the Pakistani point of view because locals there comprise the Hindu population.

N O V E M B E R 2014

The civilian population in Arnia, a town that lies a kilometre away from the IB, is wondering why their homes and shops were pounded overnight. Pawan Kumar, who has fled to a relief camp with his entire family, said they thought Pakistan would think twice before targeting them after Narendra Modi came to power. Another army official was quoted saying that the Pakistani army rarely target Muslim villagers on our side. Since the border shelling began, more than 10 civilians have died and over 70 have been injured. As many as 20,000 civilians from 70 villages have been dislocated. A senior army officer at the Udhampur-based Northern Command said that there have hardly been infiltration attempts at the IB in the last four years. Two terror attacks that have taken place along the IB in Hiranagar and Samba targeted those forces and not the civilians. This has the Pakistani forces chafed to no end. Many in the Indian army believe that if the Pakistani army is indeed working on a religious sum game while daring the Modi government, it has added a whole new layer to the conflict between the two neighbors. How the new government and army will handle this new dimension needs to be seen.

Madrasas & Terrorists

Burdwan Blast Uncovers the Holy Nexus

What has worsened things is the growing number of Madrasas, which give cover to terrorists to radicalise the youths and provide them with arms training. There are more than 500 illegal Madrasas operating in West Bengal alongside their legal counterparts, which are funded by the government. â&#x20AC;˘ Narayan Ammachchi

n the evening of October 2, a powerful bomb went off in a two-storeyed building owned by Trinamool Congress legislator Nurul Hasan Chowdhury at Burdwan, a small and impoverished town of West Bengal dominated by illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The explosion killed two persons and injured one. A police team rushing to rescue victims found itself blocked by two women, with guns who threatened to shoot them. At the scene, police found leaflets from al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Indian Mujahedeen. Soon, it emerged that the deceased were terrorists and the injured guy was on a wanted list of the Intelligence Bureau. Also, they discovered a cache of arms and ammunition at the building, which was partially ripped apart as a result of the blast. Interestingly, rather than pick up ammunitions to use as evidence in courts, police started destroying them. District police chief SMH Meerza almost went to the extent of declaring the terrorists as â&#x20AC;&#x153;innocentsâ&#x20AC;?, saying the dead had no criminal antecedents and that the bombs were crude. But CID inspector Amar Kumar Mondal, who led the bomb squad, admitted to defusing 55 IEDs and RDX. The truth started trickling in as the National Investigating Agency (NIA) took over the case and began inquiry. Slowly, it emerged that the

house was a bomb factory and the Trinamool politician was a guardian of terrorists, and the building served as the Trinamool party office, too. The news shocked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, already scrambling to save her seat after the Sarada chit fund scandal left thousands of Bengalis broke and distressed. At first, Mamata resisted investigation from a national agency and quickly set up a special team of policemen to inquire into. But the NIA insisted that it should interrogate the detainees to find out who were their backers, how big is their network and if they had hatched plans to carry out blasts elsewhere in the country. Mamata had already smelt the rat,

yet she could do nothing but give in to pressure. Her minority appeasement, combined with rising influx of Bangladeshi immigrants and extreme poverty, has already turned the rural outskirts of West Bengal into a safe haven for terrorists. In September, a Bengali daily brought to light an alleged money transfer of Sarada chit fund money to Jihadi groups in Bangladesh. Then nobody bothered. But Bengalis suddenly realised the magnitude of the problem when the bomb went off in the building owned by a Trinamool leader. Detained Choudhary now says he did not try to learn the background of his potential tenant when he decided to rent out the first floor of his building.

N O V E M B E R 2014

Mamata and Madrasas W

est Bengal is home to the largest number of Madrasas (Islamic religious schools) in the country. An endless appeasing of Muslims by political parties, particularly Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, and the insatiable ambition of Islamists to spread the influence of their religion are the factors driving the growth of Madrasas in West Bengal. No state government in the country is more eager to please Muslims than the Mamata’s government in West Bengal, which has recently enacted laws to recognise Urdu as the second language in areas where Muslims make up more than 10 percent of the population. She has even relaxed laws to grant financial aid to more than a thousand unrecognised Madrasas. What’s more, Mamata gifted Aliah University with 20 acres of land in Rajarhat (The Aliah University is said to be building an expansive campus at the cost of Rs 62 crore in Park Circus.) In the annual budget for 2012- 2013, she earmarked Rs. 570 crore for the Minority Affairs & Madarasa Education Department. It seems she is preferring Muslim votes to national security. Earlier in June, she issued orders to recognise 10,000 Madrasas, most of

Local cops have been accused of trying to hush up the blast. They destroyed the seized IEDs, bombs and explosives before central investigators could arrive. What has worsened things is the growing number of Madrasas, which give cover to terrorists to radicalise the youths and provide them with arms training. There are more than 500 illegal Madrasas operating in West Bengal alongside their legal counterparts, which are funded by the government. It seemed terrorists found houses of politicians secure places to make bombs. Still behind bars, Chaudhary is yet to reveal his links to terrorist outfits and knowledge about other bomb factories in the state. According to local press reports, all detained terrorists are members of the banned Jamaat-ul Mujahideen, a Bangladeshi outfit, and they had begun their operation in 2011.

N O V E M B E R 2014

which are mushrooming along the border with Bangladesh. In addition, the government has begun paying salary to Imams and other religious clerics, something not heard elsewhere in the country. It is estimated that there are more than 4,600 illegal Madrasas in West Bengal, followed by Utttar Pradesh and Maharashtra with 3,800 and 3,000 respectively. At the forefront are Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami and Jamaat-ul-Islami, which are busy buying agriculture lands on the outskirts of Kolkota in order to build religious schools. They are sure that Mamata’s government, leaning on Muslim votes, will not demolish their schools. Though the government showered Islamists with cash, it forgot to keep a watch on what is happening in the Madrasas. The National Investigative Agency probing the Burdwan blast says it found secret tunnels beneath a ground of mud houses, which in the past served as Madrasas. It goes on saying that the tunnel was used to store arms and ammunition and escape in the event of police raid.

Mamata Banerjee at an Iftar Building Madrasas has become a fashion for religious zealots in West Bengal after ‘The Hindu’ reported two years ago that an increasing number of Hindus were enrolling in Islamic religious schools in the state. The Hindu’s report was based on a statement of a local Islamic cleric rather than the ground reality. (A lot of publications in the Arab world republished the article assuming it to be real)

Though the government is spending crores of rupees on these religious schools, it barely attempted to know what happened behind their closed walls. A latest investigation revealed that one of the Madrasas even has a tunnel, an apparent escape route for terrorist at the event of a raid. Worse still, it even dismissed NIA requests for interrogating the suspects. The terrorist were closely associated with Madrasas, about 40 kms from the blast site, whose financial backers included Jamaat-ul Mujahideen (JuMB), some Wahabi trusts and NGOs based in the Gulf countries. It is not clear why the intelligence agency did not ask the state government to put the Madrasas under surveillance despite knowing that terror suspects – such as Sohail Mehfooz and Mohammed Bilal –frequented them.

1000 foreign-funded NGOs under scanner

ore than 10,000 NGOs receiving foreign funding in the country have come under the scanner of the Union Home Ministry after they failed to submit their mandatory annual returns for three years at a stretch between 2009 and 2012. The MHA’s rap to the NGOs has come after it scrutinised records of all NGOs receiving foreign donations in the country and found their annual returns missing. Soon after the Narendra Modi government came to power in May, a classified Intelligence Bureau report had reportedly complained of “anti-development’’ activities of several foreign funded nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), saying they were “negatively impacting economic development’’ by agitating against big infrastructure projects. The MHA has now issued notices to as many as 10,331 foreign funded NGOs across states, including 400 in the national capital itself, saying their registration will be cancelled for violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) if their annual returns are not filed with the Central government within the stipulated timeframe. The MHA wants details of their income, expenditure, balance sheets among other documents, clearly showing the source of foreign wealth and the activities for which it has been put to use. Showing the rule book to the NGOs, the MHA in a strong missive has said that apart from the NGOs

which are receiving foreign funds on an annual basis, those associations which did not receive foreign contribution during a particular year, but are registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), are also required to furnish a “NIL return’’ for that financial year within the stipulated time frame. It has categorically said that non-submission of mandatory annual return is in violation of the FCRA 2010 and FCRR 2011. The list of erring foreign-funded NGOs includes the highest 1,441 NGOs in Andhra Pradesh, 1,167 in Uttar Pradesh, 1,108 in Tamil Nadu, 990 in Maharashtra, 821 in Karnataka, 748 in West Bengal, 655 in Bihar, 643 in Orissa, 538 in Kerala, 400 in Delhi, 378 in Gujarat, 38 in Jammu and Kashmir and 130 in Assam among others.

Preserving Traditional Sculpture

ri Venkateswara Institute of Traditional Sculpture and Architecture (SVITSA) at Tirumala is one of only two institutions offering courses in traditional sculpture and architecture to students in India. The Thirumala Thirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) run SVITSA is a unique institute. It provides education and training to the students free of cost apart from providing free board and lodging to them during the

N O V E M B E R 2014

four-year course. Another significant factor is that after successful completion of the training, the students can stand on their own legs as the TTD deposits Rs.1 lakh in the name of the student in a bank when they get admitted to the institution. The student is given back this amount along with the accrued interest after completion of the course. TTD also provides job opportunities to the students in its workshop for sculpting the idols of Gods and Goddesses. TTD started the Sri Venkateswara Silpakala Sikshana Kendram (SVSSK) in 1960 to preserve the ancient art of sculpture and temple architecture for future generations. The response from students was tremendous following which they introduced a diploma course and developed the institute as SVITSA in 1985 and got recognition from the government of Andhra Pradesh.

About the institute SVITSA offers seven different diploma courses in subjects such as Temple Architecture, Stone Sculpture, Sudai Sculpture, Metal Sculpture, Wood Sculpture, Traditional Painting and Traditional Kalamkari Art. In each course, 10 students are trained. The training is given in carving of idols of Gods and Goddesses. SVITSA is affiliated to the Andhra Pradesh State Board of Technical Education and Training. The institution is a co-educational one and the entire course of study is free of cost. For non-local students, free lodging and boarding is being provided by the TTD. Separate hostels are being maintained for boys and girls by the institution.

Most Muslims want Sharia to be the official law of the land

n Overwhelming percentage of Muslims in many countries want Islamic law (Sharia) to be the official law of the land, according to a worldwide survey by the Pew Research Center. The survey involved more than 38,000 face-to-face interviews in 80-plus languages. It covered Muslims

N O V E M B E R 2014

in 39 countries, which are divided into six regions in this report â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Southern and Eastern Europe (Rus-

sia and the Balkans), Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. While most favour using religious law in family and property disputes, fewer support the application of severe punishments – such as whippings or cutting off hands – in criminal cases. The survey also shows that Muslims differ widely in how they interpret certain aspects of Sharia, including whether divorce and family planning are morally acceptable. Regional Differences Attitudes toward Islamic law vary significantly by region. Support for making Sharia the law of the land is highest in South Asia (median of 84%). Medians of at least six-in-ten Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa (64%), the Middle East-North Africa region (74%) and Southeast Asia (77%) also favour enshrining Sharia as official law. But in two regions, far fewer Muslims say Islamic law should be endorsed by their governments: Southern and Eastern Europe (18%) and Central Asia (12%). Support for enshrining Sharia as official law is particularly high in some countries with predominantly Muslim populations, such as Afghanistan and Iraq. But it is not limited to countries where Muslims make up a majority of the population. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, Muslims constitute less than a fifth of the population in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique and Uganda; yet in each of these countries, at least half of Muslims (52%-74%) say they want Sharia to be the official law of the land. Conversely, in some countries where Muslims make up more than 90% of the population, relatively few want their government to codify Islamic law; this is the case in Tajikistan (27%), Turkey (12%) and Azerbaijan (8%).

Al Qaeda’s nefarious plans

l Qaeda, the group responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center and which had no reported presence in India till now, has joined hands with Indian terror outfits like the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) to plan a series of bombings in the country during the festival season, top officials with access to intel-

ligence inputs have warned. The two groups - one a global militant organisation founded by Osama bin Laden and the other a home grown Indian outfit - were found to have joined forces when investigators discovered their roles in the recent Burdwan and Bijnor bombings. Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri announced on September 4 the forming of its group’s wing in the country, by promising in a video posted online the need to spread Islamic rule and “raise the flag of jihad” across the “Indian subcontinent”. With the erstwhile IM now having no presence in India, Al Qaeda looked for a new partner and found it in the shape of SIMI, which has a pan-India network. Intelligence sources say that to impart a big blow in India, Al Qaeda and SIMI had chosen the month of October and their motive was to conduct a series of bombings on Dussehra and Eid-ul-Adha. However, the accidental blast in Burdwan in West Bengal put paid to the terrorists’ sinister plans. Two suspected militants - Shakil Ahmed and Sovan Mandal - were killed and another person Hasan Saheb was injured in the October 2 explosion in a house in Khagragarh in Burdwan town. Four people, including two women, have been arrested in the case till now. The investigative agencies are on high alert and are not going to take any chances by leaving any loopholes during Diwali. The Burdwan blast has confirmed Al Qaeda’s role and its motive, while the September 12 Bijnor blast in Uttar Pradesh has also affirmed SIMI’s role. Intel-

N O V E M B E R 2014

ligence officials believe that the recovery of two cartons full of bundles containing 20 match boxes each, a small liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder fitted with wires, two electronic chips and a metal pipe recovered from a house in Bijnor, where the blast took place on the morning of September 12, is indicative of the possibility that sleeper cells of the banned SIMI are on revival path.

Hinduism is a global legacy: Mohan Bhagwat

peaking at the launch of the international edition of Encyclopedia of Hinduism at Vijnan Bhavan in

New Delhi, RSS Sarasanghachalak Mohanji Bhagwat said that Hinduism was earlier called “Manav Dharam” as it is for everyone. People living in India consider Hinduism as a global legacy, he said stressing that “Dharam” does not divide people but unites them. He said people of India had not considered it an ancestral property but “a legacy for the world”. He also highlighted the pragmatic and global dimensions of the Hindu ‘Dharma’, and its exceptional character. He distinguished between religion and rituals, spoke of the need to be flexible while rooted, prioritised experience over any written text. He said that Hinduism is the legacy of Hindus but it is for the whole world and today the world wants it.

N O V E M B E R 2014

He said “Dharam” was being identified with rituals but its meaning is duty. Dharam is what binds and not what causes divisions he said. He said there was no word in English which connotes the full meaning of “Dharam” and people had started using the word religion for it. He stressed that one should know what is Dharam and then follow it. Bhagwatji said while it is important for people outside India to have correct knowledge about Hinduism, it was even more important that people in the country have this knowledge. RSS Sarasanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat and Vice President of India Hamid Ansari jointly launched the Encyclopedia of Hinduism, a mammoth 11-volume project involving 1,000 contributors. In his speech, Vice President Hamid Ansari said the selection of entries on different concepts in the encyclopedia as well as the identification of historical significance was comprehensive. He also said that exclusivity in domain knowledge has to be ruled out and expertise should be judged objectively and sought globally. A project of India Heritage Research Foundation guided by Swami ChidanandSaraswatiji, president of ParmarthNiketan, Rishikesh, the encyclopedia is in 11 volumes and has approximately 7,000 entries. The project was initiated in order to put forward the correct facts about Hinduism and culture 25 years ago. It was presented to President Pranab Mukherjee earlier this year, and will be launched by UK PM David Cameron in London later in October. Among those present were Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit.

LoC conflict: Fitting reply to Pak

n response to the relentless unprovoked attack by the Pakistani forces on the J&K border, the army has been asked by the Indian government to retaliate heavily to firing from Pakistan and reject talks until all firing stops at the border in Jammu and Kashmir. India has decided not to hold any flag-meet with Pakistan terming them pointless. Pakistan’s mortar-bomb attacks and rattle of heavy guns had sent thousands of residents in border villages scurrying for cover. They fled their mudhouses on buses, tractor-trollies and bullock-carts

to safer places in Jammu leaving behind deserted hamlets. In a “massive retaliation”, the Indian army fired back all along the 200-kilometre-long International Border. The attack targeted 37 Pakistani border posts, resulting in around 15 deaths. More than 30 were injured and seriously damaged the outposts manned by the Pakistani Rangers, intelligence sources said. India’s response to the ceasefire violations was monitored at the highest level with the NSA Ajit Doval seeking hourly reports from the ground. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, who was recently discharged from AIIMS, has also been monitoring the situation along the border. In escalating ceasefire violations that continued in October, Pakistani troops targeted over 60 Border Outposts and 25 border hamlets with heavy mortar shells in the Jammu sector and LoC areas in Poonch district, leaving 12 people including a BSF jawan and a Jt Commanding Officer injured.

Pak army ‘testing’ PM Modi?

ormer diplomat G Parthasarathy says that the Pakistani army appears to be determined to check out how different Narendra Modi will be from his predecessors. Writing in the “Economic Times”, Parthasara-

thy said many wonder as to why Nawaz Sharif, besieged by domestic problems, with his army heavily deployed fighting the Pakistani Taliban along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, suddenly decided to

escalate tensions along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The answer is that Pakistan’s security policies are not decided by the prime minister, but by his namesake, General Raheel Shareef. The ISI challenged Modi on the day he was sworn in by getting the Indian Consulate in Herat attacked. This was followed by testing India’s will by stepping up infiltration across the LoC. The Indian response was robust. The attention then turned to stirring up trouble within Jammu and Kashmir, so that it remained a focus of world attention as a ‘Nuclear Flashpoint’. Infiltration of Jihadis across the Line of Control would be meaningless for Pakistan, unless unrest in Jammu and Kashmir would produce the equivalent of a Palestinian Intifada, together with periodic shootouts that would receive international attention. There is disappointment in Rawalpindi that even the normally supportive British Parliamentarians did not oblige them during recent parliamentary discussions on Jammu and Kashmir. A major weapon in Pakistan’s political arsenal in the Kashmir Valley has been the Hurriyat leadership. Despite constant support from the ISI, the Hurriyat was unable to stir up tensions in the Kashmir valley. Moreover, the ISI’s long time stalwart, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, is now aging and unwell. Mirwaiz Umar Farookh is regarded as soft and Hamlet like. The floods that tore apart the Kashmir valley have come as a boon to the ISI. A propaganda barrage has been unleashed claiming that the government and the Indian Army have done nothing to rescue and assist stranded and displaced Kashmiris. The major challenge that New Delhi now faces in Jammu and Kashmir is not militancy, but in providing relief and rehabilitation for the population in the Kashmir valley, after the snows commence next month and communications are disrupted. Pakistan knows that India has the capabilities to deal with infiltration, especially as large parts of the LoC are now fenced. The paramilitary forces along the border and LoC like the BSF and Indo-Tibetan Border Police should be equipped with enhanced firepower. Parthasarathy concludes by saying that while responding robustly, New Delhi should also raise the political and diplomatic costs for Pakistan if it persists with its present policies.

N O V E M B E R 2014

RNI KARENG/2000/2368 Aseema English Monthly. Postal Reg. MNG/504/2012-2014 Publishing and Posting date : First of every month @ konchady post office