Think South Asia NO3 by South Asia

SADF Bulletin N.º03 Tuesday, 09th October 2012 www.sadf.eu

Think South Asia

Editorial

António Vieira da Cruz Editor of Think South Asia Policy Advisor of South Asia Demcratic Forum

“(...) we are proud to present as the biggest and most important conference ever held on the topic of South Asia in Brussels.”

In this edition of Think South Asia you will find plenty of details on what we are proud to present as the biggest and most important conference ever held on the topic of South Asia in Brussels, under the title, “The Merits of Regional Cooperation: The Case of South Asia” (part II). This important event will take place next 11th of October in the Hotel Sofitel Brussels at Place Jourdan, marking the legislative year of the European Institutions. This will present an amazing opportunity to discuss - with worldwide academic and political experts and understand some of the most important issues in South Asia, such as Peace and Stability, Economic Cooperation, and Development. Perhaps one of the main expectations of this conference will be the presentation of a study on

Education in Bangladesh conducted by Professor N. M. Sajjadul Hoque, from the University of Chittagong. His study is titled, “Reviewing the Education Policy of Bangladesh” and he tries to answer the question, “Is the Present Education Policy Adequate for Countering Terrorism and Religious and Ethnic Intolerance?”. As per his findings, nine out of ten people in Bangladesh believe that Education is an important means to face the challenges of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh, and the overwhelming majority (85%) feel that it is important to incorporate these issues in the New Education Policy of Bangladesh, as well as the educational curriculum and text books/syllabuses “as a matter of priority”. In the end, Professor Hoque outlines some important recommendations for Bangladeshi

EDITorial

civil society, the Bangladeshi Government, the International Community in general and the European Union in particular.

“(...) we must condemn vehemently the burning of at 10 Buddhist temples and around 2,100 homes last 29th and 30th of September by extremists in Southern Bangladesh.”

“(...) we must be worried about this phenomena of manipulating mobs to practice violent acts against innocent people who, because of their religion, are treated as scapegoats.”

“(...) the Blasphemy Law of Pakistan is still in vigour and there are yet no signs of its end.” 02

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Yet concerning Bangladesh, we must condemn vehemently the burning of at 10 Buddhist temples and around 2,100 homes last 29th and 30th of September by extremists in Southern Bangladesh. These demonstrations are a reaction to an allegedly insulting image of the Quran posted on Facebook and could be explained when we see the elections coming. In the same vein, we saw also on the 21st of September the burning of a Christian Church in Mardan, Pakistan, by a large mob of extremist Muslims. This happened as a response to the now infamous anti-Islam movie, even if the Christians of Mardan have nothing to do with this film. We must be worried about this phenomena of manipulating mobs to practice violent acts against innocent people who, because of their religion, are treated as scapegoats. As a reflex of this reality, the Blasphemy Law of Pakistan is still in vigour and there are yet no signs of its end: Rimsha Masih, a Christian girl of 11 years old with Down’s Syndrome is being held in prison since the 11th of August 2012, accused of burning pages from a booklet used to teach Arabic and the Quran. Under the Pakistan Penal Code, she could receive life in prison. Rimsha joins Asia Bibi and many others that are in prison

because of this unjust law, and most of the convicted are Muslim. Some intriguing news is also coming in from the Maldives, where after the coup d’état of March 2012 some turbulent riots took place, culminating in the most recent happenings: on the 2nd of October the Member of Parliament and wellknown member of the opposition Mr Afrasheem Ali was stabbed to death near his house; on the 8th of October the former President Mohamed Nasheed was detained and arrested. In addition, four months before the coup d’état, China opened a new embassy in the Maldives. Perhaps it is just a coincidence, perhaps not. It is publicly known that China is carrying out major infrastructure projects in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Several authors say this is part of a Chinese strategy to encircle India and influence its neighbours. But back to the Maldives, although the current government and some reports don’t recognise there was really a coup d’état, what else can we conclude from these occurrences? Nevertheless, if we want to understand what is going on in these islands, there is nothing better than reading Djan Sauerborn’s country profile about the Maldives in this number of Think South Asia (pages 04 to 06). Very shortly, we will follow carefully the developments of the Free Trade Agreement negotiations between India and the European Union,

index

where we can see the most recent point of tension is the retail market. The entrance of big European retail companies into the Indian market could lower retail prices in India even more but, on the other hand, traditional commerce and small shops would be forced to close in a medium/long run. It will be very interesting to see what develops. Back to Brussels, the former Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr Puspa Kamal Dahal, known as “Prachanda”, will visit the European Parliament in Brussels next 15th of October. Former guerrilla leader and chairman of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Prachanda was invited by MEPs Nirj Deva and Jean Lambert. Mrs Jean Lambert is the Chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia within the European Parliament and honours us with an interview in this edition, where she speaks of the reconciliation process with the Tamils in Sri Lanka. In the next edition of Think South Asia, we will report the main conclusions of our conference, “The Merits of Regional Cooperation: The Case of South Asia”. If you do not want to wait so long and would instead like to attend, please register and take one of the last seats available by sending us an email to events@sadf.eu or by consulting our website at www.sadf.eu.

04 Country

15 Interview

07 Heidelberg

16 SADF Event

08 Main

21 South Asia

Profile

Space

Article

News

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country profile

Maldives

Djan Sauerborn

Assistant to the Director of Research at South Asia Democratic Forum. Research Assistant at the Department of Political Science, South Asia Institute (SAI) in Heidelberg University.

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The Republic of Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka consists of about 1200 coral islets (only 200 are populated) and is spread across an area of 90,000 sq km. With about 394,500 inhabitants Maldives has the smallest population in Asia of which more than a quarter live in the capital Malé. The first settlers who were predominantly Buddhist seafarers from southern India and Sri Lanka populated the Maldives in the 5th century B.C. In addition cultural infusion from the Arab Peninsula and East Africa influenced the highly dispersed group of Islands. In 1200 AD the last Buddhist king converted to Islam. Sunni Islam is the state law of the Maldives and only Muslims can obtain citizenship, the practice of other forms of faith is punishable by law. Dhivehi, which is a derivate of Sinhala, is the main language of the Maldives; due to its open market economy and tourism English is also commonly spoken and referred to as the second main language.

In October 2009 the relatively unknown archipelago made the headlines worldwide for being the first country to hold a cabinet meeting under water. The purpose for this unusual endeavor was to create awareness for the Maldives’ struggle with climate change. The cabinet met sub aqua to sign a declaration which was to be forwarded to the U.N. climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark demanding large cuts in carbon emissions. A reporter approaching the then President Nasheed asking him what consequences the disapproval of the declaration would have, received a grim answer: “if that happens, we are all going to die”. According to the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) sea levels will rise to 18 cm. Nasheed promised his fellow Maldivians that they would not “end up in refugee camps if the worst happens”. The Maldivian government has made it one of its core tasks to seek for lands the country could acquire if forced to

country profile evacuate their country. Sri Lanka and India are high on the list due to similar culture and climate. Sadly sea levels are not the only thing on the rise. Sociopolitical conflict and turmoil have also reached the shores of the country many describe as the paradise on earth. Two main paradigms have influenced the Maldivian discourse negatively this year: The rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the “coup d’état”. The former reached its pivotal point when in January of 2012 the government ordered the shutdown of all spas and health centers operated by resorts on the island. The conservative “Adhaalath Party” justified its “call for closure” by accusing these recreational retreats of promoting prostitution. Many protesters went a step further and demanded a complete ban on selling alcohol as well as direct flights to Israel. If the government had not nullified the proposals put forward the negative impact on tourism, the strongest pillar of the Maldivian economy, would have surely been insurmountable. This

is nevertheless a troubling warning signal for this young republic which has traditionally been known for its liberal, open and tolerant interpretation of Islam. Some officials state that this initiative by conservative forces was only the tip of a much larger Iceberg, pointing to the increasing support within the archipelago state for the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many liberals in the Maldives discount this notion as a severe form of hysteria. But there have been incidents in the past that shine light on the hull of the iceberg. In 2002, Ibrahim Fauzee, a Maldivian citizen was deported to Guantanamo bay by the US for having ties to the Al Qaeda. One year later posters praising Osama bin Laden popped up on the walls of a school. In 2007 foreign tourists were injured in an explosion in the Sultan’s Park in Male. The question if these occurrences are enough to justify speaking of a radical Islamic threat to the Maldives is hard to answer, but authorities should stay alert and not be little these events.

“Sadly sea levels are not the only thing on the rise. Sociopolitical conflict and turmoil have also reached the shores of the country (...)”

“Some officials point to the increasing support within the archipelago state for the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

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country profile

“The question remains if the legal nature of this case also leads to legitimacy. It comes as no surprise that many analysts speak of a «quasi-coup d’état».”

“The situation in the Maldives is quite fragile: a young democracy, with nascent institutions experiencing a troublesome power transition whilst pursuing a national decentralization program is prone to experience turmoil.”

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The murder of Afrashim Ali, a lawmaker for the Progressive Party of the Maldives on October the 2nd linked to the ouster of former President Nasheed marked another low point in the power struggle of the Maldives. On February 7th 2012, President Nasheed was (in his words) forced to step down from office. Analysts, politicians and the media differ on the question of legitimacy of this power transition. Some view it as the act of an aggressive junta that removed a democratically elected President in a military coup others such as India and the US have called the new government “legitimate”, since Nasheed, by coercion or not, resigned and a successor Mohammed Waheed Hassan was sworn in. A National Inquiry commissioned by the Commonwealth came to the conclusion that the power transition was “legal and constitutional” and Nasheed’s resignation was “voluntary”. The rationale behind the swift endorsement of this inquiry by several nations indicates a strong sense of “Realpolitik”. Nasheed skipped his trial on October the 1st and continued campaigning for the elections in 2013. Voices however are being raised that the three judges presiding over the case have been hand-picked in violation of the legal framework. In addition it seems questionably how the Inquiry can state that power transition was “legal” but at the same time recognize a police mutiny that occurred simultaneously as well as “serious problems” with the rule of law. The question remains if the legal nature of this case also leads to legitimacy. It comes as no surprise that many analysts speak of a “quasi-coup d’état”.

Concluding one can state that although the Maldives have been successful in reaching almost all “Millennium Development Goals” (MDG) as well as being removed from the list of “Least Developed Countries” (LDCs) internal as well as external actors need to put this young democracy on the right track again before it regresses back to autocratic patterns. The “ouster” of Nasheed did not only bring about a new government, but also initiated various reforms in the justice system. The situation in the Maldives is quite fragile: a young democracy, with nascent institutions experiencing a troublesome power transition whilst pursuing a national decentralization program is prone to experience turmoil. On October 8th the former President was arrest over allegations that he illegally ordered the arrest of a judge while in office. Nasheed faces a maximum jail sentence of three years or the banishment to a remote island if found guilty. After the arrest the situation heated up rapidly as pro-Nasheed protesters clashed with riot police. The importance of a mature dialogue which includes all involved actors and is ideally supervised and supported by neutral external forces (SAARC, UNDP, EU) is paramount. Or in the words of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, “without a consensus on how to proceed the country will be unable to deal with the political, economic and environmental challenges which will determine its future.”

Heidelberg space

The Merits of Regional Cooperation: The Case of South Asia South Asia has reached a pivotal point in time. Even a passing view of the current developments shows that the entire subcontinent is in transition and has reached a crossroads. With Pakistan entangled in the realities of instability, enmeshed in Afghanistan (which still faces the bleak possibility of major armed conflict), Sri Lanka in a state of sullen peace after decades of civil war, The Republic of the Maldives confused after the ousting of its first democratically elected President in a ‘coup-like scenario’, Nepal deeply trapped in a constitutional crisis, Bhutan trying to find its own way towards ‘national happiness’, Bangladesh hampered by political polarisation, and India increasingly looking beyond the region, South Asia, or so it seems, has made little progress towards cohesive, purposeful and effective regional cooperation. But this only partly reflects the reality on the ground. The dynamics of South Asian regional integration are changing: voices from within the region are increasingly advocating a break with past trajectories in order to achieve security, economic development and public welfare, as well as to solve the multi-layered identity crises of South Asian states. But what could the driving forces for regional cooperation be? In tackling this complex puzzle, the Conference will address the issues of how to combat terrorism, fight ethnic

and religious intolerance, develop governance for peace, analyse the role of education, shed light on the economic sector and its impact on regional integration with a special focus on trade and the experience of other regional entities, foremost of which is the European Union. Furthermore, the rising importance of food security, climate change and intelligent energy as well as open internet access for an efficient society will be taken on by nine respective workshops during this one day conference. As a dialogue platform, the aim of the conference is twofold: firstly, to bring together and bridge the gap between leading experts and young professionals in International Relations, Strategic Affairs, Environment, Politics and Economic Issues related to Regional Integration and Cooperation in South Asia; secondly, to send a message to the European and South Asian institutions about the positive ramifications of a re-strengthened SAARC for Europe, South Asia and the rest of the world, as well as to identify ways of how one could help make this happen. Instead of continuing the parade of debates of insurmountable hurdles and challenges, this conference attempts to identify the merits of regional cooperation in South Asia in order to enhance peace, stability and democracy in the region.

Siegfried O. Wolf

Director of Research of South Asia Democratic Forum; Lecturer in International Relations and Comparative Politics at the South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University, Germany.

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Main history

Reviewing Education Policy of Bangladesh:

Is the Present Education Policy Adequate for Countering Terrorism, Religious and Ethnic Intolerance?

Sajjadul Hoque

Anthropologist and Professor at the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. General Secretary of South Asia Youth for Peace and Prosperity Society (SAYPPS).

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Bangladesh, the seventh most populous and fourth largest Muslim country in the World, has a number of political parties which conduct their politics on the basis of religious ideology. Religionbased political parties attempt to tempt people to join them through religion; they try to motivate people, especially young minds, through different activities. These kinds of political parties even try to incorporate religious and orthodox syllabuses in the educational curriculum in Bangladesh. Religiousbased political parties in Bangladesh are very much active through their student wings in various different educational institutions. They attract and motivate youth, both male and female, through several extra-curricular activities. Initially, they capture the young minds in the name of academic assistance but gradually motivate them religiously and at some stage use them as political weapons. It is now an open secret that these kinds of emerging religiouslymotivated young people are caught in the ‘idea of religious extremism’. The effect of this kind of procedure now becomes dangerous in the society. It is often very common news in the daily

newspapers that teachers, students and youths are captured from different academic institutions for their religiousbased subversive activities, which is affecting the academic atmosphere, religious harmony and societal peace and stability. Bangladesh is often facing the problems of terrorism, religious and ethnic intolerance. Few years back JMB (Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh) and many other organizations members have been caught and sentenced to death for killing people in the name of religion. Religion based political parties plan are to capture the engine of the society in Bangladesh through using young peoples by motivating them religiously. Their goal is capturing state power and establishing the Taliban oriented formula in the state mechanism. Civil society and present Awami League led government of Bangladesh is trying to initiate a non– communal, progressive political and education system in Bangladesh and according to that present government has formulated the National Education Policy (NEP), 2010.

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“Education itself is a catalyst for social change. It empowers people in a way that no other process can.” © AP Photo/Pavel Rahman

Education itself is a catalyst for social change. It empowers people in a way that no other process can. Education has a revolutionary aspect. Education is a powerful instrument in the process of overcoming problems like terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance. Keeping this in mind, I led a team which conducted a study titled, “Reviewing Education Policy of Bangladesh: Is the present education policy adequate for countering terrorism, religious and ethnic intolerance?” which was carried out mainly with the objective of reviewing the New Education Policy (NEP) 2010 of the Bangladeshi government to find out whether issues such as terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance were addressed, and in particular, if there was a focus on facing these challenges through education.

500 respondents were drawn randomly from amongst students, teachers, guardians, journalists and politicians (of different age, religion, gender, educational qualification and ethnicity) and four divisions (Dhaka, Chittgong, Rajshahi and Sylhet) of Bangladesh. Education systems, the current state of terrorism, and religious and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh have been discussed in this study. We reviewed the curriculum and textbooks of two major mainstream education systems, viz, Madrasha and General Education from Class III to Class XII. We also reviewed the syllabuses of both of these systems of education as they appear at different levels i.e. at Primary and Ebtadayee (Primary level of Madrasha education); Junior Secondary and Secondary level (that is, Dakhil in Madrasha education); and Higher Secondary (that is, Alim in Madrasha education).

The study was conducted on the basis of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and both primary and secondary sources were used and analysed. Field investigation began in June 2012 and ended in July 2012.

Amongst the findings of the study, it is revealed that a majority of Bangladeshi people, including teachers and students, are somewhat acquainted with the NEP 2010 of Bangladesh, as in they have heard of it, but that a truly inadequate

percentage (only 37.4%) had a deeper understanding of the NEP, i.e. understand whether important issues such as terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance are included in education policy or not. 47.2% of respondents are not aware of what national education policy addresses and how it impacts the education system. A majority (60%) of people opined that the NEP 2010 was scientific and modern. It was found that when respondents thought that National Education Policy, 2010 and also the present text books/syllabuses/ curriculum address the aforementioned issues they did not think that they did so in proper or effective ways: regarding NEP, 2010 15.2% said ‘Yes’ and 14% said ‘Yes’ regarding present curricula/ syllabuses/text books. Most people surveyed (71.6%) think that terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance are a problem in Bangladesh. Some think that politics and the NEP have a religious bias (40.4% and 17% opined respectively). 43.6% said that the present NEP is not adequate to face the challenges of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance and

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Main history

“The most significant finding is that the vast majority (91.2%) of people believe ‘Education’ is an important means to face the challenges of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh.”

also that it is not an effective method to make teachers, students and others related to the education system to be non-communal (31.20% said it is not effective in doing so) and that the NEP somehow misses the opportunity to incorporate the issues which could face the challenges of terrorism andnreligious, and ethnic intolerance. These issues are not even getting importance standing in classroom teaching: 75% of respondents shared that they do not have any chapter/text in their textbooks or in their education generally countering terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance. Only 19% of students said that their teachers address issues related to terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance. The most significant finding is that the vast majority (91.2%) of people believe ‘Education’ is an important means to face the challenges of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh. They (85%) feel that it is important to incorporate these issues in the NEP, curriculum and text books/ syllabuses as a matter of priority. 48.4% believe that these issues should be introduced from primary level.

“(...) respondents from Madrashah (both teachers and students) did not consider terrorism and religious, ethnic intolerance as problems for Bangladesh.”

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40.6% of those polled believe religiousbased political parties are partially responsible for the problems of terrorism, and religious and ethnic intolerance. In most educational institutions of Bangladesh, religiousbased political parties initiate strong and organised activities through their student wings (63.44% said) but the vast majority (85.6%) of people do not support their activities. Almost half polled (45.2%) believe that religious ideology-based student wings of the political parties have a relationship with

the issues of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance. It was observed during data collection that respondents from Madrashah (both teachers and students) did not consider terrorism and religious, ethnic intolerance as problems for Bangladesh. In fact, they even refused respond to some questions in this regard. Perhaps it could be concluded there is a thinking that if they acknowledge these issues as problems, then it would open the door to the expansion of secularist notions and activities of non-Muslim people in Bangladesh, as well as increasing international interference that could hamper their Islam-dominated ideology. If this is the case, it could be said that the Madrashah system is much-neglected in providing education to counter religious intolerance. This education system itself needs exploring, understanding, embracing and ultimately improvement. During our research it was also discovered that Qwami Madrashah teachers and students are more rigid in their religious views than the more globalthinking teachers and students of the Aliya Madrashah. As mentioned, the teachers of Qwami Madrashah refused to answers some questions. They mainly believe that peace can come only by following the Almighty’s given ways and they also pass this notion to their students. In contrast, Aliya Madrashah provides a more mixed education that includes subjects from the general education stream; they often come out from Madrashah and enroll for higher studies and their thoughts and ideas are much modern than Qwaumi graduates. But none of these notions are enough to address the issues of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance.

Main history According to the responses, the name of the most well-known religious-based student political party is Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir, the student political wing of Jamaaet-e-Islami Bangladesh. Others mentioned by the respondents included Bangladesh Khelaphote Majlish, Bangladesh Chatra Majlish, Ismali Chatra Shangstha, Islami Aikkojot, Islami Chatra Andolon, Hijbut Tahreer Bangladesh (Though HuT is banned by the Bangladesh Government but the leaders and members of HuT are active in different places, especially in the educational institutions of Bangladesh). But the research has found that Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir has dominance in most of the educational institutions of Bangladesh whereas others do not. In recent times, Hijbut Tahreer is taking places insidiously in the institutions. In the case of Aliya Madrashah, the dominance of Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir is great. On the other hand, Qwami does not represent their dominancy. Activities like managing students’ accommodations, helping

poor students financially, helping out the students in risky situations they may find themselves in and an attraction to practicing Islam are all important causes which attract students to join religiousbased political activities in academic institutions. On the other hand, other non-religious-based political parties like Bangladesh Chhatra League (student wing of Bangladesh Awami League), Chhatra Dal (student wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP) and others’ internal factions, clashes and their involvement in violence has presented an image to the students that the religious-based political parties are much more desirable as they are disciplined and organised. Moreover, non-religious student political parties do not “care” for the students as much from the time of recruitment, failing to meet their individual problems, whereas these are properly taken care of by the religious-based student wings. This then becomes a vital way of attracting students to join the religious student wings in the academic institutions.

“(...) the name of the most well-known religiousbased student political party is Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir, the student political wing of Jamaaet-e-Islami Bangladesh.”

“Activities like managing students’ accommodations, helping poor students financially, helping out the students in risky situations they may find themselves in and an attraction to practicing Islam are all important causes which attract students to join religious-based political activities in academic institutions.” © Tom Shaw/Getty Images

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“(...) internal conflict amongst the different indigenous groups, especially in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, is one of the prime causes of violence and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh.”

“While reviewing the NEP 2010, it was also found that the word “secular” has been dropped from present policy.”

“The time has come to take the effective steps in countering terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh through education.”

Moreover, research also found that respondents who were teachers did not admit their involvement in religiousbased political activities during their student lives for fear of losing face. But it is observed that most of them had involvement in religious-based political activities and their recruitments also have some influence of their religiousbased political activities; such as being a member of the student affiliation of with Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. Even then, they still nurture their gained beliefs and philosophy and try to transmit them to their students. These teachers are also involved in decisionmaking processes in the educational institutions to which they belong. Thus their involvement, religious ideology or fundamentalist views and influence of an increasing and ominous manner. It was found during the research that internal conflict amongst the different indigenous groups, especially in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, is one of the prime causes of violence and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh. During one discussion, a Marma (the name of an indigenous group of Bangladesh) student was blaming the dominancy of the Chakmas (the name of an indigenous group of Bangladesh) along with other factors in hill areas. The Chakmas form a majority in terms of population among the indigenous people. They have more access to and facilities in every sector than the indigenous groups. It was clear from the discussion of the Marma respondent that the Chakmas are also responsible for creating inequality among the indigenous people of Bangladesh. While reviewing the NEP 2010, it was also found that the word “secular” has

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been dropped from present policy. From the reviews of NEP 2010 and books, syllabuses and from our study, it can be concluded overall, that the present education system of Bangladesh is not strong enough to counter terrorism, religious and ethnic intolerance. Even the NEP 2010 itself has been developed after long term review, taking account of public opinion and expert ideas but still, it is simply not strong enough. The failure of the State in satisfying the basic needs of the people, the growing criminalisation of economy and politics, the growing inequality in society, the increasing youth unemployment, the lack of people’s confidence in mainstream democratic political leadership, the external environment, the communalisation of culture and education and religious biasness in all most every sector of the State, all contribute to the growth of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh. It can be understood simply today that religion works as a very powerful controller in politics and education policy as well as in education system of Bangladesh. Though the government of Bangladesh does not admit to it, they carry propaganda as so-called secularist thoughts. While submitting the report of the aforementioned research topic, another brutal incident happened in Bangladesh - extremists vandalized and torched Buddhists’ temples. On September 30, 2012 mobs demolished 12 Buddhists temples and monasteries and more than 50 houses in Ramu Upazila at Cox’s bazar. Some terrorists also

Main history

destroyed two monasteries and a Hindu temple in Chittagong and torched two monasteries at Ukhia and five houses at Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar. Given recent incidents therefore, one can guess easily the future consequences of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh. Bangladesh as a country in South Asia and also as one of the Muslim-dominant countries should not wait for nature to take its course but instead use education now as a mean to counter these issues straight away. The international community should also come forward to help Bangladesh in this regard; otherwise they will also be affected in this globalized world. Education is the only way that one can sustain behaviours and norms. So, renewing the education system as well as education policy should be done as a matter of priority to reduce tensions in society. All activities and plans should be thought through so that these can contribute to reducing tensions between cultural, religious or ethnic groups. Plans for managing education should include extra time and effort for establishing everyone’s commitment to the idea of equal access to education and learning for all. The time has come to take the effective steps in countering terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh through education. Some recommendations have been given below on the basis of the aforementioned research project: •

Revise the National Education Policy 2010, to incorporate

specifically the issues of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance; •

A multicultural approach to teaching should be introduced in teachers’ manuals;

•

Incorporate these issues from elementary level up to higher level as per student’s understanding capacity;

•

Heads of educational institutions, especially heads of universities, should take initiatives to introduce the issues like terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance through revising syllabuses of different departments. They can even address these issues through teaching-learning processes;

•

The government should seriously think about the reform of the outdated madrasa curriculum, especially of Qwami madrasa;

•

Create awareness among madrasa teachers, students and their guardians that they will be the beneficiary of the reform;

•

There is an urgent need to carefully scrutinise the syllabus contents and the textbooks at all levels to ensure that these encourage closer inter-faith and inter-cultural understanding;

•

Encourage communication and dialogue between followers of different faiths. Encourage the students and teachers to bear true respect and understanding for all faiths and cultures;

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Withdraw text books promoting religious hatred and communal disharmony, to be replaced by books that encourage interfaith harmony and peace;

•

Bring all madrasa, English medium schools as well as all educational institutions under state control and supervision;

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Start more vocational schools around the country. Stream madrasa students into various vocational courses or start vocational course in the madrasas;

•

Promote debate, discussion and free-thinking in society;

•

We need to convince scholars and people generally that the aim of education reform is not to curtail the Islamic education in the country, but rather to improve the quality of education and make it more relevant in today’s world;

Invest more in mainstream education by providing better schools and special incentives for the poor and underprivileged;

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•

All religious scholars must provide leadership in fighting against all forms of terrorism and religious and ethnic intolerance; Effective steps are needed to alleviate poverty and illiteracy, because people often turn to terrorism in exchange for money, having no proper knowledge of the consequences of their actions;

•

“Political will” without religious biasness is the most important factor to curb terrorism;

•

Activities of religion based political parties need to be under close observation to check formation of extremists in educational institutes as well;

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Promotion of interfaith studies in all education curriculums is required;

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•

Disassociation of teachers and students politics from the politics of national political parties;

•

Student and teacher politics should be concerned with various aspects of education only;

•

Monetary benefits provided to students by political parties should be stopped;

•

Academic institutions should provide a good environment such as accommodation, etc. for their students;

•

Job guarantee at the end of student life;

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Encourage mixing of members of different political/ethnic/ religious groups in formal and informal settings;

•

Emphasis on moral education;

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Promote humanism;

•

Government should advocate these issues to raise awareness with the help of community, non-government or international organisations;

•

International community like the European Union should assist the Bangladesh Government in launching intercultural dialogue among different groups and academic institutions for promoting educational approaches aimed at combating all forms of discrimination and violence in Bangladesh; and

•

The EU and Bangladesh Government could form a joint ‘Education Commission’ to address these issues and make plans to incorporate them into the education system in Bangladesh.

Interview Jean Lambert

Born in Orsett, England, Ms Lambert is Member of the European Parliament since 1999 and ViceChairwoman of Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance. Ms Lambert is Chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia within the European Parliament.

Think South Asia (TSA): Mrs Jean Lambert, as a Member of the European Parliament where you are Chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia, how would you describe the mission and role of the Delegation in terms of relations between the European Union and the countries of South Asia? Ms Jean Lambert (JL): The Delegation comprises elected Members from all political groups and is part of the European Parliament's formal organisation. Our main role is to link with the Parliamentarians of the six countries we cover (Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) and come to a better understanding on issues of mutual concern. TSA: Do you see any room for improvement in the efficiency and efficacy of the European Parliament delegations in general and if so, how? JL: Our Delegations need to travel to get a better understanding of the real situation and context - so I'm concerned about moves to restrict that. I also think we can develop our links with other parts of the European Parliament, such as Committees to share information and help link them with relevant Parliament Committees elsewhere.

TSA: This summer you and a group of MEPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visited Sri Lanka and the Maldives on mission. Could you tell us a little about the experience and what you see as the main outcomes of this trip? JL: The political situation in both Sri Lanka and the Maldives is of importance to the European Parliament. We spent a day in the Maldives capital and five days in Sri Lanka, where we had meetings in the capital and went to part of the Eastern province. Here we visited a number of grass-roots projects the EU supports. TSA: Regarding your visit to Sri Lanka specifically, did you see signs of the reconciliation with the Tamils in Sri Lanka improving? In your view, what are the main opportunities and dangers in this process of reconciliation? JL: The material conditions for many Tamils are improving. The East had been hit by the tsunami in 2004 as well as being conflict-affected, so tackling issues including shelter, services and livelihoods is important. Personally, I still feel that there is more to be done in terms of a political settlement and for the people. Conflict-affected areas could be much more involved in de-

cision-making from the grassroots up. This could really help in terms of establishing a long-term peace. There have been countless meetings at national level, but people want tangible progress. If they do not see a real willingness for their inclusion, there could be some who would seek to exploit that. Sri Lanka is a country of diversity; I believe that should be strength, not a risk. TSA: And finally, could you give us a last word about the current political and financial situation in the Maldives? JL: The Maldives faces some serious political and financial problems which, of course, become linked in some ways. The European Parliament is very keen to see the nascent democracy develop in the interests of the people and political forces should prioritise that. The European Parliament is keen to see strong election monitoring for the Presidential elections next year and Parliamentary elections, so these elections can be as free and fair as possible. The human rights situation needs to be addressed as we want no return to the old days.

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SADF EVEnt

Think South Asia

SADF EVEnt

PROGRAMME

14:00 – 14:30

REGISTRATION

14:45 – 15:15

15:30 – 18:50

Paulo CASACA, Founder and Executive Director, South Asia Democratic Forum

19:00 – 19.45

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

THEMATIC WORKSHOPS

CONCLUDING SESSION AND CONFERENCE RETROSPECTIVE: NEW PERSPECTIVES ON REGIONAL COOPERATION IN SOUTH ASIA

President Vytautas LANDSBERGIS, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees (European People’s Party)

Comments by: Paulo CASACA, Founder and Executive Director, South Asia Democratic Forum

Jo LEINEN, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Delegation for relations with India (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament)

Dr. Siegfried O. WOLF, Director of Research, South Asia Democratic Forum, Brussels Marc FRINGS, Head of Section South and Central Asia, Team Asia and the Pacific, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung

Sir Graham WATSON, Member of the European Parliament, Chair of the Delegation for relations with India (Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe)

Dr. Jivanta SCHÖTTLI, Department of Political Science, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Ryszard CZARNECKI, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Assembly (European Conservatives and Reformists Group) Sándor SIPOS, World Bank, Special Representative to the European Union Institutions Belgium and Luxembourg Head of Office

Think South Asia

SADF EVEnt THEMATIC WORKSHOPS

THEME 1

PEACE AND STABILITY

15:30 – 16:30 // WORKSHOP A

COMBATING TERRORISM AND IDEOLOGIES OF HATE

Comments by: Kai FÜRSTENBERG, SADF Fellow

Prof. Dr. Peter LEHR, Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV), University of St. Andrews

Radu CARCIUMARU, SADF Fellow Co-Rapporteurs: Djan SAUERBORN, SADF Felllow

Moderator: Tim JONES, Advisor to the EU Counter-Terrorism, Council of the European Union, European External Action Service (EEAS)

Benjamin KALTWASSER, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

16:40 – 17:40 // WORKSHOP B

GOVERNANCE FOR PEACE

Comments by: Marian GALLENKAMP, SADF Fellow

Lion KÖNIG, South Asia Institute, Cluster Asia and Europe in a Global Context, Heidelberg University

Radu CARCIUMARU, SADF Fellow Co- Rapporteurs: Kai FÜRSTENBERG, SADF Fellow

Moderator: Dr. Siegfried O. WOLF, Director of Research, South Asia Democratic Forum, Brussels

Miriam SCHWARZ, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

17:50 – 18:50 // WORKSHOP C

THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN COUNTERING TERRORISM, ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE: BANGLADESH CONTEXT

Comments by: Marian GALLENKAMP, SADF Fellow Robert Jan RIEMERSMA, SADF Fellow

Prof. N. M. Sajjadul HOQUE, Department of Anthropology, University of Chittagong

Co- Rapporteurs: Sebastian SCHMITT, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Moderator: Rensje TEERINK, Deputy Head of Division India, Nepal, Bhutan), Asia and Pacific Department, EEAS

Jennifer STEINER, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Think South Asia

SADF EVEnt

THEMATIC WORKSHOPS

THEME 2

ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION

15:30 – 16:30 // WORKSHOP D

EUROPE, SOUTH ASIA AND THE NUCLEAR THREAT

Comments by: Bidisha CHAUDHURI, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

David PRICE, Editor, Schuman Project

Dominik FROMMHERZ, SADF Fellow Co-Rapporteurs: Alexander BECKER, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Moderator: Wolfgang RUDISCHHAUSER, Chair Working Party CONOP, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Directorate, European External Action Service

Jagraj SINGH, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

16:40 – 17:40 // WORKSHOP E

EU-INDIA FTA, A FIRST STEP TOWARDS A SAARC ECONOMIC SPACE?

Comments by: Markus PAULI, SADF Fellow

European Perspective: Dr. Anneleen VANDEPLAS, Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Tobias METZGER, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University Co-Rapporteurs: Dominik FROMMHERZ, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Indian Perspective: Manika PREMSINGH, Founder Orbis Economics

Sebastian WIELAND, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Moderator: Marc FRINGS, Head of Section South and Central Asia, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung 17:50 – 18:50 // WORKSHOP F

SAARC, THE ROAD-MAP FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION

Moderator: Thomas WILEY, Unit Central Asia, Middle East / Gulf and Regional Asia, DG for Development and Cooperation, European Commission

South Asian Perspective: Prof. Dr. Sikander KHAN, Pro Rector Research, Superior University, Lahore, Pakistan

Comments by: Tobias METZER, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

European Perspective: Prof. Dr. Lawrence SÁEZ, Department of Politics and International Studies, SOAS, University of London

Sebastian WIELAND, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University Co-Rapporteurs: Marcus PAULI, SADF Fellow Parwez FARSAN, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Think South Asia

SADF EVEnt

THEMATIC WORKSHOPS

THEME 3

MORE DEVELOPMENT USING LESS RESOURCES

15:30 – 16:30 // WORKSHOP G

FOOD SECURITY IN SOUTH ASIA: MUCH NEEDED REGIONAL CO-OPERATION

Comments by: Miriam SCHWARZ, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Dr. Wolfgang Peter ZINGEL, South Asia Institute, International Economics, Heidelberg University

Julian SIEFERT, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University Co-Rapporteurs: Robert Jan RIEMERSMA, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Idesbald GODDEERIS, KULeuven

Rais ANDERSEN, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

16:40 – 17:40 // WORKSHOP H

INTELLIGENT ENERGY: HOW CAN EUROPE CO-OPERATE WITH SOUTH ASIA?

Comments by: Julia SEIBERT, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Prof. Dr. Rainer SAUERBORN, Director of the Institute of Public Health, Heidelberg University

Jan WEIGELT, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University Co-Rapporteurs: Sebastian SCHMITT, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Moderator: Dr. Jivanta SCHÖTTLI, Department of Political Science, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

La Toya WAHA, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

17:50 – 18:50 // WORKSHOP I

OPEN INTERNET FOR AN EFFICIENT SOCIETY

Comments by: Karim LESINA, Vice President, International External Affairs, EU, Central and Latin America and Trans-Atlantic Relations, AT&T

Dr. Rohan SAMARAJIVA, CEO of the Sri Lankan think tank LIRNEasia, Board Member of ICT Research Africa and former Sri Lankan Director General for Telecommunications

James WATERWORTH, Vice-President, Computer and Communications Industry Associantion (CCIA), Europe

Moderator: James FONTANELLA-KHAN, Financial Times Brussels Correspondent and former Financial Times Delhi Correspondent

Andrea RENDA, LUISS University, Rome Co-Rapporteurs: Julia SEIBERT, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University Florian BRITSCH, SADF Fellow

Think South Asia

south Asia news

Afghanistan A new report by the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based thinktank warns that steps must be taken now, ahead of the withdrawal of NATO troops in 2014, to prevent Afghanistan descending into potential civil war in future should it collapse. NATO's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he did not share the view of the ICG report. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged public university authorities to become self-reliant rather than fully depending on government allocations. She encouraged the input of donations from well-off alumni as is standard practice in many other universities around the world. Bhutan Bhutan's government has announced that it will phase out chemicals in crop production within the next ten years. This will make this small country with a population of just 700,000 the first actively organic nation on earth. India The United Stated Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and the Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are visiting India on a trade mission to boost economic ties between to two nations. Trade between the two countries was worth US$57.6bn in 2011.

Maldives It has been a week of political unrest in the relatively peaceful Maldives where Member of Parliament Afrasheem Ali was stabbed to death (October 2) and former President Mohamed Nasheed was detained (October 8) because of his absence from a court hearing in a case involving the arrest of a High Court judge during his time as President. Nepal The former Nepalese Maoist insurgency leader Prachanda has recently launched a new trail and guidebook for tourists. It will give interested walkers the chance to see routes and hideouts used by the guerrillas in central and western Nepal over a period of up to four weeks.

Anne Flanagan

Policy Advisor of South Asia Democratic Forum.

Pakistan Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has visited his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar and has stated that Moscow supports Islamabad’s opposition of drone strikes inside its territory and its stance on the peace process in Afghanistan. Sri Lanka The former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka has said that he will form a ‘united opposition alliance’ in the hope of unseating the current government. The alliance’s inaugural rally will be held in Colombo on October 18. Several other prolific politicians have already joined the alliance.

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