Nandigram Loss of Life: Just a Political Setback for CPM

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/CPM_admits_its_plagued_by_desertion/articleshow/2915560.cms

Is it any wonder that the CPM is plagued by increasing dropouts, and problems in getting whole-timers? It is a clear sign of good sense finally prevailing in the country. It also indicates that most people dislike the negativity associated with the communists and the present lot of their leaders. In a country where the public sector has traditionally under performed, the communists are advocating the very system be strengthened.

That the party seeks to enforce stricter guidelines for whole-timers and a more stringent method of giving out memberships, is laughable, to say the least. Referring to the communists’ abominable conduct in Nandigram, CPM has admitted that the quality of members has come down lately. But the communists have failed to admit that the performance of the party cadres reflects the personality of the party’s leadership. That CPM considers the shameful murder of innocent people in Nandigram by its rabid cadres a "weapon in anti-CPM propaganda" also reflects the pedestrian mentality of the CPM leadership. Loss of innocent lives in Nandigram means little to Prakash Karat than a political setback to his party’s inflated ambitions.

The CPM attributes growing factionalism in the party to inability of cadres and senior leadership to settle grievances within established party forums. The communists have also expressed their distaste for cadres carrying their intra-party squabbling to the media. The communists are shy of the media is well known, particularly when the reports contain some negative content. The Chinese controlling foreign press in Tibet is a live example. They would prefer the muck to remain below the proverbial carpet.

When other states are leaving no stone unturned to invite investors to come and contribute in their economy and development, the communists have perversely advocated that private investors should not be loaded with too many concessions. Only complete morons will be attracted by the latest communist philosophy on investment in communists ruled states.

The communists, in their analysis of the dropout rate, have missed a major point. The dropout rate is much higher in states like Kerela and Tamil Nadu because these states have a higher literacy rate. There is another point that starkly comes across – communism thrives in states where education has still not reached desired levels.

Hats off to an Upright Mustaqin

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai_man_gets_rapist_son_10-yr_jail_/articleshow/2915039.cms#write

Mustaqin has proved beyond any doubt that he is an honest and upright Indian citizen by helping the law punish his own son for a heinous crime. But the incident once again highlights a pressing need for review of lax laws in the country that permit bail to a rapist. Suppose Mustaqin had not helped the police to apprehend the fugitive criminal, some other children would have fallen victim to the rapist. The aim of laws must not only be to punish the guilty, but also to act as deterrent against commitment of crime.

Congress Discovers Mayawati is Corrupt

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cong_slams_BSP_hints_at_alliance_with_SP/articleshow/2911988.cms

The Congress is pretending to have only recently realised that Mayawati is corrupt, depending entirely on short public memory ofcourse. It was the same Congress leadership which conspired with a pliant governor of UP to prevent prosecution of Mayawati on corruption charges. But the Party was then keen to get rid of APJ Abdul Kalam and needed the support of Mayawati for that. Involvement of Mayawati in the Taj Corridor scam, her hob nobbing with criminals and ordering frequent transfers of police and IAS officers is old news. The Congress pretending this is a recent discovery would amount to deceiving their own selves.

CPM Speaks Chinese Again

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/CPM_for_long-term_alternative_to_Cong_BJP_/articleshow/2911926.cms#write

Bravo! CPM is not in favour of cobbling a "cut and paste" third front for elections and wants to establish a long term political alternative to the Congress and BJP. With the communists’ sordid record in Nandigram, stubborn opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal and a ridiculous proposal to establish a pro-China regional alliance, it is easy to relate their stance to the old adage ‘if wishes were horses the communists would rule’. The comrades have not even bothered to elaborate on ‘anti-people content of economic reforms’ of the Congress. Perhaps they have assumed that the people have no choice but to agree with their ideas of whats good for India. So far, all the communists have uttered is only beneficial to China and Pakistan.

Sitaram Yechury thinks communalism is a big threat to integrity and unity of the country. This guy deserves all the credit for originality of ideas. That apart, it is amusing to see the communists trying to implement Chinese agenda while talking about whats good for India. This may be the right time to remind the likes of pro-China Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Prakash Karat and AB Burdhan that the people of India are aware of China’s arrogant expansionist designs to encircle Indian waters from Gwadar to Coco islands. That It annexed Tibet in 1950, forcibly took possession of Aksai Chin in 1962, happily took an illegitimate 'gift' of Indian land from Pakistan, claims the entire Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and refuses to issue visas to resident Indians of Arunachal; not to mention the crude summoning of the Indian Ambassador at 2 AM for a routine protest.

Inspite of the long history of Chinese belligerence, the communists in India only see the threat of US imperialism. It is not possible to convince them of the most serious threat posed by the dragon just to the north.

Indo-US Nuclear Deal: China Proxy Spews Venom

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Karat_proud_of_N-spanner/articleshow/2910506.cms

The 19th CPM party congress being held in Coimbatore from 29 Mar 2008 onwards has an opening message for the country. Prakash Karat is proud of the CPM record – does that include what his party did in Nandigram? He did not mention.

Karat even made a plea to "progressive" forces in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal to forge an alliance against US. Was China deliberately left out or has Prakash realised he would be barking up the wrong tree by assuming that anything connected with China can be “progressive”? CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, who also spoke, said Left's position on the nuclear deal remained unchanged. The venom in Prakash Karat’s speech against the US must have prompted his communist comrade to put in his two penny worth too! So, is the opposition to the nuclear deal because of the US or is it just plain negative reaction to anything the UPA does? None of them have mentioned.

Interestingly, the recent criticism of China by the US on the issue of human rights in Tibet coincides with the adverse comments against the US offered by Prakash Karat. The perfect match in the timing of the US offering advice to China on the Tibet issue and Prakash Karat suggesting formation of a regional alliance against the US cannot be coincidental, given that the Chinese have always suspected that the Indo-US nuclear deal was the US' quid pro quo for an Indian willingness to co-operate with the US in countering the growing Chinese power in the Asian region. It is well known that Pakistan has close ties with China and opposes the deal. By aligning themselves with Pakistan and China to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal, the communists led by Prakash Karat, D Raja, AB Burdhan and Sitaram Yechury have once again exposed that they are anything but proxies of these belligerent neighbors of India.

Even the bitterest opponents of UPA will not accuse the Manmohan Singh government of hiding its intention to go ahead with the deal. Wonder why then the communists have waited patiently till the fag end of this government’s tenure to suggest formation of an anti US regional alliance?

As the Chinese stance against the Tibetans hardens and the world opinion veers against the Chinese, the Friends of China too are likely to step up their anti US machinations. Never mind if these friends are Indian communists or Pakistanis, never mind if their efforts harm the larger Indian interests; theirs is to serve the Chinese masters irrespective of any other consideration. The world is likely to hear a higher pitch of Indian communists resonating Chinese agenda as the Beijing Olympics draw closer, in order to offset adverse publicity the Chinese generate by murdering even more Tibetans. Seeing their unquestionable loyalty to the Chinese cause, the Chinese can easily substitute the Mascots for the Beijing olympics with Indian communists.

Law and Order Machinery: A Disgrace

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad_Man_hits_wife_in_court/articleshow/2910609.cms#write

So much for state of law and order in the country! The criminal takes the law into his hands with the judge watching and beats his wife up with an iron rod. Shows how much respect there is for law and order machinery in the country. And why not, the judge even grants him bail after the shameful incident. Incidents like these cause immense despaire and make one wonder if there is at all any hope for the hapless citizens in our country.

Earth Hour: Making a Difference

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Earth_Hour_An_hour_of_difference/articleshow/2908411.cms#write

Observing the ‘Earth Hour' when the world switches off all non essential power between 8 and 9 pm on March 29, is a most positive, though tiny, step in the right direction to tackle the problem of ‘Global Warming’. It underlines the importance of individual participation in the effort to confront the looming catastrophe facing the planet. It would have been much more productive if other media, including the electronic, had taken it upon themselves to contribute towards generating awareness about the subject among the population. The response would have been beyond imagination.

Earth Hour was created by WWF in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and in one year has grown from an event in one city to a global movement. In 2008, millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe will turn out for Earth Hour. The first Earth Hour was held in Sydney, Australia between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on 31 March 2007 that is estimated to have cut Sydney's mains electricity consumption by between 2.1% and 10.2% for that hour, with as many as 2.2 million people taking part. There is no doubt that India can beat that record, provided the issue is widely written and talked about to rouse people’s interest in the event.

With the government comprising of half witted politicians, it is only the private corporate initiative that can serve the desired purpose.

Minister Cancels China Trip

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/China_dates_were_a_problem_Kamal_Nath/articleshow/2904705.cms#write Commerce Minister Kamal Nath almost sounds defensive when he says that his trip has not been called off because of any diplomatic reasons but because of problems in dates. The Minister seems to be scared of expressing Indian anger at the Indian Ambassador in Beijing being summoned at 2 AM for a routine matter. Does that mean China can treat India with the disdain it has shown for us and our ministers will hesitate even to so much as protest? It would be wrong to expect much from a minister with less than sterling record. In Mar 2002, the Supreme Court Bench imposed a fine of Rs 10, 00,000 on Kamal Nath for damaging the environment by building a motel on the bank of river Beas near Kulu-Manali in Himachal Pradesh. The court had directed the Himachal Pradesh government to take over the area and restore it to the original conditions.

No one in his right mind would advocate going to war with China over the issue of Ambassador Nirupama Rao being summoned well past midnight on 21 Mar by the Chinese Foreign Ministry to register its protest over a group of Tibetans storming the Chinese Embassy in Delhi. But to let the Chinese treat India and Indians with the contempt and get away without India even frowning, would tantamount to showing how gutless we are as a people. Unfortunately, the scum (politicians) passing off as our leaders is determined to ignore larger Indian interests in pursuit of maintaining their own political relevance.

Nuclear Deal: Left Will Never be Ready

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Left_not_ready_for_N-deal_Karat/articleshow/2888545.cms#write

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers24%5Cpaper2330.html

Prakash Karat’s statement conforms to the Resolution adopted by the Left on 20 Aug 2007. Interestingly, this time he has made the effort to reason out the rigid stance taken by the Left on Indo-US nuclear deal. Reasons for this change are not far to seek, and generally conform to the change in the attitude of the Chinese. Of late, while Chinese Government spokespersons have avoided outspoken comments on the Indo-US nuclear deal, they have found other means to criticise the deal and to discourage India for going ahead with it. The Left is an obvious proxy for the Chinese.

This negative attitude is caused by the Chinese suspicion that the Indo-US nuclear deal was the US' quid pro quo for an Indian willingness to co-operate with the US in countering the growing Chinese power in the Asian region. This suspicion was strengthened when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided not to attend the summit meeting of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) as an observer at Shanghai in June, 2006. The SCO is a Chinese initiative with a focus on countering drug-smuggling and terrorism.

Pakistan initiated a campaign to counter the Indo-US deal at two levels. First, they said it will be discriminatory to Pakistan if it was not made applicable to it too. Second, it will create a military nuclear asymmetry in the sub-continent by enabling India to divert its domestic stock of fuel for military purposes, while using the imported fuel for civilian purposes under international safeguards.

Musharraf requested the Chinese leaders during his State visit to China in February 2006, for Chinese assistance in the construction of six more nuclear power stations, with a capacity of 600 or 900 MWS each. The Chinese reportedly agreed in principle to supply two stations of 300 MWs each to be followed later by four more. This again figured in the General's bilateral discussions with Mr.HU in the margins of the SCO summit in June 2006.

Since then the Chinese have come round to declare that the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal is a bilateral issue between India and the US. The more guarded Chinese position to the bilateral discussions between President George Bush and Mr.Hu at Hanoi in the margins of the summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Organisation on November 18 and 19, 2006. During these bilateral discussions, Mr. Bush is believed to have pointed out to Mr.Hu that the Chinese supply of new nuclear power stations to Pakistan could not be projected as a continuation of the Chinese assistance to Pakistan under a 1985 bilateral co-operation treaty under which CHASHMA I and CHASHMA II were given and hence would need the clearance of the NSG. Mr Bush was also reported to have referred to the Pakistani rejection of repeated requests from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to hand over Dr. A. Q. Khan for an independent interrogation and pointed out that the Chinese supply of the new power stations could encourage Pakistan's non-cooperation with the IAEA.

Beijing, which has been projecting itself as a responsible and co-operative interlocutor of the US, Japan and South Korea on the question of North Korea's nuclear test and has won praise for its role in bringing North Korea back to the negotiating table, did not want this positive image to be dented by disregarding the reservations of Mr Bush relating to the supply of new power stations to Pakistan. It, therefore, changed its stance at the last minute.

Against the overall backdrop of the emerging strategic picture, it is interesting to see the Left take on the mantle on behalf of the Chinese and continue their obduracy in opposing the Indo-US nuclear deal. At the same time, with an eye on elections next year the Left leaders have very smartly decided to credit the people of India with some intelligence and decided to back their opposition to the deal with some reasons too. Should the Congress come up with satisfactory explanation to objections raised by the Left, Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja and AB Burdhan will collectively come up with still more objections to the deal, with active assistance of the Chinese, naturally.

UP serial blasts accused fielded for by-polls

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/UP_serial_blasts_accused_fielded_for_by-polls/articleshow/2888150.cms

So whats wrong in a serial blasts accused being nominated to contest for Lok Sabha? As it is, the Lok Sabha has criminals of every hue including murderers, scamsters, rapists, thugs and fraudsters. Nomination of Maulana Hakim Tariq Quasmi, accused in the serial blasts in civil court premises in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad in Nov last year, only completes the picture on the Indian political canvass. The National Loktantrik Party (NLP)’s national president Arshad Khan deserves to be congratulated for making such an educated choice of party candidate for Lok Sabha. Maybe he could not find a single person more suited for the responsibility from amongst the large population of the largest state in the country.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati – herself an accused in a ‘disproportionate assets case’ – is also keeping pace with the happenings in her state by ordering a judicial probe into the arrest of Quasmi from Barabanki by the Special Task Force. She is obviously not convinced that criminals like Maulana Hakim Tariq Quasmi belong behind bars. In her zeal to garner Muslim votes in the state, she seems to accept anyone with any background suitable for entry into politics from her state. Behenji also seems to believe that the electorate of Uttar Pradesh desreves to be represented by criminals.

High Court Admits DSA Case Against Laloo and Rabri

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HC_admits_appeal_against_Lalu-Rabri/articleshow/2883927.cms#write

The Patna High Court admitting for hearing, the appeal by Bihar government challenging the acquittal of Laloo Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi in a disproportionate assets case, has come rather late. Laloo Prasad is about to complete his ministerial assignment in the central cabinet and the country has had to do with a minister whose integrity has always been questionable.

It is the country’s misfortune that an eminent lawyer, known for hiring out his talents to criminals, was responsible for manipulation of law to defend the tainted minister and his wife who had looted Bihar and are solely to blame for the backwardness of the state.

The TOI has wrongly described the situation as a set back to Laloo Prasad and his wife. It has take one year for just the decision to admit the ‘Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the duo in the High Court; Laloo Prasad would most likely complete a few more damaging tenures as a minister before any worthwhile verdict is passed against the fodder scam accused and his wife. In the mean time, witnesses will disappear, judges transferred, governments change and memory of his misdeeds dumped into the dustbin of history. Of course, while this is happening, Laloo has brilliant lawyers like Ram Jethmalani to bank upon to murder the law of the land.

Dalai Lama's Appeal

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2877989.cms

China has not only cleverly extracted an appeal from the Dalai Lama, it has also reafirmed Indian opinion that it has solid support from its minions, the Left, in India. Why else were the Left leaders quiet in the Lok Sabha when opposition to Chinese crackdown on Tibetans was being discussed.

Federal Rate Cuts: Only Few Benefitted

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7300017.stm

The Federal Reserve has cut key interest rates a number of times and is scheduled to cut these rates again on Tuesday by a whopping one per cent. But the banks are not passing these rate cuts to the borrowers in the same scale. The efforts on part of Federal Reserve to bail out financial institutions and banks are widely reported, understandable and welcome. But it is not clear how these efforts help the hapless homeowners and other affected citizens. Apart from the 'stimulus package' that also gives homeowners a token tax relief, the fed rate cuts do not seem to benefit the people at large. Will the Feds kindly explain to consumers why it takes so long for their efforts, like the interest rate cuts, to trickle down to those for whom their efforts mean the difference between relief and agony.

Already, some homeowners have lost their homes and were forced to move into tented colonies. Some, in sheer desperation, burnt their own homes down. Unless the homeowners benefit from the Fed rate cuts substantially and the banks too cut lending rates, foreclosures and people losing their homes is a tragic story whose end is still not in sight.

Tibet Unrest: Chinese Response

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/poll/2871582.cms

The peaceful demonstrations of budhist lamas cannot last before the guns and tanks of communist China. Communist China has precedents of extreme brutality against unarmed people to suppress any idea that opposes communist ideology. Remember the tanks and heavy guns used by Peoples Liberation Army(Chines Army) troops in the massacre of unarmed students at the Tiananmen Square in 1989. Now too, there are reports of the PLA being deployed in Lhasa and areas around the Tibetan city to crush budhist unarmed protests. Communists, anywhere in the world, have displayed little patience for dissdence. China will be no exception!

NUCLEAR DEAL: THE LEFT's SHORTSIGHTED APPROACH

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Govt_committed_to_nuke_deal_says_Ronen_Sen/articleshow/2860629.cms#write

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6107916.stm
Even as the talks with IAEA are going on in Vienna, the CPM asserted the government should take the next step on the Indo-US nuclear deal only on the basis of the UPA-Left Committee's findings. The findings must be made public so that the people too have a say in the matter.

Current trends show that demand for power is set to grow by 53% by 2030. But oil supplies show signs of running down. Natural gas stocks - in recent times the fuel of choice for electricity generation are also showing signs of depletion. Coal, the fuel of the industrial revolution, remains relatively abundant; but coal produces more greenhouse gas emissions for the energy it gives.

But if government delivers on promises to push cleaner and more efficient supplies, growth in demand could be restrained by about 10%. Greater use of nuclear power could be a "valuable option" to cut imports and curb CO2 emissions. The additional nuclear power plants would also have the advantage of being less vulnerable to fuel price changes than coal or gas-fired generation, helping to enhance the security of electricity supplies.

Given that world energy demand, and more particularly electricity demand, is increasing, we need sources of electricity supply that are safe, affordable, with abundant fuel and are environmental benign. The virtues of nuclear power in all of those respects are obvious. The additional upfront costs involved are quickly outweighed by savings in fuel expenditure. A shift to the nuclear energy would serve all three of the principal goals of energy policy: greater security, more environmental protection and improved economic efficiency.

Under the circumstances, the ultimatum by the government's Communist allies to make its stand clear on the agreement and opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal indicates an extremely shortsighted approach to India’s long term requirements.

Scarlett Murder: Cong MP Bames Family

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cong_MP_blames_family_for_crime_against_Scarlett/articleshow/2860108.cms

Trust a politician to blame the ghastly rape and murder of 15-year-old Scarlett, a British national, in Goa, on the victim’s family. To add insult to injury, another politician, this time a woman, who saw nothing amiss in MP Shantaram Laxman Naik’s heartless statement on the latest in a series of crimes against tourists in India. Shantaram Laxman Naik is the same Congress MP who had voiced his concern about possibility of scrapping the MPLAD funds when gross misuse of the funds by MPs had come to light. His concern did not reflect any worry about further misuse of public money, for reasons that are very obvious. Extending willing support to Shantaram Laxman Naik is Minister of tourism, Ambika Soni, whose department had filed an affidavit questioning the existence of Lord Rama in the recent row over the Sethusamudram. The affidavit reflects her total disregard for public sentiment. These two politicians of dubious public standing have once again laid bare the callous attitude of the Indian politicians by making statements that reflect on the character of the Indians. Hats of to our democracy that throws up the worst among Indians. Fortunately the duo were correctly checked by Vrinda Karat from bringing further disgrace to our great country.

The Congress' Election Miscalculations

Chandan Mitra could not have painted the picture more accurately. In its misplaced euphoria “the Congress does believe it is on a comeback trail having outwitted the Left on the nuclear deal and outflanked other adversaries on the populism index. With time the “feel good” factor generated by the budget may evaporate once farmers realise that all their loans are not actually going to be written off; that no government can order private moneylenders to stop recovering dues. Prices, which have been rising steadily for the last few years, may start galloping upwards adding to anti-incumbency sentiment”.

If the government dares the Left to withdraw support over the nuclear deal, the Congress can climb the high moral ground and claim it sacrificed political power in order to deliver nuclear power to every homestead. Indians, being confirmed suckers for the “sacrificial lamb” theme, will return Congress to office, hopefully minus the shackles of the disruptionist Left.

However, the Congress seems to have brushed certain unpalatable facts under the political carpet which the voters will hopefully remember. It was the Congress that disregarded the peoples’ choice and denied APJ Abdul Kalam a second term in office as the president. Then again, it went all the way to ensure that prosecution of a corrupt Mayawati was not sanctioned by the Congress nominated Governor of Uttar Pradesh. It was the Congress that inducted tainted politicians as ministers in the central cabinet; obligations of coalition governance notwithstanding.

When people, especially in rural areas, troop to the polling booth, caste rather than economics is on their mind. This is not necessarily the ideal situation, but true never-the-less. The Congress can thank their political partners like Laloo Prasad Yadav, M Karunanidhi, Mayawati and Arjun Singh for ensuring that the damaging caste system is kept alive in the country. The system they tolerated all along will ensure that their ambitions of absolute power at the centre are effectively curtailed.

The obdurate Comrades

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Govt_will_fall_if_it_signs_N-deal_CPM/articleshow/2843635.cms#write

The Left’s objection to revival of the Indo-US nuclear deal was expected. The country must admire the Left for rigidly sticking to its Resolution adopted on 20 Aug 2007 to oppose the Government on the ‘Deal’. Last year, the Left had also opposed holding of a joint Indo-US Naval exercise called 'Malabar War Games', for some inexplicable reason. It was a fantastic opportunity for the Indian Navy to train alongside state of the art navies of advanced countries like the US and Japan. Interestingly, China too had opposed it. For that matter, it is difficult to recall if the Left has ever supported any new initiative of the Manmohan Singh government.

By now it has become standard practice for the Left to oppose any initiative the govt takes. So where is the outside support it talks about? The people of India too are fed up of Prakash Karat, AB Burdhan, D Raja and Sitaram Yechury. Why dont they propose any alternatives that are acceptable to them and beneficial for the nation at the same time? Their list of 'donts' never seems to end anywhere! It would not be out of order to say they promised the Govt 'outside interference' and not support of any kind.

The Left all along insisted the government press the ‘pause button’ on the Indo-US nuclear deal. It is time the nation pressed the ‘mute button’ on the Left. But then, that would eradicate the difference between the Left and the rest of this great country

MUSHARRAF’S RELEVANCE TO THE WEST

With the fair and free elections to Pakistan’s Parliament and four Provinces behind and the formation of a new democratic government already underway, the fate of a politically weakened Musharraf hinges crucially on the perception of the West about his relevance to its war on terror. Ever since 9/11, Musharraf has seemed to the West as their only hope in Pakistan and who has handed over hundreds of Al Qaeda terrorists to the US and positioned almost eight divisions (80,000 troops) on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to stop Taleban’s trans border incursions. In return he has got billions in aid from the west for an economically weak Pakistan.

On the other hand, He provided safe havens to Al Qaeda and Taleban leadership in Quetta, concluded controversial deals with tribal extremists and allowed Islamists to propagate ideas of jihad and Sharia. His dual approach to towards terrorists-nabbing those inimical to the US and appeasing others-has, unfortunately, been justified by the West as a consequence of his trying to prove his indispensability in the war on terror. Such a short sited approach to the most serious threat facing the civilised world is bound to fire back at some later stage.

The West seems to have swallowed Musharraf’s plea that democracy in Pakistan must be tailored to local conditions – in short the democracy that keeps him in power rather than the global norm of democracy. In so doing, the West has ignored the fact that Musharraf has all along contributed to the Pakistani State promoting jihad through non-state terror apparatus, in Afghanistan and India. They still see his relevance in the worldwide matrix of Islamists challenging the West. The West has also winked at his failure to recalibrate the mullah-military alliance that cannot have entirely broken down after Operation Silence in Islamabad in Jul 2007. There is a strong argument for dismantling the unholy nexus as Pakistan now has a nuclear bomb on the shelf-not in the basement, the armed forces have been modernised and the economy is on the mend. Pakistan clearly does not need the mullahs anymore. Besides, they have become the main problem for Pakistan by their desperate attempts to derail the Indo-Pak peace process, dangerous efforts to provoke American retaliation and enforce their narrow self-serving brand of Sharia in Pakistan.

Under the circumstances, a pragmatic politico-military alliance needs to stem the growth of religious radicalism and reverse the trend started by a similar alliance in the 1980s. The West would do well to recall that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had supported the Operation Silence against Jaish e Mohammed terrorists hold up in Lal Masjid. The fact that PPP has emerged as the strongest contender for power and that the NWFP has rejected the mullahs in that Province should help the West to encourage a working relationship between the current military establishment and PPP.

That Musharraf joined the war on terror after being arm twisted by the US is well known; what should also be obvious to the US and the West is that his private deals with the tribal militants was responsible for strengthening the stranglehold of Islamic extremists leading to a phenomenal increase in terrorist activities in the region. It would be prudent to formulate a policy that does not alienate the population of Pakistan in order to prolong Musharraf’s stay in power.

123 AGREEMENT, HYDE ACT AND THE INDIAN PREDICAMENT

Nuclear technology has an intrinsic strategic connotation irrespective of the background context, and even its civilian usage envisaged in the Henry J Hyde India – US Civil Nuclear Cooperation Act signed into law by the US President George W Bush on 18 December 2006, is no exception. As such, the Act and the formal agreement to follow between the two countries, informally christened as the 123 Agreement (in reference to Section 123 of the American Atomic Energy Act 1954 under which it will be negotiated) is ultimately more about the overall strategic relationships India and the USA wish to build, rather than exclusively about access to sensitive technology. The core issue in this engagement with the United States is not so much about purely civilian use of nuclear energy, but overwhelming strategic objective of preservation and maintenance of the country’s indigenous nuclear weapons programme under all circumstances.

Under the American legislative system, the Hyde Act is an essential preliminary proceeding before attempting to induce any modifications in one of the most sensitive and inviolable precepts of American national security – nuclear non-proliferation. Successful conclusion of the 123 Agreement between India and the USA is a sine qua non for negotiations with the 45 nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the international custodians of nuclear materials and technology, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the watchdogs over nuclear proliferation. The USA, along with Russia, China, England and France, is a founder member of the NSG and NPT, and also one of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. It remains a heavyweight in international negotiations, Iraq and the War on Terror notwithstanding. These negotiations would allow the NSG to allow country-specific exemptions for transfers of nuclear materials and technology to India as a non – signatory to the NPT and with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), regarding safeguards on Indian nuclear infrastructure declared civilian. Meanwhile, negotiating the 123 Agreement has become time sensitive to both India and the United States as the American presidential elections are due in Nov 2008, with a possible Democrat incumbency, who may not be as supportive of the Hyde Act as the current administration. The Indian Parliamentary elections are also scheduled for early 2009. In this context, the deadline given by US Senator Joe Biden recently, saying June, possibly July, was absolutely the last minute the deal could go to Congress, is relevant.

there are strong misgivings in India about the fine print of the Hyde Act which appear to indicate shapes of some of the things to come, as for example, the clear directive to the Government of the United States to adhere to the parameters of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in all transactions under the Act – in effect a nuanced reiteration of the basic Clintonian non – proliferation dictum “Cap, Roll back, Eliminate”.

The Hyde Act is a domestic US legislation, whose main function is to allow nuclear cooperation with India. It's an enabling legislation. It's the 123 agreement that is binding on the US and India. There is no contradiction between the two. The operative heart of the Hyde Act incorporates three permanent and unconditional waivers from relevant provisions of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954. In layman terms, the Hyde Act allows the US Administration to engage in civil nuclear cooperation with India, waiving the following requirements:

(i) That the partner country should not have exploded a nuclear explosive device in the past; this waiver is necessary because India exploded a series of nuclear explosive devices in May 1998;

(ii) That the partner country must have all its nuclear facilities and activities under full-scope safeguards; this waiver is necessary because India has a strategic programme which would not be subject to international safeguards; nor would its indigenous R&D programme.

(iii) That the partner country is not currently engaged in the development and production of nuclear explosive devices; this waiver is required because there is no freeze or capping of India’s strategic weapons programme. It is an acknowledgement that we will continue to develop and produce additional strategic weapons.

These three permanent and unconditional waivers are significant because they acknowledge that we have an ongoing strategic programme. No restraint on this programme is envisaged as a condition for engaging us in civil nuclear energy cooperation. Just juxtapose this with the UNSC Resolution 1172 of June 6, 1998, which called upon us to stop, roll back and eliminate our strategic programme and join the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state. There are several extraneous and prescriptive provisions in the Hyde Act which India does not agree with and in negotiating the 123 Agreement India has been careful to exclude these. If the US Congress considers the 123 Agreement as being in contravention with their own understanding of the Hyde Act, the agreement would be voted down. If the US Congress does approve the 123 Agreement, this would confirm that the provisions of the agreement are what would govern the commitments of the two sides.

A 'critical element' of the agreement to ensure that the US cannot be accused of violating its NPT obligations, is embedded in Article 14 of the agreement, which allowed either party to terminate the agreement on one-year written notice. Throughout the negotiations, India consistently defended its right to reprocess the nuclear fuel under the agreement. The administration ultimately accepted Indian demands, but distinguished between the right and an entitlement to the US assistance in pursuit of reprocessing activities. In fact, any action on reprocessing will depend on the conclusion of a subsequent agreement, as required by section 131 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954.

Commenting on the issue, K. Subrahmanyam says the opponents and supporters harp on the Hyde Act. Supporters say the agreement does not mention the Act at all, and that its provisions are binding not on India, but only on the US. The US legislation has binding and non-binding provisions, and the US administration implements only the binding portions. The US president, in his signing statement, has made it clear that he would ignore the non-binding provisions of the Act. According to Article VI of the US Constitution, as interpreted by the US Supreme Court, obligations of an international agreement supersede provisions of domestic law. That should allay any apprehensions in Indian minds about the applicability of binding provisions in the US law.

The Indian objective is not merely to seek the US as a partner but also to enable India to have a wide choice of partners in pursuing nuclear commerce. We cannot attain it without the US taking the lead. Yes, Russia and France are friendly countries and extremely keen to engage India in nuclear commerce, but even they would not go against an established NSG policy.

The Hyde Act is considered by some as a "nuclear triumph" for India, while some dub it as an infringement on her sovereign rights. It is strongly believed that the "growth constraint would by and large be removed for civilian nuclear power if the ultimate agreement emerges as wished for. Nevertheless, we must look at the Hyde Act with an eye on the future rather than being bogged down by the sour past of Indo-US relations. While not succumbing to "outside pressure," we should look at the Deal from the perspective of "paying something to get something in return." And its execution calls for "statesmanship" at every level of governance on both the sides.

FRIVOLOUS CASE AGAINST SANIA MIRZA DISMISSED

http://sports.indiatimes.com/Court_rejects_plea_against_Sania/articleshow/2840966.cms

Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissing the petition filed in a Bhopal court seeking registration of a case against tennis star Sania Mirza for allegedly disrespecting the national flag during a tournament in Australia is a welcome development. CJM Ajay Shrivastava, who had issued summons to Sania on January 7 directing her to appear in person for hearing on the petition accusing her of disrespecting the tricolour during the Hopman Cup tournament in Perth, should have known that the Centre's permission should be sought before registering any case as the incident had taken place in a foreign country.

In any case, having brought so many laurels to the country and adding India’s name to the tennis world honour rolls, she could not have done what she has been frivolously accused of. Hope the petitioner would have got the message!

What Should Indian Railways do to Improve Quality of Services?

http://o3.indiatimes.com/mytimes/archive/2008/02/27/4895907.aspx

Last year Railways Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav had been trumpeting from atop the Red Fort that he had earned Rs 21,578 crores during 2006-7 for the railways. This year the figure is in the range of Rs 28,000 crores. As it had later turned out, the turnaround story was one third true, one third media hype and one third jugglery of figures. A close scrutiny of railways accounts for 2006 -2007 revealed a net profit of Rs 11,000 crores. Even this amount was earned at the expense of unsuspecting passengers and at risk to their safety. A large amount of money reflected as profit was not available to be ploughed back. Part of it was suspense account, money promised to the railways but not yet in its kitty. This year too the accounts presented by Laloo Prasad Yadav need greater and detailed scrutiny. If he is found to have repeated the same jugglery of accounts, the best way to improve the Indian Railways would be to throw him out of the ministry.

See My earlier post: Indian Railways Turnaround: A Myth