Sunday, October 31, 2010
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Sunday, August 1, 2010
Rising prices not government failure?
Unless the central government "fails to discharge its duties enjoined by the constitution of the law", the matter could not be discussed under the adjournment motion, which entails voting, Mukherjee said in the Lok Sabha.
Intervening on the debate on whether the house should allow the adjournment notices moved by the opposition, he said: "My limited point is that I have some reservations about admitting this motion as adjournment."
Quoting rules, he said the issue to be discussed under the adjournment motion has "to be definite, and it must be related to the functioning of the government".
He said the decision-makers were not taking any "sadistic pleasure" from hiking fuel prices. "There are certain compulsions. I had certain compulsions. Rates of crude oil in the international market have gone up. There has not been any failure of the government."
Mukherjee, who is the leader of the house, however, welcomed a debate on the rising prices. "All aspects of the issue will be debated with remedial measures. If opposition members have constructive measures (to suggest) I will welcome that."
"We will like to discuss the issue. I have no problem in having a discussion. The government welcomes that but this cannot be discussed under adjournment motion," he stressed.
Speaker Meira Kumar had earlier allowed MPs to debate on whether the house should allow the adjournment notices that opposition members see as an instrument of censure against the government's policies.
After a brief commotion and protests by a united opposition, the speaker said she was allowing the members who had given her adjournment notices to speak under "special circumstances".
Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj was the first to justify her notice, saying "it was cent percent according to the house rules".
"The adjournment motion that entails voting means stopping all other businesses, and discuss an issue of urgent importance that has occurred recently. The notice I have given has raised has two points... recent hikes in (the prices of ) kerosene and the cooking gas," Swaraj said.
The June 26 fuel price hike has put poor men of the country into "grave hardships", she said. "This needs urgent attention and calls for stalling all other business to be discussed on top priority."
She said the opposition wants to "censure" the government over its wrong pricing policies. "This is a censure motion. This is to censure the government. The government won't fall. But we definitely want to censure this government because they are troubling the common man."
Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh said the opposition was "expressing the sentiments of the people as 85-90 percent of the population are suffering due to rising prices".
"People are dying due to starvation," he said, supporting the adjournment motion.
Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) said the opposition didn't want the government to fall. "We want to stop rising prices. We want to jolt the government out of a slumber."
Lalu Prasad of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) said there was no dispute within the opposition over the price rise issue. "We are united and want the government to take corrective measures."
After listening to the viewpoints of the opposition and the government, the speaker adjourned the house till 2 p.m."
Are we losing Kashmir
Irresponsible State Government and Unconcerned Congress Responsible for Present Turmoil in Kashmir
Since past 20 days it is complete Bandh in the Valley. Curfew is imposed by Separatists not government agencies.
Throughout the Valley there are sit-In demonstations. At hundred of plaus, thousands of people come and participate in these demonstrations. Slowly the movement has entered into the new phase from "Agitaional terrorism" to "Civil Disobedience" . All Political parties become non-existent. Their cadre is acting according to the instructions of Separatist.
Centre and State forces are not successful in breaking this deadlock. The mood of the public and Separatists is to prolong the agitation for a long period.
So When the intermediator of Centre tries to being the Separatist leadership for talks, they laiddown three pre-conditions.
2- Release of political detenus from the Jail and bringing all Kashmiri gailed terrorist from rest of country to State.
Whole of the Movement has turned into movement of AZADI. They are Sensing Victory.
Instead of contolling the situation C.M. is talking for demand of autonmy, political resolution according to the wishes of people of kashmir and amendments in AFSPA. Centre deeplessly watching the situation going out of control.
Time demands that first you control the situation in the Valley with Iron Hand, otherwise the situation could become out of control in near future. Cenral Government should be pressurised to act quickly and must not indulge in the talks, dialogue with the Separatists or demoralizing of security forces by giving unnecessary statements or instructions.
Kashmir is once again in trouble. Security forces are being abused by Kashmiri youth. They are being humiliated by State as wel as Centre Govt,Anti-national elements are dancing openly in the Valley, Tricolor is being burnt by pro-Pakistan organisations, Slogans like Indians and Dogs are not allowed in Kashmir are being chanted during protests in valley. State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah fully Supported by Congress is behaving like a boss of any Pro-Pakistani Organization.
The "explosive" situation in the Kashmir Valley is the result of the "politics of competitive communalism" between the National Conference and the opposition PDP and the lack of timely action by the central government, which was in turn being exploited by Pakistan . when separatists devised stone-pelting as an instrument of organized and orchestrated protest, the government failed to curb the trend, instead of acting tough against the professional stone pelters, the government declared a rehabilitation package for "stone pelters". Govt.of India is appeasing only Separatists in J&K State Govt.(NC-Congress Coalition)governmen t has demoralized the security forces. The government allowed the situation to drift further. It booked CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and BSF(Boarder Security Force) personnel for the death of a youth in the protest on the charges of murder.
Omar Abdullah has Full support of Congress led UPA Govt. The current Turmoil has not emerged in a day or two, It is the result anti-national policies framed by State and the Centre govt.since Omar Abdullah became the Chief Minister of J&K STATE . Some of the reasons behind present turmoil are:-
In some way, the genesis of his problems goes back to the manner of his takeover as CM. All through During the election campaign, the NC had projected Farooq Abdullah as the chief ministerial candidate of the party. Soon after the result, the senior Abdullah had declared himself to be the CM-in-waiting. But the situation underwent a change overnight and Omar became the CM with the backing of Rahul Gandhi. The rest is history but the tensions within the family have not subsided, even though Farooq Abdullah is a minister in the Union government. Congress party know that Farooq Abdullah is a claver and very experienced politician who boldly handled the crisis in Kashmir in the past,inspite of all the knowing Congress backed inexperienced, im-mature and incompetent Omar Abdullah as CM of the most sensitive state. The Congress Party sideline the former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad and appointed Prof.Saifu-den- Soz as Congress state president.Prof. Soz has very close inclination with separatist organization in Kashmir Valley.Very soon Im-mature Omar Abdullah showed his intention by adopting the separatist agenda, asking centre govt.to grant more Autonomy to the J&K State and stressed Centre govt. to Withdraw Army from Kashmir Valley. This boosted the moral oh anti-india elements in valley and they started raising their heads.
As Omar Abdullah perusing the agenda of pro-Pakistani separatists. He once again managed the Congress leaders over Withdrawal of Army from J&K,Defence Minister A.K. Antony announced the withdrawal of nearly 30,000 Indian Army soldiers from Jammu and Kashmir and said more troops will be withdrawn if the situation improves.
"it is because of the presence of the army that we have been able to counter terrorism in the J&K state, since independence Home Minister P. Chidambaram has been seeking transfer of law and order responsibility to the state police Which has officers having sympathy with anti-india groups.Many surrendered terrorists has been recruited in JK Police upon which Mr.Home Minister showed trust.
The Indian Army withdrawn its troops from Kashmir Valley and Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir in a move seen as a confidence building measure to get Kashmiri separatists, especially the hardliners, on board for talks.
The twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch were brought under the Disturbed Area Act along with the Kashmir Valley in July 1990 and the security forces were given special powers under Armed Forces Special Powers Act around the same time.
What happened after that, infiltration raised, terrorists again started their activities with high moral.
No doubt Jammu and Kashmir have been the victim of unending and unmindful political game plans over the years. But in the recent times the styles of the political local leadership in Kashmir valley has been taking worrying new face lifts. Politicians do not allow any time to the common man worth assessing their ( politicians) commitments before they start a new game. J&K has seen many such games. PM´s round table conferences and the PM´s working group recommendations had provided enough material to the main stream political parties and separatist leaders in J&K to remained in news. No doubt the politicians have so far succeeded to rule the imaginations of the innocent people of J&K ( Kashmir Valley in particular ). The common man is more occupied in struggling to earn even two square meals .
A new subject has been thrown for discussions by Omar Abdullah on this February 7 in the name of formulating a new surrender policy for the Kashmiri youths in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) . Omar while addressing a Conference on Internal Security chaired by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on February 7 said that to encourage more terrorists to return to State and manage their transition to civilian life, a new surrender and rehabilitation policy of terrorists is under active consideration of his Government.
"The idea that any Terrorist who had crossed over to PoK and wishes to return India is certainly welcome," Home Minister P Chidambaram backed the proposal mooted by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Significantly, his statement counters the view of his Cabinet colleague and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who has questioned the idea of allowing the return as he apprehended that they could come here to "create trouble"..
Chidambaram said that a surrender and rehabilitation policy should be formulated to allow Kashmiris terrorists to return from PoK.( Pakistan occupied Kashmir )
However, Azad ,union health minister and former Chief-Minister of J&K State questioned the idea, apprehending it could be used as a cover by Pakistan to push foreign militants into India .
"Who will take guarantee of these youth willing to return? How can you prove that these are the same youth who had gone to that side for arms training and are now willing to come back on their own choice? Some foreign terrorists can take advantage of this move," said the Union Health Minister and senior Congress leader from the state on Tuesday.
" Pakistan has not handed over the accused involved in the Mumbai terror attacks so far. Who can trust them in this case? There are chances of adopting a strategy to push militants (into India ) taking cover of this surrender policy," By this way once again Congress backstabbed the nationalist forces by appeasing antinational
Justice Saghir’s 5th Working group report has in a way demonstrated unjust regional bias in J&K)
Report of the5th Working Group( on centre state relation) headed by Retd Justice S Saghir Ahmad ( constituted by Indian Prime Minister in May 2006 ) that was presented to JK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Jammu on 23 rd December last year demonstrated the confusions that Justice Saghir Ahmed carried.
The report has made just passing references to Greater Autonomy of NC, Autonomy Resolution 2000 of J&K Assembly, Self Rule of PDP and Article 370 .There is nothing new in the report about these subjects. Only thing that could emerge is that National Conference and PDP could use some passing references to keep the people of Kashmir Region in illusions as regards future of centre state relations .In view of the non serious approach of the GOI regarding the questions raised on the accession of J&K with India or the talks of some conditional accession, it has to be accepted that for a common man of J&K ( particularly Kashmir valley ) there is some thing still pending as regards deciding the relations between Indian and Kashmir ( J&K State of Hari Singh ). So, it was only the reference to Autonomy / Self Rule / Article 370 that did matter as regards Kashmir Valley to those in power seat. No objections have been made from the leaders from Kashmir Valley to the text of the report concerning subjects like Autonomy / Self Rule / Article 370 . Just reference of these subjects for consideration has been satisfying for the Valley leaders including NC and PDP ( even Congress leaders of Valley ). Where as even non conclusive and half references have attracted objections from the leadership belonging to Jammu Region, Ladakh region and Kashmiri migrant Hindu. This shows that the affairs of J&K have regional orientations and Saghir Ahmed working group report too could not escape the divisive shades. Both NC and PDP well know that neither Self Rule nor greater autonomy would be endorsed by New Delhi . But to secure some footing against the separatists and anti 1947 Accession ideologists they have to keep accusing New Delhi for not being FAIR towards "THE KASHMIR". Those who call J&K a matter of political dispute of extra territorial dimensions and hold separatist ideologies negating the 1947 accession of J&K had no interest in working group agenda and the report. The references on Autonomy / Self Rule / Article 370 have been totally rejected by the leaders from Jammu and Ladakh regions because it dilute the Indian sovernity in j&k.Once again Congress ditched the nationalist forces by appeasing separatists in J&K.
On March 19,2010 Chief minisrer Omar Abdullah told the L egislative Assembly that a policy of "Rehabilitation for stone pelters is in the offing.
He said "if those holding guns can be rehabilitated why not stone pelters they are ours. I do not want to arrest anyone (stone pelters), but I am forced to take such steps."
The Opposition had demanded that such a policy matter should have been brought on the floor of the House and not expressed through the media.
Abdullah said that Masjid and Mohalla committees had come forward with their guarantees for release of the arrested youth.
"But who supports them? It is the Opposition benches which support them," he said and took a dig on opposition PDP by saying, "if stones are meant for Omar Abdullah and his government, they should dare to cross through Maisuma ( Srinagar ), Anantnag and Cement Bridge (Baramulla).
" They tried the guns, and it didn’t work. The armed forces in Kashmir are under strict orders not to fire at anyone unless fired upon themselves, so they (the protesters) resort to stone pelting.
5. Stone pelting is not considered a terrorist activity
Now ,when the situation in Kashmir valley has slipped from the hands of Omar Abdullah had claimed at more than one occasion that the young men are given money to pelt stones .He also claimed that a major business house in the valley was providing funds for stone-throwing incidents and revealed that intelligence agencies have also intercepted calls from across the border and SMSs by some separatist leaders, encouraging the youth to throw stones at security forces.It is again the wrong policies of Congress govt.that worrisome the situation in Kashmir Valley.
On the name of Human Rights Violation,State govt.targetting our security forces in Kashmir valley.Security forces have been given special powers to deal with terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir but State chief minister trying his best for the revocation of such laws like AFSPA .This Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), was passed on September 11, 1958 by the Parliament of India.It conferred special powers upon armed forces in what the language of the act calls "disturbed areas" in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. It was later extended to Jammu and Kashmir as the The Armed Forces ( Jammu and Kashmir ) Special Powers Act, 1990 in July 1990
According to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), in an area that is proclaimed as "disturbed", an officer of the armed forces has powers to:
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"Fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law" against "assembly of five or more persons" or possession of deadly weapons.
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To arrest without a warrant and with the use of "necessary" force anyone who has committed certain offenses or is suspected of having done so
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To enter and search any premise in order to make such arrests.
Very ist step was the withdrawal of 35000 Army Soldiers from J&K and then A senior BSF officer, who was suspended in connection with the killing of a 16-year-old boy was arrested in Srinagar .
Commandant R K Birdi, , was arrested and was handed over to the local police .He was arrested after union Home minister P.Chdambram gave his consent to arrest the officer and hand over the case to local Police. Mr.Birdi ordered the BSF Jawans to fire tear gas shells when a mob of anti-nationals in Srinagar attack the BSF Patrol Party.
Birdi’ along with a BSF jawan Lakhvinder Kumar were arrested
After another killing of a teenager in sopore,J&K Law minister Ali Momhad Sagar openly critisized CRPF by saying that it is out of control.In reply to that CRPF said it was forced to open fire at a mob in Kashmir, which claimed one life, as the protestors had attacked the force’s post outside Sopore town. The CRPF said it had no option but to open fire to secure the post, where local police had taken shelter, from the stone-pelting mob. The paramilitary force in a statement said that at 1230 pm, a mob of about 700 attacked a CRPF company location at Kapra theatre located outside Sopore town on Kupwara road. ‘The post had only the minimal strength of men for attending to camp security as the other men were away on duty. The Jammu and Kashmir Police had deployed a section of unarmed men for law and order duty at the naka (cordon), outside the company location. Their task was to prevent the mob from entering into the town, as part of the call for ‘Sopore Chalo’. ‘The mob attacked the J&K policemen by pelting stones. When the situation became bad, these men rushed inside the CRPF camp to take shelter. The mob pushed on, attacked the CRPF post and forcibly tried to enter the CRPF post crossing the compound wall,’ . It said that at this juncture, sensing imminent threat of being run over, the sentry of CRPF, at the ‘morcha’ inside the post, was compelled to open fire. ‘This was a clear case of attempt to attack the post of security force, which was foiled by timely intervention of the sentry on duty. In fact, the sentry had no option but to fire, to prevent the post being overrun,
Nearly 2000 CRPF men and five hundred policemen have been injured in stone pelting incidents and around 373 vehicles have been damaged..
During the past one and a half year the state government had tried to demoralise the security forces to appease the fundamentalists and other secessionist forces active in the valley.Situation in the valley had been deteriorating with every passing day.Once again it the Congress which is playing the game of "Ghosts"
After a 4-hour long meeting on July 12 in the state’s summer capital, Srinagar, the all-party meet convened and chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah came out with a six-point resolution which The CM released to the Press. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), which together have 25 MLAs in the Assembly, did not attend the meeting, saying nothing positive would emerge out of it as the Chief Minister had vitiated Kashmir’s political scene to the point that only his resignation could restore the people’s confidence in the state apparatus. The PDP and JKNPP, which maintain cordial relations, have seen in the crisis an invaluable opportunity to settle scores with the National Conference (NC) and recapture political power.
The most controversial points, which are sure to encourage the separatists to heighten their anti-India activities, were two. One was the decision of the all-party meet to "ascertain the circumstances leading to the death of civilians." This decision was consistent with what the PDP and several supporters of the Kashmiri separatists, including the human rights industry-wallahs, stood for and advocated. BJP dissociated itself from this part of the resolution. Its national general secretary Arun Jaitley declared on July 13 in Delhi that the "BJP is not party to this part of the resolution and, at the same time, assured the NC-led government of his party’s unstinted support that it would help it restore peace in the troubled-Kashmir - trouble, according to him, being fomented by Pakistan agencies under a "well-crafted strategy supported by local separatists. " Mr Omar Abdullah also declared that the "BJP is not party to this part of the resolution." The second controversial point was the decision that "urged the state government to strengthen the ongoing peace process speedup internal and external dialogue." The PDP, whose single-point agenda has been to destabilize J&K and tarnish its image in the eyes of the people, especially Kashmiri Muslims; the separatist outfits and their supporters in different parts of India , including human rights-wallahs who have no love lost for India and behave like mercenaries, must be feeling jubilant. The six-point resolution not only talked about an "impartial inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of civilians" and "peace process" according "internal and external dialogue", but did not say anything against those who took the law of the land into their hands for days together, attacked the symbols of the Indian state, challenged the very sovereignty of India, dotted Kashmir’s political scene with innumerable violent incidents, attacked the security forces and created a serious law and order problem. They must be feeling satisfied that they have succeeded in putting the Chief Minister on the mat by creating an environment that unnerved him and forced him to request New Delhi to deploy the Army in the affected areas of the Kashmir Valley to help restore calm. Army deployment after a span of fifteen years sent a message across the world that the situation in Kashmir was beyond control and that the people were not with India . New Delhi should have rejected outright the demand of the Chief Minister, who, like the PDP and Kashmiri separatists, had opposed and criticized the institution of the Army and CRPF, overlooking the fact that as Chief Minister he had presided over the Unified Command meetings where all kinds of security-related decisions had been taken from time to time. By not rejecting Omar Abdullah’s demand, New Delhi walked into the trap laid by vested interests and anti-India forces. New Delhi should have spurned Abdullah because the Chief Minister, instead of defending the institution of the Army and paramilitary forces, repeatedly questioned their actions.
As previously mentioned, the resolution of the all-party meeting urged the "state government and the Centre" to "act upon the two main suggestions (an independent inquiry and peace process, coupled with internal and external dialogue,) that emerged during the meeting. This means the resolution has (i) urged the Union Government to not only engage in a meaningful manner Pakistan and Kashmiri separatists to clinch the Kashmir issue in a manner that satisfies them, and (2) talked of an inquiry directed against the security forces involved in anti-insurgency operations. These two highly controversial and separatist-friendly suggestions, if given effect to, would automatically and immediately mean – (1) demoralization of the security forces, which may give an upper hand to our reckless political class and (2) major concessions to Pakistan and Kashmiri separatists at the cost of the Indian nation, Indian sovereignty and Indian unity and integrity, and even at the cost of the values our political leaders profess to espouse.
Thus, the message from an otherwise divided and fragmented Srinagar is loud and clear:
The ball is in New Delhi ’s court. It is for New Delhi to create an atmosphere that induces the separatists and other unruly groups, plus the stone-throwing hooligans and paid workers, to help restore peace in Kashmir . The state government has washed its hands off, nowhere accepting responsibility for what happened in Kashmir during the past about 50 days. It has nowhere suggested that the state government allowed the situation to deteriorate day by day, thus enabling anti-national forces to regroup and mobilize disgruntled elements, including unemployed youth, hooligans and drug addicts, to disturb and bloody the whole Valley. Can New Delhi vouch for what the all-party meeting resolution suggested? The answer is both yes and no. Yes, because the Home Minister has indicated that the Union Government could take a "political initiative" after the "cycle of violence comes to an end." This suggests that the Union Government is not averse to the idea of engaging the Kashmiri separatists. This happened during the BJP-led NDA regime twice, and it can happen now as well.Union Government should not accept the demands being put forth from time to time by the Kashmiri separatists, leave aside Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who would not accept anything short of Azadi. Not because there is none in the Indian political establishment who is prepared to do what the all-party meet resolution wants; there are elements in the Indian political establishment who are willing to go even beyond. Their problem is Indian public opinion, which is against the idea of New Delhi giving any concessions either to the Kashmiri separatists or to Islamabad . Indian public opinion does not even favour of the idea of the state getting more autonomy or self-rule because it believes this would not only negate the very Constitution of India, but would empower the "sectarian and separatist" leadership in Kashmir to further jeopardize the general political and economic rights and interests of the nationalist forces in the state.
The Chief Minister, in particular, would do well not to play with fire. Instead of yielding and putting forth unacceptable demands, he should reform himself and assert. He needs to wrest the initiative and tell protestors, whosoever they are, to behave and see reason or be prepared for stern action. He cannot pass the buck. Such an approach would not work because J&K is not an easy state. It would create more problems than resolve existing ones if one adopts the approach the all-party meet adopted. What had aggravated the situation in Kashmir ? What helped Islamabad and Islamabad-supported and funded Lashkar-e-Taiba, United Jihad Council, Hizbul Mujahideen, All-Party Huriyat Conference (Mirwaiz) and Tehrik-e-Hurriyat of Syed Ali Shah Geelani stoke more fire in the Valley? What was the response of New Delhi and the Jammu & Kashmir Government to what the anti-national forces, including Pakistani-inspired stone-throwing hooligans, did to vitiate the atmosphere in Kashmir ? What did the opposition PDP do to further complicate the already complicated situation in the sensitive state? What aggravated the situation in Kashmir was the politics of competitive communalism by the two Kashmir-based mainstream (sic) political outfits, NC and PDP and even Congress . The PDP, which was in a state of shock since it handed over the office of Chief Minister to Congress in November 2005, consistently put forth demands which were not only brazenly anti-India, anti-Army, anti-CRPF and anti-Armed Forces Special Powers Act, but also patently pro-Pakistan, pro-separatist, pro-terrorist and pro-stone throwing unruly mobs. It was expected that the NC-lCongress coalitation government would behave like a responsible government and take on the PDP and all outfits who tried to foment anti-India and anti-state government troubles. What happened was to the contrary. The NC leadership thought it prudent to walk into the dangerous trap meticulously laid by the canny PDP. Instead of countering the insidious propaganda and baneful influence of the main opposition party, the ruling NC tried to take a more radical stand on each and every issue the PDP raked up, thus making it extremely difficult for people to distinguish between the two, and enabling Pakistan and Pakistan-backed agents in Kashmir to exploit the situation to the extent possible. The ruling party, like the opposition PDP, which was constitutionally bound to defend the Indian Constitution, the Army and other Indian institutions, adopted a line that created difficulties for the state government itself. One fine day, the Chief Minister publicly warned the stone-pelting force to behave failing which action would be taken against them. But soon he changed his stand and came out with a rehabilitation package for the stone-pelting boys, sending a wrong signal and promoting the cult of stone. The state government thus walked into the PDP’s trap, facilitating the task of Kashmiri extremists and their master, Pakistan . It was expected that the Congress, a national party with stakes all over the country, would behave maturely and apply brakes whenever required. But its Kashmir-based leaders, particularly the state president, adopted a soft approach towards the troublemakers and on many occasions spoke the language of the PDP. His was a line consistent with what the NC and PDP had been pursuing religiously and relentlessly for quite some time. The result was that there remained none in troubled-Kashmir who could say what was right and what was wrong. As for New Delhi , it did not act when it should have. Instead, it issued statements from time to time indicating that policy-makers in the Centre, rulers in Kashmir , and the main opposition PDP, were one as far as their approach to Jammu & Kashmir was concerned. Each one of them created an impression that the revival of the democratic process in the state and resolution of the so-called Kashmir problem were two different things. New Delhi did not even once make it clear that it would not allow anyone to tinker with Indian sovereignty in Kashmir and that it would not allow anyone in Kashmir to speak a single word against the Indian Constitution and other Indian institutions. Instead, it talked of quiet diplomacy, unique solution to the Kashmir problem, amendments in the AFSPA, lowering of guard in terrorist-infested Kashmir , dialogue with Kashmiri separatists, and peace process with Pakistan . That Delhi ’s approach would create additional complications was evident, and it happened. New Delhi acted when it was too late, when vested interests and anti-India forces had already set ablaze the whole Kashmir Valley . No wonder that the situation has assumed alarming proportions, far worse than what we witnessed during 1989-1990.
Keen Kashmir-watchers describe the present situation as most dangerous, and say that the entire political class in the Kashmir Valley is responsible for what happened during the past 50 dreadful days and that it would take years and years for things to stabilize, subject to the condition that the ruling party in the state and New Delhi does not make any political statement that has international ramifications and directly or indirectly promotes communalism, secessionism and extremism in Kashmir. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the authorities in the state and at the Centre are not likely to learn lessons from their past mistakes. The Chief Minister’s July 9 statement that the "stone-pelting incidents and strikes in the Valley are ‘symptoms’ of a wider problem’’ and that "there is a problem in Jammu & Kashmir that needs to be resolved," and the report that New Delhi would take the political initiative to win over the hearts and minds of the Kashmiri people (read Muslims) and engage what certain elements in New Delhi call "moderates like the Mirwaiz and Yasin Malik," to find out ways and means to resolve the Kashmir issue, indicate that neither the NC nor New Delhi would ever learn. The statement by Union Minister and NC president, Farooq Abdullah, in Delhi on July 10 that New Delhi must talk to the separatists as this was the only course left to restore peace in Kashmir also indicates that he and his party have learnt nothing.
Here lies the basic problem. The Indian State is unwilling to move against the jihadis. Unless the authorities categorically say that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India and that they shall not allow the politics of communalism and separatism to grow in Kashmir , there is no possibility a return to normalcy. The authorities have to act and comprehensively defeat the negative forces and jihadis at any cost. At the same time, they have to take on board those who have been holding the Indian flag in the state, braving all odds. They are in a majority and they include the people of Jammu and Ladakh and the internally-displace d Kashmiri Hindus. They are Indians in the true sense of the term and hence the only stakeholders in the state.
New Delhi must reject outright the all-party resolution as it is fraught with dangerous consequences. It must make it loud and clear that Kashmir is not Jammu & Kashmir and that it would introduce only such reforms that can integrate the state fully into India , and empower the grossly ignored Jammu and Ladakh and satisfy all patriotic people of Kashmir , including internally-displace d Kashmiri Hindus. It must reject outright the suggestion that "a calibrated demilitarization of the state, as the situation improves, is also called for." Now it is,to the people of India and Nationalist Forces to build pressure on Congress led UPA govt.to stops blunders in Kashmir ,Other wise a day will come when Kashmir will no more be a part of Mother-India.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
AIIMS doctors claim turmeric can cure epilepsy
GOOD OLD turmeric can cure epilepsy, too, doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have found.
They have also found it effective in boosting memory and reducing stress.
Research carried out on rats at the department of pharmacology at AIIMS has yielded positive results. "Epilepsy requires long-term antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy, which is advised according to symptoms. However an effective prevention or cure for epilepsy hasn't been available and many drugs in use have side-effects," said Dr K. H. Reeta, assistant professor of pharmacology at AIIMS.
According to her even new classes of AEDs are not free of side- effects. Phenytoin is a commonly used AED that has been found effective against all types of seizures. But it also causes cognitive impairment (a condition in which thinking abilities are badly affected) in patients as it damages essential macromolecules of the body, including DNA.
"Toxicity is common in patients of epilepsy treated with phenytoin, and thus requires careful drug-level monitoring and supportive care," said Dr Yogendra Kumar Gupta, head, pharmacology department, AIIMS. "The goal of AED therapy is freedom from seizure without side-effects. But this hasn't been achieved. The reasons for this include misdiagnosis of the type of seizure and prescription of the wrong AED," Reeta said.
" Phytochemicals (chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants) have been shown to possess a wide range of properties that facilitate effective treatment without side- effects.
Therefore, we investigated the effects of administering turmeric to rats that suffered from phenytoin-induced cognitive impairment and oxidative stress (the process in which highly reactive molecules such as free radicals impair particular cellular functions)," Dr Jogender Mehla of AIIMS said.
The research team found that turmeric, when administered orally with phenytoin, significantly prevented cognitive impairment and oxidative stress.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Seven days to that fab figure
Swap tea...
...for something else. If you want to get in shape fast, ditch your regular cup of tea and go for a fat-burning one instead. Studies show that green tea revs up your metabolism, so aim for several cups a day.
Take some supplement
Fish oil supplements are a great way to shed pounds. A recent study found that volunteers who took them lost, on an average, two kilos over three months without changing their diet or exercise habits. Fish oils are great for helping your body burn fat more efficiently.
Avoid salt
That’s the advice most weight-loss experts give. When people cut down the salt in their diet, they instantly look slimmer and less bloated. Too much salt makes your body retain water, which makes you puffy around your face and stomach. Go for low-salt breakfast options such as a khichdi .
Also, don’t add tablesalt to your food or cooking, avoid salty snacks such as crisps and go easy on processed sauces which are often packed with salt.
As a guide, avoid foods that contain more than 0.5g of sodium per 100gm on the label (sodium is just another way of describing the salt content). The fresher your food, the less salt it’s likely to contain. And be very careful about take-aways – Chinese food, in particular, is loaded with salt because of the sauces.
Ditch sugar
Like salt, sugar is a diet baddie. Even though sugary foods – such as boiled sweets and mousses – are often labelled ‘low-fat’, they’re incredibly high in calories. And if you don’t work off the calories by exercising, that sugar gets stored as fat – usually around your stomach and waist. Sugar also increases your hunger. So, ditch the sugar in your tea and also the colas that you gulp down every day.
Eat low-sugar snacks instead. Chopped vegetables, for example are rich in fibre, so they’ll keep you fuller for longer and will aid your digestion, which helps to reduce bloating. Alcohol is practically pure sugar, so give that a miss, too. If you drink regularly, you’ll notice the difference after giving it up for a week.
Relax
If it is day seven already, don’t worry. You can still lose weight! Stress really does make you fat. It causes hormones to be released into your body that encourage fat deposits around your waist and stomach.
Scientists have found that those with the biggest waist measurements (though not necessarily the heaviest) had the highest stress levels. The hormones secreted during times of stress are instrumental in causing more fat to be stored, particularly around the abdomen.
Kashmir not the reason for Pak terrorism: Experts
"Understanding of this reality needs to be promoted in the US", the scholars said after two days of in-depth discussions on "Countering Terrorism in South Asia" as part of the ORF-Heritage Dialogue in New Delhi.
US scholars said Washington believes that Pakistan is both the problem and solution of the problem. They said the US is in dire need of Pakistan's cooperation to end the war in Afghanistan and also for intelligence gathering. While it is understandable, it also does create a great deal of ambiguity in US counter terrorism policy, they pointed out.
The US scholars who took part in the Counter Terrorism Dialogue, organized by Observer Research Foundation and Heritage Foundation, are Dr. Ashley Tellis (Carnegie Endowment), Dr. Kim Holmes, Lis Kurtis, Mr. Walter Lohman, Dr. James Carafano (Heritage Foundation) Chris Fair (Georgetown University, Dr. Richard A. Falkenrath, former Deputy Commissioner of Counter Terrorism, New York City Police Department and Mr. Sherif Lee Baca.
They key Indian participants were Mr. Kanwal Sibal, former Foreign Secretary, Gen. V.P. Malik, Maj. Gen. Afsar Karim, Ms. Leela Ponappa, former Deputy National Security Advisor, Ms. Arundhati Ghose, former Indian envoy to the UN, Mr. Vikram Sood, Mr. Wilson John (ORF), Prof. Rajesh Rajagopalan (JNU), Dr. Ajay Darshan Behera (Jamia University), Mr. Siddharth Varadarajan and Mr. Praveen Swami (The Hindu).
The Dialogue concluded that Pakistan is the source of terrorism across the globe and terrorist acts perpetrated in the US. What is more worrying is the fact that there is a clear nexus between the State institutions and terrorist groups, and it is growing.
The Dialogue also expressed concern over the possibility of terrorist groups getting hold of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons in view of Pakistan's nuclear proliferation record.
It also noted that Diasporas-Muslim, Tamil, and others -- are becoming radicalized; and terrorism is no longer the recourse of the poor and deprived. More often than not, terrorists and their supporters belong to Middle or Upper Classes.
Friday, July 16, 2010
King of the World - Australian PM
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Unlock the secrets of your brain
Friendly limits:
Friends are few, and that's true for the brain too. Even if you gather 5,000 friends on Facebook, your brain is only capable of managing only 150 friendships, say evolutionary anthropologists at Oxford University, UK. Blame it on the neocortex, the part of the brain used for conscious thought and language. It limits people to managing about 150 friends, no matter how sociable one is.
Age makes you smarter:
If you thought your brain stops growing after 25, think again. In fact, as you reach midlife-between age 40 and 65-you become better at things that you couldn't do when you were in your 20s. For instance, inductive reasoning and problem solving, arguments, sizing up a situation and reaching a creative solution. Social expertise also peaks and so does one's financial judgement, says a Harvard University study.
Water is good for grey matter:
Drink enough water and save your brain. That's the call from scientists at King's College, London. They have found that just 90 minutes of steady sweating can shrink the brain by as much as a year of ageing. Starved of water, grey matter is also forced to work harder to process the same information. But don't panic just yet; drink a glass of water or two and your brain will return to normal, say the researchers after scanning the brains of teenagers after an hour-and-half of cycling. The sweaty teens did just as well when asked to play a computer game that tests the ability to plan and solve problems. But the scans showed they had to use more of their brains to do it.
Sound of music:
Stroke patients who have lost the ability to speak can be trained to speak by singing first, say neuroscientists at the Harvard Medical School. Patients who responded with incoherent sounds were found to sing-recite addresses, communicate if they were thirsty and even moved beyond simple phrases, after the therapy. The underdeveloped systems on the right side of the brain that responds to music became enhanced and changed structures, say researchers.
Indian-origin scientist has solution for oil spill
As BP struggles to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, an Indian-origin scientist from Texas University has created a special cotton fabric that can clean up crude oil up to 40 times its weight and help in cleaning efforts.
Seshadri Ramkumar, associate professor of the Texas Tech Institute of Environmental and Human Health, has created a non- oven environment-friendly cotton carbon absorbent wipes, Fibertect.
"Cotton fibre contains 0.5 per cent wax, which enables it to soak up 40 times its weight," Ramkumar said.
"The chemistry of cotton makes it the ideal material for oil absorption with its waxiness, strength when wet, absorption capacity and ability to biodegrade," explained Professor Ramkumar, who described his discovery as "a blessing in an ironic situation."
"The synthetic booms soak up only a third of what cotton absorbs and are not biodegradable. You take those plastics and where do you put them? In landfills. They will stay put forever," he added.
"Add chemicals and it could absorb up to 70 times its weight," he said.
Through his research with nonwoven cotton, Ramkumar may have found an all-natural way to absorb oil from spills.
Rather than spending money and effort on containment structures and synthetic materials, he recommends utilising cotton.
Ramkumar is surprised that why cotton had not been considered earlier, reported the A-J's Alyssa Dizon.
"We are the only ones..to my knowledge...focused on taking cotton to oil absorption using nonwoven technology," he said. Unlike apparel production, there is no need to go through the expensive processes of dyeing, bleaching and weaving the cotton.
Since the explosion of an offshore rig more than a month ago, scientists and London-based BP oil company have been trying various methods to contain or soak up as much oil as possible, largely with limited or no success.
One cotton product Professor Ramkumar invented last year was Fibertect, a commercially sold nonwoven decontamination wipe that absorbs toxic chemical substances.
This is significant because now that the oil has reached the coastline, the nonwoven cotton technologies potentially could be doubly beneficial.
"Any wildlife rehabilitation that will occur we believe could be assisted with the Fibertect invention as well as other nonwoven applications from his lab," said Ronald Kendall, founding director of Tech's environmental institute.
"There are just so many applications of Dr Ramkumar's technology to take cotton and turn into products that we never even thought of before," he added.
The potential benefits of Dr Ramkumar's research stretch far beyond helping preserve the environment from natural and man- ade disasters and raising Texas Tech's reputation in the higher education community nationally and internationally.
New opportunities for cotton are always good news for producers, especially if it will help them sell low-quality cotton, said Shawn Wade, director of communications for Plains Cotton Growers.
Several million feet of booms, lightweight tubes used to recover oil, have already been tossed into the ocean, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.
What makes Fibertect different from other cotton absorption technologies, however, is its combination with carbon.
It is a three-layer design consisting of a top and bottom layer of cotton to absorb oil and a middle layer of carbon that absorbs hydrocarbons and harmful carcinogenic vapours released from the oil.
Ramkumar said his unique use of activated carbon fabric in oil clean-up is extremely beneficial because the toxic vapours could potentially destroy ecosystems and cause cancer in humans if they are not absorbed.
Ramkumar said he and other researchers are simply taking what nature provides and applying it in new ways.
"Mother Nature has given cotton wax to protect it," said Ramkumar.
"The natural wax on the cotton helps to hold the oil together. So, wax has affinity towards oil, and then the carbon has affinity towards vapour, it holds the vapour." Because Fibertect is all- atural, unlike synthetic plastic booms previously used to clean oil spills, it is 100 per cent biodegradable and one sheet can be wrung and reused up to five times.
According to www.propublica.org, the only cleaning method currently being used by BP is dispersants, which is an aerial spraying technique.
The dispersant most commonly being used is Corexit EC9500A, which the Environmental Protection Agency has shown to be more toxic and less effective than other methods.
Ramkumar said the problem with Corexit EC9500A, besides the fact that it itself is toxic, is that it simply breaks down the oil into tiny particles which remain in the water and can be harmful to marine life and humans.
He said Fibertect eliminates this problem because it absorbs the oil rather than break it down.
Samples of Fibertect have been sent to be BP but no decision has been made on whether or not to use it.
Haldenby and Ramkumar said if they do decide to use it, this could be a big step towards a National Research University status for Texas Tech.
Now, fat buster diet pill to get in shape
The new drug that claims to burn fat twelve times faster than normal, got sold out in just three days after going on sale.
The drug named Capsiplex was sold as soon as it hit the shelves in early June.
The over-the-counter pill, made by British pharmaceutical giant Capsiplex, is the first to contain a unique anti-obesity formula previously available only on the National Health Services, where it has already been prescribed to 10,000 people, reports The Daily Express.
The drug that costs 24.99 pound-a-month was sold out at stores across Britain, including Harrods, Selfridges and Lloyds Pharmacy.
"It is a discreet tablet which enables you to effortlessly lose weight without inhibiting your lifestyle,"Mobile,, no no,,
A recent 17 million-pounds study concluded that the risk of the disease is at least 25 per cent more than previous studies showed, and only those who talk on their mobile for 30 minutes a day for ten years were more likely to get brain cancer.
But electronics engineer Lloyd Morgan says that the danger is grossly under estimated.
"What we have discovered indicates there is going to be one hell of a brain tumour pandemic unless people are warned and encouraged to change current cell phone use behaviours," The Scotsman quoted Morgan as saying.
"Governments should not soft-peddle this critical public health issue but instead rapidly educate citizens on the risks.
"People should hear the message clearly that cell phones should be kept away from one's head and body at all times," Morgan added.
An earlier study, which included results from the UK and four Scandinavian countries found virtually no increased risk of meningiomas and glioma - two types of brain cancer. Morgan, however, insists that a correction factor applied showed that not only was risk of meningioma found for every year of cell phone use, a person's risk of meningioma increases by 24 per cent.
Ed Yong, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, said, "The warnings of a 'brain tumour pandemic' are overblown.
"National brain cancer rates have not increased in proportion to skyrocketing phone use and there are still no good consistent explanations for how mobile phones could cause cancer. " (ANI)
Bye, India: Anderson's words as he beat the law
Anderson, in an interview with the BBC after he was released by the Madhya Pradesh government on 7th December 1984, had said that he was going home to America.
"House arrest or no arrest or bail, no bail, I am free to go home...There is a law of the United States...India, bye bye, thank you," Anderson had said even though there was an arrest warrant against him.
Congress leader Arjun Singh, who was Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister in1984, was in Bhopal that time and clearly said his government didn't intend to prosecute or “harass” Anderson.
"There was no intention to prosecute anyone or try to, sort of, harass anyone,” Singh told BBC outside the Union Carbide plant.
"Therefore, he (Anderson) was granted bail and he agreed to be present in court when the charges are made," said Singh.
Singh has not spoken publicly after a Bhopal court's verdict in the gas leak case two weeks ago, but Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that the decision to let Anderson leave Bhopal was strictly a law and order decision.
A Bhopal court had on January 1, 1992 issued a notice for Anderson's appearance before it. After Anderson failed to turn up, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against him.
In 2003, India sent an extradition request for Anderson to the US Justice Department, which rejected it in 2004. The last request for extradition by the External Affairs Ministry was made in September 2008.
Gordon Streeb, who was deputy chief of mission of the US embassy in New Delhi in 1984, has said the Indian government had assured "safe passage" to Anderson.
Get a magical glow
Beauty experts say that facials are the best way to tighten up facial muscles, detoxify and tone the skin. They not only remove dead cells, but also provide nourishment.
Here are a few exotic facials that keep you radiant, no matter what the weather. Caviar spa facial: Caviar are exotic fish eggs which are rich in proteins, minerals and lipids known for cell regeneration and anti-ageing properties.
The omega 3 fatty acids and DHA component found in caviar oil is a tonic for tanned skin. Good for: Dry skin, freckles, crow feet and fine lines.
Cost: Rs 2,200. Crystal glow facial: Crystal salts used in it relax es the entire body. They also help remove dead skin. Helps: Enhance the overall purification and detoxification of body.
This facial therapy also incorporates the Thai Candle detoxification procedure in which the toxin waxes are extracted from the ear with the help of suction. Cost: Rs 3,000 Wine and honey facial: This facial uses a mixture of wine, honey, glycerine, turmeric, gram flour, jojoba oil and semolina.
Helps: Serves as a protein pack for the skin, which provides nutrients to the skin externally. Wine is a very good agent which contains high protein and minerals which are readily absorbed by the skin.
Cost: Rs 1,500 Spanish chocolate facial: Chocolate has elastic properties and one can choose between white chocolate and dark chocolate for application. Good for: Wrinkled, parched skin.
Also effective for under eye dark circles. Cost: Rs 1,200 Jasmine and lavender facial: If mixed with sour curd, it hydro cleanses the oily skin and helps in drying acne faster.
Few drops of mint essence with jasmine and ylang ylang oil brings a glow to open pores. Good for: Oily skin.