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Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate Middleton will begin their maiden visit to India on April 10 when they arrive in Mumbai. The British Royal Couple is also slated to visit Kaziranga National Park in Assam as well as the Taj Mahal. They will also visit the Himalayan Kingdom Bhutan and return to New Delhi for wrapping up their visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would host a lunch for Prince William and Kate Middleton, the External Affairs Ministry said.

“”We look forward to welcome Duke and Duchess on their first visit to India, next week. In New Delhi, they are scheduled to lay a wreath at India Gate and visit Gandhi Smriti. Prime Minister Modi will host a lunch for them on April 12,”” MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

“”Engagement with the British Royal Family has been an integral component of India-UK relations. When Prime Minister Modi had visited UK in November last, he had been invited for lunch by the Queen,” he said.

The spokesperson said the coming visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is reflective of the continued high level engagement between India and U.K. On Sunday, New Delhi will have another dignitary paying visit to the country. The Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, accompanied by Foreign Minister and Fisheries Minister and three MPs, will be visiting India on April 10 and 11. India and Maldives had commemorated 50 years of diplomatic relations last year and the Maldivian President was also invited for the swearing in ceremony of the Modi government in May last year. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Maldives in November 2014 and October last year for the India-Maldives joint commission meeting which was held after a long gap.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is also slated to travel to Moscow for the 14th meeting of the Russia-India-China foreign ministers on April 18.”

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Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Thursday said that in his view the “”peace process with India has been suspended”” as there is no meeting scheduled between the two Foreign Secretaries yet. He was responding to a question over the status of the peace process between India and Pakistan. “”I think at present it is suspended, so let’s see if we are able to commence the dialogue process,” he said at a programme at the Foreign Correspondents Club in the Capital. To another question on whether India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be permitted to visit Pakistan, the High Commissioner said that “”the whole investigation is not about reciprocity in view but more about extending cooperation.””

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the visit of Pakistan’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe Pathankot Air Base terror attack took place in a cooperative approach. Answering a query at his weekly briefing, the spokesperson said that India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) would also like to visit Pakistan. Earlier, in his opening statement, Mr. Basit stated that Pakistan wants to have a normal and peaceful relationship with India, He raked up once again the issue of Jammu & Kashmir, reiterating that its “”fair and just resolution, as per the aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, is imperative.”” He said that there was no short cut to achieving a lasting peace and added that both the neighbours need to engage uninterruptedly, comprehensively, and meaningfully.

Mr. Basit termed the Jammu & Kashmir dispute as being at the “”root cause of mutual distrust and other bilateral issues””, adding that attempts to put it on the backburner will be counterproductive. Referring to the recent arrest of Kulbhushan Yadav in Pakistan, he claimed that it corroborated what Pakistan has been saying all along. “”We all are aware of those who seek to create unrest in Pakistan and destabilize the country,”” India has denied any link of the arrest with the R&AW, its external intelligence agency, which the Pakistan has been alleging was behind bids to foment trouble in Balochistan. India has demanded consulr access to Kulbhushan Yadav to which the Pakistan has not responded in the past two weeks.

Mr. Basit also claimed that in the last one month, Pak authorities have arrested scores of terror operatives with foreign linkages. He said the presence of such elements was “”quite disturbing.”” He said that the Zarb-e-Azb operation against terrorism and militancy in Pakistan was yielding good results. The High Commissioner said that Pakistani economy was also showing signs of recovery and macro-economic indicators were encouraging. “”There is special emphasis on infrastructure development and energy projects. With growing foreign investments the overall economic situation is steadily improving,”” he added.

“”Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly believes in enhancing regional cooperation and connectivity. However, a strong regional cooperative structure cannot be built on unpredictable bilateral relations. We need to move on all fronts simultaneously if we are to benefit from the opportunities unleashed by globalization,”” the Pak envoy said.

He expressed the hope that the 19th SAARC Summit, to be held in Islamabad in November this year, would help create more synergies and win-win situation. Even as Islamabad continues to face heat at global forums on its support to terrorism and its failure in dismantling the terror infrastructure from its soil, the High Commissioner put up a brave front by asserting that Pakistan’s contributions in developing non-discriminatory and effective multilateral frameworks, ranging from security to economic cooperation to human rights issues are recognized the world over.

“”It is in this spirit, Pakistan continues to be one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions around the world. Pakistan, a country of 200 million people, is blessed with enormous resources. We have begun our march towards stability and prosperity. Nothing can detract us from realizing our potential,”” he said.”

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Article104.pngThe Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has cautioned people not to fall prey to ploys of unscrupulous entities who are charging money for printing Aadhaar on a plastic card in the name of smart card, as the Aadhaar letter or its cutaway portion or downloaded version of Aadhaar is perfectly valid. There have been reports that unscrupulous elements were charging anywhere between Rs.50 to Rs.200 for printing Aadhaar on a plastic card in the name of smart card. Far more is being charged for simply laminating the downloaded version of Aadhaar.

“”The Aadhaar card or the downloaded Aadhaar card printed on ordinary paper is perfectly valid for all uses. If a person has a paper Aadhaar card, there is absolutely no need to get his/her Aadhaar card laminated or obtain a plastic Aadhaar card or so called SMART Aadhaar card by paying money. There is no concept such as smart Aadhaar card,”” said Director General & Mission Director of UIDAI, Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey.

In case a person loses his Aadhaar card, he can download his Aadhaar card free of cost from https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/. The print out of the downloaded Aadhaar, even in black and white form, is as valid as the original Aadhaar letter sent by UIDAI. There is absolutely no need to print it on plastic card or get it laminated, an official statement said. In case a person still wants to get his Aadhaar card laminated or printed on plastic card, he may do so only at authorized Common Service Centres or Aadhaar Permanent Enrolment Centres by paying no more than the prescribed rate, which is not more than Rs.30, the statement added.

The public for protection of their privacy are advised not to share their Aadhaar number or personal details to unauthorized agencies for getting it laminated, or printed on plastic card, the statement said while directing E-commerce companies such E-bay, Flipkart, Amazon and others not to allow their merchants to collect Aadhaar information from general public for printing Aadhaar card as collecting such information or unauthorized printing of Aadhaar card or aiding such persons in any manner may amount to a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment under Indian Penal Code and also Chapter VI of The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.”

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Article103.pngIslamic State (IS), which is an emerging force in Afghanistan, is slowly but steadily becoming powerful. There can be a difference of opinion about the actual strength and its area of influence in the country, or even its link with IS of Syria and Iraq, but there can be no dispute that the strength of the IS (Da’esh) fighters is increasing. In January 2015, IS announced about the formation of Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) and Hafiz Saeed Khan was made the Chief of the organization and Abdul Rauf, who was killed later in drone attacks, was appointed as Deputy of the outfit. The organization owes allegiance to IS Chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and believes in Salafist Islamism.

The cadre strength of IS in Afghanistan and Pakistan is believed to be more than 10000 at present. The leaders of ISKP after the formation approached various terrorist outfits of Afghanistan and Pakistan especially of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and allured them to join IS. The leaders of IS before meeting Afghan or Pakistani leaders completed the groundwork by distributing leaflets, pamphlets and other propaganda material especially about establishing of Islamic State of Khorasan Province. The publicity material was printed in Pashto, Dari and other languages so that the common Afghans as well as Pakistanis could read the material and formulate a favorable opinion about the terrorist outfit.

A banned Jundullah terrorist organization which has influence in Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan have also proclaimed its allegiance to IS (Da’esh). Besides Jundullah, some discontented elements of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Ahl-e-Sunnat Wai Jamat (ASWJ) also joined Daesh. Jundullah has a committed cadre of terrorists, which in the recent past had killed 43 Ismaili Shias in Karachi and more than 60 innocent persons near the Wagah border.

Outreach through internet too figures prominently in IS’ modes of operation. In fact, such has been the influence of IS and its Khorasan affiliates that TTP changed their loyalty and joined IS. The IS being an international outfit was able to lure many, including a significant number of disgruntled elements of the Afghan Taliban and other terrorists outfits that operate in areas along the notorious Durand Line.

Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the claimant to the position of supreme leader of Taliban has opposed the recruitment drive of IS in Afghanistan. He wrote a letter to Baghdadi that IS should stop recruitment in Afghanistan and let Taliban fight independently. However, with the active connivance of IS, Mansour, it is believed was critically wounded during a meeting with other factions of Taliban in the Pakistani town of Kuchlak. Fierce fighting has been occurring between IS and Taliban forces ever since. In June 2015, IS evicted Taliban from few districts of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. In fact, the strength of IS in the Central and surrounding areas got enhanced when Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) declared its allegiance to the outfit.

IS which is aware of the importance of publicity started radio station with the name of “Voice of the Caliphate”, reaching out to the masses in Afghanistan and in a rather intimidating way. Needless to say, radio which is still the most popular form of communication in underdeveloped Afghanistan has managed to lure young Afghans into IS’ fold. The broadcasts are being done both in Pashto and Dari languages. Besides recruitment from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, IS has also sent few hardcore cadres from Syria to increase the ideological and operational strength and organization of the outfit in Afghanistan. The IS cadres of Syria have been imparting training to Afghans, Pakistanis, Uzbeks and others who have declared their allegiance to it. IS is also getting financial assistance from foreign countries.
IS ideology of establishment of ISKP is luring hence jihadists from whole world are gathering under IS flag. Islamic mercenaries of several countries are joining ISKP. Hence the Afghan government, Central Asian states, Iran, Russia, India and other world players should chalk out a plan to curb the increasing influence of IS in the country, as it is not only dangerous for Afghanistan but it will be perilous for the region as well as for whole world.

The Afghan government lacks resources to counter the threat emanating from world’s most powerful terrorist outfit therefore regional as well as peace loving countries of the world should assist directly or indirectly to Afghan government. Afghan Taliban, which was united and powerful under Mullah Muhammad Omar, is considerably weakened due to infighting, large scale desertions and pressure from Afghan government. IS is taking advantage of weakening of Taliban and trying to increase its influence. IS is spreading ethnic and religious abhorrence which is very dangerous for Afghanistan which is already suffering from deep ethnic divide. At present, Taliban are fighting IS more effectively than the Afghan government. Taliban who are still powerful in Afghanistan are giving a tough fight to Da’esh but the ideology, financial resources, armaments and techniques of IS are far superior to that of Taliban’s. Hence, the outfit is making inroads even in what were believed to be the strongholds of Taliban with the help of defectors as well as of locals.

IS cadres are very ruthless with their opponents and kill them brutally. They resort to sexual abuse of young women, extortion, severing of limbs, looting and burning of houses etc. The IS generates fear in the residents of the area. The IS is enhancing its influence and fighting is increasing in Afghanistan and chances of peace are becoming remote. The economy of the country is deteriorating and the present government is losing public support. After the departure of majority US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan, Taliban and IS have strengthened themselves. US President Obama’s decision to retain some US troops even after 2017 is a welcomed decision. US has rightly authorized its troops in Afghanistan to target IS. In case world community abandons Afghanistan, IS will defeat Taliban and will occupy large parts of Afghanistan which will be used as a base to carry out terrorist activities in the whole world especially, in the South Asian region. Therefore the world leaders should equip Afghan army with latest weaponry, electronic gadgets, training and should provide the requisite intelligence about IS so that Afghan forces can counter this dreaded terrorist organization.

(Jai Kumar Verma is a Delhi-based strategic analyst. This article first appeared on April 3 in South Asia Monitor. It is being reproduced here with the permission of the author.)“

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neitherahawknoradove.pngPakistan and India were on the verge of concluding a historic framework of an agreement on the protracted Kashmir conflict which led to five wars between the two neighbours including three major ones in 1947-48, 1965 and 1971 as well as the Rann of Kutch and Kargil being the other two. This assertion has been made by former Pakistan foreign minister Khursheed Mahmud Kasuri. Inexplicably the powers that be in this country have maintained a stoic silence. The saving grace is that Kasuri’s emphasis on being close to a breakthrough on Kashmir has not been dismissed out of hand.

Kasuri’s book is largely about Islamabad’s difficult relationship with New Delhi amid attempts to normalise it during his term as the political head of the foreign ministry in Islamabad from 2002 to 2007. The face of Sudheendra Kulkarni, an aide to former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was present at the book release function in Mumbai last year was blackened with ink by Shiv Sena activists. He believes his term as foreign minister was a momentous period immediately following 9/11 as the Pakistan-India peace process made great strides during those years. Pakistan’s foreign policy remained focussed on promotion of regional and global peace and security as well as economic and social development. It is largely about Pakistan’s difficult relationship with India and attempts to normalise it. He has endeavoured to provide an authentic and personal account of his country’s foreign policy at a time when it underwent major strategic shifts to conform to new and rapidly evolving global imperatives.

The hostile nature of India-Pakistan relations has a strong bearing on regional security including the vital issue of enduring peace and stability in Afghanistan. Improving bilateral ties is, therefore, of great importance to the world. The book provides an insider’s account of the progress made by both countries in the five years that he was the Foreign minister in working on their historically acrimonious relations. What facilitated Kasuri was his warm and cordial relations with then President Pervez Musharraf. Also after interacting closely with the powerful military establishment in Pakistan he became convinced the men in uniform are not averse to friendship with India. The Army was on board with the framework of the Kashmir settlement on which both sides had made remarkable progress through the backchannel. It addressed the possible framework towards reconciling Indo-Pak differences. “”This is the first positive and definite account of the much heralded peace process by someone directly and intimately involved with it.””

During this period unprecedented progress was made on the contentious issues of Kashmir, Sir Creek and Siachen. But for the unfortunate turn of events following the removal of the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhury by President Musharraf, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was all set to visit Pakistan following the bold and imaginative steps towards peace to sign an agreement on Sir Creek. If Singh had visited Pakistan by July or August of 2006 by which time Sir Creek was ready for signature this would have shut up the Cassandras who kept repeating that Pakistan and India were incapable of resolving any dispute bilaterally.

Kasuri remains convinced that the elaborate and detailed “”diplomaic efforts made and the progress achieved during that time will not be wasted and the two sides will have to begin from where we left rather than reinvent the wheel when times for earnest dialogue and engagement are again propitious.”” He warns that Pakistan and India have major fault lines which could be exploited by others if they do not resolve their disputes in a fair and just manner. He suggests that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly after his spectacular success in the 2014 general elections, expend some of this political capital by thinking creatively and out of the box although “”I have been disappointed by some of the rhetoric coming from the new government recently. I nevertheless strongly believe if the new Prime Minister (Modi) is to live up to the promise of development, which formed the major plank of his election campaign, he will hopefully realise sooner than later that the experienced and wise Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee came to the conclusion regarding Pakistan-India relations after deep relflection.””

On his becoming Foreign minister, President Musharraf’s first pointed question to him was “”are you a hawk or a dove on India?”” Sidestepping the loaded question Kasuri told the President “”you will find out in due course”” though he claimed he was not being reticent or evasive. Liberals find me far too conservative and conservatives feel I am too much of a liberal for their comfort.”” He came from a well known and influential family. He grew up in Lahore known as the cultural capital of the country in the 1950s and 1060s. People from Lahore’s political and intellectual circles regularly gathered at his house on the then famous Fane road off the historic Mall road. He was raised under contrasting influences. His mother belonged to a princely family of northern India with pro-British leanings while his father hailed from anti-colonial nationalists as well as religiously disposed pan-Islamic Punjabis. These contradictions between the maternal and paternal sides of the family inculcated a greater than usual degree of tolerance in Kasuri. His family background was also perhaps responsible for what was regarded at the foreign office as “”my non-conventional views on India.””

Over the years Pakistan’s foreign policy has been shaped by two constants: India and the West particularly the United States. Perhaps it is unfair to describe Pakistan and the US relations as “”an odd couple of modern inter-state relations.”” Pakistanis have started regarding the US as an unreliable partner and a fair weather friend. In the final analysis Pakistan’s troubled relations with India has had a major impact on its relations with USA, China, Russia and Afghanistan. After taking up the Foreign minister’s job Kasuri started reiterating the need for ‘Peace and Honour’ with India. “”I did not support a military solution to the Kashmir issue and felt that eventually all the stake holders will have to find a negotiated settlement.””

The joint statement issued by the two leaders on 18 April 2005 unequivocally stated the irreversibility of the peace process and pledged that terrorism would not be permitted to impede or scuttle it. “”This marked a watershed moment which made the peace process and the back channel diplomacy sustainable and the progress made proved invaluable during the testing times that followed.”” The bus service across the Line of Control (LOC) was historic and compared to the fall of the Berlin wall. Kasuri recalled that the peace process had started at the time of Atal Behari Vajpayee as Prime Minister and Kasuri never forgot to praise him for it. “”Without the ownership of the peace process being assumed by all major political forces, it will remain fragile,”” the author emphasized.

India has sought to engage Pakistan by legitimising the territorial status quo and finding some means of formalizing the LOC as the legal border. In contrast Pakistan has sought to engage India over revising the status quo. Kasuri is convinced that living in the past will not help Pakistan or advance the cause of Kashmiris. Pakistan will have to adopt a coherent and well thought-out-strategy to combat militancy and terrorism as these could develop into existential threats. Analysts in Pakistan believe Modi unlike Vajpayee will adopt a hostile posture towards Pakistan and follow a more aggressive foreign policy. “”I would prefer to think that Narendra Modi is like other politicians, a pragamatist in the ultimate analysis”” opines Kasuri. Lets wait and see.

TR

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator.)
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Article107.pngSending a strong signal of growing closeness and cooperation in their military ties, India and the U.S. have agreed in principle to sign a Logistics Exchange Agreement. They also expressed their desire to explore agreements which would facilitate further expansion of bilateral defence cooperation in practical ways. The visiting U.S. Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar also vowed to enhance military cooperation and technology transfer. The logistics exchange agreement, to be inked in the coming months, pertains to provision of logistical support, refuelling facilities, supplies, repair and rest. The two Defence ministers said the logistics agreement would be useful during operations or humanitarian assistance in times of natural disasters by way of providing support. “”Logistics is very important part of the operation. It will be on case by case basis,”” Mr. Carter said adding that all related issues have been resolved.

Mr Carter added that the new logistics agreement “”reflects the fact that we expect to be working more, our Navies together, our Air Forces together, our Armies together and we want to have the ability to respond together to let’s say a humanitarian disaster… this doesn’t bind anybody to doing anything in particular.”” The two sides also held delegation level meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday and reviewed the important steps taken since the signing of the new Framework for the U.S.-India Defence Relationship last June to deepen bilateral defence ties. According to the joint statement, the two ministers discussed the priorities for the coming year in defence ties, as well as specific steps both sides will take to pursue those priorities. These included expanding collaboration under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI); Make in India efforts of the Indian government; new opportunities to deepen cooperation in maritime security and Maritime Domain Awareness; military-to-military relations; the knowledge partnership in the field of defence; and regional and international security matters of mutual interest.

Mr. Carter was hosted by Mr. Parrikar in Goa. They visited the Indian Naval Base in Karwar and India’s latest and biggest aircraft carrier – the INS Vikramaditya. They also visited the USS Blue Ridge which was conducting a port call in Goa. Later on Tuesday, Mr. Carter also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The joint statement noted that the U.S. and India share a deep and abiding interest in global peace, prosperity, and stability. Pointing out that bilateral Defence cooperation was a key component of the strategic partnership between the two countries, it said that Mr. Carter’s visit marked the fourth meeting between him and Mr. Parrikar within a year. His visit also comes in the last phase of President Obama’s tenure.

Maritime Security

At a time when India also faces an aggressive China in the Indian Ocean Region and the South China Sea, Mr. Carter and Mr. Parrikar reaffirmed the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, including in the South China Sea. They vowed their support for a rules-based order and regional security architecture conducive to peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean, and emphasized their commitment to working together and with other nations to ensure the security and stability that have been beneficial to the Asia-Pacific for decades. They welcomed the efforts by their  Armed Forces to further expand collaboration in the years to come, particularly their military engagements and exercises and developing plans for more advanced maritime exercises.

In support of the India-U.S. Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region and the maritime security objectives, both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in the area of maritime security. In this context, they reaffirmed their desire to expeditiously conclude a “white shipping” technical arrangement to improve data sharing on commercial shipping traffic. They agreed to commence Navy-to-Navy discussions on submarine safety and anti-submarine warfare. Â They also agreed to launch a bilateral Maritime Security Dialogue.

DTTI Progressing Well

The two ministers reviewed the progress and reiterated their commitment to pursue co-development and co-production of advanced defence articles under the DTTI. In this context, they agreed to initiate two new DTTI pathfinder projects on Digital Helmet Mounted Displays and the Joint Biological Tactical Detection System. They commended the on-going discussions at the Jet Engine Technology Joint Working Group (JETJWG) and the Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation (JWGACTC). The two sides agreed to work towards greater cooperation in the field of cutting-edge defence technologies, including deepening consultations on aircraft carrier design and operations, and jet engine technology. Both sides agreed to encourage their respective defence industries to develop new partnerships in the pursuit of a range of cutting-edge projects. In support of Make in India, the U.S. shared two proposals to bolster India’s suite of fighter aircraft for consideration of the government.

Mr. Parrikar noted that India has more joint exercises with the U.S. than with any other country in the world. He also underlined India’s continuing concern at terrorism in the region directed against it while Mr.  Carter emphasised that eliminating terrorism, and the ideology and infrastructure that supports it, was a common objective the U.S. shares with India. Referring to Pathankot terror attack, Mr. Carter said the perpetrators of the crime should be brought to justice”

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Article106.pngMedical doctors and experts from the US, UK, India, Brazil and Mexico have come together to support the proposed sin tax on sugar sweetened beverages in India. In a joint statement, experts from these countries have said that a changing Indian diet landscape was leading to an alarming increase in rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, ad cardiovascular diseases in India while cautioning that India stands to reverse decades of public health gains if these trends are left unchecked. Recently, India’s Chief Economic Advisor proposed increasing sin taxes on aerated drinks containing added sugars and treating it similar to tobacco.  The proposal is expected to come up for a vote in Parliament as part of the larger Goods and Services Tax Bill. The statement, which has been mailed to key Members of Parliament and Ministries in India this week, notes that, “While processed foods in general are a source of concern, an increasing body of new public health research shows that one set of products­ sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) ­pose a unique risk of increasing the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”

In the US, where 69% of adults are  overweight or obese, 36% of the added sugars consumed come from liquid drinks such as carbonated beverages, juices and energy drinks. In January this year, the World Health Organization issued a strong public statement  in support of SSB-taxation, and another report released last week showed that more Indian men die from diabetes than in any other country. Many of the statement supporters have led initiatives internationally to tax sugar sweetened beverages, including recent successful efforts in Mexico, South Africa, UK and Berkeley, as well as ongoing efforts in cities such as San Francisco, Oakland and Philadelphia in the US. “”All of the evidence we have to date suggests that taxing sugary drinks would be far more powerful and effective for protecting public health than simple education measures. Such taxes also generate funds to further support public health and combat the rising rates of chronic diseases in India,”” said Dr. Sanjay Basu, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and one of the originators of the statement.

 India would follow the successful taxation strategies in Mexico and parts of the United States, which have significantly lowered SSB consumption. Mexico introduced a soda tax in January 2014 and saw a 12% drop in SSB sales by December 2014. A 2014 Stanford University study concluded that a 20% tax on SSBs in India would avert 11.2 million cases of overweight/obesity and 400,000 cases of type 2 diabetes between 2014 and 2023. The tax would also substantially increase revenue available to the government to support other public health measures. With over 60 million people with type 2 diabetes, the Indian government has a duty to its citizens to address a crisis that causes such misery, and that threatens to break an already over-burdened public health system. Diseases caused by SSBs—such as diabetes—are chronic, irreversible conditions that will levy a heavy burden on health care spending for many decades to come and will particularly impact low-income Indians disproportionately. India cannot afford to ignore the changing diet landscape that will exact a high toll if current trends in the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages continue. Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages in ways similar to tobacco is a positive step forward to protect the public health interests of all Indians, the joint statement said.

Some other signatories to the statement include Dr. Arun Gupta, Senior Pediatrician and Regional Coordinator, International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) Asia, New Delhi; Dr. Anand Krishnan, Professor, Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi; Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Michael F. Jacobson, PhD, President, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC; Robert S. Lawrence, MD, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore; Reynaldo Martorell, PhD, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of International Nutrition, Hubert Department of Global Health & Senior Advisor, Global Health Institute, Emory University, Atlanta and Dr. Carlos A. Monteiro, Professor of Nutrition and Public Health, School of Public Health at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.”

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Article105.pngPuttingal temple fire in Kollam in Kerala which has claimed more than 100 innocent lives has once again given rise to a raging debate on TV channels and in the print media. But do we learn any lessons from such events except discussing them for a short period? If the recent past is any indicator, the answer would be an emphatic no. India has seen number of devastating fire tragedies in the past which were probed but hardly any lessons learnt. The question also arises that whether the politicians and bureaucrats whose inaction, their whims and fancies result in loss of precious human lives will continue to be unaccountable.

Own Experience

The tragic incident takes me back to my own experience. When I was Assistant Superintendent of Police at Vijayawada, the fire crackers were sold in ‘One Town Police Station’ limits which was very congested market and where in some of the lanes even it was difficult for a fire tender to reach in the event of any mishap. One small incident of accidental fire, in which fortunately nobody was killed, sent shivers down my spine – as we could reach the spot with lot of effort and delay. As Police used to be the licensing authority for storing and selling fire-crackers, in the next festival session, I decided under the active support of my Superintendent of Police not to allow storage and sale of crackers in that part of the market. We also came down very heavily on enforcing the standards prescribed for storage of crackers. There was stiff opposition to our efforts but we stuck to our guns.

We also decided to allow sale of firecrackers in temporary planned market place for which the public PWD ground was converted into a make-shift market with proper storage and properly marked escape routes for any exigency. Fire brigades were placed in each corner of the market. There was huge furore against our efforts. The traders threatened to go on strike – the local politicians took out processions against Police, blaming it for high-handedness. But their efforts did not succeed thanks to the then Chief Minister N T Rama Rao (NTR) who always supported sincere efforts by the Police. In spite of all these efforts we had one fire incident but due to steps in place, it could be brought under control and there was no loss of life.

Later, when I headed a District Police of Khammam, the Pattabhisekam of Lord Sri Rama was to be celebrated- a festival which happens once in 60 years at Lord Rama’s temple situated at Bhadrachalam on the banks of Godavari river attracting a crowd of more than 10 lakhs. It fell in the month of June which is one of the hottest months in coal belt when temperatures soar to 48-50 0C. The Endowment Minister of the state hailed from that area and was closely involved in the proposed celebrations. He informed that they were planning to have an elephant procession carrying the deity. As Superintendent of Police I opposed the idea but the Minister dismissed it. My District Collector supported me but I did not get any support from my immediate superior who advised me not to oppose the Minister. I stuck to my decision – fearful of the idea of an elephant running amok in that heat could result in stampede. The matter reached higher authorities who were not very enthusiastic about my idea.

CM backed the police

Finally, a meeting was called by the then Chief Minister NTR. I decided to oppose the idea in spite of not much support and told the CM that I would not be held responsible in case any untoward thing happened. NTR endorsed my views in his typical filmy style and overruled the Endowment Minister. The festival passed away peacefully.

Enforcing the Rules

The narration of these incidents is not to talk about my achievements or great work. It was simple common sense approach for the welfare of the public and the decision to enforce the correct thing. The enforcement, in my view, is the key to a successful and efficient administration. Rules, regulations and orders unless enforced would mean nothing – however well these may be drafted. What happened at Puttingal temple in Kollam is a typical example when the administration declined to permit the use of crackers but the order was not enforced resulting in tragedy of such colossal magnitude. Enquiry has been ordered and the commission will submit its report in six months’ time which would perhaps gather dust.

It is high time when the officers decide to take a stand and enforce the rules and regulations — be it traffic rules, fire safety regulations, explosive storage rules or even normal encroachments which often make movement of fire brigade vehicles difficult. Second, the accountability of officers who fail to enforce rules and regulations must be fixed and appropriate punishment handed over. Unless that happens, nothing much is expected and we will continue to see more of such avoidable tragedies.

(The writer, an IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, recently retired as DG of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and served for long years in CBI and NIA. The views expressed are personal)”

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Article110.pngIndia will adopt the Statute of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) and become its formal member to strengthen ties with the member countries in controlling the trans-boundary wildlife crime through communication, coordination, collaboration, capacity building and cooperation in the region. The approval to adopt SAWEN was given by the Union Cabinet which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. SAWEN, a Regional network is comprised of eight countries in South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It aims at working as a strong regional inter¬governmental body for combating wildlife crime by attempting common goals and approaches for combating illegal trade in the region. Adoption of SAWEN statute envisions India being part of the regional inter¬governmental body in combating wildlife crime in the region and beyond.

Following objectives have been set to attain the goals. These goals include undertaking initiatives for bringing harmonization and standardization in laws and policies of member countries concerning conservation of fauna and flora; documenting the trend of poaching and illegal trade, and related threats to the natural biodiversity within and across countries in the region; and strengthening institutional responses to combat wildlife crime by promoting research and information sharing, training and capacity building, technical support, sharing experiences and outreach. The move will also encourage member countries to prepare and implement their National Action Plans in curbing wildlife crime and to collaborate towards effective implementation. The South Asia region is very vulnerable to illegal traffic and wildlife crimes due to presence of precious biodiversity and large markets as well as traffic routes for wildlife products in the south East Asian region. The collaboration in harmonising as well as enforcing the wildlife protection in the region is considered very important for effective conservation of such precious biodiversity.”

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Article109.pngIndia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will shortly sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in preventing and combating human trafficking. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for signing of the MoU and it is expected to be operationlised very soon. The MoU will increase the bilateral cooperation on the issues of prevention, rescue, recovery and repatriation related to human trafficking especially women and children expeditiously, an official spokesperson said after the Cabinet meeting. The MoU will help strengthen cooperation to prevent all forms of human trafficking, especially that of women and children and ensure speedy investigation and prosecution of traffickers and organized crime syndicates in either country, and will help in taking preventive measures that would eliminate human trafficking in women and children and in protecting the rights of victims of trafficking.

Anti-trafficking Cells and Task Forces will work on both sides to prevent human trafficking with police and other authorities concerned working in closely and exchanging information which can be used to interdict human traffickers. The repatriation of victims would be done as expeditiously as possible and the home country will undertake the safe and effective re-integration of the victims. A Joint Task Force with representatives from both sides would be constituted to monitor the working of the MoU. As a destination of trafficking, South Asian countries are mainly affected by domestic trafficking, or trafficking from the neighboring countries. However, South Asian victims are also increasingly detected in the Middle East.

India is a source and transit country as far as trafficking to UAE is concerned, whereas UAE is a destination and transit country for men and women, predominantly from South, Southeast and Central Asia and Eastern Europe who are subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking. Migrant workers, who comprise over 95 percent of the UAE’s private sector workforce, are recruited primarily from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iran and East, South and Southeast Asia. Some of these workers face forced labour in the UAE. Women from some of these countries travel willingly to the UAE to work as domestic workers, secretaries, beauticians and hotel cleaners, but some are subjected to forced labour by unlawful withholding of their passports, restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, threats and physical or sexual abuse.

The reinforcement of anti-trafficking efforts at all levels between the UAE and India is essential for prevention and protection of victims. This requires mutual cooperation among both the countries for intelligence sharing, joint investigation and a coordinated response to the challenges of human trafficking. For this purpose, it is proposed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with UAE, the spokesperson said. India has already signed one MoU to prevent trafficking with Bangladesh and another with Bahrain is to be signed during this month. According to the Global Report on Trafficking in People, 2014, victims in Europe and Central Asia are mostly trafficked for sexual exploitation (66 per cent), whereas in East & South Asia and the Pacific forced labour is the main reason (64 per cent). In the Americas, both types are detected in almost equal measure (48 per cent for sexual exploitation, 47 per cent for forced labour).

People are trafficked to be exploited in a range of different sectors: of the detected victims in 2011, 53 per cent were involved in sexual exploitation and 40 per cent in forced labour which includes exploitation in agriculture, horticulture, construction, textile production in sweatshop conditions, catering and restaurants, entertainment services and domestic servitude. Other forms of exploitation have been found such as forced marriage, organ removal, illegal adoption and the exploitation of children for begging and as child soldiers. Most countries have now criminalized trafficking with a specific offence in line with the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol. But impunity remains a serious problem; only four in 10 countries reported having 10 or more yearly convictions in 2010-2012 and nearly 15 per cent having no convictions at all in the same period.

The Dubai Police website also describes the crime of Human Trafficking as one of the biggest challenges in the field of human rights as it affects human dignity and freedom, of the worst forms of exploitation. In recent years, successive efforts and global initiatives to combat this crime, such as the protocol for the global fight against Human Trafficking, and the International Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, which includes combating, prevention, and punishment of human smugglers and human traffickers, the website says. But the rest of these efforts and initiatives are inadequate in front of the proliferation of Human Trafficking and the doubling number of victims. Because prevention is the main step to tackle this issue; nations, governments, and non-governmental organizations depend on prevention and awareness campaigns as one of the basic tools to support efforts to combat these heinous crimes.”