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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.”

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Article108.pngGods in God’s own country Kerala seem to have been displeased by man’s callous disregard for the lives and safety of fellow human beings. The devastating explosion in the wee hours of Sunday caused by fire crackers in a store house at the century-old Puttingal Devi temple in the coastal town of Paravur in Kollam district, some 60 kilometres from the state capital Thiruvanthapuram, that killed as many as 110 people and injured some 350 people was a tragedy waiting to happen. It was a result of gross negligence and callous attitude. Mishaps from bursting of fire crackers have been a regular occurrence in Kerala temple festivals but April 10 tragedy that flattened an entire area near the store house apparently stocked about 50 tonnes of gunpowder and assorted explosive material, which sent shock waves across the country. There were around 15,000 people in and around the complex when the fire started. Temples in Kerala always have an fascination for pyrotechnics and decorated elephants and it is an integral part of festivals in Hindu places of worship and churches for decades and their scale has been rising year after year, mainly due to the element of competitiveness.

Competitive fire works displays are relatively recent additions in festivals to entertain and attract crowd and business in Kerala. At many places, such displays are held as competitions with one group trying to outdo another. Nothing is seemed excessive in these exhibitions of financial clouts – not even incendiary materials of dangerous potency. Banned chemicals are known to have been used in crackers burst at the festival contests.At Paravur too, there used to be a competitive fire works display every year. But this time, the District Collector and the Additional District Magistrate had decided to refuse permission for fire works show on the grounds of safety. The temple authorities flouted the ban and went ahead with the display. With growing scale of pyrotechnic displays disregarding all safety norms, fire works related accidents have also been on the rise. Many have died in explosions as fire crackers were being manufactured or burst. The first major fire works mishap that shocked Kerala was in 1952 at the famous hill-shrine of Sabarimala in which 68 people died and many maimed. Another tragedy occurred in 1987 when 27 spectators sitting on a railway track and watching the fire works at the Sri Jagannatha temple in Thalassery were run over by the train.

The deafening noise created by the display had drowned out the sound of approaching train. Since then, there have been major fire works accidents every now and then killing and injuring people in different parts of Kerala. Rough estimates show that in the last 50 years, there have been more than 400 such incidents and they have claimed many lives. The world famous Thrissur pooram, around the corner, an annual temple festival, which is known for its mutiple rounds of competitive fireworks display held at the Swaraj Round at Vadakkunnath temple, has been hit thrice with high casualties. It is not just the pyrotechnics that make Kerala temples veritable disaster sites during the annual festivals but also parading elephants and over crowding. Along with the fire crackers casualties, what is also on the rise is the loss of lives and property due to attacks by elephants who run amok. Festivals in Kerala are getting bigger and bigger and both the fireworks and elephants have a pride place in the scheme of things. Incidents have also taken place where terrorised elephants due to stampede have gone astray and injured mahouts and innocent bystanders.

Most often this is the outcome of continuous tortures of these giant creatures by the insensitive owners and mahouts, who overwork them, bundle the elephants in lorries, tie them so that they cannot move and ferry them from one temple to another without food in searing heat to collect maximum possible revenue during the festival season.The state’s temples – managed by rich and powerful trusts that often flout local regulations – and a clutch of religious organisations have planned to do away with fireworks displays. But the Travancore Devaswom board that manages about 1,255 temples in Kerala said it does not favour a blanket ban. Since 2003, Kerala has a law that bans the use and storage of certain types of locally-made firecrackers, the ones predominantly used for festivals. That the police raided and seized more that 150 kilograms of explosive- the legal limit is 15 kg– from various places in and around Kollam also shows that if officials had been alert, this tragedy of such magnitude could have been avoided. Kerala High Court has banned use of high decibel crackers and fireworks display after sunset in places of worship across the state.Thirteen people, including the members of the managing committee of Puttingal Devi temple have been arrested in connection with Sunday’sfire crackers tragedy.”

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Article113.pngPakistan’s unexpected diplomatic one-upmanship on India when its High Commissioner in New Delhi Abdul Basit, who has been hawkish in his approach, announced with much fanfare on April 4 that the “”Comprehensive Bilateral dialogue”” between the two neighbours stands “”suspended. There are no talks being planned now between the foreign secretaries,”” he added, leaving it to the scribes to interpret it in any manner they liked. It sent the mandarins in the imposing South Block housing the high profile Ministry of External Affairs into a tizzy. Islamabad not only caught India napping but on the wrong foot which is bound to compel Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reassess matters for himself about what is it since his stunning and unannounced visit to Lahore on Christmas day last year that has compelled his counterpart and host Nawaz Sharif to suspend the “”Comprehensive Bilateral dialogue”” even before it has got under way.

Pakistan’s powerful Army

Clearly, the powerful Army establishment in Pakistan has played its pre-eminent role of being a spoiler as always when it comes to India. Be that as it may, Modi and Sharif’s efforts to invest afresh in the bilateral peace process with the former’s initiative on December 25 appears to have been snuffed out prematurely. After the terrorist attack in Pathankot in the new year, New Delhi postponed the Foreign Secretary level talks. India and Pakistan are again back to square one in their efforts to normalise relations which has remained a exercise in futility so far. On his part Modi, known for thinking out of the box, will become highly circumspect in the future when it comes to Pakistan. He is not one to throw in the towel. At the same time his National Security Adviser Ajit Doval may have to change tack. Doval spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Naseer Khan Janjua on April eighth after giving more than 30 hours to Islamabad to put the record straight. That did not happen and Janjua maintained that Basit had only stated the factual position. Nevertheless, Janjua was not averse to the two NSAs meeting and trying to sort out the differences or misunderstanding.

There is no guarantee that Janjua can stop or negate the Pakistan military’s continuing efforts to block any forward movement in the political leadership’s attempts to resolve protracted issues and irritants between the two sides. However, former Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf insists he ordered “”Operation Kargil”” as a revenge for the humiliation suffered by them 45 years back when that neighbouring country split with the creation of Bangladesh. Discriminating observers believe the inputs provided to Modi in evolving his Pakistan policy has fallen flat.

Denial of reciprocal access to NIA

A case in point is Pakistan’s denial of reciprocal access to India’s National Investigative Agency (NIA) after having created a controversy by allowing the neighbour’s SIT to come to this country and visit Pathankot in the first instance. This is believed to have been agreed to at the level of the two Prime Ministers. The opposition has launched a frontal attack against Modi for his theatrics but the ground realities cannot be overlooked requiring reconciliation along with some give and take by both sides. Islamabad and the General Headquarters of the Army in Rawalpindi must understand that the vale of Kashmir is never going to be handed over to the neighbour. The resolution adopted by Parliament is categoric that Jammu and Kashmir is an inalienable and integral part of India.

Terror remains India’s dominant concern having faced its brunt not only in Jammu and Kashmir but in different parts of the country for more than three decades. There is a strong section of opinion in India that it should give up being a soft state and become pro-active in giving it back to Pakistan where it hurts the most for aiding and abetting terrorism for nearly four decades. Once again the Pakistan Army is trying to undermine the political leadership of Sharif. As expected it has deliberately sought to derail and scuttle the bilateral dialogue. Indeed Basit played his part effectively. Despite New Delhi’s objections, he has continued to hob nob with the separatists in Srinagar.

On April 9 an NIA special court in Mohali adjacent to Chandigarh in Haryana issued arrest warrants against Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and three others wanted in January’s Pathankot air base attack case. The others were Abdul Rauf, Kashif Jan and Shahid Latif. On March 28 when the talks began between the NIA and Pakistan Joint Investiation team, the former showed the visitors the evidence of the Pakistani link including the involvement of JeM in the attack.

India has been quite miffed with Pakistan’s posturing over the last few weeks specially in the wake of new allegations of India’s spying activities. Not only there were calculated leaks in the Pakistan media while their SIT was in India, Islamabad doubted whether any Pakistani militants were involved in the attack. The GHQ in Rawalpindi wants matters between India and Pakistan to remain in a limbo. It is evident New Delhi failed to factor in that NIA will not be allowed to visit Pakistan once its Special Investigating Team had returned home. The MEA cannot absolve itself of failing to read Pakistan’s real intent or the machinations of the Inter-Service Intelligence. What is bewildering is Pakistan backing away from a terror investigator after having achieved its goal. Unfortunately, some of the Pakistan High Commissioner’s remarks in New Delhi about the suspension of the “”Comprehensive Dialogue”” process has the portends of worsening the atmospherics between the two neighbours.

What is painful is that attempts to promote peace has suffered a grievous blow time and time again. Pakistan’s powerful men in uniform, who control 70 per cent of that country’s economy, need to awaken to the painful reality that the Frankeinstein monster created by them is leading to its own annihilation and inevitable destruction.

(The writer is a senior journalist and commentator. Views expressed are personal.)“

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Article112.pngWith the BJP firmly committing itself to the “”Agenda of Alliance”” and reticent about the confidence building measures proposed by Mehbooba Mufti following the death of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in January left the heir apparent no option but to take oath of office and secrecy as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on April 4. This time Governor’s rule lasted 87 days in the sensitive border state. Mehbooba could not have pushed her luck any further as the chances of a revolt against her in the PDP was brewing. Had it erupted and come into the open, it would have been disastrous for the PDP as the Mufti’s legacy in the only Muslim majority state in the country would have come to nought. In the event of a snap poll that she had cautioned her party time and time again, it was no secret that the PDP would have lost the plot. The advantage would have rested with her rival National Conference and the Congress to make a comeback bid.

Finally, Mehbooba has come out of the shadows enjoying the distinction of being the first woman chief minister of J & K. Caught in a delicate situation, she has to tread guardedly between the cacophony of the separatists on the one side and the unthinkable aspect of getting the North Pole and the South Pole especially the PDP-BJP combine working in tandem for development and progress rather than pushing their extreme ideologies. On his part Prime Minister Narendra Modi after returning from Saudi Arabia telephoned Mehbooba and assured full cooperation and financial assistance from the centre. She told her council of ministers that her mission is to realise the vision of her father of “”a peaceful, prosperous and stable J & K.”” Interestingly, she conceded having more BJP ministers in her council of ministers.

No sooner than she had assumed the office of chief minister she was staring at a flare up in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Srinagar where a section of students were roughed up. The matter should have best been left to the NIT administration. But that was not to be given the penchant for central intervention by the HRD ministry under the charge of Smriti Irani. It posed a challenge to Mehbooba’s leadership in ensuring that the situation did not go out of hand along with soothing ruffled feathers so that calm prevailed. It has become apparent that the unwarranted Central intervention has added to the Valley’s sense of bias against Delhi. Such interventions took place in other institutions of higher learning like the JNU in the national capital and the Central University in Hyderabad attracting national attention and complicating matters. Growing instances of intolerance in higher institutions of learning must be curbed rather than fanning it with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the BJP, in the forefront backed by the fringe elements of the Sangh Parivar.

The crisis in Srinagar brings to the fore the divisive politics of nationalism. The dangers of such tactics cannot be overlooked. The bottom line is for the PDP and BJP to work in concert for instilling confidence among the people at large. Considering the rising militancy in J & K there is mounting frustration in the Valley. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is complicated as it pertains to the protection required by the Army and whether they should be redeployed out of relatively calm areas. The Supreme Court has already laid down strict guidelines for counter terrorism operations that has contributed to adequate decline in human rights violations by the military. In Jammu and Kashmir the clamour is for according priority to police reforms.

At the first cabinet meeting chaired by her earlier this week on Monday, Mehbooba announced people welfare measures like doubling the ration from 5 Kg to 10 Kg per person involving an annual additional expenditure of Rs 1500 crores to an enhanced population of 1.19 crores. Pensions have also been raised by 30% for those between 85 to 90 years, 40% for those between 90-95 years, 50% to those in 95-100 age group and 100% for the centurians and above. Travel allowance has also been revised from Rs 15000 to Rs 20,000 per month for the Durbar move with immediate effective. Mehbooba wants to fulfil her father’s wish of making J&K a welfare state. Mehbooba needs to generate goodwill for herself in all the three distinct regions — Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh — of the state peculiar to J&K alone.

Simultaneously, she has to build bridges with the centre. It is in this context her meeting with the Prime Minister on Wednesday assumes importance. She reminded Modi of his desire to make J&K a model state. She requested him to include Srinagar and Jammu in the plan of making them part of the “”Smart Cities Mission”” of the Urban Development ministry. Looking back it makes immense sense why the Mufti as a tall leader preferred having an alliance with the BJP led NDA government on the majestic Raisina Hill in the national capital. After mulling over matters for 90 days from January to March last year, the Mufti proposed an unimaginable tie up with the BJP without which he was convinced the centre would have throttled J&K for direly needed financial resources.
Going with the Congress or anyone else for that matter was not a viable option. Considering his tall stature as a leader in J&K, no one dare oppose him openly despite the underlying resentment in his party. There is no doubt despite the stone walling by the BJP on the CBMs that Mehbooba direly wanted to put in place, she had to necessarily take the plunge of forming the government despite the challenges it presented. Politics is the art of the possible. Lets wait and see.

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator. The views expressed here are personal.)”

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Article111.pngThe Modi government has come under sharp attack from the Congress-Left combine on its in principle decision to sign the Logistics Support Agreement with the U.S., expressing strong reservations and claiming that it was intrusive and amounted to compromising national sovereignty and strategic autonomy of the country. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Anand Sharma said that the LSA was earlier proposed by the U.S. in 2004 but the UPA government, led by the Congress, had resisted it for the past 10 years on the basis of some valid concerns. The agreement, still under negotiation, envisages providing logistical support, fuel supplies, services and repair facilities to each other’s military.

Mr. Sharma said the LSA would be misconstrued by India’s other strategic partners as India being drawn into a Military Alliance with the U.S. and two other agreements form the part of The Foundational Agreements as they are called – the second one is CISMOA i.e. The Communication and Information Security MOA and the third is BECA – Basic Exchange and Co-operation Agreement. “”Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government do not have a national mandate to push India into a situation in closer, deeper Military Alliance and become part of the larger operational designs and requirements of the US in Asia, in Pacific and South China Sea. It would be detrimental to India’s interests, our security interest and also undermine or rather underrate the critical geo-strategic balance and also the balance for forces in India’s extended neighbourhood in the Region,”” Mr. Sharma said.

He clarified that India has refused to be drawn into any Military Alliance and has only strategic partnerships. He asked the government to retrace its steps and ensure that India’s past position of not leaning or being drawn into Military Blocks is respected. He also questioned the U.S. decision to supply lethal weaponry, including F-16 fighter jets, to Pakistan knowing fully well that Islamabad’s armed forces do not have any friendly intention towards India and its people. The Communist Party of India (CPI) feared that the proposed agreement would allow the US Armed Forces to be stationed on Indian soil in the name of repairing and maintenance facilities for American ships and aeroplanes.

“”While the people of Japan, Philippines, Cuba and other countries are fighting to remove the American bases from their soil, India is providing such a facility to USA, though in the name of “Maintenance facility” is very dangerous. The CPI said such strategic agreements should be discussed in Parliament and there should be no compromise on the question of national sovereignty,” the CPI said in a statement. The CPI (M) said the Modi government has taken the dangerous step of deepening military collaboration with the U.S. by agreeing to allow US armed forces to use base facilities in Indian naval and air force bases. In doing so, the BJP government has crossed a line which no other government has done since independence – converting India into a full-fledged military ally of the United States. All political parties and patriotic citizens should oppose this surrender to the USA, the CPI (M) said.”