Untold Facts

BAL Brutality on Mahmudur Rahman

Bangladesh has become an utterly Baksalite country under the bully that is the present government with ruthless oppression cruelly descending down on all kinds of democratic dissent, however legitimate and rightful they may be, and wildly devouring any semblance of freedom of expression, however informed and critically discriminating that may be. The situation in the country is such that it has lapsed into a filthy demonic, draconian and iron-fisted rule, worse than any military dictatorships, Stalinist Russia, contemporary Arab and African mouth-gagging regimes and Prophet Musa’s pharaonic fearful Egypt. No wonder, following the assassination of Sheikh Mujib in 1975, the late Abdul Malek Ukil of his own party remarked in London with a feeling of great relief that Bangladesh had been saved from the tyranny and repression of a Bangladeshi pharaoh. Just to give one example (not to speak of the other recent nakedly biased actions like the blind and blanket changing of the names of many national institutions, and the dropping of thousands of lawsuits against the Awamites, etc), look at the tyrannical closure of Channel 1 (One), Kazi Zesin’s fantastic and brilliant talk show Point of Order on Bangla Vision and the esteemed Daily Amar Desh. It is an extremely painful and disturbing development that a man like Mahmudur Rahman, perhaps the finest technocrat-turned-intellectual politician and journalist Bdesh has ever seen, has been under arrest for no reason and brutally tortured during the 12-day remand like Bdesh scuttling back into the dark ages of pagan beastliness in the distant European past. May the Almighty Allah save the nation and its people from the brutish suppression of the current government. May He return the benevolent and patriotic elements to power in order to be able to bring to justice those who are now perpetrating and gloating with goatish glee at the inhuman, immoral and unacceptable torture hurled on the mega-mind that is Mahmudur, a national conscience, a towering national treasure, a solid storehouse of knowledge and learning. Mahmudur’s was a dispassionate and disenchanted critical dissection with a penchant for objective and fair and balanced analysis as opposed to the biased yellow slavish servility of other mean and mediocre semi-journalists and quasi-intellectuals licking the boots of the beastly and biodegradable political elements belonging to the present government. A man of unique intellectual luster, Mahmudur is a class by himself. Those who are torturing and stripping Mahmudur do not have family and children of their own? Don’t they have any sense of shame? Don’t they have their male and female parts attached or included in their body? Don’t they have mothers and daughters? Don’t they have sons and fathers? Curse on them and their children to be the victim of the same shame, same torture one day, even more and more and more. I hope one day they who are allowing themselves to be the raw and blunt tools of Awami torture and persecution will be punished. I hope that the hands of the opposition will be strengthened soon to retaliate the Awami vindictiveness with icy and iron hand.

By: Jalal Uddin Khan

AL and the Daily Amar Desh

AL Govt has started a dictatorial Baksali-style rule. Recently there has been dozens and dozens of lawsuits for anything that was thought to be slightly critical of them. Amar Desh, Channel One, Kazi Zesin’s talkshow Point of Order on Bangla Vision, BNP Parliamentary leader Joinal Abedin Farouk, Press Club President Shawkot Mahmud, BNP Standing Committee member Saka Choudhury are just some of the glaring examples. Ministers have been threatening with provocative speeches at the arguably reliable media reports. Where are the freedoms of speech and the media? The government wants others to ignore, be silent, connive at and even support their alleged misdeeds including the withdrawal of thousands of lawsuits against the Awami supporters, the release of Sajeda Choudhury’s son from the corruption case involving him and the matter of Sajeeb Wajed Joy as reported in the Amar Desh, a first-rate, prestigious national daily. As such, one is very apprehensive about the future of the country. If there is any allegation of corruption against anybody, let it be investigated and dealt with in a judicial manner within the system of the law of the country. Why lawsuit just for reporting an alleged corruption on the media? How can then the truth come out and the unhindered freedom of reporting by journalists be cultivated? Where is the democratic right to criticism? Why is there such a suppression of the media and the shielding of the alleged? All Bangladesh media should be vocal and come forward in defence of Amar Desh, a well-known reputable daily as it is.

Everybody should have the freedom to say whatever s/he likes to say in his/her logical estimation and sensible analysis of the government and politics of his/her country. Why should then AL be so tyrannical? In Western democracies everybody has the right to criticize anybody including the top political leaders. That’s how democracy survives and succeeds. Are we under the medieval or neo-modern or postmodern kingship or dictatorship? Are we under a Myanmar-style military junta or in repressive communist archipelago in which we are not allowed to be critical of the government or those close to the government? Tareq Rahman is criticised by AL right and left even though he is liked by the public as well as the party apparatus for a number of reasons not to be mentioned here. It is none of AL’s business if TR is made senior VP or senior JS of his party. On the contrary, one may question in what capacity Joy took part in the Govt. delegation meeting with the US Govt. or at the UN when he was none of the government, none of AL, none of the parliament.

Why should one be forced to say Bangabandhu instead of just Sheikh Mujib? It is a matter of one’s personal choice and personal conviction. One should not be forced if one does not want to. Look at George Washington, JFK, Mahathir Mohammad, Lee Kuan Yew, Charles De Gaulle, Winston Churchill, Mao Tsetung, Vladimir Lenin, Che Guavara, Fidel Castro, Adolf Hitler–all are just known and addressed by their simple proper names; all are remembered in a passing, casual manner once in a long while, not a million times a day. They are hardly celebrated with flower and fanfare on a daily basis. But this does not mean their legacies have been cornered or confined, truncated or tarnished, reduced or hindered; instead they are celebrated through the works, not words, of the leaders and the generations since their death.

AL does not mention President Zia’s name with respect and dignity as someone who was a freedom fighter of the highest order, who made the crucial and essential announcement of the fight for freedom and liberation in his magical and magnetic far-reaching voice over the Radio and who proved to be a great, exemplary president of the country successfully leading it to the road of democracy and prosperity.

When AL does not show respect to President Zia, a proud and illustrious son of the soil, one of the most bona-fide and heroic souls Bangladesh has ever seen, how can AL expect others to show respect to Sheikh Mujib? Millions of people mourned the assassination of Zia while they danced in joy at the assassination of Shekh Mujib. No assassination can ever be supported (it is always a heinous crime) but the rejoicing at the death of Sheikh Mujib, even by the elements of his own party, was indeed a fact. He was a great leader but his rule was highly compromised and controversial with people suffering from famine, anarchy, lack of security, Rakkhi-Bahini torture and the dictatorial operation of his government. All’s well that ends well. His post-71 role/rule was in dispute by all means. Sure he did a lot for the country, from Benapol to Tamabil, but so did General Zia too, from Teknaf to Tetulia. Having said so, we got to get out of the quagmire of the past, stop mudslinging at each other, unite the nation and move forward.

Author: Jalal Uddin Khan

Reasons for collective actions to shield Mahmudur Rahman from Awami regime’s cruel exercise of power

It appears that Sheikh Hasina’s government has a sinister plan to continue torturing editor Mahmudur Rahman in the name of legal proceedings. What is most worrying is that the Supreme Court (including the High Courst and Appellate divisions) is on holiday till 3 July 2010. If the repressive regime takes this long vacation as an opportunity to persecute this patriotic man in police custody, freedom loving people in Bangladesh and beyond have a very good reason to feel disturbed.

On a personal note, let me make it very clear that I am not a member of any political groups in Bangladesh. But I have deep respect for Mr Rahman, as I know that he has been honest and brave in exposing the wrongdoings of the people in power. When many columnists remained largely silent and exercised self-censorship during the last army-backed government, he was the one to write relentlessly against human rights violations during those two years. He was the man to challenge them! After Awami League came to power, he continued writing for the betterment of his country and against India’s political and economic hegemony in the region and against the Bangladesh government’s subservient policies.

Recently I contacted a lawyer who has been partly involved in handling Mr Rahman’s case. This is what he said to me:

“He [Mahmudur Rahman] was taken to an unknown place, eyes were folded, he was undressed, tortured,,,,was not allowed to sign a letter of authority for ‘appointment of lawyer’ (it was later allowed), he was kept in police custody without food and drink for long hours, he was not allowed to see his lawyers / family members for over 24 hours. He was arrested on 1 June, by now he has lost his weight @ 7 Kgs, he was taken on police custody for interrogation in criminal cases which were filed after he had been arrested!!!…..his life is endangered. Please see the reports (Naya Diganta, Amar Desh, others 3 June - 15 June). His very arrest was unlawful. He said to his lawyers/family members and even to the Court that he had been brutally tortured: physically and mentally….starvation, inhuman and degrading treatments in violation of all norms of human rights, constitutional safeguards….all have taken place by now….”

Upon court appearance, Mr Rahman told the judge that he was not supposed to be alive after what he had gone through in police custody and asked the judge to save his life.

Historically, Awami League, the political party currently in power in Bangladesh has always been against freedom of the press. On June 16, 1975, the then Awami League government had closed all newspapers except four under government control and banned all other political groups. Since this regime came to power in early 2009, it has kept torturing people of opposition political groups, threatening journalists and shut down television channels like Channel 1and Jamuna TV, and the second most widely-circulated newspaper Amar Desh.

What I have gathered after reading different news stories on Mr Mahmudur Rahman’s arrest and tortures on him is that: He was severely tortured by unidentified five people in one early morning in the name of remand; he was blindfolded, stripped naked. When those men started torturing him, he fainted and remained senseless for many hours. He was questioned not about the issues relating to his cases; but about other extra-judicial matters.

People in Bangladesh believe that Mr Rahman has been the target mainly for his writings where he talked about the regime’s complicity in the killings of about 60 army officers in February 2009 and about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Joy’s involvement in financial corruptions.

I most humbly request all to do whatever they can to put pressure on the Bangladesh government to rescue this uncompromising writer.

Author: Shimul Chaudhury

Mr Gates’ statement about Turkey-Israel relation and a BBC report

According to a BBC report titled “US Defence Secretary Gates blames EU for Turkey ‘drift’” (Wednesday 9 June 2010, at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/10275379.stm), the American Defence Secretary Robert Gates recently said that the strain relationship between Turkey and the Zionist state Israel was caused by EU’s denial to give Turkey its membership. We all understand that EU’s political stance on Turkey’s entry is influenced by Europe’s prejudice against Muslims and Muslim states and we all believe that Turkey’s inclusion in the EU is long overdue.

However, what is surprising is the fact that Mr Gates failed to see any other good reasons for Turkey’s diplomatic strain with Israel. Routine killings of Palestinians by the Israelis, usurpation of Palestinian land and dispossession of the Palestinians, the Israeli genocide of 2008 that left Gaza in tatters and killed over 1,400 people including women and children, the blockade of Gaza by Israel since Hamas was elected to power, the recent Israeli attacks on humanitarian aid flotilla that left 9 dead and dozens injured and so many recurrent human rights violations by Israel are no credible reasons to Mr Gates for which a country or individual can and should hate the Zionist state!

As members of the larger human community worldwide, it is time for us to stop and think about what we stand for. Has human life become so cheap and insignificant? Has diplomacy replaced our sense of humanity and concerns for human life? How long will the language of power dominate that of moral and ethical values? Is it so difficult for the western governments to consider Muslims as equal human beings?

Mr Gates really baffles us and offends our human conscience, as he could not condemn Israel for such continuous, blatant human rights violations and for all its murderous acts; he rather seems to be more concerned with the practices and practicalities of diplomacy. BBC’s report is no less baffling. It begins the said report with “Turkey’s growing hostility to Israel”. What hostility has Turkey shown or done to Israel? Isn’t it Israel that humiliated Turkey’s ambassador to the country and isn’t it Israel that killed Turkish citizens? How long shall we have to read such biased reports? I don’t know what God’s plan is. But what I believe is that these injustices by the Western governments and distortions of facts by the media should stop for the sake of our common humanity.

Author: Shimul Chaudhury

Thoughts on BAKSAL, Mahmudur Rahman and the media

The first Awami regime after the birth of Bangladesh introduced a one-party political system in the country by banning all other political groups and shutting down all opposition news outlets. This is a fact and not a fiction. That regime committed a criminal act and waged a war against democracy, for which Awami League has never apologized. People of the country including those belonging to Awami League know this very well.

The political strategy the current Awami regime is following gives us a clear signal that Sheikh Hasina’s government wants to remain in power for a very long time by re-establishing the one-party political system in Bangladesh; and that is why she is stifling political dissents and disallowing opposition rallies, which she may dare to believe will lead to the perpetual rule of her party.

Despite this blatant undemocratic stance of Awami League, both domestic and foreign media are largely silent about Awami brutalities. Since the media largely influence public opinion, people of the country are thus kept in oblivion about the fascist nature of the current regime in Bangladesh. What a section of media usually highlights, for example, is Jamaat-e-Islam’s political stance of 1971 in favour of a united Pakistan. After about four decades of the liberation of Bangladesh, Jamaat’s political stance in 1971 can be interpreted in two ways: firstly, it was totally wrong to espouse to retain a united Pakistan given all the inequalities that existed between West Pakistan and East Pakistan; secondly, the way Indian BSF personnel are killing hundreds of Bangladeshis every year and given other Indian economic and political exploitations of Bangladesh may vindicate the Jamaat fear of 1971 that a Bangladesh axed from Pakistan would be subject to Indian hostilities, which is actually the present day reality. However, this is a matter of political and historical analysis and should be done in an academic way.

Nonetheless, if Jamaat’s stance was wrong (and I believe it was), it can also be interpreted as its right to hold a political opinion. What is important to note is that Jamaat leaders have wholeheartedly accepted Bangladesh and shown loyalty to the state. I do not know any Jamaat leader who has said that Bangladesh should rejoin Pakistan. In terms of the gravity of crime, establishing BAKSAL was not a lesser offense. What is more, Awami League has not yet declared that it would never pursue such a political goal and their current activities suggest that they do not tolerate any opposition parties or dissent voices. The current Awami government has practically turned many police stations in Bangladesh into torture cells for the opposition party people and for the ones like Mahmudur Rahman who expose the regime’s misdeeds.

Unfortunately, the Awami BAKSAL crime is not highlighted in the media. The line of reporting of a section of Bangladeshi newspapers seems to meet the ‘wishes’ of a neighboring country that is bent on scoring political and economic dividends from Bangladesh while Awami League in power. Shutting down electronic and print media is now deemed to be taken for granted. While an editor is being tortured most inhumanly in police custody, many media agencies are turning blind eyes to the regime’s fascist inclination. Tortures on Mahmudur Rahman have now become a normal practice and many media people are not using their influence to rescue him.

Let us imagine that an editor of one of the many newspapers ‘loyal’ to the neighboring country is tortured in the way Mahmudur Rahman is, what would be the reaction of the local and international media? The leverage of our neighbouring country in international politics and in the media world may be the main reason why global media is largely silent about the tortures on Mahmudur Rahman. It is true that being a poor country we may not be able to exercise such leverage in the near future. But what is frustrating is that a section of our local media is also keen on going along with outside instructions in its reportage.

Mahmudur Rahman’s patriotism is now being tested, and I believe he will remain firm and true to his country in the face of all these state persecutions. We pray to God so that we will see him alive and unharmed after the inhuman remand tortures he is going through at the moment. Mahmudur Rahman’s love for the country has set a target which is beyond the reach many editors who are busy earning the pleasure of the regime.

We know about a number of sweet sounding international organizations like Amnesty International, PEN, Article 19, Reporters sans frontier and Human Rights Watch that are supposed to defend free speech and human rights. Unfortunately, we may not see their intervention to stop the tortures on Mahmudur Rahman, and that is perhaps because he does not fit in their international political agendas. However, I strongly believe that a Mahmudur Rahman – alive or dead – after these tortures in remands will have a greater claim on the gratitude of the people of Bangladesh. A true national hero is in the making, while editors of many newspapers are carousing in the kitchen and pantry of Awami League and its foreign patrons.

Author: Shimul Chaudhury

Eye wash or window dressing

A high ranking Opposition stalwart, as the report published in his verbatim in some dailies on the 7th June, stated in an open discussion forum that the Awami League must seek apology for all their misdeeds during Mujib’s rule during 1972-75. Would that be enough to ask from them? How about not referring with deep hatred the significant other anti-national actions they orchestrated during 1996-2001 and as well as of one and half year misrule now on since January 2009? Did he not try to act to hedge Hasina’s past and present oppressive misrule and her killing democracy and supporting her tacitly in many grossly anti-national activities and leading the country to re-embark fully on to the BKSAL?

The truth about the first to mention is that Hasina’s oppressive misrule, more or less, still in people’s memory but the 1972-75 of her father and of the same party that ended 35 years ago that had been given to let to be almost totally forgotten in the memory of the present generation in which the Opposition has a lot contribution. The present generation rather, hurrah, to the endless uninterrupted huge mountain of propaganda, have began to forget Mujib’s role of betrayal repeated in history like that of the Mir Zafar of Pallasey’s 1757 A.D. and so many have accepted him without serious question as the angel of the time, if not for worship as demigod by the Muslims for their belief in the Tawheed or Absolute Monotheism.

There must not have any doubt that the people soon after 1971 independence had started to bitterly realize that Hasina’s father was nothing but a demagogue. Unfortunately they had no scope for respite from the demagogue’s absolute rule until fortune favored people all in the successful army coup organized and operated by a few exceptional quality heroes of the army middle ranks who in turn had jubilant support from the people at home and abroad. Anything short of due and honest appreciation of the heroic act could hardly be of any worth of condemnation of the Awami League/ BKSAL.

The Opposition, the main being the BNP’s stalwarts, have had always shied away from the great event of history of Bangladesh. In other words, they have only, in this matter, lined up tacitly at least with the Hasina’s demonic administration of shear vengeance against the heroes during 1996-20001. Among many examples, they did not oppose the Indemnity Act repeal bill in the Parliament in late 1996. Very cleverly they boycotted the session while the repeal bill had been passed with slender majority, not two third as required, as if they had nothing to do uphold the 15th August 1975 revolutionary change, the stark reality though remained that had there been no 15th August, BNP would not have even been born. The rebirth of some other minor Muslim/Islamic parties as well would not see any light of the day for democracy and pluralism. On this account, it is clear a thesis proved that they have no identity except as the betrayer just as the Awami League happens to be for the people and of the country.

God willing should the right sense prevail now, they have to keep on condemning the judicial murder of the five of the heroes executed in unusual haste on the 27-28 midnight 2010 in the Dhaka Central Prison so that the sins already committed by the opportunist Opposition elements might be reprieved to some extent. Otherwise, it will remain an eye wash to hoodwink common people or for something of window dressing to artificially cover up their gravely sinful omission.

Author: BK Din

On the 27 January BKSAL Reappeared in Bangladesh

Real pities for those who now lament for reappearance of the notorious BKSAL in Bangladesh after it had the formal burial 35 years ago back in the year 1975 in the early morning of the 15th August but did hardly oppose the ‘murder case’ against the heroes of the great event in Dhaka.

I would term them, forgive me, to be harsh that they had already missed the bus at least about six months ago for cowardice to stand up to against the judicial murder of the great actors and brilliant heroes of the team of the Bangladesh army men who resolutely and determinedly fought and worked to make the formal burial on the auspicious August morning that memorable day in the midst of mass jubilation of the people in and out. In fact, the patriotic people of Bangladesh had enjoyed the fall and burial along with the fall of the dictator who sponsored and initiated the demon of BKSAL. The successful coup then recognized internally and externally as such provided full legitimacy to the great change from BKSAL to openness and multiparty democracy. The heroes had automatic indemnity for the unfortunate blood letting on both sides in the engagements, very brief though for minutes, legitimated as also had been their Indemnity for the great act of change. They had in no way been ordinary killers but successful army coup operators.

In mid 1996 soon after Hasina took on the State power of Bangladesh she swooped on the heroes of the 15th August as ‘ordinary killers’ of her father, the notorious 20th century Mir Zafar of this country that had in 1757 A.D. the first notorious betrayer ruler Mir Zafar in greater Bengal of the period.

The formal Indemnity provided by the post 15th August 1975 Bangladesh Government had been cancelled in the Parliament by Hasina with slender majority, not two third as it had required being part of the 5th Amendment of the Constitution adopted in April 1979. The most curious thing was that the Opposition BNP in the Parliament did boycott the session to get the Indemnity cancelled by Hasina to frame up ordinary murder case against the 15th August heroes! She had her firm stand to quench the blood for blood so much so that she misused further all State powers at the disposal ultimately to get a death sentence passed by KANGAROO COURT (Lisa Journal April-June 2010, London) and execution made in unusual haste on the 27 -28th mid night in the Dhaka central prison. She cared nothing for appeals made from almost all civilized countries and humanitarian organizations that she had had joined politics for to avenge the blood of her father (See daily Naya Diganta, 24 March 2009, Dhaka, etc and many other publications). That the trial leading to the death sentence was solely driven by Hasina’s politics of shear vengeance was recorded by many here and there (See, for example, The Economist, 27 November 2009).

Once the 15th August anti BKSAL coup had been nullified by the execution, the BKSAL has had automatically reappeared here with still more ferocious venoms not only to bite and eat up all Opposition forces including the BNP but also the independent existence of Bangladesh, the BIG NEIGHBOR in all her mode this time can not afford to loose to keep Hasina and the dynasty alive and in continuity as their most loyal puppet in Bangladesh and not as anything of the independent and sovereign entity. In fact, that is why for Delhi’s serious need and for their supportive plan the heroes had been hastily executed.

The road map is now set for the patriotic people for the only job to rise against the machinations in a revolution still much bigger in momentum than the 15th August of 1975 for Delhi is now much better equipped with nuclear arsenal than in 1975, and further that the highly intelligent army men led by Farook-Dalim-Shahriar successfully operated the coup by bluffing then both the PM Indira and her intelligence, the RAW.

Author: BK Din

India, the Water Terrorist and SAARC

16th SAARC summit was held at Thimpu, capital of Bhutan from April 28 -29, 2010. People of the participant countries are looking towards their leaders for establishment of regional peace in this highly adverse security environment. They feel that future of their new generation has become highly insecure due to poverty, continuous deteriorating living environment, terrorism and major regional conflicts like territorial and water issues that has brought the region to the brink of a major disaster, the nuclear war. Let’s hope that this time our leaders find some solutions to resolve Kashmir issue, water issue, and Bangladesh border clash with India and Nepal Energy crises, Afghanistan problem and other bilateral matters for lessening our worries for the betterment of our future. Without resolving these major issues initiatives like ‘Aman Ki Asha’ nothing more than hypocrisy.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nation mentioned in its report that rural poverty and food insecurity has been intensified and is showing downward trend all over the world. Developing countries within the Asia-Pacific region represent more than half of the world population. Today, a total of 3.7 billion out of 6.3 billion people in 2000, which continued to grow at 1.4% per year (1990-2000) and slowing down to 0.7% per year in 2020-2025 live in this region. The population in urban areas will increase from 37% to 51% during the same period. The report further reveals that majority of the worlds poor live in this region, about 829 million out of a world total of 1.2 billion, living on an average of just one dollar a day.

An alarming aspect of under discussion issue is that despite having maximum manpower, natural resources and all weather pieces of land, why Asian countries failed to bring Green Revolution. The answer is simple, the expansionist designs of India that does not allow its neighbours to settle down and concentrate inwards. New Delhi never realized that her wishful thinking of attaining supremacy and capturing natural resources is pushing the region into war. She has forgotten that hunger is the only factor which changes the human characteristics. It gave birth to the world terrorism too. Here, in the region, if we have the highest peak, the Mount Everest the poverty is also matching in the same dimension. Most of the governments in south Asian region cannot maintain even daily necessities of their nations. Pakistan and Bangladesh have been directly threatened by chocking their water resources; Bangladesh may not be able to react militarily but Pakistan can hit back and hit hard.

Nepal, with which India entered into an agreement to supply power if Nepal allowed her to build hydel projects over its rivers. After having built the projects, India has turned the power supplies off to further squeeze Nepal. Who can trust India? Only a fool or who has no option to walk away from her.

India has added a new dimension to the war philosophy by using water as an instrument of war. It is also worth mentioning here that India is the only country which is having conflicts with its bordering countries while all others in the world want peace at their borders. She is constructing more than 300 dams to interlink her rivers. Out of these 71 dams are being constructed in Indian Occupied Kashmir alone, which defiantly is provoking Pakistan. She has the intentions of converting her neighbours land into ruins and deserts through inundation and trickling of water. In this regard her actions speak that she is emerging as a “Water Terrorist” in the world. New Delhi has planned number of barrages and dames by violating international water pacts. Now, it’s the talk of the region that future war would be on water issue because none of the country will like to become barren as result of Water terrorism. Therefore, it is evident from the prevailing environment that if world community failed to control water grabber then insecurity of food would be the core issue of future Asia and would prove fatal for the world peace.

It is further emphasized that Agriculture sector is expected to continue to play the central role in achieving sustainable food security and poverty alleviation through increasing the food production, improving productivity and quality, expanding non-farm employment and enhancing trade and overall capital formation. But, the increase in capital is only possible if water resources shall be available to the countries. But unfortunately the major supporting element of future development revolves around Water. Unavailability or shortage of water might lead into environmental degradation, erosion of top soils, and depletion of soil fertility, pollution, starvation and low production of food.

The third word countries that are already suffering from depleted economies have to do something for their survival. The numbers of water issues of South Asian countries though have been taken up on various international fora but are still unresolved or pending due to disinclination attitude of India towards in execution of already concluded International Pacts.

Indus Basin Water Treaty between India and Pakistan 1960, Indo-Bangladesh water dispute over the Farakka Barrage (The Ganges Water Treaty) and the Indo-Nepal dispute over the Mahakali River are the glaring ones and endangering to the regional peace. It is notable here that India always used water as tool against Pakistan Nepal and Bangladesh. The Indian rulers exploit this natural resource through blocking the flow of rivers which originate from the Indian controlled territories and claiming their rights of using Nepalese Origin Rivers too.

It is also notable here that major water issue between two nuclear powers (India and Pakistan) is directly linked with the territorial dispute too. Pakistan and India have fought four wars over Kashmir. The sources three major rivers are located in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK). India has started construction of dams and barrages over these rivers with the aim of destroying agriculture sector of Pakistan. According to the sources, India has also suggested Afghan government to construct dam over Kabul River which is the major water contributor to Indus. She has also offered her technical assistance to Afghanistan. Therefore it’s a proven fact now that India will never be our trust worthy friend because of her mean nature. Her only aim is to create instability, destruction of Pakistan. Her ingress in Afghanistan is again questionable. She is using Afghan soil for fomenting terrorism in Pakistan.

Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal have tried to resolve their water issue with India. These countries also used SAARC platform to settle these long outstanding issues but some how on one pretext or other New Delhi showed her unwillingness in resolving the issue. India straightaway refused to come on

SAARC forum while saying that water dispute will be solved with Bangladesh and Nepal through tri-partite dialogues. In fact India is not interested to resolve the issues at all and will keep on avoiding the situation. Same situation is prevailing between Pakistan and India over water problem.

The reluctance of India in resolving basic issues is further depleting the regional security. In his regard probably, the political and military leadership of India have either failed to comprehend the real threat or deliberately causing insecurity for the completion of their hegemonic design. The ruling party of India is trying to corner the lonely Islamic nuclear power without realizing that Pakistan can not afford anymore conventional war with India. She must know that Pakistani nuclear programme is though very safe but off course in strong hands too. According to A Q khan Pakistan Nuclear Programme is of latest version and has edge over Indian nuclear programme too.

Pakistan has sufficient nuclear arsenals too. Careful analysis of current political and security environment dictates that future nuclear war would be on water issue. India must know that Pakistan can go for nuclear strike first, since it’s the matter of her survival on the world map. To avoid this nuclear war, we have to establish, deliberate and redress the major water issues of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Present SAARC Summit is again providing the chance and forum our leaders to resolve the major regional issues

Author: Zaheerul Hassan

BEYOND THE GAZA FLOTILLA ATTACK: WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND HOW

The opening moves in the reaction to the Israeli interception of the first wave of the Gaza flotilla have now been made. Israel visibly underestimated the international response to its attack and the casualties it inflicted. Widespread condemnation ensued almost everywhere, many Americans became aware for the first time that something was seriously amiss in that part of the world, and attempts were made to bring both the UN and NATO into play.

But Israel also understood clearly that no matter what it did to whom, or how the rest of the world reacted, its dominance of the mainstream media (MSM) in the US and its lock on the US Government (USG) assured that its view of the event would be the one most Americans received. More importantly, it could count on the USG to refrain from joining in the general condemnation, and to ensure that whatever formal responses emerged from the UN Security Council and NATO were little more than platitudes, lacking teeth and allowing it as the offender to investigate itself, if it chose to do so. “Such a deal,” as the saying goes.

What Needs to be Done

And that is precisely what seems to be happening to date, although the appearance of the MV Rachel Corrie under Irish sponsorship can fuel the still-bubbling cauldron of global unhappiness — Israel and the US mostly excepted, of course. An Israeli interception of that ship, with or without casualties, would further enrage almost everyone concerned with this issue. It would also give Obama an opportunity to see just how much political damage is caused him by outraged Irish-Americans, the majority of them Democrats, if once again he does the “Yassuh, massa” routine with Netanyahu.

And Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman’s remark that “… the Security Council resolution [on Israel's attack] is unacceptable and contributes nothing to the promotion of peace and stability in the Middle East” is on the mark, although not in the way he meant it. It is unacceptable because it lacks direct condemnation of Israel and sanctions, and defers to USG intransigence on Israel’s behalf — I sometimes wonder that USG leaders, including President Obama and Secretary Clinton, dare use the bathrooms in their offices without first asking Netanyahu’s permission. It is doubly unacceptable because anything that does not bring Israel to heel and hold it accountable for its actions cannot in any way further peace or stability in that region.

What is needed is not difficult to enumerate, and others have noted one or more in the past. First and foremost is a formal condemnation of Israel by name in both the UN and by NATO, one of whose members (Turkey) is an aggrieved party in this latest incident.

Second, Israel should be suspended from membership in the UN, pending the outcome of an independent investigation into the incident (or incidents, as the MV Rachel Corrie may well have been intercepted before anything can be done) and a complete lifting of the blockade on Gaza.

Third, a phased set of sanctions needs to be imposed on Israel, beginning with a complete banning of flights and ships to and from Israeli destinations, or the transshipment of passengers and goods to and from Israeli airports and seaports. Formal embargoes and the seizure of overseas Israeli assets would follow if needed.

Finally, a multinational naval force under both national and UN flags is needed to escort relief ships to and from Gaza, to prevent any future assaults like the one that just happened to the aid flotilla, and to keep the Gaza coastline free of Israeli naval forces. Egypt should be commended for opening its crossing with Gaza and encouraged to keep it open.

Making it Happen

I do not for a moment underestimate the practical difficulty of implementing these measures, or others like them. What makes it even worse is that many governments are overwhelmed by a sense of inertia: they are so accustomed to seeing good efforts fail on the wall of US vetoes and leverage protecting Israel, that they are reluctant to do anything except make a nominal effort and go away grumbling after losing.

That need not happen now. In the aftermath of the latest incident with the flotilla, more countries across the globe are coming together condemning Israel than even after the submission of the Goldstone Report. France and Britain have joined Russia and China in calling for a lifting of the Gaza siege. India and Brazil have condemned the attack. Turkey, a key regional state and a member of NATO, is enraged, and many European states that would once have supported Israel or at least abstained from votes against it, are now likely to support measures that end Israel’s blockade of Gaza and protect the flow of aid to Gaza itself. Having their own citizens among Israel’s victims has been enlightening for many.

But the longer it takes for the international community to begin doing something and not just talking about the incident, the more likely it is that the essential element of outrage will wane, thereby undercutting any punitive initiatives and the momentum needed to carry them though. And it is absolutely certain that Israel and its supporters in the USG are counting on precisely that happening.

To forestall this, there are two visible mechanisms for putting principles into action, neither of which is hostage to a US veto. One — often discussed but not yet done on this issue — is to invoke the “Uniting for Peace” Resolution in the UN General Assembly, which gives the UNGA the enforcement mechanisms available in other circumstances to the Security Council. My reading of the reaction to this incident is that at this time, there are more than enough votes in the UNGA to do this.

Remember that a resolution designed by the US to circumvent Soviet intransigence and vetoes in the Security Council of its day, can and should with equal justice be directed against the US for the same reasons today on this issue. All countries would not take all of the actions enumerated above, but enough would take some of them to make life very interesting for Israel and its minions in the USG.

Second, there is NATO itself. Turkey has said it would provide escort to future efforts at sending aid to Gaza, presumably on Turkish-flagged ships. It is a key regional player and has been a good ally for decades, and it should not be required to act alone on something that ought to have activated the collective defense provisions of the NATO treaty: between 9/11, used as a pretext for NATO to become engaged in Afghanistan, and the attack on the Turkish part of the Gaza aid flotilla, is a difference only of degree and not of kind.

A NATO multinational naval presence off the Gaza coast is just what is needed for openers, and if it is supplemented by another under UN auspices, so much the better. Indeed, even a single warship from any other country joining even one from Turkey to escort the next ship through Israel’s illegal blockade would send a much-needed and long overdue signal neither Israel nor the USG could ignore. Israeli arrogance has given the world an opportunity to change things, if it dares — and perhaps it will.

Author: Dr. Alan Sabrosky
Alan Sabrosky (Ph.D, University of Michigan) is a ten-year US Marine Corps veteran and a graduate of the US Army War College.

WAR ON TERROR HAS PRODUCED MORE TERRORISTS AND HATE

There is no question that terrorism must be curbed. A fact bought sharply in focus, by the Faisal Shahzad case. There is tremendous pressure on Pakistan by USA to have it’s army initiate a ground offensive against the terrorists in North Waziristan. The questions this demand raises are many. They must be weighed carefully before jumping head on in yet another front.

North Waziristan is a place where al-Qaida and its Afghan and Pakistani allies can train fighters, store explosives and rest from the strain of war. Much of North Waziristan is a wasteland dotted with small clusters of sun-baked mud houses that seem to blend into the dusty brown landscape. Outside the towns, there are few signs of modern life __ no power lines or telephone poles.

Pakistan’s forces are already overstretched, battling against Taliban against thousands of stretches of land. Can they afford to open a new front without first clearing out what they started earlier? Thousands of Pakistani soldiers have already been killed in this War against Terrorism. “Collateral damage” of civilians owing to drone strikes has anti American sentiments on the rise.

The second question that needs to be answered is, will the offensive ensure the curbing an end to terrorism? In the recent past, we have seen, the offensive in FATA and NWFP led to a spillover effect in South Waziristan and then Punjab. Now, it is North Waziristan. Will the terrorists sit like a lame duck to be shot at or will they seek refuge elsewhere and regroup? Will this be the end or the beginning to yet another spillover?

Another most crucial consideration must be the cost of the war. Can we afford the war in a case where the payments in terms of help under the Kerry Lugar Bill are delayed? Overdue payments amounting to millions of US dollars is expected to reach Pakistan in September.

And then there is the question of a minor thing known as “Principle”.

Do we attack when told to attack, by an alien power, or does the Pakistan Government has a right in terms of evaluating the ground realities and then taking a decision in light of this. It is a fact that we, know our geography and people better than do the Americans.

Yes the terrorists pose a threat to life, livelihood of the people of Pakistan, they do pose a threat to the integrity of Pakistan and the standing of the country in the international comity of nations. However, we cannot and must not ignore the ground realities. Without good intelligence on ground, an in-house offensive is bound to meet with less than success.

The West needs to get out of ad hominem that since Faisal Shahzad purportedly received training in North Waziristan to try carry out an attack at Times Square, the whole of North Waziristan is swarming with terrorists. The Muslim world is not attacking the USA. It’s the 400 years of West’s colonisations of the Muslim world and now the thrusting of foreign Jews on top of Palestinians and various invasion, occupations and threats invasions of Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan that are the causal factors.

Unfortunately, these situations have nonetheless unleashed a genie that threatens to devour all.

It took Sri Lanka 26 years to handle and curb terrorism. Nations must realize that Pakistan is not fighting a normal war. Pakistan is not fighting an alien aggressor. Pakistan is fighting pockets of people hidden within, a war thrust upon us with a brute force and cunning deceit. More or less Pakistan has a faceless enemy within it’s folds. It is this that makes the need for good intelligence great.

Wars like these are long drawn out wars. Events cannot be rushed through to suit some. Nations need to understand the nature of the conflict. Every step must be weighed carefully. Let us not forget, it is the Pakistani People who are paying the heaviest price.

Author: Yasmeen Ali
The writer is a lawyer and teaches at Beacon House National University Lahore.