NEWS BRIEFS

 

 DR. MANMOHAN SINGH DEFINES THE LEGACY OF INDIA

“The Nation does not belong to any single race. It belongs to a mosaic of religiously, linguistically and culturally varied communities… India must remain a nation where pluralism and socio-religious variety are respected. In a pluralistic society like ours, national identity cannot be adjudged by any litmus test. This nation does not belong to any single race, least of all to any group of religious extremists.”

 

STATUES OF BHUPESH GUPTA AND INDRAJIT GUPTA IN INDIAN PARLIAMENT

 

The statues of veteran Parliamentarian and leaders of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Bhupesh Gupta and Indrajit Gupta were unveiled in the Indian Parliament on Dec 5 and Dec 7, respectively. Bhupesh Gupta was elected to the Rajya Sabha (upper house) in 1952, when CPI emerged as the second largest party after Congress; he remained a member until his death on August 6, 1981. Indrajit Gupta, former General Secretary of CPI was first elected to Lok Sabha (lower house) in 1950 and remained a member till his death on February 20, 2001. He was Home Minister in the governments of DeveGowda and Gujral.

 

INDIAN MUSLIMS IN AMERICA ON HOLOCAUST DENIAL (Kaleem Kawaja)

 

We Indian Muslims in America find it satisfying that CAIR – Council on American Islamic Relations, has categorically condemned the holding of a conference recently in Tehran that tried to minimize the terrible agony, inhumanity and brutality that the genocide of Jews in the Nazi holocaust in Europe perpetrated, sixty five years ago.  It is one thing to do proper research on this terrible holocaust to get better facts out in the open and better documentation.  And it is quite another thing to invite racists and bigots like David Duke to a meeting that minimizes the holocaust tragedy itself.

 

A large number of Muslim organizations and leaders all over the world have condemned this conference.  Clearly the actions of the Irani organizers of this unfortunate conference are provocative and indefensible.  It brings bad name to Iran, a major Muslim country.

 

In these troubled times of much Islamophobia sweeping the globe, the last thing any Muslim organization needs is to demonstrate insensitivity towards the genocide perpetrated on another religious community.  The Association of Indian Muslims of America fully supports the CAIR resolution in this regard.

(Kaleem Kawaja, Association of Indian Muslims of America, Washington DC

 

FRONTLINE HIGHLIGHTS THE SACHAR REPORT ON THE PLIGHT OF MUSLIMS

 

The cover page of the December 15, 2006 issue of Frontline writes “On the margins”

and displays an imposing photograph of Muslims praying in front of the Jama Masjid in Delhi. Most of the issue deals with various aspects of the plight of Muslims in independent India. In the meantime, independent leftists, most of whom are Hindus, are more enraged about human rights violation in Singur as compared to the plight of Muslims and Dalits.      

 

ASGHAR ALI ENGINEER RECEIVES ANOTHER AWARD

 

Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer was awarded Muhammed Abdu Rahiman Sahib Foundation National Award, Kodungallur, Kerala on 23rd November 2006. Muhammed Abdu Rahiman was a great freedom fighter and Gandhian from Kerala in whose memory this award is given for excellent services in the cause of interfaith harmony, human rights and courageous stand for reform and social change.

 

CANADIAN NEPALESE HAIL THE PEACE ACCORD 

 

A meeting of Nepalese and friends of Nepal called by the Canadian Network for Democratic Nepal (CNDN) in Vancouver, BC, Canada, on December 10, 2006 unanimously adopted the following resolution (abridged):

 

This meeting hails the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed between Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) led government to end the (armed conflict), establish a democratic government, and elect a constituent assembly. This agreement is truly historic not only in the context of the specific history of Nepal but also in the global history of peoples’

struggle for democracy and freedom.

 

We congratulate the people of Nepal whose suffering and struggle has produced this victory and we congratulate all the parties in this agreement for their wisdom in bowing to the wishes of the people for peace, liberty, democracy, human rights, social justice, and prosperity.

 

We pledge our support to the people of Nepal in their effort to build a democratic republic that is modern, peaceful, prosperous, representative and just.

 

NEPAL KING NO MORE HEAD OF THE STATE

 

KATHMANDU (Dec 16, 2006): Nepal’s ruling parties and Maoists rebels on Saturday finalized an interim Constitution which removes King Gyanendra as the head of the state. According to Article 167 of the Constitution, all executive powers as well as those enjoyed by the King in the previous Constitution now vest with the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Koirala, Communist party chief Prachanda, Nepali Congress (D) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and other top leaders put their signatures on the constitution at 8 am (local time) after a whole night of discussions at Baluwatar stripping King Gyanendra of all powers.

 

NORTH AMERICAN NETWORK FOR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF NEPAL (NANDRON)

 

A group of Nepalis in North America have created an advocacy network to help Nepal in its quest for peace, democracy and development with the replacement of antiquated monarchy by a new Republic of Nepal through a democratically elected constituent assembly election scheduled in June 2007. NANDRON already has nearly 100 members and Dr Chitra Tiwari (Washington, DC) will act as the Central Coordinator.

 

MORE THAN 400 ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN BALOCHISTAN

 

According to the Asian Human Rights Commission, the Pakistani government has arrested more than 400 political and human rights activists including the former Chief Minister of Balochistan within 72 hours from the night of 27 November 2006 to stop the planned protest during President Musharraf’s two day visit to Balochistan province from 30 November 2006.

 

PERSECUTION OF AHMADIS IN PAKISTAN (Tapan K. Bose, abridged)

 

Ahmadiya Community was targeted by the state and the mullahs this year also, as in the past. No relief whatsoever was provided, despite rhetoric in support of “enlightened moderation”. The authorities took initiative to press charges against Ahmadi individuals and the press, on baseless accusations. A riot at Jhando

Sahi, in police presence, made the entire local Ahmadi community flee from their home. The report identifies three Ahmadis murdered for their faith (a violation of the Right of Life) between March 11 and August 22, 2006 and cites cases of 30 Ahmadis unjustly prosecuted. In addition, the report provides details of attacks on the Ahmadi press, business and places of worship.

 

‘WAR ON TERROR’ AN EXCUSE FOR DISAPPEARANCES IN PAKISTAN

 

(Zofeen Ebrahim, abridged, circulated by Barrister Abdul Hamid Bashani khan)

 

In August 2006, a petition was submitted in the Supreme Court by Amina and Zainab Khatoon, a mother whose son went missing along with Amina’s husband, seeking information regarding the whereabouts of 16 missing persons. Their families have come together on a joint forum — Defence of Human Rights — to locate their loved ones. Their list includes 41 missing people.

 

Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, in his memoir ‘In the Line of Fire’, released earlier this year, acknowledges that Pakistan had captured 689 al-Qaeda terror suspects and turned over 369 of them to Washington thereby earning for the country ‘

‘millions of dollars,” in bounty money.

 

And yet all those who have disappeared are not linked to the ‘

war on terror.’ Because of the clandestine nature of the arrests, it is impossible to know the exact number of people who have disappeared. According to data collected by the Human Rights commission of Pakistan HRCP, of the 600 people that have ‘disappeared’ over the past five years most are “Baloch nationalists, Sindhi dissidents and even sectarian leaders”, from the southern provinces.

 

“The greatest number of disappearances, it seems, have taken place in Balochistan,” agrees Hasan, adding that ‘’there are no large financial incentives on offer.”

 

BANGLADESH: ELITE FORCE TORTURES AND KILLS DETAINEES

 

According to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) Press Release (New York, December 14, 2006) – Bangladesh’s elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism security force is responsible for widespread torture and killing more than 350 suspects in custody.  HRW warned that the former ruling party could use abusive force for political purposes prior to elections slated for January 23, 2007. The 79-page report, “Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Torture and Extrajudicial Killings by Bangladesh’s Elite Security Force,” describes how the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), established in 2004 to stop spiraling crime, has made a practice of killing criminal suspects in detention. (SACW December 16-18, 2006)

 

LEBANESE DEMAND OUSTER OF WEST-BACKED GOVERNMENT

 

Nearly 2 million Lebanese, roughly one-half the population of the country waged a demonstration in Beirut on December 10 demanding an end to the Western-backed government and the resignation of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. The demonstration was called by Hezbollah.

 

AUGUSTO PINOCHET DIES BEFORE HE COULD BE HANGED

 

The Chilean dictator died at the age of 91 at a Santiago military hospital on December 10 after a heart attack. Gen Pinochet was in power from 1973-90 after overthrowing the popularly elected government of Salvador Allende. During that time more than 3,000 people were killed or “disappeared”.   His natural death deprived the people of Chile the pleasure of hanging him for mass human rights abuses during his rule.

 

US NOT WINNING IN IRAQ

 

For the first time, President Bush admitted on December 20 that US is not winning the war in Iraq. However, his apparent decision to send even more U.S. troops is not the first time he is making a stupid and rogue decision –

he will send more Americans to die and kill.

 

FORMER US PRESIDENT CARTER DEFENDS PALESTINIAN RIGHTS

 

Rana Bose

 

“I just heard an interview with Jimmy Carter on CBC Radio, on his new book on Palestine (Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, published last month). In the next few weeks you will see him vilified and praised. In no time, he will be called anti-Semitic. Just wait… As a former US President, he has demonstrated an incredible sense of dignity, honesty, profound knowledge of Palestine and Israel and he has very clearly stated what is abhorrent to the Zionist lobby and their apologists. At the same time, he has maintained a profound sense of history, a very deep commitment to honest brokering, and the peace process. Here is someone who has called a “spade a spade”

. He has effectively demonstrated that the settler politics and its defense is nothing but apartheid. That the Palestinian cause is fundamental and not a question that does what to whom and getting mired in who was the original “terrorist.”  It does not help if Chomsky, Zinn, Fisk, Pilger, Roy and Ali make statement after statement. Here is a former US President (39th) calling out the truth for people to hear him out. It does not matter that he himself may have at some point followed certain insane US policies towards the world, but his commitment to a certain notion of “democracy of thought processes” is remarkable. He has done the Palestinians a great service. Now people in the left may find all sorts of problems. But here is someone who has pointed out with complete clarity the hopeless record of the current US regime, the politics of Sharon and his descendents, the legitimacy of Hamas, the complete hypocrisy of the western nations to the concept of “democracy”.

 

DETAINEES IN CANADA ON HUNGER STRIKE

 

DECEMBER 15, 2006 – For the second time this year, three men held at the Kingston Immigration Holding Centre (KIHC) have gone on hunger strike to protest their conditions of detention. As of today, December 15, Mohammad Mahjoub has been without food for 20 days, and Hassan Almrei and Mahmoud Jaballah for nine days.  Most pressing among many demands is mediate medical treatment for Mr. Mahjoub, who has been denied access to medical care for hepatitis C and high blood pressure since September. The men are also demanding that a supervisor (not a guard) escort them between the “living unit” and the administration building (where they receive visitors and exercise). (Info supplied by Sam Boskey)

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