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South Asia Musharraf framed by his past
Abid Mustafa - 4/24/2013
On April 20th 2013, the anti-terrorist court in Islamabad declared that the former dictator and ex-army Chief Pervez Musharraf is to be held on judicial remand for 14 days, after which he is to reappear in court to answer for the illegal detention of judges in 2007. How could the Incumbent Gov of Nepal be Ousted?
Prakash Bom - 3/17/2013
The only motive of the main opposition parties in Nepal Nepali Congress (NC) and United Marxist-Leninist (UML) has been to oust the incumbent government of Nepal since the day Constituent Assembly (CA) was dissolved. They have used all the means at their disposal by calling it unconstitutional. But their every attempt has failed as unreasonable and widely unpopular arguments. Yet, theyre still trying to oust the incumbent government opposing all logical ways to form a national consensus government. CJ Led Election, Government, and Independence of Judiciary in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 3/9/2013
Nepal is caught in the crossfire with the political and the legal crises. The crossfire began when the sitting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, whom the main political party leaders have lately proposed to lead the election government as a Prime Minister, delivered the verdict to dissolve the defunct Constituent Assembly (CA) without taking into account the provisions of the Interim Constitution, which has not stipulated the reelection of the CA. On Our Nations Existential Crisis - Part 6
Dr M. Abdul Mumin Chowdhury - 2/17/2013
Part 6: Read Thy Arthashastra On The Mirror
http://autoglassbargain.com/auto-glass-pearland.html
After Part 5s de-tour, in this instalment I shall return back to the main concern of my essay and, as promised, help identify what we as a nation must do for defeating New Delhis world conquerors. This is not a difficult task. As I said in Part 4, to get our dos and dont dos we might, to begin with, read Kautilyas Arthashastra on the mirror. In saying this what I have in mind is this: If we look at Kautilyas adv... Swami Vivekanand: His Global Vision
Dr. Sudhanshu Tripathi - 2/17/2013
Introduction
Swami Vivekanands birth was an exceptional phenomenon and India, was certainly graced by his birth and eventful life-journey. In fact, India has produced a galaxy of prophets, saints & seers, mystics, philosophers, poets, revolutionaries and patriots who, by their rare intellect, unblemished character, spirit of selfless service and compassion for humanity, dedication and devotion for their motherland and with so many unique and unparalleled qualities have not only made India proud but also a land of wonders inspiring a renowned Western historian and philosopher A. L. Bas... Justice has No Root in the Nepali Polity
Prakash Bom - 2/17/2013
It is not clear whether any Nepali political movement had ever have fought against the structural injustice practice of the old regimes (Hindu caste-based oligarchs and autocrats) embedded in the Nepali polity over centuries to repress marginalized majority populations women, indigenous, lower-caste-Hindus, weak and disabled. Democracy and Fundamental Rights in Gandhian View
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 12/22/2012
Democracy and Fundamental Rights in Gandhian View Nepals Only Option for Consensus Gov
Prakash Bom - 12/22/2012
Nepals largest selling English Daily Kathmandu Post and its Nepali Daily seem ever inclined to publish their headlines against the government as one of the established and dominant daily news media! One of the prime examples of their headlines was Prez talks turkey in Pokhara circulated on December 2, 2012, which sketched out a portrait of the president Dr. Ram Baran Yadav favoring incumbent government of the Prime minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai. Manipulative Christian Conversions in Sri Lanka
Senaka Weeraratna - 12/8/2012
PREFACE
Buddhism which has been the moral and spiritual force in Sri Lanka in the last 2500 years, having survived a prolonged period (nearly 450 years) of persecution and discrimination directed at its adherents under western colonial rule, now faces a serious challenge from a growing Christian evangelical movement, represented mostly by foreign funded non-governmental organisations (NOGs) based in the country. This movement has as its overall aim the creation of a numerically and politically powerful Christian community in Sri Lanka (and also in South Asia) through a rapid conversion ... Response to Bhaskar Roy's article on Bangladesh opposition leader's visit to India
Zoglul Husain - 11/11/2012
[Re: Bangla Begums India Visit: Real or Ephimeral? By Bhaskar Roy, South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG), Paper No. 528, Dated 6-Nov-2012 (http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/node/1042)] RAW operations in South Asian countries
Isha Khan - 11/4/2012
India's premier intelligence outfit Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)s operations against the regional countries are conducted with great professional skill and expertise. Central to the operations is the establishment of a huge network inside the target countries. It uses and targets political dissent, ethnic divisions, economic backwardness and criminal elements within these states to foment subversion, terrorism and sabotage. At Arms Length: NATOs Shift in Afghanistan
Binoy Kampmark - 10/16/2012
The deceptive ways a loss in war is described can be contagious. Retreats are often regarded as odious, but sometimes necessary. These can either have the genius of the British spirit of tactical withdrawal, or a more laughable concept of an honourable peace. When that power tends to be a Goliath, or even a Colossus, explanations for what victory or defeat constitutes assume the exotic, tinged with madness. Is Yunus Facing the Fate of Socrates?
Rashidul Bari - 9/18/2012
I am writing this article at a time of rising tension between Sheikh Hasina, the prime minster of Bangladesh, and Professor Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist famous for his two theoriesmicrocredit and social business as well as for his successful practical work through Grameen Bank, which has already helped millions of poor women break the cycle of poverty. The former unleashed her state institutions (e.g., Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Supreme Court) to remove the latter from Grameenthe bank he founded in 1983. On August 2, 2012, Sheikh Hasinas mission to destroy Grameen... The Wicked Nepali Politics au Courant
Prakash Bom - 9/5/2012
The wicked Nepali politics implanted lately in the nation when senior leaders of main political parties forwent their constitutional responsibility and let the Constituent Assembly dissolved without any option for the elected President and the Prime Minister to move the nation forward. Those senior leaders, who walked out of all-party meeting without solution just hour before CA dissolved, are still ignorant and keep breeding wicked politics in the nation. The North East Exodus
Priyanka Bhardwaj - 8/30/2012
New Delhi: Two weeks ago the boon that had symbolized Indias status as a developing powerhouse overnight metamorphosed into a cause for exodus of more than five hundred thousand north eastern people from various parts of the country back to their `home provinces. Afghanistan: America and NATO misadventures
Abid Mustafa - 8/8/2012
The West has already failed in Afghanistan, just as the Soviets failed in the 1980s and the British way back in the nineteenth century.--John Humphrys Nepal after CA Dissolution
Prakash Bom - 8/4/2012
Every political party which had its representative (s) in the dissolved Constituent Assembly deliberately disregarded the future course of nation in terms of promulgating the new constitution to institutionalize the federal democratic republic of Nepal. Their leaderships did not care for the political situation in case CA failed to promulgate the statue. Nor they had anticipated other provisions such as fresh CA election if CA dissolved due to the political gridlock under the Interim Constitution. Pakistans marriage with America is unsustainable
Abid Mustafa - 7/28/2012
They believe they have been let down by the leadership across the board, that they do not believe that the government is a truly independent government---Tariq Pirzada Sri Lankas Claims for Reparations from Portugal
Senaka Weeraratna - 7/28/2012
The Portuguese while pursuing a policy of destruction and plunder of Buddhist Temples held out various inducements for Buddhists to convert to Christianity. Conversion meant a sure means of exemption from taxes due to the Government. Investors See Red: Lack Of Reforms Dent Sentiments
Priyanka Bhardwaj - 7/21/2012
Just when the Indian government was being pursued by top notch bankers, representatives of mutual funds and insurance sector to make its policies more constraint free, the US President Barack Obama has also made subtle suggestions at Indias need to unleash its second wave of economic reforms to make it more globally competitive when its investment climate is fast deteriorating. Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan
Dr. Sudhanshu Tripathi - 7/10/2012
The major donors day-long conference on Sunday in Tokyo for reconstruction of Afghanistan is certainly a well-timed global effort at a time when it is badly devastated by horrible onslaught of global terrorism and consequent poverty, lack of basic amenities like education, health and employment etc. for its people and overall under development. Question of Resurrection of the Constituent Assembly in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 6/30/2012
On May 27th 2012 when the Constituent Assembly dissolved without promulgating the new constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal the Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai announced the date for the fresh election of the Constituent Assembly to fill out the political vacuum of the nation. But the main opposition parties Nepali Congress and the UML went to see the president to oppose the announcement of the fresh election and suggested him to use his power to sack the Prime Minister as if they were evoked again with their past habit as they used to call the king for help! Pakistan: Trapped Democracy
Dr. Sudhanshu Tripathi - 6/30/2012
The recent Supreme Court judgement- although it was expected as the Court has made its intention amply clear in case of corruption charges against Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, back in April this year- has aroused deep suspicions about its intentions towards Pakistans fledging democracy by convicting the Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani of contempt of Court as the government had not complied with a Court order of 2009 wherein the government had to seek the reopening in Switzerland of money laundering cases against the President Zardari who was the real target of the Court, particularly the Chief Justice Iftikar Muhammad Chaudhary. American Foreign Policy and the HRC Resolution on Sri Lanka
Gibson Bateman - 6/30/2012
Obama and Human Rights
The Obama administration did fight to get a seat on the Human Rights Council (HRC) in 2009; something that George W. Bush probably did not even contemplate.
And, as David Bosco has noted, the US has been relatively active at the HRC since that time. Bosco goes on to say that The United States has laid special emphasis on the Councils use of special experts, individuals given a mandate to investigate some particular country or human rights theme.
On the other hand, the Obama administrations approach towards experts wanting to examine US policy has... Political Parties in Nepal Allowed the Supreme Court take the Political Verdict!
Prakash Bom - 5/27/2012
When months back the Supreme Court of Nepal mandated the life of the Constituent Assembly to draft the new constitution until May 27, 2012 no political party protested it that the Supreme Court had gone beyond its limit by making such a political verdict. They simply allowed the verdict rule over the rights of law-makers, the peoples representative of the Parliament. Minister Peiris Goes to Washington
Gibson Bateman - 5/16/2012
On May 18, Sri Lankas External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris will meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, DC. The two should have plenty to talk about. The Sri Lankan governments action plan for the implementation of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) will be at the top of the list. Rediscovery of Non-Alignment
Dr. Sudhanshu Tripathi - 5/3/2012
The doctrine of non- alignment is worth pursuing not only for sake of the countries of Third World but also for the well-being, peace and security of the whole World. Being identified with universal moral values, this doctrine can only determine the natural course of public policy formulations within states and can also properly regulate the course of inter-state relations thereby ensuring good governance within and among nations. Jackfruit and the jackals in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/30/2012
In the bubbling economy and extremely unstable prices of essentials Jackfruit possibly continued to remain as the cheapest available fruit in Bangladesh. Why Does Nepal Need a Directly Elected PM under the Parliamentary System?
Prakash Bom - 4/25/2012
Politically, general voters, political parties, and politicians have couple of decades experience of how a Westminster Parliamentary system would work in Nepal. So far, the system has worked not for the nation and people, but for the politicians to grab the power and the wealth from nations capital under the unitary system of government. Political persecution at peak in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/25/2012
Organizing secretary of Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP], M Ilias Ali went missing from 17th April night, thus worsening the current political persecution and repression continued by the ruling party and the rogue state machinery. Local police found the vehicle of M Ilias Ali abandoned near a park at citys posh Banani area, while there was no trace of politician and his driver. This latest case of disappearance of M Ilias Ali is among many such disappearances of political opponents of ruling Bangladesh Awami League. The disappearance takes place at such a crucial time when the rulers an... Pakistan in a Catch-22
Tanveer Jafri - 4/13/2012
The killing of Osama Bin Laden in a raid by the US Navy SEALs in Abbottabad, near Islamabad did not only widen the rift between the US & Pakistan, but also exposed the true nature of Pakistans state policy vis--vis terrorism. Pakistan has almost lost its credibility as a nation, as on one side, it is apparently standing behind the US in its War on Terror campaign and getting billions of dollars in aid for combating terrorism, while on the other end, it is using that aid money to nurture terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan et cetera and their mastermind... Let not Nepal Fail to Establish a System of Good Governance
Prakash Bom - 4/13/2012
The Nepali people have suffered for centuries living under corrupt forms of government. For decades Nepali people have struggled through number of Peoples Movements for Democracy under the leadership of different political leaders who have basically ruled and again wanted to rule the nation under existing unitary system of government. Are Tamils Rights or Tamil Aspirations denied in Sri Lanka
Shenali Waduge - 4/6/2012
Over the years matters have become complicated simply because we have allowed two words to become intermingled confusing facts. While every citizen can demand his/her right from the State, no citizen can expect his/her aspiration to be given by the State. What we currently face is a plethora of aspirations which are unlikely to be ever fulfilled making it wiser to separate the rights from the aspirations and thereafter to inform the State what rights have been denied or even neglected. This is the only way forward and entails proper reconciliation that is practical & realistic. Post-Geneva Delusions: The Next Steps in Sri Lanka
Gibson Bateman - 4/3/2012
Sri Lankas Minister of External Affairs, G.L. Peiris, has recently given one additional reason for the passage of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNs Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva: collective commitments. Liberation struggle of the people of Assam and NE India
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 3/30/2012
Since Bangladesh Awami League formed government in 2009 [January] with a huge mandate of the people [though the result of this election has been greatly questioned by the political opponents of Bangladesh Awami League], there has been visibly sign of current Bangladesh government actively participating in combating any separatist movement within the North-Eastern region in India. It is also documented and undocumented that a large number of suspected leaders and activists of United Liberation Front of Assam [ULFA] as well as many other organizations, seeking independence from New Delhi, were... Barriers of the New Constitution of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 3/27/2012
Nepal has been declared Federal Democratic Republic on May 28, 2008 to establish a federal multiparty representative democratic system. Yet, the major political parties in opposition are not sure about the declaration to establish federal representative democratic system! It is obvious that they have failed to lead the nation as per the aspiration of people by just sitting in opposition with their elected representatives in the Constituent Assembly for last four years. Higher Education in India: Quest for Quality and Excellence
Dr. Sudhanshu Tripathi - 3/27/2012
Although education and knowledge both are closely related and are often referred as synonymous to each other yet both are not exactly the same. Knowledge is in fact an inherent trait of human beings according to Swami Vivekanand and is a fundamental quality and also the requirement of the soul or mind and we as human beings cannot remain self- contented without knowledge. On Bangladeshs Existential Crisis
Dr M. Abdul Mumin Chowdhury - 3/23/2012
I. The gathering Cloud and the Challenge
Writing about the January 2010 alleged coup attempt to overthrow the pro-Indian government of Sheikh Hasina, the well-known US based Bangladeshi political analyst Shahidul Islam noted in dirge about the prolonged birth pang of an unfinished revolution to rid the country of the insidious Indian hegemony that Bangladesh has to contend with. Not only that hegemony has persisted over the decades with a few waxing and waning, it has gained an ominous momentum during the last few years and is apparently hell bent on further stridency with its charact... Bangladeshi Panorama: Issues and Prospects
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 3/14/2012
I. Cheers to Bangladeshi FM Dipu Moni
For the first time since assuming the office of the foreign minister in Bangladesh, Dr. Dipu Moni won a huge international battle at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea [ITLOS] thus making the entire nation feel extremely delighted at such historic and praiseworthy winning of her. The winning came at the month of March, which is related to the victory of this country and it is a matter of highest joy to the entire Bangladeshi nation to jubilantly celebrate this history winning as well as the nation must express profound gratitude to th... Who killed the Saudi diplomat in Bangladesh?
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 3/10/2012
Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali [45], the diplomat with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was gunned down by unidentified miscreants during late hours of March 5, 2012 in the capital city of Bangladesh. Appeasing the opportunists
Bijoy Ghimire - 3/10/2012
Since the Britishers left India and bestowed the administering powers to the Indians, the very governing process is declining may be due to inept and insincere people who have taken hold of the reins to govern the nation. India is a big nation which houses people belonging to different castes and communities. Prelude To `2014: Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections
Priyanka Bhardwaj - 2/28/2012
While the rest of the country is grappling with an anti-corruption Bill in the making, Election Commission (EC) of India has announced state assembly polls in the most populous state, Uttar Pradesh (UP), between February 4 and 28, 2012, and four more provinces: Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, around the same time. Act of vandalism and notoriety on Hindu temple in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 2/24/2012
What happened with Hindu minorities at Hathazari in Bangladesh is not only a matter of grave concern but also clearly shows the rise of religious fanatics in the country, which upheld the sentiment of religious harmony for centuries. Bane of Big Dams in northeast India
Nava Thakuria - 2/16/2012
The mass movement in northern Assam against the larger hydroelectricity projects primarily planned in Arunachal Pradesh has taken a brief lull following the intervention of the State government. Change of Guard in Maldives: Democracy Prevails
Dr. Sudhanshu Tripathi - 2/14/2012
Perhaps the spirit of democracy has once again unfolded itself in a most fruitful way in the Indian Ocean archipelago after passing through the tough terrain of dictatorial- monarchical regimes of Middle East all over the last year. Narendra Modi: RSS, Ideology and Politics
Dr. Sudhanshu Tripathi - 2/8/2012
Of late, Narendra Modis stature in Indian politics has assumed considerable significance despite few controversies associated with his role in post Godhara riots in 2002 in Gujarat and also because of his working style which is marked by strict discipline, uncompromising and tough attitude and upholding the rule of law. The ill-effects of Monsantos Genetically Modified Seeds in India
Iqbal Ahmed - 2/3/2012
Monsantos operation in India illustrates monopolization and manipulation of the market economy, tradition, technology, and misgovernance. The worlds largest producer of genetically engineered seeds has been selling genetically modified (GM) in India for the last decade to benefit the Indian farmers or so the company claims. Green Band, Blue Band and smokes of Bangla Spring
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 1/31/2012
Political scenario in Bangladesh is really getting fluid, especially when members of the law enforcing agencies opened fire on the opposition protestors on Sunday [January 29, 2012], killing at least four, injuring five hundred plus and arresting more than twelve hundred people. Civil- Military Struggle in Pakistan: Regime Change Likely
Dr. Sudhanshu Tripathi - 1/24/2012
The on-going cold war relation between the Government and the Army in Pakistan has reached a new height yesterday, with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Army General Ashfaq Kayani drifting further apart. Political battle lines drawn in Bangladesh
Zoglul Husain - 1/24/2012
BNP draws the political battle lines
Political battle lines were publishrmly drawn between incumbent BAL alliance led by Hasina and the contending BNP alliance led by Khaleda, as Khaleda delivered a rousing speech at the Polo ground in Chittagong on 9 January to a mammoth gathering of hundreds of thousands of people, reported to be the largest ever meeting in Chittagong. She held the meeting following a road march to Chittagong from Dhaka, starting on 8 January with 6 thousand vehicles and holding a number of meetings en route, including a large one at Feni. The entire programme was t... Tailing Indian Tigers
Priyanka Bhardwaj - 1/24/2012
Before my chase of `Machhli, ``Grand Dame of Indian Tigers at Rajasthans Ranthambhore National Park little did I recognize the strong grip that tigers have on our imagination. Nepal Needs a Directly Elected PM to Form a Stable Government with PRM
Prakash Bom - 1/20/2012
People in this time even in a nation like the United Kingdom are filing petitions to elect the Prime Minister through national election. The proponents argue that governing a nation and law making are entirely separate skills. The executive requires managerial skills and generalship. But the legislative is a passion for justice, which requires depth understanding of law and constitution, and of human nature. Pakistans greatest crisis is the countrys withering leadership
Abid Mustafa - 1/17/2012
Today the people of Pakistan face a myriad of challenges that threaten the countrys very existence. This includes: American threats of unilateral action beyond the tribal area and its efforts to seize the countrys prized nuclear assets, the Indian backed insurrection in Baluchistan, a dramatic increase in suicide blasts, and the economy in tatters. But perhaps, the most significant issue that has blighted the nation is the leadership vacuum that pervades all segments of society. What Form of Government would Favor Nepal?
Prakash Bom - 1/11/2012
In the midst of hibernation of the Maoist hardliner with the temporary arrangement for the future revolt, it is the issue of what form of government will render permanent peace and stability to the nation. It is for sure the nation cannot afford another Maoist-conflict. Pakistan: A Teenager in the Family of Nations
Dillon Freed - 1/3/2012
In the last ten years, the United States has bequeathed The Islamic Republic of Pakistan with twenty billion dollars in aid; in return, our South Asian ally allowed Khalid Sheik Mohammed (it was in Pakistan he beheaded Daniel Pearl), Osama bin Laden (killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan) and Umar Patek (orchestrator of the 2002 Bali Bombings and captured in Abbottabad a mere five months before Osama was killed there) to, in effect, not only be honorary citizens, but placed them in their terrorist protection program. India Salvages Forward Movement Of Kyoto Protocol
Priyanka Bhardwaj - 1/3/2012
The recently concluded UN climate change conference at Durban managed a new lease of life for Kyoto Protocol that came into existence in 1997. The Unholy Madrasas of Pakistan
Tanveer Jafri - 12/23/2011
The Persian word Madrasa literally stands for a school where education is imparted. Conventionally, the religious education related to the Islam has been provided in madrasas. But increasingly, these madrasas across the world are incorporating modern education in their curriculum, along with the traditional Islamic teachings. In Indian state of West Bengal, there are many such madrasas where poor children belonging to all religions, who cannot afford modern education, are admitted. Apart from Urdu, the children here are taught Hindi, General Knowledge, History, Science, Social Studies, and Computers. Indian madrasas seem to be catching up with the times. Chaudhary Charan Singh: A Great Nationalist and the Voice of Rural India
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 12/23/2011
The passage of real development of India is evolved through its villages only. Farmers are the backbone of countrys socio-economic structure; therefore, overlooking the peasantry in India is not only unfortunate, but like a suicidal step Chaudhary Charan Singh Sri Lankas Truth Commission: A Brief Assessment of the LLRC Report
Gibson Bateman - 12/19/2011
Readers will find no big surprises after reading the final report of Sri Lankas Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Solving the Afghanistan Crisis
Imran Khan - 12/12/2011
Yet another inconclusive international Conference on Afghanistan held in Bonn, Germany has concluded recently. In last 3-4 years much has been said about United States past betrayal against Pakistan, Pakistans double standards against US & NATO in the ongoing fight with Taliban and Afghanistan governments inabilities to run the country. But so far it looks that things are moving in a circle without finding a way-out. It is the right time to push the reset button and make a way-out, because failure is not an option for anyone. Few suggestions are as under:- Burma: Cyclones affect more and more Women
Nava Thakuria - 12/10/2011
Even as the military rulers of Burma (Myanmar) completed a general election in November 2010 and a new so-called democratic regime is installed in the poverty stricken country, millions of Burmese are still living in terrible conditions in the cyclones Nargis and Giri affected areas, with many without pure drinking water and food or proper shelter. The lives of hundred thousand poor Burmese women have not changed though there are some plastic changes like the release of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and many other from jails, regular sittings of parliamentarians in their new capital Nay Pyi Taw and so India will expand global geostrategic clout by 2022
Abhirup Bhunia - 12/8/2011
India has set a 2022 deadline to amplify its global strategic footprint. A lot has already been happening in that direction, and much is planned for the future. Swami Vivekananda: Life and Views in Brief
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 12/5/2011
In Buddha we had the great, universal heart and infinite patience, making religion practical and bringing it to everyones door. In Shankaracharaya we saw tremendous intellectual power, throwing the scorching light of reason upon everything. We want today that bright sum of intellectuality joined with the heart of Buddha, the wonderful infinite heart of love and mercy. The union will give us the highest philosophy. Science and religion will meet and shake hands. Poetry and philosophy will become friends -Swami Vivekananda Question of Forming a Consensus Government in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 12/5/2011
NC and UML leaders have to see clearly with their physical eyes that the peace process has not yet completed. The forming of a consensus government becomes only viable when the major provisos of the seven-point agreement, such as combatant integration, rehabilitation, relief conflict victims, dissolution of the YCL parliamentary structure, and return of the seized properties are completed. It is not only the Question of the Maoist Party of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 11/24/2011
When September 2011 Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, the forth prime minister of the federal democratic republic of Nepal and vice-chairman of the Maoist party of Nepal, visited New York city on the occasion of the UN General Assembly annual meeting, over a dozen of chiefs of Nepali Diaspora organizations in NYC had chance to question him in a program organized by Nepals Permanent Mission to the UN. Opposing ASEAN Chair to Burma
Nava Thakuria - 11/24/2011
Burmas elevation as the would be chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has irked many, primarily the pro-democracy Burmese and their sympathizers in Asia. Terming the recent initiative Threat to independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh
Zoglul Husain - 11/21/2011
The threat and the resolve
The present phase of political affairs of Bangladesh had its beginning on 11 January 2011, often referred to as 1/11 2007, when a not-too-covert military regime was brought in for two years by India and the US in internal collaboration with sections of pro-India and pro-US quarters. Since then, Bangladesh has been facing a serious threat to its independence and sovereignty from the Indian hegemonists, as it did during Mujib regime of 1972-75. There cannot be any doubt that India wants to reduce Bangladesh to the state of Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) or Sikkim... Emergence of third alternative in Pakistan
Tanveer Jafri - 11/18/2011
Extremism, corruption, anarchy and communalism have brought Pakistan on the verge of bankruptcy. People seem to have lost faith in the two major political parties- Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). Apart from the above factors, another major reason of disillusionment of people from these parties is their subservient behaviour towards the US. In this political scenario, people are looking for a viable third alternative which could pull the country out of this quagmire. Perhaps this is the reason they are looking up to the former cricketer Imran Khan as a troubleshooter. Americas Belated Awakening
Monotapash Mukherjee - 11/14/2011
Americas Belated Awakening
At a time when the US is witnessing WALL STREET protests, unemployment is increasing, defense cuts are imminent ,the SPACE SHUTTLE has retired and the space ambition has been shelved, the soldiers are preparing to return from Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran is nearing nuclear capability, the UNESCO has granted membership to Palestine, Pakistan is refusing US dictates, China is set to conquer the space ,Americas loss of the Indian MMRCA deal was a huge setback to the US defense and aerospace industries.
This deal could have created thousands o... Todays journalism loses its soul
Nava Thakuria - 11/2/2011
It was a small meeting in memory of a recently expired veteran Assamese journalist, where various speakers, after paying rich tribute to the freedom fighter-journalist Kamal Gogoi, incidentally drew a bleak picture of journalism in Assam as well as in the country, India. Indias water woes: Is interlinking viable?
Sameer Jafri - 11/2/2011
India, a country of over 1.2 billion, is faced with acute water shortage. Future would be worse if this crisis is not tackled in time. A large part of Indian territory is dependent on South-West Monsoon to fulfil its water requirements. With monsoon becoming erratic and uncertain with every passing season, there is an urgent need to manage this scarce resource in such a way that it can sustain a burgeoning population. Nepali Nationalists Conceit Deprives Nation
Prakash Bom - 10/31/2011
Nepal has been deprived with the politics of nationalistic arrogance since the dawn of Shah Regime, which was dreadfully reinforced later by the Rana Autocracy. As a result, the nation was closed from the entire world for centuries.Nepal became backward not because it lacked resources but because its nationalistic politics have had always prevented human development by restricting international relation. Still such a xenophobic politics preoccupies the mind of most of political leaders. India Readies for War with China
Monotapash Mukherjee - 10/27/2011
As India is getting choked by the string of pearls and is faced by stiff competition from China in its hunt for resources, India is readying itself for a not-so-impossible military show down with China. Burma turns hostile to Indian Separatist Groups
Nava Thakuria - 10/13/2011
The militant outfits from Northeast India, who are operating from the jungles of northern Burma (Myanmar), have a hard time ahead. As India and Burma have strengthen its strategic relationship, it is understood that Indian separatist groups would face more attacks in Burmese soil. Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan and President Barack Obamas Mother, Dr. S. Ann Dunham
Nasim Yousaf - 10/4/2011
In East Pakistan, Patten told me, he had worked with Akhtar Hameed Khan, an Indian born [Pakistani national], Cambridge educated social scientist and development activist, now recognized as a pioneer in what is known as microcredit Ruling party turning Bangladesh into a police state
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 9/19/2011
Bangladesh attained independence from Pakistani rule in 1971. It was the core commitment of the independent and sovereign Bangladesh to be a secularist state with multi-party democracy. It also pledged to uphold rights of the citizen and ensure human rights. But since independence, the country has witnessed three military coups with frequent suspension and amendment of the constitution as well as journey towards a bi-party politics, which again regularly compromises with the Islamists considering it to be a solid vote bank. Elections for Local Bodies to Give Impetus for Local Democracy
Rama Rao - 9/15/2011
Sri Lanka government has announced elections for local civic bodies including the prestigious Colombo Municipal Council on Oct 8. These elections were repeatedly postponed earlier under the emergency regulations. Emergency was lifted in August to keep at bay the pressure from human rights groups for accountability for the crimes committed by the army particularly during the closing phase of Eelam War IV. President Mahinda Rajapakse likes to use these elections to strengthen his democratic credentials though he has brought back the emergency regulations by the back door through amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PAT) Appreciating the Spirit of Indias Independence Day
Nava Thakuria - 9/15/2011
A teenager, coming out with his father on August 15 to observe the Independence Day (of India) suddenly raised a question, Deuta, why there are vehicles (loaded with passengers) on the roads and why the shops are open today? Are the people of Guwahati not observing the Independence Day? The Revolution Has Begun in Bangladesh
Rashidul Bari - 9/15/2011
The revolution in Bangladesh began a month after the release of my new book, Grameen Social Business Model: A Manifesto for Proletariat Revolution. India moving towards a Constitutional Crisis?
Tanveer Jafri - 9/13/2011
The Constitution of India bestows an exclusive right upon the Parliament to represent the people of the country. Following this mandate, since independence, the voters have sent their representatives to the Lok Sabha (Lower House) and the state legislative assemblies. The 545-member Lok Sabha represents the entire country. Its primary task involves making and amending laws for the nation, making different policies for the welfare of the people, or in other words serving the country and society. Our freedom fighters and founding fathers of our Constitution dreamt of a country where these elected representatives will take the country ahead and will make it self sufficient in every aspect. Insurgency criminalized society in Assam, India
Binod Ringania - 9/6/2011
A news story about an attempted abduction landed in our newsroom on a sultry evening of August. Normally such news are considered run of the mill, because during the two decades old insurgency in Assam abductions became so rampant that hardly they arouse any interest among journalist community. The Effect of Global Warming in Bangladesh
Iqbal Ahmed - 9/1/2011
John Lennon and Paul McCartney are undoubtedly the most iconic figures of The Beatles. In Bangladesh, George Harrison of The Beatles holds a special place as well. Not because of music but because of what he did to help the cyclone victims of 1970. The Bangaldeshis of the 70s generation and even the younger ones are deeply indebted to him for his 1971 Madison Square concert that raised millions to help the victims miles away in Bangladesh. Can Anna Hazare be JP 2.0?
Ajoy Chatterjee - 9/1/2011
Thousands of brains have stormed to foresee whether Ramlila Ground would be the Tahrir Square of India. Indian Peoples win inspires Burmese Activists
Nava Thakuria - 8/30/2011
Finally the Indian Parliament has bowed down to listen to peoples voice on corruption and resolved to frame a strong anti-corruption legislation. Following a massive protest spread across the sub continent led by Gandhian Anna Hazare, both houses of Indian Parliament have now agreed to go for an effective Lokpal (ombudsman) to check corruption in every level of the populous country. Why a failed Afghanistan is in USs long term national interest
Hashmat Moslih - 8/30/2011
When the US became directly involved in Afghanistan, many believed the country was finally in good hands. Einstein and Other Scientists Meetings with Allama Mashriqi
Nasim Yousaf - 8/26/2011
Mathematics was evolved on these unnatural ideas and since they were taken, mistakenly or out of sheer flattery to the Greeks, as ideals, as a result mathematics and the allied subjects remained revolving around them and were confined within the orbit set by these ideas. Indian Tsunami Against Corruption
Priyanka Bhardwaj - 8/24/2011
An unprecedented anti-corruption fire has engulfed the largest nation in South Asia, India, also one of the fastest emerging economic giants as septuagenarian, veteran Gandhian activist, Anna Hazare sits on huger strike for eight day in row. The Death of Tareque Masud and the Trial of Shajahan Khan
Rashidul Bari - 8/22/2011
It was Saturday, August 13, 2011.
In Bangladesh, August is known as the month of death because it was during this time that five of the greatest Bengalis died: Tagore, Nazrul, Mujib, Shamsur Rahman, and Humayun Azad. It was for this reason that my wife asked me not to drive in August. "Honey, I said, don't you worry. I am going to be fine because I am not in Bangladesh; I am in the United States. Unlike his counterpart, Hasina, President Obama did not unleash 24,000 killers on the roads, nor did his communication minister claim that education is not important. That is why I thought i... August 21, charge-sheet, trial and some questions
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 8/19/2011
Current government in Bangladesh led by Bangladesh Awami League is visibly determined in completing the trial into the August 21 grenade attack, which killed dozens of people, while injuring hundreds. One of the main victims of this attack was Ivy Rahman, who is the wife of President Zillur Rahman. Mrs. Rahman was critically injured and later died in a local hospital. Hina Rabbani: Brilliance in diplomacy
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 8/16/2011
Indian leading daily newspaper, The Times of India terms Pakistans newly appointed foreign minister as A true fashionista. Condemning India's Arm Supply to Burma
Nava Thakuria - 8/16/2011
The Burmese exiles living in India and their sympathizers had recently came to the street of India's national capital to lodge a stronger protest against the government for supplying arms and ammunitions to the semi-military Burmese government at Nay Pie Daw. Expressing resentment at New Delhi's continued military relationship with Nay Pie Daw, hundreds of pro-democracy activists and various Indian civil society groups demonstrated in New Delhi on July 22, 2011 arguing that 'supplying arms to the most brutal military dictatorship may have grave consequences to millions of innocent lives'. Bangladesh envoy in Nepal in hot soup
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 8/8/2011
Dr. Nim Chandra Bhowmick, former teacher of Dhaka University, who was sent to Nepal as Bangladeshi ambassador, is visibly in hot soup, following series of allegations against him. Meanwhile, Nepalese foreign ministry has requested Bangladesh to withdraw him for violating diplomatic norms. Latest American concern in Pakistan: Fake Passports
Rama Rao - 8/5/2011
US concern vis-a-vis PakisBy all means the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) is not expected to come up with the finding that false UK passports are made in Pakistan. But it did so while digging deep into the way Pakistan is keyed up to check overseas travel by home grown and itinerant terrorist alike. The GPO field team examined four key areas -sharing of information on terrorists, use of fraudulent travel papers, passport issuance security and corruption in passport issuance and immigration agencies. Brus returning to Mizoram
Nava Thakuria - 7/27/2011
More than a decade ago, about 35,000 Bru Janajati people (also known as Reang) fled their villages in Mizoram of Northeast India, following an outbreak of violence, and took shelter in northern Tripura, another province of the region adjacent to Bangladesh. Now, these tribal families-mostly Hindus-are being repatriated to Christian-dominated Mizoram, thanks to the joint efforts of the Union Government of India and the rights groups. Mistrust of US runs deep in Pakistan
Rahil Yasin - 7/25/2011
Although the US Congress has rejected a bill to cut all aid to Pakistan but still mistrust runs deep in the relations between the two countries. Mumbai blasts a conspiracy to derail Pakistan-India peace talks
Rahil Yasin - 7/19/2011
Lahore: As terror once again struck Mumbai on July 13, killing 21 people and injuring more than 140 others, Indian leaders mostly avoided pointing a finger at Pakistan, for the first time in the history of both the nations. Indonesian prisons becoming breeding places for preaching jihad
Subhan Choudhury - 7/15/2011
Indonesian security is attempting to irradiate Islamic terrorism from the society has encountered an unorthodox problem the already detained militants are preaching jihadi ideals to other inmates. Officials of the Citilink airline security have reported concern about the presence of radicals in the country. This situation is severely weakening the efforts that the government and security forces are giving to rout out terrorism elements from the country. India: Justice to slain journalists
Nava Thakuria - 7/15/2011
If India remains a dangerous country for the working journalists, Assam can claim to be more unsafe for the media fraternity. The country with over a billion population records the killing of 27 journalists in last 20 years, Assam (with nearly three crore populace) shares major incidents of journalists murder in all these years. The trouble torn State lost over 20 editor-journalist-correspondents in dreadful conditions during last two decades, shockingly where no Now Pakistans Nukes on American Radar?
Tanveer Jafri - 7/12/2011
Today, Pakistan has become the centre of global terrorism. Terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-E-Mohammad, Taliban etc. are freely prospering and spreading their misanthrope activities and terrorist training camps there. It is suspected that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), some elements in the Pakistani democratic establishment and Islamic clerics have patronized and encouraged these terror activities on Pakistani soil. Lessons from Indias Partition
Nasim Yousaf - 7/11/2011
The partition of India led to slaughter, rape, and countless atrocities in the region; it further resulted in the Kashmir issue and bitter rivalry between a nuclear Pakistan and India. The tragic episode provides a lesson for the world to learn from. When a protest demonstration turns violent
Nava Thakuria - 7/5/2011
It was another black day for Guwahatians who witnessed street violence killing three people and damaging huge public and private properties. A protest demonstration by thousands of participants turned ugly and the pre-historic city turned into a battlefield where the police and protesters got engaged in violence. Takeover is the Taliban Plan for Afghanistan
Walid Phares, Ph.D. - 7/4/2011
Before and after President Barack Obama announced the new U.S. strategy on Afghanistan, I engaged in a variety of media panels and private discussions with commentators and analysts from Arab and Muslim-majority regions of the world. Resuming Pak-India talks: A ray of hope for pacifists
Rahil Yasin - 7/4/2011
Resuming foreign secretary level talks between Pakistan and India is not less than a sigh of relief for the pacifists as they know that only the continuous dialogue process can lead the two arch rivals towards resolution of the outstanding issues. Bharat Ratna Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 6/30/2011
My young friends, you are soldiers in the battle of freedom-freedom from want, fear, ignorance, frustration and helplessness. By a dint of hard work for the country, rendered in a spirit of selfless service, may you march ahead with hope and courage -Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy Afghanistan, , Americas Dilemma
Nasir Shansab - 6/28/2011
On June 22, President Obama, while unveiling his first and second phase of American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, observed that the tide of war was receding. Pakistan leads in Human Rights violation
Tanveer Jafri - 6/22/2011
Formed in 1947, with intent to establish an Islamic state, Pakistan can today be seen crushing every single Islamic teaching and ideal. The Holy Quran clearly prohibits any kind of ill-treatment of any innocent. It equates killing of an innocent with the killing of entire humanity. Pakistan Media in dire straits
Tanveer Jafri - 6/11/2011
Since the cold-blooded murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002, dozens of Pakistani journalists have to lay down their lives just because they dared to speak the truth regarding the ground situation in Pakistan. Pak rulers, Army and the ISI never want the world to know about the extent of extremism and terrorism in Pakistan. Revealing clothes and sexual liberation in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 6/10/2011
Is there a correlation between revealing clothes and sexual liberation, asked a friend of mine, all of a sudden, while we were having tea, a week ago. I was stunned by his question. What kind of support Pakistan seeks from the world?
Tanveer Jafri - 5/26/2011
Thanks to the policy blunders of the dictators and Generals of Pakistan, terrorism has grown to gigantic proportions in Pakistan in the last three decades. Now Pakistani leaders can be seen crying, Pakistan itself is the biggest victim of terrorism. Cost of living protests in Maldives
Rama Rao - 5/7/2011
The Maldivian capital of Male is witnessing what are locally called 'cost of living' protests from April 30-May 1. Wild Islamism on rise in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/29/2011
Finally the State Minister for Law, Advocate Qamrul Islam in Bangladesh made an open statement expressing his governments realization that some Islamists and radical clergies are trying to turn Bangladesh into another Afghanistan. He said, Few 'fanatics' and 'religion-mongered' want to make the country 'an Afghanistan' by snatching away women rights. Hafiz Saeed: an angel or a demon?
Tanveer Jafri - 4/19/2011
Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and the chief of Pakistan based so called socio-cultural organization Jamaat-Ud-Dawah, is well known for his anti-India stance. Politics and Madness
Haider Rizvi - 4/19/2011
The fate of people, the destinies of nations and history itself are determined to a substantial extent by political leaders. When electing a national leader, voters frequently base their decision on the image created by the mass media and professional image makers; they also tend to take into account only current events and tasks. US-Pakistan Relations Rapidly Unraveling
Trevor Westra - 4/14/2011
The U.S. fight against Islamic militants hiding out in Pakistans failed boarder region suffered another serious setback this week. According to the Wall Street Journal, Pakistan has asked the CIA to halt all drone attacks on its territory a move that would drastically alter U.S. strategic planning in Afghanistan, if conceded. Officials quoted in the report have also suggested that the Pakistani government is seeking a significant disclosure of classified information on U.S. clandestine ground operations inside the country. Sufi singers under assault in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/13/2011
Twenty-eight followers of Bangladeshs legendary Sufi lyricist and philosopher, Lalon Fakir were physically assaulted and humiliated by a group of radical Islamists in a southern district in Bangladesh on April 6, 2011. Fool Minister Hasina
Rashidul Bari - 4/11/2011
The political vendetta in Bangladesh by Sheikh Hasina against Muhammad Yunus could be understood as a modern-day replay of the famous conflict between Pope Urban VIII and Galileo Galilei. Pope Urban VIII (henceforth known as Fool Urban VIII) put 70-year-old Galileo in prison in 1632 for condemning and rejecting Ptolemy's geocentric model, which was adopted by the early Christian Church. Forget internal woes, manifold external security threats confront India
Abhirup Bhunia - 4/11/2011
India is historically known for border disputes with its neighbors namely Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bangladesh. The nation has been exposed to endless strife along the perimeter of its peninsular territory. So much so that no other nation perhaps is known to have the distinction of dealing with so many hostile neighbours with the exception of Bhutan and to some extent Sri Lanka all at once. Instigator behind Bangladeshi radicals
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/8/2011
Pro- Al Qaeda radical Islamist clergies in Bangladesh, Mufti Fazlul Huq Amini and Moulana Rezaul Karim are gradually expanding their wild campaign in demand of transforming Bangladesh into a Sharia state. To press further their demand, they have called for dawn to dusk general strike in Bangladesh on April 4, 2011. Bankrupt diplomacy of Bangladeshi government
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/6/2011
Following the latest court decision from Bangladesh Supreme Court on Nobel winning Dr. Mohammad Yunus, Robert Blake, the assistant secretary of state for South Asia, said the United States had a "strong interest in maintaining close relations" with Bangladesh, which he called "a democratic and moderate Muslim country." India: Democracy bestows benefits
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 3/27/2011
From the time it became independent in 1947 to the start of the 1990s, India had an all-party consensus supporting socialism or at least some fragments of social democracy. Fortunately for India, that began to collapse dramatically in the mid-1990s, to be replaced by a consensus supporting "reform. This new consensus sustaining reform means that a neo - liberal market perspective is likely to continue in India, no matter what coalition government emerges in the future. Allama Mashriqis Warnings: The Time Has Come To Wake-up
Nasim Yousaf - 3/16/2011
Allama Mashriqi, a great thinker and visionary, issued multiple warnings during his time (1940s-1950s) based on his observations of the prevailing political conditions. Mashriqis predictions surrounded the fate of the Indian sub-continent at various time periods. Yet instead of listening to a man who fought for their freedom until the end, the leadership of Pakistan turned on him. With time, it became evident that Mashriqi had great vision and what he had foreseen indeed came true! Bangladesh blacklists home grown Islamist Militant group, Hizb-ut-Towhid
Rama Rao - 3/14/2011
For the Bangladesh centric Hizb-ut-Towhid (HuT), Year 2011 began on a black note, The Bangladesh Ministry of Home Affairs blacklisted the outfit as a part of its campaign against Islamic fundamentalists. It is too early to say how effective the ban will prove to be. Much would depend on the political situation and how the Awami League (AL) - led Sheikh Hasina government handles the street challenge thrown up by Khaleda Zia - led opposition alliance. Radical Islam and its continued stranglehold on Pakistan
Trevor Westra - 3/9/2011
The assassination of Pakistan's Minister of Minorities, Shabaz Bhatti, who was brutally killed Wednesday on the streets of Islamabad, was described as an attack on "the values of tolerance and respect for people of all faiths and backgrounds" by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As the only Christian member of the Pakistani government, the Vatican also considered it timely to comment, calling his death an act of "violence against Christians and religious freedom". Debating the Karmapa Issue
Gunjan Singh - 3/1/2011
For the first time in over 5 decades in India, the Tibetan community is in news for all the wrong reasons. In a completely surprising event the Tibetan religious leader Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje has been questioned by the Himachal Pradesh police. This is because of the fact that the government agencies found currency worth nearly Rs. 7 crore from the monastery. The Karmapa is regarded as the 17th reincarnation of the Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism and it is the third highest ranked monk after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. What has added to the existing controversy is the story o... Allama Mashriqis Historic Car: A Symbol of a National Heritage in Ruin
Nasim Yousaf - 3/1/2011
Allama Inayatullah Khan Al-Mashriqi played a pivotal role in bringing freedom to British India. He made countless sacrifices to liberate the nation and endured atrocities both within and outside prison in pursuit of a united India (India was ultimately divided for political reasons). It is a great misfortune for the people of the region, then, that the artifacts of this illustrious leader, who dedicated his life to the people, are now scattered or lay in ruin. The blame for this tragedy falls primarily on the Government of Pakistan, who has failed to collect materials related to Mashriqi since independence in 1947. India and the turmoil in the Middle-East
Tanveer Jafri - 3/1/2011
Many countries of the Middle-East are currently rocked by the peoples protests demanding regime change and political reforms. The awakened public now wants the autocrats, dictators and despots to step down. The intelligent rulers of Egypt and Tunisia timely left the thrones in exchange for their lives. But the strange Libyan dictator Col. Muammar Qaddafi has refused to step down until his last breath. For fulfilling this ambition, he is even ready to destroy the nation. And this is the reason that even in the last moments of his rule, Qaddafi has appealed to his numbered supporters to a... Why Obama shouldnt wait for Indias permanent UNSC seat
Vishal Arora - 12/2/2010
For the United States, India is indispensable in ensuring a stable balance of power in Asia in the wake of Chinas rise to global power. Therefore, US President Barack Obama, who was on a three-day visit to India earlier this week, assured Washingtons support for Indias bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council. But he chose to remain ambiguous on when that may happen. Loss of Hope in Maldives
Vishal Arora - 9/22/2010
While the establishment of a multi-party democracy in the Indian Ocean archipelago in 2008 ended a 30-year period of authoritarian rule under President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, it started a vicious political struggle depriving the Maldivians of any sense of relief. Indias de facto refugee policy
Vishal Arora - 9/22/2010
India has no official policy on refugees and yet asylum seekers from its troubled neighbors keep pouring in, looking at its size, stability and soft power. So how does the absence of guidelines for refugee protection play out in the treatment of asylum seekers in India? Maoists in Nepal about to Bury their Infant Live
Prakash Bom - 8/31/2010
Recall the Maoist insurgency that lasted a decade. The arm struggle popularly known to Maoists "Peoples War" meant to eradicate feudal establishment, the monarchy to establish "Peoples Republic of Nepal." But it thrived with a "Comprehensive Peace Accord 2006", which gave the nation the interim constitution to commission the "Constituent Assembly elections" for drafting a new constitution of Nepal. A new Bangladesh : Beard and Cap Forbidden
Vinod Mehta - 7/17/2010
This is exactly what was the spirit behind creation of a secularist Bangladesh by freeing chains of slavery from Pakistanis! But, due to tragic murder of the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, Bangladesh got locked into shackle of Islamology for decades. Even when Sheikh Mujiburs daughter Sheikh Hasina came in power during 1996-2001, she was rather uncomfortable in touching this extremely risky issue of making offensives on Mullahs and Islamic fanatics. Burmese General Elections Another Sham?
Saberi Roy - 7/10/2010
Aung San Suu Kyis trial for allowing an American into her house during the period of detention was simply an excuse to prevent her and her party from participating in the forthcoming elections in Burma. The Burmese government seems to be considerably determined not to allow Suu Kyi to participate in the elections as her victory is almost certain if she is given a chance to stand against the junta. The junta wants a fabricated election victory and wants to prove it to the world and to all democracy activists that they have legitimate claims to rule Burma. The new road map to democracy as propo... Probe Makka Masjid Bomb Blast Case Afresh
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/1/2010
With arrest of some persons belonging to Hindu extremist organization for their involvement in Malegoan Muslim graveyard bomb blast, the Samjutha express train bomb blast and the Ajmer Dargah blast, the ugly face of Hindutva terrorism has been unmasked. Can Democracy Thrive in Nepal Amidst the Maoists?
Prakash Bom - 6/1/2010
It was a sigh of relief when Maoists withdrew their indefinite general strike. To General public who participated in peace rallies nationwide it was worth their effort. But to the incumbent government and to the political parties in the coalition, it has given another form of political choice. Riots after Riots: It happens only in India
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/1/2010
Communal riots have become part and parcel of Indian social life. The birth pang of the country was on the throes of communal riots. The history of last sixty years or so to a section of the Indian society, who has been on the receiving end of communal riots, is nothing but a history of wanton destruction of their lives and properties. Mao - flation in India
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 5/9/2010
Forget about the rapid Economic growth of India. These days, we seem to hear one question over and over again: Can India curb the Maoists crisis? The concerns posed by this question unmask Indias Achilles Heel. Myanmars return to democracy seems a far cry
Rajaram Panda, Ph.D. - 5/6/2010
The military junta in Myanmar has announced that it would hold general elections later this year. The National League for Democracy (NLD), Myanmars main opposition party, lost no time in announcing that it will not participate in the election process. The NLD suspects that the ruling military will rig the election process. The new election law issued by the junta on 17 March 2010 has barred pro-democracy Aung San Suu Kyi from joining a political party and thus running in upcoming elections. Shift in Pakistan's policy on Afghanistan
Raza Khan - 5/6/2010
ISLAMABAD (Pakistan): Of late a significant shift is apparently taking place in Pakistan decades-old interventionist and destructive policy regarding its western neighbour, Afghanistan, raising hopes of bringing down the intensity of anti-government insurgency spearheaded by Al-Qaeda backed Taliban in the war-ravaged country. Royalists Yearning for Civil War in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 5/6/2010
The Hindu royalists in Nepal and India are getting more organized against The Federal Democratic Republic Nepal. They are demanding a referendum on the monarchy, secular state and structure of federalism, which is against the decisions of Constituent Assembly. Interview with Pakistani Provincial Emir of Jamat-e-Islami and Senator Muhammad Ibrahim
Rooh-ul-Amin - 4/14/2010
Senator Professor Muhammad Ibrahim, for the first time saw daylight in 1954 at an extreme religious family in Bannu, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa. He got his early education from Bannu and did his master in journalism from Gomal University. He joined this very University as a lecturer but resigned it on the persuasion of Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan, as he has been a staunch activist of Islami Jamiat Talba during his youth. And at length his strong ideological affiliations with Jamat-e-Islami compelled him to resign from the lectureship and to make entrance into practical politics. Today, he is the pro... Election in Myanmar - All is Not Well
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 4/4/2010
With the announcement of the Political Parties Registration Bylaw, the scene is now set for the holding of the long-awaited 2010 elections in Myanmar. While some groups are registering parties, many existing opposition parties remain undecided. New Twists in Burmese Politics
Saberi Roy - 4/2/2010
There are many new twists in the tale of Aung San Suu Kyis eternal house arrest in Burma. The Burmese leader has been imprisoned for more than 10 years continuously and more than 14 years during the last 20 years and it was widely expected that she will find ways to participate in the next Burmese elections and her political party the NLD will overthrow the Burmese military regime. It is now reported that new Burmese law requires political parties to expel members who had court conviction if they want to participate in elections and this new law has led NLD to boycott the forthcoming elections. World Bank, Poverty, Aid, NGOs, and Development Paradox in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 4/1/2010
If we turn over the pages of any development books related to Nepal and other developing nations of the region, we are continually confronted by the issues of "poverty," "poverty traps," "incidence of poverty," "poverty line" and what not. Many people in fact use these words as synonyms while most rely on the standards provided by the World Bank or the United Nations organizations. Nuclear Energy from 823 Corpses
Uddipan Mukherjee, Ph.D. - 4/1/2010
Yesterday my friend was narrating the story line of a blockbuster Bollywood movie. As usual, it went like this. Once upon a time on the hills, a wealthy father had two sons. The elder one was sheepish and stolid whereas the younger one was rambunctious and hence unwieldy. One day, few bandits attacked their mansion. Actually they were in cahoots with the younger son. Since he was a cunning fellow, he fought and drove them away exhibiting histrionics. On the other hand, the elder one was slow to react and was dumbfounded in the process. The father was naturally too pleased with his younger son and proffered opulence to him. However, he was seized by greed and sought a blank cheque instead. Indian Army faces Massive Shortage of Officers
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 3/17/2010
The approval of the Union Government to open a second Officers' Training Academy (OTA) at Gaya in Bihar marks a major step to solve the problem of shortage of officers in the country. Indian Talibans have triumphed
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 3/2/2010
When I learnt that one of the most celebrated artists of India , Maqbool Fida Hussain has taken up the nationality of Qatar to escape from the Hindu zealots who have been gunning for his life, there was a feeling of remorse. It was not because he was known to me or I am an admirer of his paintings, but simply because, he has been such a colorful personality in India and I have practically grown up reading about his activities. Now when I realize he will no more be gossiped in the media as before, a stream of thought flows my memory lane at various points of my life. Blasts and Talks
Uddipan Mukherjee, Ph.D. - 2/22/2010
When candles were lit in Kolkata for Ankik Dhar and his friends Shilpa and Anindyee, tears flowed; and simultaneously hatred brewed. This has happened whenever explosives detonated either in Mumbai or Delhi or Bangalore or Hyderabad or latest in Pune. Whenever a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) or a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) mercenary had been discovered to ignite an incendiary, the men on the wrong side of the north-western border have been demonised. Even an innoxious Sufi-Dervish strolling along the squalid Indian streets have been looked at with terror and suspicion : is he an ISI agent? Economic cannibalism in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/20/2010
Any society after consuming years and years of its precious time ultimately begs one explosive question: How much revolution is too much? I candidly avow that most Nepalese are already beginning to ask this question as they sense that enough is enough. And they are right. A nation cannot subsist only on revolution forever; it needs solidarity amongst its citizens, ample job opportunities, and the rule of law and order to prevail as a functioning nation. Something fishy in Bangladesh
Vinod Mehta - 2/20/2010
Neighbors of Bangladesh are now supposed to feel terribly disturbed when its senior intelligence officials are making confessional statements with Criminal Investigation Department (CID] during investigation into the huge recovery of arms and explosives in the country, few years back. It was though predicted by Indian intelligence and media that, those consignments were secretly imported by Bangladeshi intelligence for supplying to separatist groups inside India; Bangladesh government never endorsed such fact. Jinnahs Tottering Pakistan
Uddipan Mukherjee, Ph.D. - 2/8/2010
December 25 is the birthday of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), the Quaid-i-Azam (Great Leader) of Pakistan, and the present Zardari-Gilani government had the onus of exhibiting his birthplace to the public on that very day. Amusingly, the funds required to renovate his residence did not reach the project officials and the work that was stopped since July 2008 could not be resumed. Thus Wazir Mansion at Karachi, Jinnahs birthplace, remained closed to the public on his birth anniversary 1. Testing Indias Democratic and Spiritual Legacies in Nepal
Lok Nath Bhusal, Ph.D. candidate - 2/5/2010
This article attempts to question and answer Indias role in Nepal in the deformation of the Maoist government and afterwards. The basic question is whether this role is consistent with Indias commitment to democratic and spiritual values, and the answer appears to be a huge NO. Embedding spiritualism into politics and diplomacy, I have argued for thinking beyond the conventional deceptive diplomatic and political mind by both the Indian establishment and Nepals Maoists in order to find a common policy space where both parties interests and aspirations are not dashed in Nepal. Am I Indian First or Muslim First?
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 1/28/2010
On the 60th anniversary of Indian Republic someone asked me a question; are you a Indian first or a Muslim first? The first thing I did was to thank him for asking this. Answer to this is sought by many "prominent" Indian Muslims and I am indeed honored to inadvertently sneak into this category. The latest ones in the list before me were APJ Abdul Kalam and Sharukh Khan! At Last Formation of HLPM in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 1/28/2010
The fundamental concern should have been whether the formation of High Level Political Mechanism would overrule the electoral proceedings of Constituent Assembly given the disposition of political leaderships and politics of main political parties. Nonetheless, if its authority overrides Parliament proceedings then it will obviously undermine the peoples supremacy. To Understand Kabul, Look First to Bonn
Nasir Shansab - 1/21/2010
It took the Obama administration most of the President's first year in office to settle on a strategy for Afghanistan. Whether the delay was due to meticulousness or intensiveness probably doesn't matter. The policy is likely to fail anyway. The reason will be the failure to change the policies put in place during the so-called 'Bonn Process.' Is India Democratic and Spiritual in Nepal?
Lok Nath Bhusal, Ph.D. candidate - 1/21/2010
Amidst the ongoing strong and strategic protests of the ballot-proof and bullet-proof Maoists on the one hand, and the hallucinated pro-rightist mainstream media supported strategically by Indian and domestic elites, on the other, it would be premature to conclude what is going to happen in Nepal. But a distinctive class-face has featured in Nepals political landscape the Maoists and the anti-Maoists. This divide is not going to give a way out for consensus for ending feudalism what many developed countries gave a huge goodbye long-ago. Then, there would be more acrimony than harmony in Nep... NRN & Nepali Nationhood
Prakash Bom - 1/3/2010
Nepalis who opposed outright NRN's demand for dual-citizenship provision from the street corners of Kathmandu in their response to general public questionnaires of nepalnews.com and Kantipur surely have no knowledge of NRN's relation with the nation. This is the failure of government authorities to make general public aware of the existence of NRN around the world and their role in nation building process through remittance and investments. An Old Man and Sleaze Tape - ND Tiwari Saga
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 12/28/2009
The conduct of Andhra Pradesh Governor Narayan Dutt Tiwari on a video grab seen on a bed with young women has shocked the Indian nation. The footages aired by a TV channel if true, has disgraced this veteran Congress leader who is on the twilight years of his life has indulged in such an immoral and unethical act. A Miss India Contest with a Difference
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 12/21/2009
Kareena Shaline of Mumbai, Romi of Manipur and Padmini of Coimbatore, Tamilnadu were declared first, second and third at MISS INDIA contest for the Transgender Community held in Chennai on December 19, 2009. In a well attended function, the Miss India title was awarded to the successful contestants by Ms. G. Jayalakshmi, Deputy Director, Women Welfare, Directorate of Social Welfare. Where would Maoists Lead Nepal?
Prakash Bom - 12/19/2009
As per the rule that Maoists agreed upon, Nepal has elected Constituent Assembly that made fundamental decisions such as abolition of monarchy, declaration of federal republic, drafting of a new constitution, and restructuring of federal states. But, Maoists declaring autonomous federal states prior to the statute has overruled the political coherence. India: Veterans of Disguised politics, once again unmasked
Tanveer Jafri - 12/7/2009
About a decade ago, when K.N.Govindacharya, the former leader of the intellectual cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), called Atal Behari Vajpayee, a mask for the BJP, at that time all the party leaders were angered by this statement. Certifying Govindacharyas same testimony, the Liberhan Commission, investigating the demolition of the controversial Babri Mosque, has repeated the same statement. In the report, Atal Behari Vajpayee is once again called the mask for the party. The report has not only brought out the truth about the opportunistic and disguised politics of the BJP and its ... Maoists Multiparty Politics Exhausted Nepal
Prakash Bom - 12/7/2009
Could twelve years Maoist insurgency have brought the historic political changes in Nepal without Maoists joining mainstream politics? Perhaps not with even the bloodshed of the millions of innocent life of poor people as Maoist proletariats! If the underlying objective of Maoist is to bring an overall social change cultural revolution then Maoists cannot impose their political ideas with Maoist partys unilateral decision. India: Environmentalists to Campaign 'Ride A Cycle
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 11/20/2009
As the campaign for climate change is gaining momentum and talks to cut down carbon emission is reaching its crescendo, a humble attempt is being made in southern India to push the cause of the good old peddle bicycle. Does Nepal need a National Unity Government at this point?
Prakash Bom - 11/17/2009
International community has recognized that a national unity government for Nepal is desirable at this point in order to drafting a new constitution and managing Maoist combatants. However, a national unity government does not necessarily mean Maoist or UML or NC led government. Multilateral Approach desirable to address the Myanmar Issue
Rajaram Panda, Ph.D. - 11/17/2009
Myanmar has emerged as a new test case for the success of US engagement in Asia, especially when the military junta has shown no sign of complying with the international opinion of restoring democracy and has been tightening control further on its people. No amount of carrot and stick approach by the US has proved successful. The latest volte force in Washingtons Myanmar policy has been applying the carrot approach and abandoning the application of stick as the means for seeking peace dividend. Love Jihad controversy rages in India
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 10/28/2009
Indian mass-media insinuating reportage under the suggestive heading Love Jihad is yet another example of bad journalism in the largest democracy of the world. Leftist-Islamist notoriety
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 10/23/2009
Islamists and leftists have alligned in South Asia for some years, and now they have started flexing muscle, which stands as a potential threat to regions security issues. It was already reported in the media that, Al Qaeda was finding new base in Nepal under the hidden alliance with the Maoists there. Osama Bin Laden, visited Nepal a number of times, while, there was also report of a number of Al Qaeda kingpins secretly visiting Bangladesh and meeting local Islamists. Journalists to discuss issues of Climate Change in New Delhi
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 10/21/2009
The UN convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 (the COP15), negotiations on a post 2012 agreement have greatly intensified. However, there is absolutely no consensus even within and between industrial countries on these issues, while the divide between industrial and developing countries has grown wide. Halt Nepal's Political Unrest Now With Vedic Defence
Dr. Kingsley Brooks and Dr. David Leffler - 10/21/2009
Nepal, the land of Himalayas and Veda, is today facing a great challenge of ever increasing internal violence by various groups of insurgents. How does it stop the political unrest that cripples Nepal's economy and causes other social problems that could lead to more war and terrorism? Achieving economic success while happily living in perpetual peace is not only an intrinsic desire but also a fervent wish of the citizens of Nepal. Talibans War on Pakistan
Walid Phares, Ph.D. - 10/20/2009
The war between the Taliban and Pakistan continues to accelerate. Just last weekend, Pakistans army responded to a long string of Taliban attacks by launching a massive ground operation in Waziristan. Unholy things under holy mask
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 10/20/2009
A group of ruling party men has set a very nasty example of unholy task under the garb of holy reason. Nepals Supreme Leaders Wreaking Democracy
Prakash Bom - 10/20/2009
Perhaps it is in the entire history of representative (Parliamentary) democratic system Nepal could be the only one nation, which honors those political leaders who lost peoples electoral mandate from nations historic elections of Constituent Assembly upon the daylight of 21st century. Cine Actors and Journalist in Chennai on Collision Course
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 10/20/2009
A news editor of a popular daily was arrested in Chennai for clearing a sleaze story alleging that many south Indian actresses are running sex shops in the city. Cine Actors and Journalist in Chennai on Collusion Course
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 10/13/2009
A news editor of a popular daily was arrested in Chennai for clearing a sleaze story alleging that many south Indian actresses are running sex shops in the city. The story invited a strong reaction from south Indian film chamber leading to the arrest of the editor, which in turn triggered instant protests from the journalists. The editor though was released on unconditional bail within forty eight hours; the journalist described his arrest an infringement on the rights of expression and muzzling of the freedom of press. Child labor dilemma in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 10/12/2009
Nepalese politicians never abstain from talking about making Nepal the most prosperous nation in the world but in reality their ever diminishing ethics are making the mockery of the ordinary Nepalese destiny. For instance, for all the money and attention devoted to the child laborers in Nepal , no one has yet worked out, where they are and what it has done to ameliorate the child laborer syndrome. The Attitude of Drafting a New Constitution of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 10/12/2009
Drafting of a new constitution ought to be inspired with revolutionary expectations against the establishment of status quo. In spite of the revolution born of diverse and conflicting perspectives the new proposal must redirect the nation for an overall structural change. The new proposal must address, therefore, the "ground-breaking reality" against the status quo. Otherwise, the proposal will fail to render fair constitution to honor civilian rule. Political Objectives of the Pakistani Taliban
Raza Khan - 10/12/2009
ISLAMABAD: The radical Pakistani so-called Taliban groups that emerged a few years ago in the countrys borderlands, widely believed to help ousted Afghan Taliban regime fight ISAF and NATO forces, after slowly and gradually organizing themselves into a strong movement, have set about establishing a puritanical Islamic state in the country, rendering Pakistan highly unstable and raising fears in the neighbouring states. Shameles and senseless leaders in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 10/11/2009
As a nation Bangladeshis are always proud for their rich culture and heritage, which is thousand years old. People of this country showed their unimaginable courage when they fought for Mother Language in 1952. Again, the same nation fought in 1971 for the independence of Bangladesh. Each time, naturally, Bangladeshis won. Misreporting minority persecution cases
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 10/11/2009
For those who work in defending rights of religious minorities, it is extremely important to cross check each and every information they share with local and international community while any case of minority persecution take place. China-Pak Joint MissionDestroy India
Monotapash Mukherjee - 10/10/2009
After the resounding success of the China-Pak joint anti LTTE enterprise, the two nations are doubly encouraged to besiege India from all corners. In fact Pakistan is alleged to have supplied to Sri Lanka the fighter jets while china is said to have supplied the fire arms and other logistical systems. China, apparently, in exchange of its help to rout the LTTE, has secured a port at Hambantota. The Pak-Sri Lanka military co-operation is growing. Chinas aim to contain Indias march into the Indian Ocean as well as to encircle India has been fulfilled. Besides, the recent disclosure that Myanm... Status Quo against New Constitution of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 10/10/2009
In my opinion that those who opposed the bill that the Committee for Determining the Judicial System of Constituent Assembly has passed recently for appointing Supreme Court justices by the Parliament need further understanding on the question of check and balance of power in Democracy beyond the status quo or tradition for judicial independence. What Maoists want in Nepal?
Prakash Bom - 9/28/2009
Who wants change in Nepal, not with the rhetoric to make Nepal Switzerland overnight, but to transform Nepal with the legislations that can deliver good governance and justice? This means the Parliament or the elected representatives of legislative body of the government take comprehensive responsibility to make sure that good governance and justice is delivered. Bangladesh in danger!
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 9/24/2009
While a very powerful earthquake struck Himalayan region, causing at least 20 deaths and destruction in the small mountaneous nation of Bhutan, for two days, there had been several earthquakes in Bangladesh, while meteorologists are giving warning of massive earthquake in the country within a week, which may destroy more tha 30 per cent buildings within Dhaka, Sherpur, Sylhet, Nilphamari, Netrakona, Faridpur, Rangpur, Sirajganj, Sunamganj and other parts of the country. In Bangladesh on September 21, 2009, the tremor - measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale - shook Dhaka, the capital city of the c... What Maoists want in Nepal?
Prakash Bom - 9/24/2009
Who wants change in Nepal, not with the rhetoric to make Nepal Switzerland overnight, but to transform Nepal with the legislations that can deliver good governance and justice? This means the Parliament or the elected representatives of legislative body of the government take comprehensive responsibility to make sure that good governance and justice is delivered. Shameful Adieu for Advani
Tanveer Jafri - 9/16/2009
Lal Krishna Advani, though much controversial and always targeted by his opponents during his entire political journey, at the end of his political career, is facing the wrath and charges of other leaders of his own party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its patron organization, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Born in 1927 in Karachi city of undivided India, Advanis political life became controversial figure just after partition. His critics still ask about the role of Advani in the nations freedom struggle, the man who projected himself as the Prime Minister in Waiting for the 15th Lo... Afghanistan: Where's The Diplomacy?
Talley Rand - 9/3/2009
The great debate about Afghanistan begins, again. Like most things in the American adversarial tradition, it has only two sides: more troops or fewer? Bombs or boots on the ground? Guns or butter? Bangladesh: Time Then and Time Now
Mac Haque - 9/1/2009
For those of us in the anti-establishment fringe living in rejection of the Bangladesh political systems grounded status quo of 36 years, events that began on the first week of January 2007 (referred to as 01/11) left us bemused. We thought we are witnessing a dejavu, sort of - seeds of our quiet and peaceful revolt being planted by men in uniform, our beliefs and hopes, and hearing things that we had said all along and were traditionally shunned and pooh-poohed even marginalized, now blossoming into unrestrained reality right in front of our eyes! CA Legislators Apt to Democracy in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 9/1/2009
It is an ethical question for the elected representatives in Democracy to enforce with their piece of legislation the true administration of justice which is the firmest pillar of good government all beyond their party-line-politics. This means supporting that bill whichever political party endorses it for the true administration of justice. The Show and Sham Trials of our Times
Saberi Roy - 9/1/2009
The recent political trials in Iran and Burma have raised several questions on the motives of these trials. There could be several levels of analysis, and similarities and differences could be drawn between the trials of political prisoners in Iran and the political prisoners in Burma. Diarrhoeal dilemma in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/31/2009
It sounded like an innocuous question from a foreign TV reporter What is the worth of a rural Nepalese life? Except it came at a time when diarrhoeal epidemic in Jajorkot, Rukum, Bajhang, Baitadi, Rukum, Dailekh, Doti and various other Mid- Western region of the country have been wrecking havoc. Indian politics: Jaswant Singh saga would haunt for long
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 8/27/2009
Jaswant Singhs book 'Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence' that interprets events leading to Indias independence and Partition differently than the official NCERT version has triggered a huge debate in the country. Impunity: A Newfound Identity of Nepal
Amit Pyakurel - 8/21/2009
Impunity, perhaps, could be termed as a national identity of the modern day Nepal, or the New Nepal as per the political catchphrase. Incessant instances of crimes and anarchyhave found a new momentum due to this deeply entrenched phenomenon called impunity. India-ASEAN scale new frontier following FTA
Pranamita Baruah - 8/20/2009
On August 14, 2009, after six years of intense negotiations, nine economic ministers of the ten-nation regional trade bloc ASEAN and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma finally inked the long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) for duty-free import and export of 4,000 products over a period of eight years. The remaining state Vietnam would sign the pact once it is formally recognized by India as a market economy. The historic signing of this pact under the comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) took place during the meeting of the 41st ASEAN Economic Ministers (... India asks Burma to expedite political reforms
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 8/20/2009
India is trying to play safe with Burma and has asked the Burmese government to expedite its political reform. India s reaction comes following the conviction of Burmese pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for 18 months of detention. Her last period of incarceration had expired at the end of May 2009. Burmese siren sizzles in Bollywood movies
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 8/19/2009
Bollywood fans are in for a delight to watch a hot babe in Kool Nahi Hot Hai Hum released last November. Called Laila Khan, this chink beauty has made her presence felt in the over crowded Hindi film industry. Will Myanmar Follow North Korea?
Gunjan Singh - 8/19/2009
Nuclear proliferation has become a buzz word again. First, it was North Korea and now there are reports that suggest that Myanmar might decide to follow suit. These speculations began due to the following developments. A Possible North Korea Myanmar alliance?
Pranamita Baruah - 8/8/2009
At a time when there has been an increasing concern in the international community over the clandestine nuclear programme in North Korea and Iran, reports regarding the possible involvement of Myanmars military junta in developing a nuclear arsenal are disturbing. Factors like the recent aborted voyage of a North Korean ship the Kang Nam I- allegedly carrying a cargo of Scud-type missiles and heading towards Myanmar, the arrest of two Japanese nationals and a North Korean in June, 2009, this year for allegedly trying to export a magnetic measuring device to Myanmar that could be used to dev... Rising food insecurity in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/7/2009
Hunger kills more people in the world than any other disease. Every day approximately 25000 people die from hunger and hunger related illness. Today, one in nearly seven people does not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life, making hunger and malnutrition the number one risk to health worldwide according to the World Food Programme (WFP). Furthermore, it has been reported by The Economist that the domestic food prices in about 46 developing countries are higher than 12 months ago and this could easily pave the way for more hunger related problems leading to death. Nepal Army, Justice & Peace Process of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 7/30/2009
The so-called main democratic political parties such as Nepali Congress, UML and their certain leaders who think along the line of GP Koirala can try to fool Nepali people forget all about how state army violated the human rights, but not the world-community at their expense which are concern about the reluctance of Nepal Army to redefine its mission for justice to support peace process. Nepals Post-Maoist Falters Power Politics
Prakash Bom - 6/18/2009
If the status quo Nepali politicians and their counsels could have been realistic with their cognitive and optimistic bias towards Democracy they would have second thought for not to adore a ceremonial president with the executive power of supreme commander of Nepal Army. Instead such a constitutional provision should have been rested on peoples elected Parliament Constituent Assembly without which consent no executive body of the government can make decision upon emergency or constitutional and political crises. US policy on Kashmir can ratchet up anti-Americanism in India
Susenjit Guha - 6/18/2009
If the Obama administration wants to know why anti-Americanism gets ratcheted up in different parts of the world, it need not look anywhere else, but look hard at the dangerous Af-Pak policy it is toying with at the expense of India and the inevitable fallouts that might result. Nepals Post-Maoist Falters Power Politics
Prakash Bom - 6/15/2009
If the status quo Nepali politicians and their counsels could have been realistic with their cognitive and optimistic bias towards Democracy they would have second thought for not to adore a ceremonial president with the executive power of supreme commander of Nepal Army. Instead such a constitutional provision should have been rested on peoples elected Parliament Constituent Assembly without which consent no executive body of the government can make decision upon emergency or constitutional and political crises. Impasse Reigns Nepals New Government
Amit Pyakurel - 6/12/2009
Starting his job at the office PM Madhav Kumar Nepal came up with rather an optimistic note calling for the politics of consensus and cooperation for the way ahead at this difficult time, yet the terms being clichd abounding in the contemporary politics of the country. But the alliance already seems to be in snag, as indicated by one or the other instances. Instances like the dispute arisen in one of the essential coalition partners, the Forum, and the hard time the parties encountered while distributing the power, signifies an infirmity in the coalition of the twenty two parties with their inherently diverse Strategic Aid in Pakistan
Yossef Ben-Meir, PhD - 6/5/2009
Depending on how and for what international aid is administered in Pakistan, the hearts and minds of its people, and which of the opposing forces they collaborate with, hang in the balance. Recent polls indicate that the majority of Pakistanis consider economic and political conditions of greater priority than terrorism, suggesting a real opportunity to gain control over the global threat that the Pakistani situation poses. Afghanistan Shows Iran's Stake in Regional Insecurity
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 5/20/2009
A month ago, US President Barack Obama announced a new strategy to address the current crisis in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama's plan to 'disrupt, dismantle and defeat' al-Qaida and the Taliban in 'Afpak' includes deployment of an additional 21,000 US troops in Afghanistan, and an increase in civilian officials to aid in developing the Afghan economy and governmental structures. Indo-Bangla Relation: A Strategic Analysis
Shah Mohammed Saifuddin - 5/20/2009
The independence movement under the leadership of Congress was for establishing independent undivided India through the eviction of British rulers from the soil of India, but the degeneration of Hindu-Muslim relation into hostility and the demand of Muslim league for a separate state for the Muslims of the region thwarted the dream of an independent undivided India and made the partition of subcontinent inevitable. While the initial proposal for the partition met with steep resistance as most of the senior leaders of Congress namely, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawharlal Nehru, and Moulana Abul Kalam Azad... Will the Army policies break up Pakistan?
Reza Hossein Borr - 5/19/2009
Unintended consequences of mass migration of civilian residents of Sawat and the neighbouring regions will be very grave in very new future. The people who have been uprooted by the military operations of Pakistan's army will create immense problems. The Taleban will move with them in disguise in different areas of Pakistan which are closer to the capital of this country. If they could not move freely before, now they can freely travel everywhere they want in search of job and a better life. Wherever they go they will carry their ideology with them. They were confined before in small area... Nepals First President & his Unconstitutional Approach
Prakash Bom - 5/13/2009
What kind of Parliamentary system is this where the army chief who has disobeyed decisions of people elected civil government on several occasions can defy government order on his discharge by claiming that the president but not the Prime Minister who has constitutional power to lay him off from his duty? Ruling party and instigation by pro-AL writer
Sunita Paul - 4/8/2009
President of Bangladesh Awami League, ward number 48, Haji Torab Ali told interrogators that the conspiracy to make army officers hostage inside the BDR headquarters were designed at his residence and office in presence of his son, a leader of the student front of the ruling party and a notorious terrorist named Leather Liton. Self-Serving Politics of Political Parties of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 3/27/2009
Can leaders of major political parties of Nepal transcend themselves from self-serving politics at least for this transition period? Obviously, it is a question of conscientious to honestly address the political challenges that nation has been confronted at this stage. Unquestionably, the more the political parties are self-serving their own party interests (agenda and ideology) the less they are committed to people and nation for the rule of law. Proliferated democracy may give chance to militancy in gaining strength
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 3/27/2009
In todays world, the democracy stands for an atmosphere, where governments are elected by people with the mission of serving the country and the nation as well as doing everything for the betterment of the society while being completely loyal to countrys independence and sovereignty. Bangladesh: Ruling partys fear in allowing Court Martial to BDR Massacre case
Sunita Paul - 3/27/2009
Pro-Awami League lawyer Advocate Anisul Huq (who is also the chief counsel in Bangabandhu murder case), told vernacular daily Amader Shomoy that, trial into the massacre, murder, rape and lootings inside the Bangladesh Riffles (BDR) headquarters cannot be held under Court Martial. When the State patronizes terror
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 3/24/2009
Armed hooligans chased the car of Dhakas front ranking editor, Nurul Kabir, couple of days back and tried to stop the vehicle at a highway connecting the international airport. What was the motive behind? Many people may argue the matter as mere actions of some criminals, but, my own experience says something else. This was a clean case of state patronized terror! Reaching out to more moderate Taliban elements
Iqbal Latif - 3/24/2009
NYT reports that 'U.S. strategy against the Taliban now focuses on rooting extremists out, as in this patrol on Feb. 18 where villagers in Afghanistan's Shembal Valley were asked whether any fighters were nearby. President Barack Obama is weighing whether to modify that strategy to also reach out to more moderate Taliban elements.' The Legacy of Daura-Suruwal-Topi Politics of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 3/24/2009
How a glory of a nation on the tip of the two massive plate tectonics movement can be appraised in the first place with Daura-Suruwal-Topi as Nepali-mens national dress over the geological time with the 21st centurys technology that has almost reached the point for new direction to shape process of natural selection for human evolution! Storms are Strong Enough
Tanveer Jafri - 3/24/2009
India, the worlds largest secular democracy is going to face the general elections for Lok Sabha (House of the People) between the coming April 16 & May 13. In India, since the last two decades the rule of any one national political party is not in vogue so the politics of the alliance parties is in practice everywhere. A party that wins 272 of the 543 seats of the Lok Sabha can only constitute the government. But as because of the alliance politics, the leaders such as I.K. Gujral, Chandrashekhar, H.D. Devegowda & V.P. Singh became Prime Minister; so many leaders of the country have begun to... India-EU Free Trade Agreement: Should India Open Up Banking Sector?
Kavaljit Singh - 3/24/2009
Since 2007, India and European Union (EU) are negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA). The negotiations not only cover trade in goods but also services, rules pertaining to intellectual property rights, cross-border investments, competition policy, government procurement and regulatory issues. Leaving Crocodile tears for the killers in Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 3/24/2009
Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York City based non-governmental organization, which sent a letter to Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina Wajed only few weeks back with the plea of dismantling Forces Intelligences of Bangladesh Armed Forces, has issued a fresh statement on the February Massacre, which took place inside Bangladesh Riffles (border security guards) headquarters in Dhaka, killing large number of Army officers, thus leaving numerous wounded and abused. Bangladesh peace activist and the Nobel Peace Prize
Sunita Paul - 3/24/2009
Professor Dr. Sami Alrabaa an ex-Muslim, is a professor of Sociology and an Arab-Muslim culture specialist. Before moving to Germany he taught at Kuwait University, King Saud University, Michigan State University and an eminent writer of many books on hard-hitting topics, commenting on Bangladeshi journalist and peace activist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury said Mr. Choudhury is fighting radical Islam in one of largest Muslim countries of the world (150 million). If the West does not support Choudhurys struggle, a whole society will increasingly drift to Islamism. Bangladesh is being Talibanized day after day. Containing insurgency in Afghanistan
Rahil Yasin - 3/18/2009
LAHORE: Seven years after the Taliban governments ouster by the Bush Administration, Afghanistan is far from becoming a stable and secure country. Karzai government has failed to bring about stability in the country and a democratic polity remains a distant dream. The insurgents are in effective control of a large territory and in areas bordering Pakistan. Pakistan is not a governable country
Reza Hossein Borr - 3/18/2009
Pakistan is not a governable country. Every kind of ruler has tried that. Politicians failed in governing Pakistan. Military men failed to govern Pakistan effectively and properly. All of Pakistan's leaders have either been killed or ended in a disgraceful manner. Different systems have been tried. All of them have failed. Pakistan People's Party have introduced socialist policies and failed. Other rulers of Pakistan introduced capitalist systems and failed too. Bangladesh: February Massacre & Operation Rebel Hunt
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 3/18/2009
Members of Armed Forces are called by the government, which will come into effect from Monday morning to nab each and every rebel, their instigators and patrons, who were behind the February Massacre, killing more than 135 heroic officers of Bangladesh Army as well as their friends and family members. Experts opine that, Bangladesh Army has complete sympathy and support of the people of Bangladesh in nabbing the culprits. The entire nation is heavy with shock and pain. They want to see trial of the killers and their perpetrators without wasting even a second. Afghanistan's Drug Culture, A Way Forward
Nasir Shansab - 3/10/2009
Will the new Afghan government ever learn how to pass a drug test? The phenomenal growth of Afghanistan's opium production over the past seven years is a sign of the monumental failure of the Karzai government. Lies about Bangladesh Army, conspiracy and responsibility of the Nation
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 3/3/2009
Since the mutiny renegade Bangladesh Riffles [BDR] troops, a number of private television channels, mostly owned by questioned people started broadcasting various news, commentaries and interviews, aimed at maligning the image of the armed forces of Bangladesh. Most interestingly, only a few reporters of television channels were receiving phone calls from the renegade troops from inside the Pilkhana BDR headquarters. Here is the first question and doubt! How the renegade troops got the mobile phone numbers of those reporters belonging to questioned television channels? New conspiracy against Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 3/3/2009
Right after the mutiny by Bangladesh Riffles [BDR] troops, which is partially resolved by now only at its Head Quarters in Dhaka, some vested interest groups are becoming increasingly active in putting bad names on Bangladesh Army by saying, they are corrupts, violators of rules and abusers of human rights. Such campaign is aimed at stopping the participation of Bangladesh Army in the United Nations Peace Keeping Force. India: Citizens and Watchdogs can strive for Good Governance
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 3/3/2009
There is an electrifying atmosphere in India with the announcement of the 15th parliamentary elections to be held in April-May, 2009. This time as many as 671 million people are eligible for vote for 543 seats of the lower house of the Parliament. Bangladesh on Trial
Sunita Paul - 2/23/2009
It was March 27, 2008, when prestigious Wall Street Journal published an editorial titled 'Bangladesh on Trial' to describe the intimidation of internationally known award winning journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. Nepal in Tug O' War over Consensus Politics
Prakash Bom - 2/23/2009
Of course, the consensus politics cannot overrule the authority of electoral process in multiparty Democracy, particularly electing leaders and representatives, and nominating political appointees in all three branches of government legislative, executive and judiciary. However, consensus politics can play significant role in decision making process predominantly between governing political party and oppositions under certain historical circumstances, for example in Nepal's volatile peace process and in drafting Nepal's new constitution. Ruling party getting set to try Bangladesh Generals
Sunita Paul - 2/23/2009
When the entire world was busy in welcoming another new year, a small nation in South Asia, Bangladesh was busy in electing a new government, thus coming out of 2-year old rule by a military controlled interim government. Nepal: Ordinances of Maoist-led Gov a Status Quo Ante Bellum
Prakash Bom - 2/23/2009
Despite Nepal Maoists' repeated rhetoric against "status quo", unless for both soft and hardliner Maoists the norms and principle of democracy are roadblocks, the attempt of Maoist-let government to issue ordinances during Parliament recess without the political consensus of people's elected Constituent Assembly to statute law is the example of 'Status Quo Ante Bellum' that reigned in two hundred fifty years feudal governments' arbitrary government practice prior to Maoist insurgency and historic People's April Uprising. The attempt contradicts Maoists' call for the statute of new constitution to establish "People Oriented Democracy." These Tears Are The Language Of My Heart
Tanveer Jafri - 2/23/2009
India, the largest democracy in the world is soon going to face the general elections of its Loksabha (House of the People). Election strategy is being prepared by all the regional & national political parties throughout India. Many political parties have started to declare the candidates of their parties. Just as the previous elections, this time too, the unsatisfied leaders, who didn't get the candidature, are on the way to change their parties. At some places, some fundamentalists are searching chances to be the guide of liberals & somewhere orthodox are in lookout to show themselves as "Ga... Anti-Radical, Pro-Peace Muslim Journalist Savaged in Broad Daylight
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 2/23/2009
Dhaka, BangladeshAt 10am today, local time, internationally-acclaimed journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, who has written for the Global Politician, was attacked as he was working in the office of his newspaper, Weekly Blitz, by a gang of thugs claiming to be from Bangladeshs ruling Awami League. I spoke by telephone with Choudhury as he awaited medical treatment for eye, neck, and other injuries suffered in the attack. The renewed violence marks the first against him since he was abducted by Bangladeshs dreaded Rapid Action Battalion a year ago. Ordinances of Maoist-led Nepal Government a Status Quo Ante Bellum
Prakash Bom - 2/6/2009
Despite Nepal Maoists' repeated rhetoric against "status quo", unless for both soft and hardliner Maoists the norms and principle of democracy are roadblocks, the attempt of Maoist-let government to issue ordinances during Parliament recess without the political consensus of people's elected Constituent Assembly to statute law is the example of 'Status Quo Ante Bellum' that reigned in two hundred fifty years feudal governments' arbitrary government practice prior to Maoist insurgency and historic People's April Uprising. The attempt contradicts Maoists' call for the statute of new constitution to establish "People Oriented Democracy." People's Elected Nepal Government & Nepal Army Establishment
Prakash Bom - 2/5/2009
Perhaps the people's aspiration for a new Nepal is easy said than edifice without conflicts. However, conflicts are unavoidable despite the common agreement of all. But the outcome depends on how sensibly the parties involved in the conflict take the responsibility. For example, in the case of Nepal Army's attempt to continue recruitment against the spirit of 2006 Peace Accord depends on how people's elected government under the leadership of Maoist can handle the issue and how Nepal Army with its old establishment can coordinate with the new government's commitments to peace and democracy. Creeping Talibanization in Pakistan's 'Paradise' Valley
Rahil Yasin - 1/28/2009
LAHORE, PakistanPeople in Swat - once called the 'paradise' on earth or Switzerland of Pakistan - are living in tense times. The Pakistani Taliban have stoked fear in parts of the valley, and their control is growing. They gave demolished schools and bombed bridges; political workers are assassinated, journalists are tortured, girls are forbidden from going to school. Even dead bodies have been exhumed from their graves and put on gallows. The power of the government has shrunk to a limited area in the district. The Rule of Law in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 1/28/2009
Nepal has failed historically in complying with the "Rule of Law" in government practices and made itself world renown for its ongoing tradition of impunity all time in all three branches of government. The question is "why Nepal has to be doomed with such traditions that perpetuate party favoritism, ethnic tribalism, religious superior-ism, familial nepotism, gang criminal-ism, and so on that overrule justice?" War Clouds Hovering over South Asia
Rahil Yasin - 1/28/2009
LAHORE: The Mumbai terrorist attacks pushed the peace process between India and Pakistan to the back seat. Both neighbors asked their people not to visit the other side of the border. Even the cricket series was cancelled by the Indian Cricket Board. Confidence building measures were chopped down to their lowest level. India needs to redefine democratic pluralism
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 1/28/2009
India celebrates its 59th republic day on 26th January 2009. However, even after such a long time, India is unable to define a correct roadmap of nation building. Societal brakes are pulling down the rapid scientific advancement and communal tension is kept alive. Indian Republic needs Communal harmony
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 1/27/2009
On 26 January 2009, India would be celebrating its republic day with great fanfare on the Rajpath in New Delhi . Millions of Indians will be watching the Republic day parade on their TV sets that would showcase India s progress as a nation in different spheres of activities. On the surface of it all that would look very grandiose indeed and many may yell Mera Bharat Mahan (My India is great). But does that give the complete picture of India , I have my doubts. Indias future political masters
Priyanka Bhardwaj - 1/12/2009
The run up to Indias general elections in summer 2009 requires a legislative majority within the democratic idiom. Most analysts agree that the pack of three, Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and Narendra Modi will play crucial roles in the worlds biggest democracy India. 'The India Doctrine' - Book Review
A.K. Zaman - 1/11/2009
It is almost two years since the first edition of The India Doctrine appeared on Bangladesh bookshelves to wide acclaim and appreciation. The newly revised edition now titled The India Doctrine (1947-2007) is an astonishing work of exceptional depth and analysis and is probably the first book of its kind not only in Bangladesh but also in South Asia as a whole. It is indeed a stupendous effort by Barrister MBI Munshi. While I had a few words of criticism for the original version of the book which appeared to me to be fragmentary and a little disjointed this revised edition is an exceptional wo... What will Nepal Get from Maoists in next One & Half Years?
Prakash Bom - 1/8/2009
What commitments Maoists have or have not fulfilled towards 2006 Comprehensive Peace Accord despite the political pressures so far will determine the future of Nepal, if conscientious democratic forces from every corner politics, media, elites, civil society and intellectuals fail to scrutinize the ground reality and lead the nation as per the aspiration of people for a new democratic Nepal. India's Other Terror Threat
Prof. Asoka Bandarage - 1/8/2009
In the aftermath of the horrific attacks in Mumbai, global attention is on the threat to India from Islamist Jihadists in the north and the west. In the mean time, the threat from the Tamil secessionists in the south receives little attention. How India deals with its southern terrorism and the Sri Lankan situation has a direct bearing on her ability to take a strong and consistent stance against terrorism. Nepal is Ill with the Politics of Conceit
Prakash Bom - 1/8/2009
When twelve years' pseudo-democratic practice under the monarchical setup was suspended for the rule of absolute dictatorship by Gyanendra Shah the top leaders of main political parties were hung-up and shaken for their willingness to confess mistakes. But now what they have become with their confessions in dealing with the new nation is disheartening. Transition to Democracy or Autocracy?
Sunita Paul - 12/29/2008
Eight Million voters in Bangladesh are now set to cast their votes on Monday to elect the next government thus making a new journey towards democracy. This is the general perception in Bangladesh and in the world that the people of the country are already fed up with the military controlled regime in Dhaka for a number of reasons. One of the key reasons is their failure in controlling the exorbitant rise in the price of essentials. Pakistan and the Challenge of Islamist Terror
Prof. Isaac Kfir - 12/22/2008
This article examines Pakistan's role in the "war on terror" in light of the transition from the Musharraf presidency to that of Zardari. It opens with Musharraf's tenure and proceeds to discuss some of the key challenges faced by the current administration in this respect. Maoists are Conspiring Democracy in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 12/18/2008
First of all, the international institutions such as UN, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank have to understand whether they are willing to sacrifice democracy with their financial supports for the socio-economic transformation that Maoist led government has prioritized knowing that Maoists have already started blaming multi-party democracy for obstruction. Mumbai Attack- Blame Game Moving in Circles
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 12/18/2008
The November 26, 2008 attack on Mumbai that killed nearly 190 people is the most recent episode in long string of high-profile terrorist attacks in India. Nepal's NC Not Favoring Change
Prakash Bom - 12/16/2008
Perhaps Maoist insurgency could have never been merged with "Peoples April Uprising" if Maoists had not revealed their fundamental demand for the Constituent Assembly elections to draft a new constitution of Nepal. That is to say, if Maoist insurgency did not have surfaced demands along the peoples aspiration for democracy (but with their peoples war strategy to establish one-party totalitarian communist government system), people could have never given Maoists chance to get simple majority in Constituent Assembly. Is this what PM Prachanda is arguing and accusing NC for not fulfilling peoples aspiration? Pakistan's Misunderstanding
Tanveer Jafri - 12/15/2008
The two nations, India and Pakistan which are equipped with the nuclear equipments, usually seen active in the directions of increasing mutual cooperation in the SAARC's annual meetings, but misfortunately, these two countries often frown at each other at the same time. However the public of these two countries do not like mutual tension. The journalists, literates, persons concerned with sports, films, music, trade, industry and specially those that have mutual relationships on both the sides of the border do not wish the tension to be present anywhere. But in reality, not only among the poli... India's Options
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/9/2008
India's government faces difficult choices and no one should interfere in that hard process. Still, it is worth describing the alternatives New Delhi must ponder and what it might ask the rest of the world to do. Nepal's New Political Leadership
Prakash Bom - 12/3/2008
Despite the media reporting on minister of culture and state restructuring Gopal Kiratis gold-rush for innovation, once before criticized by the constitutional pundits and CA secretariats for his attempt to rule-out CA jurisdiction, minister Kiratis recent draft for federal government system resembles pragmatic federalist approach to state restructuring pertaining to nations geographical and cultural diversity. The Sri Lanka issue: Will Manmohan Singhs Government Fall
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 10/22/2008
The ultimatum given by the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu to pull down the UPA government has once again brought the India s Sri Lanka policy on the center stage of Indian politics. The way Tamil Nadu politicians are clamoring to stop the ethic war in Sri Lanka , its likely that in case if they pull out from the ruling coalition, the ruling UPA government will soon be reduced to minority. The million dollar question is, will the New Delhi bend to the demand of the Tamil Nadu politicians, and will the DMK and its will allies really pull out from the UPA government? Political Governance in Indian Politics of Development
Panchanan Bhoi, Ph.D. - 10/12/2008
In a democratic set up the explicit of political governance is specified objectively in the management of a countrys economic and social resources for development. It is significant because it determines human societies ability to equip themselves with systems of representation and social agents that are capable of managing interdependencies in an amicable way. Both governance and democracy are independent constructs. So in the absence of an accepted political congruence grounded on a people's choice of the form of their governance, governance and democracy do not in any way imply a similar construct or practice. A challenging task for Zardari
Rahil Yasin - 10/12/2008
LAHORE: After February 18 elections, people were expecting their problems would be solved because their representatives are now in the parliament and dictator's government has ended after a long period of nine years. But after winning the elections, they did not seem to have any clear agenda and proper planning to get people out of crisis. Shares in Pakistani companies have crumbled, losing one-third of their value since April, as investors have fled a country mauled by political upheaval and a violent Islamic insurgency. Why Zardari has been vilified?
Reza Hossein Borr - 9/29/2008
Corruption in Pakistan is widespread. There is no sense of shame and guilt about it. Political leaders, civil servants, army generals, security forces, businessmen, and even ordinary people have been so much corrupted that there is hardly any high ranking person in Pakistan who has not been involved in some kind of corruption. Corruption has become popular, acceptable and recognised by all people and all Pakistani institutions. All of them accuse each other of corruption and all of them claim to be clean and descent people with a great sense of integrity. All of them dismiss allegations of ... ULFA and Bangladeshi media
Sunita Paul - 9/29/2008
Couple of months back, I wrote an article, which was published in American Chronicle, Global Politician, Daily People's View [in Bangladesh], Weekly Blitz [Bangladesh] and other newspapers and sites around the world. Subsequently, Mr. Kalyan Barooah, correspondent of The Assam Tribune published a report quoting some of the excerpts of my article. Later, another journalist in Assam, Nava Thakuria wrote a report for Newstrack titled 'ULFA money in Bangladesh media', link http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/13406, where he categorically mentioned how people in the questioned newspaper and m... Political Turmoil in Thailand: What's Next?
Subhan Choudhury and Mohammad Yousuf - 9/9/2008
Thailand is facing serious political turbulences for the last few weeks. Anti-government demonstrators, demanding resignation of the Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, have seized the Government House in Bangkok and battled with the security forces in other parts of the country. Several labor unions and transport workers' associations also joined the protest. However, resignation of Prime Minister will not put an end to the problem; it will start a new game altogether. Humanity On Trial In Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 9/1/2008
August 31 and September 1, are two closest days, when the most courageous Muslim Hero of today's world in Bangladesh, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury will stand in front of a judge in court to face trial of sedition, treason and blasphemy? What is his 'crime'? He speaks against rise of radical Islam, confronts culture of jihad and killing innocent people in the name of religion, he advocates inter faith understanding and above all, he demands relations between Israel and Bangladesh. For this 'crime', Choudhury should face the trial, which may conclude in several months, resulting in either death ... Baluchistan consumes enemies
Reza Hossein Borr - 8/26/2008
Baluchistan consumes enemies. As I look today at the line history of Baluch and Baluchistan, I clearly can see that all the conquerors and dictators who captured Baluchistan and used excessive forces regarding the Baluch, became the victims of their own atrocities. Baluchistan has some miraculous manifestations. These manifestations elevate those who do good to Baluch and Baluchistan to high positions and eliminate those who do bad things to Baluch and Baluchistan. This seems to be repeated again and again in the history of the region. It is almost a historical pattern. Suggestions For Afghanistan
Imran Khan - 8/26/2008
In Afghanistan there has been a dramatic increase in violence in last few months. Western troop casualties are climbing; the last two months exceeded the monthly death toll in Iraq. In June Taliban staged a spectacular jailbreak in Kandahar that freed hundreds of suspected collaborators. A suicide bombing outside the Indian embassy on July 7 killed 40 and on July 13, nine U.S. soldiers were killed the worst attack in three years - when Taliban fighters attacked their base in the eastern province of Kunar. 10 French soldiers were killed and 21 injured on 18th August in the deadliest ground f... An open letter to Mr Asif Zardari
Reza Hossein Borr - 8/26/2008
If you know what will happen to you after you become the president, you have to look at the fate of those who have become president before you. What happened to them will happen to you. There is no exception in history of Pakistan. Pakistan swallows its Presidents and Prime Ministers. If you want to be hanged like your father in law, if you want to be killed in an aeroplane crash like general Zia, If you want to have the disgraceful fate of General Musharaf, then become the president or Prime Minister. India's Inflated Policies
Panchanan Bhoi, Ph.D. - 8/26/2008
The life of the common people is becoming increasingly difficult because of comprehensive price rise across the country. Day by day inflation crisis in India is looming large and the continuing increase in prices of all essential commodities are slowly going out of common peoples reach. There is a steep increase in the prices of food grains, pulses, vegetables and edible oils. Further, the repeated price hike of petroleum products has a cascading impact on the prices of several commodities. Instead of working on the modalities to check the price rise, the central government is throwing tantru... Fog Of Deception In Islamabad
Ahmed Quraishi - 8/26/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanThe circumstances surrounding the impeachment of President Musharraf are downright suspicious. After a failed attempt to please Washington by destroying the ISI, the PPP government decides to seize the Presidency. Obviously, controlling two of the three centers of power in the country presidency, premiership and the military will ensure the governments success in a future attempt and will send a clear signal to the nations security establishment that the plan to topple the Pakistani military, which entered its decisive phase last year, is complete. Bangladesh's new game plan
Sunita Paul - 8/18/2008
Bangladeshi government, which has heavy Islamist influence as well anti West and anti Semitic notion for years has silently changed strategy in handling the case of courageous Muslim journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. Leaders without a sense of dignity
Reza Hossein Borr - 8/13/2008
Pakistan is a country of abundant dignity and generosity and shortage of shame and grace. Abundant dignity and generosity can be found among the ordinary people wherever you go and shortage of shame can be found among the elite classes, specifically the top brass. I have observed these two characteristics in many people years and after years. Once I went with few friends to the defence beach in Karachi. The friend who hosted us had lived in Pakistan for many years. He knew many people. While we were walking on the beach we saw a man with a turban carrying a long wood over his shoulder. On... Pakistans leadership vacuum
Abid Mustafa - 8/3/2008
After almost eight years of military rule, Pakistan faces a myriad of challenges that threaten its very existence. American threats of unilateral action in the tribal area, Indian backed insurrection in Balochistan, a dramatic increase in suicide blasts, and the economy in tatters are some of Pakistans woes. But perhaps, the most significant issue is the leadership vacuum that pervades all segments of society. A manifestation of this void is the antics of the current coalition government, which over the past six months has struggled to define its purpose and chalk out a concrete programme to ... Maoist Nepal Better Balance the Power for a Stable Government
Prakash Bom - 7/16/2008
If Maoist as a major political party in Constituent Assembly of Nepal is going to facilitate drafting of a new constitution of Federal Democratic Republic Nepal, then it should better balance the power in order to form a stable cabinet by electing the first president of Nepal not necessarily for sake of boosting national pride but accomplishing the fundamental objective of Constituent Assembly. Why do UMDF Madhesi Parties of Nepal Need Affirmative Supplementary Bill?
Prakash Bom - 7/16/2008
Leaders of almost all political parties' have clearly realized at this difficult transition period that whatever agreement Nepali Congress led SPA interim government signed with United Madhesi Democratic Front prior to Constituent Assembly elections has not only entrapped the government and obstructed the further democratic process but also has threaten the national integrity of Nepal. Therefore, the world has to know who really are these UMDF Madhesis and why they desperately need such an affirmative supplementary bill for the constitutional guarantee for their agreement. It has to be clear... Nepal's
Prakash Bom - 7/16/2008
World has witnessed over a year Nepal Terai's marginalized ethnic and indigenous people's movement for the federal government system to secure their right to self-governance for their different indigenous nationalities, Indian origin Hindu ethnic group known as "Madhesi" and "Dalits" by restructuring the Nepal's unitary state. India Obsessed with Nuke Deal and Murder Mystery
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 7/16/2008
In New Delhi there are two dramas that are currently being staged. One of course is the nuclear deal and second is the twin murder mystery that rocked the neighborhood of the national capital some two months ago. Thanks to the national media the entire country is forced to follow the two dramas scene by scene frame by frame. It seems both the media and the government are consciously engaged in diverting the peoples attention of the people on controlling the prices of essential commodities thats hitting the roof. Nepals business environment: Stained by political uncertainties
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 7/16/2008
In the past couple of years, whole world has hailed an improvement in Nepal s political performance. But sustained political development is impossible without greater economic stability. Is that in prospect? Indian Investors Enter the Caribbean
Loro Horta - 7/16/2008
NEW DELHI: As an emerging economic power, India finds that its companies expand into remote territories well in advance of its diplomats or other government agencies. Distant places like the Caribbean are fast becoming a major destination for business and major investments from India and the competition that pits India against its giant northern neighbor China, too, has spread to the islands. Despite Chinas growing diplomatic clout, the private nature of Indias business expansion may give it an edge. If Al Qaida is already in Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 7/16/2008
Experts speculate widely about the composition and tactics of the next generation of Jihadists. This speculation stems from the fact that transnational groups are harder collection targets than nation-states. Such ambiguity and imprecision is likely to endure indefinitely, and is particularly worrisome concerning "next-generation" terrorism Pakistan Nuclear Reactors & the Terrorists
Tanveer Jafri - 7/16/2008
In the last days, a big military operation was started by the Pak army against the Talibani activists in Peshawar, the capital of North West boundary state of Pakistan & its nearly Khyber region. In this operation, worked in Bora town, near the boundary of Afghanistan, Pakistan military used heavy weapons like tanks & air-attacks. America understands that this North tribal territory of Pakistan is a secret & safe asylum of the Talibani extremists. This is the area where extremist tribal leader Baitullah Mahsood has a strong hold. It is taken that there is reasonable atmosphere in the favour of the terrorists in this territory. Unity Gov of 3-Main-Political-Party Alone Can Save Nepal
Prakash Bom - 7/16/2008
It has been clear at least metaphorically with the protest letter of Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta of Madhesi People's Rights Forum at Constituent Assembly that Madhesi demand for an autonomous one-Madhes-one Province is truly meant to split Nepal vertically whether their agreement with the interim government is implemented by CA for the constitutional guarantee or not. Bangladesh: Government is silent on Al Qaida presence
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 7/7/2008
After publication of a report in vernacular daily Amader Shomoy, quoting Detective Branch [intelligence wing of Bangladesh police] on Al Qaida kingpin Ayman Jawahiris coming to Bangladesh in 2006 and staying at a Guest House at countrys capital city. Can Minister Matrika Yadav's Undemocratic Action be Justified?
Prakash Bom - 7/6/2008
It is off course the action of Minister Yadav for locking up government employee is undemocratic because first off all it violates government's code of conduct and employee's civil liberty and right for justice. Hidden Memo of 'One Madhes and One Province' Conspiracy
Prakash Bom - 7/6/2008
Definitely, it has not yet been public whether main political parties have ever been doubtful of those Madhesi political parties' agenda, which demand repulsively one Madhes and one province or one autonomous Madhes, what if it is vested with a future format of disintegrating the nation. However, they must have smelled a rat from such a grand ambitious agenda, which can have a scheme of a long-term political strategy to disintegrate the nation. Potential Israeli-American Operation To Kidnap A. Q. Khan
Ahmed Quraishi - 7/6/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanDr. A. Q. Khan, Pakistans notorious nuclear scientist, is under threat of being kidnapped and bundled out of the country in a joint Israeli-American operation that could take the lid off Pakistans massive nuclear and strategic arsenal. Cohering UDMF Agreements with the 5th Amendment of the Interim Constitution of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 7/6/2008
First of all, no government agreements with any political party or organization or foreign government can bypass the electoral right of people's representatives either in the transitional Constituent Assembly or in the future Parliament of a new democratic Nepal. This is the most hard-earned people's mandate of half a century democratic struggle and sacrifice, which has been finally established by the successful Constituent Assembly elections. The mandate is fundamentally set to keep political leaders, ruling elites and their cadres back on the tacks of competitive electoral democracy against their overbearing arbitrary discussion making feudal tradition in the government. Who's Responsible for Our Lives?
John Mangun - 7/6/2008
Our individual and collective hearts and prayers go to the victims and their families of the on-going maritime disaster. No words of condolence can do much to relieve the grief. Financial assistance and donations in kind can lessen the suffering and we all have an obligation to do what we can to help. Indias Search for a Foreign Policy
Harsh V. Pant - 7/6/2008
India has at various times been described as a rising giant, a superpower and by Indian leaders themselves as a bridging power, but a closer look at the shambles that pass for Indias foreign policy dispels such notions. Reconstruct National Integrity of Nepal with the History of Neolithic Terai
Prakash Bom - 7/6/2008
Geographically, Nepal is made up of three physical regions highlands, hills and plains known as Himalayas, Pahad and Terai. Anthropologically, the aboriginal people of these three regions of Nepal are Tharus, Magars, and Kirats. None the less, all autochthonous people of Nepal are indigenous nationalities. Therefore, Nepal's national integrity must represent its indigenous nationalities' diverse ethnical, cultural and linguistic history. This must be achieved with the drafting of a new constitution and restructuring of state of the federal democratic republic Nepal. Tales from the Raj: Nostalgia at its Best
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 7/6/2008
On my way back to Chennai after the last Christmas holidays, I boarded the train for Kolkata at Jamalpur, a sleepy railway junction on eastern railway in Bihar, that once use to hub of railway activities when steam and coal driven iron horses use to crisscross the country. Are Pakistani nukes in safe hands?
Rahil Yasin - 7/6/2008
LAHORE, PAKISTAN. Political uncertainty, deals with militants, judges movement, army's falling morale, and AQ Khan's so-called network about the alleged selling of nukes technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea raises new concerns among the world leaders about the possible theft of Pakistan's nuclear assets by religious extremists which might be resulted in real threat to the United States and the West. However, Pakistani officials have assured time and again over the safety of its nuclear weapons. Sharing his views with the US Senate, Stephen P Cohen, Senior Fellow at Foreign Policy, told that Pakistan's nuclear capabilities present at least four challenges to American policy: Saint Yunus
Rashidul Bari - 7/6/2008
Tears were rolling down from Surma Begams eyes. Naion, her only son was diagnosed with kidney disease. Both of his kidneys had been completely damaged and he would need a transplant immediately. In Bangladesh, it costs a lot of money for replacements. Surma Begum does not have a Penney. Population Increase Movement among Extremists
Tanveer Jafri - 7/1/2008
'Small family is a happy family', a slogan given by the government of India in favour of population control is not only a slogan but it is a truth. Undoubtedly the increased number of children is a cause of division of property of a family. At the same time, provision for their bringing up, education & health is not an easy task. It is also the moral duty of the parents to give them all the facilities required so that they could spend the life independently. But most of the people mainly from the low & middle groups in India find it difficult to fulfill their responsibility. Whatever happened... Caution, Not Optimism, Will Save Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 7/1/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanThe operation on the outskirts of Peshawar notwithstanding, Pakistani military leadership should refrain henceforth from any operations in our tribal belt without the full endorsement of the government and the parliament. For the sake of our stability, this should be a shared responsibility. At worst, the elected governments decision to abrogate this responsibility is a trap. If things get ugly, this decision will ensure that all blame rest with the military for killing our own people, in a repeat of the outcry that followed the Red Mosque operation last July. Defending National Integrity of Nepal from Political Impropriety
Prakash Bom - 7/1/2008
Nepal as a nation of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual in its entire history of state formation since the period of Kirat and Lichhivi dynasty prior to this modern republic period its national integrity had never ever been politically trivialized as of the Madhesi political parties' demand for 'one-Madhes-one-province!' Put An End to SPA Rule with the Constituent Assembly Ballot
Prakash Bom - 6/27/2008
It's been hard for SPA leaderships to acknowledge the fact that their rule of political consensus has come to a logical end with the people's elected representatives of Constituent Assembly. If the main political parties simply fail to make political consensus on issues due to their differences then issues with their different agenda must be brought to the ballot of Constituent Assembly for legislation. Governments attitude should be equal
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 6/27/2008
Military backed interim government in Bangladesh has definitely shown the brilliant example of humanity by releasing former Prime Minister and chief of Bangladesh Awami League, Sheikh Hasina on bail for 8 weeks for getting treatment abroad. It is well understood that the former Prime Minister, who pronounces to be Jananetri [Peoples Leader] does not either have confidence in Bangladeshi doctors or treatment facilities, for which her treatment was only possible abroad. On the other hand, she continues to consider Bangladesh as an unsafe land, for which, she already pushed her son and daugh... Out of This Political Standoff What Do Nepali People Demand?
Prakash Bom - 6/27/2008
People are fed-up to their nose with the political parties dirty politics, particularly of Nepali Congress party. People no longer want dirty politics that creates imprudent and self-contradictory standoffs. Because no matter how the political parties set it up the game for their bargaining chips for the power it has always bred double standard. Their indiscreetness in decision making processes goes against the mandate of people and their own commitments to the competitive electoral democratic practice. It is obvious that the dirty politics causes political standoffs. Gandhi: Freedom and Democracy
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 6/27/2008
Being a great statesman, thinker, humanist and an apostle of peace of the 20eth Century, Mahatma Gandhi was one of those personalities whose theory and practice had similarity and one was supportive of the other. The basis of his theory and practice, as all know, was non-violence. You probably know that credit of coining a new word non-violence, in English goes to him as he used it in South Africa for the first time and was accepted as a synonym of Ahimsa. Prior to it, non-violence had not been mentioned in any dictionary. I am not going to discuss here why he coined this word and the reas... No Longer a Dream: Karzais Rude Awakening
Nasir Shansab - 6/27/2008
Early in the morning on June 12, 2008, Afghanistans President, Hamid Karzai, awoke in his satin-covered bed in the spacious, elegantly furnished room in which his host, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, had put him up. Reorganisation of the Taliban: A danger for world peace
Tanveer Jafri - 6/27/2008
After the terrorist attack of 9\11 on America, the very first terrorist network decided to be damaged by America was the then ruling Taliban network in Afghanistan and its associate's terrorist organization Al Qaeda. Afghanistan is the only country in the world which was taken under the change by force of bullet by the fundamental extremist by giving reference of religious Islamic teaching. It is a different thing that America had played a very sympathetic role to crest the then Afghan President Najeeb and had helped the Taliban to overpower the rule of Afghanistan. Afghanistan has to undergo ... Is Pakistan Ready For Another 9/11?
Ahmed Quraishi - 6/27/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanBrahmdagh Bugti, a terrorist recruited and sheltered in Afghanistan, is planning a spectacular operation in Balochistan. The information coming from intelligence intercepts paints a picture of an attack on Pakistani Balochis by terrorists pretending to be soldiers of the Pakistani military. The objective is to spark a separatist uprising in the province. The timing of the plan is perfect. All ground reports indicate that terrorists armed and financed by unidentified backers in Afghanistan have strengthened their positions since March, exploiting political instability in the country. Question of Defining National Security Council of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 6/27/2008
First all, in defense of democracy from being violated by the poor and ill minded politics of politicians of Nepal it has to be absolutely clear that neither the government cabinet nor its national security council can overrule the electoral power of people's representatives either in the transitional Constituent Assembly or in the future Parliament. What it means that the government cabinet has no authority to recommend President on behalf of its national security council to impose emergency or move army for the national security without the consensus of vote of the people's representatives.... Movie Dasaavatram is the Flavor of the Season
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/27/2008
Lord Vishnu has incarnated in various life forms through different ages in situations where Hindu religion was in danger. In Hindu mythology, there are ten incarnation of Lord Vishnu; Tortoise, Fish, Boar, Narasimha, Parasurama,Vamana, Krishna , Rama, Buddha and Kalki. War Against Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 6/18/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanNow the Mayor of Kabul wants to invade Pakistan. Six years of Pakistani appeasement in the face of gradual loss of our legitimate security interests in the region have come down to this: the weakest leader in modern Afghan history warns Islamabad he will not only invade Pakistan but will also rescue the Pakistani Pashtun populationa thinly veiled threat to claim our northwestern regions as part of Afghanistan. Out of This Political Standoff What Do Nepali People Demand?
Prakash Bom - 6/18/2008
People are fed-up to their nose with the political parties' dirty politics, particularly of Nepali Congress party. People no longer want dirty politics that creates imprudent and self-contradictory standoffs. Because no matter how the political parties set it up the game for their bargaining chips for the power it has always bred double standard. Their indiscreetness in decision-making processes goes against the mandate of people and their own commitments to the competitive electoral democratic practice. It is obvious that the dirty politics causes political standoffs. Crumbling Relations between U.S. & Pakistani militaries
Tanveer Jafri - 6/18/2008
Pakistan is understood as one of the main ally of America. The sweet relations of America & Pakistan were clear when there was a two week war in 1971 between India & Pakistan & when there was a rise of Bangladesh. It is a separate matter that then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, under her powerful leadership, ignored America & fought a decisive war with Pakistan & gave recognition to Bangladesh as an independent state. Since then, America has been helping Pakistan at economic & military level, in every day. On Musharraf, In All Fairness
Ahmed Quraishi - 6/18/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanAn educated, presentable, and nationalistic middle class Pakistani citizen cannot lead Pakistan. Our democracy wont allow it. Unless, of course, he comes through a military coup like President Pervez Musharraf did. As a Pakistani citizen, I will vote anytime for a Pakistani leader who does not own a house and a list of bank accounts abroad. These days, only President Musharraf fits the bill. For all his real and imaginary sins - and embroiled in what is supposed to be his toughest moment in power - he continues to outshine those feudal lords, wealthy industrialists and family-run political parties that want to see him out. Gender No Bar in India
Geetanjali Jha - 6/18/2008
The much talked about and passionately debated women's bill once again hit the headlines in India. The bill which proposes to reserve 33.3 percent seats in the parliament and state legislatures was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1996. More than a decade later, nothing much has been achieved on giving the Indian women legislative powers and the bill which was in news recently, yet again receded to the background as recent and burning issues like inflation and oil took precedence. Women's reservation issue is, as a matter of fact, more significant as it has been plaguing the nation for so... Question of Criteria for the President of Republic Nepal
Prakash Bom - 6/18/2008
Nepal is declared according to the proposal statement an independent, indivisible, inclusive, secular federal democratic republic with the sovereignty and state authority vested in people. What state authority is other than the controlling-electoral-mechanism by the elected people's representatives as per the norms and principle of multi-party democracy? This means neither the constitutional president nor the prime minister and its government cabinet of a political party in majority as per the constitutional provision or a coalition government cabinet without majority can bypass the electora... An Outlook of Federal Security System of Republic Nepal & Integration of PLA
Prakash Bom - 6/15/2008
People's elected representatives of Constituent Assembly have declared Nepal a secular federal democratic republic. Of course, political consensus of major political parties and their leaderships have led the people's electoral power to arrive to this historic achievement. But without institutionalizing the power of people's electoral mechanism such a declaration could not have been possible for its legitimacy. If it could have been possible, why could not then SPA have declared it before? Therefore, no political consensus alone can thereafter be legitimate without the electoral consensus ... Bangladesh: Let the dark forces fall behind and be forgotten
G.M. Solaiman - 6/8/2008
Last few days, I was somewhat unsettled by the news coming from Bangladesh. It seems like we went back to 2006 era. At least that's what the news headline suggested. For a moment I thought, all the newspapers are running old headlines to celebrate some kind of anniversary. But in reality, these are not old headlines. They look like old headline, because these are coming from same old heroines Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. Two begums are brought in front of justice and given their chance to defend themselves. But they are nicely abusing the freedom of speech to give us the glimpse of an era that ended by 1/11. After The Collapse In Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 6/8/2008
The dangerous internal tension in Pakistan prior to the Feb. 18 general election inspired commentaries in the West about the imminent collapse of the Pakistani state. Like Iraq, some U.S. strategists even called bluntly for putting U.S. soldiers on the ground in Pakistan. In Protest of Appointment of the President of Republic Nepal
Prakash Bom - 6/8/2008
Why do elected people's representatives represent in the Parliament or Assembly or Senate in democracy? If the government head, cabinet and political parties dictate the political consensus for the people and nation then what for do we elect people's representatives? Do not think people of modern Nepal are not capable of such simple reasoning therefore the mandate of people to the Constituent Assembly representatives is to play their full role in democratic process. This means they should not let any political consensus bypass their electoral democratic rights without their vote for legisla... Bureaucracy killing a prospective project in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 6/8/2008
Following completion and handing over of Bangladeshs first hard rock mining project at countrys Dinazpur district, vested interest groups and corrupt bureaucracy are active in sabotaging the project thus screwing up Bangladeshs immense prospect of saving huge amount of foreign currency as well opening new vista of opportunity of import earning by exporting world-class highest grade Granite Tiles. Nepal: A Revolution sans Revolution
N.P.Upadhyaya - 6/8/2008
Kathmandu: Not even a single person had thought that the now forlorn King Gyanendra would be so much modest, accommodative and reconciliatory in nature. But he exhibited all these qualities, unusual as it may appear peeping back into the days of his direct rule, while meeting a government delegation Monday, June 2, 08, morning which was led by none less than by Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula. Bangladesh undermines WTO rules
Sunita Paul - 6/8/2008
According to rules of World Trade Organization (WTO), none of its member countries are allowed to maintain total ban on another member country. Bangladesh is a member of WTO and continues to undermine such rule, thus in other words, violating international law. Because of this specific rule of WTO, country like Saudi Arabia even lifted trade embargo on Israel. 'Minus' formula never works
Sunita Paul - 6/7/2008
Since political changes in Bangladesh, media is continuing to speculate the 'minus' formula anticipating exclusion of two of the former Prime Ministers from politics, who headed two largest political parties namely Bangladesh Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Military backed interim government in Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh), are possibly taking steps with the ultimate dream of seeing both Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Awami League being completely eliminated from politics or at least grabbing the command of these parties with some picked up 'leaders' such as Major ... Pakistan: Our Type of Democracy?
Safdar Jafri - 6/1/2008
We have often heard our leaders, specially dictators, that Wesminster-style democracy is not for Pakistan. Putting our bias aside, the theory is not entirely pointless. Pick up any democracy in the world and it will be different from another. Even the two most widely known democracies in Pakistan, the UK and the US, are not the same. In fact, some aspects of their democracies are simply incompatible. One is a Prime Ministerial system where 51% majority in the Parliament is sufficient to push almost any bill through and the other is a Presidential system in which a President is more of a select... Bangladesh: Justice is only for the little people
G.M. Solaiman - 6/1/2008
I read news and opinion piece in Bangladesh newspapers related to corruption and people's perspective toward it. I read with a great amusement how some people stay cool and not even bother by the mountain of corruption. If media reflect any percentage of views in real ground, it is almost shocking how they show tolerance toward corruption. Some people took it as part of the life very well. Now that's a compliment. One probably will go crazy if he would not or can not take this as business as usual. Isn't Bangladesh a part of this civilized world? Is there any respect for justice in any part of... Indian Tolerance: A Curt Reply for Terrorists
Tanveer Jafri - 6/1/2008
On May 13, 2008 once again, there was a terrorist attack on the famous tourist city Jaipur, which is also known as the Pink City of India. The serial bomb blasts by the terrorists in Jaipur moved the city that is known for the communal harmony. The terrorists made all the blasts within the radius of one & half kilometre at 8 different places, within the time gap of 15 minutes. Bicycles were used for the blasts. Ten cycles were used for these blasts but one of these cycles didn't explode. It is told that last year these types of cycles were used for blasts in the Court Premises of Lucknow, Faiz... Bangladesh: A rush to the election, but then what?
G.M. Solaiman - 6/1/2008
The head of the caretaker government in Bangladesh disclosed the plan for general parliamentary election in December of 2008. Voting was due in January last year. It was postponed until late 2008 after months of political violence and weeks of bloodshed in the streets. The political parties ran into a deadlock and the country was headed to a civil war. The End Of President Musharraf: How Soon? How Bad?
Murtaza Shibli - 6/1/2008
In May 2006 while sitting at the house of Kashmiri resistance leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani in Srinagar on the Indian side of Kashmir, Geelani told me about his interesting meeting with President Musharraf at Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. After talking about the lack of international support for Kashmir, Musharraf sought Geelanis support for his new Kashmir policy. Irritated by his lecturing, when Geelani asked about the viability of his new policy, Musharraf retorted, Bush and Blair are with me and they support this formula. To Geelanis further remark that it would not be accepta... Questioned Amnesia Report
Sunita Paul - 6/1/2008
This week, once again, questioned human rights group named Amnesty [which Bangladesh's most influential newspaper, Weekly Blitz terms as Amnesia] International has released a report of 'human rights abuse' in Bangladesh. In every case, Amnesia follows certain tactics of suppressing several important issues or even turning complete deaf on seeing some issues of urgent concern. It is well documented that, this organization continues to maintain anti-Semitic and in some cases even anti-US notions in making such report. Reason behind is, one of the most influential figures in this organization is ... Fingers Crossed at Nepals Republican Utopia
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/1/2008
Nepal is at the crossroads. The 239-year-old Hindu monarchy has been consigned into the dustbin of history. A constituent assembly meeting on May 28, 2008 in the capital, Kathmandu, overwhelmingly voted to make Nepal "an independent, indivisible, sovereign, and secular and an inclusive democratic republic nation." Thousands of people came out on the streets nationwide to celebrate the declaration of republic. The government announced a two-day public holiday in celebration of the republic. 'Born to Dare' A story of Lt. Gen. Inderjit Singh Gill
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/1/2008
Well I am not a soldier, some of my friends are, I had nursed that desire to be a soldier at certain point of time in life but as it moved on the idea vanished into the blue. However when I heard Mr S. Muthiah, speaking about Lt. Gen. Inderjit Singh Gill, a soldiers soldier that idea again brushed my heart The other side of Jeffrey Archer you must know
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/1/2008
On Saturday the May 24, 2008, a man who calls himself the greatest story teller on this planet was in Chennai. The celebrated author was none other than Jeffrey Archer, who was in the city to promote his latest book 'A Prisoner of Birth.' Nepal Welcomes Democracy
Tanveer Jafri - 6/1/2008
At last 240 years old monarchy has met its end in Nepal, a neighbor country of India. This year, in the month of April there were general elections for constituent assembly in Nepal and the Maoist organization won the power with great majority. The first resolution that this new organized Nepal constituent assembly passed was to end the monarchy and to set up the democracy. On the last April 28, with the passing of resolution of end of monarchy, by the new constituent assembly of Nepal, the flag that represented the monarch's rule in Nepal was removed and in its place the national flag of Nepal was hoisted on the Narayanhiti palace. Bad taste of a Shylock
Sunita Paul - 6/1/2008
Since publication of my article on controversial Nobel laureate and founder of Grameen Bank, an organization continuing to suck blood of people in Bangladesh, I started receiving numerous mails from bunch of unknown 'people' who most possibly are planted by Yunus and his well-organized gang in Bangladesh and elsewhere. Nepal's Republic Declaration & the Ground Reality
Prakash Bom - 6/1/2008
Why have people of Nepal been so passionate about the declaration of secular republic and why have they been so happy about abolishing two-hundred-forty years old institution of monarchy at this point in the history of Nepal? As a matter of fact, Nepal has had never been a nation in its history that has been fully governed by the secular democratic rule of law. As a result, it has been remained primitively backward in all socio-political and economic developments due to its traditional rule of law entirely based on the feudal-Hindu propaganda in the form of beliefs and superstitions. Situation turning fluid in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 6/1/2008
Although the military backed interim government began much awaited dialogue with minor political parties in the country, it is greatly anticipated that large political parties such as Bangladesh Awami League [BAL], Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh [JB] may not join such dialogues, keeping their leaders inside prison. Back To Square One Once Again for Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 5/20/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanWhile Pakistan is unwilling to challenge the rapid erosion of its sovereignty by repeated U.S. attacks; Hezbollah completes its coup against all the U.S.-backed forces in Lebanon. Americas response? President Bush issues a new round of dire warnings that sound good on television but change nothing on the ground. US, Democracy and Pakistan
Safdar Jafri - 5/20/2008
Is the US serious about restoration of democracy in Pakistan ? There is certainly no shortage of rhetoric. But the super powers' track record in sabotaging and undermining democracies is far more prominent than promiting them. It conspired for years against democracies in South America ranging from Chile to Brazil. In Chile, the CIA spent millions to topple the elected government of Allende. US has been the most hated foreign government across the South American region - a sentiment that is now also reflected across the Middle East - if not the entire world - where it consistently backed the m... Democracy in Bangladesh: of the criminals, by the criminals, for the criminal
G.M. Solaiman - 5/14/2008
Abraham Lincoln has said "Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people". We were taught this in 7th grade. Little I realized what that supposes to mean. Is it really possible? Well, may be in a dream land. A dream land it is! Years later, in a 2003 August afternoon, holding my wife's hand in front of the gigantic statue of Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, I recited those words to myself. I started to question myself. What does it really mean? Is it mean only to line up for vote and "choose" a less scary monster? Did Bangladesh have democracy? Did she ever have a government which is "of the people, by the people, for the people"? The Conspiracy In Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 5/14/2008
Since the judicial crisis in March 2007, a Pakistani citizen has lost around Rs. 10,000 for every Rs. 100,000 he had in his bank account. River Linking Project of India
Tanveer Jafri - 5/14/2008
Two third part of the earth is covered with water yet there is a dark future for the usable water in the world. The ocean water is salty, pungent & polluted & at some places it is even poisonous & can kill a being. Despite all the efforts, the scientists have not been able to make it worth drinking & usable for agriculture & industry. That's why, with the increase in population in the world, the demand for clean water is also increasing. Some farsighted analysts are of the view that if there is no solution for the drinking water, it will not astonish that next world war is for the control of w... Failing leaders are failing Pakistan
Reza Hossein Borr - 5/14/2008
"You may now thousands of ways how to fail, but you don't know even one way to succeed." This was said by a delegate who was invited for forming a coalition of the Iranian different political groups. The speakers in the conference blamed that particular delegate for his parties past behaviors one after another and when he left he uttered this remarkable sentence. "You cannot form coalitions by insulting one side constantly." He added and he left the conference hall. The Hijacker: A Plane In 1999, A Nation In 2008
Ahmed Quraishi - 5/11/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanNawaz Sharif allegedly hijacked a plane in 1999. Nine years later, he hijacks a nation. Today he is a junior coalition partner. If he plays his cards right he will be the boss after the next election. This explains his contempt for a by-election. Who needs a pathetic provincial government when you can get the real deal? Pakistans New Tack on Fighting Terror
Ashley J. Tellis - 5/11/2008
ISLAMABAD: While the election of a civilian government in Islamabad has been universally welcomed as part of Pakistans democratic transition, the new governments approach to counterterrorism has evoked misgivings in Washington. Reacting to what is viewed as President Pervez Musharrafs US-backed militarized effort to defeat terrorism, the elected government headed by Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has sought a more balanced policy combining force with a civil dialogue with misled extremists. Instead of dismissing this as yet another bound-to-fail approach, Washington should be patient and let Gillani recover the legitimacy of Pakistans counterterrorism policy. Nationalist, Not Regionalist
Tanveer Jafri - 5/11/2008
Amitabh Bachchan is the name of that hero of Indian Cinema Industry who had achieved great heights of international fame because of his unmatched acting that can't be compared to any actor of India rather world Cinema Industry. Bangladesh is showing a brilliant performance in a difficult time
G.M. Solaiman - 5/11/2008
Bangladesh has been victim of devastating flood twice is last two years. A severe cyclone (Sidr) swept through Bangladesh in November 2007 which left over 10000 dead and half a billion USD damage. Yet economic data shows that Bangladesh in on track in its expected growth. That's almost like a miracle. Is It True?
Sunita Paul - 5/11/2008
Repression of religious minority, be it anywhere in the world, will certainly rock the minds of conscious people of ever religious beliefs. In recent days, suddenly a story of repressing a Christian woman named Mary Mondol came into media's attention when undeterred Canada Free Press published the report of her, who was reportedly forced to religious conversion to Islam and finally oppressed by her husband (no one said, what the name of her husband is). I read the report in Canada Free Press, and was considering it rather as a normal incident taking place in my own country as well as in South ... A Perspective of the New Government of Nepal for Maoists to Lead
Prakash Bom - 5/11/2008
Politically, it is unethical for Maoist leaderships to lead the government prior to abolishing the institution of the feudal monarchy and declaring Nepal a federal democratic republic to set the guideline for drafting the new constitution of a secular state. If they did then they will be re-enforcing the existing feudal Hindu government system and its rule of law. Current government and its legal system are ingeniously intermingled with the feudal Hindu-legal system known as the national law Mulki-ain and unaccountably governed by the socio-political mindset of the feudal administrative logi... Maoflation in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 5/11/2008
On the 13th of February 1996, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) launched the Nepalese Peoples War, in which about 13,000 Nepalese were killed and many other were fatally maimed. They were so brutal then that they were labeled by the US government as a foreign terrorist organization. Unfortunately, the tag is still lurking in their head but there are signs of the tag being pulled off by the US government in the near future. Justice must be served in Bangladesh for two Ex-PMs
G.M. Solaiman - 5/11/2008
In Bangladesh constitution, it is said that every one is equal in the eyes of the law. Bangladesh has been ruled by two democratically elected women for last 15 years. However, both of the former prime ministers have accused the other one for serious corruption. In every meeting they attended, in every press conference they attended, both of them have said that the other one took billions of dollars in corruption. They also have said that if they were elected, they would prosecute the other one. Well, both Hasina and Khaleda got their chances. But they never kept their promises to either prose... Repression of press and paid agents in Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 5/11/2008
In my entire journalistic career, possibly I never saw a section of paid journalists opposing publication of reports and articles on repression of journalists in a country. But, it happens in Bangladesh! And such nasty attempts are from a journalist working with Associated Press (AP) and the other belonging to a minor English language daily newspaper, which is owned by ousted and extremely controversial advisor of the military emergency government. Tamil Nadu Shows the Way to Transgenders in India
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 5/11/2008
"Ippadikku Rose" (Yours, Rose), the half-hour TV show on Star Vijay part of Star TV group owned by Rupert Murdock is drawing huge attention in Tamil Nadu. This is not because of its content but more due to its anchor Rose, who has become India 's first transsexual celebrity to host a TV show. Closed-List Method of CA Elections of Nepal & Candidate Nomination
Prakash Bom - 5/11/2008
Had SPA 'Seven-Party Alliance of Nepal', chosen Open-List method of proportional representation electoral system for constituent assembly elections instead of Closed-List, political parties could have been challenged to nominate their candidates more democratically. Since no political parties within and outside of SPA, nor any ethnic organization, nor the civil society members, nor the think-tank intellectuals or electoral experts, nor the mainstream news media took the responsibility to question the 'Blank-candidate' party-list ballots of Closed-List method of PR electoral system the party monopoly over candidate nomination is inevitable. Yaba mystery of RAB-3
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 5/2/2008
Look into press reports of past one year. Almost every week there is news of RAB-3 members arresting some people and recovering banned YABA tablets from the possession of those people. Only during April, number of such recoveries and arrests were more than 15 [on an average one case every other day]. The most interesting part of the YABA episode is, RAB-3 men never found more than 90 tablets, while the average recoveries range between 10-20 tablets in almost all the cases. Latest from Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 5/2/2008
News from Dhaka does not show anything positive. Rather it leaves a very clear signal to everyone that the country is becoming gradually agitated and it may ultimately witness sudden explosion either in the format of mass movement or even civil war. Political pundits are even predicting a 'November 7, 1975' style joint revolution by civilians and armed forces. And, very interestingly, authorities in Dhaka seem to be extremely reluctant or even unaware of any unwarranted situation. Press under attack in Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 5/2/2008
Case of a female journalist: Sumi Khan, a 34-year-old journalist working with local and national magazines and based in the city of Chittagong, was attacked and received death threats as a result of her investigative journalism against corruption. She was stabbed in an attack in 2004, and her attackers remain at large. True story of Grameen Bank and Yunus
Sunita Paul - 5/2/2008
Professor Muhammad Yunus, after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize came into focal point of global media and now he is pretending to be the neo 'Mother Teresa' of today's world. But, most of the world citizen shall never know the real stories of this man's crockery and how he is continuing to swindle poor people's money for decades. Crude revenge of history in Nepal
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 5/2/2008
Monarchism in Himalayan state of Nepal, is possibly experiencing the fall of their centuries old era when King Gyanendra is ready to reconcile with his fate that has been freshly charted out by the verdict of the constituent assembly poll, thus bringing a surprise victory for the Maoists. Some Pakistani Pride
Ahmed Quraishi - 5/2/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanAdnan Babur Mirza would have been a real prince today had his family fortune lasted. His great-great-grand uncle was Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last king of the Mughal dynasty in what used to be Muslim India. Today, this handsome, 25-year-old Pakistani is in a Texas jail under a 25-year sentence in a confusing case that FBI links to terrorism but his family links to Washingtons Pakistan paranoia. Pakistan Wont Survive? This Is How To Rebut Skeptics
Ahmed Quraishi - 5/2/2008
In his article published in The New York Times dated Feb. 1, 2008, American academic Selig S. Harrison has claimed that the existing multiethnic Pakistani state is not likely to survive for long unless it is radically restructured. The Big, Bad Brand of Bollywood
Naseem Javed - 5/2/2008
There is really nothing wrong with the brand "Bollywood", except that the Indian film industry has become far more powerful and far-reaching than any thing else like this in any other country of the world, and even larger than Hollywood. In hindsight, decades ago, who in the right frame of mind would have picked up a blatant sidekick named "Bollywood" as a cheap copy of "Hollywood", a theme that has already been further diluted and abused by hundreds of other adventurous film industry brands all over Asia, from "Ollywood" to "Jollywood", creating confusion and ripping away the original centrality of the true brand? Maoists recruiting comrades from neighbors
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 5/2/2008
Much before victory of Maoists in Nepal, several hundred members of banned underground communist parties in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka has been recruited by Maoists for orientation and training on staging similar movements in the respective countries. A source confirms Dhakas largest and most influential newspaper, Weekly Blitz that since December 2007, secret recruitment of comrades by the Nepalese Maoists began in Bangladesh under the guidance some leftist leaders. Such recruits are sent to various parts in Nepal for six-month orientation and training, with the ulterior motive of beg... RAB-3: Story of blackmailing and extortion
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/29/2008
Finally name of one of the top criminal officer with Rapid Action Battalions Unit-3 has been revealed through extensive investigations of our reporters, who led the armed hooliganism at the office of Weekly Blitz on March 18, 2008. According to facts, name of the officer is Shafiqul Huq Bhuiyan, who was deputed to Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] from Ansar. Shafiqul is infamous for corruption, womanizing and alcoholism. He has turned into a millionaire in just couple of years by misusing his power being the Deputy Director of RAB-3. Choosing The Future of Gas Pipelines in South Asia: IPI or TAPI
Safdar Jafri - 4/29/2008
The upcoming gas-related meetings in Islamabad and Delhi (starting 23rd April 2008) will be crucial for the future of gas delivery to Pakistan and India. The outcome of these meetings will determine the future course of economics, politics, inter-state relationships, economic cooperation and security status of the region as a whole. The stakes are high not just for India and Pakistan, the two roaring but short of energy economies of South Asia but also the economies of the Middle East and Central Asia while indirectly affecting the economies of China, Russia and the US. The first notion of bui... Bangladesh should realize consequences
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/29/2008
Just in two days from the visit of Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechis Dhaka visit. On April 24 Yang to Bangladesh, advisor for foreign affairs in the military backed interim government, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said that China is willing to see Bangladesh as a key actor in regional and international affairs and would provide its support for the purpose. My Moslem friends in Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 4/29/2008
Here on the auspicious moment of Jewish Passover, I must make a confession to my millions of readers on how my personal concepts about Islam, Islamists, Islamic and Moslem were greatly changed when I encountered at least a number of decent Bangladeshi Moslems from various sections of life. Prior to knowing them, I too were filled with the misconception of Islam is a rogue religion provoking killing of innocent people in exchange on 70 virgins in paradise and Moslem are rotten people with heart poisoned with religious hatred. People in the west as well in non-Moslem nations generally consider M... Whats happening in Bangladesh?
Sunita Paul - 4/29/2008
Bangladesh is possibly heading towards the path of becoming the third nuclear nation in South Asia within next couple of years. It is learnt from various sources that the topic came in discussion table during close-door meeting between Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi, who visited Bangladesh on four day tour and Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, foreign advisor in Dhaka military backed regime. Extreme audacity of RAB
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/29/2008
Most notorious organization in Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] has already earned the bad name of being one of the worst violators of human rights in the world. It was already claimed by a large number of politicians that this group was established by the BNP-Islamist Coalitions government in repressing political opponents as well as for secret killing of various people in the country. Bangladeshi government in boobytrap
Sunita Paul - 4/29/2008
If someone of you are aware of what is happening in Dhaka under the military backed interim government, all of you might at least raise your eye borrows to imagine the possible fate the country may bear in the days to come. Bangladesh: Power Crisis Annoys Nation
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/29/2008
Series of human rights violations are continuing in Bangladesh by members of Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] under silent instigation or even state patronization. Although to me, at least, few months back it was just an allegation, now it is more than reality. Pakistan's Foreign Policy Under The Newly Elected Government
Safdar Jafri - 4/29/2008
Despite an inconsistent system of rule, Pakistan has almost surprisingly followed a consistent foreign policy. China has been an all-weather friend while the US a fair-weather one. However, the past few years, particularly since 9/11 and Pakistan's shift in its policy of supporting the Taliban rule in the neighboring Afghanistan and subsequent surge of militancy in its own backyard, has caused some long-term shifts in Pakistan's foreign policy, particularly with regard to its neighboring countries. Under the new democratic set up, which faces daunting economic and political challenges at home,... Bangladesh: Anger may explode anytime
Sunita Paul - 4/29/2008
Just few hours back, news from Bangladesh virtually rocked my heart. What is happening in the small South Asian neighbor, which reportedly is experiencing silent famine, power crisis, human rights violations and lack of governance for past several months due to either ego driven attitude of the military interim government or country's new policy of slipping towards anti American block. A Catch-22 Logic of a Cultural-King of Nepal for Maoists to Ingest
Prakash Bom - 4/29/2008
The dangerous of all about the institution of monarchy of Nepal is the retention of its feudal tradition that sustains on Hindu religion of beliefs and superstitions in the name of culture. It will be rather creating a non-win situation for people against their aspiration after all that two hundred and fifty years suffering. In a true sense the monarchy has no culture, which implies role of cultivation for change that its fellow countrymen can adapt to better rational tools for their survival such as freedom, justice and equality. Instead it has always been ambitiously convoluted with its des... The Political Consensus & Logical Sequence of People's Mandate of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 4/29/2008
People have on April Uprising and on the successful CA elections demonstrated the historical people's mandate. Now it is up to the political parties to follow its logical sequence in coordination with their political consensus for creating a new democratic Nepal. Obviously as per the interim constitution and Seven-Party-Alliance consensus the next logical sequence of people's mandate is to set the first-meet of Constituent Assembly electoral for deciding the fate of two hundred fifty years old institution of feudal monarchy. The logical priority of people's mandate is set onto the Constituent ... State patronized terror in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/29/2008
Series of human rights violations are continuing in Bangladesh by members of Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] under silent instigation or even state patronization. Although to me, at least, few months back it was just an allegation, now it is more than reality. Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] was established on March 26, 2004 and since its establishment a total of 472 alleged criminals have so far been killed in the name of "crossfire" or "encounter" between associates of the criminals and RAB members. Bangladesh: Realizing the consequences
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/28/2008
Just in two days from the visit of Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechis Dhaka visit. On April 24 Yang to Bangladesh, advisor for foreign affairs in the military backed interim government, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said that China is willing to see Bangladesh as a key actor in regional and international affairs and would provide its support for the purpose. Bangladesh revolts against West
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/28/2008
Finally Dhaka has opened its mind. Foreign Advisor in the military emergency government in Bangladesh, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said, "There is a new Asian era beginning, and Bangladesh needs to adjust her foreign policy to these new circumstances," Is Bangladesh heading towards anti-US block?
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/28/2008
Military backed interim government in Bangladesh seems to be finally moving towards anti-American block. At least it is evidently proved in some of the recent actions of this governments important players. Maoist victory in Nepal leaves alarming signal for South Asia
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/24/2008
Although Nepal is one of the smallest countries in South Asia with endless beauties of nature, the recent developments in Katmandu, which resulted in massive victory of Maoist in the election, thus establishment of another Communist rule in worlds lone Hindu nation is seen as an alarming signal for the South Asians nations as well as Asian countries. Many smell involvement of regional intelligence agencies behind such landslide victory or rather a complete upset in media predictions, while others see Al Qaedas hand in bringing the Maoists in power with the ultimate objective of turning Nepal into a safe haven of Islamist and Communist terrorism. Question of the time
Sunita Paul - 4/24/2008
Severe controversy is continuing in the small South Asian neighbor on the point of whether next general election, which the present military backed interim government is committed to hold by December 2008, could be held under State of Emergency. A large number of local and foreign experts have already expressed their opinion stating that election within State of Emergency is impossible. But, one man, like many of the lap dogs of the present interim government sees no problem in letting the next general election be held keeping the State of Emergency very much active. Why such stand against the... Pakistans Small Leaders
Ahmed Quraishi - 4/24/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanStanding next to Pakistans rising geopolitical challenges, most Pakistani politicians appear pygmies. Take the federal minister for sports, for example. China overrides opposition in international circles to letting the Olympic torch pass through our country. Yet the honorable minister refuses to receive the torch because he hates the president. The Rise of Islamist Extremism in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/22/2008
Many will raise one question whenever someone would meet a journalist willing to know about rise of radical Islam in Asia is Islamist extremism on rise in Bangladesh? Over recent years, Islamist schools have proliferated and extremist groups have become more vocal in Bangladesh, the world's third most populous Muslim country. Internationally acclaimed writer Bertil Lintner says. Exit, escape, retreat or surrender
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/20/2008
Bangladesh is under an interim government backed by army. Since postponement of much anticipated general election in the country on 11 January 2007, a State of Emergency was declared and on 12 January 2007, an interim government with Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed was installed in power. Since then, the government has declared all out war against corruption and nepotism. A large number of heavyweight politicians were arrested, many of whom are already either facing trials or convicted to various terms on different allegations. Is Bangladesh becoming Islam hater?
Sunita Paul - 4/19/2008
It should be like a fresh breeze for the anti-religion, secular, Communists and non believers in the world to note that, for past several weeks, Bangladesh government is continuing to push an issue related to women's rights, which according to religious clergies and believers are against the commandments of Koran. But, it must frighten a larger section of the global family to think that such tendencies only would open new avenues for Islamist militancy to grow as well as militancy in the name of religion. Anatomy of the Economist report on Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 4/19/2008
Do they really understood exact situation in Bangladesh, or were just convinced to published rather a biased report by an unnamed reporter who wrote a story on present realities in Bangladesh under the caption of 'A different sort of emergency'? Bardoli Satyagraha: A Milestone of the Way of the Indian Freedom Movement
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 4/18/2008
Under the leadership of Vallabhbhai Patel in 1928, the Bardoli Kisan Satyagraha proved to be the best example of the practice of Gandhian principle of non-violence as well as a milestone of the way of Indias freedom movement. There is not another Satyagraha in my view that could be compared with it. During the course of struggle, a journalist of a then-government supported newspaper The Times of India wrote: Bangladesh's playboy politician
Sunita Paul - 4/18/2008
After assassinating President Ziaur Rahman, through a silent conspiracy, army chief Hussain Muhammed Ershad assumed power in a bloodless coup in March 1982. Like his predecessors, Ershad suspended the constitution and--citing pervasive corruption, ineffectual government, and economic mismanagement--declared martial law. The following year, Ershad assumed the presidency, retaining his positions as army chief and CMLA. During most of 1984, Ershad sought the opposition parties' participation in local elections under martial law. The opposition's refusal to participate, however, forced Ershad to abandon these plans. Philippines Rice Prices: Poor Against the Poor
John Mangun - 4/18/2008
In the United States, the greatest social divide began in the 1930s during severe economic times. That divide was not based on education, race, or even economic status. The Great Depression took root with a meltdown of the financial system but was fueled and exacerbated by the Dust Bowl drought that hit the heart of Americas farmland between 1930 and 1936. Constituent Assembly Elections Result In A Great Surprise for Maoist Nepal
Prakash Bom - 4/17/2008
Status quo driven main political party - Nepali Congress (NC) and United Marxist Leninist (UML) leaderships and their cadres were confident in winning substantial constituent assembly seats. Similarly, cognitively biased ruling elites, diplomats, intellectuals and main media sitcoms were sure that Maoist would never gain such a landslide victory out of CA elections. Obviously they read their own mind but failed to read the minds of Nepali people, particularly of the young population whose hope at this point lies on the Maoist leaderships. Such a massive wins even to Maoist leaderships have bee... Pakistans Dreadful Moment: Beijing Or Washington?
Ahmed Quraishi - 4/16/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanFor Pervez Musharrafs critics in Pakistan who see him as some kind of a secret U.S. agent, heres a news flash: If anything, your President is a Chinese stooge. Theres no capital in the world he visited more than Beijing. In recent years, hes been to China at least eight times. More if you count his entire military career. Rise of Islamist extremism in Bangladesh
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/14/2008
Many will raise one question whenever someone would meet a journalist willing to know about rise of radical Islam in Asia is Islamist extremism on rise in Bangladesh? Over recent years, Islamist schools have proliferated and extremist groups have become more vocal in Bangladesh, the world's third most populous Muslim country. Internationally acclaimed writer Bertil Lintner says. Bangladesh: Hub of international terror?
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/13/2008
During her recent visit to Bangladesh, the British home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said there was a terrorist linkage between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom and iterated her governments commitment towards cooperation with Dhaka on countering terrorism and extremism and further boost in top-level engagement between the two countries. Bangladesh Election 2008 Possibilities and confusions
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/13/2008
Ask anyone in Bangladesh. What they are looking for on an urgent basis. Politicians will tell you about their priority. They want election by December 2008. While, the remaining major sections of the society will ask for resolving the existing problems. Food shortage, power crisis and rise of religious extremism! Pakistan On Tightrope
Prof. Isaac Kfir - 4/13/2008
This article examines Pakistan following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the recent parliamentary elections within the confines of the challenges that arise from the need to embrace democracy. The article accepts that Pakistan must contend with a powerful military, rising Islamism, tribalism, an unstable political system, quarrelling leaders, and difficult foreign policy issues while it strives to continue to play its role in the global war on terror. The author concludes that only by uniting the different actors and seeking a stable Pakistan can the Islamist threat be defeated. Was 1/11 inevitable to save Bangladesh?
Sunita Paul - 4/13/2008
Ask anyone you know from Bangladesh, a small island in South Asia, what would happen if the much controversial general election in 2007 (January 22) could not be stopped by imposing State of Emergency under military backing. Everyone will possibly tell you the destructive fate Bangladesh would suffer a civil war. And, in case of breaking of a civil war, what would happen to the entire nation? Complete devastation and emergence of militant Islamist forces. There is possibly no room to have any doubt that members of Bangladesh Armed Forces took highest risk in taking this most critical decisio... Man proposes, God disposes
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/13/2008
In a very ridiculous step, the interim government in Bangladesh tried to know the possible reactions from United States government if the anticipated general election is not held within the revised time frame in 2008. Such question was raised during a meeting between Bangladeshi ambassador in United States, M Humayun Kabir and official of United States National Security Council, James Jeffrey. In response, Mr. Jeffrey told the Bangladeshi ambassador that the general election must be held within time frame [December 2008], and international community wont accept any further excuse in this regard. Bangladesh warming up
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/13/2008
April 11, 2008 could have been a very regular Friday in Bangladesh if the situation in the capital wouldnt have flared up the previous day when members of Al Qaeda linked Hizb Ut Tahrir [HT] and Khelafat Majlish went into massive battle with law enforcing agencies, thus creating the surrounding areas of the national mosque in Dhaka into mere battle ground. Out of the wreckage of Nepals uncertainty emerges a changed Maoist Party
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 4/12/2008
In my 4th April 2008, Global Politician Article, Democratic premium in Nepal is getting bigger and wider, (see http://www.globalpolitician.com/24440-nepal), I had argued that the democratic premium in Nepal is getting wider but to my utmost dismay, many readers accused me of being Pro- Maoist and a defector of democracy without analyzing my article in detail and without reviewing my previous political articles. The Inevitable Formation of Jinnahpur
Syed Jamaluddin - 4/12/2008
A "failed state" is one that has a "shattered social and political structure". In the words of former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Boutros Boutros-Ghali: 'A feature of such conflicts is the collapse of state institutions, especially the police and judiciary, with resulting paralysis of governance, a breakdown of law and order, and general banditry and chaos. Not only are the functions of government suspended, but its assets are destroyed or looted and experienced officials are killed or flee the country. This is rarely the case in inter-state wars. It means that international inter... Indo-Pak Relations: Sarabjit's Release may prove a Milestone
Tanveer Jafri - 4/12/2008
Indian Citizen Sarabjit Singh has been waiting for his safe release for the last 18 years from Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, Pakistan. The death warrant of Sarabjit Singh has been sent to this jail by Pakistan government. According to this warrant, Sarabjit was to be hanged on April 1 but on the request of Government of India, the hanging was postponed for a month. It is known that there were four different bomb blasts in 1990 in Lahore & Multan, the cities of Pakistan, 14 Pakistani citizens died in these bomb blasts & several other were injured. Indian citizen Sarabjit was arrested in Pakistan during that time. He was accused of playing a main role in those blasts. Tare Zamen Pe- There are Stars on Earth
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 4/12/2008
The Hindi movie Tare Zamen Pe starring Amir Khan dealing with the subject of a talented young child who is unable to cope up with the studies due to some curable disorder must have moved many hearts. At least I can say with certainty that I was inspired by this movie and felt helping one such talented star on earth who can achieve greater heights, provided she get right attention at the right point of time. Bangladesh: Nation in Confrontation
Sunita Paul - 4/11/2008
Some say, it is an international conspiracy to destabilize country's internal situation, while others say, it is a mere madness of some opportunists who are always willing to turn Bangladesh into a failed state. But, a number of organizations in Bangladesh, mostly led by some atheists and leftists are continuing its campaign to hold trial of war criminals of 1971 war of independence. Nepal Maoists' Proposal for the Radical Change
Prakash Bom - 4/11/2008
What could be the radical change and how could that be materialized even in socio-political and economic sense for one of the poorest nations of the world in the global economics of the 21st century? If the Communist Party of Nepal Maoist leaderships think for the radical change in terms of capturing the state for their one-party or totalitarian rule, then with due respect it would be a dream for building a castle in the sky even Maoists are cable of capturing the state. The capture might be successful in overthrowing suspended institution of the feudal monarchy but it can by no means transfo... India-Burma relations gaining momentum of its own
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 4/9/2008
The Indo-Burmese relationship is acquiring a positive momentum of its own despite western rights groups' criticism of Myanmar 's handling of pro-democracy demonstrations some six months back. India had rolled out red-carpet for Burmese military juntas top leadership who were on a five day visit to India that began from April 4, 2008. Dhaka under unique martial law
Sunita Paul - 4/8/2008
People may try to argue with the fact that the small nation in South Asia is under a civilian government, which enjoys support from the army. They may even argue that both the President and the Chief Advisor (chief executive) of the country are non-military figures. And it is a fact too. In that case, how someone could define Bangladesh being ruled under an unique form of martial law? Let us take some glimpse over some of the facts. A Small Stove With Big Ambitions
Margot Cohen - 4/8/2008
SULEBHAAVI, India: As India's richest families race to outfit their kitchens with the latest European trappings, thousands of village entrepreneurs are discovering how to squeeze profits from a squat $17 stove locally designed to reduce global warming and preserve women's health. Dhaka's Military Rulers
Sunita Paul - 4/7/2008
World's second largest Moslem populated country Bangladesh's capital Dhaka is under military backed government since January 11 last year. It is known to the world that the much anticipated general election in the country was postponed due to massive confrontation between two rival political parties, Awami League and Islamist Coalition led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party. When the civilian government of Ms. Khaleda Zia handed over power to the 'neutral' caretaker government led by President Iajuddin Ahmed, it was expected that a person acceptable to all political parties would become the Chief... Behind the 1940-41 Ban on the Khaksar Tehrik
Nasim Yousaf - 4/6/2008
On March 19, 1940, the Khaksar Tehrik (Movement) was banned by the Government of Punjab in British India, and Allama Mashriqi, his sons, and a very large number of Khaksars were imprisoned. In 1941, the Movement was banned on an all-India basis. Investigative research reveals that the ban on the Khaksar Tehrik and Mashriqis imprisonment were the result of mutual interest of the anti-Khaksar elements, including the British and the All-India Muslim League (AIML). Both saw Mashriqi and his Movement as a threat and sought to secure themselves. The following briefly sheds light on British and AIML motivations and the subsequent banning of the Khaksar Movement. Al Qaeda-Famine grabbing Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 4/6/2008
Latest news in Dhaka's press mostly is filled with sufferings of people due to recent famine, which broke silently in the country of 150 million people. A vernacular daily named Naya Diganta (New Horizon), published a photograph of a dead body of an unknown man in Dhaka. Seeing this photograph, someone may assume, it was taken from Somalia. But, no, it is from Dhaka. It is quite understandable that, when people in the capital are dying due to lack of food, there should be numerous deaths in the rural parts of the country. But, despite such serious situation, authorities in Dhaka are yet to acc... Multiple Diseases of Detained Bangladeshi Politicians
Sunita Paul - 4/6/2008
Since the political change in Bangladesh in 2007, a large number of politicians and businessmen had been arrested and numerous charges were also brought against them. But, the prison authorities failed to ensure proper medical facilities for the detainees, which resulted in deterioration of their physical conditions. According to confirmed reports, youngest son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Arafat Rahman Koko is now in virtual death and life state. He is suffering from heart ailment and other serious complications, which may result in anything bad anytime. The government is reluctant i... Democratic premium in Nepal is getting bigger and wider
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 4/6/2008
Even if things are improving slowly, they are, at best, not getting worse for the Nepalese. The chief reason is that the democratic premium in Nepal is getting bigger as the political parties are fighting for their stake in the upcoming Constituent Assembly election, which many doubted would never happen in Nepal. BD rulers and politicians
Sunita Paul - 4/6/2008
Most of the donor nations are putting special emphasis on holding free and fair general election in Bangladesh within December 2008. Although the present regime in Dhaka, which enjoys support from the armed forces is continuing to promise of holding the election within 'road map', no one can tell with certainty whether such intention is genuine or not. Earlier, the same rulers with former World Bank official Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed as the Chief Executive promised of holding the election by December 2007. But, in fact they didn't. The government brought an excuse of preparing National Identity car... Dhaka suppresses facts
Sunita Paul - 4/5/2008
Despite the fact that Bangladesh is under acute food shortage and a number of reports evidently prove that silent famine has already breaking in various parts of the country, an advisor to the military backed interim government in Dhaka declines to accept the fact of famine, rather he said that the country is experiencing 'Hidden Hunger'. Islamization of Bangladesh?
Sunita Paul - 4/4/2008
In recent years, Al Qaeda linked notorious Islamist group named Hizb Ut Tahrir is continuing to strengthen its network within Bangladesh and even during the present State of Emergency (SOE), this international terror group is allowed by the authorities. Led by Mohiuddin Ahmed, Hizb Ut Tahrir holds regular orientation and recruitment courses inside the premises of a private school in Dhaka almost openly. Intelligence agencies are aware of this fact, but there is possibly instructions from the high ups in the government of not interfering activities of this notorious militant group for reason unknown. Musharraf to stay?
Muhammad Shafiq - 4/4/2008
President Pervez Musharraf's future has been under discussion in the country and abroad, especially after 'unexpected' results in the February 18 general election, which saw a landslide victory for opposition parties. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of the late Benazir Bhutto, now led by her widower, Asif Ali Zardari, and the Pakistan Muslim League of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif now enjoy a two-thirds majority in parliament and they are in a position to impeach the president. There are also reports indicating that the president may quit after the completion of the election process when governments in all the four provinces are installed. Hypocrisy Galore In Islamabad
Ahmed Quraishi - 4/4/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanThere are things you cant talk about these days or the new pro-democracy brigade in Pakistan will bake you alive. Since our politicians are dealing with one another with some civility for the first time, skeptics like me are forced to give them the benefit of the doubt. But not too much. You see, there still is a lot of hypocrisy in the air. Bangladesh's next destination
Sunita Paul - 4/4/2008
Some people say it is the next terrorism gator. Some say, a future land of Taliban and extremist Islamists. Some say, a failed nation. Some even say a country possibly under the greedy eyes of neighbors. What fate waits really for this second largest Moslem populated country in the world? Silent Famine Hits Bangladesh
Sunita Paul - 4/3/2008
People of Bangladesh are possibly witnessing the come back of horrific days of 1974, when the entire country was affected in a devastating famine killing numerous people. There are numerous reports in the press that during those worst days of the people of the newly born nation (Bangladesh became independent in 1971), even there had been severe shortage in conducting proper religious rituals in burying dead bodies. In many cases, dead bodies were wrapped in Banana Leafs. Hungry faces were seen everywhere in the country. But, that happened when country's population was 75 million. Now, it has doubled. Bangladesh now has more than 150 million people, mostly living under the poverty level. The Election Campaign Heritage of Nepalese Politics
Prakash Bom - 4/3/2008
Just as humans inherit their genetic make-up and socio-familial collective consciousness in course of their upbringings so as the nation and its political entities carry on their influence as their heritage from the contemporary socio-political processes. How sensibly an individual responds to other individual (s) in public interaction determines his or her competence for survival because earning a humanly decent livelihood depends on public-relation. Similarly, the success and failure of political parties in democracy depends on their democratic heritage that they have inherited from else wh... Gandhian View on Morality and Ethics
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 4/3/2008
Morality and Ethics are inter-related to each other in the sense that both are concerned with the behaviour of man. Although many times both are interpreted as synonymous to the other, they are different in their meaning and scope, and thus need to be explained separately. They also need to be applied differently in the day-to-day practices of man. Furthermore, their application in individual and public life remains separate. Simultaneously, as per the demand it is the subject of time and space; it is a subject of wide discussion and minute analysis. Bangladeshi RAB: Licensed to kill!
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 3/31/2008
This is not a new episode of James Bond 007 movie. This is a true story about the most notorious terror organization in Bangladesh, enjoying official status and termed as elite force. Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] was established on March 26, 2004 and since its establishment a total of 472 alleged criminals have so far been killed in the name of "crossfire" or "encounter" between associates of the criminals and RAB members. China-Tibet Conflict: Tibet Time Bomb Ticking For India?
Monotapash Mukherjee - 3/31/2008
Much have written about the recent emotional outburst of the Tibetans, their violent protests, the rise of the more aggressive Tibetan youth, the Dalai Lama's helplessness, the Tibetans' march towards Tibet, the punitive measures inflicted by the Chinese army on the protesters, the Tibetans' call to the world to boycott Beijing Olympics and so on. But the unforeseen desperation of the Tibetans has led me to several disturbing questions and apprehensions. Is it just the Olympian flare engineered to draw the world attention to the Tibetan Cause? Or is it the tip of the iceberg which lies buried ... Afghanistan: The Rats Abandon the Sinking Ship
Nasir Shansab - 3/30/2008
What I saw on a visit to Afghanistan in February 2008, combined with the decisions some of the coalition countries have made, convinced me that Afghanistan s gradual slide towards mayhem has accelerated. This is what I mean: Mao-less day: A rarity in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 3/30/2008
In Nepal they say it is impossible to have a Mao-less day, a day without Maoists intimidation. News headlines in Nepal seldom stray far from Maoists atrocities, verbal abuses, intimidation and their violent physical attacks against the leaders of other parties. And unfortunately for Nepal , Maoists intimidation scramble in most places of Nepal is alarming other political parties before the most coveted Constituent Assembly election scheduled for April 10th where the Maoists too are taking part. Bangladesh: They hate US and the West here too
Sunita Paul - 3/30/2008
Bangladesh, although demanding to be a moderate Muslim nation, is in reality a notorious Jew hater and anti West and anti American nation. This was proved when a front ranking leader of Bangladesh Caliphate Movement, Kazi Azizul Huq was asked as to what are the basic reasons for many of the Bangladeshis to be anti American, anti West and anti Semitic? Who are responsible for such tendency? Mr. Huq replied, "People of Bangladesh in general dislike Anglo-American Occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. At the same time most of them would like to see their children to go to Europe and US to earn mone... Re-Building a Run-down Hindu Feudal Nation
Prakash Bom - 3/29/2008
Nepal as a diverse ethnic society had long been ram-shackled with the feudal Hindu socio-religious values that are dishonorably convoluted and foolishly perverted from its original source Vedic religion of philosophies. This fact to the feudal authorities such as the institution of the monarchy and the higher caste erudite Hindus still is not even intellectually acceptable in regard to their practice of caste system and religious rite of animal sacrifice. It is true that the more feudal the south Asian society the more superstitious and fanatic the Hindus way of life has thus far become c... Great Schism: Taliban declared 'out of Islam' by 73 sects
Iqbal Latif - 3/28/2008
The militant group familiarly known as Taliban was declared out of Islam by 73 different sects of Muslims through an edict (Fatwa) circulated in parts of the narrow tribal strip of Darra Adamkhel. Pakistan Beware, They Are Cornering China
Ahmed Quraishi - 3/28/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanNext to her bad Collagen-injected facelift job, Nancy Pelosi has given us one of the worst lessons in deceitful diplomacy on behalf of the United States. Pelosi, who is third in line of power in Washington after George Bush and Dick Cheney, flew halfway around the world to our neighborhood last week. Her mission? To further stoke the fire in Chinas Tibet. Challenges for new Pakistani Prime Minister
Muhammad Shafiq - 3/26/2008
The first orders of the newly-elected Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gillani, for the release of all deposed judges set the tone for the future politics of Pakistan. However, it is yet to be seen whether he has become another prime minister or has some real powers to provide relief to the people of the country. Our ally in war on terror in trouble
Steve Johnson - 3/26/2008
It might sound ridiculous, but it is a fact! Al Qaeda pals and Islamist elements are gradually getting planted in many of the sensitive positions in Muslim Bangladeshs administration and law enforcement agencies. On the other hand, Rapid Action Battalion [RAB], a group formed by former Islamist Coalition government in the country has by now crossed many records of human rights abuse and extra judicial killings. It is learnt from various sources that on an average, more than hundred people are killed by this notorious group, while rape in custody is a regular phenomenon. RAB, a force formed wi... India: Check Sexual Assaults on Foreign Tourists
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 3/26/2008
The death of a British girl Scarlett Keeling, 15, on a Goas beach, suspected to be of 'foul play' has once again caught the attention of the nation towards the growing crime against foreign tourists in India . Thanks to the media, the darker side of Incredible Indias is at full display on our TV sets. Bangladesh Patronizing Terror?
Steve Johnson - 3/25/2008
Whats going on in the tiny island named Bangladesh in South Asia? It is for obvious reason that this country does not come in global press very often because it is neither a global player nor a moderate Muslim nation actively participating in War on Terror. Whenever Bangladesh comes as a topic in Western press is because of corruption, lawlessness, military intervention or various problems. In recent months, Bangladesh is appearing in global media as it is government by a military backed interim government, which is continuing efforts in cleansing politics and politicians in the name of comba... Flip-flopping Law Enforcement Tradition of Nepal
Prakash Bom - 3/23/2008
On several occasions international community has called 'Flip-flopping Law Enforcement Tradition of Nepal' the culture of impunity. What elements of society encourage the culture of impunity is the question perhaps nation's ruling elites, responsible judiciary personalities and political leaderships are primarily ignoring it. It seems as if the culture is so deeply embedded in our daily socio-political and economic life that practice of impunity has become our one of the important survival tools. However, nation has failed to realize in every level that the democracy will not fly far with th... Cracks Deepen: PPPP And Nawaz Part Ways
Moin Ansari - 3/23/2008
As expected the cracks between the PPPP and PML(N) are deepening by the minute. Rather belatedly Chaudhary Nisar Khan of the PML (N) , in the understatement of the year stated the obviousthat his party would not join the government, and preferred instead to give PPP "political space" to fulfill "our common agenda". A New Beginning For Pakistan
Muhammad Shafiq - 3/23/2008
The oath-taking of the new National Assembly was peaceful, unlike its past experience, but a quite beginning, one fears, does not seem to match the stormy sessions it will witness in days and weeks to come. It is the first assembly that wants to change the status quo in the country, so a fierce battle is expected between the establishment and genuine political parties of the country who have an agenda to break the establishment and work for democracy. Anti-Islamist Muslim Journalist Taken by Paramilitary Goons in Bangladesh
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 3/23/2008
DHAKA (MARCH 18, 2008) At approximately 7:00pm, Dhaka time, members of Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) stormed the office of anti-jihadist Muslim journalist, SALAH UDDIN SHOAIB CHOUDHURY. A para-military arm of the government, RAB is notorious for its crackdowns on dissidents and wholesale violations of human rights. They ordered all employees out of the newspaper and interrogated Shoaib , seizing his phones and not allowing him any communication with friends, family, or legal counsel. After more than an hour and a half, RAB claimed to find a controlled substance in Shoaib's desk-... Nepal: Road towards CA Polls yet to be mended
Amit Pyakurel - 3/19/2008
The political sphere in Nepal seems to have taken a great leap forward, following the recently attained agreement between the government and the two chief Madhesi groups. It's a hard-earned triumph, in view of some drastic demands by the Madhesi groups, which had rather shown almost no way-out towards reconciliation. The demands like autonomous Terai with the right to self-determination stroke hard to the government on the contemplation that the demands could disintegrate the nation by inviting revulsion among the citizens of ethnic or regional identities. Bhutto Party Dilemma
Muhammad Shafiq - 3/16/2008
LAHORE, PAKISTAN. Though hopes of a bright future of Pakistan are very high after unexpected results in the February 18 general elections, it is the toughest test of democratic forces and politicians that would not only determine the future of democracy but also of the country, which has been under covert or overt military rule since its inception in 1947. Don't Ruin Nepal Elections with the Media Hyperbolism
Prakash Bom - 3/16/2008
Hyperbolism in teens' world does not only imply exaggeration or overstatement of one's idea about what things should be but also emotional over-expectation about what one should become. This is because teens like tall talks. For them to get engaged in serious empirical observation they have to grow up with emotional balance of their interior chemistries. Is this the stage of the most of the mainstream political and media leaderships of Nepal, who are departing from such hyperbolic developments? I would say yes unless news media have reported otherwise - just for their profit. Pakistan: Its Revenge, Not Democracy
Ahmed Quraishi - 3/16/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanIn Pakistan, return to democracy is threatened by a return to chaos. Revenge is apparently the first order of business for some of the new winners in the election. Frivolous confrontation is not in Pakistans national interest. Remember: At present, Pakistan can afford a flawed political system, but not a weak one. India's Missle Revolution
Monotapash Mukherjee - 3/16/2008
Though India, perhaps is the first country in the world where missiles were used in war (by Tipu Sultan against the British), India woke up to its potential much later. China, in order to ascertain its No. 1 position in Asia, created a strategic black hole for IndiaPakistan. It utilized the pathological Pak-hatred against India to its full advantage. China helped Pakistan in its missile and nuclear programs. Pakistan bartered its nuclear know-how for North Korea's long range Nodong missile technology. Pakistan began to develop sophisticated missiles. India, on the other hand, was reeling unde... Nepal: Let the Nation Move Forward with the Unity of Majority
Prakash Bom - 3/13/2008
Neither it is enthusiastic enough nor euphemistic for people to have hope in constituent assembly elections if election campaign starts with out-dated and unnecessary tactics, political propaganda, dirty politics, lack of law and order, and practice of impunity that encourages violence. Failing to campaign CA elections with the objective to accomplish the mandate of people to create a new democratic Nepal will be disenfranchising people from the democratic process. Whatever the political ideology of the contestant political parties or of the participant electorates is in the CA elections sho... Jinnah to sit in Indian Parliament
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 3/13/2008
Indian Parliament will soon have Mr Jinnah as one its members. The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu has cleared his name of A.A. Jinnah along with another nominee Vasanthi Stanley as its partys nominee. Pakistan Should Talk To Mullah Omars Taliban
Ahmed Quraishi - 3/13/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanWhy dont our American friends send a drone across the Pakistan border to kill Baitullah Mehsud, a man seen by many here as an agent of the Indians and their anti-Pakistani friends in the Kabul regime? Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan - A sad ordeal
Iqbal Latif - 3/9/2008
Most recent news of suicide bombings tragic harvest that shows Iraq as number 1, Pakistan number 2 and Afghanistan number 3 (In the number of attacks, Afghans are a little ahead but in number deaths Pakistan is second to Iraq): A region that once stifled renaissance is now on the verge of silencing its second chance of enlightenment. Will these lands ever come out of ignominy? Indias Forgotten Farmers
Prof. Tarun Khanna - 3/9/2008
Can Indias burgeoning economy lead to prosperity for all of its citizens, urban and rural alike? Thus far, Indias economic growth has been concentrated almost exclusively in urban centers, while rural areas remain largely mired in appalling poverty. Since 70 percent of Indias population lives in rural communities, the vast majority of Indians find themselves cut off from their nations economic boom. Rural Indians generally depend upon agriculture for a livelihood and are trapped by a political system that privileges sharp-toothed middlemen over poor farmers. A law requiring farmers to sell... All The Tough Questions: Why Musharraf Is A Safer Bet For Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 3/6/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanThe fairest election in Pakistans history has restored respect for the Pakistani military, transferred the rising burden of governance to politicians, cut Musharrafs false allies to size, and empowered the coming parliament to guard Pakistans strategic interest in the wider region. Nagaland - Dreamers under the Dark Tunnel
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 3/5/2008
Nagaland is back on national radar for the simple reason that elections are being held there. I was seeing a long news clip that brought out different facets of this state. One that makes me to comment on this issue is about the youth of Nagaland who to me seem look like belonging more to the globalize world than to any tiny geographical entity thats sandwiched between India and Burma . Time For Pakistan To Talk To Mullah Omars Taliban
Ahmed Quraishi - 3/5/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanWhy dont our American friends send a drone across the Pakistan border to kill Baitullah Mehsud, a man seen by many here as an agent of the Indians and their anti-Pakistani friends in the Kabul regime? Nepal: Where does Fight for Political Process of Ethnic Identities gone?
Prakash Bom - 3/5/2008
Ethnicity of humanity has genetic, environmental, cultural and linguistic existence in the evolution of human developments. Unlike religious and political propaganda that misrepresent humanity ethnicity has its existential values in relation with the human existence. That is to say, that with the ethnicity humanity has developed to this point in evolution. Since the Middle Ages the politics and religion have tried to homogenize diverse ethnicities and attempted to wipe out their identities from the socio-political and economic developments. This is exactly what happened in two hundred and fifty years' Hindu feudal oligarchic regime. Interview with Pakistan's Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi
Ahmed Quraishi - 3/4/2008
Ahmed Quraishi: If you read Senator Joseph Bidens statement you get the impression than now even Washington is calling for a safe exit for Pakistans Pervez Musharraf and that the Pakistani president should not complete his five-year term and should instead cut it short and resign. Any feudal system in the Government is not acceptable: Upendra Yadav
Prakash Bom - 3/3/2008
The eight-point agreement between SPA government of Nepal and United Madhesi Democratic Front (UMDF) is historic because it has sensibly ascertained the constitutional provision for the federal democratic republic establishment through the electoral mandate of CA elections. Moreover, the agreement has guaranteed the federal republican state on the basis of regional and historical background of ethnicity and linguistics with the right to self-determination. It is needless to make therefore assertion or dissertation about the institution of feudal monarchy at this point in time in the contempora... Democracy in Pakistan Might Bring Tension with Washington
Husain Haqqani - 3/3/2008
BOSTON: The decision by the opposition parties that won Pakistan's February 18 parliamentary election to work together offers the hope of bringing democratic stability to a dysfunctional nuclear state. The army has dominated Pakistan's politics for most of its 60-year existence as an independent country. In the past, coup-making generals, like President Pervez Musharraf, have taken advantage of differences among politicians instead of allowing politicians with popular support to negotiate compromises and run the country according to its constitution. Dire Electricity Crisis in Nepal : Darkness grows beneath the Everest
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 3/3/2008
Electricity has been playing a game of cat and mouse in Nepal . Out of the 24 hours, it is on only for 16 hours. Nepalese are forced to live without electricity for 8 hours, six days a week 48 hours per week. Just imagine yourself living without electricity for such a long time in New York , Seoul , London and Sydney , and then realize how much the Nepalese are suffering. Is Nepal returning towards the Stone Age? Nepalese economy: Plummeting by poly-tricks
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/28/2008
Investors and analysts worldwide have been inquiring after the Maoists truce and their inclusion in the government: When will Nepal bottom out? Is it away or just around the corner? After the Maoists stake in the government, the platform was set but then came the uproar in Terai and the popular indicators suggests that the investors have to wait further. Why Musharraf Is A Safer Bet For Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 2/26/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanThe fairest election in Pakistans history has restored respect for the Pakistani military, transferred the rising burden of governance to politicians, cut Musharrafs false allies to size, and empowered the coming parliament to guard Pakistans strategic interest in the wider region. Superimposition of an Autonomous Madhes for Madhesi Homogeneity
Prakash Bom - 2/26/2008
People's Movement II has clearly defined the power limitation of SPA leaderships, the interim government and the interim Parliament. Declaration of secular democratic state, abolition of the monarchy, establishment of the democratic republic setup, and restructuring of the state are the mandates of People's Movement II given to the above state entities until the accomplishment of CA elections. The primary objective of SPA leaderships and the government is to establish peace and democracy with the successful CA elections that can setup fundamental institutions of democracy. Clearly they have ne... Real Politik of Pakistan
Iqbal Latif - 2/26/2008
PPP has emerged as the largest party closely followed by PML (N) as the second largest. However, contrary to general perception, a surface deep analysis reveals that PML (Q) and allies plus independents, who supported the presidency, have secured second position on the National Assembly seat chart with nearly 84 seats just short of PPP. Nepal must Vow to defend its Nationhood
Prakash Bom - 2/22/2008
The current democratic process is about to slip away with an extremist demand of Madheshi movements. The demand at this climax is not the one as originally sought for an autonomous Terai state with the right to self-governance and right to self-determination under the federal system structures. However, it is the demand that has been convoluted wishfully beyond the norms of federalism that can violate the national integrity. The demand for an 'Autonomous Madheshi Region' literally schemes to separate itself from entire nation as if aliens such as extraterritorial other than Madheshi have ruled... India, Hindu-View, Tolerance and Gandhi
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 2/22/2008
A section of scientists dealing with human affairs believes the emergence of man on earth occurred approximately one million years ago. This particular section of scientists has divided the process of evolution of man in different ages: Primitive-Age, Stone-Age, Bronze-Age, Iron-Age and Modern-Age. A section of archaeologists has also accepted the arguments of the above scientists dealing with the human affairs particularly in context of their division of ages of evolution. Undoubtedly, this section of archaeologists has its own arguments in this context and the basis of their evidence is the digging work undertaken time-to-time. Elections Alone Won't Help Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 2/20/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanIf Pakistan ever uses a nuclear device, civilians will have more hand in it than the military. Six out of the top ten men authorized to push the button are civilians. The military is in the minority with four votes. But its input is strong and acknowledged. Analysis of Pakistani Elections
Iqbal Latif - 2/20/2008
Pakistan observed its crucial polls in a fairly peaceful manner yesterday in total contradiction to all the media hype and speculation on violence and 'mass rigging.' President Musharraf has been true to his word. Although international media treats him like a dog, there is good reason why major world leaders, Bush, Sarkozy, Brown, respect and endorse the Pakistani Presidents power. For a dictatorial tyrant, as accused by many a world press, Musharraf has acted every bit the salt he is worth - fairly and in line with his promises to ensure free and fair elections. He is fully aware of his r... Nepal: Do UDMF & FRNF Demands Threat CA Elections?
Prakash Bom - 2/18/2008
One of the most crucial challenges that the national CA elections have confronted at this point is from the demands of both United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF) and Federal Republic National Front (FRNF). If the crisis is not dealt with mutual understanding for the national unity the demands might turn themselves into violent threats against people's right to vote in CA elections. The principal demands are clear and forward establishment of federal democratic republic, full proportional representation electoral system for CA elections based on population, and guarantee of federal republ... An Indication of Lack of Commitment towards the Nation!
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 2/14/2008
Although it is necessary for citizens of any country of the world to be committed towards their nations unity and solidarity, for a country like India--which has unity in diversity and diversity in unity--it is absolutely necessary. History bears evidence that due to the narrow-mindedness and selfish motives of a man or a group of men, some Indians were filled with false hopes and thus lagged behind in their commitment towards their nation overall. This weakened India internally and consequently its unity and integrity could not remain intact, which ultimately affected everyone negatively. The Shameful Suicide Incidents of Indian Farmers
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 2/13/2008
India is the land of peasants. It is peasantry which has existed in more than sixty thousand villages for centuries, and has given added dimension to the social, political, cultural and economic development of India. It not only maintained the secular character of Indian society; it also strengthened its composite culture. We need not to carryout any research work to describe the importance and significance of peasantry in the political fields of contemporary and modern India. We may just look at the pages of history regarding Indias national liberation movement, especially pertaining to the Gandhian Era; and everything about the vital role played by peasants will become clear. Democratic Destabilization Of Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 2/13/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanThe Pakistanis, says former U.S. president Richard Nixon, are straightforward and sometimes extremely stupid. The Indians are more devious, sometimes so smart that we fall for their line. Back To The Troika In Pakistan?
Ahmed Quraishi - 2/12/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanThe anti-Musharraf, one-point agenda driving Pakistani politicians and their parties can hardly resolve the challenges facing the Pakistani state today. If Mr. Musharraf is a source of tension, those clamoring to replace him hardly evoke any confidence in their ability to meet Pakistans multilayered domestic and external tests post-Feb.18 election. Tales from India - Sex, Kidneys and More
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 2/12/2008
During the World War II days British Prime Minister Winston Churchill used to begin his speech on the radio saying Ladies and Gentleman lend me your ears The same call is needed for some disturbing news that has come out from the different parts of the country very recently. Feudal Politics of Propaganda & Democracy in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 2/12/2008
Feudalism was imposed arbitrarily upon humanity with the set of beliefs and practices of the dominant tribe or caste or class of people on hereditary basis in the socio-political and economic evolution of the society. Later in Middle Ages its practice was sustained by religion and its propaganda. That is still exists in South Asian socio-political and economic lives of people dominantly. Even the most versed and educated upper caste ruling elites of South Asia take such propaganda unquestionably as their tradition no matter how it marginalizes other people women, indigenous, and Dallits (Hindu's lower caste) population from the socio-political and economic developments. The World's Most Dangerous Place
Iqbal Latif - 2/10/2008
The Economist have recently dedicated cover page stories to Pakistan with a bold title The Most Dangerous Nation in the World Its Pakistan. Portraying a melodramatic picture of a hand grenade in the colours of Pakistan's national flag, the world's possibly most reliable journal has smeared Pakistan as "the world's most dangerous place." Nepal: Self-Determination or Self-Destruction
Prakash Bom - 2/5/2008
It was unfortunate not only to the people who had been excluded from the socio-political and economic process of two hundred fifty years' ruling establishment but it was also the devastating misfortune to the entire nation. It was in fact dishonor to the humanity. Therefore, the history cannot justify such a systematic feudal exclusion under the false premise of the socio-stratification that people obeyed under the state intimidation. But again it is not humanly rational to fire back with the same bully to snatch the power in democracy. In democracy the bully has self-destructive consequences.... Nepals petroleum policy: Subsidy is its one and only policy
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/5/2008
Nepalese government authorities are having a headache: In the past five years, crude oil prices have roughly tripled in nominal termsfrom around US$30 per barrel to around US$90 but at the same time, Nepalese economy has deteriorated, and as a result the authorities are having trouble reconciling ever soaring crude oil demands with its limited resources. Nepal: No one knows what tomorrow shall beckon
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/30/2008
Summer has hardly begun, and yet Nepal is already enveloped in an impenetrable heat. Most people simply dont have a clue where the nation is heading, and the few who do are not telling. Indo-US Nuclear DealRipples So Far
Monotapash Mukherjee - 1/30/2008
As expected and calculated, the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, till date, has its multi-dimensional ramifications. The Indian foreign policy has come under heavy shadow of the deal. The Indian government has been careful enough not to displease Washington in its conduct of international relations. As a result the Deal has some visible and invisible consequences for the foreign, defence and trade policies. Let us examine some of the consequences of the deal: Islamabads Straight Talk With Washington
Ahmed Quraishi - 1/30/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanI am not the only one in Islamabad using dramatic language to describe the current trust deficit between Pakistan and the United States. There is someone else in this city doing it far better: Ann W. Paterson, Bush administrations envoy to Pakistan. Gandhi and the Quest for Self-Realization
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 1/29/2008
I always wondered why an international political leader like Gandhi was addressed as Mahatma, an honorific frequently used for a spiritually elevated soul. To find an answer, I think it is essential to review his life not in parts, but as a whole. Space MilitarizationIndia in Double Dilemma
Monotapash Mukherjee - 1/29/2008
Post nuclear situation, India is being visited by a pre-nuclear weaponization dilemmato be or not to be a space-weapons state. The territorial warfare is not a thing of the past yet, but once again the shadow of space weaponization is looming large. Another Afghan Hostage
Ron Coody - 1/29/2008
Through a set of unplanned circumstances my family had the privilege of meeting Cyd Mizell this past Christmas and sharing it with her. Until a few days ago Cyd was just a normal person doing her work in the desperately needy country of Afghanistan with women who greatly appreciated her involvement in their lives. But last Saturday gunmen, still unknown, stopped her Afghan driver Muhammed, taking him and her as hostages. Within hours the story of her abduction hit the front page of papers internationally as officials try to understand what happened and why, and more importantly, how to rescue her and her driver. The Magnitude of Madheshi Enterprise
Prakash Bom - 1/29/2008
"How many Madheshi political organizations are recently formed, which are so belligerent for their ethnic right to self-determination? How many Madheshi armed groups are actively engaged for the same reason, which are threatening peace and stability in the region? How many underground criminal gangs are rampant in Terai that are taking unnecessary advantage of the movement? How much public life is destroyed and how much it is unsafe and threatened?" are the questions that must be considered by the contemporary Madheshi leaderships seriously who instigate public movements for their moral and le... The Irrelevance Of Monarchy In Nepalese Elections
Prakash Bom - 1/21/2008
In the parable of primary Upanishad convoys of gods and demons take a long journey in the forest to find their identity or 'Brahman' or God. Upon the hill in a large cave both convoys see together a glow of light shining over an oval shaped emblem of a huge rock in the dusk. Demons decide to take the emblem their identity and settle with their short journey. However, convey of gods could not agree with it. So they decide to keep searching. In their journey they find nothing to identify their 'self' with a tangible object outside of themselves. Their long journey inexorably arrives to a point w... Koirala's Untangleable Knots
Prakash Bom - 1/18/2008
I had once opportunity to engage in dialogue with the Paramahansa Sadhu upon the Himalayan foothills of Khapada national park in far western Nepal on the liberation of the soul 'unconscious yet programmed neuro-cells ' from Samsara or from the collective consciousness that keep human ignorant. It was autumn, over the blue sky the air was chilling but we were warming up in the glow of afternoon sun with our dialogue and all of a sudden a family of mountain crow drew our attention. We were astonished with the scene that how much a parent-crow was burdened with its grownup baby-crow, which had ne... Pakistans Return To Democracy
M. H. Koya, Ph.D. - 1/18/2008
With the growing internal dissatisfaction and what seems to be a heavy tilting towards the Al Qaida type of Islam, Pakistan is thirsting for a return to democracy. It is a wrong call. They will have to be clear in their head whether to have democracy or the Islamized Pakistan. Bastardization of History: Blame It On Pakistan
Iqbal Latif - 1/17/2008
Let me tell you why Pakistan and Mush are so unpopular. Lets take Mush first, it is because he calls a spade a spade; he is executing a designed programme to bring these areas within the domain of civilised world. This is part of the war on terror, and it is not a 10-second instant gratification programme. Mush is the number one target for OBL. India's food diplomacy: The other face of a friend
Igor Siljanoski - 1/17/2008
It is very strange to note that India's food business with Bangladesh is directed not only to minimize her strategic importance, but also to undermine her sovereign and independent identity. To create famine India in mid September of 2007 banned exporting 5.5 lakh tons of rice to Bangladesh though the Bangladeshi importers paid the total price of the consignment. After the debacle cyclone of mid-December, when other friendly countries of Bangladesh like America, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, etc., stood beside Bangladesh with abundant assistance, Indian foreign minister Pronab Mukharjee went to Bang... Pakistans Nukes Are Here To Stay
Ahmed Quraishi - 1/17/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanLast November, The New York Times published what many analysts in Islamabad described as a planted story, claiming that the United States had spent up to $ 100 million over the past five years to help Pakistan secure its nuclear weapons. INTERVIEW: Air Commodore Khalid Banuri - "Don't Mess With Pakistan"
Ahmed Quraishi - 1/17/2008
Pakistani officials in charge of the nations vast nuclear and strategic arsenal have spent the past few months quietly laughing at the doomsday scenarios that American politicians and media organizations have been spinning for months now. These Pakistani officials say they are calm because of their confidence in their capabilities. However, this Pakistani calm should not be mistaken for weakness. My message is: Dont mess with us, says Air Commodore Khalid Banuri, with pride. Nepal: Federalism, Justice, & Law Enforcement
Prakash Bom - 1/13/2008
The most deplorable social injustice Nepal and Nepali people have ever encountered in human history is the imposition of Hindus' caste system in their everyday life. The system was enforced by the feudal law and its elements are still one of the dominant factors in current judiciary system that is corrupt. The common law "Muluki Ain" collection of law enforcement procedures to interpret social and economic crimes such as landlord and peasant, inter-caste, and marriage disputes, for example, are still in the law enforcement practice in Nepali justice system. The judiciary system for a long ... Benazir Bhutto's Death Was Pre-Ordained
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 1/12/2008
The tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December 2007 is one of the most powerful events in contemporary South Asian history. The other parallels to this event could be assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1996 and Indira Gandhi in 1984. Even as Scotland Yard sleuths are investing her case and looking for security lapses and her probable assassins there seems some preordained force to be behind her killing. It reminds me of an Arabian Night story that I heard long ago.It goes like this... Bhutto: Why Al Qaeda Didnt Kill Her And The Pakistani Military Did?
Ahmed Quraishi - 1/8/2008
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan The confidence of the slain Pakistani prime ministers aides is amazing. You cant change their minds. Mrs. Bhutto, they say, was definitely killed by bullet wounds and not the fracture in the skull, as confirmed by Pakistani doctors at a major government-run hospital. Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal?
Prakash Bom - 1/7/2008
The primary objective of declaring Nepal 'Federal Democratic Republic' as per the mandate proclaimed upon 'People's Movement II' can not just be boiled down to the abolition of the institution of the feudal Hindu monarchy. But the fundamental demand of proclamation is to initiate the process of transformations of its entire establishments. Transformations thus imply restructuring the state that can have all inclusive 'people' representations. Transformations have therefore become necessity without which people's demand for their right to self-governance cannot be fulfilled. Implementation of transformations thus is inevitable. Federalism & National Integrity in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 1/3/2008
Federalism generally implies federation comprising a member of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central "federal" government. However, in the government level the self-governing status of the component states or regions is constitutionally established and no unilateral decision of the central government can alter it. Primarily, state or regional governments must consist of a unit of partially self-governing local governments in which people have constitutional right to govern their own constituencies. It is the partially self-governing local level of governments that play vital role for the stability, prosperity and national integrity of a federal democratic nation. Benazir Bhutto: A Victim Of American Meddling
Ahmed Quraishi - 1/3/2008
ISLAMABAD, PakistanIn 1988, the United States actively helped Benazir Bhuttos rise to power in Pakistan. Nineteen years later, Washington has seriously botched a second attempt. Mrs. Bhutto is killed in the process. The Profession Of Death
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/2/2008
Much will be said about Benazir Bhuttos assassination; little will be understood about what it truly means. Im not speaking here about Pakistan, of course, as important as is that country. But rather the lessonas if we need any morefor that broad Middle East with Pakistan at one end and the Atlantic Ocean coast on the other. Writer on Prominent Radical Islamic Web Site Gloats Over Bhuttos Death
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 1/2/2008
A writer on a radical Islamic web site forum gloated over slain Pakistani People's Party leader Benazir Bhutto's recent tragic death. The article headline read, Another sworn enemy of Allah hit the dust. 126 MRF an Indian Master Card
Monotapash Mukherjee - 12/26/2007
India's declining combat ratio with regard to air force with Pakistan has been a cause for concern in the Indian strategic community. But like every crisis, it has brought a golden opportunity for India. In fact, it can be a master card for India if handled with proper consideration. Lest we fail to understand Indian design
Igor Siljanoski - 12/26/2007
On December 16, 2007 Bangladesh entered 37 years of its existence. But during this long span of time Bangladesh could not reach its cherished goal of independence for which we fought, it rather faced unthinkable impediments and predicaments. This happened due to our utter failure of identifying our friends and foes, mending our stupidity and zeal for personal interest and power. It is our ill luck that we considered and some of us still consider our arch rival and foe as our friend. Political Consensus & Democracy
Prakash Bom - 12/26/2007
Monarchy that has no secular democratic establishment but has been sustained by the feudal propaganda and superstitions can only make arbitrary political decisions for its power. Such an establishment of a monarchy with its military power by all means tends to go against the will of people and democracy. For example, military coup in Thailand that ousted democratically elected prime minister, who is considered to be brave enough to bring sociopolitical and economic changes in the countryside of Thailand, is getting a blow out of the exit poll. People Power Party that has allies with the self-exiled prime minister is winning the election. Reporting on Nepali News Media in English
Prakash Bom - 12/21/2007
It has been very difficult for Nepali daily news readers to find out whether the news that is reported on Nepali news media in English is authentic or propaganda. Sometimes the reporting has been misrepresented unintentionally but oftentimes it is done without thorough investigations. It is basically called sloppy reporting. Nepali news media has yet to refine their reporting to achieve the media-integrity or establish the trust with their readers. Can A Democrat Like Mr. Aitzaz Ahsan Answer These Questions
Ahmed Quraishi - 12/21/2007
ISLAMABAD, PakistanYou have to wonder which side of Mr. Aitzaz Ahsans personality is more sinister: the politician? Or the lawyer? CA Elections & Choice of Ballot Modality
Prakash Bom - 12/19/2007
Political propaganda in twenty first century can hardly be a political assertion of a political party no matter how influential it is and how big historical baggage it has carried over a period of time particularly in a country like Nepal which has no democratic establishments for people to lean on. Political propaganda which is utter lie must not be taken for granted no matter how real it appears in the news media. As politicians news media are equally responsible for such propaganda unless news media have guts to study the statements and make critical comments on the issues. India's Nuclearisation Program a Scrutiny
Monotapash Mukherjee - 12/18/2007
As India is going to celebrate the first decade of nuclear weapons, several questions come to my mind. Were the pacifists right in opposing weaponization? How far has India achieved? Has it secured the status that comes with nuclearization? The Waziristan Accord
Evagoras C. Leventis - 12/18/2007
The Waziristan Accord between Pakistan's government and tribal leaders in that country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has failed not only to curb violence in the immediate region but also to restrict cross-border militant activity--including resurgent Taliban and al-Qa'ida cadres--between Pakistan's "tribal belt" and Afghanistan. The purpose of this article is to examine the Waziristan Accord and to indicate why agreements of this nature will continue to fail unless there is a substantial modification in Pakistan's internal and regional policies. Taslima Nasreen vs MF Hussein
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 12/14/2007
There is certain degree of similarity between Taslima Nasreen and MF Hussein; the first has hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslims the later the sentiments of the Hindus. What could have been a rallying point of hurt sentiments has turned out to be a case of mud slinging between the two dominant faiths in India. U.S. Diplomat To Pakistani Journalist: Youre Spreading Anti-Americanism
Ahmed Quraishi - 12/11/2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan For all those who thought the Pakistani State is a soft punching bag, I have breaking news: No More. Indias Dilemma: Farmers rising suicide rate
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 12/9/2007
In the eyes of the world, India is poised to be the worlds next great economy. While that principle is widely applauded, the details tend to be problematic. The changes in the Indian economy have been all pain, no gain for most of its small farmers. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel-A Born Satyagrahi
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 12/9/2007
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel always remained bound to constitutional and democratic values. History has borne witness to his commitment to these principles. Vallabhbhai Patel was a born Satyagraha-a seeker of Truth. It was in his nature to launch Satyagraha-the pursuit for Truth-to ensure justice would be served. In his childhood, youth and even in the declining phase of his life, we see his struggling nature. Even so, he was a true follower of Gandhian principles. Gandhiji was his ideal. A letter to a Friend on Disagreements in Contemporary Nepali Thinking
Prakash Bom - 12/9/2007
I am sure there are many things regarding religion we disagree. But simply I do not practice religion of faith that is devoid of rational thinking (meaning superstition). The 87% of population of the world may, but I won't (forget about how much majority of Nepali may have been in this regard). I will try to keep my word until I take my last breath. The Jacobins of West Bengal
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 12/6/2007
A lot has been written on the intra-proletariat struggle being witnessed at Nadigram, some 90 miles from the eastern metropolis of Kolkotta. Some described it as a clash between the agrarian forces and those who favor industrialization. Other said it was a revolt against the dictatorship of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) that rules West Bengal for last four decades. Many others blame it on the opposition in West Bengal particularly Trinamool Congress that attempted to cash on the discontentment of the people of Nandigram. The Other Side of Babasaheb Ambedkar - The Maker of the Indian Constitution
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 12/6/2007
Babasaheb Ambedkar is principally known for his voice raised for upliftment of Dalits and down-trodden section of society and the work he did for them. Secondly, he is remembered for his ability and competence as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly, formed to frame the Constitution of India. Indeed, his both of these works were of great importance and every right thinking and righteous Indian is proud of his performance and had profound regard for him. Political Consensus or Catastrophe
Prakash Bom - 12/6/2007
Nepali Congress could have never reached this far with the democracy had it shouldered itself with the institution of the monarchy based on its principle of national reconciliation. The proposal was originally propounded and constituted in this phrase "Mine and the monarch's necks are set on the same cutting board" by the prominent South Asian socialist leader and NC founder the honorable late BP Koirla. In fact, this was rather a political tactic more than a principle for NC to follow up with the great expectation that the despotic monarch could include them under the provision of multipart... Nepal: One step Forward But Two Back
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 12/3/2007
"As a man sows, so shall he reap," is a biblical lesson that really means something in the politics too, where sustainability critically depends upon the conversion of promises into real and concrete people friendly actions. One party in Nepal, however, knows far better than most what it is to reap the whirlwind. Inchoate Images of Changing India
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 12/2/2007
Ever since the liberalization of Indias economy in the early nineties there have been few things that have been happening simultaneously in the country. The obvious is the shift towards the capitalist model of economy and the spectacular rise in the rate of the Gross Domestic Product. The second glaring feature is the rise of Hindu religious nationalism spearheaded by Bhartiya Janata Party, a right wing Hindu political outfit. The third trait is the explosion of media particularly electronic thats having a huge bearing on the social and the cultural scene of the Indian society. Pakistan: Is A Bad Dictator Really Good?
Iqbal Latif - 12/1/2007
An emotional Pervez Musharraf relinquished his post by handing over his ceremonial baton Wednesday to his successor, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, who is widely expected to maintain the army's pro-Western policies Balkanization, Not Talibanization, is the Real Threat Facing Pakistan
Yousuf Nazar - 12/1/2007
Pakistans establishment and sections of its media have perfected the art of projecting the most irrelevant topics as national issues of paramount importance. Uniform is one such example. Some newspapers even published comments to the effect whether it was the beginning of a drastic transformation. Really; transformation to a completely failed state from a failed state? Another general? So what? Nepal: Political Impasse, PM & Resolution
Prakash Bom - 11/30/2007
Political leaderships who often fail to learn from their mistakes that they had repeatedly committed in their struggle for democracy have terribly fell short in creating political culture in their party that can embrace radical change for the nation. This is disgracefully true with 'Nepali Congress Party' leaderships. Consequently, other political party whether leftist or rightist followed less or more the same role model until this current political gridlock. Do Nepalese Deserve The Leaders They Get?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/27/2007
A countrys foundations are laid down by its leaders. In order to build on these foundations, a country has to first identify such leaders and implicitly work with them and in a more personal term, respect those who have made such contributions to the nations in the past. But unfortunately, Nepal lacks such visionary leaders. Though it doesnt mean that all of our leaders are worthless, there were some and there are some who have spend their life to build a foundation to achieve their mission. Popular Movement Threatens Musharraf's Applecart
Muhammad Shafiq - 11/27/2007
After the return of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family to Pakistan on November 25, the process of "national reconciliation," initiated by President General Pervez Musharraf was completed. However, his unhindered arrival, despite some 'friendly' baton-charge on his party workers at the Lahore airport, indicates a change of hearts on both sides, especially after his forcible re-exile to Saudi Arabia on September 10. Only 3,000 workers turned out to receive him, but the next few months will determine his future course of politics in the country. Poll Rigging In Pakistan
Muhammad Shafiq - 11/25/2007
After the installation of a partial caretaker setup in the country, called an extension of the outgoing ruling PML-Q by PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, the stage is set for massive rigging in the general election, scheduled for January 8, 2008. The fate of the polls was sealed after martial law was imposed in the name of emergency to tame the judiciary, the media, especially independent TV channels and the opposition, to pave the way for the success of the king's party in the upcoming election. Plan to Turn the Tables on Pakistan Military
Ahmed Quraishi - 11/21/2007
This is not about Pervez Musharraf anymore. This is about clipping the wings of a strong Pakistani military, denying space for China in Pakistan, squashing the ISI, stirring ethnic unrest, and neutralizing Pakistans nuclear program. The first shot in this plan was fired in Pakistans Balochistan province in 2004. The last bullet will be toppling Musharraf, sidelining the military and installing a pliant government in Islamabad. Musharraf shares the blame for letting things come this far. But he is also punching holes in Washingtons game plan. He needs to be supported. Gandhism In Response To Conflicts
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 11/21/2007
Before initiating discussion pertaining to conflict resolution and Gandhism, we must first firmly keep in mind that Gandhism revolves around non-violence; Gandhism maintains its existence through non-violence and cannot stray from its domain. Nepal: Party Line Politics or Political Dilemma
Prakash Bom - 11/21/2007
Party line politics implies hunger for power and if it is the root cause of political impasse then it is not that difficult to figure it out. But if it is political dilemma then it is a question of misconception. Misconceptions can inevitably mislead the nation. For example, if Maoists are sincerely committed to democracy as per their agreements with the alliance (SPA), then they cannot be ambitious with their ideology of totalitarianism. If they do then that would not only be just fallacy but also utter betrayal of people's aspiration for democracy. Can Constructive Politics Prevail in Nepal?
Prakash Bom - 11/18/2007
Democratic state of affair for a nation inevitably evolves when people by large disagree with the status quo of the current system of government. This simply means people are economically repressed, ethnically marginalized and socially stratified. Therefore, people have neither democratic rights nor justice. Twelve years conflict has transformed the perception of people with the question "why would otherwise Maoists rebel with arms?" Even those people who oppose Maoists have not denied this perception. A Voice from Pakistan: Mr. Negroponte, Please Go Home
Yousuf Nazar - 11/18/2007
The US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is in Islamabad to ask Musharraf to lift emergency and hold free and fair elections in Pakistan, according to the state department sources. His real purpose is to revive Musharraf- Bhutto negotiations in order to find a way out of the stalemate caused by Generals illegal and unconstitutional actions that have forced Pakistan's opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to take a firm stand and demand Musharrafs resignation. Mr. Negroponte called Musharraf an indispensable ally only a few days ago and it is clear that the US... Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru-The First Prime Minister of India
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 11/15/2007
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru [1889-1964] was among those few on the forefront, who struggling under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi for 22 years [1920-1942], achieved freedom from the shackles of British Empire. It was he who presided over four sessions of the Indian National Congress [1929, 1936, 1937 and 1946] before countrys independence. Undoubtedly, he possessed multi-dimensional personality, and no one, even from his critics or opponents, can be doubtful of this fact. It was in June 1920 that an attractive youth Jawaharlal Nehru educated from Harrow and Cambridge Universities and who was a... Pakistani Emergency: A Failure To Be Grown Ups
Iqbal Latif - 11/15/2007
How much can a Chief Justice interfere with the executive arm of the country? A democratic country has fundamental and defined lines of jurisdiction. Pakistans dismissed Chief Justice, Chaudhry Iftikhar, should have exercised some semblance of sensibility and prudence after being reinstated. Releasing 61 terrorists was hardly evidence of that. How much did the US Chief Justices, William Rehnquist, or the present John G. Roberts, interfere in the Guantanamo Bay inmates case despite being inundated with applications? Afghanistan Lost and Pakistan on the Brink
Yousuf Nazar - 11/15/2007
The statement of US Defense Secretary Robert Gates that Pakistans unrest could distract its War on Terror appalls me. The people of Pakistan with their country under martial law and thousands of freedom loving lawyers and activists in jail, are worried about their countrys future, put at stake due to the blunders of a US-backed military general. They consider the insurgency on their northern frontiers War on Terror for the US just a distraction and a disaster brought upon them by a thoughtless American-designed and American-funded military campaign. Senator Joe Biden likens Pakistan to I... Dirty Politics In Nepal
Prakash Bom - 11/13/2007
It is a question of honesty and seriousness of the political leaderships more than of media that spread dirty politics news. Dirty politics is nothing but a partisan politics publicity stunt. It is either stage managed by a party that is not satisfied the way political developments are heading or media is simply manipulating it to draw the public attention for their publicity. Benazir's Bad Bargain
Muhammad Shafiq - 11/10/2007
PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto faces the toughest test of her political career after she has cut a power sharing deal with President General Pervez Musharraf, as she will have to wage a dedicated and long struggle, not only to keep her pro-people image in the country intact, but also save herself from the fate of General Musharraf who is heading fast to history's dustbin, like previous military generals of Pakistan. Terror Reigns In Pakistan
Muhammad Shafiq - 11/9/2007
Pakistan 's military rulers imposed martial law in the country in the name of emergency to give it a soft look to avoid the world pressure. A martial law in the 21st century can only be imposed in Pakistan which, common people believe, was created for generals and politicians to advance a US agenda in the country and the region. The latest military action was the most dubious in the history of the country, because the rulers not only shattered their so-called 'enlightened moderation' image, but also staged a coup against their own government, targeting the judiciary and media, which were showing increasing independence and pro-people stance. F-Word Disturbs Thailand's Elections
Richard S. Ehrlich - 11/9/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's next prime minister could be a "vulgar" and "ultra right-wing" politician who shocked this Buddhist nation when he used the f-word during a boisterous televised news conference on Thursday (November 8) at the start of election campaigning. "Who did you fornicate with last night?" People Power Party (PPP) leader Samak Sundaravej asked a female reporter representing Thailand's Nation News Agency, while dodging her question about his new party's squabbling. Capital Account Convertibility: Don't Bell the Cat!
Ashish Goel - 11/8/2007
While there is no formal definition of CAC, the Tarapore committee (1997) defined it as the freedom to convert local financial assets into foreign assets and vise-versa at market determined rate of exchange. It is associated with changes of ownership in foreign/domestic financial assets and liabilities and embodies the creation and liquidation of claims on, or by, the rest of the world. At present there is partial CAC in India . As a part of India s external economic policy, Capital Account Convertibility has remained a controversial issue for quite sometime. The committee[1] on Capital Acc... Bangladesh: Why are Voters Nonchalant About Elections?
Badrul Islam - 11/7/2007
Turkey, recently, through elections overcame a political crisis that ensued because the Military and the Opposition secular Party, both, blocked the nomination of its Foreign Minister, Abdullah Gul, whose wife wears a headscarf. They felt that countrys secularism was in danger. The ruling Islamist-oriented Justice and Development (AK) Party refuted this claim and also denied that it wants to turn Turkey into an Iranian style theocracy. In the Election campaign Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Eurodan, Turkeys most popular politician, urged voters to grant him a fresh five-year mandate, to conti... Hindu Groups Announce 'Guerrilla War' In Nepal
Prakash Bom - 11/6/2007
A new alliance of Hindu groups Monday warned it would unleash a 'guerrilla war' in seven days to press its demand for reinstating a Hindu state in Nepal. Gandhi and Conflicts of Democracy
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/22/2007
Just like being simple in his individual life, Mahatma Gandhi was equally simple in his work and ideas. His personality was neither of the kind of perpendicular nor was it angled. His appeal to the people was always direct. That is why; during his entire lifetime he neither was considered an eminent intellectual in the academic sense of the term, nor was he accepted as a great scholar, thinker and philosopher. However, it is another matter that after his passing away, he became a centre of study and research for so many scholars and intellectuals of both-the East and the West; perhaps the larg... Photographic Evidence Of Burmese Army's Ethnic Cleansing
Angelique van Engelen - 10/22/2007
The troubles in Burma are best relayed visually because the authorities there are so vigilant about photographic and video evidence of their brutalities. Now they have satellite imaging to reckon with too. A review of the most harrowing accounts. After The Blast: 10 Questions For Benazir Bhutto
Ahmed Quraishi - 10/20/2007
ISLAMABAD, PakistanBenazir Bhuttos husband Asif Zardari accuses our intelligence agencies from his home in Dubai of orchestrating the attack on his wife, while Mrs. Bhutto, sitting in Karachi, pointedly refuses to blame the spooks even when reporters mention her husbands statement. Indian Inroads Towards Global Culture
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/19/2007
It was on Thursday, for the first time in U.S. history, the United States Senate opened with a Hindu prayer. Rajan Zed, a U.S. citizen originally from India and chaplain of the Indian Association of Northern Nevada, was invited as a guest chaplain through the introduction of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. President Musharraf, Why The Political Opportunism?
Abd al-Hameed - 10/16/2007
LAHORE, Pakistan. We are in despair, Mr. President. You have de-focused the bright picture that you had created in our minds about yourself. Now we see dark clouds on the horizon. The Ultimate Money Laundering In Pakistan
Ahmed Quraishi - 10/15/2007
ISLAMABAD, PakistanFirst the good news: The deal is not as bad as one feared, but very unfortunate nevertheless. It will damage Mrs. Benazir Bhutto-Zardari more than General Pervez Musharraf, though she gets what she really wanted our money that she had allegedly stolen some $1.5 billion of it according to her former President Farooq Leghari. Gandhi's Philosophy of Ahimsa and Its Application to Current International Conflicts
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/14/2007
The best or essential part of Gandhis philosophy as a whole can be grasped from his own statement: The whole gamut of mans activitiesconstitutes an indivisible whole. You cannot divide life, social, economic, political and purely religious, into watertight compartments Pakistan Needs Restructuring, Not Elections
Ahmed Quraishi - 10/14/2007
ISLAMABAD, PakistanThere is a reason why you cant find better alternatives when talking about a post-Musharraf Pakistan. Pakistani political parties never developed into viable institutions capable of generating leadership. And you cant blame this one on the Pakistani military. The Crisis Of Pakistan: A Dangerously Weak State
Prof. Isaac Kfir - 10/13/2007
This paper explores several key elements undermining the viability of the Pakistani state: Islamism, tribalism, ethno-nationalism, and quasi-secularism. The demands of each of these movements are difficult to reconcile with the needs of the others. At the same time, these movements exert pressure on a very weak government and state system. Hence, the author argues that unless the current regime undertakes substantial structural reforms, Pakistan may come apart at the seams, with dire consequences for regional and international stability. Satyagraha, Conflict Transformation and Sustainable Culture of Peace
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/11/2007
Satyagraha means pursuit of Truth. For Mahatma Gandhi it is a restless search for Truth and determination to reach Truth. In practice, Satyagraha is an Ahimsak-the non-violent struggle of Mahatma Gandhi, perhaps the most courageous and glorious experiment ever made by a person in the entire human history. Generally, it can be legitimately offered by a person, who respects rule of law and otherwise obeys law, but, in fact, a Satyagrahi refuses to obey the law, which he feels is wrong and immoral. After breaking such a law, by accepting the extreme penalty set for the so-called offence, he respe... Pakistani jets pound militant stronghold in Waziristan
Iqbal Latif - 10/11/2007
Those who can win a war well rarely make good peace and those who could make good peace would never have won the war. Managing Presidential Elections in Pakistan
Rahul Bhonsle - 10/10/2007
The cat is now out of the bag on Pakistans Presidential elections. Pakistan Muslim League (PML) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in a press conference at Prime Ministers House on 7 October stated that the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) of 2007 was a master stroke to divide the opposition and get President Musharraf elected. We wanted to gain political mileage from [the NRO], and we were successful because President Musharraf got votes from all parts of the country and the opposition could not make the election controversial, said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz as per a report in th... Gandhi On Value Education
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/10/2007
Mahatma Gandhis name requires no introduction because of his invaluable contribution to the national liberation movement of India. It was he who awakening crores of people on the strength of non-violent activities, engaging them to an action, challenging the mighty empire of the world, ultimately threw the yoke of slavery. Those who believed that not a single country in the world history had achieved its freedom except by violent means, the action of Mahatma Gandhi compelled them to re-think and also to change their mentality. His reputation as a true nationalist as well as an internationalis... Remembering Gandhi On The 60th Anniversary of India's Independence
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/9/2007
Role and contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom movement of India is noteworthy, extraordinary and exemplary. And those who are familiar with the whole series of events of the national liberation movement of the county know how he awakened the masses on the strength of Ahimsa-the non-violence; made them realized the value of independence and accorded Satyagraha-the best and infallible weapon and called them cut down their centuries old chains of slavery. People of India, crores in number, came to the forefront and ultimately in the year 1947 India became free from the political rule of the English. KP Bhattarai Once Again
Prakash Bom - 10/9/2007
You can delude people sometimes but you cannot deceive them all the time do not think Nepali are living in post-April Uprising and post Maoist insurgency era, Mr. KP Bhattarai. You may never change your mindset as one of the founders of NC but Nepali people have changed radically and we know our aspiration for our nation precisely. Because we have fought for it and we are far ahead of even any political party leaderships. Army and it's Democratization; a misinterpreted issue in Nepal
Arjun Bishta - 10/8/2007
A major issue which always disturbs this columnist is the new terminology being debated in Nepal, i.e. the "Democratization of the Nepalese Army". I think this issue has always been misinterpreted by Nepalese think tanks. How can a neutral, completely apolitical, transparent and sensitive instrument of the National power be seen with political ideology and blamed for not being democratic? The reality is; the army of a democratic nation should exercise and display democratic transformations and this is what the Nepalese Army is demonstrating now. So, Why to have unnecessary suspicions and pour blames over a true and strong pillar of the Nation; the Army. Making Movies About Mahatma Gandhi
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/8/2007
On the eve of Indias 60eth independence a film GANDHI: MY FATHER by famous actor Anil Kapoor has been released which explicates rift betwixt Mahatma Gandhi and his son Harilal over a certain matter. It is said that the Mahatma did not help his son in getting a scholarship with the fear that he would be accused of nepotism. The producer of the film claims that through this story he has brought to the limelight an untouched aspect of Mahatma Gandhis life. However, it is not true as many amongst his contemporaries were aware of it; people like me know it. Not only had this, the Mahatmas differences with his youngest son Devdas were also known to many. Hindu Groups Announce 'guerrilla War' In Nepal
Prakash Bom - 10/8/2007
A new alliance of Hindu groups Monday warned it would unleash a 'guerrilla war' in seven days to press its demand for reinstating a Hindu state in Nepal. The warning comes less than a fortnight after unknown perpetrators set off serial blasts that rocked Kathmandu, killing three people and injuring over two dozen. Bin Laden Declares War On Musharraf
Iqbal Latif - 10/6/2007
Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden called on Pakistanis to rebel against President Pervez Musharraf in a new recording released on Thursday, saying his military's siege of a militant mosque stronghold makes him an infidel. Bashing Musharraf is a global past time of much ado about nothing liberal media. The authoritarian is a great democrat, a day does not pass by where three dedicated 24 hours new services run the most libellous and scandalous news about the tyrant. Disparaging Musharraf the tyrant and admiring Mulla Omar and OBL the benevolent democrats is a national Pakistani past time. Shivers go down my spine when I think of a Pakistan where Omar/OBL liberals rule the country. Protests of the Burma Buddhists
Richard S. Ehrlich - 10/6/2007
ens of thousands of maroon-robed monks are trying to stage a Buddhist revolution against Burma's military regime, but Buddhists in next-door Thailand have not lent support to the Burmese quest for democratic enlightenment. Burma's Buddhist clergy, including young novices, ordained monks and senior abbots, are said to be as numerous as the armed forces in the impoverished nation also known as Myanmar. An estimated 500,000 monasteries and temples -- many of them in disrepair and weakened by cracks and mildew -- are scattered throughout Burma, the biggest country in mainland Southeast Asia. On th... Tiananmen Square: Burmese-style
Richard S. Ehrlich - 10/5/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Burma is apparently using photos sent to Web sites, TVs and other media to arrest protestors, while praising China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown which turned foreign news videos into virtual wanted posters to capture its dissidents. "Residents say military trucks patrol neighborhood streets during the night with loudspeakers broadcasting warnings: 'We have Patel, the Iron-man and maker of United India
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/5/2007
It is fifty-seven years since Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels death. He is still a topic of socio-political discussions in India. It is not something unusual. It is in consequence of the achievements he had made for the Indian society and the nation. They are unique and will ever be remembered. Today he is regarded as a very practical man of his time on one hand and on the other he is considered as a statesman having comparatively superior and practical ideas than his contemporary national leaders. The next Chief ? Safe keeper of the strategic assets!
Iqbal Latif - 10/4/2007
Why does The Newsweek have to carry a major story on the next chief of Pakistani Army, many a senior statesman or Junta leaders from the third world would envy for such a recognition? An unwritten preamble for continued strategic relationships between western geo strategists and Pakistan Army is grounded on continued dialogue on security affairs in the North where Al Qaida is holed in. In this milieu an Islamic nuclear country facing renewed intensity of suicide attacks by the Al Qaida militants, a strong, effective, smart, tough, talented commanderand pro-Western leaning chief is a must fo... Relevance of Gandhism To Society
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/4/2007
Although during his entire lifetime Mahatma Gandhi neither wrote any particular book on society nor he contributed constantly with a series of articles to express his views systematically on it, even then he had vast knowledge of ground reality of society and its functioning through its different parts; and through that knowledge he went to the root of those social problems, particularly concerning to the Indian Society, which were the most serious in his time, and some of them are still problem-oriented, and then he also accorded suggestions to make the society on the basis on equality, fraternity, mutual trust and understanding. Burma's Bloggers
Richard S. Ehrlich - 10/1/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Dodging a deadly military crackdown, bloggers in Burma are now on the front lines providing news and photos of death and insurrection. Their Internet blogs, written in Burmese language and grammatically-flawed English, are mostly by people living in the commercial port of Rangoon, also known as Yangon, where Buddhist monks, pro-democracy activists and residents have been defying security forces during more than a week of protests. The bloggers rely on word-of-mouth, cell phones, online chat groups, instant messaging, and first-hand experience in barricaded streets amid tear gas and gunfire. Why Rama and Ramayana remained ideal for Millions, and Especially for Gandhi
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 10/1/2007
Ramayana is neither an epic nor it is a treatise which is composed in rich diction and a grand style. In fact, it is delineation of the life and deeds of Maryada-Purushottama Rama. The main characteristic of Ramayana is its universality. Therein almost all aspects of life have been vividly depicted. According to PA Barannikow, idealism, realism, humanism and catholicity have been fully incorporated in it. The significance of Ramayana has not faded with time. It has found a place in the hearts of all rich, poor, scholars or illiterates alike. Millions of people not only in India but also in ot... Sword of Damocles hanging over the Presidents head is removed
Iqbal Latif - 10/1/2007
Pakistani Supreme court in a land mark decision has allowed President Musharraf to continue the office and contest the forth coming election in uniform, the decision was based on a majority of 6 to 3. Supreme Court of Pakistan today (Friday) in its epoch-making short verdict dismissed all the constitutional petitions declaring them not maintainable and, therefore, President General Pervez Musharraf could contest the presidential election. The majority comprised of Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokar, Justice Falak Sher, ... Burma's Dictator
Richard S. Ehrlich - 9/27/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Much of the world now knows about Burma's struggling Buddhist revolution for democracy, but the dictator who rules the country is still obscure, grimly hidden behind dark sunglasses and a uniform decorated with military medals. General Than Shwe (pronounced: "tan shway") is occasionally seen saluting Burma's powerful armed forces at parades and other ceremonies, his jowls framing a plump, sullen face. He was born in 1933, when Burma was under British colonial rule. That may explain his regime's frequent warnings that Britain, and America, want to exploit the underdeveloped country as an economic colony and establish a U.S. military base. India In The 21 Century
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 9/27/2007
In 1995, Prof. M.K. Bryski, the then Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in India was invited to Meerut City by me for a memorial lecture. Prof. Bryski explained Indo-European relations and mainly discussed the role and contribution of India in 21st Century. Not only as an Indian, but as a citizen of the world, I listened to his views. Many truths about India which cannot be denied by anyone - general or particular - had been touched by Prof. Bryski, therefore, today, I too would like to express my views under the title: India and the world : With special reference to 21st Century in the same manner as done by Prof. Bryski. Uncertainty grips Pakistan
Muhammad Zain - 9/27/2007
Pakistan has reached a critical juncture of its history, where developments on political and judicial fronts in the next few days and weeks will define its future as a progressive and democratic state or a country doomed to military rule. The situation is uncertain, not only for President General Pervez Musharraf who is seeking his re-election in uniform from the present assemblies on October 6, but also for the opposition which has failed to evolve a joint strategy for resignations against his re-election. However, both parties are anxiously awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on a petition against his two offices – President and Chief of Army Staff. "Scanty" Dresses vs. Nepali Cultural Perception
Amit Pyakurel - 9/27/2007
Alongside the flamboyant political discourses, what has been oft-repeated in Nepal's national dailies currently are the arguments over women's revealing attires. Dissenters often argue that this has put our national culture at stake and the practice is unethical and unacceptable to "our" society. Others argue that it's the individual choice for what to wear or not and merely resemble the issue as our changing cultural perception and way of living. Alliance for Democracy & Human Rights in Nepal
Prakash Bom - 9/26/2007
The reasoning of some NC central committee members against the Parliamentary verdict for the declaration of a Republic state is a propensity to the status qua. Sincerely, at this national political crises political leaderships must be flexible. Nation cannot afford political obnoxious and public unrest. For the sake of people and their aspiration political leaderships must be able to transcend their stands no matter how democratic they think their stands are. Judge suppressing the freedom of the Press in India
Binod Ringania - 9/25/2007
Guwahati, India - India’s Delhi High Court sentenced four journalists to four months in jail because of their work uncovering alleged corruption involving a former India Supreme Court chief justice. Indian Culture and Social Life
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 9/21/2007
Indian Culture is one of the ancient cultures of the world and due to certain unique features; it is still before us in its original form. Similarly, Indian social life has had an identity of its own and for centuries, it has taught many lessons to mankind. Many of these are not only important but worth adopting today. What are the unique features of Indian Culture? How it is still in its original form before us? And what are the lessons that Indian social life has taught to the human world which are important and worth adopting? Before discussing these questions, it would be better to know the meaning of culture. Musharrafs Million Woes
Saberi Roy - 9/20/2007
Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf seems to be facing too many pressures even though there are speculations that he will relinquish his army post to become a more acceptable civilian president. But does this assurance help in improving Musharrafs image? And will the people of Pakistan still accept him after elections? There were reports of Musharraf negotiating with Bhutto and Sharif expressing his desire to hold on to the throne of the President and the Bhutto camp may not accept this. So like Nawaz Sharif will Bhutto be sent back too when she attempts return to Pakistan? Probably she will be allowed to return and if so, will that change the dynamics of the situation any further? People-To-People Relations in Indo-Pakistani Relations
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 9/20/2007
In these days of globalization when healthy relations in every walk of life and based on mutual cooperation among the all nations of the world have become inevitable for genuine progress, it is the demand of time that political and economic relations betwixt India and Pakistan are set right; and in this regard people-to people contact, as wished by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance and the President of the Indian National Congress, can prove to be effective to a large extent. Murder of royalist leads to riots in south Nepal
Prakash Bom - 9/17/2007
KATHMANDU: The murder of a local strongman, alleged to have mafia links and backed by the royal regime, triggered raging riots in southern Nepal on Sunday, with two more people feared killed and dozens of houses, hotels and vehicles attacked by mobs. Thailand Coup Anniversary
Richard S. Ehrlich - 9/17/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand -- One year after the military toppled Thailand's elected government in a bloodless coup, this Buddhist-majority ally of America now suffers splits over its failure to put ousted officials on trial for alleged corruption and extra-judicial killings. Nepal Political 'Elites' Lacking Sensibility
Amit Pyakurel - 9/16/2007
The aftermath discourse about the triple blasts (on September 2nd) in Kathmandu among the political 'elites' have been too occupied by the "all important" political conjectures, which but seems to be underestimating the invaluable human facet relating to this grievous incident. The optimism and worries regarding the proposed CA polls are reasonable. But at the same time there seems a lack of human sensitivity towards the ill-timed loss of lives and irreparable trauma of the victims and their close ones out of this and similar other heinous acts. Gandhi: The Embodiment Of Indian Cultural Heritage
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 9/15/2007
Speaking in a conference at Allahabad on April 5, 1936, Mahatma Gandhi said about India Culture, Many of us are striving to produce a blend of all the cultures which seems today to be in clash with one another. No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive. There is no such thing as pure Aryan Culture in existence in India Today. Whether the Aryans were indigenous to India or were unwelcome intruders, does not interest me much. What does interest me is the fact that my remote ancestors blended with one another with the utmost freedom and we of the present generation are result of that blend. Adams' Bridge- Faith Verses National Interest
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 9/15/2007
The case of "Adams' Bridge", a mythical barrier situated south-east of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, India, connecting Talaimanar coast of Sri Lanka has snowballed into a faith verses national interest controversy. The Supreme Court of India is hearing a public interest litigation petition on the multi core Sethusamundram canal project that involves dredging of a sea channel cutting across the Adams' Bridge across the Gulf of Mannar . Relevance of Gandhism in Modern Polity
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 9/14/2007
Presently a big portion of the world happens to be under Democratic system of Government. Theoretically, this system stands out to be the best up to now. This is a truth. It is the best because people are connected with it directly or indirectly at every level. Not only this, it is this very system, which provides maximum opportunities of public progress and development. People can themselves decide in this system the mode of their welfare. However, even though being theoretically the best system of government, if we peruse the democratic nations, we first of all find that there is non-equal d... There is no light at the end of this tunnel in India
Geetanjali Jha - 9/13/2007
The birth of a daughter, grant it elsewhere, here grant a son". That is a saying from a sacred scripture in India. It illustrates the attitude of Indian society towards womankind. It is a heartbreaking realization that the gender bias, deep-rooted prejudice and discrimination against girls, which have been plaguing the society for centuries, are now found to begin in the mother's womb itself. While the Media is rejoicing the economic growth in China and India, these nations suffer the worst form of violation of human rights. A recent report by UNICEF said India kills almost 7,000 girls everyday by abortion. Caste, Class and The Problem of Establishment of Peace In The Indian Subcontinent
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 9/13/2007
Needless to dwell in the remote past, but till today the division of human society on the basis of caste and class distinctions, has yet been subsisting as the main hurdle in t he way of establishment of perpetual peace on earth. It is a world-wide problem. It is just possible that its form may be discerned differently in different parts of the world. It is also possible that the ultimate result or effect of this problem may appear to us somewhat distinctive in various regions. Democratic Intervention in Nepal
Arjun Bishta - 9/13/2007
Envisioning of bizarre intrusion over a democratic Government in 21st Century may sense idiocy, but, Nepal instantly needs a real democratic intervention now. Otherwise, who is going to safeguard the survival of this realm, whose identity is endangered? Eight Party coalitions is at the verge of collapse, Maoists still pretense power and hoard proud of their arms caches. Intuition of revolt is congregating among CHURE BHABHARs' hilly people and Indigenous society, cricks of Young Communist league and other Maoists' sister organizations has reached to the apex. Social security situation is alarming and most of the instruments of national power have been crippled. Intransigent Reactionaries In Nepal
Prakash Bom - 9/13/2007
One of the most sensible and intelligent strategies for the successful CA elections that EPA leaderships and the government cabinet can adopt is how to minimize their own tactless and undemocratic practice that give scope for reactionary forces to recoil. First of all, EPA must have firm solidarity for the CA elections so that they all can go together to the poll to achieve the common goal establishing Federal Democratic Republic. Prior to CA elections EPA leaderships and government cabinet must observe democratic practice strictly to address all intransigent crises. Nawaz Sharif Triumphant return or betrayal of a promise?
Iqbal Latif - 9/12/2007
For the guarantors of the agreement, it was considered a betrayal, but for Sharif it was a triumphant return. Unfortunately, neither was there a million-man crowd waiting to greet him at the airport nor was there a mass movement against the Musharraf government. His idea and body language over the course of last week showed as if he were given a mantle of a Pakistani Mandela, or Imam Khomeini. He wanted to recreate the scenes of Tehran and repeatedly argued that no jail was big enough to keep him in. Regrettably what Sharif failed to understand is the hard lesson of history, what you put i... Nawaz Sharif: A Good Man, Maybe, But No Hero
Ahmed Quraishi - 9/12/2007
ISLAMABAD, PakistanMr. Nawaz Sharifs latest move scores him some points but does not make him a hero. It is also a reminder for Pakistanis that they need to generate new leadership for the future instead of recycling old faces from the past. Nawaz deportation raises duststorm in Pakistan
Muhammad Zain - 9/12/2007
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was deported to Saudi Arabia by a special plane, but the take-off left a long trail of black clouds over the situation of rule of law and Pakistan's future as a democratic country. Gandhi and Higher Education
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 9/10/2007
Mahatma Gandhi in his article titled National Education published in Young India on 1 September, 1921 has written that it might be true regarding other countries but in India where 80% of the population is occupied with agriculture and 10% of it with industries, it is an offense to make education merely literary. It is apparent from these lines that according to Mahatma Gandhi, education is not limited to gain literary knowledge. Although he has tried to confine his above mentioned statement within the Indian perspective, in my opinion education cannot be restricted to the knowledge of lett... Nepal Aggrieved by the Recent Act of Terror
Amit Pyakurel - 9/9/2007
It was a gloomy Sunday evening (September 2, 2007), when we were shocked and grieved to witness the inhumanely horrible bomb blasts in the capital Kathmandu, the very heart of the nation, that has, as yet, claimed the lives of two blameless students of a college and a woman, and even those who managed to survive would bear the tragic brunt of this incident for their lifetime as some of them have been seriously injured or handicapped with their limbs or legs cut-off. Though we had seen number of casualties at the time of the insurgency in the past, this is the first of its kind when such an a... Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and the Demise of One More of Americas Client Dictators
Timothy Brown - 9/9/2007
Previous foreign policy has seen the United States cooperate with, support, and engender dictatorial leaders at the expense of democratic development and reform for geo-strategic interest. Ferdinand Marcos, the Shah of Iran, Papa and Baby Doc Duvalier, Manuel Noriega, Saddam Hussein, Augusto Pinochet, and President-General Pervez Musharraf are a sampling of the client dictators that the United States has used in order to stave off regional communist expansion, contain Islamic revolution, and combat global trans-national terrorism. The United States has accommodated the above although they rule... Pakistan 's political crisis worsens
Muhammad Zain - 9/4/2007
Pakistan 's political crisis has deepened after exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto announced returning home even if she failed to strike a power-sharing deal with President General Pervez Musharraf. Her announcement came on the heel of another exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's scheduled homecoming on September 10. The situation has left President General Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally on its so-called war on terror, facing a double-edge sword, honed by a proactive judiciary. Indias Largest Naval War Game in Bay of Bengal
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 9/3/2007
The largest-ever war game hosted by the Indian Navy, codenamed Malabar CY 07-2, kicked off in the Bay of Bengal from 4-9 September. However, this has stirred a hornets nest in the country. Opinions remain divided for and against New Delhis military engagement with the US. Metathesis of Indo-Pak Relations
Panchanan Bhoi, Ph.D. - 9/2/2007
For the past several years predominantly the pro-Pakistan secessionist and foreign mercenaries have been very active in the Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the parts of India indulging in the brutal acts of suicidal killings, explosion, arson, espionage, sabotage, and subversion. The militants are not only dictating their terms to the people but also to the security agencies, even in some areas they run parallel government and hoist foreign flag. People feel helpless as militants have upper hand in clashes with the security agencies so their call for hartal and bandh are promptly carried out. In... Malabar CY 07-2 Undeterred By Criticism
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 9/2/2007
The largest-ever war game hosted by the Indian Navy, codenamed MALABAR CY 07-2, kicks off in the Bay of Bengal from September 4 to 9, 2007. However, this has stirred a hornets nest in the country. Opinions remain divided for and against New Delhis military engagement with the Washington. Gandhi On The Problem Of Communalism
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 9/2/2007
Communalism is one of the most serious problems that India has to face after her freedom from colonial rule in the mid of 20eth Century. This problem, which has existed among the followers of two principal religious communities- Hindus and interests of whole society, then it may be termed as communalism. Let Nepal's Hope Be Fulfilled
Amit Pyakurel - 9/2/2007
The political mood turned quite ambivalent regarding the latest announcement by the CPN (Maoist) to initiate campaign to force the government to establish republic by banishing the monarchy before the CA polls. Otherwise, they had threatened to postpone the election, despite the widespread belief that we are already late. Maoists' changed rhetoric created some ripples, though an anxious mood seem to have receded lately, given the Maoists' high-levels restated their "unwavering stand" for the polls by asking their lower ranks to start working to make November 22 a success. Yet, conjectures could emerge as why the Maoists had changed their rhetoric out of the blue? Selective Elimination Of Female Fetuses In India
Iqbal Latif - 9/2/2007
Ultrasounds are taken to monitor the health of unborn children, so doctors always know their sex. Doctors tell parents, a practice that is illegal in India, yet common. Then they exercise their "right to choose." Sex selection is a violation of law and unethical. But our patriarchal society continues to turn a blind eye towards it or offer perverted excuses to justify its existence. Pakistans Political Quandary
Angelique van Engelen - 9/1/2007
Pakistans more immediate political situation is finally beginning to stabilize somewhat. Yet its far from likely whether turmoil will soon end. The latest reports citing politicians close to President Musharraf and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Benazir Bhutto indicate that Musharraf is beginning to book successes, watering down the wine. He has reportedly agreed to finally discard his uniform, emblem of his rule as a military dictator. Thailand Coup Punishment
Richard S. Ehrlich - 9/1/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Jakrapob Penkair, a leading enemy of Thailand's ruling junta, wants the military officers who staged last year's bloodless coup to be put on trial and jailed for life, and face possible execution. "In my opinion, coup-making should be punished by death," Mr. Jakrapob said in an interview on Wednesday (Aug. 29). "We would be proposing a death sentence for coup-making. And we may start with this bunch," he said, referring to top military officers who seized power on Sept. 19, 2006 and currently rule this Buddhist-majority, Southeast Asian country. India and China: Sore Need For Trust Required For Real Results
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 9/1/2007
After the historical nuclear deal betwixt India and the United States, the outcome of the recent visit by Japanese Prime-Minister Shinoz Abe in New Delhi can be a matter of concern for some countries for their own different reasons, and particularly the Peoples Republic of China, especially in view of Japans willingness to work for the success of the Indo-US deal which experts in China see might further develop the quadripartite relationship among India, Japan, Australia, the US and others too. India's Communists Need Retrospection
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 8/31/2007
Generally I should have no reason to question the integrity and patriotism of the Indian Communists. Rather, I should admire them when they talk of downtrodden and raise issues related to commonmen on the one hand, and express their confidence in democracy and its process on the other. But, when many a times, leaving aside the gospel of nationalism, which itself is the first and basic step of internationalism, and national interest, they, guided by external elements, talk of internationalism, they in fact flee from the national cause, or in other words keep at distance from the welfare of commonmen. Will Maoist Vision Become Nepal's Future
Kamala Sarup - 8/31/2007
Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and the ruling coalition, including Maoist leader Prachanda, agreed in a meeting on Thursday that elections will be held in November to select an assembly that will be responsible for writing the country's new constitution. Press reports suggest this decision will bring peace and stability to Nepal, but there is little evidence to support such optimism. The Caliphal Emirate of Afghanistan
Warner MacKenzie - 8/30/2007
Perhaps the answer in our confrontation with militant Islam, and the only option that has remained uncanvassed is, as strange as it may seem, to leave the Islamists to their own devices, give them what they want, even to the extent of openly encouraging them to create their utopian Islamic caliphate which would have eventuated in Afghanistan had the West not intervened to stymie their ambitions in 2001 and let the ensuing chaos, brutality, and misogyny, previously witnessed under the pious Taliban, become a salutary aversive lesson to those in the ummah who crave, and wont be content till ... Suspending Nepali Monarchy and Constitutional Elections
Prakash Bom - 8/29/2007
We all know the legacy of the institution of the monarchy "glory to the monarchy and down to the people and their civil liberty and rights." That is why it is called feudal Hindu monarchy, of which principles are mythical and practice is oligarchic. It has ruled us for two and half century under the feudal oligarchic decree of the hierarchy of the Hindu caste system or racial social stratifications. It has obstructed by force people's civil liberty and rights and committed human rights violations for century. Pertinence of Vivekanandas Apotheosis in Indian Social Diaspora
Panchanan Bhoi, Ph.D. - 8/29/2007
Every pursuit of wisdom and knowledge bears the marks of its origin. In this milieu British, American, French and German philosophies are generally empirical, pragmatic, rationalistic and speculative in nature, but in that vein Indian philosophy can be adumbrated as meditative because it bobs up as the upshot of a kind of meditation on the holy powers of the soul and nature. However today Indian philosophy is very much anxious to retain the forces of centuries of its tradition through which it has grown and yet it cant afford to overlook the scientific facts and the empirical attitude of the present day society. International Responsibility For Burma
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 8/29/2007
All most every week there is news of violation of human rights in Burma. Military rulers are using tactics one after the other to maintain dictatorship there. This is why: it was totally rejection, last month by all 2000 families living in Delhi out of total 50,000 families of Burmese refugees in India, to the first stage of seven-phase roadmap, the one-sided proposal of the military regime of Burma said to be the final session to lay down the principles of a new Constitution for the country, considering this act to be another practice of the dictators to maintain military rule in the country. Making Films On Mahatma Ghandi
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 8/29/2007
On the eve of Indias 60eth independence a film GANDHI: MY FATHER by famous actor Anil Kapoor has been released which explicates rift betwixt Mahatma Gandhi and his son Harilal over a certain matter. It is said that the Mahatma did not help his son in getting a scholarship with the fear that he would be accused of nepotism. The producer of the film claims that through this story he has brought to the limelight an untouched aspect of Mahatma Gandhis life. However, it is not true as many amongst his contemporaries were aware of it; people like me know it. Not only had this, the Mahatmas differences with his youngest son Devdas were also known to many. Indian View Of Peace
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 8/28/2007
India, the land of ancient culture and civilization, holds a comprehensive, extraordinary and unique place in context to peace. Thousands of years ago the message of peace conveyed by this country had a deep impact on the entire world. The main reason behind this influence is that approach towards peace that has directly or indirectly been built by contribution of knowledge obtained and deed and of course real experience. It may be clarified by the following Shloka from an old Indian treatise in which Nachiketa says: Foreseeing the Face of 'New Nepal'
Amit Pyakurel - 8/27/2007
Besides the optimistic anticipation for a free, fair, and peaceful Constituent Assembly election scheduled to be held in November, a desperate mood looms large among many ordinary Nepalis regarding the ultimate picture of the highly uttered phrase 'New Nepal'. A New Nepal would slowly start emerging only after successful CA election, which would herald the potentials to erode the country's age-old difficulties, though it won't be a magic wand to drain out all such troubles suddenly. Are the Maoist's trying to prolong their fading legacy in Nepal?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/27/2007
The debate about Constituent Assembly election in Nepal is shifting from the abstract question of will it happen in the scheduled date to the more practical question of will it ever happen. One of the best reasons for Nepalese to be pessimistic about the Constituent Assembly election is that the party that churns out the more in favor of the election- Maoists- has proposed to postpone the Constituent Assembly scheduled earlier for 22nd November. Nepal: Constituent Assembly Election Hangs On The Razors Edge
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/25/2007
Everyone is Nepal is waiting for, and expecting, a Constituent Assembly election. The question is, when it comes, will it be genuine? Attitudes within the political parties after the latest series of Maoists atrocities have raised worries about the fate of the scheduled election. Indian Civilization At The Close Of 20th Century
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 8/25/2007
Indian civilization is an ancient one, I am not the one to say so but world history testifies it. World history also tells us that Indian civilization has had a unique identity of its own. While other civilizations have become extinct with time Indian civilization has remained evergreen and continues to propagate the message of humanity. This prompted a poet to say: Greece, Egypt, Rome, All have vanished from this world, But still there are left, Signs of our existence. Mr. Chief Justice, Pakistan Is Not The Netherlands!
Ahmed Quraishi - 8/24/2007
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan Fresh from a legal and political battle that pitched him against the countrys military strongman, the restored Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, is a man on a mission. After his highly politicized case, in which he sometimes appeared to be tacitly accepting support from political parties opposed to the Musharraf administration, it was natural that questions would be raised about his ability to deal fairly with cases involving the incumbent President. Mounting US meddling in Pakistan
Muhammad Zain - 8/22/2007
US interference in Pakistan's internal affairs, as US media reports said it was prodding President General Pervez Musharraf to enter into a power-sharing deal with Benazir Bhutto, has reached a point, where many Pakistanis believe the 'friendly' country has not only undermined the sovereignty of their homeland, a frontline state in the so-called war on terror, but also shattered their hopes for return to real democracy in near future. Courtroom trial tells on India-Myanmar relations
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 8/19/2007
The trial of the infamous 1998 Operation Leech in Kolkata court is turning out to be a public relations disaster for New Delhi. This is crucially at a time when several big business deals with Myanmar's military junta hang in the balance. Operation Leech refers to Indian intelligence sting operation capturing 34 Myanmar nationals in Andamans Landfall Island on February 8, 1998. Indian Ceasefire Sine Die?
Chiranjib Haldar - 8/19/2007
The ceasefire between the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN -I/M) and the government of India has been extended sine die on July 31, 2007. If we turn the clock back, the truce in Nagaland has been extended every 12 months since 1997, except in 2005, when it was renewed for just six months at the insistence of the rebels and further prolonged by another six months in February 2006. It was endorsed for another year on July 31, 2006 in Bangkok giving a fillip to the peace process. As of now, it is a war of rhetoric, bravado and threats of resorting to the extreme, aimed at making the o... Will Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiyah Bounce Back?
Subhan Choudhury - 8/19/2007
Indonesian police arrested the country's most wanted terrorist Zarkasi from Yogyakarta city on 15 June, 2007. Zarkasi, the Indonesian born terrorist was leading the Southeast Asian terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah since 2004. Just two days earlier to this, police exposed that they had captured Jemaah Islamiyah's military chief Abu Dujana, during a raid in the island of Java. These two arrests will disrupt Jemaah Islamiyah's network for sure, but whether it will stop the group's destructive activities remains a question. Relevance of Gandhi's Ahimsa and Satyagra Today
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 8/16/2007
The acid test of relevance of works and views of a great man is definitely the application of them in prevailing conditions of time and space. Mahatma Gandhi is fortunately among those few great men in the entire human history whose individual life, works and views, also known as Gandhism, not only had proved to be great and exemplary during his own lifetime but there relevance and significance remained intact after his passing away. Political Summersaults in Pakistan
Muhammad Zain - 8/15/2007
The so-called secret meeting between former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and President General Pervez Musharraf in Dubai heralds the beginning of a new power sharing deal in Pakistan. However, it remains to be seen what General Pervez Musharraf has in store for her, as her desire to come to power by any means matches the longing of General Musharraf for prolonging his rule, as long as possible, at all costs. Obstacles before Nancy Powell, the new US ambassador to Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/15/2007
New US ambassador to Nepal, Nancy J Powell, arrived in Kathmandu Monday afternoon by a Thai Airways plane, and immediately one of my colleague joked in a tea shop, near the pipal bot, in old Baneswore (where we often meet, discuss the latest political gossips, and sip tea together) that American Policy came to Nepal riding on a Thai Airways through the skies of India. Maoist's Approach and the Constituent Assembly Election
Vikram Singh Basnyat - 8/14/2007
The entire sundry have been examining about Constituent Assembly (CA) election more than ever after the peace talks between the then government and the Maoists. The twelve-point agreement between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the Maoists sponsored by New Delhi and of the CA elections agenda has taken a speedy ride. Nobody can in reality contradict that CA was the Maoists insist, which the SPA came to rescue after signing of the agreement. Election of any form may it be at school, clubs or national, it requires surroundings where all of the right and freedom of the people or participants i... Pakistan: Are General Musharrafs Days Numbered?
Angelique van Engelen - 8/11/2007
Analysts are feasting on recent developments in Pakistan which is a complicated case scenario of a country on the brink of disintegration at best and literally a ticking time bomb at worst. Pakistan has nuclear weapons and some say it is increasingly falling into a state of anarchy. Meanwhile, the US is pondering taking action against terrorists near its border with Afghanistan. Sri Lankan Theater Group Leaves An Impression
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 8/11/2007
Three strangely normal plays about life in Sri Lanka particularly in the context of the ongoing war between the Tamil ethnic minority and the Sinhala majority were staged at the Chennais Music Academy on Sunday August 5, 2007. Stages Theatre Group, Colombo, performed these plays as part of the theater festival organized by Metro Plus of The Hindu newspaper from August 2-12, 2007. Time To Ponder Hindu-Muslim Relations
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 8/10/2007
On August 15, 2007, India celebrates its 60th year of Independence. The day also marks the beginning of the centenary celebrations of Indias first war of Independence in 1857. These two events undoubtedly have a symbiotic relationship as far as national independence is concerned, but it also throws open a challenging question about Hindu- Muslim relationship that has drifted apart during the course of ninety years of history. Is Musharrafs Boat Sinking?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/10/2007
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on. Pakistan s military caravan has seemed recently to be in danger of being pushed off track: it still, as the Arab saying decrees, moves on. Since last months Mosque invade, massive Taliban attacks, and more importantly after the restoration of the Chief Judge by the Supreme Court, the regime has faced serious setbacks. Indian Opposition Comes Out Against Indo-American Nuclear Deal
Jit Mukherjii - 8/9/2007
There was a time when domestic objections to the India-US nuclear deal were on specific grounds. It was generally agreed that the deal, which lifted the technology ban on India and ended its status as a nuclear untouchables was a good one in the form agreed by the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and US President George Bush in July 2005. Yet Another Constitution For Thailand
Richard S. Ehrlich - 8/9/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's coup-installed military regime has told citizens to vote "yes" for a new constitution, written while half the country is muzzled under martial law, or accept a mysterious back-up constitution which is being kept secret from the public. In a bizarre political game of constitutional hide-and-seek, the junta refused to reveal which of Thailand's 17 previous constitutions it might use, or what amendments might be added, if a majority "no" vote on Aug. 19 thwarts their draft. Are The Taliban Really Muslims?
Ghazal Omid - 8/9/2007
As a child every Muslim girl learns that she needs to be good, do her prayers five times daily and know that God is more than just a word. He is closer to our body than our veins and He sees and hears everything, as we say in Arabic many times over in our five daily prayers. He said so Himself. Heavy Floods Languishing Many South Asian Lives
Amit Pyakurel - 8/8/2007
Many lives in the South Asian region have recently been heavily languished due to the upsurge of flood provoked by insistent monsoon rainfall and melting down of snow from the nearby mountains. The water has flown overwhelmingly into huge portions of Nepal, Indian, and Bangladesh, into the nooks and corners of the ordinary livelihoods, leaving many people dead and scores of them homeless. A recent official estimation shows that more than 200 have died in these regions and 20 million people are fated homeless. It's reported that at least 1,400 people have died due to the flooding since June, the overflow described to be the worst to strike these regions since decades. America's Nuclear Deal With India
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 8/8/2007
Firstly, it was a great event in histories of India and the US, especially from strategic point of view, when on July 18, 2005 the proposed Indo-US Nuclear deal was signed between the Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh and the US President George W Bush during formers visit to the White House; secondly, with signing a new bill to this effect by the US President George W. Bush in December, 2006 to allow the US nuclear trade with India was the beginning of a new era of economic and political relations between the two great nations of the world all together as President Bush after signing the ... Prospect of political violence is growing in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/7/2007
Achieving a permanent peace after so much conflict was always bound to be a messy affair, a confusing mix of pragmatism and principle, of recriminations, political maneuvering and hope. But strong ties between the Seven Political Parties and the Maoists, united in their determination to make a deal stick, would certainly help. "Pull Theory" & Marshall Plan for Pakistan Will Eliminate Terrorism
Moin Ansari - 8/1/2007
Violence begets violence. "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword".Few political scientists have fully identified the inherent risks of direct US action in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan . Not only will this generate a tsunami of anti-Americanism, it will also push the miscreants to the urban areas of Pakistan destabilizing the country. Al-Qaeda will thrive in chaos and threaten the government and the people of Pakistan . CHT on Historical Outline with Special Reference to Its Current Situation
Dr. Prajnalankar Bhikkhu - 7/31/2007
THE CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS covering an area of approximately 14,000 square kilometers shares border with Myanmar in the South, Bangladesh in the Southwest, and India in the Northeast and Northwest. It is a traditional home to the eleven different ethnic groups who collectively identify themselves as 'Jumma people'[1]. Among these ethnic groups, the Chakma is the dominant and largest in terms of population (approximately 400,000). The Jumma people speak different languages belonging to Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan families. They follow Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity vis--vis their indigen... Nepal Invites Tourists to Visit its Villages
Kamala Sarup - 7/28/2007
Nepal is an attractive tourist spot for those who appreciate nature and adventure. However, the violence that has afflicted much of the country over the past 10 years has adversely affected tourism. Once political stability is attained, the nation needs to look at ways to expand its tourist potential. Top militant Abdullah Mehsud dead
Iqbal Latif - 7/28/2007
As a young man, Mehsud, now 29, fought for the Taleban against the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan. He lost a leg in a landmine explosion a few days before the Taleban took Kabul in September 1996. He surrendered along with several thousand fighters to the forces of Uzbek warlord, Abdul Rashid Dostum, in December 2001 in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, and was later turned over to the US military authorities. Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi Detained For Yet Another Year
Saberi Roy - 7/27/2007
On May 25, 2007 Burmas military government extended Aung San Suu Kyis detention for another year making it the fifth consecutive year since she was placed under house arrest in 2003. Suu Kyis sweeping political victory in 1990 was considered as a major threat to the military government and Suu Kyi was accused of disrupting public order. This extreme fear of the Burmese military government is reflected in its recent decision to keep Suu Kyi under house arrest for yet another year. Such is the power and mass appeal of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma that the military leaders want to make her weak... Pakistan On The Precipice
Ross G. Kaminsky - 7/26/2007
There is a substantial political risk to Pakistani President President Pervez Musharraf, and thus to US interests in Pakistan, now that he stormed the Red Mosque to kill the fanatics holed up there - though they surely needed killing. The mosque was stormed and a leader of the fanatics killed, following which, according to this report from BBC News, pro-Taliban islamo-fascists in northwestern Pakistan, which borders Afghanistan, have terminated their cease-fire with the government and have killed over 60 people and wounded many more. Chameleon Nature of Maoist Strategy In Nepal
Kundan Singh Khatri - 7/24/2007
Flexibility is universally considered a virtue for any organization. Unless of course, that flexibility is adopted for the explicit purpose of treachery. Sadly, the almost uncanny ability of the Nepali Maoists to adapt to ever changing dynamics and remain on top of every situation is solely utilized for deceiving the Nepalese people and the well wishing, but often naive, International Community vis a vis the real and quite inflexible Maoist strategic objective of securing total and unequivocal power. India-Myanmar Trade Relations
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 7/23/2007
Myanmar is the gateway to Indias Look East policy. India is going all out to strengthen its relationship with Myanmar to achieve its stated objective. The current Indian government has infused a new momentum to keep its contacts robust with Myanmar. Indo-Myanmar relationship as a result is witnessing an unprecedented upswing in the recent years. The Khmer Rouge Trial
Richard S. Ehrlich - 7/13/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand. Defending Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge leaders at an international tribunal may include arguing about genocide and the lack of a "smoking gun," despite the deaths of up to three million Cambodians, according to U.N. Principal Defender Rupert Skilbeck. Musharrafs Bloodbath At The Masjid
Abid Mustafa - 7/9/2007
The intensification of fighting between the students of Lal Masjid and the Pakistani army has left hundreds dead and many injured. This has prompted President Musharraf to issue the following provocative statement: If they do not surrender so I am saying here today that they will be killed. They should not force us to use force. They should come out voluntarily; otherwise they will be killed Even before Musharrafs ultimatum, his government was swift to attribute the entire blame for the current crisis on Abdul Rashid Ghazithe principal of the seminary. However, a close examination of the ... Nepal Opting For A Rare Transition
Amit Pyakurel - 7/6/2007
A fresh, crucial development in Nepal's politics is that the parliament has amended the constitution enabling it now to legally abolish the institution of monarchy by a two-third majority vote in the House. The amendment was passed on Wednesday, which is also a part of the peace deal made between the seven-party alliance and Maoists last year. The newly enshrined provision is an important development, as now it's possible to do away with the monarchy constitutionally if it's deemed necessary, even before the Constitutional Assembly (CA) polls that are proposed for this coming November. The mon... Pakistan: Maulana Abdul Aziz Arrested In Burqa Trying To Escape
Iqbal Latif - 7/6/2007
According to reports, on Wednesday night a group of some 400 female students came out of Lal Masjid. Maulana Abdul Aziz was also among them trying to escape wearing burqa. More than 800 male and female students of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa surrendered themselves to the officials. The surrendered students were shifted to various jails and police stations. Why Does The Philippines Trust America?
John Mangun - 7/4/2007
The recent The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org on national attitudes towards the United States again places the Philippines apart from conventional thinking. Our local Social Weather Stations conducted the survey on behalf of the aforementioned groups in the Philippines. The most basic question asked in the survey was whether the United States could be trusted to act responsibly in the world, a great deal, somewhat, not very much or not at all. Are We Rightly Prepared For the Nepal Polls?
Amit Pyakurel - 7/3/2007
After lots of political hassles, blame games and suspicions, Nepal finally seems to be destined for the Constituent Assembly (CA) election in coming November, regarding the latest decision of the government with a gaudy hope bestowed to the people. Decisions of the government, the hopes given to the people, and ultimately one or the other occurrence that the government and policy makers failed to abide by such hopes, has become a regular phenomenon in Nepali politics. It was then in the pre-Janaandolan II government and also vividly evident in the eight-party government established after the April movement. Wanted: A Bold Musharraf
Ahmed Quraishi - 7/1/2007
ISLAMABAD, PakistanTo the dismay of the hawks in the Pakistani strategic community, we have a military dictator who refuses to be what hes really supposed to be: a military dictator. In his seven years in power, he has put up with more dissent and criticism mostly from his supposed allies than all of the Pakistani democratic regimes combined. New Bangladeshi Government Continues Injustice Against Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 6/30/2007
Shoaib had another day in court Thursday. The result was disappointing to say the least. After more assurances that this time justice would be done, the Bangladeshi government decided to do nothingagain! The court set another date for Shoaib, this time July 18th. More ominous than that, however, the Public Prosecutor stated his willingness to proceed with this scurrilous action against Shoaibafter everything the government has been telling individuals and international officials. The action only raises more questions about the new government's alleged anti-radical commitment. Every day... Nepal Baffled by Maoist Leader Eying Presidency
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 6/30/2007
Any reasonable person might have thought, especially in these troubled times, that running a country as proverbially ungovernable as Nepal would have been quite enough for one person after King Gyanendra's earlier fiasco. Not so thought comrade Prachanda. Nepal's monarchy in dire crisis: Parliament can now end monarchy
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 6/27/2007
The day began as just another day but when it ended, June 13th, 2007, got itself a coveted place in the annals of the Nepalese history. June 13th, 2007, turned out to be a historic day for Nepal . Nepal welcomed an icon of peace and then passed a bill to end the 240 years old institution of monarchy. Precarious Politics and Impunity Impeding Nepal's Peace Process
Amit Pyakurel - 6/21/2007
The fervor and hope of people that peaked during the April uprising now slowly seems to be dwindling, given the political instability in the country. Nineteen days of struggle ended with a big public respite, after tyrannical rule of the King ended. Though the end of the movement was termed a "success," the real success still seems to be a far cry. The real hope of the uprising yet seems to be at stake, given the conflicting attitudes of the eight reigning political factions, chaos raised by the newly emerged armed (or "political") groups in nooks and corners of the country, apprehension ove... U.S. Amb. Moriarty: Strong Pillar for Nepalese Democracy
KC Rajat - 6/18/2007
Nepal is going through another period of turmoil. In the course of establishing peace and democracy and resolving the ongoing crisis, the nation is heading towards elections for a Constituent Assembly. Although the agenda of democratization has been the talk of the town, the Maoists' totalitarian communist philosophy seems to dominate many sectors of the nation. It is obvious that had there not been enormous pressure from the U.S. Ambassador to Nepal Mr. James F. Moriarty on the issue of Arms management, Nepal could have already declared itself as a Communist state by now. Money Freezing in Thailand
Richard S. Ehrlich - 6/18/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand -- The military junta, which seized power in Bangkok in a bloodless September coup, is wondering if the politically savvy wife of the ousted prime minister carried cash from corruption in two dozen luggage bags when she flew out of Thailand. Earlier this week, a junta tribunal froze the assets of toppled prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, plus the accounts of his wife, two of their adult children, and his wife's brother. Their combined worth was estimated at about two billion U.S. The Thwarted Overthrow of Laos Government By American Hmong
Richard S. Ehrlich - 6/14/2007
After a U.S. Justice Department undercover agent displayed a Stinger air-to-surface missile in a bugged Hilton Hotel room in Sacramento, California, paranoia began to spread. A mysterious woman named Lisa -- "last name unknown" -- was allegedly tasked to find out who the man with the Stinger really was, and if a gang of desperate Americans in California, and ethnic Hmong from Laos, was about to be busted. The furtive Americans and Hmong allegedly boasted that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency "was standing by and ready to roll" to ensure success for their clumsy coup attempt in Laos. Nepal: Young Communist League or Young Criminal League
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 6/14/2007
The trouble with talking about Maoists so called Young Communist League is that so many important questions still have no answers. Nepalese who want peace are trapped and Nepal is unlikely to become peaceful as long as the Young Communist League (YCL) issue remains unsettled. Analyst says there can be no progress on peace until YCL stops its intimidating activities and advocate violence to achieve its political means. Tea Estates Closure Lead To Mass Starvation And Death In India
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 6/13/2007
India has seen a lot of changes in the last two decades. During the past twenty years India has achieved progress at an impressive pace. It has achieved gain in health, transport, and education. But despite the vast opportunities created by the technological revolution, rural unemployment, as it was then is yet the most important challenge facing the modern India. Last Hope for Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/12/2007
'Last Hope: The Need for Durable Solutions for Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal and India,' {available at http://hrw.org/reports/2007/bhutan0507/} is an 86-page report published by the Human Rights Watch. The report draws up a comprehensive plan for the resettlement of the exiled refugees and discusses the possible solutions to this protracted problem. Democracy: The Big Topic Of Discussion In Pakistan
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 6/12/2007
At home and abroad, things have never looked murkier for Pakistans president, Pervez Musharraf. The question is will it fade or will it smolder on and on? It is hard, looking back over the past few weeks or so, to imagine a worse few weeks for the Pakistani president. Since September 11th, Pervez Musharraf has done a lot to make the West like him. He has embraced the American led anti- terrorist coalition and by doing so has given new dimension to the Pakistani politics. Aung San Suu Kyi Nobel Laureate and Political Prisoner in Burma
Saberi Roy - 5/27/2007
The human rights situation in Burma (Myanmar) is appalling. Everyone knows that but is anyone doing anything? The Tatmadaw or as the Burmese army is called has been accused of serious human rights violations including rape of village girls, use of child and forced labor and oppression of the ethnic minorities. The ruling junta likes to call its regime as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Peace and Development indeed. Thousands of the ethnic Burman people as well as Karens, Chins, Shans, Mons and other non Burman people have faced extreme brutality and fled the country and taken... The Fundamental Problems Of Afghanistan
Imran Khan - 5/24/2007
Eight Canadian soldiers have been killed since 8th April and Five United Nation's support workers also lost their lives on 17th April in Taliban insurgents' attacks. For last three days Taliban fighters carried out series of coordinated attacks on Afghan security forces. These events clearly reflect the worsening situation in Afghanistan . Taliban have announced "Spring Offensive" against afghan and International forces and these acts can be presumed as a start of it. Southern Transnationals: The New Kids on the Block?
Kavaljit Singh - 5/22/2007
The mid-1990s witnessed the dramatic emergence of transnational corporations from the developing world. Although much of the investment by these corporations is concentrated in other developing countries (South-South), they are increasingly investing heavily in developed countries (South-North) as well. The South-South and South-North FDI flows are growing much faster than the traditional North-South FDI flows. However, 87 per cent of the total outward FDI flows in 2004 originated from just 10 developing countries. Will the Bombs Threaten the India-Pakistan Deal
Amit Pyakurel - 5/22/2007
It seems that whenever the negotiating arms of Pakistan and India warms up a little and it gives sense of having a little breakthrough on resolving the historical enmity between these two nations, soon we are alarmed to witness a terrorist attack killing a number of innocents in a very marketplace, roadside, bus station, or railway station in India. The attempts looks to be ostensibly carried out by the terrorists in the intention of sabotaging the peace initiative taken by the both countries, while the representatives from both sides have been holding a series of talks relating to the issues... Uttar Pradesh Election- A Postmortem
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 5/21/2007
While doing the postmortem of the Bahujan Samaj partys victory in Uttar Pradesh, many writings have analyzed the electoral verdict in terms of the subaltern movement in the state. There is no denying of the fact that a great deal of Dalit resurgence taking place at the grass root level in India's heartland, but there is little evidence to suggest that the victory of this pro low caste party owes to any revolutionary trend in the making. Rising Maoists Insurgency in India
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 5/13/2007
India is divided in many ways: by caste, religion, language, and region. But recently it has become to look as though the most visible divide in the days ahead will be marked by the Maoists movement, which according to media reports, has spread to nearly 40% of the country's geographical area and is a major political force in poor tribal states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkand and Orissa. Thailand: Amulets Money
Richard S. Ehrlich - 4/29/2007
BANGKOK, Thailand. Buddhists have become obsessed with a magic amulet which resembles a rap star's bling-sized medallion, despite warnings that the circular icon is a cosmic crutch, corrupting religion and society. When a fresh batch of Jatukam Ramathep amulets went on sale in April, buyers stampeded, trampling a woman to death. Thieves have infiltrated shops, homes and temples to steal the lucrative charm. Protests Against Taliban-style Radicals in Pakistan
Iqbal Latif - 4/23/2007
Many of the over 1000 students at the mosque and madrassa Jamia Hafsa recently waged a 'morality campaign,' arresting supposed prostitutes and "un-Islamic" female car drivers, as well as threatening owners of CD stores. The World Cup of Cricket And India's Gambling Industry
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 4/22/2007
As the World Cup cricket championship in the Caribbean is reaching its crescendo, the betting industry in India too is on its peak. On every match huge money is put on stake and its volume is going to go up to unprecedented heights as the championship is reaching the final stage. The National Common Minimum Program in India
Chunnu Prasad - 4/22/2007
India is a country of largest population of heterogeneous nature. In a population wise it is just after China. Since independence different programmes has been formulated by different government, and every five year, new five year plan being implemented, but particularly after the emergence of coalition politics, the picture changed its nature of development. This article focus on the UPA's Common Minimum Programme (CMP) which passed by the UPA to give more attention on developmental issue to all the sections of the society as well as to all the areas including states and union territories of ... Envisioning a New South Asia
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 4/4/2007
John Lennons fans pat your back and croak; You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one, I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one. Well this was the sentiment that was echoed at the conclusion of the international seminar Envisioning a New South Asia at the Andhra University, Vishakapatnam on March 29- 31, 2007. Hizb ut-Tahrir Target Bangladesh
Dominic Whiteman - 3/16/2007
The hate-inciting Islamist sect Hizb ut Tahrir has three clear goals: to establish a community of like-minded Hizb ut Tahrir members in host states, to sway public opinion in one or more host states to facilitate change of government, and, finally, to install a new government that implements Islam generally and comprehensively, carrying (its particular brand of) Islamic thought to people throughout the world. US House Demands Drop Of Charges Against Bangladeshi Journalist
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 3/16/2007
In a rare show of bi-partisanship, the US Congress today passed House Resolution 64. HR 64 makes it the sense of the US Congress that charges against crusading Muslim journalist, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury be dropped and all harassment against him ended. Choudhury is the Bangladeshi Muslim jailed and tortured after exposing the rise of radical Islam in Bangladesh, urging relations with Israel, and advocating interfaith dialogue based on religious freedom. Though it earlier released him from prison, the Bangladeshi government has pursued his prosecution on charges of sedition, treason, and blasphemy, which carry a possible death sentence. Holi Hola Party: Oh Boy Is This India!
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 3/14/2007
The news flashed on the front pages of the major dailies on Monday, March 5, 2007 about the arrest of some 280 Holi party revelers at a Farm House in the outskirts of Pune city for drug abuse is an opener to many Indians accustomed to reading starvation deaths, farmer suicides, and female feticides in the newspapers of the country. Persecuted Bangladeshi Journalist Faces Trial Setback
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 3/3/2007
Dhaka, BangladeshCrusading Muslim journalist, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, suffered a major setback in the government case against him for alleged sedition, treason, and blasphemy. The current government of Bangladesh had recently given explicit assurances to several US and other officials that the admittedly false charges would be dropped and done so within the framework of Bangladeshi laws. US Congressman Visits Persecuted Bangladeshi Journalist
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 3/1/2007
Dhaka, BangladeshRepublican Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio held a thirty minute meeting with dissident journalist, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury at the US Embassy in Bangladesh. Chabot, whose district includes the city of Cincinnati, became taken with Choudhurys plight after a resolution supporting him was brought before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on which Chabot serves. Pakistan: The Eye of a Coming Storm?
Paula R. Newberg - 3/1/2007
Pakistan's foreign policy, constructed for short-term survival, is as fragile as a deck of cards. Bordering China, India, Afghanistan and Iran, the nation with nuclear weapons and a literacy rate that approaches 50 percent, has been led by General Pervez Musharraf since 1999 when he assumed power in a coup d'tat. After the 9/11 attacks, Musharraf became both strategic partner in the US-led war on terror and a procrastinator who shelves democracy in the name of stability. To maintain power on the home front, the president-general juggles demands from all manner of special interests sectarian... Samjhuta Express blasts: Introspection needed
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 2/22/2007
The twin bomb blasts that killed 67 passengers in the Indo- Pak Samjhuta Express train on Sunday midnight once again exposed the vulnerability of the people in the country. It also exposed the callousness of the intelligence and the security forces that refuses to accept that they are a national burden. Once the contrary it has established the smartness of the terrorists outfits that they can strike anywhere in India according to their chosen date, time and place. Nepal: How long will the aftershock last?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/19/2007
As I watched in horror the burning Terai, and the path of communal strife and ethnic polarity, Nepal is taking after a decade of Maoists conflict, I wonder if the sectarian violence can be resolved by the fundamental restructuring of constitution only, before it grows into a catastrophe. The Rise of the Maoists in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/12/2007
When the muddy seeds of the Maoist movement were dispersed in Nepal , in February 1996, no one expected the Maoists to rule the rooster of Nepalese politics in less than a decade. Informal attitude shown towards the Maoists by the Nepalese administration then was propelled furthermore by the widespread belief that radical communism had become a thing of the past except from a few cloudy facades of the world. Reasonable Radicals: Islamists and anti-Islamists Meet in Bangladesh
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 2/7/2007
Richard Benkin was refused three times previously when he tried to see the man who calls him his dearest brother in Bangladesh. In January, he succeeded and stood with Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury in the capital of Dhaka. Choudhury has been facing continued persecution since 2003 for exposing the rise of Islamist radicals, calling for relations with Israel, and advocating religious equality. He has been beaten, tortured and imprisoned for his efforts, and mobs have been allowed to attack him and even bomb his newspaper with impunity. Benkin has been his champion. Window of Opportunity to End Journalists Persecution in Bangladesh
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 1/31/2007
BangladeshOn January 8 Richard Benkin of Chicago, the man who more than anyone else has kept journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury out of prison and alive, finally embraced his spiritual brother outside Zia International Airport in the Bangladeshi capital. Choudhury was arrested and tortured in 2003 after exposing the rise of radical Islam in his country, urging Bangladesh-Israel relations, and advocating interfaith dialogue based on religious equality. After 17 months, Benkin and US Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL) secured his release. Since then, Choudhury has worked closely with Benkin, re... Nepal: On The Verge Of Ethnic Division
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/31/2007
This is a country tarnished by Satis curse. Nothing can ever go right in this country, the saying has become a habit for the Nepalese people. They are fed up with never ending turmoil that has engulfed the nation in recent years. US endorses the Talibanisation of Afghanistan
Abid Mustafa - 12/26/2006
Lately, relations between Kabul and Islamabad have taken a dramatic turn for the worse. Hamid Karzai has accused Pakistan of spurring the Taliban to carry out attacks against his fledgling government and the NATO troops that defend it. He is not alone in holding Pakistan responsible for the re-emergence of the Taliban. NATO commanders, the New York Times and the International Crisis Group (ISG) have all pointed the finger at Pakistan for fomenting the Pushtoon resistance that shows no sign of abating. Profile of the Terrorist Insurgency in North East India
Isha Khan - 12/19/2006
Formation: Asom Sanjukta Mukti Morcha or the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was formed on April 7, 1979 by Bhimakanta Buragohain, Rajiv Rajkonwar alias Arabinda Rajkhowa, Golap Baruah alias Anup Chetia, Samiran Gogoi alias Pradip Gogoi, Bhadreshwar Gohain and Paresh Baruah at the Rang Ghar in Sibsagar to establish a "sovereign socialist Assam" through an armed struggle. International Human Rights Attorney, Irwin Cotler Joins Defense of Bangladeshi Tried For Converting To Christianity
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 12/18/2006
Chicago, IL -In a development that underscored the growing seriousness of the Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury case, noted International Human Rights attorney, Professor Irwin Cotler, has joined the Muslim journalist's defense team as international legal counsel. "This is a significant development," noted Tim Sweet, the principal attorney of The Law Office of Timothy M. Sweet, LLC. Choudhury was imprisoned and tortured by Bangla-deshi authorities after writing about the rise of radical Islam in that country, promoting peace with Israel, and advocating ... Will Guns Fall Silent in South Asia? End of civil war in Nepal could serve as model for a troubled region
Paula R. Newberg - 12/18/2006
Pakistani President Pervez Musharrafs recent announcement that Pakistan is willing to give up its claim to Kashmir under certain conditions has rekindled hopes for a settlement. It also underlines the need for finding peace in Kashmir if South Asia is to break out of the grip of misery. Violent conflict changes the basic equations of governance, and sustained violence makes it all the more difficult to rediscover the norms of positive politics. Following a decade-long insurgency, Nepal is on track for politics of cooperation. If a peace agreement signed by the prime minister and the leader of... India Grappling with Million Mutinies now
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 12/13/2006
How safe are Indians in India is a pet subject of discussion all over the country. There is a total unanimity that the fear and insecurity looms large on every one's psyche, and each one of us is vulnerable unsavory incident, no mater where we live in the country. Musharraf attempts to resuscitate the plan for Kashmir
Abid Mustafa - 12/12/2006
On 5/12/06 speaking before Indian TV channel, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said that his country was prepared to give up its claim to Kashmir, if India and Pakistan agree on the four-point solution (a solution in which boundaries are not changed and India does not have to give up any territory). When pressed on Kashmiri Independence, Musharraf reasserted his objection. He said," Yes, we are against independence." Nepal: Putting back the pieces together
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 12/11/2006
The physical scars are noticeable. In fact, they are everywhere in each nook and corners of Nepal: Bullet pocked, shell shattered roof tops, deserted fields, ramshackle government offices, and the fire darkened houses in the villages of Nepal. Even the electricity poles, water pipes, telephone towers, and demolished police posts, shows the bitter sides of conflict that has choked Nepals throat. The truth however is this: The worlds largest reconstruction effect cannot overnight erase all evidence of a war that lasted for 13 years in Nepal. Jumma: The First People in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Dr. Prajnalankar Bhikkhu - 12/6/2006
Mohammad Zainal Abedin's article, "Stop propaganda on Chittagong Hill AIDS Threatens Indias Prosperity
Pramit Mitra - 12/4/2006
December 1 marked World AIDS Day, and by some reports, the worlds second most populous nation India has more AIDS cases than any other country in the world. The percentage of cases in India, at 0.09 percent, is miniscule compared with rates of 30 percent in some African nations, but the size of the nations population 1 billion, with two out of five people illiterate raises concern among world health experts. The population is young, with 35 percent under the age of 15, and mobile, too, with the booming economy. A growing epidemic will devastate families, a struggling public-health sy... Is India Emerging as France of Asia? Warming Sino-Indian relationship tells the US that India is not an unconditional ally
Alyssa Ayres - 11/24/2006
The current India visit by Chinas President Hu Jintao to celebrate fifty years of relationship between the two countries will be watched closely by Indias newest friend the United States. The two Asian giants have shaken off their frosty relations since their 1962 border war and in the past five years their economic ties have blossomed. But so has the relations between the US and India, shorn of the Cold War baggage and finding convergence of economic and strategic interests. Most importantly, the driving force in the new relationship has been a shift in American perception of China from a s... Bangladeshi Voters In The Thorn Of a Dilemma
Badrul Islam - 11/23/2006
Thirty-five years passed since Bangladesh became independent and yet our elected Representatives, have failed to provide for the Voters, their Constitutional right for "Democratic Government" and an "Electoral Body" that will formulate procedures for a "Free and Fair Election". Today the Voters find themselves in "the horns of a dilemma" in respect of three major points; (1) will there be an Election? (2) Will they be able to Vote? (3) Will they be able to trust their elected Representatives, collectively (in power and in opposition) to follow democratic principles to the letter, in formulating policies that will assure them of an enriched and secured life? Nepal: Maoist's love affair with the gun continues
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/21/2006
Maoists emerged the victor from a decade old bloody fight for power after the loss of more than 13,000 lives and untold human suffering. They have gained larger political ground after the major breakthrough of 8 November peace accord under the United Nations supervision. Vietnam Plays Wary Host to APEC
Thomas Abraham - 11/19/2006
Vietnams surging economy and increasing attractiveness as a place to do business have raised its profile in Southeast Asia. Its turn at hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leadership summit now offers the country the opportunity to further burnish its image. But that opening has also come with risk. Having a relapse of the avian flu outbreak that hammered the country in 2003 would not only take away the shine, but doubly affect its image under international spotlight. Despite advances in its economy, however, Vietnam remains a primarily rural and agricultural society, heavily depend... Bangladeshi Facing Death Penalty For Praising Christianity and Judaism
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 11/18/2006
DHAKA: BangladeshSalah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, the editor of the Weekly Blitz and practicing Muslim, goes on trial for his life on Monday, November 13, on counts of sedition, treason and blasphemy. Since 2003, he has been beaten, tortured and imprisoned for his work in fostering peace and opposing radical Islamists in his country. Uncertainty, Hope as Transitional Government Assumes Power in Bangladesh
Dr. Richard L. Benkin - 11/7/2006
On October 28, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, addressed the nation and ceded power to a caretaker government after five volatile years. She also dissolved the parliament, led by her Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and its 14 party coalition. Her action was in accordance with Bangladeshi law, which mandates that a caretaker government will rule the county until national elections (held every five years) in January 2007. That orderly power succession is a testimony to the strength of Bangladeshi democracy. The upcoming elections will be the fourth of its kind since the nat... Nepal Peace Talks at the Crossroads
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/7/2006
Lately Nepal has seen a worrying wave of political bickering. For the moment, politicians are working flat-out to meet demand, which has already been forecasted to rise more in the next few weeks. For ordinary Nepalese, of course, all this is good news: it drives political uncertainties away. Partition refugees targeted as Bangladeshi infiltrators
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 11/1/2006
In the cacophony of jingoistic nationalism against the Bangladeshi infiltrators many Bengali Hindu refugees that had migrated to India during the 1947 Partition are being targeted for lack proper documentation and face the specter of deportation to the place they had left some sixty years ago. Is honeymoon with peace over in Nagaland?
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 10/31/2006
Somehow, the northeastern part of India seems to be never in the news radar. The situation in Nagaland seems to be getting complex by the day. Over 4,000 people have fled their houses in Zunheboto district in the state after a gun battle broke out between the rival militant factions National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak Muivah) and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Khaplang). The Hidden Truth behind the Sri Lankan Peace Process
Dominic Whiteman - 10/24/2006
A week after publishing VIGIL Networks shock-inspiring intelligence report on the activities of the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) in the United Kingdom, it seems a good time after one successful infiltration - to release the details of another successful infiltration some time ago and the factors behind the initiation of the peace process between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government in the late nineties. To tell the world that it took an outsider just one man with the goal of peace and a shrewd mind to initiate the peace talks between a country and a terrorist organisation in conflict with that country. Maldives Needs Political Reforms
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 10/19/2006
Has any one thought how Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is able to remain in power for more than twenty-five years? On the surface this may reflect his immense popularity but in realty that's not the true picture. The subtleties of the functioning of the political system in Maldives are not widely known to the outside world. There is growing opposition to President Gayoom who is accused being a dictator under the democratic garb. Bangladesh: Will Voters Pull The Trigger
Badrul Islam - 10/17/2006
David S.Broder, 0p-Ed Columnist, Washington Post, under this topic describes that, "A fundamental and welcome change in the political environment is possible - but only if the Voters pull the trigger." This was published on Thursday 0ctober 12,2006 and relates to the pre-election polls in United States; "When you examine the latest round of pre-election polls, what is striking is the stability of public attitudes over the preceding months. In this week's Post-ABC News poll, for example, President Bush has a job approval score of 39 percent, with 60 percent disapproving. Eleven months earlier, in November 2005, the scores were identical." Globalization Hits Road Bumps in India
Prof. Pranab Bardhan - 10/6/2006
The economic integration of a country requires that it open to foreign investment, adhere to flexible labor laws and practice careful fiscal policies. In a country with severe poverty and economic inequality, however, such reforms do not win many votes for politicians. Well aware of this fact, Indias politicians play to what economist Pranab Bardhan calls anti-reform populism. Many voters fear that development only displaces Indias poor. Fraud that has marred past development projects confirms such suspicions, casting any government efforts to free the economy in a negative light. Reform a... Maldives: Emerging Theater of Great Game
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 10/6/2006
The Republic of Maldives is a group of small coral islands in the Indian Ocean region South of India. The country comprises of 1190 islands, of which only 198 islands, grouped in 20 atolls are permanently inhabited. The total area covered by the archipelago is 90,000 square kilometers. The chain of islands is confined to 820 kilometers in length and covers 130 kilometers in width. Maldives estimated population is about 3,00,000 with the capital Maale accounting for 26 per cent of the total population. The Thailand Coup - Creating A New World Order
David J. Jonsson - 10/4/2006
The Sword of Islam may not take on the form of war and or terrorism, but take the form of political action, bloodless coups, finance and media propaganda. The actions are to achieve the same goalthe establishment of the Islamic Kingdom of God on Earth and implementation of Shariah law. In the case of Thailand it was a bloodless coup led by Muslim Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin ostensibly to remove a corrupt democratically elected government. As Time Magazine (Asia) on September 25 reported Gen. Sonthi was born near Bangkok, hes the first Muslim in this predominantly Buddhist nation to hold the... In line of fire - Musharraf autobiography
Iqbal Latif - 9/25/2006
I think this is a great book. With the benefit of hindsight, one can safely say Musharraf had very similar options like Omar, Saddam and Nasrullah. Going by Saddam, Omar and Nasrullah's politics of stubbornness he could have helped wipe out Pakistan as it is today from the map of the world. The politics of shock and awe is ruthless; but post 911, Indians across the border would have been very satisfied to see increasing prospects of a militarily defeated Pakistan. That would have neutralised the nuclear threat that Pakistan imposes. If Yugoslavia could balkanize, what would have saved Pakistan... Bollywood and the Indian Muslims
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 9/24/2006
Bollywood mirrors India, so goes the saying. If any one wants to see the real face of India, all one has to do is to randomly pick up few flicks of a decade and see the changes taking place in India over a period of time. In this context the representation of Muslims is something interesting to focus at as this succulently portray the changing face of the community since independence of the country. Peace Accord With The Taliban?
Iqbal Latif - 9/8/2006
"Those who can win a war well rarely make good peace and those who could make good peace would never have won the war." Making concord is much harder than making confrontation. The agreement with the Utmanzai tribe and local Taliban was finally reached, which has guaranteed that cross-border interference will not be allowed. Britain, with the richest experience in handling Pushtans, has hailed the Waziristan peace deal. Brits have termed the agreement as a future "model" for insurgency-ridden Afghanistan. To understand the roots of extremism in Pakistan, one needs to look at the lawless land... Indian Intelligence Involvement In Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh
Igor Siljanoski - 9/5/2006
Indian intelligence outfit Research & Analysis Wing(RAW) is deeply involved in the problem of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.Some admissions: Vande Matram - It's A Horse Or A Cow!
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 9/1/2006
Is Vande Matram a horse or a cow? Well how can a song become an animal? It can! That's the reason its an Indian patriotic song and not of any other country in the world. What's the logic in calling it a horse! Its simple the day Binkam Chander Chaterjee wrote this song in 1906 in protest of the Partition of Bengal in 1905, the Hindu right has been riding over it in the quest for power. Book Review: "India Doctrine"
Isha Khan - 8/29/2006
Adorned in a saffron red jacket and embellished with a detailed map of South Asia the concept of an India Doctrine has been introduced to the readers in Bangladesh recently. The book 'India Doctrine' has been published by the Bangladesh Research Forum and edited by Barrister M.B.I. Munshi and is priced at Tk. 300. Munshi's contribution to the book constitutes the largest section with several other writers from Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka providing some useful and informative chapters. India's diplomatic gains at St. Petersburg G8 summit
Panna Lal Chowdhury - 8/27/2006
At the Group of eight (G8) summit of July 2006 India was a special invitee to the meeting along with China, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Congo. The G8 comprises the world's top industrialized nations like the US, Russia, Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Germany and Canada. Russia has now taken on the presidency of G8 for the first time after its joining the group. Book Review: Indira By Katherine Frank
Geetanjali Jha - 8/23/2006
'Indira' is an unprejudiced and complete biography of one of the world's most prominent woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Indira, lovingly called Priyadarshini, was the third prime minister of independent India. Her prime ministerial tenure witnessed several changes in the world and in India, many of which were brought about by her. 'Indira' is Katherine Frank's third book. She has to her credit, biographies of Mary Kingsley, Lucie Duff Gordon, and Emily Bronte. Born and educated in the United States, Katherine Frank spent six years traveling and researching for 'Indira'. How are the children going to eat in India after the ban?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/22/2006
The pathetic sight of poor children carrying sacks, polishing shoes, selling newspapers or washing dishes in the roadside inn is one of the most common sights in India, home to the largest number of child labourers in the world. According to government figures, nearly 13 million children work in India and considering this social disparity, the Indian government is banning the employment of children under age 14 as domestic servants or as workers in hotels and restaurants in its desperate attempt to save the children from being exploited. John Mark Karr And Big Picture Look At Why Bangkok Attracts Sleaze
Richard S. Ehrlich - 8/20/2006
When John Mark Karr stepped out of his grungy room on Si Bamphen street, delicious scents of grilled food wafted in Bangkok's sweaty air, while coquettish male and female prostitutes vogued on the sidewalk and taxis offered rides towards greater sleaze, inexpensive ease, and shopping malls' air-conditioned breeze. Before his shock revelations on Thursday (August 17) claiming he was with JonBenet Ramsey in her parents' basement where her six-year-old body was found beaten and strangled, Karr would have attracted little attention with his wan, metrosexual demeanor, slight build, blue eyes and high hairline. International Investigation Into Pseudo Treatment For Cancer Patients in Thailand
Richard S. Ehrlich - 8/14/2006
BANGKOK, Thailand. Hellfried E. Sartori, whose medical license was revoked in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington state, has been jailed in Thailand during an international investigation into the death of patients who received his "Doctor Ozone" anti-cancer injections. Sartori was arrested on July 9 in Chiang Mai and charged with commercial fraud, and practicing without a medical license, after injecting at least two patients in their Chiang Mai hotel rooms, including Australian ovarian cancer patient Kathleen Preston who died in February. Justice After Mass Violence: Indonesia and India Compared
Jemma Purdey, Ph.D. - 8/9/2006
I was recently struck by the similarities in the headlines featured in two newspapers from different cities and different countries. In The Jakarta Post the headline read 'Life goes on for riot victims - with painful memories'; and in The Times of India, 'Life goes on - but the grief remains'. Events of mass violence and rioting between and against different communities within these two countries in recent years have similarly left behind victims seeking justice for the crimes against them. The responses and capabilities of the respective judicial and political systems in India and Indonesia are however, producing different outcomes. RAW: An Instrument of Indian Power
Isha Khan - 8/6/2006
The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), created in 1968, has assumed a significant status in the formulation of India's domestic and foreign policies, particularly the later. Working directly under the Prime Minister, it has over the years become and effective instrument of India's national power. In consonance with Kautilya's precepts, RAW's espionage doctrine is based on the principle of waging a continuous series of battles of intrigues and secret wars. Nagaland peace talks still elusive
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 8/5/2006
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah) has once again announced the extension of the ceasefire for one year following three days parleys with the Indian negotiators at Bangkok on July 31, 2006. The Role Of Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty In Indian Politics
Shri Ganeshai Naman - 8/5/2006
India has followed the multi-party system from the beginning but the balance always tilted towards the Congress. It was natural. The people were still under the influence of freedom struggle and have not forgotten the role of Congress in this struggle. The people adore Nehru, Gandhi, Sardar Patel and others. Burma's Famous Prisoner Suu Kyi now has a myspace.com page
Richard S. Ehrlich - 8/3/2006
Aung San Suu Kyi, the word's most famous political prisoner, now has a MySpace.com Web page, created by a Washington DC organization which hopes Internet activists will help free her from house arrest in Rangoon and donate money. "Female, 61 years old. Status: Single," says Suu Kyi's introduction on MySpace, next to her color photo. The Burmese widow's British husband died several years ago, leaving their two sons to grow up overseas while she has languished for 11 of the past 16 years under house arrest in Burma, a country also known as Myanmar. Bhutan: Paradise clouded by the ethnic cleansing
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 7/29/2006
Hidden in the eastern Himalayas between India and China (in the form of the Tibetan Autonomous Region), as big as Switzerland, but frivolously inhabited, Bhutan exudes an immaculate beauty all over the world. Its mountains are gorgeous, the forests are dense, the people are delightful, the air is salubrious, the architecture imposing and art superb. Well, for the sporadic visitor, and the admirers of nature, Bhutan is truly a Shangri la, a mythical country hidden deep in the mountains, and a heaven away from the heaven. Bizarre 'God's Army' Led By Young Boys Surrenders
Richard S. Ehrlich - 7/27/2006
Mystical twin boys, reputedly born with black tongues and bullet-proof animist powers, no longer lead a deadly God's Army of 200 guerrillas along the violent Burma-Thailand border. Johnny Htoo, one of the sensational twins, surrendered with nine other God's Army rebels to the military in Burma, mainland Southeast Asia's biggest country, which is also known as Myanmar. Eighteen-year-old Johnny Htoo's brother, Luther, was not mentioned in Wednesday's (July 26) announcement in Burma's government-produced New Light Of Myanmar newspaper. CIA's Secret War in Laos
Richard S. Ehrlich - 7/25/2006
The CIA's saturation bombing of Laos killed thousands of people and reduced the tiny country to ruin three decades ago, but 4,500 men, women and children now hope America's failed "secret war" will result in free air tickets to the United States. Bangladesh: On Chittagong Hill Tracts
A. K. Zaman - 7/24/2006
CHT is the integral part of Bangladesh. Its total area is 5 thousand and 93 square miles. The three hill districts Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari cover the one-tenth area of the country. CHT was under the rule of Bengal during Mughal dynasty. It was included with East Bengal during British era and was within East Bengal during Pakistan period. And now naturally CHT is the inseparable part of Bangladesh. CHT was considered as barren hilly region. Its administrative authority was also under control of Chittagong during British period though it was upgraded as a district in 1860. Indian actresses temple entry sparks raging debate
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 7/20/2006
Call it publicity, identity crisis or a social issue; two actresses stirred a hornet▓s nest in South India when they entered two separate temples in Kerela. They incurred the wrath of the temple priests, who termed their acts as 'defilement' of the shrines and asked for its ▒purification▓ through elaborate rituals. Indian move to establish United India through United Bengal
Khodeza Begum - 7/14/2006
Some activities prejudicial to national independence and territorial integrity of Bangladesh have drawn the attention of all conscious persons. A demand has been raised to establish an undivided sub-continent by holding a press conference at a restaurant in Dhaka on December 29, 1991 . 'Upamahadesh Punorujjibon Andolon' (movement for revival of the sub-continent) is the name of this outfit. In an Iftar party hosted by them, the speakers delivered speech at a seminar held in Dhaka on 31 December, 1991 . In that seminar a Congress scholar who came from India commented that none but Zinnah is res... Book Review: 'The Chittagong Hill Tracts: A Victim of Indian Intervention'
A. K. Zaman - 7/13/2006
Zainal Abedin in his informative and research-based book has reflected the problem of insurgency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh from multi-dimensional points of view. A number of books on CHT issue are available in the realm of publication, but this book makes a distinctive and analytical approach to rethink about the long-term desire and interest of some vested quarters at home and abroad. Maoists Face a Tough Electoral Contest in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 7/3/2006
Past several years have been of great political instability in Nepal as en masse defections became the order of the day. Once again the nation is standing on the live wire of political uncertainties as the Maoists plan to rake up the political issue to counter all parties in a desperate move to gain its political ground. Anglo-Indians: Part Of The Great Indian Dream
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/21/2006
14 August 1947. We turn up the radio near the hotel bar before the midnight and listened as Viceroy, Lord Louis Mountbatten, and the first Prime Minister of the new Dominion of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, announced jointly that, at the stroke of twelve, the old Indian Dominion would cease to exist and two independent Dominion would come into being. In the background we had much cheering and shouting and martial music, and next morning an air of euphoria prevailed in the streets, among the coolies and the beggars, among the tonga drivers and the hotel staff. The elation, almost giddiness ... Outsourcing of Indian Education
Pratap Bhanu Mehta - 6/17/2006
In many breathless foreign reports about Indias outsourcing clout, the nations education often gets high marks for being the source of so much success. But the reality is that while in absolute numbers, with a population of a billion plus, the country is ahead of others with total graduates Indian higher education is not responding to the challenges posed by globalization. Afghanistan: The Re-Arming Of The Warlords
Antonio Fabrizio - 6/16/2006
A critical period1 in military operations, according to Reuters, is expecting Afghanistan this summer, as a large springtime offensive led by Talibans has recently revealed. This one could be the hardest phase for the international forces in Afghanistan since 20012. As a consequence, Afghan government is considering a new strategy to block insurgents, but disquieting foreign analysts and military personnel: the plan is to allow arms to tribal militias. Bollywood churning out sexed up scripts
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/12/2006
Bollywood that symbolizes Indian cinema follow a horde mentality. It always looks for a set recipe to churn out intoxicant to make viewers glued on their seats in the dark room of the talkies ogling at the sliver screen. The hit formula is rare to strike upon but once its bumped on, there is a beeline of filmmakers jumping into the bandwagon to exploit it to its hilt. The whole effort then goes on to package it in all its permutation and combinations to cater to the entertainment hungry Indian audiences. Aamir's Fanna and Gujarat
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 6/7/2006
The row over screening of the Aamir Khan starrer film Fanaa in Gujarat seems to have been getting straitened out with the actor believed to have agreed to issue a "clarification" through the media that he never intended to hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat when he joined the Save Narmada movement camp in Delhi last month. Southeast Asia Casts Wide Net for Cooperation
Barry Desker - 5/31/2006
The absence of the US, the 800-pound gorilla, as East Asia moves towards the establishment of an East Asian Community, highlights the regions changing dynamics and emerging debate over the future security architecture. Instead of trying to forge an alliance against China, as some in the US urge, American interests would have been better served by participation in the East Asian Summit that enmeshes China in the regional security network. The Maoist Program and Nepal's Challenge
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 5/25/2006
The government led by the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the Maoist rebels is trying to bridge the troubled waters of Nepalese politics after the overthrow of the constitutional monarchy resulting from their joint struggle. This is indeed a step towards peace and lasting stability, as the rights of ordinary Nepalese can no longer be held hostage to the monarchy's quest for power. A Taliban Comeback?
Ahmed Rashid - 5/24/2006
As unprecedented Taliban violence sweeps across southern Afghanistan, four players in the region Afghanistan, Pakistan, the US and NATO are locked in a tense standoff rather than cooperating to defeat the terrorists. At stake is the future survival of Afghanistans moderate government and stability in Pakistan. Stage is set for restoration of Democracy in Nepal
Panna Lal Chowdhury - 5/19/2006
The Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal was in severe political crisis last month. The streets of its capital Kathmandu were flooded with thousands of demonstrators shouting slogans for restoration of democratic system of government in Nepal. Every day the number of demonstrators was increasing. On April 20, 2006, around hundred thousand people came out in the streets of its capital. Even the shoot at sight orders issued by the authorities could not prevent them. As a result three demonstrators died in police firing on that day. Starting from the capital Kathmandu pro-democracy and anti-monarchy protes... American Influence Over Indian Politics And Its Consequences
Abid Mustafa - 4/10/2006
Eager to retake her parliamentary seat in the forthcoming local elections on May 8th 2006, Sonia Gandhi has finally brought her resignation tally to a halt. In the past three weeks, she has resigned as the Chairperson of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and tendered her resignation as head of Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Jawahar Bhavan Trust, and, Gandhi and Jallianwala Bagh National Trust. But the most important of all her resignations came on March 23rd, when she quit her parliamentary seat and also stepped down from the post of Chairperson of National Advisory Council. Resolving The Political Crisis in Bangladesh
Badrul Islam - 2/26/2006
Bangladeshis heaved a sigh of relief when Leader of the 0pposition joined the Parliament after the absence since September 15,2004, and the ruling party cordially welcomed them. In her speech, Sheik Hasina on behalf of AL and 14-party Alliance placed Reforms proposals for fair polls. The BNP Secretary General responded that Government is also ready to discuss ways to make future elections more credible, free and fair. We all should, indeed, feel proud of these positive out come and, this brings, the political position, from confrontation to the level of Deuce(a term used in Tennis to indicate that both players are at equal 40-40 points). A clash of egos is gulping Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/30/2006
A clash of egos is threatening Nepals fragile autonomy and its equally fragile economy. King, Political parties and the Maoists are in angry dispute over the conduct of the Municipal election. The political parties want the government to terminate the poll, which the government wants to hold at any cost. This has dragged Nepal further into the abyss of political uncertainty as the seven - party strikes and protests against the municipal election and the governments suppression is slowly but surely crippling life nationwide. Royal regime has long been dying on its feet
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/26/2006
Municipal election is a phrase the Nepalese government uses often these days, but in many parts of the country the two words sit uneasily together. Nowhere is this more so than in Kathmandu, arguably the seismic zone of the Nepalese politics. Democrats in Kathmandu have spent months failing to get their final act together. This week they thought they had done it. Seven party alliances were all set to stage the streets of Kathmandu with their massive road protest against the reigning royal regime. Will BJP's new leader prove to be any different than his predecessors?
Abid Mustafa - 1/24/2006
The unexpected departure of Vajpayee and the forced resignation of Advani as BJP's President have paved the way for Rajnath Singh to be appointed as the party's new President. Singh is now charged with the task of providing the party a much needed political direction, as well as increasing Baharti Janta Party's (BJP) popularity amongst Indian voters. Attitudes Needed To Advance Bangladesh
Badrul Islam - 1/23/2006
Former President of the African National Congress and receipient of Nobel Peace Prize in 1961, Albert Luthuli, in his biographical book "Let MY People Go" mentioned "The People of Groutville have found democratic methods effective and satisfactory. They have used these processes not only to elect chiefs, but on two occasions to replace them when their rule was felt to be not in the community's interest. This has the advantage that the tribe need never chafe under harsh rule, the standard of rule must be reasonably high, chiefs need not fear the more traditional elimination by assassination or revolt, and the people understand the process fully. Philippines: Politics or Economics - Which is Stronger
John Mangun - 1/23/2006
Every time a politician talks about economics, I think there is reason to tremble. Of course, every time an economist talks about politics, you should have the same reaction. There seems to be a constant and continuing commentary how politics is the driving force behind economics and the economy. I will grant that government policies can help or hinder economic growth, but what I am talking about here is something a little more basic. Is the driving force in a society what happens in the political arena or what happens in the economy of a country? Maoist insurgency hits Nepalese ailing economy gravely
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/22/2006
Stagflation, deflation and recession have been much on the minds and mouths of economists of late, but many fear that the Nepalese economy may be on the brink of collapse, as the economic costs of people having died, people having displaced from their homes, and people who have been handicapped during the decade old Maoist insurgency has eroded the potential output of the economy, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) chief economic experts. Vietnam's Lessons For Iraq: Vietnamization Of Troops
A.K. Starbuck - 12/18/2005
Desperately seeking a solution and hoping to appear to be fulfilling his campaign promises, Richard Nixon, now finally President of the United States tried to rid himself of the millstone of Vietnam by decreeing that the United States would complete in high speed the training of the Vietnamese to defend their country. His military commanders, equally desperate to get out of the deteriorating situation, began the process of speedy withdrawal by first outlining their various timeframes for the final completion of the United States' role in the war. It was no longer expedient to stay in co... Bangladesh: Bamboo Staves at ready
Mac Haque - 12/9/2005
The bomb attacks in Bangladesh and loud condemnations as this being work of the ever shadowy Islamist militant outfit the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen-Bangladesh (JMB), being the all-credibly incredible show in town thinking people were aghast that I am probably the only highly odd skeptic in town, who does not believe either suicide bombers or the JMB exists. Does Nepal Need Outside Interference
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 12/7/2005
Political forecasting, always a dodgy business, has grown even more difficult in Nepal during the past few weeks. For a start, soothsayers have had to cope over the unpredictable moves of the royal government, the serpentine ploys of the political parties, new-fangled attitudes of the Maoists, and the vagueness of foreign diplomacy. Exactly who is in charge of the Indian cabinet?
Abid Mustafa - 12/2/2005
The long awaited reshuffle of the Indian cabinet failed to produce the sweeping changes many had expected. Instead, minor amendments were made to the composition of the cabinet, while major changes were deferred till after the Bihar election. The prevailing view in the Indian media was that Lalu Prasad Yadav, the leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had prevented Singh from undertaking a complete overhaul of his cabinet. Yadav a major ally of the Congress party wanted RJD to be given a portfolio in any cabinet reshuffle but due to RJD's preoccupation with the elections in Bihar, the Congress party decided to put back the reshuffle. India and Nepal - The Real Party that Called all the Shots
Dipta Shah - 12/1/2005
The fact that India has been, remains and in all probability will continue to be the greatest external influence on Nepali politics is no revelation. However, the degree to which the South Block has been active in Nepal's politics is as ambiguous as ever. It is natural for the external agenda of any regional power to factor prominently in the domestic politics of neighboring states. In Nepal's context, India is no exception. What Nepalis (and increasingly, Nepal analysts) do take exception of, is the nature of India's influence - whether the manipulation has been positive or negative. South Asian Leaders pledge to expand economic cooperation and fight poverty & terrorism
Panna Lal Chowdhury - 11/29/2005
The leaders of the seven South Asian nations concluded their Dhaka summit on 13 November 2005, with a promise to intensify efforts for peace, poverty alleviation and progress for 1400 million people of the region. The present member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, in this Dhaka SAARC Summit, the member countries agreed to include Afghanistan also as a new member of the Association. Exactly who is in charge of the Indian cabinet?
Abid Mustafa - 11/28/2005
The long awaited reshuffle of the Indian cabinet failed to produce the sweeping changes many had expected. Instead, minor amendments were made to the composition of the cabinet, while major changes were deferred till after the Bihar election. The prevailing view in the Indian media was that Lalu Prasad Yadav, the leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had prevented Singh from undertaking a complete overhaul of his cabinet. Yadav a major ally of the Congress party wanted RJD to be given a portfolio in any cabinet reshuffle but due to RJD's preoccupation with the elections in Bihar, the Congress party decided to put back the reshuffle. India, Nepal and the Voice of Reason: The United States of America
Dipta Shah - 11/28/2005
Initial indications point out that when India decided to shove the Maoists and Nepali Parties together, the US prudently stepped up its moderating capacity thereby reducing the shove to a measured nudge. Had the US not exerted much needed wisdom on the Indian establishment, the haste in which the South Block proceeded to rectify damage to its image would probably have yielded an unacceptable proposition to ending Nepals insurgency at least from the Palaces perspective. Kashmir And Survival of Earthquake Victims
Amit Pyakurel - 11/20/2005
The Kashmiri province that adjoins both India and Pakistan woke up to the grim reality of the ever catastrophic earthquake in the history. The suffering will be shared by rivals, India and Pakistan. Pakistan 73,000 dead and the similar number, more than 69,000 injured. The death toll from the Indian side is about 1,300. The calamity has left many others homeless, compelling them to live under the open sky through the cold, shivering nights of winter, risking more vulnerable lives with the increasing pace of chilly gust of the mountains. RAW-3: Nationalism - Bangladeshi and Bengali
Igor Siljanoski - 11/15/2005
RAW strategists have cleverly created disagreement and division even over the issue of national ideology. A debate has been going on whether the country should adopt Bangladeshi nationalism or Bengafee nationalism. Unfortunately RAW has succeeded in making this fundamental issue an aging controversy. Bangladeshi nationalism relates to all the people living in Bangladesh. It is a description of the fee1ing of political cohesion which inspires Bangladeshis to be proud of their separateness. Since Muslims constitute more than 85% of the country's population, thererfore, Bangladeshi nationalism in... RAW-2: Taslima Nasreen
Igor Siljanoski - 11/14/2005
Taslima Nasreen, the blasphemous and controversial writer from Bangladesh owes her sudden rise to fame and prominece to RAW. On instigation from RAW she has been writing novels and poems against Islam, morality and independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh. Since many years RAW has been using her for spreading poisonous and preposterous material against Muslim culture. RAW's " love for Taslima N areen is indicated by conferring of an award by the Anandabazar Group of Calcutta, India, for her book 'Nirbichito Column'. RAW-1: India's Attack on Bangladeshi Culture, Ideology and Existence
Igor Siljanoski - 11/14/2005
The Ananda Bazar Patrika of Calcutta recently published a long feature on the so-called crippled economy and political instability of Bangladesh and shamelessly advised Bangladeshis in the following way: Realizing the cruel truth Bangladeshis should rather raise the demand to merge with India'. Getting similar message from her masters in RAW Taslima Nasreen, a derailed writer, wrote in a poem: Initiative To Unionize India Service Sector Rejected
Jit Mukherjii - 11/13/2005
Recent decades have seen profound changes in the political and economic environment, which have had a negative effect on the position and influence of trade unions. The interrelated factors, which contributed to this situation, may be listed as follows. First, globalization has led to intense competitive pressure in product markets, accelerated the mobility of capital, and added to the vulnerability of labor. Second, technological changes have made it possible to reshape production through new forms of industrial organization, including sub-contracting and the spatial reorganization of product... US Intelligence Helped To Extradite India's Most Wanted
Jit Mukherjii - 11/13/2005
It was on the fateful Friday of March 12, 1993 that Abu Salem, allegedly carried out the massacre of 300 innocents in Mumbai, India. Finally, on 11th November, another Friday, India's dogged endeavor to bring the suspected killers to book, bore fruit. India's second most wanted don, Abu Salem, was handed over to CBI officials in Portugal, where they were held back in prison. Initially, Portugal was reluctant to hand over because of European Union mandatory laws which states that a guilty cannot be handed over to a country, which has got capital punishment. Incidentally, India has got capital p... Does US Seek To Establish Dictatorship in Nepal?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/13/2005
The momentum that was rapidly building toward a republican set up after the initial media hoopla, is most likely to decease prematurely as the United States has officially yet again renewed its warning against possible alliance between Nepals major political parties and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists). The Calcutta Conspiracy: No Sovereignty for Bangladesh?
Igor Siljanoski - 11/6/2005
It is astonishing and pitiful that a foreign national dared to speak against the sovereignty, separate identity and existence of Bangladesh in the very presence of a Bangladeshi, who claims himself a vanguard of the spirit of independence. One Indian national Sriti Kumar Sarkar addressing a discussion meeting in Calcutta of India on October 1, made an insane comment saying that Bangladesh does not need to have separate existence or sovereignty. Nepal: Shadows Of The Empire
Sanjay Upadhya - 10/28/2005
Keith Bloomfield, the British ambassador in Kathmandu, has been the most consistently vocal skeptic of King Gyanendra's attitude toward democracy. Lately, his own has been called into question. Until last month, His Excellency was critical of the royal government for having presented democracy "as something that has to wait until the Maoists have been dealt with militarily, where there is no room for moderation and compromise." US Reaffirm Nuclear Deal With India
Umesh Rajan Malhotra - 10/25/2005
The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the July 18 nuclear agreement between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and U.S. President George Bush in Washington. US Under-Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, who is in New Delhi, to discuss implementation of the civilian nuclear deal between the two countries, said the Bush administration was working "very hard" and looking forward to the Congress passing the historic resolution. AIDS Threat to Bangladesh from India
Igor Siljanoski - 10/24/2005
Indian demand for corridor, under the guise of transit must be thwarted to keep it free from HIV/AIDS, as it will spread the menace in the country rapidly. India is now the largest AIDs and HIV contaminated country in the world. According to Feacham, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, India has outstripped South Africa and has more people living with AIDS than any other country. Being the second largest populous country in the world, it will not be strange if India have already outstripped South Africa. While UNAIDS puts the Indian figure at 5.1 mill... The Dark Fate of Nepali Children
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 10/24/2005
Nepal is located at the tassel of South Asian politics and receives very little international attention. Yet the mounting conflict deserves the world's attention, not only because of its intrinsic interest, but also because of the wider, very serious implications it has for the stability of the region. The Pathetic Reality of Street Children in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 10/17/2005
Over the past few decades, the standard of living of many urban Nepalese has risen beyond measure, even in the midst of political turmoil. But ironically, at the same time many poor children are struggling for survival out in the streets, sleeping on makeshift cardboard mattresses in main cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara, Dharan, Narayanghat, Butwal, and Biratnagar. Nepal: South Asia's Worst Managed Country
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 10/15/2005
Nepal is probably the worst managed country in the whole of South Asia in terms of having to deal with the ever-changing political environment. Its very much a politics-driven nation. But when you have a social disturbance of the magnitude that has occurred in Nepal, it is virtually impossible to maintain sound political beliefs. Thats because the political players of Nepal are not focused on the main agenda. They say a little bit of everything and end up doing the things they dont know anything about. Indian Expansionism: Harmful for Peace in South Asia
Hari Bansha Dulal - 10/9/2005
The encroachment of Nepalese land in Susta VDC, Nawalparasi clearly demonstrates how India is trying to take advantage of current political mess in Nepal by encroaching Nepalese territory. While Indian embassy's staffers in Kathmandu keep themselves busy trying to paint India's friendly attitude by providing funds to build bridges and inaugurating school buildings in terai, their government in New Delhi makes Nepalese pay for the financial aid provided to Nepal by ripping off their national identity. However, what could be the better time than this to encroach a smaller state's territory? Political parties are wrestling with King to grab the power and king is US thanks India for its support in IAEA vote on Iran nuclear issue
T.C. Malhotra - 10/3/2005
India's vote at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in aligning itself with the United States and the European Union over Iran nuclear issue has started a debate in Washington and New Delhi, while Tehran has threaten to review its economic and trade ties with all those countries which voted against it. Propaganda of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council
Igor Siljanoski - 10/3/2005
It is very unfortunate that a rootless and signboard-oriented organisation named Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), is engaged in subversive acts of defaming Bangladesh at home and abroad. BHBCUC acts as a tool of neighbouring countries of Bangladesh to implement its ulterior design. One of the burning examples of its notorious activities, are the letters sent to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and to Bill Clinton's Global Institute. Trafficking in Women, Nepal's Dirtiest Secret
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 9/25/2005
The constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal bans the sale or trafficking of women under Article 20 (1): "Traffic in human beings, slavery, serfdom or forced labour in any form is prohibited. Any contravention of this provision shall be punishable by law." Nepal's lonely monarch seeks company in villagers and townsmen
Bikash Sangraula - 9/16/2005
Nepals sprawling royal palace is one of the loneliest places on earth these days, despite a 10,000-strong security presence. In just over six months after King Gyanendra assumed absolute power, he has lost the confidence of Kathmandu, Nepals mainstream political parties, Nepals neighbors, and the international community. Maoists Latest Unilateral Truce Heralds A New Era In Nepali Politics
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 9/13/2005
King Gyanendra enjoyed a brief political honeymoon after his rise to absolute power in February. People reacted favorably to his new role. Common Nepalese psyche was soured completely by the political impasse and the maoists violence, so they gave the king, the benefit of doubt to invigorate the nation. King of Nepal Makes The Right Move
Dr. Khagendra Thapa - 9/13/2005
Ever since the inception of the so-called multiparty government, the party bosses and their relatives and cronies have been looting the nation and its destitute people. The 'Elected Criminals' had disregarded all norms and standards of human decency and kindness. They have sucked the blood of the people. Had these elected criminals such as Girija Koirala done their job and discharged their responsibilities properly and honestly, there would have been no Maoist movement. The country and the people would have never suffered as they are right now. The multiparty followers created such a situation... Another Look at Mahatma Gandhi
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/11/2005
Many myths abound about Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand known as Mahatma "Great Souled") Gandhi (1869-1948). He was not born to a poor Indian family. His father was dewan (chief minister) of Porbandar, the capital of a small principality in Gujarat in western India under British suzerainty. He later became dewan of Rajkot. Internally Displaced Population Syndrome in Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 9/11/2005
These days it seems as though there are two governments running Nepal: the city-based, royal regime, which has yet to win both domestic and international confidence, and the village-based, barbaric Maoists regime, which seems determined to cleanse the royal regime and those they do not like. And sandwiched in between them are the legitimate democratic political parties and the hapless civilians of Nepal. Why India Is Blamed For All The Debacles In Bangladesh
Igor Siljanoski - 9/9/2005
India is blamed for the well-knitted and unprecedented bombings of August 17 and all other debacles occurred in Bangladesh. Some blame India by directly mentioning its name, while others accuse her indirectly without mentioning her name. Whenever any untoward incident occurs in Bangladesh "a neighbouring country acted from behind the screen" is pointed to. They do not mention India in name. They adopt this tactic out of fear. One should really be worried for his personal security, since the security and existence of one's homeland is under threat. None can predict when, where, how and from which direction he will face mishap. The Aung San Family in Myanmar
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/8/2005
Aung San Suu Kyi is a much revered opposition leader in Myanmar (Burma) (born 1945). She has bravely resisted - and still does - the murderous military regime in her homeland and has won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. Nepal: Let's Give Peace A Chance
KC Pralhad - 8/30/2005
For thirty years, I have been in the USA as a fully engaged Nepali. I am not a Diaspora Nepali, someone from a fine family who returns to the Kingdom occasionally, and speaks only to relatives. As a businessperson, importing Nepali goods to the US, I must visit Nepal multiple times each year. My travels allow me access to a broad spectrum of Nepali voices, city and village, rich and poor. After canvassing and interviewing hundreds of hard working business leaders and common people within Nepal, as well as those living in the USA and abroad, and also reading articles and taking views of various... Politico-Economics Of Royal Takeover In Nepal
Surendra R Devkota, Ph.D. - 8/27/2005
"Democracy is the only viable alternative, and we should make clear that we unequivocally reject the King's imperial ambitions, that the days of an active monarchy are over, and that we support the political parties"
-US Senator Patrick Leahy's statement on Nepal to Congress on July 28, 2005. As democracy spurs, the monarchs in Nepal get up in arms. This fact is supported by two royal coups in past 50 years. The first royal coup of 1960 orchestrated by the King Mahendra not only lasted for thirty years, but also resulted to a massive incidence of poverty in Nepal. Further impacts on socio... Nepal: Deepening Uncertainty Amid U.S. Dilemma
Sanjay Upadhya - 8/26/2005
The Maoist insurgency raging in Nepal has posed a unique challenge to the United States: Reverberations of the Cold War-era Red Scare have combined with the imperatives of the ongoing War on Terror. The possibility of the world's first communist takeover since the collapse of the Eastern bloc - and by an organization that the U.S. State Department has designated as terrorist - has produced palpable anxiety. Nepal: Democracy Of The Beggars
Dr. Raman Raj Misras - 8/23/2005
Beggars beg because they cannot earn. And what the beggars get, they cannot keep for long. So it has been with the advocates and promoters of democracy in Nepal. They have twice in history received their brand of "democracy" by the grace of India. Of course, there has been a heavy geopolitical price to pay for it, whether it be for the Delivered Democracy of the fifties or the Imposed Democracy of the nineties. Why the US Support for the King of Nepal is Important
Dr. Khagendra Thapa - 8/22/2005
Nepal has been fighting the violent communist insurgents for the last nine years. After two failed attempts to have a negotiated settlement of the dispute between the government and the insurgents, the violence inflicted by the insurgents against the innocent citizens of Nepal has escalated. More than 11,500 lives have been lost as a direct result of the conflict and another 23,000 have committed suicide because they could not bear the pain of loss of relatives and the property owing to the conflict. RAW is enemy of Bangaladesh, China, Nepal and Pakistan
Dr. Sabitri Chaudhary - 8/21/2005
I..K. Gujral, former prime minister of India and Nepal's friend, was sent off to Russia during the late Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi's era. He was trained under the Russian Communist ideology and was assigned to look after a project called RAW whose objective was to build a strong Indian spy network in Asian and achieve Indian stronghold in the region. India's Support For Nepali Terrorists
Dr. Bikash Thapa - 8/20/2005
India is fighting a war in Nepal. Other regional players would not accept such a development if it were an open, conventional war, since it would be detrimental to their own security. But it is a shadow war, a war by proxy and threatening to Nepal's territorial integrity and sovereignty. There should be no doubt that the Indian government and establishment is tacitly and overtly helping the Nepalese terroists in their nine-year 'People's War' through acts of omission and commission. Iran - Pakistan - India Pipeline Under Attack Before Its Even Built
Angelique van Engelen - 7/26/2005
Pipelines traversing international territories often get played up at moments as opportune as their location is strategic. You wonder why so far international terrorists haven't really cottoned on to this, because an attack on one of the pipelines would not be misplaced in any analytical study on how terrorists conduct their acts of barbarism. An attack on a major oil or gas pipeline might not be as outlandish as it sounds, but in fact might be rather logical. Exploitation in Northeastern India
Igor Siljanoski - 6/22/2005
A section of the Indians have been co ntinuously propagating that Bangladesh is providing shelter to the insurgents of the Northeastern India in general and the ULFA in particular.But Bangladesh repeatedly declared that there is no camp of Northeast insurgents in her soil. But some Indian columnists repeatedly and deliberately beat the same drum to make the people in and outside India that Bangladesh designs to secede its Northeast region though Bangladesh rejected the allegations and even does not hesitate to nab the Northeast dwellers whenever they were found in Bangladesh territory. Fake Stories of Bangladeshis Intruding Into India
Igor Siljanoski - 6/8/2005
It is observed that it has become a fashion for some of the Indian politians and columnists to make allegation of illegal immigration of Bangladesh nationals into the northeastern states of India in general and Assam in particular. Recently the Assam Gvernor alleged that about 6000 Bangladesh nationals enter Assam everyday. The effort was made to divert the attention of the exploited and deprived people of Assam to such an issue ' foreigners' which is popular to the ethnic Assamese. Some in the media also jumped on the issue. South Asian Parliamentarians' Initiative For Regional Cooperation And Peace
Panna Lal Chowdhury - 6/6/2005
Parliamentarians representing all the major political parties in South Asia met in a conference in the Pakistan capital of Islamabad. The conference had eight sessions from May 16 to 20 on various topics, including economic cooperation, water issues and energy grid, a South Asian human rights code, and right to know and independence of media. There was also suggestion to initiate steps for regional parliamentary union for South Asia. India's Designs to Harm Bangladesh Using Islamic Militancy as Pretext
Igor Siljanoski - 5/30/2005
During the recent Awami League rule (1996-2001), India began a propaganda war which claims Islamic terrorists are becoming active in Bangladesh. A section of Dhaka-based dailies frequently made reports about the existence of the militancy in Bangladesh. They repeatedly alleged that the Muslim terrorists were being trained deep in the jungle of Chittagong Hill Tracts, or Sundarbans or different madrashas of the country. Security forces instantly rushed to those spots mentioned in the dailies, but found the reports fake and baseless. To provoke the America-led western power India deliberately la... Democracy in Bangladesh Can Overcome Challenges
Panna Lal Chowdhury - 5/17/2005
Bangladesh achieved its independence in 1971 through a liberation struggle. The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh started its journey with a democratically elected government. But the representative government was removed in 1975 through a military uprising. Military generals ruled the country till 1990, initially through martial law and later through the civilian governments. However, massive political movements by the people of the country successfully restored the democracy there effective from 1991. There have been multiparty parliamentary elections in 1991, 1996 & 2001. Governments were chan... India-Pakistan Peace Process Important for South Asia
Panna Lal Chowdhury - 5/2/2005
The year of 2005 started with unexpected events for the region of South Asia. Massive natural disaster Tsunami affected Sri Lanka, Maldives and part of South India before five days of the starting of the new near. Devastating waves of Tsunami crushing life and property over the costal areas of Indian Ocean, was the grim scenario on the first day of the year. Next it was the political development in Nepal. The Nepalese King Gyanendra dismissed the Prime Minister and his cabinet and also dissolved the parliament on 1 February 2005. Indeed it was a Palace coup. The monarch accused that the ruling... Branding Pakistan and Promoting Its Economy and Businesses
Naseem Javed - 4/21/2005
How can the identity and development of the top 100 name brands in Pakistan be helped by the government and private forces? While the challenges of building a finer image of Pakistan is on the forefront, the first question is, can a nation be branded? A country can pick and choose certain dynamic activities and commercial projects and products to create world class brands. The best would uniquely be associated with Pakistan and deliver a message of quality. This remedy is readily available as a lot of corporations are ready to take off. President Musharraf's Visit to India
S K Modi - 4/19/2005
It is almost amazing how well President Pervez Musharraf was received in India. In fact, if Bill Clinton sees video-recordings of the way the Pakistani President is being treated, he is quite likely to go green with envy. In spite of being the then incumbent President of the United States, the reception he got in India during his official visit can, when compared to the reception received by Musharraf, at best be described as lacklustre. In a manner of speaking, Musharraf is being treated the way the British traditionally treat their royalty. Women Emerge Stronger after the Tsunami
Ravi R. Prasad - 4/15/2005
On April 14, Sri Lankans will celebrate the New Year, but with a difference. Many of them will be performing the ritual of boiling the rice outside their tents instead of their homes. Thousands of families are still homeless, living in temporary shelters along the roadside. Fortunate are those who have got temporary shelters made of tin sheets and wooden planks. But not many have this comfort. The tsunami that struck the coast of Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004, has had a major impact on the social, traditional and customary role of women in the country. Third World Corruption: Indonesia First and Philippines Second
John Mangun - 4/15/2005
Sometime between Chinese New Year and Easter comes an annual event eagerly awaited by Asian governments and pundits alike, an 'award' given by the Political and Economics Risk Consultancy group out of Hong Kong. And like the movie industry's "Oscar Awards", the newspapers headline the results on the following day. This year the Philippines came in a close second to Indonesia's winning score in the "Corruption Index". EXCLUSIVE: Interview with the President of Sri Lanka - Tsunami fails to bring the government and rebels closer
Ravi R. Prasad - 4/11/2005
Soon after the tsunami hit hundreds of journalists from all over the world descended on Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Both these countries face serious challenges of secessionist movements. While rebels in Aceh want a separate nation, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka are demanding interim administration for the areas that are under their control. Cambodia's Child Sex Trade
Ali Omidi - 4/5/2005
It's after midnight and we're cruising along the potholed road that directs to Svay Pak, Phnom Penh's contemptible brothel district. It's very dark - the only light comes from flickering candles set in small Buddhist shrines on the roadside. There doesn't seem to be much activity on this hot summer night. Perhaps the Cambodian government's crackdown on the child-sex trade in having an effect. Back in March 2003 the government had sealed 50-odd Svay Pak brothels-known for housing underage Vietnamese girls-in an effort to wash up the nation's growing image as a paedophile's paradise. US Refusal of Visa to Indian Politician: Irrational Arrogance or Insipid Ignorance?
S K Modi - 3/22/2005
Imagine if those running for their lives out of WTC on September 11, 2001 were prevented from coming out of the burning and collapsing buildings by a group of Muslims. Had that happened, how would the Americans have reacted to local Islamic population? What would have been the magnitude of hate crimes in such a situation? How many would have been killed? How many mosques would have been burnt? It is very difficult to imagine a situation like this. But this is precisely what happened at Godhra in the western state of Gujarat in India on February 27, 2002. A train was forced to stop by pulling t... Afghan Myths - Interview with Anssi Kullberg
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/19/2005
[The interview was originally conducted in 2001. It is being re-published due to its relevancy once again] This interview was conducted with Anssi Kristian Kullberg in 2001, when he was employed as a researcher for the Legal and Country Intelligence Service, Western and Central Asia Desk, at the Finnish Directorate of Immigration. This interview represents his personal views only and not those of his employer. On Black Tuesday, 11th September, he was in Kyrgyzstan, on his way to the notorious Ferghana Valley, in a reconstruction of the late Finnish Marshal C.G.E. Mannerheim's intelligence expedition to Turkistan and China in 1906-1908. A new policy outlook guides the Indian Budget
Panna Lal Chowdhury - 3/7/2005
The new Indian budget for fiscal 2005-06 was presented on the last day of February 2005. It deserves special attention from the business circles, economists and the politicians. The present Indian Government is formed with the coalition of a number of parties. The main coalition partner, the Indian National Congress, initiated the economic liberalization and reform programs since early nineties. The present Prime minister and the present Finance minister is the architect of this economic liberalization and globalization polices of India since 1991. But unlike the past, the present government a... The Philippines is Coming Back
John Mangun - 2/27/2005
As expected and predicted, Moody's report card of the Arroyo, administration showed less than a passing performance rating. Smokers and drinkers are paying more for their favorite "sin" and it did nothing to offset the dismally poor fiscal 'accomplishments' of the government. In fact, the 'sin' seems to be the way the administration handles the people's money and the government's finances. Oh well, like a lover subject to the flight of Cupid's arrows, we must live with the results of the downgrade, for better or worse. India and Pakistan: The Unsolvable Conflict
S K Modi - 2/18/2005
India and Pakistan, or at least their respective leaderships, are trying hard to improve relations with each other. Diplomats and ministers are shuttling between the two capitals and joint statements are being issued, as well as a recent announcement of new road and rail service. George Bush and Tony Blair are throwing appreciative glances and hopes are running high once again, but the real issues continue to be ignored by the policy makers. Similar attempts have been made in the past, but failed to produce any tangible results. Indian View of Iraqi Elections and Increased Support for Bush
S K Modi - 2/7/2005
Like elsewhere in the world, the US attitude towards Iraq has become somewhat more acceptable, or less unacceptable, in India too. An official statement described the elections as "a noteworthy development." Editorials in leading dailies did offer some applause by calling the voter turnout "surprisingly large," though most went on to caution against excessive optimism. High School Students May Change Government in Indian State of 85 million
S K Modi - 1/30/2005
The Indian polity is about as diverse, interesting and intriguing as the socio-cultural conditions in India are. Whether India's sense of pride about the huge diversities is justifiable or not is debatable but the diversities, by themselves, are awesome. In economic terms also, India has a great deal of diversity. Per capita income, house ownership, usage of household appliances like washing machines and refrigerators, population of automobiles and even consumption of food items vary vastly from region to region. It is not merely a question of a society having some very poor and some very rich... Solution to Economic Problems of Philippines
John Mangun - 1/29/2005
To even the most astute observer whose sympathies might lie with the current administration, it would seem from the results of the last national election that the government of the Philippines was populated with thieves, intellectual dwarfs, and other assorted clowns with high name recognition. However, an occasional jewel of competency and perception can be found in government even if the press and media is so unaware of the fact.
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