[sacw] SACW (15 Dec. 01)

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire | 15 December 2001
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

[ Interruption Notice: There will be no SACW dispatches on the 16th=20
of December 2001]

------------------------------------------

#1. Few have considered the devastating environmental consequences=20
of the conflict in Afghanistan. (A.C'. Thompson )
#2. 'Cheye Dekho' campaign to help the displaced Hindus in Bangladesh
#3. Pakistan's jehad in Kashmir has created an alternative state=20
apparatus among the surrogate warriors. (Khaled Ahmed)
#4. Interview with : GEN. PERVAIZ MUSHARRAF (Far Eastern Economic Review)
#5. India: A Memorial Meeting for poet Agha Shahid Ali (1949-2001) at=20
Jamia Millia Islamia
on December 15, 2001 (Saturday) at 11:30am
#6. India: Indian People's Tribunal on Environment and Human Rights=20
Public Meeting
#7. India: An Appeal from the displaced tribals of Tawa dam

________________________

#1.

The Nation (USA) FEATURE STORY | Special Report |=20
12/2/2001
War Without End
by A.C. Thompson

In early November, as American B-52s pummeled Taliban positions, a=20
team of United Nations scientists surveyed the wreckage of the=20
world's last major bombing campaign, the 1999 siege of Kosovo. Since=20
the seventy-eight-day NATO bombardment, researchers with the UN=20
Environment Program have scoured the fractured Balkan landscape,=20
checking shell fragments for radioactivity, sampling well water and=20
testing the soil of bomb-pocked corn fields.
The results of these studies are grim. The battle created severe=20
"environmental hotspots" that pose "acute health risks" to the=20
residents of four major cities, reports UN team leader Pasi Rinne. In=20
the eyes of Rinne and his fellow researchers, a "new type of complex=20
humanitarian emergency" is unfolding in post-war Kosovo. A key=20
concern for the UN is the use of depleted uranium (DU) shells, 30,000=20
of which were fired during the battle for Kosovo. The UN fears that=20
DU rounds, which unleash clouds of toxic, mildly radioactive uranium=20
particles--and have been dubbed "the Agent Orange of this era" by=20
greens--may be contaminating drinking water in the region.

Just as the ecological damage done to Kosovo has been largely ignored=20
by the American media, few have considered the long-term=20
environmental consequences of the conflict in Afghanistan. Military=20
analysts expect the Pentagon to employ DU in the Afghan theater, but=20
in lesser amounts than in previous wars. "You won't see that much=20
depleted uranium used because there just aren't the targets," says=20
Philip Coyle, a senior adviser at Washington, DC's Center for Defense=20
Information.

But that doesn't mean this war is an eco-friendly affair.

Just ask Charles Cutshaw, a former Army intelligence officer and=20
Vietnam vet. "A lot of the chemicals in these weapons are toxic,"=20
explains Cutshaw, who now works as a consultant for Jane's Defence=20
Weekly. "I've seen battlefields and they are very dirty places." Even=20
purely conventional munitions, good-old fashioned bombs and missiles,=20
are packed with toxins that will be cast to the wind on detonation.=20
The metal components include heavy metals like lead, a neurotoxin,=20
and cadmium, which causes lung disease and organ damage. Then you=20
have the explosive charges, compounds like cyclonite, a probable=20
carcinogen used in a wide range of ordnance. And don't forget=20
perchlorates, a family of thyroid-damaging chemicals used in rocket=20
propellant.

The most significant threat, however, is probably posed by the=20
targets hit by these weapons. In Yugoslavia, NATO bombs obliterated=20
dozens of industrial facilities--oil refineries, electrical=20
transformers, chemical plants, a car factory--located along the=20
Danube river and its tributaries. The strikes sent up plumes of=20
noxious smoke and spilled hundreds of tons of hazardous chemicals=20
into waterways. Here, culled from a 1999 report by Pristina's=20
Regional Environmental Center, is a brief index of the poisons dumped=20
into the Danube: several hundred tons of oil, 1,000 tons of ammonia,=20
330 tons of caustic hydrochloric acid and 1,400 tons of=20
ethylene-dichloride, a chemical that causes cancer in lab rats.=20
Unsurprisingly, the result of all this was catastrophic. Dead fish=20
were strewn along the banks of the river for miles. Scientists think=20
the water contamination reaches all the way to the Black Sea.

The city of Pancevo, ten miles outside Belgrade, suffered a=20
Bhopal-type disaster when NATO planes incinerated a major=20
petrochemical complex. The complex, which included a fertilizer=20
factory, an oil refinery and a chemical plant, burned for five days,=20
as 80,000 tons of oil and 460 tons of dioxin-laden liquid plastic=20
went up in smoke. Rain the color of coal fell on the town of 80,000=20
people. The air was filled with an array of lethal chemicals, one of=20
which, a liver poison, clocked in at 10,000 times above safe levels.=20
The horror continues. According to a grisly dispatch from Pancevo=20
that ran in the British Guardian this May, eating root vegetables is=20
now banned because of soil contamination, dogs are coming down with a=20
rare bone cancer, young people are reporting heart problems and about=20
100 of the emergency workers who rushed to the fire are ailing from=20
permanent, disabling lung damage.

Wracked by twenty years of conflict, Afghanistan doesn't have the=20
modern infrastructure of pre-war Yugoslavia--but the United States is=20
going after the the country's remaining industrial targets. In early=20
November the BBC reported that American bombs knocked out one of=20
Afghanistan's biggest power plants, and in press briefings the=20
Pentagon has said it is aiming for Taliban oil reserves and fuel=20
depots.

"The cleanup problems will be extreme," says Saul Bloom, executive=20
director of Arc Ecology, a San Francisco-based group focused on the=20
military-environment nexus. "Afghanistan as a country has no capacity=20
to deal with the environmental impacts of this campaign, and as a=20
result, people who aren't yet born will be paying the price. This war=20
will create second- and third-generation victims."

______

#2.

http://www.drishtipat.org

chokh melo, cheye dekho, ki haal, banglar
(Open your eyes, look up and see what has become of Bangla)
_______________________________________________________________________

"Some women ran in the paddy fields, some hid inside the betel leaf=20
shed and some were caught by the attackers and robbed of their=20
nakful, Radha Rani said defying her husband Luxmi Kanta's plea not to=20
talk. Radha Rani said, after the attackers caught her they tried to=20
strip her near the village pond. But she grabbed a large stick and=20
defended her. She said she was nonetheless overpowered and robbed of=20
her nakful."

>From The Daily Star, Dhaka, November 9, 2001,=20
<http://www.dailystarnews.com/200111/09/n1110901.htm#BODY5>Harrowing=20
Tales of Depravity

Many of us were thus introduced to the brutal tales of organized rape=20
and pillage of hundreds of Hindu women in the remote Bangladesh=20
village of Annada Prashad on October 2-3, 200. Almost two hundred=20
women were raped and hundreds of families were rendered homeless.=20
Elsewhere in Bangladesh, stories of violence against the minority=20
community have begun to emerge.

We, the members of 'Drishtipat', an Internet based non-political=20
human rights watch organization for Bangladesh, are deeply disturbed=20
by the unprecedented human rights abuses unleashed upon sections of=20
our hapless minority community immediately preceding the general=20
election of 2001 and in it's bloody aftermath. We are extremely=20
saddened and enraged at the extent and ferocity of these crimes=20
against humanity perpetrated by some misguided criminals and=20
so-called political thugs in Bangladesh.

Drishtipat has launched the=20
"<http://www.drishtipat.org/campaign/>Cheye Dekho" campaign to help=20
the victims of Annanda Prashad and elsewhere in Bangladesh. Our goals=20
are to:

Raise money for the rehabilitation of victims at Annada Prashad
Raise awareness of current minority-related human rights abuses at=20
Annada Prashad and elsewhere in Bangladesh
Apply pressure, directly and indirectly, on the Bangladesh Government=20
to take action
To accomplish these goals, we are reaching out to conscientious=20
friends and members of the expatriate Bangladeshi community who=20
cannot and must not remain silent observers. To help the victims=20
financially in need we have set a modest goal of raising $25,000 by=20
January 31, 2002 for the rehabilitation of Annada Prashad victims. We=20
will provide the aid to the victims through the auspices of the=20
Mahila Parishad and other associated reliable entities in Bangladesh.=20
We expect to not just simply hand over money, but help the victims=20
rebuild their lives through targeted efforts such as home=20
reconstruction and small business setup grants.

SpaandanB, a US based non-profit organization, will help this=20
campaign by receiving your tax-deductible charitable contributions.=20
SpaandanB will provide you with a receipt after the New Year. Please=20
make your checks payable to SpaandanB, fill out "Cheye Dekho=20
Campaign" in the memo line and mail to:

SpaandanB
ATTN: Simee Adhikari
2041 Westcreek Lane,
Apt D91, Houston, TX 77027 [USA]

For detailed information on the campaign, the ongoing human rights=20
abuses in Bangladesh and all our actions relating to it, please visit=20
our website, <http://www.drishtipat.org/>www.drishtipat.org or email=20
us at <mailto:contact@d...>contact@d...

We urge you to come forward in this season of giving, and donate=20
generously to help the distressed victims in the minority community=20
in Bangladesh. They desperately need our assistance to get back on=20
their feet again and reclaim their shattered faith in humanity. We=20
thank you in advance for your support and solidarity.

Open your eyes, look around, what has happened to Bengal=8A

Drishitpat is a non-profit expatriate Bangladeshi organization=20
committed to safeguarding every individual's basic democratic rights,=20
including freedom of expression, and is opposed to any and all kinds=20
of human rights abuses in Bangladesh. We are based in the United=20
States, and have members in every part of the globe. In early 2001,=20
we successfully publicized and raised over $16,000 for the medical=20
treatment of journalist <http://www.drishtipat.org/past/tipu/>Tipu=20
Sultan. Sultan was investigating Feni crime boss and ex-Member of=20
Parliament, Joynal Hazari, and was almost killed by Hazari's paid=20
thugs. Please visit <http://www.drishtipat.org/>www.drishtipat.org or=20
join us on our message board at=20
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/drishtipat>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dri=
shtipat

SPAANDANB is an abbreviation for "Support and Promote America-based=20
Activities for Nationwide Development Addressing the Needs of=20
Bangladeshis". This is a non-profit and voluntary organization,=20
founded in early 1998 by a small group of Bangladeshis in the San=20
Francisco Bay Area. It is funded by regular contributions and=20
charitable donations from its members and donors from all over the=20
world and contributions are tax deductible in the United States.
SPAANDANB sponsors various Educational, Health and Development=20
projects in Bangladesh. Currently more than ten projects are=20
supported in different parts of Bangladesh. Please visit our web=20
site: <http://www.SpaandanB.org/>www.SpaandanB.org for project=20
details and to become a SPAANDANB donor.
SPAANDANB - beacon of hope in one Bangladeshi's struggle
______

#3.

The Friday Times December 14 - 20, 2001

The challenge within
Khaled Ahmed's A n a l y s i s

Qazi Husain Ahmad
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Maulana Azam Tariq
Hafiz Mohammad Saeed

Pakistan's jehad in Kashmir has created an alternative state=20
apparatus among the surrogate warriors. The price that civil society=20
pays for this deniable covert war has been climbing over the years=20
and has now become almost intolerable. During the latest round of war=20
in Afghanistan most of these outfits have opposed General Musharraf's=20
policy of joining the world coalition against terrorism. All=20
religious leaders of these jehadi outfits know their activity can=20
easily fall in the category of terrorism. They therefore try to scare=20
the common man by predicting that the next American target will be=20
Pakistan.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
or the first time the government's reference to 'extremist religious=20
elements' has become clear to the people of Pakistan. Leaders of the=20
main religious parties are in confinement and their second string=20
lieutenants are continuing to issue threatening calls. The war in=20
Afghanistan has crystallised the situation: some changes in the army=20
top brass and the break in Pakistan's extreme international isolation=20
has identified the enemy. The Punjab governor, after replacing a=20
rather listless predecessor, is expressing his government's resolve=20
to put an end to religious extremism.

The lingering passion for the hardline Taliban has not disappeared=20
from the Urdu press where the religious parties rule unhindered=20
through their surrogates. Parts of the government that used to=20
'coordinate' Islamic policy with Mulla Umar have become muted. For=20
instance, the religion ministry, which thought Mulla Umar's=20
destruction of the historical Buddhas was in conformity with Islam,=20
is now focusing only on zakat, and the literalist S.M. Zaman of=20
Council for Islamic Ideology (CII) has been replaced by someone who=20
will not issue the breath-takingly revolutionary but totally=20
unrealistic measures that Mr Zaman used to announce from time to=20
time. A joint CII and religion ministry draft for the establishment=20
of true shariat had gone up to the cabinet and was shelved with=20
palsy-stricken hands earlier in 2001 because of its medievalism.

Qazi the first challenger: The biggest opponent of the government of=20
President Musharraf is Qazi Hussain Ahmad. He is the strongest enemy=20
because of his better organisation of the party and clever adoption=20
of policy. He has stayed clear of sectarianism, a wisdom that is the=20
legacy of the founder of the party, Abul Ala Maududi, who was trained=20
in a Deobandi seminary but hid the ijazah (certificate) of=20
qualification, and sought to be a bridge in the Deobandi-Barelvi=20
divide in Pakistan. Since the participation of the Jamaat in=20
government under General Zia, its inroads into the state apparatus=20
are deep, and its upper echelon leaders have become men of substance=20
and independent means. The Jamaat supporters come from rich=20
entrepreneurs whom the Jamaat has helped create chains of lucrative=20
English-medium schools and colleges.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad has called for the removal of President Musharraf=20
because according to him he is a security risk. He has called upon=20
the army to get rid of him and openly declared that his party will=20
not rest till he has wrested control from him. Qazi Sahib wants power=20
because he thinks his party deserves to rule. During 2000, he=20
successfully held a 'referendum' against the Musharraf government on=20
the subject of signing the CTBT and obtained over 90 percent yes=20
votes from 3 million people, forcing Musharraf to retreat from=20
signing. His party's economic manifesto is statist, opposed to=20
privatisation of the state sector economy and in some cases=20
re-nationalisation of certain segments of the private sector.=20
Although Qazi Sahib has shown suppleness in foreign policy, seeking=20
to communicate with the United States and Iran, considered hostile by=20
most clerics in Pakistan, he remains fundamentally an isolationist in=20
foreign policy.

The most intractable problem of the Jamaat is that it is not=20
supported by the other big parties. Qazi Sahib was close to Hekmatyar=20
and benefited from the attentions of the ISI and the government when=20
Pakistan's Afghan policy was tied to the foot of Hekmatyar. Since=20
1994, the Jamaat dominance of the Afghan policy has lessened.=20
Militias belonging to the Deobandi school of thought have become=20
powerful because the ISI was now running the Taliban policy. Although=20
Qazi Hussain Ahmad is a Pakhtun, the Deobandi Pakhtun leaders of the=20
JUI do not see eye to eye with him. Although muted in public, JUI=20
leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman is quite frank in his criticism of Qazi=20
Sahib. The other JUI leader Maulana Samiul Haq is closer to the=20
hardline Taliban vision than any other cleric in Pakistan and remains=20
distant from the relatively moderate vision of the Jamaat. The war of=20
words goes on, albeit indirectly. For instance, Qazi Sahib's friend,=20
Hekmatyar, has written anti-JUI articles in the Urdu press, alleging=20
hat Maulana Fazlur Rehman took American dollars as bribery.

The grand Deobandi Alliance: The grand Deobandi alliance is probably=20
the biggest force in Pakistan after the state's armed forces. Based=20
in Karachi, the Banuri Complex houses leaders that sit in the shuras=20
of the various Deobandi jehadi militias. Its religious scholars sit=20
in the shura of Sipah Sahaba as well as he shura of the two militias=20
Harkatul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Muhammad. Since they also have=20
similar influence over the JUI, the Sipah Sahaba of Maulana Azam=20
Tariq and the JUI, both factions have a kind of secret liaison, so=20
that the manifest anti-Shia orientation of the Sipah doesn't=20
encompass he JUI although the latter has the same unspoken view. The=20
Deobandi leaders are less committed to the state of Pakistan because=20
of their Indian Congress background and think nothing of issuing=20
fatwas of death against foreigners coming to Pakistan on business. It=20
is these fatwas in part that have caused the embassies in Islamabad=20
to issue advisories to their nationals not to visit Pakistan.

The Harkatul Mujahideen was once Harkatul Ansar which was banned by=20
America because of its terrorist character. In 2000, it was split=20
between two leaders, Fazlur Rehman Khaleel and Masood Azhar. Their=20
organisations trained in Afghanistan and were payrolled by Osama bin=20
Laden. Both the commanders were close to Osama and had accompanied=20
him to Sudan for some time. When Masood Azhar was arrested in India=20
Osama financed the hijack of an Indian airline plane to spring him=20
out of jail. Along with him was sprung another man close to Osama bin=20
Laden, Sheikh Umar. Umar had opened the office of Al Qaeda in Lahore=20
in 2000 for a brief period before going underground once again. After=20
his release in 1999 Masood Azhar no longer wanted to work under the=20
Harkat leadership of Fazlur Rehman Khaleel. He founded=20
Jaish-e-Muhammad, helped by his Banuri Masjid elders. True to=20
Deobandi tradition he began shooting off his mouth against General=20
Musharraf which embarrassed his handler, the ISI. The Harkat was=20
split and its assets divided between the two leaders. But when the=20
double-cabin vehicles were returned by Jaish to Fazlur Rehman Khaleel=20
in bad repair, the two factions began to fight each other. Osama bin=20
Laden ended the dispute by sending a dozen brand new double-cabin=20
vehicles to Khaleel from Afghanistan.

Maulana Azam Tariq 'the General': Maulana Azam Tariq of Sipah Sahaba=20
has built up his power outside Jhang where is the virtual ruler. A=20
french lady scholar writing his biography says he gives=20
administrative orders for the division from his house. His sectarian=20
party has produced a violent offshoot, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, whose=20
killings Azam Tariq disavows by saying that the Lashkar has been=20
removed from the umbrella of his party. Yet when Lashkar activist Haq=20
Nawaz was about to be hanged he tried all means his disposal,=20
including threats to the state, to get him absolved from the crime of=20
killing an Iranian diplomat. Sipah is not only very powerful in=20
Karachi it is also influential in Kurram Agency and in Gilgit, both=20
areas being concentrations of Shia population. Azam Tariq announced=20
in 2001 that he would select 20 cities in Pakistan and enforce his=20
DEobandi sharia there, mainly in the shape of compulsory business=20
shut-down during namaz and the compulsory attendance at namaz of all=20
Muslims. In addition, he promised to impose hijab on all women=20
venturing out of the house. Hardline injunctions against women are=20
also issued by his Deobandi colleague Maulana Samiul Haq who vows to=20
treat the women with the same severity as the Taliban.

Power and glory of Hafiz Saeed: Lashkar-et-Tayba functions under the=20
aegis of Dawatul Irahad of Muridke near Lahore. It is a rich=20
organisation because of its hold on civil society in small districts=20
where it can actually dictate to the administration somewhat in the=20
style of Sipah Sahaba. Its leader Hafiz Muhammad Saeed of the Gujjar=20
community is a retired Islamiyat teacher of University of Engineering=20
and Technology in Lahore. His headquarters, a city within city, in=20
Muridke was built with Arab money. Even when he was an employee of=20
the state-run university he was powerful enough on the basis of his=20
contacts with the ISI, and therefore the army, to insult the=20
government in power and denounce democracy as an un-Islamic system.=20
In 1999, when prime minister Nawaz Sharif fell foul of Hafiz Saeed=20
the army forced information minister Mushahid Hussain to meet him in=20
Lahore together with governor Punjab to 'patch up' the differences.=20
The power of the Lashkar also derives from its salafi origin. Its=20
contact with the wahhabi camps in Kunar in Afghanistan has never been=20
disowned although Muridke carefully mutes its obvious connection with=20
the Arab warriors in Afghanistan. Its connections with Osama bin=20
Laden have also been craftily hidden although news appearing in the=20
national press have linked the two. This 'secret' linkage is similar=20
to the muted relationship between General (Retd) Aslam Beg and=20
General (Retd) Hameed Gul after the death of General Zia in a plane=20
crash in 1989. Lashkar's office in Muridke used to receive a large of=20
number of Arabs on a daily basis and was a transit camp for those=20
leaving for Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The organisation Al-Badr used to be linked to Jamaat Islami but now=20
the commander of the outfit Bakht Zameen has asserted himself against=20
Qazi Hussain Ahmad to some extent, which probably makes it easy for=20
him to maintain good relations with the ISI. This is probably the=20
richest organisation in terms of the funds it can gather from the=20
population. There was a time when a lot of funding came in from=20
abroad, including sectarian funding in which Iran and the Arab states=20
competed, but now over 85 percent of the collections are made in the=20
cities of Pakistan from the common man. In some cases, even=20
prosperous businessmen give funds to avail of the 'arbitration'=20
services offered by the jehadi outfits. This 'leveraged' judicial=20
service is available to anyone who can contribute to the coffers of=20
the outfits.

Pakistan's jehad in Kashmir has created an alternative state=20
apparatus in the outfits that fight there as surrogate warriors. The=20
price that civil society pays for this deniable covert war has been=20
climbing over the years and has now become almost intolerable. During=20
the latest round of war in Afghanistan most of these outfits have=20
opposed General Musharraf's policy of joining the world coalition=20
against terrorism. All religious leaders of these jehadi outfits know=20
their activity can easily fall in the category of terrorism and=20
therefore try to scare the common citizen by predicting that the next=20
American target will be Pakistan. They see hazily the possibility of=20
a takeover, not by themselves, as that would be impossible given=20
their internecine nature, but by someone else from within the=20
establishment, that will give them a new lease of life - a lease=20
whose foreclosure became certainthe day Osama bin Laden decided to=20
attack New York and Washington.

______

#4.

Far Eastern Economic Review | December 20, 2001
PAKISTAN: GEN. PERVAIZ MUSHARRAF
Absolutely Secure
Pakistan's president has a new role as a key U.S. ally. But concerns=20
such as Kashmir, nuclear security and the pursuit of democracy=20
haven't gone away

SECURITY IS TIGHT around the old prime minister's home, perched on a=20
hill behind the parliament building in Islamabad, where Gen. Pervaiz=20
Musharraf keeps one of his offices. Red-capped security guards use=20
dogs and electronic devices to check for explosives and armed guards=20
stand at every doorway. But the general himself, dressed in a khaki=20
uniform, seemed at ease and spoke confidently when he met REVIEW=20
Editor Michael Vatikiotis for an exclusive interview on domestic and=20
regional issues.

ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT A DOMESTIC EXTREMIST BACKLASH AGAINST YOUR=20
POLICY CHANGE ON THE TALIBAN IN MID-SEPTEMBER?
No. What is worrisome is more in Afghanistan. Everything is moving=20
well up till now. But there are certain areas of tension--of concern,=20
I would say. We have to make sure that the political environment that=20
will emerge in Afghanistan is such which brings peace and stability=20
and ensures the unity of Afghanistan and is representative of all the=20
ethnic groups. And which is friendly with all its neighbours, which=20
includes Pakistan.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS EMBARKED ON A PROGRAMME OF TRANSFORMING THE=20
RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS, OR MADRASSAS, WHICH HELPED PROMOTE ISLAMIC=20
MILITANCY. HOW WILL THIS WORK?
The madrassas were being manipulated by certain extremists. So=20
therefore we saw the strength of the madrassas--the strength is free=20
board and lodging for hundreds and thousands of poor children, which=20
Pakistan can't afford, certainly. That was the better part. The=20
negative aspect was that many of these madrassas were only teaching=20
religious education. We thought we need to utilize the positive and=20
correct the weakness. We have created a curriculum for the madrassas=20
to be adopted by them . . . We thought we should absorb the students=20
in these madrassas into the mainstream of life in Pakistan. I think=20
this will function. I am going to call the religious leaders and take=20
them along.

YOU ARE SET ON ELECTIONS FOR OCTOBER 2002?
Yes indeed.

WHAT KIND OF ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE? WILL YOU PREPARE AN=20
AUTONOMOUS ELECTION COMMISSION?
The election commission will be absolutely autonomous. Provincial=20
elections will be held at the same time as the national elections in=20
October next year.

THE HEADS OF BOTH MAINSTREAM PARTIES, BENAZIR BHUTTO AND NAWAZ=20
SHARIF, ARE NOT IN PAKISTAN FOR THE ELECTION. DO YOU ENVISAGE A ROLE=20
FOR EITHER OF THEM?
No, I don't see any role for these party leaders . . . in the next=20
election. Their parties will have a role. It will be a party-based=20
election. The People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League are two=20
of the important parties and we wish them well.

WHAT WILL BE THE COMPOSITION OF THE PLANNED NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL?
We haven't decided on the composition. It has to be representative.=20
It has to be a balanced composition which can ensure checks and=20
balances on the function of the government without being intrusive. I=20
don't envisage the NSC having any role in the day-to-day functioning=20
of the government. But certainly overseeing and making sure that the=20
national interest is held supreme at all times by the government.

ON BROADER SECURITY ISSUES: ARE PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND=20
TECHNOLOGY SECURE?
I can say they are absolutely secure. We have no doubt. We have=20
institutionalized arrangements. We have a national command authority,=20
which oversees everything. There are custodial safeguards. The=20
arrangements we have made are totally secure and I'm very sure that=20
there cannot be any proliferation; there cannot be any breach of=20
security; our nuclear and missile assets cannot fall into the wrong=20
hands at all. This I'm very positive and sure of. Now these=20
scientists that we are talking of: These are a few irresponsible=20
people. Whoever has done anything, if we are investigating, then we=20
will move against them--we'll take legal action against them.

WHAT ABOUT REPORTS OF TWO PAKISTAN NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS WHO MAY HAVE=20
FLED TO BURMA?
This is news to me. This is the first time I hear of it. I have no=20
such information. Nobody has told me. I didn't know about it and I=20
have not spoken to anyone on this issue.

[An aide informs Musharraf that the report was sourced to an Indian newspap=
er.]

India just wants one thing. They want to damage us. Anything they=20
want to do in Afghanistan--the purpose is only one: How to do=20
something which will be against Pakistan, that will damage our cause.=20
That is their sole purpose. They have invited the future interior=20
minister of Afghanistan, Mr. [Younis] Qanuni, there [to Delhi]. They=20
must have planted something in his mouth to say. We are not bothered.=20
I am very sure we want to play a positive role in Afghanistan.=20
Afghanistan has suffered tremendously. We understand their problems.=20
We are their neighbours. Geography, our common history, our common=20
culture and religion cannot be undermined by any actions of India,=20
I'm very sure of that.

ON KASHMIR: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF BENAZIR BHUTTO'S COMMENT IN NEW DELHI=20
ABOUT ENGAGING INDIA IN NEGOTIATIONS MODELLED AFTER THE INDIA-CHINA=20
DISPUTE?

We certainly want to have a negotiated settlement of the Kashmir=20
dispute. That is what we stand for. Kashmir is the main dispute=20
between India and Pakistan, because of which we fought so many wars.=20
It needs to be resolved in a peaceful manner, through a dialogue in=20
accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir. This is our=20
stand.

WHAT KIND OF ASSURANCE CAN YOU GIVE THAT THERE WILL BE NO INVOLVEMENT=20
BY THE GOVERNMENT IN PROMOTING VIOLENCE IN KASHMIR?
There is no government sponsorship of any such thing. Whatever is=20
happening in India is indigenous--it's by the people of Kashmir. How=20
could it have gone on if it was not indigenous and did not have the=20
backing of the people of Kashmir? Why doesn't India open the border=20
and let international groups like Amnesty International to come and=20
see?

COULD A PIPELINE FROM IRAN PASSING THROUGH PAKISTAN TO INDIA ACT AS A=20
CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURE WITH INDIA?
Absolutely. We're for it. It's India that doesn't want it because of=20
their own suspicion. Unfortunately there's a lot of suspicion on both=20
sides.

______

#5.
A Memorial Meeting for poet
Agha Shahid Ali (1949-2001)
will be held at
the AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia
on
December 15, 2001 (Saturday) at 11:30am.=20=20

Shahid who has left behind a host of diverse friends will be=20
remembered through reminiscences, readings of his poetry and music=20
that he loved.

Agha Shahid Ali was born and raised in Kashmir. He graduated from the=20
Universities of Kashmir and Delhi. He studied further at Penn State=20
University, USA and was Director of the MFA Program in Creative=20
Writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He auhored=20
several books of poetry including The Country Without a Post Office,=20
The Half-Inch Himalayas, A Nostalgist's Map of America, A Walk=20
Through the Yellow Pages and other collections. He also translated=20
poems by Faiz Ahmad Faiz in a collection titled The Rebel's=20
Silhouette: Selected Poems. In addition to his literary=20
interventions, Shahid eloquently articulated the agony of the people=20
of Kashmir. He lived life intensely and among his passions were=20
Begum Akhtar, Meena Kumari, Hindi films and their songs.

The Venue of the Memorial Meet is the AJK Mass Communication Research=20
Centre (The Quadrangle/The Preview Theatre in the New Building) at=20
Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025. [India]

______

#6.

Indian People's Tribunal on Environment and Human Rights
Invitation for a Press and Public Meeting

Date: 18th December
Time: 4.30pm to 6.00pm
Venue: Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh

What happened to the Government's plan to rebuild Gujarat stone by stone?
Who benefited and who lost out?
Are we prepared to face another disaster like the one in Gujarat?

Dear Friends,
We are glad to invite you for the Press and Public meeting to release=20
the Indian People's Tribunal Report No foresight=8A No follow up on the=20
relief and rehabilitation process after the January 26th, 2001=20
earthquake in Gujarat at: 4:30pm on Tuesday,
18th December 2001 at
Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, Near VT opp. BMC Head office.

The enquiry was conducted by an 11 member panel of experts which was headed=
by:
Justice K Sukumaran (Retd Judge, Kerala & Mumbai High Courts) & panel=20
consisted of:
Dr PV Unnikrishnan (Disaster Management), Dr Harish Shetty (Mental Health),
Dr Ashok Patil (Physiotherapy), Ms Sujata Patel (Sociologist),
Ms Ranjana Subberwal (Disability), Ms Nimitta Bhatt (Health Care),
Prof. Jitendra Dholakia (Economist), Adv. Mihir Desai (Legal),
Dunu Roy (Housing), Max Martin (Journalist).
Agenda

Sunil Scaria Background of the Enquiry
Adv. Mihir Desai The Question of Basic Rights
Dr. Harish Shetty Need for Psycho-Social Help
Dr. Ashok Patil Disasters and Disability
Dr. P.V. Unnikrishnan Need for Disaster Preparedness
Release of the IPT report
The presentations will be followed by the screening of the film -=20
Voices from a Disaster - directed by K.P Sasi.
Please do come and invite your friends as well,
Regards,
Sunil Scaria
_____

#7.
TAWA DISPLACED TRIBAL FISH PRODUCTION AND MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE FEDERATION=
LTD
KESLA, DISTRICT - HOSHANGABAD (M.P.) [India]
REGISTRATION NUMBER - D.R.H/2635/ DATED 3-10-1996
Email:tawamatsyasangh@y...
Phone: (07572-72171)

An Appeal
*Will the displaced tribals of Tawa dam be displaced once more?
*Will the unique and successful experiment of fish cooperative of=20
displaced tribals in Tawa reservoir be killed mid-way?
*Will the story of Bargi be repeated in Tawa?
*Are the principles and concepts of people's participation, people's=20
empowerment, Gram Swaraj, democratic decentralisation, tribal=20
self-rule, tribal development, honesty etc. good only for preaching,=20
and not for practice?

Dear Friend,
You may be aware that five years ago, after a long=20
struggle, the displaced tribals of Tawa Dam got the fishing rights in=20
the reservoir on cooperative basis. Thirty three primary fishermen=20
cooperative societies of displaced tribals, five primary cooperative=20
societies of traditional fishermen and their federation ( Tawa=20
Displaced Tribal Fish Production and Marketing Cooperative=20
Federation, briefly known as Tawa Matsya Sangh), have done a miracle=20
in these five years. The cooperative has performed much better from=20
every angle than both the earlier public sector corporation and the=20
private contractor.
The fish production has grown two and a half=20
times, the number of fishermen has become three-fold and the total=20
income of fishermen has grown seven times. The middlemen were=20
abolished and the money that was earlier going into the pockets of=20
the officers, contractors and traders, now went to the fishermen.=20
The Tawa Matsya Sangh successfully marketed the fish at local level=20
as well as in distant markets of Howrah, Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal etc.=20
Along with increasing fish production, fish seed were also stocked=20
honestly and responsibly by the cooperative and fish conservation=20
rules for the reservoir were for the first time observed properly.=20
The Federation also paid lakhs of royalty to the State Government=20
while earlier corporation used to show losses for many years.
Thus the fish cooperative of Tawa displaced tribals=20
established a new model of successful management of reservoir=20
fisheries through people's participation. There are many=20
achievements to its credit. It is also a new model of rehabilitation=20
of displaced persons as well as an example of how local communities=20
can best manage, use and develop the natural resources.
But naturally, there are some people who do not like=20
this. The vested interests are affected. The proposal for extension=20
of lease of reservoir that expires on 23rd December 2001 was sent by=20
Tawa Matsya Sangh to the State Government in early April. It asked=20
for (1). new lease of ten years, (2) reduction in royalty which is=20
excessive, (3)provision of infrastructure, such as an ice factory and=20
handover of Pawarkheda hatchery and fish seed farm to it, (4)=20
exemption of registration fees and stamped duty for the new agreement=20
etc.
But for last seven months the State Government=20
has not replied to this proposal. The Chief Minister has not given=20
even an appointment and hearing to them. A review committee of three=20
officials has been formed, but for the last six months it has not=20
even talked to the Tawa Matsya Sangh. It only interviewed some=20
fishermen in a rude manner. This committee consists of the Principal=20
Secretary of Fisheries, the Director of Fisheries and the Managing=20
Director of state level fish cooperative federation. Their hostility=20
towards the Tawa Matsya Sangh is not even hidden. Meanwhile the=20
state level federation has invented several overdues and discovered=20
many complaints against the Tawa Matsya Sangh, which were not even=20
once demanded or voiced during the first four years. Clearly, the=20
purpose is to block the renewal of lease of Tawa Matsya Sangh. The=20
intention of the state bureaucracy, the contractors, and the corrupt=20
politicians is to take away the marketing and overall management of=20
Tawa Reservoir from Tawa Matsya Sangh and handover to the state level=20
federation over which they have full control. In this manner they=20
want to kill a growing movement of rights of local communities,=20
tribals and displaced persons. They are also apprehensive of spread=20
of this movement to other reservoirs. They have already destroyed a=20
similar experiment in Bargi Dam on Narmada river.
Meanwhile, sensing that the government is not in=20
favour of Tawa Matsya Sangh, the local agents, contractors, fish=20
poachers, etc. have also become active. Around forty bogus=20
cooperative societies of fishermen were formed in 1996 to intrude=20
into this cooperative experiment but that time the unity of displaced=20
tribals and the presence of some good officials in the Government,=20
prevented their entry. They have become active again and are=20
demanding their inclusion. Certain fish poachers of neighbouring=20
Betul district got protection from a goonda and a state minister.=20
They attacked the tribal directors and employees of Tawa Matsya Sangh=20
on 15th October 2001, who had gone there to check and enquire. The=20
police even refused to lodge an FIR and arrested the tribals=20
themselves. After dharnas and representation to State DGP and MP=20
Human Rights Commission, an FIR was registered after ten days. But=20
the culprits have not been arrested as yet.
The displaced tribal and other fishermen have taken=20
an oath on 2nd November 2001 that they will remain united and=20
organized and will not allow anyone to take away their rights. They=20
will not allow any outside agency other than Tawa Matsya Sangh in the=20
reservoir. The men and women of the villages are signing a petition=20
to the President , the Prime Minister, and the Chief Minister.
We appeal to you to help in this struggle of=20
displaced tribal fishermen. Please write immediately a letter to the=20
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (Fax No. 0755-540501), write=20
articles, reports and issue statements (please send a copy to us),=20
and help in any other manner. Your support and solidarity in the=20
struggle of displaced tribal fishermen against the exploitation,=20
corruption, loot and evil designs of vested interests will be very=20
important. We all must ensure that truth, honesty, justice and=20
people's will prevail in the struggle.
We shall expect a response and an early reply from you.
Yours sincerely,
Sabbulal, Chairman, Tawa Matsya Sangh
Fagram, Secretary, Kisan Adivasi Sanghatan,
Smita, Asst. Manager, Tawa Matsya Sangh
Sunil, Advisor, Tawa Matsya Sangh

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

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