[sacw] SACW | 12 Feb. 03

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire | February 12, 2003

#1. Basant and ideology
#2. Borders in the mind : Bangladeshis: a nowhere policy for a=20
nowhere people (Pamela Philipose)
#3. Push-in and pushback: Who is playing the game? (Syed Noor Hossain)
#4. HRCP slams Afghan refugees' arrest
#5. India: Culture / Moral Police at Work !
- India to scrap hotel discos
- Shiv Sena and Jamaat-e-Islami's allied anger at Valentine's Day
#6. As a member of the Security Council, Pakistan should come out=20
strongly supporting France, Germany and Russia and oppose war. (Dr=20
Mubashir Hasan)
#7. February issue of Himal
#8. Issues In Secular Politics e-bulletins
#9. An Appeal from Raju Korde- A play based on 92-93 riots [Bombay,=20
25 Feb 2003]
#10. It is time to Rein in the South Asian Belligerents (N. M. Sampathkumar=
)
#11. 10 years of 'Friends of Siddhartha' Lesbian & Gay Annual Film=20
Festival (New Delhi, 16 Feb 2003)
#12. Capital-Labour Relations in a Hidden Abode of Footwear=20
Production in India (Bernard D'Mello)
#13. Book Announcement: The Heart of Kashmir

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

#1.

The Daily Times
February 12, 2003
Editorial:

Basant and ideology
As this year's Basant was celebrated with unprecedented enthusiasm,=20
voices were raised about its ideological inappropriateness. Some=20
ulema were called by certain TV channels to say that Islam didn't=20
allow this kind of entertainment, the only one allowed being horse=20
racing and archery. Indeed, one Maulana actually linked the festival=20
of Basant to a historic massacre of Muslims representing the joy=20
expressed by Hindu and Sikh communities after the event. But in the=20
first fortnight of February as Lahore and other Punjab cities gave=20
themselves up to enjoyment, some major events of ideological=20
high-seriousness were eclipsed, like the Indian expulsion of=20
Pakistani diplomats and the Kashmir Day of Solidarity, February 5.=20
The kite flyers seem to have even swamped the buying of sacrificial=20
animals for the coming Eid al-Azha. The other side of the coin is=20
that at least Lahore's economy was given a leg-up by the money that=20
poured into it from internal and external tourism. Kite making as=20
cottage industry pulled in innumerable people living below the=20
poverty line. While a Hindu priest came on TV to inform us that=20
Basant had nothing to do with Hinduism and that kite flying was not=20
such a rage in India, the people busy doing paicha in the city seemed=20
inured to the crises that state policies sought to perpetuate. The=20
lesson was that dogma could not be applied to the economy and that=20
lack of joy should not be embraced as ideology. Where the state tends=20
to fail is in "regulation", as always; there is nothing wrong with=20
Basant itself. *

______

#2.

The Indian Express
Wednesday, February 12, 2003

Borders in the mind
Bangladeshis: a nowhere policy for a nowhere people

Pamela Philipose

Nobody quite knows what became of those 213 people, with their dented=20
aluminum utensils, plastic buckets, babies wrapped up in rags,=20
wailing women - nomadic snake charmers from Porabari village, some=20
said, of uncertain religious extraction. For a while their=20
tribulations spluttered incandescently on national TV screens as they=20
stood between two sets of guns, one belonging to the Bangladesh=20
Rifles, the other to our Border Security Force. Then thankfully, for=20
our nerves that were beginning to fray, they disappeared, almost as=20
abruptly as they had appeared. So where are they now? Not in our=20
territory, said Bangladesh. Ditto, said India. If this scenario=20
seemed straight out of Saadat Hasan Manto's short story "Toba Tek=20
Singh", that is no coincidence. The fate of Toba Tek Singh alias=20
Bishan Singh has been the fate of the innumerable Nowhere People of=20
the subcontinent, since the days Sir Cyril Radcliffe drew his=20
straight lines on paper maps.

Nobody, also, quite knows how many of these border-crossers live=20
amidst us today. The home minister, in January, spoke of "nearly 20=20
million illegal migrants". The Intelligence Bureau puts the number=20
from Bangladesh at 16 million. A task force on Border Management=20
reported in August 2000 that the number stood at 15 million. The fact=20
is that not only are these attempts at enumeration largely guesswork,=20
they make little distinction between the status of various groups of=20
people who go by the collective term "Bangladeshis", and which point=20
of time they came in.

Indeed, the public discourse on Bangladeshis has been characterised=20
by abysmal ignorance, crass prejudice and the most cynical politics=20
aimed at engineering mass anxiety over an apparent flood of humanity=20
threatening our existence. The tendency is to either "invisibilise"=20
them as people who do not matter and therefore have no entitlements,=20
or visibilise them as aliens, Muslims, bearers of trouble, disease,=20
insecurity, who are out to ruin our economy, inundate our=20
neighbourhoods and plant grenades in our cities. To the purveyors of=20
vituperative politics, if Bangladeshis did not exist as the perpetual=20
incendiary in the backyard, they would have had to be invented. Every=20
now and then features on how "Bangladesh will destroy India" by=20
swamping it with its people appear in the media, fears that=20
ironically mirror those voiced by the British National Party over how=20
the unending flow of Asians into Britain is ringing its death-knell.

But feeding mass frenzy, as the Shiv Sena and BJP attempt to do,=20
especially when elections come around, is no way to tackle a complex=20
human crisis like the migration of vast numbers of people across=20
national borders. Before we evolve a cogent domestic policy for=20
Bangladeshis in India, we need to know just who these people are.=20
Refugees? Migrant workers? Displaced people? Infiltrators? Nothing,=20
in fact, marks the ugly nature of the discourse than the loose=20
fashion in which the military term "infiltrator" - meaning intruder=20
with hostile intent - is routinely used to describe those who are=20
motivated to enter this country in a desperate search for a=20
livelihood. The great majority of Bangladeshis are also not refugees=20
for the simple reason that they have not been recognised as such. The=20
more accurate description for them then is "migrant workers", many of=20
whom have lived in India for decades and got integrated into its=20
local economy, either as agricultural labour, petty traders or=20
unorganised workers.

International law recognises such a category. According to Article 2=20
of the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights=20
of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the term=20
"migrant worker" refers to a person who is engaged in a remunerated=20
activity in a state of which he or she is not a national. The=20
Convention also provides for various categories, such as seasonal=20
worker, self-employed worker, frontier worker and so on. Why then=20
cannot the Indian government come up with a simple, streamlined=20
system of registration and work permits for these people?

Certainly the present approach of unilateral deportation by India of=20
those it regards as "illegal migrants" - a category decided primarily=20
on the basis of religion - is not just inhuman, it is wholly=20
impractical. International law does not provide for such action=20
should the country of origin choose not to respond. Begum Khaleda=20
Zia's government is quite aware of this. Dhaka has, in fact, opted=20
for the flat bat approach to New Delhi's concerns, describing as=20
"baseless and absurd" reports that there were 20 million Bangladeshi=20
illegal migrants in India. Its foreign secretary, Samsher Mobin=20
Chowdhury, went as far as to deny that any Bangladeshi lives in India=20
illegally.

How, then, does New Delhi hope to convince not just its eastern=20
neighbour but the world that the Bangladeshis it wishes to deport are=20
indeed people from across the border? The problem is made more=20
intractable by the complexities of Partition, which had left enclaves=20
of Indian land on the Bangladesh side of the border, and vice versa.=20
Some of "Bangladeshis" who've migrated to India from these regions,=20
or been driven to migrate, have every right to an Indian citizenship.=20
Therefore, even if the ambitious plan to fence off the entire border=20
with Bangladesh in some of the most geographically challenging=20
regions of the word is completed by 2007, as projected, it is=20
unlikely to stem this movement of people into India.

There is no obvious alternative to a process of negotiation between=20
the two countries. If the Union government is looking for a permanent=20
settlement, and not just a handy issue to pump up the votes, border=20
scuffles cannot be a substitute for substantive dialogue conducted in=20
a spirit of compromise. The only time some forward movement took=20
place on this issue was when New Delhi and Dhaka sat across the table=20
in 1991 and thrashed things out, and for a brief spell when the=20
Gujral Doctrine of good neighbourliness was given an airing.=20
Unfortunately, in the testosterone-laced diplomacy of today, such an=20
option appears exceedingly unlikely.

We are left then with the Nowhere Policy of periodically demonising a=20
Nowhere People, men, women and children, with plastic buckets and=20
dented utensils, ensnarled in the barbed wire of history. For them=20
the last line of Manto's short story continues to be the perfect=20
epitaph: In the middle, on a stretch of land which had no name, lay=20
Toba Tek Singh.

______

#3.

The Daily Star
February 12, 2003
Op-Ed.
http://www.dailystarnews.com/200302/11/n3021102.htm#BODY4

Push-in and pushback: Who is playing the game?

Syed Noor Hossain

______

#4.

The Daily Times
February 12, 2003
HRCP slams Afghan refugees' arrest

Staff Report
LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) criticised the=20
arrest of hundreds of Afghan refugees from Islamabad under the=20
Foreigners Act and urged authorities not to ignore the demands of law=20
in their pursuit of security, said a statement issued here on Tuesday.
HRCP General Secretary and Punjab Vice Chairperson Hina Jilani said=20
the arrest of about 350 refugees, mostly Afghans in Islamabad, was a=20
clear case of abuse of law and executive authority.
"The government's concern of the possible presence of subversive=20
elements among refugees cannot be questioned and it may have reasons=20
to worry about security more in Islamabad then in settlements=20
elsewhere in the country, but all action must fall within the law,"=20
she said.
She said the tendency to justify unlawful acts in the name of=20
security could in no circumstances be condoned.
"There will be nothing wrong in asking refugees to return to the=20
places designated for their temporary stay in Pakistan and await=20
repatriation, but they must not be deprived of their liberty and=20
exposed to serve hardships they do not deserve," she concluded.

______

#5.

[ INDIA : CULTURE POLICE AT WORK !
2 reports from the BBC]

BBC
Tuesday, 11 February, 2003, 22:15 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2750427.stm

India to scrap hotel discos

Many of the discos will be closed down

Discotheques in five star hotels owned by the Indian Government are=20
to be shut down.
The Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, Bhavnaben Chikaliya=20
made the announcement in the Indian parliament on Tuesday.
Ms Chikaliya, a recently appointed junior minister, said the closure=20
plans had already begun.
She said the government-owned five-star hotels should promote Indian=20
culture and values and guests should be introduced to Indian culture=20
as soon as they entered them.

Distortion

Ms Chikaliya hopes to promote Indian culture

Voicing her concern over what she described as the cultural invasion=20
by the West, the minister said that Indian civilisation was among the=20
oldest in the world.
She said attempts were made to distort Indian culture and=20
civilisation when the country was under the rule of the Mughals and=20
the British.
She said the government was now making efforts to remove these distortions.
Ms Chikaliya also argued that even private hotels running=20
discotheques should stop promoting Western concepts and they would be=20
persuaded to do so.

Protests

The minister also expressed her reservations about celebrating St=20
Valentine's Day in India, saying that it was another example of the=20
promotion of Western culture.
In a separate campaign, religious activists in India began protesting=20
against Valentine's Day celebrations, saying they are an insult to=20
Hinduism.
In Bombay, members of the right-wing Shiv Sena group raided shops and=20
burned Valentine's Day cards.
Similar protests have been seen in Pakistan where activists have said=20
Valentine's Day is an offence to Islam.
Ms Chikaliya was taken into the cabinet in the recent reshuffle and=20
represents Gujarat in the Indian parliament.

o o o o o

BBC Tuesday, 11 February, 2003, 16:50 GMT

Hindu and Muslim anger at Valentine's

Shiv Sena sees the day as commercial exploitation

Religious activists in India and Pakistan have begun separate=20
protests against Valentine's Day celebrations, saying they are an=20
insult to Hinduism and Islam.
In Bombay, members of the right-wing Shiv Sena group raided shops and=20
burned Valentine's Day cards.
Police nationwide boosted security to head off the violent protests=20
that have occurred in recent years.
In Pakistan, fundamentalist students condemned Valentine's Day as a=20
day of shame and lust.

Bombay protest

Both sets of activists regard the festivities as running counter to=20
the cultural ethos of their societies.
Shiv Sena - part of India's ruling coalition government - has been=20
behind repeated attempts to ban celebrations.

"[Valentine's Day] is nothing but a Western onslaught on India's=20
culture to attract youth for commercial purposes," said senior Shiv=20
Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, son of group leader Bal Thackeray.
This is a shameful day. The people in the West are just fulfilling=20
and satisfying their sex thirst
Khalid Waqas Chamkani, Pakistani student leader

Last week, Bal Thackeray said anyone wanting to avoid violence on=20
Valentine's Day should not celebrate it.

On Tuesday, 20 Shiv Sena activists stole cards from a shop in central Bomba=
y.
Shouting "long live Shiv Sena", they burned the cards on the pavement outsi=
de.
Bombay police would be on full alert to ensure Friday passed=20
peacefully, a senior police official, Himanshu Roy, told the BBC.
Other Hindu fundamentalist parties like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and=20
Bajrang Dal have also said they will oppose Valentine's Day=20
celebrations.

Hotel balls
In Pakistan, the student wing of the fundamentalist Islamic party=20
Jamaat-e-Islami also called for a ban on Valentine's Day celebrations.
Khalid Waqas Chamkani, a leader of the wing in North-West Frontier=20
Province, said: "This is a shameful day. The people in the West are=20
just fulfilling and satisfying their sex thirst."

Valentine's is increasingly popular in both nations

He condemned "moderate elements" for allowing Western festivities.
"They are following the West just to show that they are modern=20
people," Mr Chamkani said in the provincial capital, Peshawar.
However, celebrating Valentine's Day, named after the Christian=20
patron saint of lovers, has become increasingly popular in both India=20
and Pakistan.
Many hotels in both nations put on Valentine's dinners and balls,=20
while the media allow lovers radio and newspaper slots to broadcast=20
messages.
One card stockist in Bombay said couples would celebrate the day=20
despite the protests.
"It is just sad for poor shop owners who are the unlucky targets," he said.

Lucknow student Latika Arora went further.

"No one has the right to work as the morals police," she said.
"We should be able to celebrate Valentine's Day as we wish."

______

#6.

The News International
Wednesday February 12, 2003

A mighty nation haunting the planet
Situationer

Dr Mubashir Hasan
As a member of the Security Council, Pakistan should come out=20
strongly supporting France, Germany and Russia
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/feb2003-daily/12-02-2003/main/main12.htm

_____

#7.

In the February Himal:

+ Keeping the peace in Nepal and Sri Lanka
+ The sustainability of hunger
+ Indian feminism and the patriarchy of caste
+ Formalising domestic work
+ Sindh: Pathology of a military democracy

http://www.himalmag.com/2003/february/index.htm

_____

#8.

From: Ram Puniyani <bmrrpia@c...>
To: Harsh Kapoor <aiindex@m...>
Subject: Issues In Secular Politics-Feb I-2003

Friends

This bulletin circulated on e-mail, will be carrying fortnightly article
on an issue relevant to the contemporary threat to Secularism and
Democracy in South Asia. This bulletin is meant to discuss the topics of
current relevance and to raise the debate and questions in the
context of the dangers being faced by the democratic ethos from the
Religious Fascist politics.

Please do circulate it further. It can be freely translated, used and
published to increase the awareness on the themes being addressed. Your
suggestions and opinions are most welcome. Please do let me know if you
will like to recommend more interested friends on this list.

Those of you who, who do NOT wish to receive it should kindly send me a
blank mail with the subject-Unsubscribe Bulletin.

With best wishes

Ram Puniyani

(The arcles of this bulletin are posted on the following URLs
http://www.indianest.com/voices/index.htm
or http://www.indianest.com/writers/rampuniyani/htm
and on http://www.nilacharal.com/news/view/index.html)

--

Issues In Secular Politics-Feb I-2003

Hindu Nation, Hindu State and Hindutva

Ram Puniyani

The debate and politics around these terms keeps coming back to the
forefront times and over again. In the context of Gujarat elections and
massive electoral victory of BJP, some of these have been the subject
matter of debate again. One major point, which has come up in recent times
is that RSS family wants a Hindu Nation. It states that India is a Hindu
Nation and that they are not out for a Hindu state or a theocratic state
based on Hinduism. The other assertion has been around the term Hindutva,
confusing it at some level with religion and at other times stating that
its latest version Moditva is going to be the plank of BJP politics in
times to come. Moditva version of Hindutva goes on to assert that its main
agenda is to protect the Hindus from aggressive Muslims, who are allies by
Osama bin Laden and Miyan Musharf. Also at another level it is pointed out
that Hindutva is our cultural nationalism and that it believes in
secularism.
[...].

______

#9.

Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 11:06:32 +0530 (IST)

Subject: An Appeal from Raju Korde- A play based on 92-93 riots

APPEAL

Friends

Curfew is a two act Marathi play presented by Samya Theatre and Paryay.
This play is based on real life situation of Mumbai city during the
communal riots of 1992.
Written by Suresh Raghav, this drama unfolds the attitudes and emotions of
two families (A Hindu and A Muslim) surrounded by the communally volatile
atmosphere. It exposes the futility of communal strife and gives out a
message of fraternity and peace.
This drama does not have a mere entertainment value but it portrays the
social realities and provokes the audience to ponder over attempts to
polarize the society on communal lines.
It is necessary to take this drama before a much wider audience in the
wake of communal propaganda unleashed by the fanatical forces.
Contemporary Marathi theatre is flooded with productions, which ignore
real issues and only serve the purpose of entertaining the audience over
superficial issues. This blunts the sensitivities of the masses over
crucial issues and makes them apathetic about inhuman events.
In such a situation, we feel that it is imperative to reach out to the
wider audience with a powerful message through this play.
It has become very difficult to sustain the performances of this drama on
commercial basis. But we intend to carry ahead this task of social
awareness despite all the difficulties. So far we have 10 performances to
our credit.
Renowned theatre critics like Kamlakar Nadkarni, Jayant Pawar, Nilima
Jangda and Ratnakar Pilankar have highlighted the need of such kind of
play to be taken before a wider audience in Mahanagar, Maharstra Times,
Lokmat and Marmik respectively.
We appeal to all those who believe in social commitment and those who feel
concerned about the dangers of communalization of society to come forward
and help us to carry ahead this mission.
Your support to this cause will enable us to spread the noble principles
of fraternity, unity and compassion among the masses.

We invite you for the special show of this play at Damodar Hall,=20
Parel (E) [Bombay]
on Tuesday, 25 February 2003 at 8.00 pm.

Thanking You

Yours Truly

Raju Korde
Samya Theatre
<samyatheatre@y...>

_____

#10.

South Asia Tribune
Issue No 29, Feb 10-16, 2003 | ISSN:1684-2075 | satribune.com

It is time to Rein in the South Asian Belligerents

By N. M. Sampathkumar

PEOPLE of Pakistan and India are enjoying feel-good time once again.=20
A Pakistani on the streets is overjoyed at the new missiles that the=20
government has perfected, which "can target all cities of India."

Both India and Pakistan are trumpeting establishment of nuclear=20
warfare commands. Russia, the bankrupt remnant of the dud USSR=20
empire, is impatient to palm off some $3 billion of military junk to=20
New Delhi. Ominously, that includes some of the nuclear-powered=20
submarines currently constituting a grave threat to marine=20
environment around Norway and Finland.

Will the criminally callous regimes in the two main South Asian=20
capitals get away with their insanities forever? Developments=20
regarding the Korean peninsula hold ominous portends for South Asia.=20
While Japan, China and even South Korea advocate restraint in dealing=20
with the North Korean regime, there would be none when it comes to=20
India. It is high time Indians think beyond North Korea and have a=20
hard re look at themselves while viewing the nuclear and missile=20
crisis in South East Asia.

Blame it on the sinister nexus between bone-headed politicians and=20
the babus (Indian lexicon for a bureaucratic parasite) of civilian,=20
military and high-science officialdom, who take the gullible for a=20
feel-good joy ride, the world views the people of this region as=20
pariahs. These manipulators are playing with nuclear fire just for=20
the sake of self-preservation of the parasitic structures erected in=20
1947 to suck the sweat and blood of people.

North Korea had warned Washington's hostile policy toward it would=20
backfire and result in "an uncontrollable catastrophe." It had=20
dismantled UN monitoring equipment from mothballed nuclear power=20
plants. Most Americans agree that it is a legitimate retaliation to=20
US cutting off agreed supplies of oil. That is why White House says,=20
"We want a peaceful resolution to the situation; we have no intention=20
of invading North Korea."

India, in contrast, cannot boast of any such legitimacy in continuing=20
with its hostile posture with regard to nuclear proliferation. The=20
peaceful program had started off with Vikram Sarabhai's promise of=20
"abundant availability of energy that would be too cheap to meter."

It was first hijacked in 1974 to make a Durga, the Hindu goddess of=20
power, out of tyrant Indira Gandhi. Sycophants under Raja Ramanna=20
teamed up with her and went back on solemn sovereign commitment of=20
non-diversion of fissile material. His successors ensured that India=20
continued its "rogue state" status, obfuscating on NPT, side by side=20
with tall talks on peace and nonviolence. Bogged down in secrecy and=20
international isolation, the nuclear program of the country became a=20
victim of a gigantic scandal that invites an uncontrollable=20
catastrophe.

Corrupt/fraudulent practices abound in the establishment, resulting=20
in horrific design flaws and construction lapses in atomic power=20
projects. Poor quality parts made of imitation look-alike materials=20
are nonchalantly palmed off in dirty deals between bandicoots who are=20
high up in the establishment and entrenched business houses.

The fall out of these lapses is that deadly tritium leaks from=20
Kakrapara is three times the permitted level. Left unremedied, it is=20
known that the leak could any day become a burst and can dwarf the=20
devastation suffered in the worst earthquake that hit Gujarat in 2001.

Top nuclear bureaucrats even got the Chief of their regulatory=20
authority sacked for daring to point out the grave risks that the=20
people are being subjected to. The mafia persuaded the=20
Hindu-fundamentalist regime that took over in New Delhi to opt for=20
irresponsible nuclear proliferation in 1998. This, in reality, was a=20
ploy to divert public attention away from the chronic nonperformance=20
of the flop show. No one can deny that the insanity, by surrendering=20
the strategic depth that the country enjoyed vis-=E0-vis its adversary,=20
triggered off a deadly arms race in South Asia.

One hopes that the more conscientious among the educated Indians will=20
succeed in unmasking the villains and force the powers that be in=20
India to abandon pursuit of mass-destruction weapons before=20
humiliatingly being compelled to do so.

The writer is a technocrat specializing in the development and=20
manufacture of sophisticated precision-machined components for=20
nuclear and aerospace applications. He features in the Directory of=20
Experts in Technology Acquisition compiled in 1990 by Dept of Science=20
& Technology, New Delhi. E-Mail: sampathkumar_ahmedabad@i...

o o o

[ See more at South Asians Aganinst Nukes
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex/NoNukes.html ]

_____

#11.

'FRIENDS OF SIDDHARTHA' LESBIAN & GAY
ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL

celebrates 10 years with an evening of short films & discussion

A TRIBUTE TO SIDDHARTHA GAUTAM

on Sunday, February 16, 2003, 3 pm to 8 pm

at SARAI, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, 29 Rajpur Road, Del=
hi
110054.

The Friends of Siddhartha is an informal group that comes together each yea=
r
to organise a day of films on Lesbian & Gay Sexuality. This event is held i=
n
the memory of Siddhartha Gautam who died of cancer in 1992.

Siddhartha was a lawyer and well-known human rights activist. He was intens=
ely
involved in challenging discrimination against sexual minorities and people
with HIV/AIDS and was instrumental in bringing out a path-breaking report
called 'Less than Gay' on the status of homosexuality in India just before =
he
died. The festival has been held since 1993. With this event, we seek to
continue Siddhartha's engagement with these issues, and through it, pay our
tribute to the vision and spirit of Siddhartha. Over the years the event h=
as
provided a safe space for people to dialogue on issues relating to lesbian,
gay and other alternate sexualities, and also provided a forum for members =
of
the community.

Schedule

3.00 pm: Introduction to the Festival

3.05 pm: 'A Letter from Home', David Kalal & Gita Reddy, 1996, USA. Written=
&
Performed by Shaffiq Essajee, 12 mins
A humourous and touching piece where Essajee brings out his relationship wi=
th
his mother and draws a sketch of her life, desires and anguish as he reads
out a letter she writes to him, her gay son, when he leaves for the US.

3.20 pm: 'For Straights Only', Vismita Gupta Smith, 2001, USA & India, 22 m=
ins
"All that is good in the Indian culture is for straights only", says the
filmmaker who makes this film after she finds out that her brother is gay.
The film traces what it was like for him and others like him to grow up
gay/lesbian in the 'perfect' Indian and Asian family, and brings out their
struggles of coming out to and be accepted in their families.

3.40 pm: 'Julpari', Swati & Leith Murgai 1996, USA, 21.36 mins
"Drag is not about life, but being larger than life", says Faraz Ahmed or
Julpari, the protagonist of this film about drag queens in New York City. T=
he
film presents members of SALGA, South Asian Lesbian & Gay Association of NY=
C
as they talk about how they live their lives and what it means for them to =
be
a part of a larger community. Interspersed with fun dance sequences to Hind=
i
film songs.

4.00 pm: 'Tom, Dick & Haresh', Mathew Parsons, India, 13.30 mins
A group of men who have sex with men (MSMs) in Chennai talk about the men t=
hey
love and how their lives are affected as a result of their life styles and
AIDS. Some of them are field workers in the Community Action Network workin=
g
for AIDS prevention.

4.15 pm: 'Apoornathakal' (The Incomplete), Bala Murali, India, 2001, 23 min=
s
Apoornathakal is the story of a young man trying to come to terms with th=
e
death of his childhood friend - a friend with whom he shared intense love. =
It
is the memory of moments spent together, of shared conversations and hints =
of
intrigue surrounding the death that continue to haunt the living.
Apoornathakal is based on a true story.

(The film will be preceded by an introduction by the filmmaker and followed=
by
a discussion with him.)

5.00 pm: Break

5.20 pm: 'Tedhi Lakeer - The Broken Line', Amrit Sharma, Aparna Sanyal,
Arunima Shankar, 2003, India, 27 mins
Made as part of a final project under the Masters programme at MCRC. The yo=
ung
filmmakers seek to tell the stories of two ordinary non-English speaking ga=
y
men living in conservative middle class India in a hope to 'shatter the
'FRIENDS OF SIDDHARTHA' LESBIAN & GAY
ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL

celebrates 10 years with an evening of short films & discussion

A TRIBUTE TO SIDDHARTHA GAUTAM

on Sunday, February 16, 2003, 3 pm to 8 pm

at SARAI, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, 29 Rajpur Road, Del=
hi
110054.

The Friends of Siddhartha is an informal group that comes together each yea=
r
to organise a day of films on Lesbian & Gay Sexuality. This event is held i=
n
the memory of Siddhartha Gautam who died of cancer in 1992.

Siddhartha was a lawyer and well-known human rights activist. He was intens=
ely
involved in challenging discrimination against sexual minorities and people
with HIV/AIDS and was instrumental in bringing out a path-breaking report
called 'Less than Gay' on the status of homosexuality in India just before =
he
died. The festival has been held since 1993. With this event, we seek to
continue Siddhartha's engagement with these issues, and through it, pay our
tribute to the vision and spirit of Siddhartha. Over the years the event h=
as
provided a safe space for people to dialogue on issues relating to lesbian,
gay and other alternate sexualities, and also provided a forum for members =
of
the community.

Schedule

3.00 pm: Introduction to the Festival

3.05 pm: 'A Letter from Home', David Kalal & Gita Reddy, 1996, USA. Written=
&
Performed by Shaffiq Essajee, 12 mins
A humourous and touching piece where Essajee brings out his relationship wi=
th
his mother and draws a sketch of her life, desires and anguish as he reads
out a letter she writes to him, her gay son, when he leaves for the US.

3.20 pm: 'For Straights Only', Vismita Gupta Smith, 2001, USA & India, 22 m=
ins
"All that is good in the Indian culture is for straights only", says the
filmmaker who makes this film after she finds out that her brother is gay.
The film traces what it was like for him and others like him to grow up
gay/lesbian in the 'perfect' Indian and Asian family, and brings out their
struggles of coming out to and be accepted in their families.

3.40 pm: 'Julpari', Swati & Leith Murgai 1996, USA, 21.36 mins
"Drag is not about life, but being larger than life", says Faraz Ahmed or
Julpari, the protagonist of this film about drag queens in New York City. T=
he
film presents members of SALGA, South Asian Lesbian & Gay Association of NY=
C
as they talk about how they live their lives and what it means for them to =
be
a part of a larger community. Interspersed with fun dance sequences to Hind=
i
film songs.

4.00 pm: 'Tom, Dick & Haresh', Mathew Parsons, India, 13.30 mins
A group of men who have sex with men (MSMs) in Chennai talk about the men t=
hey
love and how their lives are affected as a result of their life styles and
AIDS. Some of them are field workers in the Community Action Network workin=
g
for AIDS prevention.

4.15 pm: 'Apoornathakal' (The Incomplete), Bala Murali, India, 2001, 23 min=
s
Apoornathakal is the story of a young man trying to come to terms with th=
e
death of his childhood friend - a friend with whom he shared intense love. =
It
is the memory of moments spent together, of shared conversations and hints =
of
intrigue surrounding the death that continue to haunt the living.
Apoornathakal is based on a true story.

(The film will be preceded by an introduction by the filmmaker and followed=
by
a discussion with him.)

5.00 pm: Break

5.20 pm: 'Tedhi Lakeer - The Broken Line', Amrit Sharma, Aparna Sanyal,
Arunima Shankar, 2003, India, 27 mins
Made as part of a final project under the Masters programme at MCRC. The yo=
ung
filmmakers seek to tell the stories of two ordinary non-English speaking ga=
y
men living in conservative middle class India in a hope to 'shatter the
Indian perception of homosexuality as a western import'.
(The film will be preceded by an introduction by the filmmakers and followe=
d
by a discussion with them.)

6.10 pm: 'Lakme Takes Flight', by Sheila James & Melina Young, Canada, 13 m=
ins
Explores the fantasy of a woman, Lakme, as she takes a flight with a saucy,
young flight attendant and pilot.=20

6.25 pm: 'Beauty Parlour', Mehreen Jabbar, India, 2000, 18 mins
4 faces, 4 masks: 4 short sketches of the lives and loves of 3 women and a
eunuch as they talk about their desires traced through their visits to the
beauty parlour and other everyday events.

6.45 pm: 'Unmapping Desire', Sheila James, Canada, 1999, 7 mins
A short poetic piece for a lover, using the body to map desire, relationshi=
ps
and borders that separate nations and loves.

6.55 pm: 'Sum Total - A Matrimonial' & 'Barefeet', 'S', USA, 8 mins
2 short films. In the first one the filmmaker talks about what goes into
making of herself as a strong lesbian woman 'not fit for marriage'. The
second is a nostalgic piece about leaving and returning home, a place that
brings up many contradictions and emotions for her.

7.05: 'Kashish', Meenakshi Rai & Vinay Rai, 2003, India, 30 mins
2 women explore their attraction to each other.
(The film will be preceded by an introduction by the filmmakers and followe=
d
by a discussion with them.)

The programme is subject to last-minute changes.

Entry: There are no tickets or passes, but Friends of Siddhartha welcomes
contributions to help cover costs. Suggested contribution: Rs 50/- for
students Rs 100/- for others.

For further information contact:
Anuja (for Friends of Siddhartha) at 26238466 (o), 9811213316 (Mobile)
Ranita (for Sarai) at 23960040, 23951190

_____

#12.

[Labour Notes South Asia Post of 12 February 2003 carries the full=20
text of the below paper]

The "Low Road" in a Buyer-Driven Global Commodity Chain:=20
Capital-Labour Relations in a Hidden Abode of Footwear Production in=20
India

Bernard D'Mello

The paper is a case study of capital-labor relations at one the main=20
plants of Phoenix International that manufactured and supplied=20
footwear to Reebok International's Indian subsidiary, Reebok India=20
Ltd. The case suggests that despite the rhetoric about the protection=20
of "human rights in the workplace", finance capitalist logic and=20
pressures drive the TNCs to take advantage of low wage and sweatshop=20
labour conditions at the sub-contractor level, and, flexibility from=20
myriad sub-contractor relations.
http://www.networkideas.org/featart/feb03/Reebok_GlobalSweatshop.pdf

o o o o

Monthly Review
Volume 54, Number 9
February 2002

Reebok and the Global Footwear Sweatshop
by Bernard D'Mello
http://www.monthlyreview.org/0203d'mello.htm

_____

#13.

THE HEART OF KASHMIR
Hardback Photographic Book Published in UK
by KASH GT the 3rd of December 2002
111 Black & White photos printed in four-colour, 192 pages, size 28x23cm
Photograph & Text: Kash Gabriele Torsello
Foreword: Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Preface: House of Lords
RSP =A329.00

KASH GT
email: <mailto:mail@k...>mail@k...
voice: +44 (0)20 7924 9462
web:=20
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=3Diwekfun6.slargun6.d988ttn6&p=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.=
kashgt.co.uk>http://www.kashgt.co.uk

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

SACW is an informal, independent & non-profit citizens wire service run by
South Asia Citizens Web (www.mnet.fr/aiindex).

DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in materials carried in the posts do not
necessarily reflect the views of SACW compilers.
--=20