[humanrights-movement:4617] Farzana Versey on Mr. Fai's Kashmir American Council
Surely They’re Joking, Mr. Fai! Kashmir’s American Counsel? *By Farzana Versey* 24 July, 2011 *Countercurrents.org* The fact that there is an element of surprise over Ghulam Nabi Fai’s arrest after the FBI exposed his connections to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) reveals that this was probably a sudden brainwave. The allegation is that Mr. Fai’s Kashmir American Council (KAC) was illegally funded by the ISI to exert influence on the US Congress to swing the Kashmir debate in Pakistan’s favour. Did the ISI do it? Possible. Did Mr. Fai use this money? Possible. Was the FBI unaware about it all these years? Not possible. There are a few important aspects to this development: 1. The FBI keeps track of all funds, so why was it quiet all along? KAC is not an underground movement. It puts up petitions; it has a Google groups forum; there is a Facebook page of its affiliates; its conferences are held in university halls and invitation is free. Often dinner is served. The huge amount of money discovered should prompt the FBI to question the recipients and investigate as to how it has impacted on US policy. Instead, the focus is almost entirely on the Fai-ISI link. Is it possible to forget that the ISI virtually runs Pakistan and that Pakistan is also the beneficiary of American funds? Ergo, the ISI is by default propped up by the US financially and, given the strategic political dynamics, on the ground too. The ISI is nobody’s fool to depend on a Kashmiri organisation in the US to lobby for Pakistan’s interests in the Valley when it already has its people in the region with help from the Lashkar-e-Taiyba and other forces, including a faction of the local Hurriyat Conference. This is not a simple case of getting the bad guy. It is about creating one more bad guy, and this is notwithstanding Fai’s role in the larger Kashmir issue and sponsorship. 2. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has just visited India and set the tone for Indo-US relations. However, the dog-and-bone attitude continues with an emphasis on American interest and interests in Pakistan. There is most definitely an attempt to influence the talks between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan scheduled for July 27. 3. The proposed US move out of Afghanistan would necessitate having some presence in the region. In fact, after the Clinton meeting, India’s Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said, “We have impressed on the United States and other countries who have a major presence in Afghanistan that it is necessary for them to continue in Afghanistan.” Pakistan is handy for some sado-masochism. Recently, there were video clips in the media of the Taliban killing Pakistani soldiers, in a reversed version of Gitmo. 4. Osama Bin Laden’s killing is being regurgitated on a tangential topic by implying yet again that Pakistani intelligence agencies knew about his abode. There have been arrests that seem suspiciously like red herrings. 5. David Headley is deposing before the courts in the US and providing details of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Headley’s departure from the US to India is a major goof-up by security forces in that country as well as the Indian embassy. His implicating the ISI would surprise no one except the US in its studied ‘naïve’ state. It is pertinent that Ms. Clinton mentioned these attacks (with only a cursory sympathetic reference to the recent Mumbai attacks only days before she arrived). This is much like Headley who wanted to fight for Kashmir, but ended up taking pictures of Mumbai’s landmarks to help his ‘handlers’. 6. One is aware of the ISI’s crucial strategic role in Pakistan. But, how does the FBI function in the US? Does it push the agenda of the party in power? If so, then its bolt from the blue could be another means to assist the current government in the coming elections. The major beneficiary of Mr. Fai’s political contributions seems to be Republican Congressman Dan Burton of Indiana. This has been going on for 15 years. For 15 years the FBI has managed to trace the $23,500 contribution to US lawmakers that is legally available with the Federal Election Commission. What made the FBI now want to dig into the over $ 4 million that was illegally brought in? If indeed it is true, then the onus ought to be on the security agencies and those who were expected to lobby for the Kashmir cause. There are murmurs that Fai is only a front. This is a convenient ruse. You have some evidence, claim other evidence, arrest the man based on these and then leave a small opening for the bigger fish, well aware that the bigger fish are not born that way but plumped up artificially in diplomatic laboratories. * * * It is time to ask how exactly lobbying works and whether the United States can take an ethical stand when it is open to such influencing. The political action committee (PAC) is a blatant forum to ensure that groups can help political candidates and parties, which in turn promise to assist them. Contrib
[humanrights-movement:4616] FILM ON Sudhir Dhawale -
Dear all Following is film made by prasad pullarwar and freinds ,students in free binayak sen campaign ON SUDHIR DHAWALE , do sharE widely> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSvu79Wcjcs in solidarity kamayani >>> >>> >> > -- Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal +919820749204 skype-lawyercumactivist * * *The UID project i**s going to do almost exactly the same thing which the predecessors of Hitler did, else how is it that Germany always had the lists of Jewish names even prior to the arrival of the Nazis? The Nazis got these lists with the help of IBM which was in the 'census' business that included racial census that entailed not only count the Jews but also identifying them. At the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, there is an exhibit of an IBM Hollerith D-11 card sorting machine that was responsible for organising the census of 1933 that first identified the Jews.* * * *http://saynotoaadhaar.blogspot.com/* *http://aadhararticles.blogspot.com/* *http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_162987527061902&ap=1*< http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_162987527061902&ap=1> -- Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal +919820749204 skype-lawyercumactivist * * *The UID project i**s going to do almost exactly the same thing which the predecessors of Hitler did, else how is it that Germany always had the lists of Jewish names even prior to the arrival of the Nazis? The Nazis got these lists with the help of IBM which was in the 'census' business that included racial census that entailed not only count the Jews but also identifying them. At the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, there is an exhibit of an IBM Hollerith D-11 card sorting machine that was responsible for organising the census of 1933 that first identified the Jews.* * * *http://saynotoaadhaar.blogspot.com/* *http://aadhararticles.blogspot.com/* *http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_162987527061902&ap=1*< http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_162987527061902&ap=1> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to humanrights-movement@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to humanrights-movement+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
[humanrights-movement:4614] caring for world population
http://www.publishaletter.com/readletter.jsp?plid=29245 Dear friends The Eleventh of July was the World Population Day The UN Secretary General in his message on this day has stated "This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the earth’s seven billionth inhabitant. This is an opportunity to celebrate our common humanity and our diversity. It is also a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for each other and our planetLater this year, a seven billionth baby will be born into our world of complexity and contradiction. We have enough food for everyone, yet nearly a billion go hungry. We have the means to eradicate many diseases, yet they continue to spread. We have the gift of a rich natural environment, yet it remains subjected to daily assault and exploitation. All people of conscience dream of peace, yet too much of the world is in conflict and steeped in armaments" The UN Secretary General has rightly hit upon some important points. As per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), "World military expenditure in 2010 is estimated to have been $1630 billion, an increase of 1.3 per cent in real terms over 2009. The region with the largest increase in military spending was South America, with a 5.8 per cent increase, reaching a total of $63.3 billion. ...This continuing increase in South America is surprising given the lack of real military threats to most states and the existence of more pressing social needsPart of the explanation for this rise is to be found in the strong economic growth the region has experienced in recent years, while in other regions the effects of the global economic recession caused military spending to fall or at least rise more slowly in 2010 Although the rate of increase in US military spending slowed in 2010—to 2.8 per cent compared to an annual average increase of 7.4 per cent between 2001 and 2009, the global increase in 2010 is almost entirely down to the United States, which accounted for $19.6 billion of the $20.6 billion global increase". http://www.sipri.org/media/pressreleases/milex The question, however, which the UN Secretary General has failed to look at is whether greater growth in economy (south America) is going hand in gloves with more spending on arms (and comparatively less on social services) and whether less economic growth (US) is also accompanied by greater spending on arms to boost economy and usurp oil of resource rich countries due to so called "war on terror" and "democratisation". The Global Gini index (distribution of family income) which measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country is 45.0 in the case of US, 56.7 in the case of Brazil and 47 in the case of China (latest available year, http://www.mongabay.com/reference/stats/rankings/2172.html). Rather than set its own house (recession and inequalities) in order, is raiding another country used by US as a strategy to boost its economy? Is Brazil dealing with economic inequalities and drug mafia (a bi product) through greater arms spending? Is China suppressing dissent through greater arms spending, as well as investing in becoming a super power? This could be equally true of India where officially Gini Index is placed at 36.8 (latest available year, http://www.mongabay.com/reference/stats/rankings/2172.html). Yet another question, is arms being used to protect MNCs from industrialized countries from appropriating natural resources of other countries, as is happening in Thervoy Kandigai village, Thiruvalluvar district, Tamil Nadu, India wherein police is protecting the France based Michellin Tyre company than the people. The company is appropriating grazing land and forests of dalit (majority), Backward castes and tribal people when the Gram Sabha (village council) and public tribunal had ruled otherwise. In fact the forest acts as watershed for not only this village but 24 other villages. Amongst these oppressed groups, women bear the brunt of such appropriation more than men. http://kafila.org/2011/02/18/anbulla-kaadu-my-beloved-forest-madhumita-dutta/. Police and force is also used to support family planning in some countries like China, with son preference leading to elimination of daughters http://www.lifenews.com/2004/12/14/nat-1042/ IF ECONOMIC GROWTH WITH INEQUALITIES AND ECONOMIC RECESSION ARE DEALT WITH THROUGH SPENDING ON ARMS and MNC APPROPRIATION OF COMMON PROPERTY RESOURCES IS SUPPORTED BY USE OF ARMS ONE NEEDS TO QUESTION THE PARADIGM OF DEVELOPMENT THAT IS FOLLOWED BY COUNTRIES, UN AND BRETTON WOODS INSTITUTIONS. HOW CAN FUNDING BE RAISED FOR SOCIAL SERVICES? ANDRE GUNDER FRANK'S THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND UNDER DEVELOPMENT (https://www.rienner.com/uploads/4858093a03883.pdf) SHOULD BE ADAPTED AND USED TO ANALYSE THE PROBLEM AND PAULO FRIERE'S PEDAGOGY OF OPPRESSED (http://www.pedagogyoftheoppressed.com/) SHOULD SHOW PATHWAYS AHEAD. IT IS SU
[humanrights-movement:4613] revisting apartheid
http://www.publishaletter.com/readletter.jsp?plid=29444 Dear Editor: July 17 is observed by the UN as International Mandela day. The UN Secretary General observed on 2011 that "Nelson Mandela has been a lawyer and a freedom fighter, a political prisoner, a peacemaker and president. A healer of nations and a mentor to generations, Nelson Mandela .. I join with the Nelson Mandela Foundation in encouraging people around the globe to perform 67 minutes of public service on Mandela Day ..Nelson Mandela himself once said. 'We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference'. Let us embrace this message. Tutor a child. Feed the hungry. Volunteer your time at a local hospital or community center. Make the world a better place". http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2011/07/17/un-secretary-general-message-on-nelson-mandela-international-day/ Yes, it is in the hands of inter-state organisations, state, markets, community, families and individuals to make a difference. But is feeding the hungry, tutoring a child, volunteering time at local hospital the way forward to end apartheid? Are his dreams of putting an end to apartheid fulfilled in South Africa and globally? Mandela at the time of freedom of South Africa from apartheid perceived apartheid it to be a state led process of segregation (backed by violence) of races and providing differential power, resources, and services to each. But has removal of this state led barrier reduced apartheid in South Africa? The answer is no. Majority of blacks in South Africa are much poorer than the Whites, living in abysmal conditions barring the elite amongst them. http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/07/south-africa-after-mandela/242021/ There is a subtle apartheid all over the world. Against blacks, dalits (in south Asia), tillers in developing economies (who are being evicted through creation of Special Economic Zones),slum dwellers (who are being evicted through beautification projects), migrants, people of diverse sexual identities and gender orientation and women (with exceptions) within households. Who is to blame? It is not just state that is responsible, but the entire neo liberal paradigm, imposed on states, markets, communities and families by inter-state organisations (in particular Bretton Woods Institutions) and silently endorsed by UNSC. While Mandela believed in truth and reconciliation very much influenced by Gandhi, what is required is a process of peaceful democratic revolution from below with alliance of oppressed groups who live below $2 per day and let them define pathways ahead. Moving the World from economic growth, human development, human rights to human Justice is the pathway ahead and it is to the left parties globally that we need to turn to- but they too need to listen to voices of oppressed and not impose intellectual views from top. Tutoring a child, feeding the hungry and volunteering time at a local hospital or community center is simply not enough. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to humanrights-movement@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to humanrights-movement+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
[humanrights-movement:4612] Fwd: Chhattisgarh to absorb SPOs into police force - Hindustan Times & Times of India
-- Forwarded message -- From: Balaji Narasimhan Date: Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 7:00 AM The Hindustan Times report below takes care to get the reaction of Soyam Mukka to the state's plan to absorb most of the SPOs into the regular police force. Soyam Mukka (35) in Dantewada, said, "Threat always existed for us since we are on the hit list of Maoists. Now we can get suitable training and arms to fight." Soyam Mukka is one of the people accused by Madkam Hidme of gang rape. (See: http://cpjc.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/affidavit_for_november_2009_3.pdfand http://youtu.be/yhbNZiXx-lE) Balaji http://www.hindustantimes.com/Chhattisgarh-to-absorb-SPOs-into-police-force/Article1-724809.aspx Chhattisgarh to absorb SPOs into police force - Hindustan Times The Raman Singh government of Chhattisgarh on Friday decided to absorb Special Police Officers (SPOs) into the state police force by relaxing the educational and physical eligibility criteria. The academic eligibility criteria have been relaxed from Class X pass (general) or Class VIII pass (SC/ST) to Class V pass. Similarly, the requirement of minimum height of 168 cm (general) or 153 cm (SC/ST) has been reduced to 163 cm and 150 cm, respectively. The move comes after Supreme Court's July 5 ruling directing the state to disarm nearly 4,800 SPOs in the Bastar region, who were working as adjunct policemen for anti-Maoists operations. After the cabinet decision, the CM told the media the move will enable nearly 80% SPOs to become constables. The remaining 20% would be given a chance to fulfill the requisite norms. The decision would be applicable only in Bastar and that too for the next three years.. SPOs have welcomed the gesture. "We were much concerned about our future. Now we are happy to know the state has paved the way for us to be part of the regular police force and continue our fight against Maoists," said Sargam Singa (25) in Tonkpal, Dantewada. Another SPO, Soyam Mukka (35) in Dantewada, said, "Threat always existed for us since we are on the hit list of Maoists. Now we can get suitable training and arms to fight." A senior police officer in Jagdalpur, who did not wish to be identified, welcomed the state government decision. State home minister Nanki Ram Kanwar told HT his government was committed to ensuring the safety and security of all SPOs and using their potential. "We are serious when it comes to countering Maoist violence... the state is committed to do whatever possible to absorb the SPOs." Brigadier (rtd) BK Ponwar, director of College of Jungle Warfare and Counter Insurgency, Kanker, said, "I found excellent soldier material in these SPOs. They are young, tough, agile, fearless and can be good guerilla fighters." o o o http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chhattisgarh-to-absorb-SPOs-in-police/articleshow/9329751.cms Chhattisgarh to absorb SPOs in police RAIPUR: Less than three weeks after the Supreme Court held that the appointment of tribal men as special police officers (SPOs) was unconstitutional, the Chhattisgarh government on Friday lowered the educational qualifications for adivasi youth for constabulary jobs in the police and armed force. The state cabinet passed the order that education up to Class V will make applicants eligible for constabulary; the earlier requirement was clearing Class X. The announcement comes weeks after the Supreme Court order led to the disarming of SPOs - nearly 5,000 tribal men hired on a temporary basis on less than one-third the salary of a constable and deployed in anti-Maoist operations. The court said they were being used as "canon fodder in the killing fields of Dantewada". Chief minister Raman Singh said, "Eighty percent of the SPOs will become constables. For the remaining 20% we would try and get them to clear through open school." The decision is widely seen as the government's way to circumvent the court's order. By lowering educational criteria, over a staggered period, all SPOs can now be absorbed in the regular police force. -- -- Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal +919820749204 skype-lawyercumactivist * * *The UID project i**s going to do almost exactly the same thing which the predecessors of Hitler did, else how is it that Germany always had the lists of Jewish names even prior to the arrival of the Nazis? The Nazis got these lists with the help of IBM which was in the 'census' business that included racial census that entailed not only count the Jews but also identifying them. At the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, there is an exhibit of an IBM Hollerith D-11 card sorting machine that was responsible for organising the census of 1933 that first identified the Jews.* * * *http://saynotoaadhaar.blogspot.com/* *http://aadhararticles.blogspot.com/* *http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_162987527061902&ap=1*< http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_162987527061902&ap=1> -- You received this message because you are subscribed t
