Repeated Terror Attacks: Reminder of Political System Failure

After a second blast within four months at Delhi High Court's gate in the national capital, the efficiency, alertness, and vigil of the Delhi police have come under question. The earlier blast had taken place near gate number seven. Nobody was killed or injured in it. But this time, the high intensity blast near gate number five where entry passes are issued, proved to be fatal for dozens of people. The fact is that there can neither be an actual estimation of the loss caused by this kind of blast due to security lapse, nor could it be compensated. Still, we cannot avoid questions that blast raises.
Self-Destructive for Entire Country
The link to this incident may also be established with some kind of domestic or international terrorism in the coming days, but is it a mere coincidence that when it is time to take the culprits of terrorist acts which directly challenged the sovereignty and power of the country to their logical end, politics is being played on the issue that is self-destructive for the entire country? Is the weak political leadership of the country responsible for these conditions? The country's domestic policy is already a victim of delusion, but who are they trying to harm by bringing the foreign policy also under its influence, knowingly or unknowingly? With which country among our neighbors -- Pakistan, China, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, are our policies in normal condition? Is all this not becoming the reason for deteriorating situations that are giving a challenge to the domestic front?
The present home minister and external affairs minister could agree that in Bangladesh's context, the consent or discord of any of our states does not have any impact on the foreign policy, but could we ignore Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Gujarat in Pakistan's context, or Tamil Nadu with regard to Sri Lanka? These double standards and insistence is not allowing our national political leadership to become strong.
Lesson From Past Experiences
The regret is also that we do not seem to be learning a lesson from our past experiences. Then, why do we expect this kind of lesson from Delhi police, which is nurtured on the game of politics at the center? But there is no hesitation in saying that the blast that took place at the gate of High Court situated within the circle of Delhi's political heart could have perhaps been prevented, had the police learned any lesson from the "big rehearsal of bomb blast" carried out by terrorists in the parking lot of gate number seven of High Court on 25 May. It is unfortunate that the incident was forgotten saying that the bomb was planted to target a particular person.
Police have their limitations in any political system. Our police force is not like London or Scotland Yard police, neither in skills, nor from the viewpoint of resources. Parliament is in session. The entire Delhi remains on "high alert" during this period. Then, how could this blast take place just a few kilometers from the Parliament House? But it would not be right to call it mere carelessness of police or security agencies. In fact, it is a failure of our politically-administered system.

Bangladesh Rejects Indian Proposal for Exporting Natural Gas

Bangladesh has turned down an Indian proposal for exporting natural gas to that country. Indian Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde placed the proposal on 15 September 2011 during his visit to Dhaka to join a meeting of the (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) energy ministers. Dhaka did not respond positively to the proposal.
Growing Problems
In this regard, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Mohammad Enamul Haque said Bangladesh was unable to export gas at this moment because of deficit of the energy in the country. At a news conferee on the evening of 15 September 2011 the state minister said Bangladesh will export gas to foreign countries in future subject to availability of the energy.
It has been learnt that the two countries a meeting discussed 250-MW electricity from India. In this regard, the sate minister electricity from India could be received from India in due course of time as per the commitment of New Delhi. He said the media report published on the complexities regarding construction of joint gridline between Bangladesh and India was not completely right. But he admitted that some problems were created over acquiring lands for the gridline at a number of places in the Indian state of West Bengal. He said that Bangladesh had the similar problem.
At this moment Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said electricity from India could be availed from in India on time. He said the problem created in the West Bengal will not hamper the project. Because, a minor section of the gridline will be required to be built on the India side while rest was in existence from earlier.
SAARC Energy Ministers’ Meeting
Moreover, the two-day meeting of the SAARC energy ministers ended at Rupashi Bangla Hotel in Dhaka on the same day through the concluding ceremony. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the concluding session. Power ministers from five countries and 35 represetatives attended the meeting.
The SAARC member countries at the meeting reached a consensus on singing power deals among the countries. In addition, the meeting adopted a survey on attaining energy security in the South Asia.
Presenting the detailed outcome of the meeting at a news conference in the evening, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources State Minister Mohammad Enamul Haque said the SAARC countries will sing a power exchange agreement within the next year (2012). The meeting decided to elicit opinion on the draft agreement until 31 October 2011.
Regional and Energy Trade Survey
He further said the meeting adopted the SAARC Regional and Energy Trade Survey. The survey recommended guidelines on production and trade in the power and energy sector of the SAARC countries. An analysis of the survey shows that the committee of experts has stressed the need for signing a framework agreement for enhancing capacity in the power and energy sector of the SAARC countries.
The experts believe such a framework agreement will benefit every member state. They also put emphasis on regional trade and legal compulsion.
Energy Security System
The survey shows the yearly demand for fuel oil by the SAARC member countries is increasing by 5 percent while for gas by 6.34 percent. The per hour demand for electricity the SAARC countries by 2020 will increase to 2920693 KW.
A source with the meeting said the member countries are in a state worry over the present quantity fuel for power generation. And as a result, they put stress on building an energy security system through mutual cooperation.
According to the survey, the Maldives is ahead of all the member countries in the commercial use of energy. The next positions go to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Afghanistan at the last.
The survey report says the SAARC countries have their peculiarities in the use of energy. But India and Pakistan are dependent on more than one source of energy. The rest countries have unilateral source. The survey stressed the need for diversifying the use of energy in those countries.
The state minister at the press conference said the SAARC countries at the meeting agreed to carryout survey on inter-grid power exchange. Besides, Bangladesh at the meeting placed a proposal for forming a SAARC Energy Regulatory Commission.

India's Arms Collection

The father of the nation had said, "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind." All respect and honor to the Mahatma in its place, but as far as his teachings are concerned we can fill our ears with them. It is a pity that the reality is very different from what he said and in the 21st century the entire world seems to be preparing for war and is stockpiling weapons. The situation in India seems to be no different from this.

Since the country's independence, it has had the reputation of a peace-loving and humanity sympathetic nation, which it has maintained.

Solving World Problems

For solving world problems, India has maintained its reputation as heading the list of non-aligned nations. Even today the country maintains its reputation for brotherhood and peace-loving country. This is a praiseworthy characteristic of India. It has always been desirous of solving its problems peacefully. This is one side of the picture which is extremely pleasing. But its other side is a cause of worry for peace-loving sympathizers. This is that India heads the list of countries in arms purchasing, according to the list of arms purchased released by an organization from Stockholm.

After intensive research, between 2006 and 2010, India has left the rest of the world far behind in arms purchases. China which used to head the list for the past four years has been relegated to second place in arms purchasing , while North Korea has gone to the third place and Pakistan fourth.

Requirement for Self-Relianc

There is no denying that with neighbors like Pakistan and China with which India has border disputes effect bilateral relations from time to time. There is always the danger of war erupting with them. It is very important for India to maintain constant vigil and remain prepared constantly. Because of this, the country keeps on buying weapons. This is the first requirement for self-reliance but to keep on constantly buying weapons is hardly a solution. The country will have to seriously reconsider this problem, especially with those countries with which it has disputes.

It is essential to stay on constant alert and is a prime necessity of self-reliance. But for this, it is not necessary to buy weapons all the time. Before going any further, it may be noted that for 2011 and 2012 the amounts set aside for defense is trillions of dollars. Ordinary citizens will not be able to tell how many Rupees are in $100 million. Like the people who can find love, there are very few who can figure this out. Keep in mind that every citizen is an equal participant in this.

Improving Infrastructure

On one side, this an expense more or less in billions, and on the other, this is a bitter reality which cannot be denied. For example India has one-third of the poor people in this world which means that every third poor man in this world is an Indian. In diet deficiency, India comes after Bangladesh. This is the reason that 3,707 million die of malnourishment. Thirty-five percent of India's our population is unemployed. Very few get clean water to drink. This is the reason that 37.7 die million is no small number. Over 200,000 succumb to malaria every year.

According to some sources, 20 million with higher education are unemployed. To improve the infrastructure how many areas are to be improved? All dangers that are facing the country have to be faced which we are doing in a half-hearted manner. If it was not for defense we could have reached a stage of development and we could have taken the next step toward empowering the people's lives.

Pakistan At 62

August is a blessed month as 62 years ago a new Muslim country appeared on the world map in the form of Pakistan. The creation of Pakistan was nothing short of a miracle as it was created after thousands of sacrifices. When the time to get rid of the British rule in India came, Hindus began to think that they will now have the opportunity to rule Muslims.

According to the world acclaimed system of politics, democracy, Muslims would have been in minority, while Hindus would have fulfilled their dreams of ruling India as they formed the significant majority. This thinking of Hindus was gauged by the visionary personality of Allama Iqbal and he brought forward Qaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah for the leadership of the Muslim League. Thus, it was because of the efforts and pains taken by Qaid-e-Azam and the Muslim League that Pakistan was created.

Separate Homeland of Indian Muslims
After a period of seven years since the Pakistan resolution, Pakistan was created and hence the dream of a separate homeland for the Indian Muslims was fulfilled. After the creation of Pakistan, thousands of Muslims had to migrate from India to Pakistan. During this journey Hindus and Sikhs began killing Muslims and they did not even spare women, elderly people or children. The ones who were spared of their atrocities were able to reach Pakistan. This migration reminded us of the Migration from Mecca to Medina by the holy Prophet Mohammad.

A lot of people migrated to Pakistan just for the sake of Islam. The Pakistani people also replicated the Ansars of Medina and welcomed the Mohajirs with open hands; hence a new Pakistan began its life journey. The country was established for the sake of Islam, but it has largely remained the domain and politics of the Muslim cleric, chants of the opportunists and in the hearts of ordinary Muslims.

Basis of Ideology
The country was created for the sake of democracy, but it largely became subservient to the wishes of the Army, who ruled over the country for more than half the time since the existence of Pakistan. This country was established on the basis of an ideology, but it was broken down into parts. By losing Bangladesh, we allowed Indira Gandhi to critically state that she has dumped the ideology of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea and has taken revenge for being under the slavery of Muslims for years. The man who raised the slogan that "we will live here, while you live there" received a lot of appreciation for holding an Islamic Conference in the remaining Pakistan, while, in fact, it was organized to recognize Bangladesh. Politicians have always proven to be incompetent. That is why the Army gets an opportunity to come to power, however, the interesting thing is that the idea of municipal level democracy (basic democracy) has always been put forward by the Army generals, while the politicians have been wary of holding elections within their own party so that their dominance within the party does not wither away.

Derive Personal Gains
Religious cleric, generals, clerks, or politicians, and even every person working in any capacity have looted the country to derive personal gains. The way the country has remained into existence is nothing short of a miracle. Despite looting and incompetence, some good people have also come to this country and God has taken the desired work from them.

If you take the example of Ayub Khan among the dictators, he achieved a great feat by establishing a new city in the form of Islamabad and making it the federal capital, he built the Tarbela and Mangla dam, and he is credited for discovering the popular leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He used to call Ayub "daddy", although later he stood up against him and became a popular leader. Bhutto achieved the feat of flour and sugar shortage in the country and in addition, he did great damage to the country by nationalizing the domestic business enterprises and educational institutes.

Under the garb of feudalism, Bhutto raised the slogan of "Roti, Karpa or Makan" and made the common man stand in queues for daily commodities. Despite numerous faults, he had charismatic leadership abilities and is credited for creating political awareness among the masses. The 1973 constitution is an achievement of Bhutto and the will to create a nuclear weapon for Pakistan even if the citizens of the country will be made to have grass to sustain itself is another of his accomplishments. Steel mill, atomic program, the 1973 constitution, and giving the proletariat an identity are the achievements of Bhutto, but he was too hungry for power and this hunger led to the separation of Pakistan. If he would have allowed the assembly session after the elections to take place in Dhaka, Pakistan would not have split into two halves. The same lust for power forced him to commit the heinous crime of rigging the elections in September and General Zia-ul-Haq benefited from this stubbornness of Bhutto. Gen Zia was once the blue eyed boy of Bhutto, but once Gen Zia saw the opportunity he lunged on to power by pushing aside Bhutto. Despite being a dictator, Gen Zia showed good political acumen and he had complete control over the affairs of the country for a decade. Gen Zia tried to Islamicise the Army and shut down any alcohols dens in the Army to infuse the spirit of Islam in them. He became the heartthrob of the Muslim world by supporting Afghanistan in the war against Russia. After the death of Gen Zia, democratic era came back to the country, as Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif jostled for power between each other. The public became dissatisfied with these democratic governments and they also failed to complete the tenure of their respective governments.

Rule of Dictatorship
In Pakistan, democratic governments and military dictatorships repeated past mistakes, which led to their downfall. During the past decade, a military dictator came at the helm of power after sending Nawaz Sharif to exile. Apparently, he looked like a person who is a panacea to all ills in the country, but his actions have shown that he caused the most damage to the country as compared to other national rulers. Former President Pervez Musharraf prevented Nawaz Sharif from returning back to the country, he also benefited from the self exile of Benazir Bhutto. He experimented with new strategies that shook the foundations of the country. He washed in blood the whole area from Waziristan to Red Mosque, and sowed such seeds of lawlessness that his descendants are cutting the harvest.

Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto displayed exemplary understanding by apologizing for the past grievances and dispute between them and prepared a document like the charter of democracy. Although, this was not acceptable to fate and the antistate elements and they removed Benazir Bhutto from the way and when the time for Musharraf to leave power came he handed over the governance to people who are strictly adhering to his policies.

Numerous Ups and Downs
The past 62 years of Pakistan have witnessed numerous ups and downs, but the county was able to progress in the right direction, although at a snail pace. A dictator like Ayub Khan gave the country a new capital and dam projects, while a political leader like Nawaz Sharif constructed the motorway, laid down the foundations of the Gwadar port, and established new airports in Karachi and Lahore.

The creation of Pakistan was not an easy feat since it was not acceptable to both the British and Hindus. It was only acceptable to the supreme creator, God. Hence, God has taken the mantle of protecting this country. That is why false intentions of India have not been backed up with actions on the ground.

Nuclear and Missile Development
Pakistan may be in a pathetic state, but it was blessed to have a great scientist like Abdul Qadeer Khan. The nuclear program was initiated by Ayub Khan, which was ably carried forward by Bhutto and finally Nawaz Sharif carried out the atomic bombs in reply to those done by India. The missile capacity of Pakistan is even perceived as a threat by Israel, and Al-Khalid is also a much talked about missile in the world. Unfortunately corruption, nepotism, and the failure to adhere to merit standards have not allowed the institutions to properly grow in the country.

In the past few years, the media have also become mature and independent and they have started creating awareness in the public. The media played a frontline role in the lawyer movement against the maligned intentions of Musharraf and now the judiciary has become an independent and important institution that is playing a key role in the country. It is hoped that this process of awareness will continue and the common people will be more honest and responsible in the selection of its elected representatives. As a result of this the institutions in the country will strengthen and hence the country will become more powerful.

Pakistan-Sri Lanka Cooperation

The bilateral ties between Pakistan and Sri Lanka are extremely great. The bilateral trade does not match the bilateral political relations, despite Free Trade Agreement. The volume of bilateral trade stands at $250 million. Sri Lanka produces the best tea in the world. All the civilians who were killed or injured in the decisive battle were killed or injured by Tamil Tigers themselves. The Army did not use heavy weapons in the final phase to ensure security of the civilians. These views were expressed by Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, Sri Lankan High Commissioner.

Weerakkody said that Pak-Sri Lanka ties were established in 1949. The relations between the two countries have flourished ever since, he added. He further said that we are the dwellers of the same region. We are thankful to Pakistani friends who, with their training and cooperation, helped us successfully face the challenges to the integrity and security of our country.

Strong Defense Sector
Weerakkody further said that the relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka are very strong in the defense sector. However, the economic and trade relations are very weak. He told that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had signed Free Trade Agreement in 2005. After this agreement, the volume of trade has, showing a slight increase, risen to $250 million from $180 million.

Weerakkody said that Sri Lanka produces the best tea in the world and this tea is not very costly either. The tea that the Pakistani friends use is of a very low quality. He further said that the prospects of promoting cultural relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka are quite wide. The remnants of Taxila and Gandhara civilization in Pakistan are regarded as sacred places of worship by the Sri Lankans. However, because of a lack of awareness the religious tourists of our country turn to India rather than Pakistan.

He further said that the game of cricket is also an important reason of the friendly relations between the two countries. Regarding the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, he said that the Pakistani officials keep giving them informal information on the investigations being carried out into the incident. He said that the concerned Sri Lankan authorities have not been included in the investigations into the attack on the Sri Lankan team.

Literacy Issue
As far as 96 percent literacy rate achieved by Sri Lanka is concerned, Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody said that ever since its independence in 1948, Sri Lanka has pursued the policy of providing free education in order to spread education. During President Bandranaike era in 1956, Education Minister Dr. C C W Khanana took revolutionary steps. Education was made compulsory and free up to the university level. The students were provided free books and uniforms up to the secondary level. All the following governments pursued the same policy.

Weerakkody said that Sri Lankan population is around 20 million. Currently, there are some 175,000 teachers at Sri Lankan schools and colleges, leaving aside the teachers at private institutions.

Launching Separatist Movement
Commenting on the separatist movement launched by Tamil Tigers, Weerakkody said that Tamils are 2 million out of a total population of 20 million; while, in India and other parts of the world, the Tamils number 20 million. This population supports the separatist movement launched by the Sri Lankan Tamils. India also played mediatory role with a view to end this dispute. As a result, the Sri Lankan Tamil language was declared to be the official language of Sri Lanka. The Tigers are running a movement for the establishment of a separate country. It is because of their stubbornness that Indian mediation has been ineffectual.

Sri Lanka is a small island and partitioning this small island was not acceptable at any cost. In order to crush, this separatist movement, we had no option but to fight a decisive battle. Weerakkody added that the Tamil Tigers have started to use civilians as human shield to in the last phase of the war, and the Western world, because of its unawareness, has made the Sri Lankan Government butt of criticism.

Tamil Terrorism vs Terrorism in Pakistan
In response to a question about the comparison between the Tamil terrorism and the terrorism in Pakistan, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner said that although the terrorist attacks are common between the two, both have different objectives. Tamil Tigers were separatists while here attempts are being made to give religious explanations of terrorism in order to gain power. It is something that is a controversial issue among the ulema themselves.

In the end, it can be said that Sri Lanka is paying attention to rehabilitation of the affected Tamil population and reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure. It is the major problem facing Sri Lanka at this hour.