Effort To Make Middle East Nuclear Free To Be Futile

It appears that US President Barack Obama is still committed to his 'ambition' to make this world free from any form of nuclear weapon threat। It is not enough to host the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April 2010, this time Obama's momentum turns to the continuation of 'goodwill' effort in Middle East.

The United States is having negotiation with Egypt to woo the latter's support in order to make Middle East a nuclear free area। The report also mentions that the US wants all Arabic countries in that region, including Turkey, Iran and its strong ally -- Israel, to be 'free' from possession of any form of nuclear arms. While stressing that a regional meeting will be held to discuss the matter, the discussion between the US and Egypt about the issue will be continued in New York next month when the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is held for one month. Our question here is, will the effort undertaken by the US succeed when the political and security situation in Middle East remains uncertain?

Some Conditions

From a positive point of view, the effort to make Middle East a nuclear free zone can succeed provided the following conditions are fulfilled:

1। All countries in the region concerned such as the Arabic countries, Turkey, Iran and the US's strong ally, Israel, agree to openly and officially 'announced' the 'actuality' of their possession of any form of nuclear or destructive weapons;

2। All countries concerned must agree to have an agreement or sign any form of agreement aims at achieving the abovementioned objective;

3। All countries concerned must agree to cooperate to conceive the best method to 'reduce' or 'eradicate' any form of nuclear weapons;

4। All countries concerned agree to cooperate especially with the United States and United Nations to ensure the remnants of the existing nuclear weapons are safe and prevented from falling into the hands of irresponsible 'quarters', such as international terrorist groups;

5। All countries concerned agree on the concept of using nuclear for 'peace' only.

In fact, the endeavor to make the world, including Middle East as a nuclear free zone can be considered as something 'stale', not because it is not good for global peace, but because the processes that are going to take place will be carried out by those interested in the concept of 'global peace and security'। It will cause more 'losses', because at the end of it, there will be 'invisible hands' attempting to mess up all these efforts of goodwill. This scenario often makes us wonder, are those world superpowers like the US genuinely and 'sincerely' want to see peace in the world. Or, is there any deception hidden behind all these efforts? Perhaps, this is the most effective way to 'dispose of' nuclear weapons possessed by Iran and other Islamic countries?

Until today, no development can convince us about the effectiveness of Obama's commitment to make Middle East a nuclear free zone, besides the 'oral agreement' between countries in that region, with the exception of Israel।

As we know, Israel will always deny it possesses hundreds of nuclear and destructive weapons (including chemical and biological weapons), in view of its policy of 'deliberate nuclear ambiguity', even though an official report from the US Congress Office of Technology Assessment published in August 1993 states that Israel is 'suspected' to have the capacity of chemical weapons and biological weapon program that has never been explained।

Whereas the US often sets the condition that any positive development including development in relation to the issue of nuclear free zone fully depends on the positive development that must be achieved in the series of peace talk between the Arabic world and Israel।

Positive Development Expected
Since the peace talk between the Arabic world and Israel is described as a 'sore' in Middle East, it is not expected to bring any positive development at least in nearest time। Therefore, we can already conclude that the effort taken by US to make Middle East a nuclear free zone will become another futile and time-wasting bid. Meanwhile, its close ally, Israel will remain 'impenetrable' under the protection of hundreds of nuclear weapons, most of which are stored in Dimona; while the region of Middle East will remain in the status quo.

Having realized of this reality, perhaps Obama can start to think of a 'plan B' to deal with any 'bad' possibilities that he will encounter in his effort to make Middle East a nuclear weapon free zone. Nevertheless, whatever 'plan' he is going to put forth, it will certainly 'strengthen' the status of the US and Israel in Middle East. Could it be a dilemma for a Nobel Peace Prize laureate like Obama to choose between being an 'idealist' or 'realist'?

Disclosure of Tamil Homeland Myth

International pressure exerted on the Sri Lankan Government seems to be of no small measure when focusing on the issues regarding the alleged human rights violations leveled against the country. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has proposed that a special three-member committee should be appointed to investigate into the said violations of human rights and war crimes allegedly committed by the Sri Lanka Army. Subsequent to this, the US Department of State also submitted report on human rights violations said to be committed by the Sri Lankan Government.

Issues and Measures
The issues cannot be easily and lightly discarded. Although the Sri Lankan Government protested against these measures, it is has still not understood the next turn of affairs. When Sri Lanka was frequently accused of abusing human rights, the government raises another question instead of producing an answer.

It is why the United Nations, which was never, concerned about the human rights violations of the United States Army in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel and also in some middle-eastern countries, is now overtly concerned about probing into 'supposed' human rights violations committed by the Sri Lanka Army. When the United States question about rights violations in Sri Lanka, the government in turn asks why the US State Department does not speaks about crimes committed against ordinary civilians when the US Army launch attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq.

After ending Prabhakaran's terrorism, the solutions to challenges faced by Sri Lanka lies within the counter charges of the government based on the same issue. To maintain cordial international relations, four vital points are identified in political science.

1. To reach conscientious through discussions.

2. Offering grants.

3. Imposing embargoes.

4. Stabilizing domination.

Economic Embargoes
United States and other 'powerful' countries apply all four measures at different stages toward poor and less affluent countries. The way in which the United States intervened in Iraq could be quoted as a clear example. The US intervened initially in Iraq with an accusing finger. The UN intervened to investigate nuclear 'arms factory' in Iraq consequent to US allegations.

However, Iraq permitted the UN monitors to carryout their inspections under a 'controlled' situation. Then the US and the UN claimed that Iraq abandoned on its own accord the opportunity of coming to an agreement through negotiations. Subsequently, economic embargoes were imposed on Iraq and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces invaded the country. Thereby Iraq was subjected to two international strategies, i.e., imposing embargoes and stabilizing domination.

any questions are raised on US attacking Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, the response should be based on this standpoint. It was due to the US adopting such a policy on Islam terrorism that a leading Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan was questioned at the US airport on his entry to the country, because his name was Khan.

Well-Formulated Plan
Sri Lanka should also resort to US course of action when facing the present challenging situation. It should essentially not follow the mistake committed by Iraq under similar circumstances. In the struggle by Tamil communalists projecting the image of a Tamil Eelam state, the defeated faction was the combat arm of the movement.

Although Western pressure was exerted on the government during its fight against these combatants or in other words Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Mahinda Rajapaksa government was prudent enough to use good judgment on the face of such pressure. A state policy was in place, which gave the military, authority to intensify its war strategies, which ultimately defeated the LTTE. The plan was well-formulated and the Western and global powers could not directly intervene in the operations.

The same positive approach Sri Lanka pursued in eradicating terrorism should be shown in dealings with the accusations emitted by the West. If the Rajapaksa government did not adopt this steady and unwavering attitude towards the LTTE, it would never have been possible to defeat the outfit. A clear example is the tenure of Chandrika Kumaratunga's regime. During this period, the Sri Lankan Government's policy only showed the global community, the foolishness of its agenda by launching military operations and on the other hand talking of peace.

Sri Lanka projected to the world that its policy is launching limited military offensives is a necessity prior to commencement of negotiations. Accordingly, the offensives were launched not to defeat terrorism but to hold discussions with the terrorists, in order to form a separate state or in other words a federal administration. If the same policy was adopted by the Rajapaksa government, Venupillai Prabhakaran would still be among the living.

Preserve Unitary and Sovereign Status
In this instance, the government should take an example from its own strategy followed to annihilate the LTTE. The demand for an Eelam or separate state by Tamil communalists is based on the myth of Tamil homeland concept. Even Nelam Tiruchelvam identified the Tamil aspirations of Tamils from the platform of the so-called Tamil homeland.

The government should respond to the pressures exerted by Eelamists and Western governments by disclosing to the world, by destroying the myth of the Tamil homeland. When this is accomplished, the global community or the West would be in the same situation which it faced at the time when the Rajapaksa government forged ahead with the war to defeat terrorism. This is where Iraq failed. If Iraq too openly put forward to the global community a clear-cut policy regarding nuclear arms then North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Forces would not have been able to invade Iraq.

Sri Lanka should now forge ahead to defeat the present covert moves of the Tamil Eelamists, by taking this as an example. The Sri Lanka Government should adopt as a policy that a historical Tamil homeland concept is a mere myth. The fight against the Eelam concept should commence from this point to preserve the unitary and sovereign status of the country.

Publications of Prophet Mohammad's Caricatures and Responsibilities of Muslim World

The republishing of caricatures of the holy Prophet Mohammad Mohammad in Norway and Denmark is an evidence of the Western circles, specially the media's dirty conspiracy against the entire Muslim world. Its basic plan is achieve their targets against the Muslim world by declaring Islam as the religion of the terrorists and the Muslims as terrorists and extremists on the basis of the reaction emitting out in the Islamic world through this condemnable act. This would provide an opportunity to the anti-Islam forces to unite and it would be possible to open a grand front against the Muslim world.
As far as the republication of the caricatures of the holy Prophet Mohammad in Norway and Denmark is concerned, it cannot be described as purposeless and without any reason. Proving its legality in the name of freedom of expression is also a shameful and cruel act of adding salt to the Muslim's injury.

Freedom of Expression
If this is a display of freedom of expression and freedom of press then why this shameful act is only committed against the Muslims. Until today, why the western mediums of communication and media have not committed such a condemnable act, although there is no dearth of the unrevealed religions and their believers.
And the most important thing is that to-date no Muslim country, media, communication medium and government has not staged any insulting act or demonstration against any religion, or non-Muslim religious leader. Rather giving positive response to the poisonous revelations by the Western circles and some intellectuals, no Muslim scholar or intellectual has targeted their religion or religious leader, which shows Islam's broadness and respect for other religions as well as it reflects the saying of the holy Koran, there is no compulsion in religion. And this saying negates the stand regarding forceful spreading of Islam.
But the anti-Islam elements, especially not only the religious circles and intellectuals rather some non-Muslims of the subcontinent have also in the past hurt the emotions of the Muslims, and several incidents have been seen. In Lahore, with reference to Ghazi Ilm Din's martyrdom, a condemnable act of a Hindu and a shameful tale of dishonoring the holy Prophet Mohammad has become a part of our history. And Ilm Din's sacrifice to take revenge will not be forgotten by the nation till the judgment day. Ilm Din murdered a Hindu when he published a book to insult Prophet Mohammad.

Feelings of Muslims
The western circles' behavior and manners against Islam and the Muslim world is not restricted to the media and some intellectuals, rather the governments also not only encourage such persons, but their involvement in this crime is not a secret. Its proof is that Salman Rushdie was awarded with honor and he was invited to attend an official award distribution ceremony. If the British rulers would have considered the feelings of only the Muslims of the subcontinent against this cursed man, they would not have allowed him to stay in their country, rather they would not have awarded him honor that hurt the feelings of the entire Muslim world.
On the other, India has also provided an evidence of Islam's enemy by allowing the Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasreen. Nevertheless, after the republication of the caricatures in Denmark and Norway, the Pakistani nation, especially the religious circles' reaction is an example for the entire Muslim world and is also a guiding principle. This fact is not only regrettable but also of concern that unlike Pakistan, the other Muslim countries did not react so violently rather they did not show their concern at all.
The government of Pakistan considering the national reaction and pressure presented a resolution in the Parliament against the publication of these caricatures. But the action demanded by the religious and political circles against the two concerned countries for the publication of these caricatures has not been appreciated by the government and there seems no possibility of its appreciation.

Faith of Muslim Community
The protection of the honor of the Holy Prophet Mohammad Mohammad is the basic part of the faith of every Muslim, and the faith of any Muslim remains incomplete without it. This emotion creates interest for martyrdom in Muslims and no force in the world, no power, no wealth, no greediness can fade this emotion of the Muslims. Nor they can remain silent on this cruel and condemnable act.
Those western circles and countries which are committing this act, they are, in fact, in the guise of journalism and freedom of expression are committing the worst kind of terrorism. Their actions are threatening the global peace, and their conspiracy is not only against only Islam and Muslims, rather it is such a condemnable act against entire humanity, which is grave danger for global peace and existence, because its reaction can spread all over the world.

Giving Wrong Color to Islam
It is an unfortunate fact that the silence of the Muslim rulers has encouraged the newspapers of two countries to republish the insulting caricatures. To date the United Nations and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) have not expressed any reaction against them. The Western media is controlled by Zionist forces and their Islam and Muslim enemy needs not explanation. These forces are deliberately committing such acts against the Muslims and by giving wrong color to Islam they want to convert the global community to anti-Islam forces. In this regard, Pakistan's religious circles and prominent religious leaders' demand special attention of the government that death penalty law be formulated for those who insult The holy Prophet Mohammad, and a meeting of the OIC be immediately convened against the caricatures. Because the western countries, which are blaming Pakistan and Islam for terrorism are themself committing the worst kind of terrorism.
The publication of these caricatures is no doubt an open challenge for the entire Muslim world. And the silence of the Muslim world on banning construction of mosques minarets in Switzerland and
the republication of the insulting caricatures indicates the senselessness of the Muslim rulers, which will further encourage them. In this connection, the resolutions passed at the Ulema convention of all the schools of thought in Karachi, and the addresses of Ulema at the convention represent the feelings of the 170 million people and ignoring it would be a big mistake, because the attack on the character of the most sacred personality of the world is counted among the worst type of terrorism.

Demand of Situation
In fact, only after the Muslim world and Muslim leaders kept silent on publication of these caricatures that Switzerland has banned construction of minarets and some western countries have started banning the construction of mosques, because these countries have taken the total silence of Muslim world on the action of Denmark and Norway as their weakness. And more steps can be expected from them against the Muslims.
If under the international law, if somebody can be held responsible and reprimanded for insulting an individual then what is the logic for ignoring the insult to The last Prophet Mohammad. Even the death penalty cannot satisfy the Muslims for those persons who commit this. To call this an opinion and religious freedom makes it the worst enemy of the humanity.

Mounting Global Tension as Iran Goes Nuclear

Celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad announced to the world that his country has now become a nuclear power. The world's apprehension was thereby confirmed. He, of course, took the precaution to say emphatically that Iran would not make nuclear bomb. But have the United States and Western countries that have always looked upon Iran with suspicion and threatened it ignored this precaution? Ahmadinejad's declaration that Iran has acquired the capacity of producing 20 percent or more of nuclear fuel and has achieved good results must have alerted Iran's critics.

New and Serious Tension
The United States and Western countries have been demanding that Iran carries out its uranium enrichment program in some other country decided on and by the United Nations under international inspection. However, the conditions put forward by Iran were not acceptable to the world. It was even unwilling to allow the UN nuclear agency to investigate openly into its nuclear program.
Iran has long been accused of conniving with countries like Pakistan and North Korea on nuclear weapons. In such a situation, Iran's latest announcement is likely to create a new and serious tension for the world. It may have to face far more strict restrictions, which are likely to prove dangerous for it in the long run.

Clamping Down Protestors
It needs to be noted that while Ahmadinejad was making the announcement, police and security forces were clamping down protestors. Opposition to the government, which was formed in Iran through the Islamic Revolution, is mounting day-by-day. The announcement on nuclear capability can, therefore, be seen as a political move to isolate the opposition from general masses. How far this strategy will help in ending internal tension in Iran is open to conjecture. Truly speaking, the new encirclement of Iran will add to people's woes.
The United States will be faced with the problem of keeping Israel cool after Iran's announcement. Israel keeps threatening that if Iran tries to make such a weapon, it would attack the country to destroy the same.

Vietnam's Human Rights Plot To Incite Dissent

Lately, with the backing from ill-intentioned toward Vietnam of some foreign political circles and international organizations, Vietnamese expatriate reactionary organizations and hostile forces have extensively made use of the democracy and human rights issues to increase their sabotage activities against the Vietnamese state with the aim to create an impact for a change to pluralism, multiparty political system and gradually working towards the abolition of the leadership role of the Communist Party and the socialist regime in our country.In implementing their target to "stir up" the opposing atmosphere against the Vietnamese state both in the country and overseas, the expatriate reactionary elements are colluding with a number of local political dissidents to expedite propaganda activities by falsely accusing that Vietnam "violates democracy, human rights and represses religious freedom". Leading reactionary organizations such as "Viet Tan", "Committee for the protection of journalists", "Reporters Without Frontiers" and so on have launched a campaign to propagate a program named "The enemies of the internet" on the occasion of the "World Day Against Cyber Censorship" in order to draw public attention to the distorted tones that the Vietnamese government continuously conducts monitoring and repressive actions on the cyber space and forbids "political dissidents" to write blogs on the internet. They also called upon the three world biggest internet services providers, i.e. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft "not to lend a hand to the Vietnamese Government to control the internet".

Freedom of Religion and Infringes

Nguyen Thi Tram Oanh (Germany) regularly keeps contact with and incites those dragging and extremist protesters whom they called "grieved people" in Danang city to provide information, documents on the so-called local government repression of mass protests so she can introduce to the international public opinion. Bao Khanh, a reporter of the "Vietnam Sydney Radio" in Australia, regularly get in touch through "interviews" with domestic dissident elements such as Nguyen Khac Toan, Tran Anh Kim, Le Thanh Tung, Vi Duc Hoi, Tran Khai Thanh Thuy and others to urge them to collect and provide information or documents that they call "evidences" asserting that the Vietnamese government represses freedom of religion and infringes on human rights. Their sole purpose is to diffuse propaganda activities against Vietnam.These subjects also lobby foreign political circles and international organizations to step up interventions and pressures on Vietnam with regard to democracy and human rights issues with a view to interfere with the juridical reform and global integration process through which they hope to gradually transform the Vietnamese political regime in a way suitable for their interests. With the familiar themes of accusations of infringement upon democracy and human rights, they recommend the American politicians to reinstate Vietnam in the list of countries of particular concern for religious freedom (CPC) and to pass the "Vietnam Human Rights Act 2009-S1159". Some individuals and reactionary organizations have gone as far as to recommend increased pressure and promulgation of new "act", "draft law" and "resolution" to force the Vietnamese government to "implement freedom of speech, to loosen control of internet, to give fair treatment to ethnic minorities and to recognize and protect a number of reactionary organizations and individuals in the country.In order to bypass the Vietnamese relevant agencies inspection that will unmask their real motivation and scheme, these reactionary individuals and organization resort to the old trick of transferring money under the cover of international awards for human rights or payment of "royal ties" to give financial support or encouragement to their local partners. At the beginning of 2009, they lobbied the "International Human Right Watchdog" to present the "2008 Human Rights Award" to a number of domestic activists with awards totaling $ 12,000. A numb er of repor ters from reactionary newspapers and radio networks regularly send "royalties" to more than 20 dissidents in the country for answering their interviews or supplying articles with reactionary content which will be used as propaganda materials against Vietnam. The leaders of "Viet Tan" in Houston, USA are promoting the sending of "Tet gifts" to "democratics" in the country to encourage them "to be more enthusiastic" in their protest activities.

Hostile and Reactionary Forces

Whatever cunning or slandering tones that these hostile and reactionary forces may use, they cannot refute the truth that the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam always regards human beings as the target and motivation of all socio-economic development policies; it always guarantees and promotes all human rights. The 1992 Constitution of Vietnam guarantees that all citizens have equal rights in political, economic, civic and before the law; they have the right to participate in the administration of the State and management of the society; the right to religious freedom; the right to free movement and residence within the country; the right to lodge complaints and denunciations; the right to work, to study, to health care, etc... regardless of their gender, race or religion. On the foundation of the Constitution, Vietnamese law continues to concretize all these rights in accordance with international legal standards on human rights.The implementation of the "Comprehensive strategy for growth and hunger eradication and poverty alleviation" promulgated by the Vietnamese government in May 2002 within the context of the Socio-Economic Development Strategy for the period 2001-2010 has contributed to bring down the rate of poor households (by national poverty criteria) from 58.1 percent in 1993 to 14.82 percent in 2007 and has made Vietnam as one of the few first countries to attain the millennium goal. All development policies of Vietnam always take human people as the center; economic development is for human people with economic growth linked to progress and social equality assurance and must go together with cultural, educational and intellectual development and environment protection and improvement.

Major International Conventions

Vietnam has joined most of the major international conventions on human rights and always supports the activities of the Human Rights Council and fully cooperates with the United Nations human rights institutions. International friends have all acknowledged that Vietnam has in fact attained many achievements on the promotion of human rights, especially the civil and political rights and the rights of the easily hurt groups. We have and are combining with harmony the general value of human rights with the particular conditions of the country while strengthening international cooperation and open dialogue in the field of human rights. The awareness and capacity of the people are being raised so they can fully enjoy these rights.Our Party and State always assert that human rights cannot be separated from national independence and sovereignty. Through indomitable and resilient struggle spanning over many centuries, the Vietnamese people have asserted the most sacred and basic human right is to live in an independent and free country and be able to decide one's own destiny.Along with the implementation of the State's consistent policies to guarantee and promote human rights, the Vietnamese relevant agencies have taken the initiative to unmask individuals and organizations that exploit democracy, human rights issues to work against the Vietnamese state, thus contributing to the safeguarding of national security, political and social stability. However, the stratagem of the reactionary forces to take advantage of the democracy and human rights issues to tarnish the image of the state and to abolish the socialist regime in Vietnam never ceases to diminish, not to say it will increases in the time to come.

Human Rights Situation

Together with heightened vigilance to timely unmask and neutralize all new schemes and cunnings of reactionary expatriate elements , we need to extensively exploit and make use of the services of the internet and other mass media means to step up propaganda work so that the public, the foreign political circles, the members of international organizations and our overseas compatriots can understand the real nature and achievements with regard to human rights in our country and gradually shrug off their mistaken view and suspicion of the democracy and human rights situation in Vietnam before the slandering and distorted tones.
All relevant agencies, departments and branches should take the initiative to provide counsel and formulating of propaganda strategy on democracy and human rights issues and to carry out regular exchanges of information with foreign embassies to fence off the distorted information on these issues that the reactionary expatriate organizations are trying to provide to foreign political circles, national assemblies. Our policy is to promote diplomatic campaigns by unmasking the sabotaging nature of these reactionary forces against the Vietnamese state and by requesting foreign politicians, governments and international organizations not to shelter, tolerate and support these expatriate reactionary individuals and organizations plotting against the Vietnamese state.

Mini Doomsday in Haiti

The recent earthquake in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, and its suburbs has shaken the entire world to its roots. The scenes of rampant devastation and destruction caused by the earthquake are so saddening that they disturb the heart of every human being. The destruction caused by the earthquake there is said to be the worst ever during the last two decades, and going by the ever increasing number of dead bodies, it is said to be the second most destructive in human history.
It may be recalled that 8.6 million people had died in an earthquake that shook a part of China in 1556. Though the correct number of deaths in Haiti is yet to be known, an estimated half million people might have been killed. More than three million people are estimated to have been affected. These include those who have been severely injured, and those who have lost everything they had. They, literally, are living by roadsides. Since the communication system has collapsed, it is creating impediment to relief operations.
There are people buried under rubble who are crying for help but even after 60 hours, no help could reach them. Helplessness is written large on the faces of those who survived, and are forced to spend nights under open sky. Most of them sleep on heaps of dead bodies or near them.

Lawlessness and Anarchy
Most part of the country is affected by lawlessness and anarchy. Economically, Haiti is a poor country. Under the circumstances, the devastating and horrendous earthquake is no less than a mini doomsday. At the same time, it poses a huge challenge to the world of providing relief to those affected by the quake in Haiti. The basic infrastructure in the country, particularly of its capital, has been totally ruined. Hospitals have collapsed and there is no place to treat injured people. The power system has also collapsed and consequently, the country is in pitch darkness. Difficulties are being faced in reaching relief material from abroad. It is, therefore, the bounden duty of the United Nations and the international community that not only they initiate measures to provide relief to people affected in Haiti but also to help the country to stand on its own legs. Also, there is need of paying attention to its reconstruction and development, which may have a lasting impact on the country.
The international community should consider measures to avoid and protect against similar devastation in other parts of the world. Today, with all achievements of human endeavor, what could be the reason that we have failed in preventing loss of life and property caused by earthquakes or could not even lessen devastation and ruin caused by them.

Constitution of Crisis Management Group
India, in particular, needs to be more cautious in this regard, as 60 percent of its area is in the earthquake zone. Several major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata fall within this zone. It is the government's responsibility to pay greater attention to the issue, and formulate policies that may minimize the possible threat.
The government has already constituted a Crisis Management Group, but taking a lesson from the Haiti devastation and the havoc played by the quake there, we need to be extra cautious and initiate additional measures. It is a matter of satisfaction that India has decided to provide relief material worth $1 million to Haiti. It is further heartening that Indian soldiers posted there under the peacekeeping force are taking part in providing relief at this hour of need in Haiti.

Pakistan's Antics Against India as Attempts To Cover Up Failures

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has once again made a mockery of India by saying that the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is extending support to terrorist activities in Pakistan. He added: "We are investigating into the role of this intelligence agency into creating unrest in Baluchistan."
A few months ago when Pakistan leveled such an allegation, India commented in the October 2009 editorial that Pakistan is trying to be smart by concealing its failure to foil the attempts by terrorist groups like the Taliban to spread violence in its territory. The discerning Pakistani public also is aware how their leadership is misleading them by indulging in falsehood.

Nefarious Aggressive Designs of Pakistan
There exists a general belief in India that "We wish we could retaliate nefarious aggressive designs of Pakistan then we would not have been subjected to terrorist violence spread across India." In fact, India faltered when it agreed to the incorporation of the reference to the Baluchistan issue in the joint statement issued by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani at Sharm-el Sheikh wherein it was stated that terrorism will not be included in the "composite dialogue with Pakistan." In this context, Manmohan Singh put forward the explanation, "how will Pakistan prove our involvement in Baluchistan when we are doing nothing there?"
Nevertheless, this provided an opportunity to Pakistan to level the charge against India. Malik even started saying that Pakistan is in possession of hard evidences of India's involvement in Baluchistan and the same can be produced before India at any forum. Notwithstanding all such claims, Pakistan has failed to bring them forward before India.

India's Non-Violence Approach
India is known for its history that even as it propagated its spiritualism and knowledge through saints and sages. Yet, it never mounted any military offensive in any part of the world. On contrary, the monarchs of India have been such that King Ashoka, extremely distressed over widespread bloodshed in the battle of Kalinga, abandoned the sword and adopted the path of non-violence by embracing Buddhism.
Prithviraj Chauhan pardoned Muhammad Ghori who invaded India 17 times and paid the penalty for his forgiveness when he was defeated in Ghori's 18th invasion. He was taken captive and his eyes were extracted. The Mughals invaded India and they settled here. In 1947, when Pakistan attacked Kashmir and when the Indian forces marched forward by pushing back Pakistan, Jawaharlal Nehru, showing magnanimity, affected the cease-fire and took the issue to the United Nations. As a consequence, one-third of Kashmir remained under illegal occupation of Pakistan.
In 1971, Indira Gandhi, exhibiting large heartedness and a sense of pardon, released 90,000 Pakistani troops captured by India. She displayed this quality of forgiveness when at the Shimla Conference Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto made entreaties to her saying, "With what face I will go before the Pakistanis empty handed."
Atal Behari Vajpayee also, in the wake of terrorist attack on Parliament, declared to go for a "do or die" war. Diplomatic relations with Pakistan were severed, air, road, and rail services were suspended, but later forces were withdrawn from the border. Exhibiting magnanimity, after some time all these services that remained suspended were resumed ultimately. In the name of "Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai" slogan, China grabbed 60,000 sq. mile territory of India. Even now it indulged in incursions along the Indian border. We are promoting trade ties with it, but failed to regain our territory.
In so far as the intelligence agencies is concerned, they failed to give advance input to the government with regard to terrorist attacks on the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, nor for that matter Parliament. They could not gather advance information regarding terrorist attacks on Delhi and Mumbai either. Had our successive governments and the intelligence agencies the potential to carry out any kind of aggressive action we would have long ago resolved the Kashmir problem and wiped out terrorist training camps being run in Pakistan.
The Pakistani prime minister and the interior minister are deliberately terming India valiant. But, notwithstanding all this, if Pakistan is doing so in order to cover up its failures, then India also is helpless.
Nonetheless, such statements must delight the Indian Government and those RAW officials who are being awarded such a big certificate of creating unrest and disturbance in Pakistan even after their actually doing nothing in that country.

Developed Nations Ignores Threat of Climate Change

The much-publicized international conference organized in New Delhi recently on climate change ended without any concrete conclusion. Developed countries are not ready to give green technology to developing countries at cheap rates. It was expected that an agreement on it would be reached during the Delhi conference, but they have only disappointed us.

Rapidly Emitting Comparatively Gases
It is clear that there is no change in the attitude of developed countries. Even after struggling hard at Kyoto, Bali, and the UN, they are ignoring the imminent threat of climate change.

The figures released by UN show that developed countries are rapidly emitting comparatively more gases, whereas the rate of gas emission by developing countries is much lower in comparison to them.

Prohibitory Laws
The developed countries expect developing countries, which are facing the serious problem of poverty, to cut down their emission to the expected level, but they themselves are not ready to do it. In addition to that, they are also trying to exert pressure on weaker countries by passing prohibitory laws.

In this situation, developing countries cannot be tied down in any legal limit at the cost of their development. They would decide about cutting down emission on their own, looking at their needs. In this context, developing countries have seen a new ray of hope by the agreement between India and China, recently.

UN Security Council Expansion Imperative Amid New World Scenario

India has fully endorsed the proposal put up by the G4 countries to reform the United Nations Security Council to enable it to meet the present day needs. The G4 is a group of four nations -- India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan--which are demanding expansion of the UN Security Council and a seat for each in the expanded Security Council.

Dignity and Prestige
The fact is the United Nations is losing its dignity and prestige because of inherent shortcomings and irregularities. Gradually, its image has become one that only safeguards and protects the interests of the United States or Europe. It is not only surprising but strange that there are only five permanent members that claim to be a representative body of the international community.

Of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, four are European countries and the United States. It is only China that represents entire Asia in the Security Council while the majority of the world population is found in Asia. Equally strange is that African countries have been totally ignored. Furthermore, four members are developed countries. Undoubtedly, such a situation cannot be termed just and impartial under any circumstances.

Asian and Developing Nations' Demand
Asian and developing nations are justified in their demand that the Un Security Council be reformed and the strength of its permanent and non-permanent members increased. The G4 countries made the demand in 2005. It demanded that while expanding the Security Council, new permanent members should be accorded the same rights, including the right to veto enjoyed by the five permanent members.

Countries such as the United States, despite agreeing to the demand of the G4, are avoiding expansion of the Security Council as it would mean the end of the US supremacy, and would become a hindrance to its designs. It is, therefore, keeping the issue pending.

India's Stance
The stance adopted by the Indian representative, Hardeep Singh Parmi, at the third session of the United Nations General Assembly, is not only in accordance with the demand raised by G4 nations but is also in tune with the demand of Asian and African nations.

Clarifying the Indian stand, Parmi advocated an increase in the number of non-permanent members. He maintained that two things have become clear during the first and third round of the talks. First, most countries accept that going by the current situation, the strength of the permanent and non-permanent members should be increased.

Reforms in the Organization

Since the establishment of the United Nations, the world has gone through a sea-change which makes the reform to the international body imperative and inevitable. While the disintegration of the Soviet Union has made the Cold War between two superpowers a part of history, the continuing economic crisis of the only superpower has proved hollowness of its strength.

Also, the beating that the United States has received in Iraq and Afghanistan has weakened it further and its claim to be the keeper of the world is slipping out of its hand. Thing have come to such a head that experts in world affairs have even predicted its disintegration in not very distant future. In such a scenario, the United States continues to play the role of a keeper of the United Nations only because of lack of reforms in the world body.

Despite the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the end of British colonial imperialism, the two countries continue to be permanent members of the Security Council. Keeping fast emerging economic powers such as India out of the Security Council and not granting them permanent membership is clear evidence of the injustice prevailing in the United Nations. Equally strange is the stoic silence of the United States on the issue.

The issue does not relate to India alone. The fact remains that countries like Brazil, Japan and Germany have made their presence felt in the comity of nations and have become powers to reckon with. They have also played a pivotal role in several international issues. Going by it all, these countries have indeed the right to demand a permanent seat in the Security Council. The inclusion of these countries in an expanded Security Council and their involvement in reforming the United Nations would certainly add to the dignity of the organization and strengthen its representative character indeed.

Inevitable Situation
The merger of East and West Germany has made Germany a major power in the world and Japan has left Europe and the United States behind in its industrial progress. Brazil is one country the industrial progress of which can easily be termed worth emulating by African countries.

As far as India is concerned, it is the second fast emerging economy of the world after China. In view of these factors, inclusion of these countries in the Security Council as permanent members has become inevitable. At the same time, reforming the United Nations and the Security Council should be considered seriously.

There have been several occasions when the working and the performance of the United Nations have come under heavy criticism. The United Nations has failed to perform its duty toward smaller countries. Imbalanced decisions on international issues have tarnished the UN image. The United Nations lacks capability and the will to act, things that are most needed in the world today.

Plight of Kashmiri Women

In the present scenario, the world is well aware of the fact that the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been under unconstitutional and illegal occupation of India for the last more than six decades. Due to this illegal occupation, the situation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is extremely awful and the Indian forces have been committing oppression and brutalities in every nook and corner of the state.

The Muslims of the state of Jammu and Kashmir are passing through a dark age of sufferings and miseries. They are feeling helpless, deprived and oppressed in all aspects of life in their own land. The world is also aware of the fact that for resolution of the Kashmir dispute the UN Security Council has passed 18 resolutions pledging Kashmiris plebiscite through which they could determine their fate and future. In this plebiscite they can decide either to join Pakistan or India.

However, the world is aware of this fact that despite the UN resolutions and the promises made by Indian rulers and leaders, more than sixty years have passed but neither the Kashmir dispute was resolved in light of its historical background nor the Kashmiris were given their birth right to self-determination. As a result the intentions of the Indian leaders have changed with the passage of time and they forgot about their pledges made at local, national and international level and adopted intransigence, extreme obstinacy and cruel tactics to further their illegal and unconstitutional occupation over Jammu and Kashmir. They also promoted the system of new settlement to change the Muslim majority into minority by brining and settling non-Muslims in the state from neighboring states by allotting them state subject certificates.

Massacre of Muslims
Muslims were killed on different pretexts. The massacre of Muslims started from Jammu where in few days in 1947 Indian forces in collusion with Dogra Army, Hindu Extremists and Sikh death squads massacred three hundred thousand Muslims and only two hundred thousand people managed to flee to Pakistan. During this massacre of the Muslims in Jammu respected women were subjected to organized gang rapes and the properties of Muslims were looted while hundreds of their towns were burnt in the night.

After the massacre of the Muslims, Hindus were brought in great number from the neighboring states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajhastan and New Delhi and settled them in Jammu by allotting them state subject certificates and today they are being termed as real subjects of the state and the so called Muslim politicians of Jammu and Kashmir watched this drama silently.

More than one million Indian forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir have been unleashing a reign of terror against the Muslim population during the past sixty years in general and the last 20 years in particular. Few living examples of the cruelty are before the international community. However, unfortunately the world has become champion of securing interests of some particular nations instead of championing human values. That's the reason that despite seeing, listening and observing everything nothing was done for the oppressed and suppressed Kashmiri people other than mere rhetoric. No real endeavors were made to pursue India to resolve the issue of Jammu and Kashmir justly in its historic perspective.

Role of the United Nations
The role of the United Nations is very regrettable as it failed in dispensing its moral and legal responsibility failed to resolve the Kashmir issue, nor it stopped human rights violations of the Kashmir Muslims by the occupation Indian forces. We can expect nothing from the Muslim world. The Muslim countries except for Pakistan have spiritually left this world and every individual Muslim ruler is trying to secure his regime or he is busy in seeking his personal comforts and luxuries. The Muslim rulers have made a deal on the overall interest of Islam and the Muslims. They are behaving as if they don't know anything about the flight of the Muslims.

The Muslim rulers must have followed Khilafat instead of kingship. Had they left their personal comforts and luxuries then the satanic forces in the world would have not dared to cast an evil eye on Kashmir, Palestine, Iraq Afghanistan, Kosovo and Chechnya and thus the spirits of the Muslim would have not suffered so much and they would have not shed blood and tears while looking towards the apathy of their rulers. At the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Pakistan has to wrestle and toil like wrestlers to pass an ordinary resolution for early resolution of the Kashmir issue and condemnation of human rights of the Kashmiri Muslims by one million Indian forces. Then the OIC issues a little condemnation of the Indian brutality and oppression in Kashmir.

A tradition of the holy Prophet Mohammad is that the prophet said in an address to the Muslim men that when your rulers are pious and kind, when your philanthropists are generous, and when your matters are in your own hands then your being alive is better than your death. However, when your rulers are cruel having bad character, your philanthropists are miser and your matters are in the hands of your wives then your death is better than your being alive. Now look at the character and role of our rulers and philanthropists in light of this tradition of the holy prophet and ponder over it as per your mental capacity.

Dispute between India and Pakistan
The world also knows that the Kashmir issue is a dispute between Pakistan and India and unless and until this issue is resolved, the relationship between Pakistan and India will never improve. Rather, there will always be a danger of a nuclear conflict in South Asia. The world can better understand this fact and the world leaders have expressed their views in this regard from time to time. What this means that former US President Barack Obama has termed Kashmir as a nuclear flash point. The current US Administration says that Kashmir is a sensitive issue and resolution of this dispute is very crucial to avoid any big disaster in the region. These days, international calls are being made by the United States and European Union to resolve this longstanding issue. We want to tell in categorical terms to these countries that mere rhetoric or statements would not reduce the suffering and plight of the Kashmiri people nor will it change the situation on the ground. Yes, some practical steps would make some difference.

Regarding the Kashmir dispute, we can see that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have never accepted the illegal occupation of India but they have always remained busy in peaceful struggle for liberation of their state from Indian yoke and they have stressed upon India on the political and diplomatic front to give them freedom and resolve the Kashmir issue under the UN resolutions in accordance with the pledges made by their rulers. However, the arrogant Indian rulers have never understood the language of politics and diplomacy and have always trod the path of intransigence and cruelty. India doesn't believe in resolution of issues through political and diplomatic means. India can be dealt with under the principle of "Iron Cuts Iron" or "Teasing led to War" [both Urdu idioms]. Thus in 1989 the valiant youth of Jammu and Kashmir took guns in their hands paying India in the same coin and made it frightened.

and some lost their husbands. When father of a girl dies she becomes hapless. When husband of a woman dies she becomes widow and when the brother, father or son of a woman is arrested she wails and dies every day. Many women fell victim to bullets fired by Indian forces and become martyrs. Many of the women are such who have been allegedly linked with the armed struggle and have been languishing in Indian jails. This process is still continuing.

Shopian Incident
The tragedy of women in Jammu and Kashmir is that the Indian forces are not only targeting and killing their loved ones but they are also harassing, raping and gang raping them. The fresh incident in this regard took place in Shopian where two unfortunate women Neelofar Jan and Asiya Bano were kidnapped by Indian troops on May 29, 2009. The troops gang raped them and killed them in cold blood. This incident was confirmed by the one-man inquiry commission of Justice Jan. The Shopian incident sparked angry protest demonstration in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Indian forces have been using brute force to suppress the demonstrations, which are still continuing. Several people were martyred in these demonstrations by Indian forces, who subject protesters to teargas shelling, cane charging and sometimes they open fire on them. Does the unfortunate rape of a ten-years-old girl Shabnam in Pain Badra in Handwara has any precedence in the world or is molestation of a 70-years-old woman by Indian troops in Posha Pora has any example in the history.

Few days after the Shopian incident, Indian police personnel in Tangmarg molested a girl and killed her grand mother who tried to protect the chastity of her grand daughter. What example of cowardice and humiliation can you quote other than this as On 5 July 2009 in Marmat Doda, two Special Police Officers molested an 80 years old woman. In the night between 8 and 9 July personnel of the territorial Army of India entered the house of Late Ghulam Ahmad Masoodi in Dolipora, Handwara, and tried to rape his daughter Amna Masoodi, a student, who cried to alarm the local people to save her chastity. However, the savaged troops pressed her throat and strangulated her to death. The Indian forces have violated all human and legal norms in brutalizing and subjecting to rape and molestation the women in Jammu and Kashmir. The stories of oppression against the women in the state are beyond description.

Protecting Honor of Womenfolk
Now the question is: Can any respectable, honorable and valiant man tolerate the rape or molestation of his sister, daughter, wife or mother? No, never. There are a number of examples when the respected men of Jammu and Kashmir have sacrificed their lives in order to protect the honor of their womenfolk. It will better to quote just one example of Jagarpora in Hadwara to save your precious time from being wasted. The family of Mohammad Abdullah Dar lives in central Jagarpora. Few years ago the Indian forces launched a crackdown in the area and entered the house of Mohammad Abdullah on the pretext of search. Abdullah's son and his daughter in law were also present in the house at that time. When the troops tried to molest his daughter in law the valiant Adullah strongly resisted the move of the troops. When the troops realized that they could not subdue him, they opened fire on him and martyred him on the spot. Then his son tried to protect his wife who was also gunned down. According to a tradition of the holy Prophet Mohammad the man who is killed in an attempt to stop brutality is a martyr and the man who is killed to protect honor and chastity of his womenfolk is also a martyr. Men of valiant nations, irrespective of their class and creed, always feel proud for sacrificing their lives to protect chastity and honor of their women.

Struggle for Right to Self-Determination
During the resistance movement and the struggle for the right to self-determination, the women of Kashmir have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with their son, brothers, husbands and fathers despite all odds. They have taken active part in the liberation struggle individually and in groups.

The women of Kashmir have played an active role in protest demonstrations against the oppression of the Indian forces. They have also demonstrated great courage and valor in organizing public meetings, protest demonstrations, rallies and other activities of the liberation movement besides encouraging their men to carry forward the struggle towards its logical conclusion.