Racial Attacks on Indian Students in Australia

The recent three successive attacks in less than three weeks on Indian students, including a petrol bomb attack on Rajesh Kumar, in Melbourne are shocking. Australia has become one of the most favoured destinations for overseas students but the attacks which smack of traces of racism reflects on its society and the Government.

Approximately 98,000 Indians are studying in Australia — 18 per cent of the country's international student population — and over 47,000 enrolled in Victoria making it the second largest grouping of foreign students in this Australian metropolis. Most Indian students enroll in Australian educational institutions with the intention of settling there with an attractive job. Many Indian students, however, end up driving taxis and working at night as cleaners, in take away joints and petrol pumps mainly to pay for their studies.

Case of Racial Violence
The present attacks, in fact, on Indians in Australia confirm that it is not only the Indian student community in that country that has been at the receiving end of what appears at first sight to be racial violence. For a year or more we have come across instances of attacks on taxi drivers and others. In short, Indians in Australia who may be commuting late, driving on lonely stretches, and are not especially well off, are soft targets. It is probably true that similarly placed non-Indians are also picked on.

The deplorable incident which has seen six Indian students being murderously attacked in three weeks, one of whom is battling for his life, has evoked outrage in New Delhi leading the External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna to strongly condemn the attacks even as the Australian government has assured India that it would not tolerate discrimination against any international student.

Education’s contribution to Victoria’s economy, most of it by foreign students, was estimated at $ 4.5 billion in 2008 alone. In 2009, enrolment of Indian students has increased by 40 per cent. In other words, they constitute a significant source of revenue for the higher education system.

Steady Increase in Attacks
The present series of attacks is not the first. For the last two years, there has been a steady increase in attacks on the Indian student community in Melbourne. Most of these incidents have gone unreported and the Victorian police has done precious little to do something about it even though the Indian Consulate in Melbourne and the High Commission in Canbarra have repeatedly been raising this matter with the Australian authorities.

However, it would appear to be the case that the victims of such attacks, typically involving young white thugs often operating in gangs, are generally non-white. In all likelihood white Europeans and North Americans are not likely to head for destination Australia for an undergraduate course, run a small business or drive a taxicab. This alone makes the race factor the most likely reason for the phenomenon. A Melbourne police officer has been quoted in a news agency report as saying that the latest attack on Baljinder Singh, an Indian student, was the case of an "opportunist crime" not related to race. The judgment seems defensive and hasty even as investigations are going on.

Future of Students
These attacks remind us that no Indian student seems safe in Australia. The police do little. These attacks raise serious concern over security of international students at Newcastle University (New South Wales) and Griffith University (Queensland).

Time has come to take firm steps against the perpetrators. Otherwise, Rajesh's case would soon be forgotten. Thus students returning to their homes in not so safe suburbs that are relatively cheap on rent present vulnerable and soft targets to drug addicts, drunks and rowdy elements.
Racism has resonated in Australia’s domestic politics in recent years. That gives the impression that the virus is alive and well in the country’s social system, and the issue cannot be brushed under the carpet. The attacks have been due a mix of racism and opportunism. But there is still the question of why Indians are being selectively targeted and that too mostly only in Melbourne.

Matter of Serious Concern
The Government of India has been far less energetic than it could have been in dealing with physical assaults on its nationals in Australia. Routine diplomatic statements of varying degrees of importance are not likely to be effective in dealing with Canberra. The question deserves to be taken up with greater seriousness. If Canberra fails to show the same concern for an Indian residing in Australia as it might for a white European or American, New Delhi must clearly signal that it would take all possible steps to safeguard the legitimate interests of its citizens.

Both the Australian and the Victorian Government need to do more than issue condemnatory statements. Else, such attacks may have repercussions with that country being labeled unsafe for Indian students who may start looking elsewhere for studies abroad. At stake also in Australia’s image as a democratic country, free from racial prejudice.

New Council of Ministers of UPA Government : The Journey Starts

Cabinet formation is a complex and complicated task, even when a single party is voted to power. After all, so many parameters like caste, colour, gender, region, religion, etc, have to be satisfied. The task becomes all the more tedious when the pulls and pressures from supporting parties have to be taken into account in a coalition government. Under the circumstances, Team Manmohan Singh that has been sworn in now is a fairly balanced set of experience and youth.

A country that needs to move ahead quickly and cut poverty levels needs to have major reforms in education and skill-formation, in raising the administration of law to a new dimension, in pushing ahead on the infrastructure front, in pushing for ideas and legislation to do with the rural poor, in being proactive on saving the environment without losing out on development and growth, and in expanding the frontiers of our trade. These areas appear to have been given the right degree of importance in the government-making process. There is also an appreciable sense that the ministers chosen do not suffer from taint, as was the case in 2004, especially where some Congress allies are concerned.

Some of the recognizable stalwart is out and no tears are likely to be shed. Those who did well have been promoted--although so have been those who did not really show any such exceptional spark. There are 28 new faces, with several comprising the so-called youth commander. Learning from the experience of the veterans, they can prove to be the youthful livewire that India badly needs.

Mixture of Experienced and Youth
Undoubtedly the exercise to name the Council of Ministers of the Congress-ledUnited Progressive Alliances (UPA) Government, and to allot portfolios, has been for the second Manmohan Singh Government an effort akin to climbing Mount Everest — to be attempted in stages. In politics, dangers lurk everywhere. There are so many factors to balance. Regional aspirations, future electoral considerations in States where Assembly polls are coming up, the interests of allies, locating women and men who would be both capable and clean, finding a place for relatively young politicians so that the next generation of leaders may be trained in the art of governance, and getting the best out of those who are tried and tested, are only some of them.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stressed as much in his first remarks to the newly elected MPs of the UPA. In the event, there is no major surprise in the Council of Ministers that has turned out to be a blend of experience and youth. That the Prime Minister did not entirely have his way is evident from the public wrangling for berths leading to an inordinate delay in the constitution of the Ministry.

There is a lot of cribbing about the excessive representation given to Karnataka and Maharashtra — to some extent even Himachal Pradesh from where the Congress has won only one seat — and the short shrift given to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, etc. But overall, it is a fairly balanced dispensation.

Exit of Some Stalwarts
The second UPA Cabinet stands slightly modified with the exit of Arjun Singh, Hans Raj Bharadwaj and Shirvaj Patil, and the addition of SM Krishna and Mamata Banerjee. The message is clear enough. The mix of youth and experience is a viable one this time, but there will remain a sense that states like Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, which exceeded all electoral expectations, did not get their due at this stage.

With his proven versatility, Pranab Mukerjee could have handled any Ministry and is bound to do full justice to Finance. After handling the Finance Ministry, P. Chidambaram has deftly handled the Home Affairs, visibly improving the internal security climate after the Mumbai terror strikes of November 26, 2008. The inclusion of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh, who was summarily removed after the Mumbai terror attacks, was a surprise factor explained by the demands of the coming Assembly election and Maratha politics. The senior Congress leader Krishna, who has no previous experience in the Ministry of External Affairs, will have his hands full dealing with escalating tensions in the neighbouring countries. However, he is vastly experienced and suave in other spheres of politics.

High Expectations
The UPA Government’s 100-day action plan that he has in mind might transform the nation. Precious 13 days have already gone by in the task of Cabinet formation. No more time can be lost. The new ministers will have to pick up the batons and start running fast at once.

Keeping the current situation of the country in mind, India needs a better model to segue between governments. We need more than bureaucratic placeholders, we need political agents empowered to make bold, creative decisions in this interim. Would a shadow Cabinet make sense, where specific individuals are pre-selected by parties as the potential ministers of the next government? Such a system primes politicians for their role, so they are ready to jump into their responsibilities even at short notice. This would indicate future roles to political leaders as well as the public.

There is no doubt about that the country’s present system of Cabinet switchover is far from ideal — assembling a coalition government is a drawn-out process, and, on the other hand, this long limbo requires that the country remain in safe, responsible hands. India has been rocked by large-scale religious violence and natural disaster, and tensions across the border in Pakistan — matters which require focused, unflagging attention.

Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan Tripartite Summit

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hosted a summit with his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts in Tehran on May 24, 2009 aimed at finding ways to combat Islamic extremism and drug smuggling in the region.Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari both headed high-level delegations.

The summit came after Afghanistan’s largest-ever drugs seizure in an operation that ended on May 24 in a Taliban stronghold and opium-production centre in the south of the country, in which troops killed 60 militants.

Aims and Objectives
The summit among neighbors has always been important, specially under the grave conditions of today that three countries under threats and face important regional issues. The summit of the three heads of state was aimed at a discussion of regional security and other issues of mutual interest. At present the three nations are suffering from drug and human trafficking which has put pressure on the three countries.

The Tehran summit also aimed to create a ‘mechanism’ for regular high-level consultation between the three neighbours besides other issues of trilateral interests. Afghan social and economic developments as well as expanding cooperation on trade and communication systems are among the topics that were discussed at the summit.

Eliminating Terrorism
The trilateral summit reaffirmed their commitment to eliminate terrorism from the region and agreed to hold regular consultations on important matters between the three countries.

The leaders pledged to address the root cause of terrorism and extremism, “which are in stark contrast with the spirit of Islam and the rich cultural traditions of the region”. The leaders also agreed to establish a mechanism for holding regular consultations on important issues.

The three countries have to get together to tackle these challenges. It is not just the matter of their survival, but for the betterment and safety of their future generations.They can tackle every challenge and achieve progress by getting together.

Developing Mutual Cooperation
Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, which are geologically neighbors and share common culture, history, and tradition, can tackle every challenge by getting together and achieving development and progress.

The summit also proposed to have a trilateral mechanism on the dialogue on development to realize the true potential of trade and economic cooperation among the three important countries of the region.

The leaders of the summit stressed on the need to further strengthen mutual cooperation among the three countries. They stressed that the three countries can achieve new milestones of economic progress by employing their resources.

He three Presidents stressed on the need for a common strategy to overcome the challenges faced by the countries in the fields of economy, development, and education.

Resolve Regional Problems
The leaders of the summit highlighted the importance of the regional cooperation and understanding. These three countries have close commonalties in civilization, culture as well as moralities and beliefs. They also have common enemies and friends. There are crippling and complicated problems in the region whose roots should be identified.

To resolve these problems, the people in the region should rely on their capabilities in various sectors. The three Presidents agreed on appropriate solutions to remove the problems in the region. Regional problems will be resolved through proper planning and public support, said the Iranian president. Heads of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan are determined to exchange views to serve the peoples of the three neighbouring States.

Threats of Superpowers
The three countries, at present, are facing a serious challenge by presence of superpowers. The region is facing different challenges in the region including that these nations allowed the superpowers to become our neighbor, but they are not seeking war, they are seeking for better neighborliness.

The three Presidents expressed their roles and responsibilities towards the present and the future generations that is to respond to the history and they must take steps towards it. There are plenty of problems that have surrounded borders of these three counties and none of which them can overlook. The three countries must try to turn the events in a positive way. In addition these countries can voice their message to the world through multilateral meetings and the world can also give a better response to them.

At the end of the summit, the three Presidents also suggested to holding the next summit in Islamabad which was accepted by the Afghan side as well as the host country. The dates of the next summit in Islamabad will be finalized through mutual consultation.

European Union-Russia Summit

The two-day 23rd European Union-Russia Summit was recently held in Khabarovsk. At the end of the summit, the two sides failed to bridge differences as bickering over energy supplies continues. However, the Summit has raised two questions. First, how did they manage to hold it without more squabbles? Second, where do they go next?

Major Issues
The EU and Russia discussed ways out of the world economic crisis, energy security, a new structure of European security, and protectionism. The two sides also compared their approaches to major international problems — Iran, Afghanistan, West Asia and Pakistan. Everything seemed to be quite functional, although the discussion was not entirely smooth.

On the uphill road to the Khabarovsk Summit, the EU and Russia seemed to bury all vestiges of cooperation and partnership. Since last August, Moscow and Brussels have been divided by the Caucasian war, Georgia, and the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These events were followed by Russia’s gas transit crisis with Ukraine and the shutdown of gas supplies to Europe. Later, the EU signed an agreement with Kiev on refurbishing Ukraine’s gas pipelines without Russia’s participation. Russia took inexpiable offence as if this had come as a bolt from the blue.

The launch of the Eastern Partnership project in April was the last straw. Russia considers this project, and not without grounds, to be an attempt to create another cordon around Russian borders. The project involves Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and Azerbaijan. These events were intertwined with spy extraditions, mutual accusations of protectionism, and scandals over kidnapped and returned children.

No Joint Communique
Brussels and Moscow did not plan to draft a final communique. Indeed, what results could have been expected after all this? Russia did not even manage to show “its grandeur” to the Europeans. EU top officials — European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, EU foreign policy envoy Javier Solana, and Czech President Vaclav Klaus (the Czech Republic now chairs the EU) — arrived in Khabarovsk without much hope.

At present, they are not even talking in real earnest about the need to sign a new agreement on partnership and cooperation to replace the one which expired in 2007 and has been regularly extended since then. The sides’ positions on the agreement continue to be different. Russia wants it to be general, whereas the EU insists on regulating everything to the minutest detail.

Hope for Next Summit
Nevertheless, it was clear even before the Khabarovsk Summit that Russia will not achieve its main goal there, which was to try and persuade Europe to sign a new agreement on energy security to replace the Energy Charter.

The summits are held regularly — in spring and summer in Russia, and in fall-winter in the country which chairs the EU. There is every indication that the next Summit will be even more of an ordeal than this one.

Iran, Pakistan Sign Gas Pipeline Accord

Iran and Pakistan have signed an accord to lay a gas pipeline for taking Iranian gas to Pakistan. Christened as the Peace Pipeline, the accord was signed by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari in Tehran. The project will help to transfer 150 million cubic metres of gas a day. Construction of the 56-inch-thick pipeline will be completed in five years.

Iran has stated that it is ready for India’s participation as a third partner in the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project that has been finalised. There would be no obstacle for India’s joining to the deal

Terms of Agreement
As per the terms of the accord, the 2,700-km pipeline would transfer Iranian gas to India, through Pakistan. The text of the accord included an article that would allow India to join the project at an appropriate time.

It is said that the project was conceptually attractive, but the turbulence in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province posed practical difficulties in its implementation.

The Project
The project was conceived in 1995 and after almost 13 years India finally decided to quit the project in 2008 despite a severe energy crises in that country. Pakistan is also facing severe criticism from the US over any kind of economic deal with Iran.

In fact, the sudden change of stance from the Pakistani government and the pace of developments at the project suggest that the strong US opposition has softened.

According to the initial design of the project, the 2,700 km-long pipeline would cover around 1,100 km in Iran, 1000 km in Pakistan and around 600 km in India, and the size of the pipeline was estimated to be 56 inches in diameter.

Third Major Strike in Lahore

In a daring attack, Taliban suicide squad on May 27, 2009 targeted Pakistan’s powerful Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), detonating an explosives-laden car outside its fortified provincial headquarters here that left at least 35 people dead, seven of them personnel of the spy agency, and nearly 400 injured. The site is also close to the Lahore High Court where Jamat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, detained in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attack, was scheduled to appear for a hearing.

Up to five heavily-armed militants, who struck early this morning, failed to reach the main premises and rammed their Toyota vehicle into the barriers on the road leading to the buildings housing ISI and Lahore Police Rescue offices.

The terrorist hit squad first headed their car towards the two buildings located just off the crowded Mall Road in Civil Lines, but as heavily armed guards prevented them, they came out and exchanged fire and then set off a massive blast, which some witnesses equated with an earthquake.

Third Major Strike
This was the third major strike to rock the city in less than three months following the audacious March 3 attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team that killed seven persons and injured six players and the March 30 raid on the Manawan Police Academy that left 10 people dead.

The attack was a bid to free Lashkar-e-Tayyaba’s ideological guru Hafiz Sayeed, who was to be produced in court nearby around the time the terrorists struck. His escape was to have been effected in the confusion. Those who believe this seek to link the Lahore atrocity directly to the November 26 attack on Mumbai last year by LeT. The implied suggestion is that Pakistan is serious about nailing the Mumbai attackers and is paying the price for it.

Handiwork of Taliban
The incident appears to be the handiwork of the Taliban or a terrorist network aligned with it in retaliation for the anti-Taliban Army action in the Swat region. The Pakistan Army claims to have cleared most parts of Malakand division, including Swat, of the Taliban presence. Pakistan, which created the Taliban in the nineties as part of its larger goal of acquiring strategic depth in Afghanistan, in under pressure from the international community, particularly the US, to continue the anti-Taliban drive till the scourge is wiped out.

The monster is getting out of hand and now aims to capture the Pakistani nation. It can aspire high because it has a crucial band of support inside the country’s security establishment. Unfortunately, it is the people who pay the price. Indeed, it is this which is common to the understanding of terrorism in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. If the Pakistani state cares, it has not shown sufficient signs of it.

Pakistan will have to uproot the militant jihadi culture, wind up the training camps and habitats of the off-shoots of the Taliban and other extremist groups if it is serious about fighting terrorism to the finish. It will have to destroy all the terrorist networks to win the battle against the enemies of peace.

Vienna Fallout Violence Sets Punjab Aflame

Violence erupted in Punjab on May 25, 2009 following the attack on a Punjab-based religious leader at a gurdwara in Austrian capital of Vienna on May 24. The victim, Rama Nand, head of Sach Khand Dera, died later.

The provocation for violence in the State came from Vienna where Sant Niranjan Dass, the head of Dera Sachkhand, based at Ballan village, near Jalandhar, was attacked in a gurdwara by a group of fanatics. The armed attack resulted in serious injuries to the Sant and the death of his number two, Sant Rama Nand.

Many others were injured. As the news of the attack spread, Guru Ravidass devotees and followers of the Dera, largely based in the Doaba region, reacted violently, leading to the imposition of a curfew in Jalandhar. Violent incidents and tension have also been reported from other parts of the State.

Alarming Situation
The violence forced authorities to call Army and clamp curfew in at least four major cities of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Phagwara and Hoshiarpur. Meanwhile, more reports of violence started pouring in from other districts as well. However, the Government has deployed paramilitary forces in sensitive districts. Two persons were also reportedly killed in Jalandhar when police opened fire to disperse a mob.

The protesters, the followers of religious sect identified with Guru Ravidass, have damaged and burnt over hundred buses, set on fire two trains, ransacked shops, hospitals and burnt scores of two-wheelers. For almost 12 hours, there was total anarchy, especially in Jalandhar before the Army was called. The violence started from Butta Mandi in Jalandhar, where the sect has a large following. Soon it spilled over to other areas. The protesters went on rampage bringing normal life to a standstill in almost all over the State.

The Tragedy
Soon after the reports of attack on dera head Niranjan Dass and second-in-command Sant Rama Nand at Vienna reached Jalandhar, their followers came out on roads. The police were caught unawares as the force was not prepared for such an eventuality. While Sant Rama Nand had died later in the hospital, Sant Niranjan Dass is said to be critical. They represent the majority of Dalit community of Punjab having their headquarters in Vallan, 13 km from Jalandhar. They had gone to Austria to take part in a congregation which was opposed by fundamentalist groups on the ground that they have been distorting the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhs. The reports said that three of the Vienna fallout: Violence spreads in Punjab five assailants were beaten to death on the spot and two were handed over to the police.

Unwarranted Attack
It is natural for the Dera followers to feel hurt at this outrageous and unwarranted attack, but they have to exercise restraint and protest in a peaceful manner. The Vienna police has already arrested the assailants who will face the consequences of their crime.

The way some of the devotees have chosen to express their anger by burning buses and causing destruction to government property may not be the right way of letting out anger and pent-up feelings. Why stop trains, causing inconvenience to innocent citizens? Violent protests often invite disgruntled anti-social elements and dormant militant groups to exploit the situation and disturb the peace in the State.

The Repercussions
It can be said that the repercussions in Punjab after an attack on a religious leader in Vienna recall the disruption that wracked the state two years ago, almost to the week. Then it was a somewhat more institutionalised reaction by the clergy to a prominent “dera”, Dera Sacha Sauda, one of the dozens of groups in Punjab with followings in the tens of thousands. This time, leaders of the Dera Sachkhand Balan were attacked in Vienna. Dera Sachkhand Balan is a lesser-known group that draws its adherents from more marginalised social groups.

Fundamentally, however, the people of the state need to address the social fissures within in a more satisfactory way. The question is not basically political, although in Sikhism religion and politics are not divorced from one another. At the administrative level, however, mass violent outbursts have to be contained effectively.The present situation requires mature handling by leaders of all political parties and persuasions.

Patnaik Scripts Political History in Orissa

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has become the first regional party to come to power on its own in Orissa when a 21-member ministry headed by the 62-year-old Naveen Patnaik was sworn in.

Patnaik, the first leader to become Chief Minister for the third consecutive term, and other ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor M C Bhandare. Seven of the 12 BJD ministers, who were part of the previous BJD-BJP coalition government, have also been included.

Setback for BJP
In the present term, however, the saffron outfit is crestfallen, with just six seats in the kitty out of the 147 it contested. This happens to be the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) worst performance ever in Orissa.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that without Naveen Patnaik’s political support, the party is back to where it started from in 1985 when it fought 67 seats and won one. In 1990 state elections, the BJP repeated its poor performance winning just two seats of the 62 where it fielded its candidates.

Negativism Factor
It was only in 2000 when the party joined hands with Patnaik that the story of its redemption began. For the first time in its existence in the eastern state, the BJP bagged 38 of the 63 seats it contested; it came back with flying colours in the 2004 Assembly elections by winning 32 of the 63 seats it fought.

Strangely, the only occasions where the party fared well in Orissa were the ones where they enjoyed Patnaik’s affections.

With the BJD support gone this time, the BJP is back to its old fledgling state, while the Congress has regained some seat and vote share in the state. And yet, the saffron grouping lost no time in forgetting old favours.

It arrogantly parted ways with Patnaik, following the collapse of seat sharing talks in March 2009. Not stopping at that, the BJP also turned its campaign against the man whose image had yielded them electoral benefits in the past.

No wonder, the negativism came back to haunt the BJP, which was routed in general elections this time, not bagging a single seat in Orissa, whereas it had, in alliance with the BJD in 1998 and 1999, won seven and nine seats, respectively, out of the nine and 11 contested.

On the other hand, the BJD emerged stronger than ever. With Patnaik, sans the BJP, bagging 14 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats and 103 of the 147 assembly berths, it is clear that the only factor that worked in Orissa was Patnaik’s clean image and his courage to go it alone.

Beginning of a New Political Chapter
The third consecutive coronation of Naveen Patnaik as the Chief Minister of Orissa marks the beginning of a new political chapter in the history of the coastal state.

For the 12-year-old Biju Janata Dal (BJD), it is indeed a watershed -- one that few could have predicted until a month ago, given the party’s bitter parting with coalition partner, the BJP, and the latter’s vicious poll campaign that prided in accusing Patnaik of betrayals.

Ten years back when Naveen Panaik became Orissa’s Chief Minister, he was new to politics, considered immature and suffered from a handicap; he could not converse in Oriya. But he picked up the ropes fast, matured politically and proved smarter than the BLP leaders, his ally for the last 11 years. He dropped a bombshell when an emissary of L.K. Advani met him in March and was tersely told that BJD could not offer more than 31 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats to the BJP.

Naveen did not lose his composure even for a moment while telling Advani’s emissary that the alliance with the BJP was over. The BJP leaders, who thought Naveen to be their most dependable ally, were shocked and changed their tunes, calling him a “serial killer” and “betrayer”. The BJP’s harsh words notwithstanding, there is a grudging admiration for the BJD Chief in the BJP circles. He is seen as a smarter politician compared with much senior ones in the BJP. More important, people see him as a clean politician, who is striving to end corruption.

That the campaign boomeranged is history, with the BJP now reduced to near nothingness in a State where it enjoyed a considerable clout over 11 years of coalition rule with the BJD.

Naveen Patnaik is known to be politically shrewd. However, some of his colleagues did not quite appreciate his parleys with CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat in the run-up to the elections and his inclination towards the nebulous Third Front. The people have indeed shown the door to Mr Karat and his style of politics.

Now that Manmohan Singh has taken over as Prime Minister for the second term, Naveen Patnaik would do well to extend all possible support to the Government at the Centre and pursue constructive politics in the larger interest of the State.

North Korea Conducts Second Nuclear Test

Unfazed by global pressure, a defiant North Korea conducted a "successful" underground nuclear test on May 25, 2009, far more powerful than its first one in October 2006. The test was aimed at strengthening North Korea's self-defence nuclear deterrent in every way.

In April 2009, Pyongyang pulled out of six-party talks on its nuclear programme, in protest against international condemnation of its test-firing a rocket.

The UN Security Council had imposed sanctions on North Korea and banned the country from all activities related to its nuclear weapons programme following its first test in 2006.

Confining International Community
The present test was up to 20 times more powerful than the North’s first nuclear test about two-and a-half-year ago, underscoring the advances in its nuclear programme despite multilateral talks on ending Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons ambitions.

The latest test will confound the international community, which has for years tried a mixture of huge aid pledges and tough economic sanctions to persuade the impoverished North to give up efforts to build a nuclear arsenal. It is also bound to raise concerns about proliferation, a major worry of the United States which has in the past accused Pyongyang of trying to sell its nuclear know-how to states such as Syria.

Japan, South Korea and the US — along with China and Russia — have been negotiating since 2003 to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear programmes in exchange for energy aid and security guarantees.

The US President Barack Obama said North Korea's attempts at developing nuclear weapons was a threat to international peace and security, while the North’s neighbour and long-time benefactor, China, said it was “resolutely opposed” to the test.

Russia, which also called the test a threat to regional security, said the blast was about equal in power to the US atom bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki in the Second World War.

North Korea had warned their Governments of the test about an hour before detonation, but nearby Japan said it was not given advance notice. Germany, Britain and France were among the nations condemning the test while the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was “deeply worried.”

The Objective
The test also will serve to raise North Korea’s leverage in any negotiations with the United States. It comes as speculation has mounted that leader Kim Jong-il, his health uncertain after reports of a stroke last year, wants to strengthen an already iron grip on power so he can better secure the succession for one of his three sons.

North Korea’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile programme, constitute a threat to international peace and security.

North Korea already is so isolated there is little left with which to punish an autocratic government that has long been willing to take dealings with the outside world to the brink. At home, its leaders repeatedly stress the threat from a hostile United States to justify heavy spending on the military that keeps them in power but which has meant deepening poverty, at times famine, for most of the rest of its 23 million people.

The test also will serve to raise North Korea’s leverage in any negotiations with the US. It comes as speculation has mounted that leader Kim Jong-Il, his health uncertain after reports of a stroke in 2008, wants to strengthen an already iron grip on power so he can better secure the succession for one of his three sons.

Blow to South Korea
The nuclear test dealt another blow to South Korean markets, already unsettled by fears of domestic unrest after former President Roh Moo-hyun, who had been questioned over his links to a corruption scandal, jumped to his death during the weekend.

South Korea’s main stock market index fell more than six per cent at one stage on worries by some that investors would flee. But the decline was short-lived and analysts said investors were used to the North’s repeated saber-rattling, even as it became more aggressive and would likely panic only if there was military conflict on a peninsula where two-million troops face each other across one of the world’s most heavily armed borders.

The success of the nuclear test at this time is greatly encouraging our army and people who have risen up as one in the 150-day battle, vigorously igniting the flame of new great revolutionary upswing for opening the gate to a powerful State.

New Prime Minister of Nepal

Veteran Communist leader and former General Secretary of the CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal was sworn in as Prime Minister of the Himalayan nation on May 25, 2009, capping the three-week long political crisis in the country that eased Maoists out of power after a confrontation with the Army. The President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, administered the oath of office and secrecy to Nepal, the second Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

Madhav replaced Prachanda who resigned as Prime Minister on May 4 after differences with President Yadav on the issue of sacking of Army Chief Gen Rukmangad Katawal.

The Maoists, whose nearly nine-month-old Government collapsed after CPN-UML withdrew support, had blocked Parliament for weeks before allowing the Government formation. Three fringe left parties — CPN-United, CPN-Unified and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party — have decided to extend support from outside.

The 56-year-old Madhav also heads the Constitutional Committee that is tasked with presenting the new constitution by 2010. Madhav expressed the hope that the Maoists would join the government. He believed that they too had a historic responsibility.

Restoration of Peace Process
Immediately after assuming office, the newly elected Prime Minister, Madhav said his Government was committed to taking the ongoing peace process to a logical end and would draft the new Constitution within a stipulated time frame. In accordance with the existing constitutional provision, the Nepal’s Constituent Assembly has to promulgate the new constitution by May 27, 2010.

The new Prime Minister said that the cooperation from all sides — political parties and the general public — was needed to address the needs of the country which he admitted was in a difficult situation.

The previous Government was plagued with inherent contradictions and was shaky right from the start. Its constituents framed their common minimum programme amidst bickering and differences. Thus, it is no surprise that it hardly achieved anything. It allowed itself to be distracted by trivial issues and neither concentrated on development nor took care of the grievances of the people.

Tough Task Ahead
Like the previous Government, the new Government too has the historic task to complete, that of meaningful conclusion of the peace process and delivering of a new Constitution within the stipulated time.

As Prime Minister, Madhav faces a series of challenges — taking the peace process forward, rewriting the statute, consolidating democracy in the country that abolished its 240-year monarchy in 2008 to become a republic and tackling the Maoists, sulking after being pushed out of power.
Madhav, though a Communist, is known to be a moderate. He is an experienced politician, something which should help him tackle the challenges that lie ahead. For, his country has faced much neglect in the past. It was nearly laid to waste during the conflict with the Maoists.

Deccan Chargers Clinches DLF-IPL-2

In a surcharged finale before a packed stadium, Deccan Chargers soared to the summit of the DLF-Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2008 zenith by overcoming Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg (South Africa) on May 24, 2009.. The best bowling of the match by Anil Kumble, who claimed four for 16, thus, went in vain, as Challengers choked in their run chase.

In retrospect, South African Hershelle Gibbs carrying his bat through the Chargers’ innings for an unbeaten 53 in 48 balls – painstaking in T20 realm – proved invaluable, coupled with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha’s decisive return of three for 28, not to mention purple cap winner for most wickets in the competition, R P Singh’s steady showing of one for 16.

End of Mega Event
A glittering closing ceremony, with dash of glitz and glamour, drew curtains on the second edition of the IPL razzmatazz. Soon after the Adam Gilchrist-led Deccan Chargers pipped Anil Kumble's Royal Challengers Bangalore in the see-saw final, cricket paved way to entertainment. The South African President Jacob Zuma declared the tournament closed.

The second edition of the IPL-2 was bigger and better than the inaugural one. New heroes emerged, while some of the old guard left lasting images.

Highlights of IPL-2
Former Australia opening batsman Matthew Hayden gave a lesson in T20 batting to all his peers. Hayden was destructive in notching up 546 runs at an astounding average of 54.60 and a strike-rate of 145. He will fittingly take the ‘Orange Cap’ from another Australian — Shaun Marsh, who won it in the inaugural edition.

Former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist stood out with his batting and captaincy skills. It was Hayden’s long-time ODI opening partner Adam Gilchrist, who finally tallied 495 runs at a strike-rate of 153. He saved his best for the high-flying Delhi Daredevils, plummelling them for a magnificent 35-ball 85 in the semifinals. His captaincy was also inspirational throughout leading his side to a historic win in the IPL-2 final.

The left-arm Deccan Chargers seam bowler RP Singh was a player on a mission. His scintillating display with the ball for the Deccan Chargers has given him the ‘Purple Cap’ in the tournament. R.P. has so far picked up 23 wickets and has earned a recall into Team India for the World T20 Tournament to be held in England.

The Deccan Chargers batsman Rohit Sharma was declared the Citi ‘Under-23 success of the tournament’ by the IPL. And for good reason too. By the end, the Mumbai batsman had tallied 386 runs and also picked up 11 wickets in IPL-2, including a hat-trick.

The great Indian leg spin wizard, Anil Kumble put up a titanic display. The former India captain turned around a struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore brilliantly and guided them to the IPL-2 final. When Kumble took over, RCB were at the bottom of the table but the team was a rejuvenated unit under him. He has also snared 21 wickets in IPL-2 — the second highest in the tournament — including the best-ever T20 figures so far of 5/5 against Rajasthan Royals.

US Enhanced Aid to Pakistan

A powerful Congressional panel has given its nod to a controversial act tripling US non-military aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion annually for five years, but imposed tough conditions that include prevention of "cross border attacks into neighbouring countries" by Islamabad.

PEACE Act
Approving for passage, the Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement (PEACE) Act 2009, the House Foreign Affairs Committee also sought to bar Pakistan military or its intelligence agency from supporting any extremists and terrorist group. It also wants Islamabad to provide "direct access to Pakistani nationals" connected with proliferation networks. The bill will now go to the floor of the House of Representatives for passage.

The original bill, introduced on April 2 by Committee Chairman Howard L Berman, imposed conditions that Pakistan would not let its territory be used for launching terror attacks against India and would not support any group that indulges in terror activities against India. The version of the Berman Bill, which was approved by voice vote, replaced “India” with “neighbouring countries,” apparently at the suggestion of the Obama Administration because Pakistan, in particular its Army and the ISI, had raised strong objections to it.

Interestingly, while the original bill had insisted that Pakistan must undertake not to let its territory be used for launching terrorist attacks against India, the direct reference to India was replaced by ‘neighbouring countries’ keeping in mind Pakistani sensitivities. Indeed, it was the Obama administration which told the lawmakers that mentioning India by name could be counter-productive to their overall objective given that the Pakistan establishment was allergic to it.

In other tough clauses, the law seeks to bar the Pakistan military or its intelligence agency from supporting any extremist and terrorist group.

Disappointment for India
India is disappointed over the decision of a US Congressional committee approving a law tripling non-military aid to Pakistan and is expected to take up the matter with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is expected to visit New Delhi soon.

The US was extending aid to Pakistan, obviously to keep it in a good humour though it was fully aware of the ground situation in this region.

The issues will figure prominently during discussions between the Indian side and Hillary Clinton, who is likely to visit New Delhi in July. This would be the first top-level visit to India from Washington since the Obama administration assumed office in January.
There are also indications that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could meet President Obama on the margins of the G-8 summit in Italy in July. The two leaders had met for the first time in London on the sidelines of the G-20 meet in early April.

Tax Proposals
Obama has also come up with tax proposals that are intended to plug loopholes in taxing American multinational companies (MNCs) operating in India. The proposed measures are likely to hit not only the Indian subsidiaries of US firms because they may not be able to claim benefits under the Indo-US Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, but also Indian companies engaged in business outsourcing from the US.
However, American policy should appreciate that Pakistan’s claim on Jammu and Kashmir suffered a serious blow after 1971 when Bangladesh emerged as a larger Muslim nation in the subcontinent. Pakistan has no claim to be the "godfather" of Muslims in this subcontinent when the number of Indian Muslims is double the number of Muslims in Pakistan. On Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), former US President George W. Bush tried to bypass the entire controversy by formulating the Indo-US nuclear deal. There is no way by which President Obama can bring back the Jammu and Kashmir issue or the CTBT issue.

It is the height of naivety for the US to overlook Pakistan’s track record that such assistance to it has always been used against India.

UPA Begins Second Innings

The 76-year-old mild-mannered Manmohan Singh, who won the hearts and minds of the people along with Sonia Gandhi, led the UPA to a handsome win in the Lok Sabha elections was sworn in as Prime Minister for a second term at the head of a 20-member Congress-led UPA Ministry on May 22, 2009.

Economist-turned-politician Manmohan Singh, the first Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to get a second opportunity after a full-term, was sworn-in by President Pratibha Patil exactly five years to date after the UPA government assumed office in 2004.

Free Hand of Leadership
A close look at the new cabinet clearly suggests that Manmohan virtually got a free hand from the Congress leadership to choose his team. Stability being the ‘mantra’ of the new government in these times of deepening economic crisis, the PM has carefully selected each and ever new minister, giving due weightage to performance, experience and loyalty to the party. The team comprises several stalwarts as also a few first timers.

The new cabinet ministers are: Pranab Mukherjee, Sharad Pawar, AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Mamata Banerjee, SM Krishna, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sushil Kumar Shinde, M Veerappa Moily, S Jaipal Reddy, Kamal Nath, Vayalar Ravi, Mrs Meira Kumar, Murli Deora, Kapil Sibal, Ambika Soni, B K Handique, Anand Sharma and CP Joshi.

After the 2004 elections, the first UPA cabinet reflected those who had helped the party survive the lean years in opposition, and those who remembered and possessed experience from when it had last been the party of government. There may have been sound reasons for this at the time. Persisting with those ministers is less explicable. But certainly, given the sense of relief and renewal sweeping India following this election, the cabinet should be one that unmistakably looks forward, and not back. The right people in the key, forward-looking ministries can help this feeling keep going.

Combination Experience and Competence
The new team combines political and administrative experience and it happens to be a selection made by the Prime Minister and Mrs Sonia Gandhi and not by heads of regional parties as was the case in 2004. And the way Manmohan Singh decided not to bow down to the wishes of the DMK leadership in the allotment of portfolios shows that he has upheld the Prime Minister’s prerogative to choose his team.

When he had come in in 2004 after Ms Sonia Gandhi had opted out, few had given him more than a couple of years at the head of an unwieldy alliance, with the Left supporting it from outside. But he not only creditably completed his term but also got back in the saddle again, after winning the elections against heavy odds. The ride is going to be easier this time, hopefully, because he has returned with a stronger mandate, and chastened allies.

Unequivocal Mandate to Govern
The UPA Government will naturally frame its policies in the light of these and equally important considerations for the people of India that is Bharat. In that context, the sudden shooting up of Sensex is inconsequential — it only results in reducing the book accounting loss of the Mittals, Ambanis, Tatas, etc, but does not add a trickle of water to the one-third of the people who do not get safe drinking water.

The rise in Sensex also does not add a yard of space to 25 per cent of population of this country who have no homes and 77 per cent of the people (more than 2½ times the total population of pre-1947 India) who are forced to eke out a living on Rs 20 a day. The immediate concern would hopefully be to prevent the pilferage of 90 per cent of the funds allocated under the NREG scheme reaching the needy persons instead of being pocketed by dishonest officials and their political associates.All these important aspects will certainly take time. But there are some fundamental pieces of legislation and programmes which need to be effected.

Undoubtedly, the Congress has been given an unequivocal mandate to govern. And make no mistake: this is a fresh mandate. It isn’t, in any way, a continuation or an extension of the 2004 result. The Congress, in its post-victory enthusiasm, should not lose sight of that. And, even given that the UPA ran on its record in government, the Congress must have sensed that this is a mandate for freshness.

Civil War Ends in Sri Lanka

The statement by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on May 17, 2009 that the group has decided to “silence it’s guns” means an end of the bitter civil war that had ravaged Sri Lanka’s north and east for the past 26 years and left thousands dead. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse announced that the LTTE has been militarily defeated. Successive heads of state and government had been promising to defeat the LTTE but had failed. President Rajapakse has succeeded by resorting to unalloyed military solution.

Prabhakaran Killed
Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran was on May 18, 2009 shot dead by Sri Lankan special forces as he tried to stage a dramatic breakout from the army encirclement. Prabhakaran and his top aides came out of their last hiding place in a small convoy of van and an ambulance and tried to drive out of the war zone, but were gunned down.

The Tiger chief was killed with two others, who are yet to be identified but believed to be his closest associates LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Amman and Sea Tigers' chief Soosoi. The deaths of the top LTTE leaders came a day after Tamil Tigers conceded defeat saying the decades-old battle has reached its "bitter end" and they have decided to "silence" their guns.


This man was a monster; his death deserves no tears. Prabhakaran betrayed India repeatedly, masterminding the murder of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In Sri Lanka, he brutalised civil society, unleashing terrorism that killed countless innocent people, including the cream of an entire generation of Sri Lankan politicians. Many of these were Sinhalese. Some of them, however, were also from non-LTTE Tamil groups, destroyed by a maniacal overlord who brooked no dissent and wanted to be supreme commander of his fantasy realm: Tamil Eelam.

Though die-hard supporters of the eelam (freedom) cause are bound to rue the fall of Prabhakaran whose commitment to it was unswerving, there is understandable jubilation in Sri Lanka which bore the brunt of a civil war that took 70,000 lives, including those of several top national leaders, and shattered the economy of the beleaguered country.

Revival of Economy
The cataclysmic end to the war came after the Government rejected calls for a new truce to protect civilians, and the Tigers refused to surrender and free 50,000-100,000 the United Nations and others said they were holding as human shields.

Sri Lanka's $40 billion economy is struggling with depleted foreign exchange reserves, shrinking export revenues for tea and garments, rising import costs, a declining rupee currency and a balance of payments crisis.

Rajapaksa's Government is counting on victory in the war to help boost the economy and renew economic growth that for years had been among the highest in south Asia.

The Tigers have warned that their conventional defeat will usher in a new phase of guerrilla conflict targeting Sri Lanka's economically valuable targets, an indirect threat to a tourism sector the government hopes can be boosted after the war.

The Road Ahead
The Sri Lankan Government must reach out specifically to the Tamils. In the past, it alienated many Tamils through its obsession with the war. Now is the time to move away from capturing Tiger-controlled territory to capturing the hearts and minds of the Tamil people. The stringent security conditions must be gradually relaxed. Those detained without trial or charges being filed must be released. Security measures like checks and searches must be relaxed in a phased-out manner.A special financial package is necessary to help the people of the North and East re-construct and develop their battered economy and shattered lives.

It goes without saying that President Rajapakse must quickly follow up on military success with political reconciliation. Institutionalising a system that allows the Tamil minority of Sri Lanka a certain degree of autonomy and guarantees their rights as equal citizens of the country is necessary. While the LTTE’s extremes can never be justified, it must be pointed out the Tamil movement did not happen in a vacuum. Radical Sinhalese politicians did play a role in trying to undermine Tamil political and economic rights, the minority community’s access to its own language as well as to Government jobs. Rajapaksa has promised all that is in the past. He says he is quite willing to write a new chapter and move ahead in a spirit of national togetherness.

With three high profile assassinations — Rajiv Gandhi, Sri Lankan President Premadasa and Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar — and more than 90,000 casualties, the LTTE has claimed far more victims than Islamic jihad. That it has been able to militarily fight back the Sri Lankan Army for all these years only proves how dangerously battle-efficient the LTTE had become. Perhaps it required the determination of a Rajapakse to take the offensive deep into Tiger territory and finish the war once and for all.

This is not a time for euphoria. It is a time to re-build the nation and to heal old wounds. A spirit of reconciliation after the victory can over a period of time lead to harmony and peace in the nation that it has not seen for years.

Chronology of Sri Lankan Ethnic Crisis
1972: Ceylon changes its name to Sri Lanka and Buddhism given primary place as country's religion, which further antagonised the ethnic Tamil minorities, who already felt that they are being marginalised.

1975: Velupillai Prabhakaran forms Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

1977: Tamil United Liberation Front, a separatist party, wins all seats in the Tamil-dominated areas in Sri Lanka's north-east. Anti-Tamil riots leave more than 100 Tamils dead.

1981: Public library in Jaffna, cultural capital of the Sri Lankan Tamils, set on fire which caused further resentment among the Tamil community.

1983: 13 soldiers killed in LTTE ambush, sparking anti-Tamil riots across the north-east leading to the deaths of several hundred community members.

1985: First peace talks between the Sri Lankan Government and LTTE fails.

1987: Sri Lankan troops push LTTE back into northern city of Jaffna. Government signs accords creating new councils for Tamil areas in north and east and reaches agreement with India on deployment of Indian peace-keeping force.

1990: IPKF leaves Sri Lanka. Violence between Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers escalates.

1991: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi killed in a suicide attack near Chennai. LTTE accused of carrying out the killing.

1993: LTTE suicide bomber kills Sri Lankan President Premadasa.

1994: Chandrika Kumaratunga comes to power. Opens talks with the LTTE.

2002: Sri Lanka and LTTE sign a ceasefire agreement brokered by Norway.

2004: Tamil Tiger commander Karuna leads split in rebel movement and goes underground with his supporters.

2005: Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar killed by LTTE sniper.

January, 2008: Government abrogates the ceasefire.

July, 2008: Sri Lankan military says it has captured the important Tamil Tiger naval base of Vidattaltivu in the north.

January, 2009: Troops capture Tigers de-facto capital of Kilinochchi.

April, 2009: Troops capture the last town held by LTTE in th Mullaittivu district.

May 16, 2009: President Mahinda Rajapaksa announces that the LTTe has been militarily defeated.

May 17, 2009: LTTE concedes defeat.

May 18, 2009: Seven top rebel leaders, including Charles Anthony, son of Prabhakaran killed.

Successful Test-Firing of Agni-II Missile

India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-II Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) with a strike range of upto 3,000 km from a launch pad from Dhamra’s Wheeler Island, off the Orissa Coast on May 19, 2009.The test of the indigenously built IRBM was carried out from a mobile launcher at about from launch pad-4 of Integrated Test Range at Wheelers Island near Dhamra, about 80 km from Balasore.

The indigenously-built weapon is a two-stage solid propelled ballistic missile and has a launch weight of 17 tonnes and length of 20 metres. The missile can carry a payload of one tonne over a distance up to 3,000 km. The missile was already inducted into the services and the strategic command network was fully operational.

Part of the Training Exercise
In fact, the test-firing of the Agni-II was a user trial conducted by the army and scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) were present to provide the necessary logistical support. The trial of the missile was successful and the scientists would conduct a detailed analysis.

The complete operations, including the pre-launch exercise and the launch from a sophisticated computer, were carried out by an Army team. A new technology — a state-of-the-art high accuracy navigation system — was for the first time used in Agni-II.

Advantage India
India is now part of a select group of countries that has advanced nuclear missile capabilities. This is something we should be proud of, not only because it proves that our scientists are more than capable of handling high technology but also because India faces serious security threats from certain quarters in its neighbourhood.

The successful test-firing of the Agni-II missile brings India a step closer to having an intermediate range nuclear capable ballistic missile ready for production and induction. The missile’s test flight achieved the objectives intended. The Agni-II is in the final stages of testing and may be inducted into the armed forces by 2012.

Agni-II was developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory along with other DRDO laboratories and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad. Private industry participated in a big way in its production. The missile is part of the Agni series which includes Agni-I of 700 km range and Agni-III (3,500 km). Agni-I was already inducted and Agni-III is in the process of induction.

Credible Deterrence Against Threats
The indigenous Agni missile programme, which was initiated way back in the 1980s, has considerably helped India strengthen its missile defence systems.Since there is instability in Pakistan and the accompanying threat of that country’s nuclear weapons falling into the Taliban hands, satellite imagery has shown that China has put India’s entire northern region under threat by reorganising its missile facilities. China may also be deploying short range missiles in Tibet and helping Pakistan modernise its missiles.

Undoubtedly, the Agni missiles provide credible deterrence against these threats. They can strike targets deep inside China and Pakistan. It hardly needs to be said that India is committed to peace in the region and its missile programme is strictly defensive in nature. However, despite our ‘No-First-Use’ policy, a minimum credible nuclear deterrence is necessary along with nuclear counter-strike capabilities. Agni-II enhances the latter manifolds.

Iran’s Space Programme

Any space launcher is in effect a potential Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that could reach anywhere on earth with very small changes in their guidance systems. Much like other states that have benefited militarily from improvements in their space programmes, Iran is also using the development of its space programme to improve its conventional Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) delivery systems.

Iranian officials often discuss space and missile developments simultaneously, perhaps indicating the parallel nature of the programmes. They have openly admitted that the Shahab missile system has been used as the basis for Iran’s space launch vehicle. In 2005, Brigadier General Ahmad Wahid, Chairman of Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organisation, commented that Iran was developing its space programme both for military and civilian uses.

Iran’s missile programme has been geared towards serving its security interests and has shown a steady progress in its range, precision and sophistication. During the 1980s, it was Iraq that was Iran’s main adversary and most of its missile capability was geared towards countering the threat from Iraq.

During the eight-year war with Iraq, most of Iran’s major cities, including Tehran, came under repeated attacks of Iraqi Scud missiles. It used Oghab and Mushak-120 missiles against Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war and also sought short-range Scud missiles from North Korea. China, North Korea and Russia have been Iran’s primary partners in the development of missile capability. It purchased CSS-8 short-range ballistic missile from China in the late 1980s.

Intermediate Range Missiles
From early 1990s, Iran’s focus shifted towards the development of intermediate range Shahab-3 and Shahab-4 missiles. Shahab-3 is based on North Korea’s No Dong missile and it gives Iran the capability to hit every major city in Israel and some in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Though Shahab-4 has been characterised by Iran as a space launch vehicle, it could be used as a technical base for intermediate and intercontinental-range missiles. Shahab-4 is based in Soviet R-12 (SS-4 sandel) technology obtained from Russia.

As concerns about Iraq’s WMD programme grew after the First Gulf War, Iran also accelerated work on its own missile capability. Shahab-3 is seen as central to Iran’s deterrent posture, particularly vis-à-vis Israel’s nuclear capability.

Acquiring Missile Capability
Iran is also keen on acquiring missile capability that counters American hostile foreign policy towards it and as tensions between the US and Iran have increased in recent years, Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear and concomitant missile capability have also gathered momentum.

Iran is following parallel paths with their civilian and military programmes to legitimise purchases and maintain an ambiguous posture. It is apparent that any improvements in Iran’s peaceful space programme will also benefit Iran’s military programme and the broad trajectory of Iran’s progress in its space programme remains clear in so far as Iran will eventually have capability to threaten the US and Europe even though the time-line as to when it might achieve that capability remains far from clear.