Bush looks to India's past to understand future

New Delhi

3 March 2006

Addressing the people of India from the ruins of what was the ancient

city of Indraprastha, United States President George Walker Bush on Friday spoke about

creating a new relationship with a country that offers "a compelling example" of how

multi-ethnic and multi-religion democracy fosters human freedom.

"In the birthplace of great religions, a billion souls of varied faiths now live side-by-side

in freedom and peace. When you come to India in the 21st century, you're

inspired by the past, and you can see the future," Mr Bush said in his 27-minute speech

telecast live in the US.

Prefacing his address with a "Namaste," he said "India has a Hindu majority, and one of

the world's largest Muslim populations. India is also home to millions of Sikhs and

Christians [who] worship freely" as he travelled back and forth in history and looked to

India's past to understand the future.

Quoting the words of Mahatma Gandhi, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and

Jawaharlal Nehru, the US President told an attentive audience that "the world has

benefited from the example of India's democracy, and now the world needs India's

leadership in freedom's cause."

He went on to observe that Gandhi's words "are familiar in my country because they

helped move a generation of Americans to overcome the injustice of racial segregation.

When Martin Luther King arrived in Delhi in 1959, he said to other countries, "I may go

as a tourist, but to India, I come as a pilgrim.

"I come to India as a friend," he said to a round of applause.

If Mr Bush mingled with the audience later in an unrehearsed manner, the reaction from

the invitees was no less spontaneous. Rear Admiral (Retd) Raja Menon felt Mr Bush's

speech was great. "He struck the right chord," he said leaving the heavily guarded

venue.

The US is beginning to understand and appreciate the meaning of friendship with India,

which is characterised by her religious diversity, observed National Minorities

Commission Chairman Tarlochan Singh. "He has turned the wheel of relationship,"

exclaimed Congress Spokesman Rajiv Shukla.

However, the Opposition BJP had a different take on the US President's address. The

party's representative in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Balbir Punj, felt Mr Bush could have

spoken candidly about the export of terrorism from Pakistan to India. "It (speech) was

very predictable, a good exercise in public relations," he said.

Among the special invitees were Nafisa Ali, Naresh Trehan, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Navin

Jindal, Jay Panda, Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada, Ashwini Kumar, Lalit Suri and others. Also

present were the guests of the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Federation of

Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Terrorism, democracy occupy Bush's mind

New Delhi

2 March 2006

United States President George W Bush on Thursday held forth on

the scourge of terrorism and virtues of democracy while nudging India and Pakistan to

work toward lasting peace.

"India and America both suffered from terrorist attacks on our home soil," Mr Bush said

at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on the lawns of the

Mughal Garden at Hyderabad House.

Acknowledging India as a victim of terrorism, Mr Bush reiterated his country's resolve to

work with India in the short and the long term to fight the scourge. He also said the

Karachi bombings would not prevent him from going to Pakistan.

Five people, including an American diplomat and his Pakistani driver, were killed and

dozens wounded. Mr Bush will visit Pakistan on the second leg of his South Asia tour.

He will leave for Islamabad on Saturday.

"The way to defeat terrorism in the short run is to share intelligence and to take action.

The way to defeat terrorism in the long run is to defeat the ideology of hate with an

ideology of hope. And that's democracy.

"The great thing about ... India is it's a perfect opportunity to remind the

world that it is possible for people of different religions to live peacefully .... That's

precisely what [it] has shown the world," he observed.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in turn, said he admired President Bush for his "strong

position" on terrorism. "I was particularly pleased that we agreed on the need to root out

terrorism, of which India has been [a] victim," he said.

In response to a question on how he proposed to work with India in the war on terror, Mr

Bush said, "We're involved in a different kind of war. This is a war where people hide

and plot and plan and then all of a sudden emerge and kill.

"And so it requires a different response. And part of the response is to commit our

intelligence services to sharing information. We spent some time talking about that

issue today."

Stating that New Delhi and Washington "need to continue working together" against

terrorism, he asked India and Pakistan to work for peace. "I encourage them to continue

making progress on all issues, including Kashmir," he said.

Bush flies in with Osama, Iran on mind

New Delhi

1 March 2006

United States President George W Bush flew into India this evening

from Kabul where he said Iran must not have a nuclear weapon and that Osama Bin

Laden will be brought to justice. He also said the proposed civilian nuclear energy

cooperation with India was still being negotiated.

"Our people are talking to Indians today on the plane about trying to come to a civilian

power agreement," Mr Bush was quoted as saying at a joint news conference with

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.

"It is a difficult issue for [India.] It is a difficult issue for [the US.] So, we continue to

dialogue and work and hopefully we can reach an agreement. If not, we will continue to

work on that until we do," he said.

For its part, New Delhi has said there were "gaps on a number of technical issues"

relating to the proposed civilian nuclear energy cooperation between India and the US

and both sides were "still to find closure".

Official sources said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh chaired a meeting of the

Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs. The meeting took place ahead of the US

President's arrival at the Palam Technical Area.

Although sources said a "substantive agenda" would be covered by both sides, there is

no word yet on the number of agreements to be signed. Some important announcements

could be expected in energy, science and space, they observed.

However, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran has has said it has decided not to pursue the

matter of sending an Indian astronaut on a US space mission. The Department of Space

has come to the conclusion that it did not fit into its perspective plan.

On the denial of visas to Indian scientists, he said India has raised it "as a matter of

course" and asked Washington to put in place a "liberal and predictable visa policy" so

that scientific exchanges could be promoted.

On Mr Bush's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Saran said Jammu and Kashmir was

an integral part of India. "Our position [in this matter] is clear," he said, "Citizens of

Kashmir are citizens of India."

"India has no intention of dropping out of the India-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline," he stated

in response to another question on US pressure to stop pursuing the matter.

Bush to focus on full spectrum of ties, not nuke deal alone

New Delhi

27 February 2006

Scaling down the expectations from United States President George

W Bush's visit to India, Washington has indicated that while negotiations were on to

implement what has been set out in the 18 July 2005 Joint Statement, there were certain

issues that still needed to be settled insofar as the proposed civil nuclear energy

cooperation goes.

Sources said the "complicated" negotiations could extend beyond the US President's

visit if both sides did not seal the deal before Mr Bush shook hands with Prime Minister

Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. The visit, they said, was always about a

"comprehensive relationship" and suggested that the nuclear issue might not be the

centrepiece of the four-day visit.

Referring to the complexities inherent in the proposed India-US civilian nuclear

cooperation like the global architecture, non-proliferation and breaking new ground for

India, the sources said an "exception has been made [for India]" and this, they

explained, was not easy. "It will take time [but] if we do not succeed, we will continue

discussions afterwards," they added.

On Jammu and Kashmir, it was clarified that there was no change in the US policy

towards the emerging relationship between India and Pakistan and that Washington was

playing a referee. "It is still the same. [It is hoped] that there will be support of all parties

to make progress in the peace initiative and for confidence building measures and for

the ultimate resolution," it was said.

The sources shrugged off queries about the number of agreements both sides were

expected to sign saying that it was "not exactly a way to measure" the success, or

otherwise, of Mr Bush's visit. Trade and investment, science and technology, health,

education space and military cooperation would rank high on Mr Bush's priority. "That's

the theme," they said.

"This is not a one-off visit [but] part of a long term strategic relationship [for] very

substantive development of the full spectrum [of relations] The visit comes at a very

special time [as] India is now a hugely visible idea in the US. Image of India has

radically shifted in recent years and the [belief is] what's good for India is good for the

US too," they asserted.

An agreement on space cooperation was "moving along well", it was asserted, referring

to the the partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). On the India-US Global Democracy

Initiative, they said Nepal was a key area of cooperation while Myanmar was on the

agenda of both the countries.

Nuclear deal: Will exception for India augur well? wonders US scientist

New Delhi

26 February 2006

As New Delhi and Washington attempt to execute what has been set

out in the July 18 Joint Statement, the co-chair of India-United States Science and

Technology Forum Norman P Neureiter has iterated some of the concerns about the

proposed civilian nuclear energy cooperation and the precedent this will set for non-

proliferation efforts.

Describing the talks on nuclear deal as a "complicated issue", Neureiter has said there

were concerns among some sections that it could encourage countries like Iran and have

a "negative impact" on non-proliferation efforts. He, however, emphasised that there

were no concerns with regard to India misusing the agreement to become the proliferator

of nuclear weapons.

"The real issue is -- does it (the nuclear deal with India) have a negative impact on global

efforts to stamp down proliferation. Some people in the US feel it does, others feel it will

be strengthened if India comes in the fold," Neureiter told PTI. "It is a complicated issue.

Let us see what happens," the director of the Centre for Science, Technology and

Security Policy in the US said.

"I think the issue is whether an exception to India gives encouragement to Iran and to

other countries .... Certainly, if there is exception to India, Pakistan will say they should

have the same thing," he said and wondered whether the US could have "closer

relations with India without compromising the global efforts to stop proliferation".

Noting that he was not taking any view, the American scientist said there were different

views as to whether "it will do irreparable damage to the NPT or will in the long term

strengthen NPT."

'Nuclear establishment not at loggerheads with govt'

New Delhi

23 February 2006

The strategic community involved in shaping India's engagement

with the United States has said that the nuclear deal with the United States was not a

technical issue alone; it had political ramifications that could not be overlooked.

Speaking at a seminar on India-US relations, they clarified that the Department of Atomic

Energy was not at loggerheads with the Executive. Also, the July 18 joint statement was

a good bargain if implemented in letter and spirit.

National Security Advisory Board Convenor MK Rasgotra observed that an

understanding of why Washington was "courting" India was crucial for the strategic

partnership to come to fruition.

India, he felt, should be asking whether she can "manage" certain global and regional

matters on her own or with the cooperation of the United States. "The India-US joint

statement [is] good if implemented in letter and spirit," he added.

An expert on strategic matters, Dr K Subrahmanyam, in turn said the nuclear deal had to

seen from the perspective of global politics also; India-US relations, he felt, were much

bigger than the issues of nuclear safeguards, etc.

"188 out of 191 countries are members of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and all ...

are against us [becoming] a nuclear weapons state. [Therefore] one has to allow political

negotiations [to take place]," Dr Subrahmanyam said.

A former ambassador to Washington, Mr Naresh Chandra, has said that negotiations

almost always start from maximalist positions; therefore, it was wrong to assume that

the US bore ill-will towards India.

Mr Amit Mitra of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

observed that New Delhi and Washington should agree on a protocol so that India can

get access to biotechnology and nanotechnology materials and research.

It's pizzas for Bush as he eyes Indian market

New Delhi

23 February 2006

His father learnt at his own expense that "[It's] the economy, stupid!"

after all, as the Democrats used this slogan to win the 1992 presidential election but

United States President George W Bush has his eyes firmly set on the economy, as he

prepares the ground for his visit to the Indian sub-continent.

If Mr Bush used his Asia Society speech on Wednesday night to address Indians, he

also tried to hardsell the emerging Indo-US relations to a restive domestic audience by

suggesting that India is a potential market for American goods and services in the short-

and the long term.

It can become an even "bigger market" for America's businesses and workers and

farmers as Indian economy grows, he said in the televised address ahead of his first trip

to India, suggesting in the process that an economic component to the strategic

partnership could not be mistaken.

Allaying fears about outsourcing and job-losses, Bush also ventured to placate some

Americans by asserting that trade with India would create opportunities at home and

make the US companies more competitive. It's good, he said, "Younger Indians are

acquiring a taste for pizzas from Domino's and Pizza Hut."

"We must also recognise that India's growth is creating new opportunities for our

businesses and farmers and workers. India's middle class is now estimated at 300

million people. Think about that. That's greater than the entire population of the United

States," he observed.

"India's middle class is buying air-conditioners, kitchen appliances, and washing

machines, and a lot of them from American companies like GE, and Whirlpool, and

Westinghouse .... Today India's consumers associate American brands with quality and

value, and this trade is creating opportunity here at home," he said.

Bloggers take Bush protest to cyberspace

New Delhi

22 February 2006

The protest against United States President George W Bush's visit

to India has reached cyberspace.

A blog page has been started by a blogger containing links to anti-Bush remarks and

sentiments as part of the campaign against President Bush's visit to India commencing

in a week from now.

The blog web page is at: http://gobackglobalterrorist.blogspot.com/.

"This is an endeavour to encourage people to create more blogs opposing Bush's visit

to India," the administrator of the blog suggests and invites emails from just about

anybody interested in making their voice heard against the Bush visit.

"The aim is to carry forward the struggle in the virtual space also. We appeal all the

patriots, peace loving people on the globe, to campaign for having more blogs coming up

on the occassion of his visit.

"We want the blogger community to rise to the occassion and have as many individual

blogs as possible with a variety of content like poetry, photographs, cartoons, writeups,

humour, etc," the administrator of the blog adds.

Already over 300 visitors have accessed the blog page. It contains links to Indians,

Americans, Canadians and others who have posted their views and comments on it. One

such link has posted certain Abu Ghraib prison photographs. Another depicts a graphic of

Bush behind bars and urges the "global terrorist" to go back.

"Ambush Bush's plans before his Iran Putsch!" writes a blogger with an Indian name.

"Anyone who has seen the miseries of the prisoners of Abu Ghraib, the detainees at

Guantanamo Bay, the unrequited victims of Hurricane Katrina ... would squirm at the

thought of Bush receiving a red carpet welcome in sovereign India, my country, which

was born out of a struggle against imperialism, the kind peddled by Pax Britannica," he

observes.

Joining the bloggers in the Bush-Go-Back campaign will be certain civil society

organisations, writers and activists. Demonstrations have also been planned by the Left

parties, which are supporting the UPA Government from outside.

The activists including writer Amresh Mishra clarify that the focus of the campaign will be

the Bush Administration, not America or Americans. "This is also not about Muslims,"

they observe, and suggest that the campaign will be about human issues and

individuals from all walks of life will join.

Another Indian official denied US visa

New Delhi

20 February 2006

After humiliating two top Indian scientists by not granting them

visas, the United States has meted out similar treatment to an official of the Union

Ministry of Commerce.

The US Embassy in New Delhi has not issued travel documents to Mr Ali Ahmed Khan,

regional director of Council for Leather Exports, ostensibly because his name bore a

resemblance to the names of certain persons listed on Washington's purported alert list.

That's not all. The officials of two Indian companies who were to accompany Mr Khan as

part of a 25-member delegation representing India at an international leather fair in the

US were denied visas too.

"We were forced to call off our plans at the eleventh hour," Mr Khan told this newspaper.

Consequently, only about 21 members were headed for the US to participate in the fair to

be held in Las Vegas from February 21 to 24.

"I was told they had a problem with my name [because] my name reflected in [their] alert

system. [They denied me a visa] without going through my support documents issued by

the ministries of External Affairs and Commerce," he narrated.

Mr Khan applied for a visa on January 9. He was called for interview on February 13.

"The official refused ... this despite I being a deemed government servant with

substantial [government] support," Mr Khan added.

When contacted, the US Embassy did not deny that a visa was not issued to Mr Khan. "It

is US policy not to comment on individual visa cases," US Embassy Spokesman David

Kennedy told this newspaper.

He aded, "The United States, like virtually every other nation on earth, including India,

has certain categories of visas that must be referred to the nation's capital before final

action can be taken."

Mr Khan joined the Council for Leather Exports in July 2005. Prior to that, he was

regional director of export promotion council in the Ministry of Textiles. Mr Khan has

served in an official capacity for 12 years.

He visited Germany in September last year.

Nuke deal not a dead issue: US Congressman

New Delhi

19 February 2006

As a section of the Indian strategic community veers around to the

view that the Bush visit be delinked from the progress, or the lack of it, on the civil

nuclear cooperation agreement, United States Congressman Joseph Crowley has said

that the nuclear deal was not a "dead issue."

"It is not a dead issue by any means," Crowley said. He acknowledged that the India-US

civil nuclear cooperation agreement has hit "couple of stumbling blocks" but he was

confident that the deal will come through eventually.

"The problem," he explained, "lies in convincing the Congress" and reassured that

legislation did not happen overnight and that it will take "cajoling and convincing." He,

however, admitted he had not done any number crunching yet when he was asked about

bipartisan support for India-US nuclear deal in the House.

Crowley is a Democrat member of the House International Relations Committee and a

former co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India. He is in New Delhi and is

expected to call on the ministers for external affairs, defence, commerce and energy

during his stay in India.

The Congresman observed there were a number of options and mechanisms to induct

India into the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and to recognise India's good track record

on non-proliferation but, he hastened to add, "all of it takes amending of United States

statute."

He further said that the constitution of the US House of Representatives would see

certain "radical changes" as Republican House Majority leader Tom deLay has stepped

down and Henry Hyde, chairman of House International Relations Committee, has

announced he will be retiring.

The Congressman's remarks notwithstanding, certain members of the Indian strategic

community have suggested that the nuclear deal be not allowed to hijack the Bush visit.

"Let us separate [the] visit ... let discusion carry on [nuclear deal till we come to a

shared understanding," a former diplomat said.

French connection: Expats made to feel at home

New Delhi

18 February 2006

French President Jacques Chirac would not be staying in New Delhi

long enough to become familiar with most things Indian but as some French nationals

living in India have found out, it does not take too long se faire un ami (to make a friend)

in a foreign land.

Fabienne Cetran has only been in India for over a year but she is already feeling herself

at home. With a little help from the French expatriate population living in Delhi, she

knows which market to frequent for the best buy and can count Indians among her

friends.

Fabienne is one of 160 odd members of Delhi Accueil (or Delhi Welcome), which helps in

the integration of expatriate French men, women and children. "Everything is made

available so that the newcomer is immersed in the country as gently as possible,"

according to the Embassy of France in New Delhi.

Indians who can speak French are eligible for membership. "We have about 35 or 38

Indians as members," Ms Fabienne Cetran, secretary of Delhi Accueil, told this

newspaper. The Delhi Accueil was founded in 2005. In its earlier avtar, it was known as

Groupe Francophone.

"We organise parties and conferences so we can meet regularly. We also help new

families settle down in Delhi. We also have a letter (publication) and website," the

president of Delhi Accueil, Ms Aranda Nathalie, informs. She has been in India for less

than three years.

A designer, Sunaina Suneja has been a member for over seven years. Having done a

Masters in French, she finds the group a perfect place to brush up on her language skills

and also to showcase India to the French. "Actress Sonya Jahan of "Taj Mahal" fame is

the newest member," she says.

To further the Indo-French social and cultural ties, the president of FIAFE (Fédération

Internationale des Accueils Français et Francophones à l'Etranger) will travel to New

Delhi on March 10 to inaugurate Delhi Accueil's new office inside the compound of the

Alliance Francaise in Lodi Estate.

The Embassy of France says 831 members of the French community are registered in

the New Delhi territory that includes cities like Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and

Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. Another 658 are registered in the Mumbai territory of

whom a few live in Bangalore.

Kabul blames 'neighbour' for killings

New Delhi

13 February 2006

Taking note of the recent killings of Indians and other nationals

outside Kabul, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission has asked

"Afghanistan's neighbours" to focus on justice and security in order to thwart terrorist

acts against innocent civilians.

Sources told this newspaper that the Afghan Government also has been asked to follow

up the recent attacks so that "actors and supporters of terrorism" could be tried in the

courts as "targeting of innocent people for achieving inhuman, political aims is not

acceptable".

An Indian engineer working for a Turkish company was killed in a bomb attack on the

Herat-Kandahar highway in the Farah province. He was later identified as Bharath K.

Three others, a Turkish national, a Nepalese guard and an Afghan driver, were also

killed when the remote-controlled bomb struck their vehicle.

A spokesman for the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Bharath K is the second Indian to be killed in two months. In November last year, Border

Roads Organisation driver Maniyappan Raman Kutty was abducted and killed by the

Taliban. The Taliban had left a letter in which it demanded that BRO should wind up its

operations in Afghanistan.

The sources said that security and justice were both "hampering [the] smooth

reconstruction efforts in [Afghanistan.]" They said Parliament has discussed border

security as "interference by outsiders and particularly from the other side of

Afghanistan's long southern border" was a problem.

The sources conceded that more effective steps were needed to be taken for

implementing the action plan for transitional justice and that the Afghan leaders were

seized of the matter. "It could be very instrumental in ending culture of impunity and

taking known culprits to account," they said.

They described the approval of the three-year action plan for peace, justice and

reconciliation as a big achievement for the war-ravaged country. The action plan was

approved on December 12 last year after which a national conference for reconciliation

was held for two days.

Is US ambassador David Mulford guilty? Yes and no, say ex-envoys

New Delhi

12 February 2006

Some former diplomats say although the United States ambassador

to India, Dr David C Mulford, deviated from established diplomatic procedure by writing

directly to a chief minister, such actions have over the years come to be recognised as

accepted practice.

Recently, Dr Mulford wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee for

his remarks against the American President. A few years ago, he wrote a letter to the

chief minister of Assam offering Federal Bureau of Investigation help investigation into

the blasts that claimed many lives.

Also, in an interview to Press Trust of India, the US ambassador last month said if India

did not vote against Iran's nuclear programme, the fallout on the India-US nuclear deal in

the American Congress would be "devastating" and the initiative would die. Political

parties termed those remarks as violation of diplomatic protocol.

A former diplomat, Prof Hamid Ansari, feels an envoy's communication to a state

government would not be something the Union government would necessarily frown on.

"Technically speaking, he is supposed to communicate with the central government but

in practice, [this] is accepted," he told this newspaper.

Prof Ansari is a distinguished fellow with the Observer Research Foundation in New

Delhi. He has served as India's ambassador to Iran, Saudi Arabia and also as India's

permanent representative to the United Nations. "[A] minor infringement of practice can

be accepted," he observes.

A former ambassador to Sweden, Mr BM Oza, says there are no "hard and fast rules"

that an ambassador cannot communicate with anybody other than the Union

Government; the yardstick, according to him, should be whether there was a malafide

intention and this cannot be a ground for recall.

"Strictly speaking, he (Mulford) is not exactly right," Mr Oza says, referring the Vienna

Convention of 1961 of which India and the US are signatories. He, however, disagrees

with the Left parties when they speak about the envoy's attitude or behaviour. "[Attempt]

must not be to make an issue of conduct," he adds.

On February 10, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said the party expected a

response from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "The US Ambassador does not seem to

understand how to behave as an ambassador in this country. An ambassador has to

behave according to certain norms," Mr Karat said.

In his letter, the US envoy objected to the chief minister's description of US President

George Bush as a leader of the "most organised pack of killers" at an election rally in

Kolkata on January 8. Dr Mulford also said such remarks would be detrimental,

especially in inviting US investors to West Bengal.

Mr Karat also said that the CPI(M) had earlier demanded Dr Mulford's recall following his

comment on the stand taken by the Left parties on foreign direct investment in retail

trade.

Millennium Development Goals: UN official says India on track but needs to do more

New Delhi

11 February 2006

India is "on track" for achieving the Millennium Development Goals

but needs to "look seriously" at improving materal healthcare, reducing child mortality

and educating the girl, says a senior United Nations official.

"India also needs to do more about environment and safe drinking water," adds Mr Kim

Hak-Su, Under Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

During his four-day State visit to India, Mr Kim met with certain ministers and

government officials.

In an interview to this newspaper, Mr Kim said New Delhi had responded positively to

his proposal for the creation of a UNESCAP-India Cooperation Fund. China, Japan and

South Korea have set up similar funds.

"I will write a letter of request [soon] to the government of India for setting up the fund,"

he said. India, he felt, was playing a leadership role and she must now take on

responsibility and contribute to the development of the region as a whole.

On the next UN Secretary General, he said South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade

Minister Ban Ki Moon will declare his candidacy in the next few days. He will join the

other officially declared candidates from Asia, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart

Sathirathai and Sri Lankan nonproliferation expert Jayantha Dhanapala.

The South Korean economist observed that environment and sustainale development

were a priority for the UNESCAP. Desertification has emerged as a challenge with the

situation becoming "more serious [in Asia] than Africa."

The priorities were managing globalisation, poverty and emerging social issues in

regard to the disabled and the aged besides human trafficking, gender and HIV. The

Asian Highway and trans-Asian railway projects were also making progress.

Mr Kim said he has invited Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and his deputy, Mr

Jairam Ramesh, to the April meeting of UNESCAP in Jakarta where he also intends to

hold bilateral meetings with them.

'Indo-US ties will survive even if nuke deal fails'

New Delhi

9 February 2006

As Washington engages New Delhi for resolving their differences

over the separation of Indian civilian and strategic nuclear facilities, an American analyst

has observed that the India-United States relationship will survive even if the nuclear

deal collapses.

"The relationship will survive even if the Indo-US deal flops because the bilateral

relations are based on economic ties and people-to-people contacts," says Dr Gary

Samore, Vice President for Global Security and Sustainability at the MacArthur

Foundation.

"[We] will do just fine ... whatever happens to the deal," he said. Dr Samore, who was in

New Delhi to speak on nuclear proliferation in the context of Iran and North Korea, felt

New Delhi would need to decide for itself how important it is to prevent Iran (from

acquiring nuclear weapons.)

"India, therefore, should calculate how best she can contribute to the international

campaign," he observed. He said one could not make an informed judgment as to how

far away Iran was from developing nuclear weapons as information was only available

on Iran's nuclear weapons grade uranium.

Dr Samore felt that although Israel was inclined to strike against Iran, it had certain

military constaints; also, sanctions were not "practical" as it was not certain how Tehran

will react or retaliate if the US were to use Israel "as a proxy" to put more pressure on

the Iranian regime.

"It could close the Strait of Hormuz or launch missiles [against Israel] ... but the

minimum it will do is to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Once it

leaves, it will want to rebuild its nuclear programme without international inspection or

interference," he observed.

"Another consequence of striking Iran will be cutting off information and transparency ...

Iran could also retaliate by proxy [through] the Hizbollah in southern Lebanon and

Hamas in Palestine and indirectlty attack the US but without provoking full-scale conflict

with the US," he added.

MPs join Burmese pro-democracy activists; oppose Kalam visit

New Delhi

7 February 2006

Certain politicians, including sitting Members of Parliament, have

said they would join Burmese pro-democracy activists in asking the President, Dr APJ

Abdul Kalam, not to visit Myanmar.

They questioned the logic of engaging the Burmese military junta despite the detention

of Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest or the lack of progress towards restoration of

democracy there.

Dr Kalam will visit that country in March, soon after United States President George W

Bush concludes his visit to India. It would be the first ever visit to Myanmar by an Indian

Head of State.

Reigniting engagement versus isolation debate, Mr Abani Roy of the Rajya Sabha felt

more needed to be done by India and international community alike for securing the

release of Suu Kyi and restoring democracy.

"We will meet with the President and talk to him," Mr Roy said, adding that the Indian

Parliamentarians Forum for Democracy in Burma would submit a memorandum and

possibly launch a signature campaign.

Dr Shambu Srivastava of JD(U) observed that New Delhi's policy of engagement has not

helped to quell the insurgency in India's North East. "On the contrary, there is credible

information that Burmese territory is used for complicating some of these problems," he

said.

Ms Thin Thin Aung of Women's League of Burma told this newspaper that Dr Kalam's

visit would send a "wrong signal" in that the military junta will see India as willing to

deal with it irrespective of the situation inside Burma.

Observing that "my country is on the brink of becoming a failed state," Dr Tint Swe, a

member of parliament of the Burmese Government-in-Exile, told this newspaper that

India was blindly following China in shaping its Burma policy.

Dr Sui Khar of the National Reconciliation Programme and Foreign Affairs Committee of

Ethnic Nationalities Council said India was a competent and appropriate country;

therefore, she should take a leadership role.

Meanwhile, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in

Burma, Mr Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, is likely to visit India soon for holding talks in New

Delhi with Burmese groups.

India-US Nuke Deal: Ex-envoys raise doubts, want PM to speak up; 'Will India join the US in using force against Iran?' they want to know

New Delhi

6 February 2006

Voicing their opinion about the "merits" and "implications" of the civil

nuclear cooperation agreement between India and the United States, eight former Indian

ambassadors fear the "price [India] will be asked to pay to ensure that US Congressional

ratification will be too high".

In a joint statement, the former envoys say, "An added anxiety is the not so very

encouraging past record of the US in ahering to agreements; modifications and

withdrawals from bilateral/multilateral acords driven by shifts and reversals is US

doctrine and policy are not unknown."

Suggesting that "sanctions against Iran and punitive actions in the event of non-

compliance are very likely to follow," they want to know how far would India wish to go in

terms of applying pressure on Iran to prevent it. "US policy does include the use of force

to achieve this; but would India be ready to join the US all the way?" they ask.

Criticising some commentators who say US is the obvious choice if it comes to choosing

between the US and Iran, they wonder why India should be forced to get into this difficult

dilemma of choosing.

Observing that the "comprehensive statement" promised by the government has not

come about despite the passage of two sessions of Parliament and no standing

committee of Parliament has had an opportunity to consider the matter, the diplomats

say the government "should put aside its present policy of reticence and share with the

people of India all that it is legitimately entitled to know."

The signatories are AP Venkateswaran, former foreign secretary; CV Ranganathan,

former ambassador to China and France; AM Khaleeli, former ambassador to Iran and

Italy; CB Muthamma, former ambassador to Hungary and the Netherlands; N Krishnan,

fofmer permanent representative to the United Nations; A Madhavan, former ambassador

to Japan and Germany; PL Sinai, former ambassador to Austria and Representative to

the IAEA; and PA Nazareth, former ambassador to Egypt and Mexico.

'Coalition of the Willing' emerging against Bush visit; Muslim organisations, Left parties plan protests

New Delhi

2 February 2006

While the UPA Government gets ready to roll out the red carpet for

United States President George W Bush, a "Coalition of the Willing" comprising civil

society organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, writers and activists

want "Bush [to] go back."

Similar protests have been planned by the Left parties, which are supporting the UPA

Government from outside, and by anti-imperialist forces extending from Cuba to the

neighbouring Himalayan kingdom of Nepal. Certain UPA allies have also extended moral

support to the anti-Bush campaign.

"We will follow him wherever he goes," says Mr SQR Ilyas, executive member of

Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and convenor of "Bush Go Back" campaign committee. The JeI and

allied organisations are making elaborate plans to show black flags to the US President

in Delhi and in the state capitals.

Incidentally, anti-Bush campaigns are also being held in the United States with protests

planned for February 4 in Washington DC and elsewhere. The US President's January 31

State of the Union address was similarly greeted by demonstrations in several cities

across America.

According to media reports, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested while trying to

attend the State of the Union address wearing a T-shirt that read "2245 Dead. How many

more?". Ms Sheehan, the mother of slain US solder Casey Sheehan, has also kept vigil

outside President Bush's Texas ranch last year.

The activists carrying on the campaign in the US have criticised the Bush Administration

for its wars of aggression, torture and indefinite detention, destruction of the global

environment, attacks on global public health and "knowing failure to protect life during

Hurricane Katrina."

In India, Maulana Mahmood Madani A Madani, general secretary of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind,

says the "Bush Go Back" campaign will draw on Mahatma Gandhi's Ahimsa to launch a

signature campaign and flood the US Embassy in India and Prime Minister Dr

Manmohan Singh's office with emails.

The activists including writer Amresh Mishra observe that the focus of the campaign will

be the Bush Administration, not America or Americans. "This is also not about Muslims,"

they clarify, and suggest that the campaign will be about human issues and individuals

from all walks of life will join.

Security, logistics of Munabao train finalised

Munabao (Rajasthan)

1 February 2006

Special security cover would be provided to the Munabao-

Khokrapar Thar Express by the Border Security Force and Railway Protection Force

personnel. The inaugural run of the train will take place on February 18 as has been

decided by India and Pakistan after Railway officials from both countries concluded their

two-day talks in Islamabad.

"The RPF personnel will be in the train. The Government Railway Police (GRP) could also

be requisitioned if need arises," Mr SB Bhattacharya, General Manager of North Western

Railway said. Metalled roads have been built along the railway line between Munabao

and the border and BSF personnel will escort the train.

"We have signed the agreement covering all technical aspects and the first train would

be run from February 18," Mr Ashok Gupta, Adviser (Traffic) in the Railway Board has

said. Mr Gupta signed the agreement with his Pakistani counterpart, Mr Mustaq Khan

Jadoon, on Tuesday.

As per the agreement reached, the train service would be run every Saturday of the

week. The fare for the train was tentatively fixed for Rs 190 on the Pakistani side and Rs

115 on the Indian side. Sources said the agreement is modelled on the Samjhauta

Express running between Attari and Lahore.

The sources said the train would leave from Karachi to Khokhrapar on the Pakistani side

on Friday and cross into the Indian side on Saturday. It will arrive at the Munabao

railway station around noon. After immigration and custom checks, the Pakistani

passengers will leave at about 4.30 pm for Jodhpur.

On the Indian side, the train will leave Jodhpur on Friday night and reach Munabao on

Saturday morning. There will be no stoppages on the 329 km-route between Jodhpur and

Munabao. Passengers will get into the coaches (provided by Pakistan for the first six

months) and leave for Pakistan at about 1.30 pm.

The sources said that after immigration and custom checks at the "Zero Point" railway

station built by Pakistan very near to the international border, the passengers will travel

to Khokrapar situated about nine kilometres away and onwards to Mirpur Khas at a

distance of 135 kilometres.

Sparing no efforts, Railways will fetch water from 40 km away for Pakistani guests

Munabao (Rajasthan)

31 January 2006

Elaborate arrangements have been made at the Munabao

railway station for receiving the first batch of passengers from Pakistan in 41 years. A

veritable oasis in the Thar Desert, Munabao has all the amenities befitting an

international terminus.

Attention has been paid to the last detail as would become evident from the fact that for

the benefit of the Pakistani guests, the North Western Railway has made arrangements

for fetching cool drinking water from Gadra Road, which is situated at a distance of 40

kilometres from Munabao.

The station will have 24 counters for immigration checks and another 20 for customs

checks. A train consisting of 10 coaches can be received from either side and 650 to 700

passengers can be accommodated at any given time. In sharp contrast, the "Zero Point"

station built on the Pakistani resembles a tin shed.

The renovated Munabao railway station also has a first to its credit. "Unlike the existing

system at Atari, the two trains leaving from Khokrapar in Pakistan and Jodhpur can be

dealt simultaneously," says Mr SB Gandhi, Chief Public Relations Officer of North

Western Railway.

"[At Munabao, it] is possible to clear the passengers after immigration and customs

check within three to four hours. Whereas at Atari, the trains have to be received one

after the other on the same platform [and] five to six hours is needed for customs and

immigration clearance of the passengers," he explains.

Officials say that when the train linking Sindh province in Pakistan with Rajasthan finally

resumes its journey later this month, it will travel over a railway line that was

commissioned as early as 1887. During the era of the princely state of Jodhpur, people

could travel from Karachi and Amarkot in Pakistan to Jodhpur.

Customs officials say an Indian-origin passenger over 10 years old will be entitled for

free allowance up to a value of Rs 6,000; those below 10 years old will be entitled for a

value of up to Rs 1,500. Similarly, for passengers of Pakistan origin with a Pakistani

passport, the allowance shall be of a value not more than Rs 6,000.