US accuses India of importing
secret weapons technology

Fazle Rashid in New York

Schism between India and USA appears to be widening. After an open discord over the nuclear question comes the accusation of New Delhi deliberately infringing the US law. The US Justice Department has charged the Indian government of consciously taking part in a conspiracy to side step American export regulations to obtain secret weapons technology from American companies. This unlawful practice is going on for past several years, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
   The Justice Department said the Indian company Cirrus was working as the agent of the Indian government and illegally obtaining sensitive missile and weapons technology for its military programme. The Justice Department has named a number of Indian conspirators including Parthasarathi Sudarsan. The Justice Department said the conspirators were buying equipment for three government agencies.
   Charges came barely few months after President Bush ordered shipment of nuclear reactors and fuel to India with Congressional approval of course. The Indian action will hugely embarrass the White House. India has broken a pledge to President Bush. India has flouted American Export Laws and surreptitiously obtained weapons technology from America.
   In order to make the nuclear deal effective India will have to reach agreement with separate international organizations for regular inspections of its civilian nuclear installations. Military nuclear establishments have been exempted from international monitoring. Shyam Saran, the then Indian foreign secretary in a letter to the state department in Sept 2003 had categorically committed that New Delhi would not violate American export control laws and registrations. India has been engaged in buying US military hardware from 2003 to 2006.
   The defendants have been charged with violating US export administration act, which prohibits sales of technologies used for military and non-military purposes without the permission of the commerce department. The government of India has promised to look into the matter. The critics of the Indo-US nuclear deal said India has failed to live up to its promise.
   This is not only an indictment of individuals for breaking export control law, it is also a blistering indictment of Bush administration's judgement, and Edward Markey a Democrat member of the House said.
   Tail Piece. Who are the most power drunk and rapacious dictator? Musharraf Hussain of Pakistan, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt or Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Musharaff has dismissed the chief justice and Mubarak has limited the monitoring power in polls of the judges to broaden the scope democracy. In Mugabe's Zimbawe the rate of inflation has touched 116 percent.

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Can SAARC deliver as Indian PM asserts?

A. R. Khan

The 14th New Delhi Summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) concluded last week giving a wider mandate to promote peace, progress and development in the region through greater connectivity in trade, movement of people and through flow of ideas.
   The SAARC leaders called for a joint fight against terrorism with specific mention on taking measures to suppress financing of terrorist act. In concrete terms, the announcement was akin to a small baby step forward, rather than a bold stride.
   Leaders of the eight member states, including the new member Afghanistan, signed a 30-point declaration that called for an early roadmap that would lead to a South Asia Customs Union and a South Asian Economic Union 'in a planned and phased manner'.
   The declaration included the decisions to establish SAARC Development Fund (SDF), South Asian University, SAARC Food Bank and SAARC Arbitration Council.
   The 'connectivity' theme of this summit also got a boost with the member nations agreeing to improve intra-regional connectivity, particularly physical, economic and people-to-people.
   The South Asian leaders agreed to the vision of a South Asian community, where there was smooth flow of goods, services, peoples, technologies, knowledge, capital, culture and ideas in the region.
   The declaration also welcomed Iran's association with the SAARC as an observer.
   In the declaration, the eight leaders committed to adopt the SAARC Development Goals in their national policies, harmonising customs procedures, expanding cooperation in energy and ICT sectors and implementing social charter.
   As a measure to strengthen the ties among SAARC nations, India declared duty-free access to the least developed countries and a reduction in the list of sensitive imports. India also announced liberalization of visas for students, teachers, professors, journalists and patients from SAARC nations.
   The Kolkata-based leading Indian Bangla daily Anandabazar Patrika in a commentary described the SAARC summit as a success towards establishing diplomatic and economic domination over the south Asian region. However, the influential daily also did not hesitate to comment that the best achievement India made during the summit was the improved relations with the caretaker government of Bangladesh, which it described as "fresh oxygen" and the advancement towards fulfilling the "desires" of India.
   Meanwhile, commenting on India's offer for liberal visa and duty-free access of goods from neighbouring countries, largely circulated English-language daily The Indian Express stated that India was notorious for backing off from promises, even those made at the highest political level to its neighbours. The daily commented in its editorial: "The Indian bureaucracy is adept at taking back with the left hand what it holds out on the right."
   Bangladesh had experien-ced such notoriety in the past when it had to go up to the WTO to negotiate for market access of battery into Indian market against non-tariff barrier created by India. Although it was claimed that all the Bangladesh proposals was included in the joint declaration but in bilateral discussions there was no mention about the staggering problems of water-sharing in the common rivers, implementation of Mujib-Indira Accord of 1973, the problems of the enclave people in their regular movement to and fro the mainland and on the issue of adversely held territories.
   However, the SAARC summit this time achieved wider dimension by allowing observer status to Iran. China, a close neighbour of Afganistan, Pakistan and India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh also showed its keen interest to join the cooperation body as an observer. Chinese foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing led the Chinese delegation to the New Delhi summit with hope of expanding cooperation with the South Asian countries.

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Tehran shows humane gesture
despite utter provocation

M. Shahidul Islam in Toronto

The Mollahs in Tehran are showing miracles, one after another. Sensing an imminent military aggression, the confirmation for which came from various sources in the last few weeks, Iran displayed a brilliant diplomatic theatric on April 4, declaring that, 'as a gift to Britain', Tehran will free the 15 British soldiers arrested in Iranian water on March 23.
   The decision seems tied to a quid pro quo in which Iranian diplomatic staff held by coalition forces in Iraq may be freed sooner, but there was no confirmation of that as yet.
   Declared by President Ahmedinajad himself, the Iranian magnanimity has not only thrown George Bush off balance with respect to the likely British participation in a pending preemptive aggression against Iran, in terms of the foreign policy the Iranian regime has begun to pursue in the face of other geopolitical encroachment of all sorts, the decision to free the British soldiers was a spectacular stroke of brilliance that will deprive the USA of public support from the UK and other European nations in the US's endless confrontation with Iran since the Iranian revolution of 1979.
   
   An encircled Iran
   Who can blame Iran now? Much of Iran's borders with Iraq and Afghanistan are encircled by US-led NATO forces and the Persian Gulf has virtually been under command of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) since the conclusion of the Iran-Iraq war in the late 1980s. Iran also faces IAEA imposed restrictions and UN Security Council- imposed sanctions. Tehran does need some breathing space to cope with all of those challenges, hence the latest gesture. Iran also needs more time to convince the world that its nuclear program is indeed a peaceful one.
   Yet, analysts think some other excuses will be found to attack Iran sooner or later. Having failed to impress the Congress with the necessity to continue Iraq war funding, and, faced with the Congressional call to withdraw troops from Iraq, Bush and Blair are left with no other choice but to widen the Mid-East conflict to dislodge the Iranian regime; to deprive Tehran of its nuclear ambition; and, not to allow Iran to emerge as a predominant military power in the region, replacing US's trusted ally, Israel.
   But the US is in the midst of a serious foreign policy challenge now. Despite Bush's insistence on staying the course, which includes attacking Iran, Democrats have chosen to go the other way. Defying the White House, the democratic speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has visited Syria to meet President Assad (jr.) and proposed for a peace deal with Israel.
   Meanwhile, the US claimed that one of its former FBI agents is reported missing in Iran and the State Department is seeking information from Tehran about the missing agent who disappeared while being on a 'business trip.' Observers wonder what the heck a former FBI agent was doing in Iran when the two countries are only inches away from a military showdown.
   
   Startling revelation
   The fear of an impending attack has been compounded by Russian intelligence experts who revealed that the U.S. Armed Forces have nearly completed preparations for a possible military operation against Iran and will be ready to strike in early April. Citing credible intelligence sources, Col.-Gen. Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Sciences, said last week the Pentagon was planning to deliver a massive air strike on Iran's military infrastructure in the near future.
   "I have no doubt there will be an operation, or rather an aggressive action against Iran," Ivashov said, commenting on media reports about U.S. planned operation against Iran, codenamed Operation Bite. "The Pentagon has drafted a highly effective plan that will allow the Americans to bring Iran to its knees at minimal cost," said the Colonel who is an acclaimed geopolitical expert.
   The Russian revelation follows the conclusion of a war game in the region by US forces and the latest US force buildup in the Gulf. The US reinforcement include the dispatch of USS John C. Stennis, with a crew of 3,200, around 80 fixed-wing aircraft (including F/A-18 Hornet and Super-hornet fighter bombers), eight support ships and four nuclear submarines that had joined the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower which has been patrolling the area since December 2006. The U.S. is also learnt to have deployed Patriot anti-missile systems to the region.
   But Russia thinks the US is risking too much by preparing for an attack against Iran. A top ranking Russian General warned on April 3 that the United States cannot inflict a military defeat on Iran and any attack would be a huge political mistake. Russian news agencies quoted General Yuri Baluyevsky, head of the Russian general staff, as saying, "it is possible to damage Iran's military and industrial potential, but it is impossible to win."
   
   IAEA's impropriety
   In the face of aggressive postures from the West, Iran last week informed the IAEA of its next move. In a confidential letter posted on March 29 on an internal Web site of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Iran said its fear of attack from the U.S. and Israel prompted its decision to withhold information from the agency.
   In the letter, Iran alleged that the IAEA had repeatedly allowed confidential information crucial to the country's security to be leaked. "The United States and the Israeli regime ... are threatening the use of force and attack against the Islamic Republic of Iran and have repeatedly stressed that military action is an option on the table," claimed the letter. "So long as such threats of military action persist, Iran has no option but (to) protect its security through all means possible, including protection of information which can facilitate openly stated and aggressive military objectives of the war mongers." The letter was signed by Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran's chief delegate to the IAEA.
   Blaming the IAEA for failing what the letter says "systematically and repeatedly to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information" and of impropriety, Soltanieh wrote: "(T)herefore, such dangerous dissemination of sensitive information will have to be curtailed through steps which limit their scope and availability."
   The ostensible Iranian non-cooperation with the IAEA regime came at a time when the IAEA was waiting for Iran to respond to its requests to install remote cameras at key locations at Iran's underground enrichment plant at Natanz.
   Tehran also declared on March 30 that it would no longer provide the IAEA with advance notice about any new nuclear facilities - a decision the government spokesman, Gholan Hossein Elham, said came in response to the "illegal and bullying resolution by the UN Security Council."
   As the crisis lingers, oil prices in London hit a seven-month high on March 29 and investors felt rattled. The prices were reduced by over a dollar on April 3 once diplomatic gestures overtook military postures of both sides.
   
   Strategy in the Strait
   Analysts fear Iran will, as a punitive strategy, impede trade through the Strait of Hormuz if it were further threatened or attacked. The strategic channel at the entrance to the Gulf is the world's most important waterway, an essential conduit to purvey roughly about two-fifths of all globally traded oil, some 16-17 million barrels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Some 2 million barrels of oil products, including fuel oil, too are exported through the passage daily.
   In case of the outbreak of a war, the main thrust of the showdown will centre around a narrow bend of water in the Strait that separates Oman and Iran and connects biggest Gulf oil producers like Saudi Arabia with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
   At its narrowest point, the Strait is only 34 miles (55 km) in width, which consists of 2-mile wide navigable channels for inbound and outbound tanker traffic and a 2-mile wide buffer zone. Iranian forces can receive artillery and air support from the shore to confront with the attackers in the Strait.
   Iran can also play havoc with the world economy as ninety percent of oil exported from the Gulf producers is carried on oil tankers through the Strait. Tehran might block the move of tankers and conduct retaliatory actions against ships that belong to countries in alliance with, or sympathetic to, the West, say analysts.
   The records of past hostility in the Strait are scarring. The channel of the Strait is currently manned by the U.S. Central Command's (CENTCOM) due to Shipping in the Gulf having dropped by 25 per cent between 1984 and 1987 when a "Tanker War" took place between Iran and Iraq. Worst of all, foreign-flagged vessels were caught in the crossfire at that time. It will be no exception this time around too.
   Iran is reported to have deployed anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles on islands strategically located near the Strait's shipping lanes.
   The most dangerous aspect of an impending war is the Strait's vulnerability to the global economy. Some estimates conclude oil exports passing through the strait will reach to between 30- 34 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2020. Over 75 per cent of Japan's oil too passes through this narrow stretch of water.
   Besides, merchant ships carrying grains, iron ore, sugar and other perishables, and containers full of finished goods pass through the strategic corridor en route to major Gulf ports like Dubai. Bulk of heavy armour and military supplies for the U.S. armed forces in Iraq and other Gulf countries too pass through the same route.
   One hence wishes that the peacemakers prevail over the warmongers after so much of damage and destruction caused to global peace by foolhardy demagogues like Bush and Blair.

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Dr. Mizanur Rahman Shelley

The present government of Bangladesh is a unique product of extra-ordinary circumstances. Constitutionally described as 'Caretaker government' it has, in reality, assumed the character of an interim government. The tumultuous political situation existing since the close of October 2006 to the 11January 2007 made it impossible for the earlier caretaker government led by President Iajuddin Ahmed as the Chief Adviser to hold the elections scheduled for the 22 January. That situation itself was the product of polluted politics often epoch marked by hollow democracy.
   Since its resurrection in 1991 parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh was characterised by tremendous human failure. On account of inadequate leadership the system was robbed of its essence. Behind the facade of democracy virtual personal and dynastic rule devastated the politico-administrative system. The economy became hostage to crony-capital and politicised business. Democracy disappeared in all but name from the government and the political party system. The only feature of democracy that survived, elections under interim and caretaker governments, also became uncertain as a result of distorted and divisive politics that had been transformed into a handmaiden of pervasive corruption at higher echelons of the society.
   Despite stupendous human failure in running the democratic political system, Bangladesh has achieved considerable success in economic and social development. This is reflected in steady growth of GDP, encouraging, though slow, alleviation of poverty, spread of education, especially primary education, steady growth in food production and consistent increase in export. There has been marked, though slow, human development. Much of these achievements are the results of silent and hard work of the people of Bangladesh and reflect the triumph of the national spirit. In spite of leadership failure the dream of a developed, prosperous and vibrant Bangladesh can be achieved if conditions are created for a climate of disciplined and stable democratic politics in the country under the leadership of visionary and competent political leaders.
   Though the present government is not an elected one historical developments have invested it with a rare opportunity of paving the way to the realisation of the cherished dream of national development. The unique and unprecedented crisis of politics, which led to the advent of the present government has created the solid bases of strong popular support for it.
   Though the government has started its journey with favourable tailwind, the challenges it faces are complex and multi-dimensional. It is not easy to meet these. A major dimension of this challenge is the need to reform and recast several constitutional bodies and the entire administration. Political failure and undesirable politicisation in some instances have led to the creation of some very complex problems which do not lend themselves to easy and quick solutions.
   Despite the daunting prospects the government has started reforms in these sectors in response to heightened popular demands and expectations. Reconstitution and reform exercises have begun in the Election Commission, the Anti Corruption Commission and other similar entities. In order to make administration free from politicisation and restore its independence, neutrality and competence there is need to reform and recast all components of the system including the Public Service Commission. The government will have to adopt short term, mid term and long-term measures to accomplish these tasks. This may be possible. Nevertheless, in view of the evolving reality this interim government may not have enough time to effect long-term reforms in government and administration. It has to be remembered that the principal responsibility of this government is to hold the national elections that could not be held as scheduled on 22 January in the wake of unavoidable promulgation of the State of Emergency responding to grave political crisis. This government is here to ensure the continuity of clean and healthy democracy and to renew the process of unpolluted and stable politics.
   In this context there is no evident compulsion of a timeframe in the short run. Nevertheless, a free and fair election needs to be held and power transferred to the elected representatives of the people within a reasonable time. This is a compelling requirement in the greater national interest of vibrant development in a democratic framework.
   Whatever political and administrative reforms are initiated and put in place by this government these will need to be protected and sustained by the elected legislature that follows. In order to ensure this it is essential to take realistic steps in the political dimension. One should not forget that though the present government is not a political one it is the product of a certain political situation and brought to office by political happenings. Its work, therefore, can be enduring only with the active and forceful support of political forces with wide popular backing. In this perspective the government needs to prepare the ground for those political leaders and activists who are not corrupt and polluted to play their appropriate roles.
   The present government is not a political entity in its structure and nature. The armed forces, which are acting as its principal helping force is not also a political body. Under these circumstances the government has to move with great caution and cool-composure. It has to explore and design a realistic, appropriate, effective and enduring path to democratic transition through wide and intense discussions and exchange of ideas with all the stakeholders or their leaders.
   The work is not easy. However, it can be started with the assistance and cooperation of active leaders of various segments of the society including civil society, NGO representatives, adminis-trators both in-service and retired, business leaders, thinkers, analysts, media leaders and above all honest and dedicated political leaders and activists.
   * The author, a noted thinker, social scientist and litterature, is the founder Chairman of the Centre for Development Research, Bangladesh (CDRB) and Editor, quarterly "ASIAN AFFAIRS".

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Nation undergoing a paradigm shift

Faruque Ahmed

The country's political paradigm is fast changing. When the current caretaker government took over about three months ago the focus was initially on creating an environment to hold a free and fair election. But over the time the focal point appears to have changed to create a new political climate to bring about fundamental changes in the country's overall political landscape.
   When the first caretaker government of President Dr Iajuddin Ahmed quit at issue was a controversial voter list with many flaws. Awami League went out a long way to exploit the situation demanding a new voter list with voters' identity card and transparent ballot box.
   The second caretaker government of Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed took over with backing of the nations' armed forces. The first thing that it pledged to the nation on that occasion was to update the voters' list with national identity card or formulating altogether a new list with voters photographs fixed against their names.
   The debate continued for whether the national identity card or voters' identity card would be the right answer to the problem. But suddenly the focus shifted last week when the army chief of staff Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed raised the issue of the identity of the father of the nation and recognition of other national leaders.
   Talking to a selected group of invitees at a luncheon at the army headquarters he further expressed his displeasure, as the press reports said, on failure of the nation's political leadership over the past 36 years to give due respect and recognition to some of the national leaders. He emphasised that it must be resolved once for all to bury the divisiveness of the past.
   Last week speaking at a conference of the Political Science Association of the Dhaka University Gen Moeen raised another point. He made a strong plea to increase the power of the President that may fit in our particular condition as a fledging democracy. He was candid in his deliberation in the backdrop of the recent developments when the national institutions were almost on the verge of collapse and its internal security was threatened.
   However, commenting on his observation, Law adviser Barrister Moinul Husein said that what the Army chief had said was a valid case of check and balance in our context, but it is the job of the elected government and one should wait till that point.
   In yet another disclosure, a TV report quoted Gen Moyeen saying he had sent a proposal to the chief of the caretaker government's office to set up a mechanism to identify the war criminals. These moves are suggestive of a fundamental change in the political paradigm.
   There is no denying the fact that the present caretaker government is waging a cleansing operation to free politics and bureaucracy from pervasive corruption. Scores of politicians belonging to major political parties like the BNP and Awami League, their past ministers, MPs and leaders down to districts and rural areas have been put behind the bar while many others are on the run.
   The nation is united behind the government to ensure punishment of the corrupt elements and cleansing the politics. But as the paradigm is shifting, the hunt for corrupt elements appears to be slowing down as observers point to the government's hesitation to take on new list of corrupt elements despite earlier announcement about the new list.
   Many also wonder if the government has abandoned moves to punish business syndicates responsible for hoarding and price spiral.

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Govt. increases fuel oil prices

Risk of inflation, recession looms

Asjadul Kibria

The latest hike of prices of four types of fuel oils by 15-22 per cent may be justified, as it was happened in previous periods. No doubt that the price hike would give some breathing space to the interim government for adjusting fiscal burdens as well soften the lending agencies position on releasing the fund available with the pipeline. A day after announcing the prices of fuel oils on April 3, the World Bank has hinted that it would release $200 million before the next budget under the bank's Development Support Credit (DSC IV).
   To reduce fiscal burden, government mentioned the unbearable loss of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation due to higher import but lower domestic prices of fuel oils. 'This is an unpleasant decision, but we had no other option,' Energy Adviser Tapan Chowdhury told a press briefing after announcing the raise in fuel prices. Interestingly, government never considered any reduction of import tariff on oil imports that can help to reduce the financial burden of BPC. The state-owned enterprises (SOEs), especially the Bangladesh Biman owe huge amount of money to BPC, which remains unrealised. So, adjusting the fiscal burden in an unbalanced way can't be sustainable.
   The big jump in prices of fuel oils has unavoidably enhanced the risk of inflation as well as recession in near future. There are already some signs of mild recession in the economy due to several administrative measures taken by the government to check the corruption and irregularities. So, it will be a serious challenge for the finance advisor to give a significant push to the economy especially through the budgetary measures. And it would be difficult task for the central bank governor to contain inflationary pressure in the last quarter of the current fiscal year (FY07).
   The rise of kerosene price, per litre to Tk 40 from Tk 33 will be a big blow for rural people and farmer. The similar rate of increase in diesel price has not only increased the cost of agricultural inputs like irrigation, but also the industrial activities especially of small and medium enterprises. The aman rice production has reached 1.28 crore metric ton in the current fiscal year against the annual target of 1.31 crore metric ton. However, , higher output of aman rice over previous year has contributed to ease the inflation in January as the monthly inflation rate came down to 5.94 per cent from 6.13 per cent in December 2006.
   Now it is the peak season of boro rice. Farmers have already suffered from a fertiliser crisis. The season for Boro cultivation is almost over now and farmers may not need to bear the higher cost of irrigation. Even then, it is apprehended that enhanced transport price is likely to push the rice price higher in market in the coming days. Besides, the cereal production cost will certainly increase along with transportation cost. Thus, inflation is almost sure to go up again. The finance adviser, however, has ensured that farmers would get some budget subsidy to offset the effect of the price hike. Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam said, 'We are examining the ways for providing some relief to the poor for the price hike of diesel and kerosene.' But any subsidy for the farmers in the next budget will not be available, at least, before the next four months. So any such government move is unlikely to help the farmers in the shot-term. The subsidy, therefore, may be available at a time when the farmers' need would not be that grave.
   For the last two months, interim government has been fighting to control the price hike and adopted different fiscal and administrative measures like import duty reduction of rice and wheat and open market sales. Bangladesh Rifles has set up several sales units of essential commodities in lower prices. This move has begun to provide some positive results as prices of essentials in the kitchen market showed a downward trend. Big rise in oil prices is likely to reverse the trend due to increase in transportation costs.
   The government has cautioned that transport fare will not be allowed to increase beyond a reasonable limit. Accordingly, bus and minibus fare has been increased by Tk 0.07 per kilometre in the wake of rise in fuel prices. The buses are now to charge passengers Tk 0.87 and minibuses Tk 0.90 per kilometre. As per government instruction, motor vehicles carrying goods, the fair increase has been determined at Tk 0.23 per kilometre per ton.
   However, it is not clear if it would be possible for the government to strictly monitor whether the bus-truck owners are properly following the government-fixed fare hike rates. Moreover, all the buses, operating in different routes across the country, have already started charging higher fares than set by the government. They always use any opportunity to increase fares without any justification and make excessive profit. The CNG-driven buses are also charging higher fares. So, it is a very challenging task for the government to check any excessive hike in fares.
   Finance advisor, however, expressed hope that the raise in fuel prices would not lead to price hike of essentials and the inflation rate would remain within 7 per cent. In a similar vein, the central bank officials opined that inflation rate would remain within 7 per cent in FY07. 'The inflation projection was made taking into consideration the possible rise in fuel oil prices,' central bank deputy governor Allah Malik Kazemi told to a news agency. He further said, 'The consumer will economise their spending to cope with the situation.'
   Nevertheless, it will be daunting task to cope with the overall situation unless the government moves for a long-term comprehensive strategy that includes efficient uses gas, exploring the alternative and renewable energy sources, reduction of corruption and irregularities within the SOEs including BPC.

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Manipur's masked young men of dignity

Nava Thakuria in Guwahati

They are enthusiastic college students, come from lower middle class families and are rickshaw pullers on the roads of Imphal, the capital city of Manipur in Northeast India. The young men start their activities in early morning, bringing out the rented rickshaws to the road, have a look on the morning newspapers, go for rent and then rush to the colleges to attend classes. If the classes are completed earlier, they once again pull rickshaws and then go home to take study and to retire on bed at the earliest. While on their duty (pulling rickshaw) they talk too little or nothing and hardly haggle over fares and more interestingly they cover their faces, sans the eyes, with a piece of cloth and the cap.
   "Because I want to conceal my identity as a college student. Imphal is not a big city and anybody can identify me while pulling rickshaw with a bare face. And that's I do not like. After all, I will never shape my career as a rickshaw puller. I have to do many more", said Lalit (not his real name), one of those masked young rickshaw pullers, who responded to a series of queries from this correspondent recently in Imphal.
   Like any other places in the country, pulling cycle rickshaws or pushcarts is in no way recognized as a respectable profession. Enough is talked about the dignity of labour, but in real life, it has no role to play. The student rickshaw pullers of Imphal are afraid of loosing their social status if it is revealed that they pull rickshaws (even though part time) and hence they prefer to mask their faces.
   Lalit, a student of degree class in a prestigious college in the city, comes from a small hilly village located at the outskirts of Imphal. His father is a bedridden patient for the last two years and his mother runs a garment store at Nupi Keithel (woman's market) in the city. Being the eldest son, he has to support his mother to run the family. Imphal could hardly provide any good avenues to him. So finally he turned out to be a part time rickshaw puller and that way continues his college education in Science stream.
   "Today our family is facing financial crunch. Hence, I am pulling rickshaw here. But as soon as I complete my education and find some other job, I will definitely look after my younger brother and sisters in a batter way", Lalit added in fluent English. He had conviction in his voice.
   Presently over 10,000 rickshaws are plying the roads of Imphal. One can find lot of Bihari, Bengali and Nepali rickshaw pullers, who have come from outside the state and pull rickshaws for livelihood. But rising unemployment in the state has forced lot of youths to pull rickshaws. Many of them are college students and so they mask their faces out of shame.
   The rise in rickshaw pullers has also been enhanced by various ethnic clashes going on inside the state. A number of families have lost everything in these ethnic violence and had no other way to earn bread, except pulling rickshaws or cart.
   The Manipur Directorate of Employment Exchange revealed that there are over 5.5 lakh unemployed youths in the state. "The total number of unemployed registered with the employment exchange in Manipur has reached 5,58,774 till June 2006," said a bulletin of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations. Quoting the state employment exchange source it also added, "The number of job seekers in the live register of Imphal East Employment Exchange has reached 77,694 (male 56,208) till June last, where as the number in Imphal West district rises up to 1,97,360 (male 1,38,596)."
   The masked student rickshaw pullers had, of course, many hurdles to overcome. Once the state police launched a campaign against the masking of the youths because of security reasons. Police argued that Manipur was one of the worst insurgency-hit state of Northeast that nurtures over 25 active armed outfits. The Myanmar bordering state, which is located nearly 2000 km away from the national capital of India, has been experiencing a warlike situation for quite a long time. The armed groups, who are fighting New Delhi with various demands ranging from self-rule to sovereignty, remained active amidst the ongoing counter insurgency operations by the security personnel under various black laws including the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
   Hence, masking (covering face) of anybody was prohibited. Even the police intelligence suspected that some militants of banned outfits might take the advantage of the situation and go for destructive activities. But finally the police department had to relent, as the civil society was tremendously sympathetic to those masked rickshaw pullers.
   Speaking to this correspondent, Ratan Thiyam, an internationally acclaimed Manipuri theatre director based in Imphal, said, "What else they (the educated rickshaw pullers) could do? There remain two ways -- either to take a gun or abuse drugs. We should salute those young men, who have not fallen prey to any of them and try their best for an honest livelihood."

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