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Bangladesh drying up as India withdrawing Ganges water
Abdur Rahman Khan
Bangladesh is getting drier every year due to India's unilateral withdrawal of water from the common river Ganges flowing upstream from India. The quantity of water down the Farakka point has been critically declining due to taking out of the Ganges water by upper riparian India through various canals by violating the water sharing agreement.
Over and above, there are other unresolved issues and irritants between India and Bangladesh, one of which is the long outstanding border issue. Bangladesh had long ago handed over its Berubari enclave to India but has been waiting for more than 34 years to get the Mujib-Indira Border Accord ratified by Indian parliament for the handover of Tin-Bigha corridor to Bangladesh.
But the irritant which remains singularly thorny since long between Dhaka and Delhi is the water sharing issue of the common rivers flowing from India to Bangladesh. The flow of the once-mighty river Ganges (Padma) has decreased alarmingly due to withdrawal of water at Farakka point in India, leading to drying up of at least 15 of its tributaries. It is now a mere memory that the fishermen living along the river Padma used to catch hilsa fish near Rajshahi city but in last couple of decades waters has dried up giving rise to sandy islands on the dried bed of the Padma.
Unilateral withdrawal of the Ganges water during the dry months resulted in serious adverse effects in the south-western and western districts of Bangladesh, covering almost 20 per cent of country's area. It has adversely affected the environment, agriculture, industries, fisheries, navigation the river regime and salinity culminating in the surface and ground water.
The effects of this have been severe for Bangladesh where the salinity front have moved some 280 kilometers upstream northward from the coast in the south and the salinity level in surface water has increased almost six times. It was also evident that the Sundarbans, one of the world's largest mangrove forests, is being degraded due to increased salinity in the estuarine rivers.
Meanwhile, much to Bangladesh's agony, India is moving ahead with its plan of interlinking its Himalayan rivers with those in the peninsular region through 30 interlinking canal systems. Already, the project has raised controversy and debate. Interlinking rivers will directly hit Bangladesh because India's rivers pass through Bangladesh. Besides, the basis of the Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems are shared by Nepal and Bangladesh.
In India, the project has been criticised on environmental grounds. It is feared that implementation might cause vast forest tracts to be submerged, disturbing wildlife, displacing communities, affecting livelihood and transforming water quality and microclimatic conditions affecting human health.
To implement the project, India must enter into agreements with Nepal and Bangladesh, as these countries share the basins of the Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems. However, Bangladesh is seriously concerned as India plans to divert vast quantities of water from the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers to India's southern states, directly threatening the livelihoods of millions of people in the country as well as its environment. These rivers are crucial sources of freshwater for the country.
Agriculture is the main mode of livelihood in Bangladesh where over 65 per cent of the population is dependent on farming. That is why the people's livelihood is inextricably linked to water. Bangladesh's water, both above and below the ground, provides a multitude of services to its population: water to drink, water for agricultural production, fishery and river transport. Water is Bangladesh's lifeline that is now under stress putting the nation in a bad situation.
The crisis began with the construction of Farakka Barrage on the Ganges in India at about 20 km upstream from Bangladesh border soon after her independence. The Farakka barrage was completed in 1974 for diverting Ganges water into the Hoogly river for the stated purpose of improving navigability of Kolkata port.
For the test run of the barrage, a water sharing agreement with India was made in 1975 for diverting 11,000 to 16,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water between April 21 and May 31, 1975 leaving about 44,000 cusecs for Bangladesh.
However, India started unilateral withdrawal of water upstream in 1976 without any agreement severely affecting Bangladesh in the dry season. Bangladesh had to take the issue to the United nations General Assembly and finally an agreement was concluded in 1977 for five years.
With the expiry of the first five-year agreement, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in 1982 between Bangladesh and India on the sharing of Ganges water. After it expired in 1988, the countries failed to reach a new agreement and entered a period marked by disagreement. During this time, India continued unilateral diversion Ganges water through the Farakka Barrage. Finally on December 12, 1996, Bangladesh and India signed a treaty on sharing of Ganges water.
Negotiations on the sharing of Ganges water at Farakka started in 1960 at the time of the sharing of Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan. India decided to construct a barrage across the Ganges at Farakka in 1951 in order to divert water to Bhagirathi to maintain its navigability.
India's decision to start construction of Farakka Barrage in 1960 violated the international norms on infrastructure for the diversion of water on any international river. Construction of the 7363 feet long barrage -- designed for a maximum discharge of 27,00,000 cusecs and a head regulator for diversion capacity of 40,000 cusecs of flow -- was completed in 1974.
India then approached Bangladesh for a test operation of the Farakka Barrage and feeder canal. The then Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman agreed to India's proposal for the test operation of the barrage and the feeder canal. Initially in 1975, India was allowed to divert flows varying from 11,000 cusecs to 16,000 cusecs for a period of 41 days from April 21 to may 31 in 1975.
It was the understanding in 1975 that India would not operate the feeder canal until a final agreement was reached between India and Bangladesh on the sharing of Ganges water. However, India, in violation of the understanding, diverted the Ganges water in the upstream in 1976 and 1977.
The 1996 treaty established a new formula for sharing the Ganges water at Farakka in the dry season (January 1 to May 31). According to the agreement, two governments would immediately would sit for consultation to make adjustments on emergency basis in case of drastic fall of waters below 50,000 cusecs in any 10-day period. If the discharge is 70,000 cusecs or less, both the countries will share 50 per cent. In case of a flow between 70,000 and 75,000 cusecs, Bangladesh will receive 35,000 cusecs and when the flow is above 75,000 cusecs, India will receive 40, 000 cusecs and Bangladesh will receive the balance.
Article 11 of the agreement made it clear that agreements will be reviewed every five years and if no agreement can be reached or adjusted India will release at least 90 per cent of Bangladesh's share. However, the fault of the agreement was that no provision for international arbitration was spelled out in case of any dispute.
However, the recent statistics reveal that Bangladesh received less amount of water in each ten-day slot from January to March this year.
According to the agreement, Bangladesh was to get a share of 408,046 cusecs of water in eight slots during the period of January 01 to March 20 this year but got only 257,235 cusecs. Bangladesh was deprived by 150,811 cusecs of water during the period.
In this regard, a written protest from Bangladesh side was made through the Joint River Commission and also the mater was taken up at diplomatic level.
Meanwhile, the water level in the Padma is falling down by one meter on an average every March. It came down by 2.50 meters from January to mid-March.
In March 2000, the water level in Padma was at a height of 10.65 meters while it came down to 9.62 meters in March 2004 and at 9.05 in March 2007. The record shows that the level of water came down to a level of 8.99 meters by the end of the first week of March this year (2008). It was at 11.30 meters in December last.
Bangladesh water experts pointed out that India's claim for low discharge in the Ganges due to natural causes was not supported by facts as it was not maintaining the flow in the upper riparian on the basis of 40-years of average, as agreed in the water sharing treaty.
To maintain a steady flow in the upper riparian, Nepal could be involved for augmentation of the Ganges water, the experts suggested. But India is not sincere enough to involve Nepal in a tri-partite agreement in spite of Nepal's willingness to help resolve the crisis.
Whatever might be the water statistics and discord, the adverse impact, a slow-motion disaster, is hitting Bangladesh with little concern among the ruling regime. Unfortunately, Bangladesh under a non-elected Caretaker Government is active in working out a railway link as desired by India and also the facility to use Chittagong port keeping the Bangladesh demands pending over the years.
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MIRZA AZIZ WON'T TALK TO POLITICIANS ON BUDGET
Govt. promotes imports, throttles manufacturers
Faruque Ahmed
In view of the authorities' refusal to consult with the political parties about the Caretaker Government's (CG) next budget the people are in the dark as to what kind of budget it will be. "I will not consult with the political parties except the professionals and other stakeholders," finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam told the press last month. Meanwhile, he talked with some of the past finance ministers and media editors on the budget and such exchanges still continue.
Some press reports are suggesting that the coming budget should be pro-poor bearing in mind the devastating Sidr, people's livelihood and recurring flood damages to standing crops which has triggered a food crisis in the country shooting up prices of essentials to the extreme.
Business people are demanding a budget which will protect investment and industries at a time when over one lakh small, medium and big industries have shut down doors over the past 15 months. But people remained in the dark about the major outlines of the budget as the finance adviser is opposed to sit with leaders and any political parties which represent the people.
Islam's consultation with former finance minister M Saifur Rahman is guessed to be political in nature. His exchanges with former finance adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud looks like eyewash. His consultation with the press saw the presence of three editors from small papers. More significantly, there is no move to involve professional groups in the consultations. People wonder whether such poor background work will be able to reflect people's expectations in the budget.
Critics wonder where the CG stands now in terms of phrasing out the country's immediate development concerns in the budget, least to speak about its mid-term and long-term goals and aspirations. They say there is not anything like a 20-year master plan for or a 5-year development plan in the country at the moment to set the nation's wheels in motion towards progress. Even the three-year rolling plan is almost dead as it has not been formally renewed by the donors.
Things are on the move on verbal donors' assurance that it is in the track and funds will be available to implement it. The meeting of the Bangladesh Development Forum comprising all donors; which takes place in every two years interval, was shifted from November last year to January this year. The latest information say, it has been unilaterally shelved by the government.
And the present poor exercise to prepare the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the post-cyclone period marred with high prices and poor supply of essentials spells out that the government is totally devoid of the knowledge of the ground reality.
Responding to finance adviser's stand that he would not consult with political leaders on budgetary issues, Workers Party leader Rashed Khan Menon wondered how Mirza Azizul Islam expects that the next elected government would undertake to implement this budget.
The two major parties, Awami League and BNP, have also decried the finance adviser's stand as anti-people and said they would scrap it whoever takes office after the polls. Mirza Aziz may not pay heed to it.
It points to two things. Either the next election will not take place within the stipulated time, which probably gives the finance adviser enough confidence that 'his budget' will remain unaffected. Second, he is opposed to political leaders and listen to their views even on a matter of highest importance.
But there is also a third dimension to his apathy to hear political leaders and views of political parties in particular. And this may be that as their past recruit he is totally obsessed with the ideas of the World Bank and IMF and therefore, less he talks to political leaders the better it is for external agencies. The finance adviser is therefore going less to the macro-level sectoral planning accepting more to what the donors wish to see in the budget.
Here donors want to see more liberal tariff lines to allow generous imports; they want more tax and VAT on domestic manufacturing and business so that imports remain cheaper than goods produced at local facilities. To justify it, the finance adviser very often says that domestic protection over a longer period is not sustainable; this he said last year and may continue to tell it this year as well.
However, the demand for the expansion of the safety net for the poor is agreeable to the finance adviser but to what extent is not known. Mirza Aziz should share his views with the public on all important issues pertaining to the nation's financial affairs.
The budgetary concerns of this year have been summarised in a report of a Dhaka-based daily on March 20. It reads like this, "Manufacturing windows are closing shutters one after another shutting up the source of employment. During the last 15 months over 105,063 mills and factories have been closed, wiping out job of over 40 lakhs workers. Over the last one year, four jute mills were closed on government decision. Moreover, four state-owned sugar mills remained closed for lack of raw materials.
Of the closed mills and factories, there are four hundred garment factories, 80 thousand poultry farms, 20 thousand rice mills, one newspaper and tv station. More sugar mills may face closure this month for lack of raw materials. Leather merchants say the supply this year declined by three to four lakh pieces due to adverse impact of 1/11 and cyclone sidr and this sector will see disaster if additional supply of hides and skins can not be lined up over the next three to four months. Moreover, most of the 10 thousand lobster producing water pad on the cyclone affected districts may face closure due to capital shortage.
"Economists and businessmen speak for immediate remedial measures; in absence of which the mills and factories on closure list would be only longer. Besides slow down in investment, the slow pace of implementation of the annual development programme is further aggravating the sluggish economic situation. If manufacturing units continue to close shutters in such situation, it will further aggravate unemployment and income generating situation to create anarchy in the labor market."
But if he believes there is a greater role of the budgetary authorities to bail the nation out of the present danger, sooner he talks with political leaders the better.
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Nation celebrates Independence Day
Holiday Desk
The country celebrated the 38th Independence and National Day on 26 March paying homage to the gallant sons of the soil who made supreme sacrifice by laying down their lives to free the motherland from atrocious Pakistani colonial rule.
On March 26, 1971, independence of Bangladesh was formally declared and the people started on an armed struggle against the Pakistani marauding occupation forces who pounced upon the innocent unarmed people on the night of March 25 after the military junta refused to hand over power to the majority Bangalees.
And then began the nine-month-long war which culminated in the birth of an independent and sovereign Bangladesh on the world map on December 16, 1971.
President Iajuddin Ahmed, chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed paid tribute to the Liberation War martyrs at National Memorial at Savar. President Iajuddin Ahmed, in his message, urged the citizens, living at home and abroad to work together and help expedite the nation's efforts to achieve economic self-reliance and democratic advancement.
Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed urged all citizens irrespective of their affiliation to any group and opinion to make united and committed efforts to establish a benevolent government and a meaningful democratic system through a free, fair, and credible election.
Acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman, BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, Gana Forum president Kamal Hossain, among others, gave separate messages greeting the countrymen on the occasion.
Our Islamabad Correspondent Jonaid Iqbal adds:
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, MNA, was the chief guest on Wednesday at the glittering and over-crowded reception hosted by Bangladesh High Commissioner Yasmeen Murshed to mark the 37th Independence and National Day of Bangladesh.
The would-be foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, stood smartly as the national anthems of Bangladesh and Pakistan were sung at the beginning of the function before cutting the jumbo-sized white birthday cake. National flags of the two countries were mounted on the icing of the cake.
The presentation of national anthems of the country became the chief attraction at this function. The national anthem was sung by the children of High Commission's officials and staff.
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ELECTORAL ROADMAP MAY BE WRECKED
Cloud of uncertainty gathering on horizon
M. Shahidul Islam
A dense cloud of uncertainty is gathering on the horizon and the writings on the walls seem gloomy.
Political forces are flexing muscles, re-drawing battle lines and preparing for a showdown to ensure release of their detained leaders while threats made in recent days by leaders of the two major parties - AL and BNP - are indicative of a crisis that could wreck the military-backed caretaker government's (CG) electoral roadmap and plunge the nation into another spate of chaos and instability.
Already the emergency provisions (EPR) are being ignored by students who have been busy in recent weeks in demonstrating on university and college campuses while party supporters were seen venting angers with placards, in growing numbers, before the special jails where the two former prime ministers are housed as captives.
Meanwhile, fresh indication of the arrival of a united movement surfaced on March 23 when BNP's student wing, Chhatra Dal, had a meeting inside the DUCSU complex to chalk out its programme. Its leader Hasan Mamun warned in that meeting that, "Previous movements to dislodge autocracy were launched jointly by students and the blue print of the present government would not be allowed to materialise."
Bangladesh Chhatra League too believes there is an unconstitutional blueprint awaiting execution. It's President, Mahmud Hassan, endorsed the joint action program and said, "Present government is unconstitutional and if the government decides to prolong its power, students of the country would not allow that to happen."
Despite CG's insistence that the polls will be held as per the roadmap, no one seems to believe it any more, especially senior leaders in major political parties. It also seems the bellicose mood of the student leaders have been ignited by support from the peers of both the major parties who want their captive leaders released soon.
"If that does not happen, the Awami League (AL) would defy all bans and launch protests against the illegal jailing to bring Hasina out, along with other party leaders," said Tofayel Ahmed, a former minister and a senior AL leader. Tofayel added, "The senior leaders and top policy planners of the party met late on Sunday in Dhaka to review the situation." He warned, "They might not be able to hold back a people's upsurge to free Hasina and her comrades."
The path for a united movement was being paved for a while. Notwithstanding the demand made recently for Khaleda Zia's immediate release by 700 editors and journalists, BNP supporters also sent letters to the President and the CA, demanding Khaleda's immediate release from jail before March 26.
"Set her free immediately. We all are waiting for her and her instructions to break the impasse over emergency and related restrictions," said Rizvi Ahmed, a senior BNP leader, after the letters' delivery to concerned authorities.
Expatriate party workers are also being readied by senior leaders to mobilize international opinion for the release of the two captive leaders. Khaleda-appointed BNP secretary general, Khandokar Delwar Hossain, told the US chapter of the party on March 24, "Launch a movement to get Tariq Rahman free." Delwar, who's on a visit for treatment to the USA, urged party leaders to mobilize opinion among US lawmakers and other important personalities and lobbyists.
Sources say the two major parties aim to make a remarkable breakthrough by defying the EPR so that the constitutional arguments can be brought to bear on the legality of the present government. Such a plan has been necessitated by a growing concern among senior leaders that the hidden intent of the government is to hang onto power under any pretext.
Speaker Jamiruddin Sirker has released a warning to the CG on March 24 while speaking as the chief guest to the medal awarding ceremony of the combined cultural forum. Sirker said, "People will never forgive those who try to cling onto power in the name of fighting corruption. This country has no place for them and they should learn from the history of the past."
One reliable source said the President has been alerted of the thickening of such a prospect and was advised to ask the Speaker to reconvene the defunct parliament - in order to preserve the constitutional piety - if the government fails to hold an election as per the declared road map. The source said studies were underway to examine the legal and other aspects of such an eventuality.
Such an unpalatable ambiance ripens at a time when the economic lives of the people have virtually been strangulated by what seems like a chronic food scarcity, sky-rocketing price hikes of essentials and the massive unemployment caused by the closure of over 600 industries over the last 12 months. The entire political-economy of the nation has become a matter of grave concern and there are reasons to be wary of what follows.
The situation has turned so dire that, one Jobaida Khatun, a former peon of the prestigious Ispahani School of the capital, has sold her funeral apparel to buy rice, reported a vernacular Daily on March 24.
Meanwhile, a motley alliance of ultra-left parties have already violated the emergency's injunctions and staged a big demonstration on March 23 to protest against the government's inability to tackle price hikes. They demanded immediate holding of elections to save the country.
"It reminiscences the curses of the 1974-75 Crisis," commented a former civil servant, adding, "We have money but no friend to buy food from. We're totally isolated."
Indications like these are making many wary of the worthiness of the ensuing election, especially after what Khaleda Zia, leader of the party that won most of the popular votes during the 2001 election, has said to the prison authorities. When told she would not be able to contest in the polls if her name was not in the voter list, she whisked aside such a fear and remonstrated, "I will not contest in any polls under this government." This particular comment proves the moniker 'iron lady' is still a befitting one for her, despite what she and her entire family had gone through since 1/11. In the 1980s, Khaleda boycotted both the elections under General Ershad, but Hasiana participated in one under Ershad.
Discernibly, the AL too has hardened its stance of late and wants unconditional release of Sheikh. Hasina, although the trial proceedings initiated against her have gone a long way by now. Viewed from hindsight, Hasina could prove even a tougher nut to crack, as the January 2007 elections could not be held due to her one point demand of 'No Ershad, No Election' following the JP leader's conviction by a court. This time, the AL seems poised to say, "No Hasina, No Election."
It also seems unlikely that the political parties will consent to sitting for prospective dialogues with the government due to the likely agenda the CG is slated to press ahead during such conversations.
During the proposed dialogues, the government wants an assurance in writing from major political parties that all of its actions since 1/11 will be validated by the new parliament and constitutional amendments will be made to provide legal garb to such actions. The government also wants certain reforms in the manner the parties have been conducting businesses in the past.
It was also learnt that Khaleda Zia's hard posture is the product of the biased attitude the EC has shown against her faction of the BNP by not calling it to a dialogue. The EC's move was construed as a deliberate ploy to divide the BNP. That suspicion gained further credence when the US Charge d' affairs, Geeta Pasi, was abruptly stopped from having dialogues with political parties only when the next dialogue was supposed to be with the Khaleda faction of the BNP.
Khaleda's mindset was aptly encapsulated by one of her close associates who said, "Madam knows someone had stabbed her from the back. She is determined to see the end of this game."
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AUTHORITIES APPEAR SERIOUS ON TIMELY POLLS
But politicians are restive
Shamsuddin Ahmed
The caretaker government seems serious about holding election by December. One may deduce it is under international pressure as well as for a safe-exit from an overheated situation which a retired government officer who is also heading a government commission has described as 'silent famine'. Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed has reassured of holding the election in accordance with roadmap.
The Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda is more specific by stating the country will see an elected government running the administration in January. He has asked the political parties to start selecting honest and efficient candidates for contesting the polls. Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed who is said to be instrumental in bringing about the 1/11 change also wants the election to be held as scheduled.
Yet doubts loom large in the minds of many.
Arch political rivals BNP and Awami Legue are now united in demanding the release of all political leaders including two former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina who are detained on charges of corruption and extortion.
Zillur Rahman of Awami League and Khandkar Delwar of BNP holding the aegis of their parties in the absence of the chiefs have publicly committed that they will not take part in election without Khaleda and Hasina. Facing trial on corruption charges they are unlikely to be released. In case the two major parties stick to their ground and refuse to take part, the election will not be credible. Thus they can frustrate the government's efforts for holding the polls.
It is said AL and BNP chiefs who alternatively ruled the country and enjoyed all the power and perks for 15 years now may have realized their mistakes. Their arrogance, political intolerance and lust for power led to the situation that prompted imposition of emergency. But now they seem to have come closer keeping aside their rivalry to fight the common enemy, the army backed caretaker government on the plea of protecting democracy, freedom and human rights.
Leaders of BNP front organizations have been openly demanding of the party leadership to give them specific programme for agitation to free their leader. Once emergency is relaxed for electioneering they may take on the common enemy (present government) by fuelling the situation already overheated by the abnormally high prices of food. Can there be election under such a confrontational situation?
The followers of Khaleda have refused to carry out reforms within BNP to make it democratic saying it is an internal mater. Informed sources said reforms in the political parties would be made mandatory in the proposed election rules. Will the obdurate leadership of the two parties abide by the rules to take part in the election?
Awami League and its allies in the 14-party combine have in their first round of dialogue with the Election Commission strongly demanded banning of all religious parties. The obvious target was Jamaat-e-Islami. Added to this, sector commanders of the liberation war have now raised the demand of a commission for trial of war criminals.
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CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE IN HANDLING NUCLEAR WEAPONS
US Defence secretary Gates orders investigation 1 year after
Fazle Rashid in New York
United States is the mightiest nation in the world. But security lapses even in such sensitive area as military equipment and arsenal will send shiver through the spines of much lesser countries. Huge consignment of arms meant for the security forces in Iraq have gone into the wrong hands. And then four high tech electrical fuses for minuteman nuclear warheads were sent to Taiwan in place of helicopter batteries. These lapse were detected a year and a half after the erroneous shipment, the New York Times quoted Pentagon officials as saying.
However, the Defence Secretary has ordered an investigation 18 months after the incidents took place.
These lapses and the failure to detect the error has been a cause of huge embarrassment for the defence officials in charge of nuclear weapons. In another instance US air force last year allowed B-52 bombers loaded with six nuclear cruise missiles to fly from North Dakota to Louisiana.
United States is a strident critic of nations who trade nuclear expertise. Washington often expresses concern about Pakistan's nuclear arsenal going into the hands of the militants. United States have often called Pakistan's nuclear scientist Abdul Quadeer Khan a rogue scientist. Washington have strongly upbraided Iran and North Korea for their nuclear pogrammes and taken even Russia to task for not protecting its nuclear stockpile.
The shipment of nuclear warheads to Taiwan would raise suspicion in China which has said that US is arming Taiwan. Pentagon informed President Bush and Defence Secretary Robert Gates about the lapse. Robert Gates has ordered an investigation. US officials immediately contacted the Chinese officials to dispel suspicion. Sources say the US will have talks with Chinese officials in this regard.
In Pakistan there is going to be a complete overhauling of the bilateral ties between Washington and Islamabad. The tone and tenor have already started to change much to the mortification of America. If I can use an American expression there is a new Sheriff in town, a Pakistani official said Pakistan will not allow its territories to be the 'killing grounds.' If America wants to see itself clean of terrorists, we also want that our villages and town should not be bombed, Nawaz Shareef said. Nobody supports terrorism but there are different ways to counter it. Nawaz Shareef asked US deputy secretary of state Negroponte if he thought that using of military was the only solution. Negroponte conceeded that there are other dimensions that can be adopted.
The new army chief Ashfaq Pervez Kiani has made it abundantly clear that he is his own boss. He has made several key changes in the army hierarchy left by Parvez Musharraf. Two senior US state department officials, Negroponte and Boucher, are now in Pakistan meeting the key players. 'Hands off please, Uncle Sam', seem to be the common sentiment of the media in Pakistan. Dawn and The News, Pakistan's two widely read English dailies are highly critical of the US stance.
What will, however, please Washington is the rout of the religious parties in the February elections. NWFP which has seen most of the militant activities will have a secular party running the province. The party Awami National Party is a coalition partner of the central government. Awami National Party, PPP and Muslim League together have more than two-thirds majority to impeach Parvez Musharraf. Awami National Party leaders have dispelled the US apprehension that it would appease the militants.
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GLIMPSES OF THE GREAT
Mao Tse Tung
K. Z. Islam
Mao Tse Tung (1893-1976) was a revolutionary statesman responsible for founding the People's Republic of China and putting into practice his unique model of Communist government.
Mao was convinced that he could not depend on the nation's brightest thinkers. Instead, he concluded, it was best to rely on the common people of China to release the energy of the masses. Based on that deep faith in the common people, he launched what is known to history as the Great Leap Forward in 1966.
While Mao worried about China's mounting problems with the USSR, he still was concerned that the Chinese people, especially intelligent young people, were becoming too self-centred, too interested, for example, in making money for themselves. Such citizens no longer "served the people. If that attitude continued, he said, the old inequalities surely would come back again. There would be classes of people - rich and poor - competing against each other. To be certain that such a situation never would happen, Mao launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.
One of Mao's first targets in the Cultural Revolution was a powerful figure in the Chinese government, Liu Shaochi, who had begun to reward some Chinese workers with extra money for doing outstanding work. That, said Mao, was only "taking the capitalist road" and was against the idea of equality that should be at the very heart of communism.
Encouraged by Mao, hundreds of thousands of Chinese young people, known as Red Guards, left their classrooms. Many of them dragged their teachers through the streets, laughing at them.
The Red Guards attacked central party leaders. Often they publicly humiliated the officials in front of large crowds of cheering people while wildly waving in their hands "the little red book," Quotations of Chairman Mao.
Meanwhile, Mao had thousands of powerful Communist party officials thrown in jail. Even Teng Hsiao-ping (Deng Xiaoping), a long time friend from the Long March and secretary of the Communist party, was accused of plotting to bring back capitalism. Such "demons and monsters," declared Mao, "must be punished."
The Cultural Revolution ended almost as quickly as it had begun. When Soviet troops swept into Czechoslovakia in 1968 to put down a rebellion there, Mao grew concerned. He worried that the Russians might leap at the chance to attack China while the nation was weakened by confusion and internal fighting. To prevent such an attack, he ordered the Chinese army to restore order in the streets and put down the Red Guards. By 1969, the Cultural Revolution was over.
Mao soon decided to improve relations with the strongest rival of the USSR, the United States of America. In a move that surprised the world, a smiling Mao Tse-tung welcomed America's president, Richard M. Nixon, to Peking in 1972.
Long after his trip to China President Nixon claimed that in going there he was "playing the China card." But in reality, the idea of friendship began with Mao Tse-tung. To Mao, it was a matter of "playing the American card." As a result, relations between the two nations slowly began to improve.
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New Pakistan PM Gillani blessed twice
Jonaid Iqbal in Islamabad
New Pakistan premier Yousaf Raza Gilani (YRG) ordered on Monday the immediate release of all judges detained by President Pervez Musharraf after he imposed emergency rule in last November.
It was a case of double blessings for new YRG. At about the time, Farhatullah Babar announced YRG's name on behalf of Bilawal as the party's choice for the next Prime Minister YRG was in Karachi planning his son, Abdul Qadir's marriage with the grand-daughter of Pir of Pagaro.
YRG took his oath as premier at the Aiwan Sadr on Tuesday morning, and he had to come away from his son's marriage (Monday night) on a special airplane provided by President Musharraf to bring him and his family from Karachi.
There was never any doubt that Gillani would be nominated. PML chief, Nawaz Sharif likes him. YGR's name passed muster in the coalition caucus, displacing that of Amin Fahium, the senior most vice-president of the Pakistan People's Party.
In fact, YRG's name was going round since the first parliamentary meeting of the PPP, PML (N), and ANP on the day of oath taking by MNAs-elect, on March 17, and the candidacy of Ahmad Mukhtar, Makhdoom Shah Mahmud Qureshi and Amin Fahim was being mentioned to make it appear as credible contest within PPP ranks.
YRG's name was kept on hold for fear of power struggle within the party. As Assef Ahmad Ali, a PPP MNA put it, the secrecy is to safeguard from any mischief from the Presidency side, since the time the rumour was floated that Amin Fahim had his antenna beamed on President Musharraf.
That is the reason Bilawal had to be called in from London to paper over the differences. As the son of Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto, who had named Bilwal as her successor in her will, announcement from Bilwal would cause no demur, because the boy's mother is immensely respected in Sindh's interior, and that respect for mother is also passed on to Bilawal.
As Jacobabad MNA Hazzar Khan Bijrani told this correspondent the withdrawal of Opposition from contesting as the candidate for premiership is a good thing in the context of Sindh.
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