04 June 2006
New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Taking a strong stance against continuation of cross-border terror, National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan Sunday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was unlikely to go to Pakistan this summer.
"The prime minister has an invitation from President (Pervez) Musharraf. But he has not yet decided when he will accept the invitation. It is unlikely that it would be this summer," Narayanan told Times Now TV news channel.
He added that the prime minister's visit to Pakistan was not linked to the spurt in terrorist activities in India.
However, Narayanan said that there was a need to end or "at least reduce" terrorism for long-term improvement in India-Pakistan relations.
Narayanan's statement comes days after India and Pakistan failed to achieve a breakthrough over the dimilitarisation of the Siachen glacier that was supposed to be the showpiece of a likely visit by Manmohan Singh to Pakistan.
At 22,000 feet, Siachen is the world's highest battlefield.
After Aligarh, Faizabad under communal violence
Faizabad, June 3 (IMI) As curfew continued in Aligarh for 7 days, a town near Faizabad also saw some communal violence. The incident started with some altercation with a shopkeeper and ended up burning a shop and a car.
There are reports of stone throwing and lynching. About 36 people have been arrested and situation seems to be under control.
Meanwhile Aligarh continues to be under curfew. There has not be any incident since last Sunday but administration has not relaxed the curfew imposed a week ago. This is causing difficulty to Aligarh residents.
By Syed Zarir Hussain,
Guwahati, June 4 (IANS) Floods triggered by heavy rains in Assam have displaced some 25,000 people and snapped road and rail communications, a state official said Sunday.
Floodwaters of the Brahmaputra river have inundated at least 70 villages in the districts of Nagaon, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Karimganj and Hailakandi, said C. Nath, an official spokesperson.
"At least 25,000 people were forced to take shelter in makeshift arrangements with floodwaters submerging villages," a government statement said.
The worst hit by the first wave of the flooding that began Thursday is the eastern Dhemaji district, about 550 km from Assam's main city of Guwahati.
"At least 22 villages spread over 947 hectares of land have been submerged with another 642 hectares of agricultural fields already devastated by the floods," said the statement.
Road and rail links in many parts of the state have been severely hit. "In many places in southern Assam, floodwaters have overtopped roads and caused breaches, disrupting surface transport," stated Nath.
A railway official confirmed that a breach in a canal had washed away a major section of the rail track between Rangia and Rangapara in northern Assam and the link has remained snapped since Thursday.
According to a Central Water Commission bulletin Saturday, the Brahmaputra was flowing above the danger level in at least six places with the river maintaining a rising trend.
The river was also threatening to spill over into Majuli, the world's largest river island, 350 km from here.
"We have opened 11 makeshift camps so far where some 2,000 people are taking shelter after floodwaters submerged their villages," Nagaon district magistrate J.B. Ekka told IANS.
Floodwaters have also submerged a part of the internationally famed 430-sq-km Kaziranga National Park in eastern Assam, home to the world's largest concentration of the endangered one-horned rhinos.
"The animals are still safe despite floodwaters submerging a section of the park," said park ranger D.D. Boro.
The 2,906-km-long Brahmaputra is one of Asia's largest rivers, whose first 1,625-km stretch traverses through the Tibet region, the next 918-km in India and the remaining 363-km through neighbouring Bangladesh, before converging into the Bay of Bengal.
Every year floods leave a trail of destruction, washing away villages, submerging paddy fields and drowning livestock, besides causing loss of human life and property, in the state of 26 million.
The monsoon was scattered in Assam last year, thereby sparing millions of people from the ravaging floods. In 2004, at least 200 people died and more than 12 million were displaced by the floods.
Tehran, June 4 (DPA) Iran's supreme spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Sunday warned the US of a global energy crisis in case of a military strike against his country's nuclear sites.
"If you (the US) do start anything (militarily) against Iran, then the energy supply from this region will be seriously endangered," Khamenei said at a ceremony commemorating the 17th anniversary of the death of Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
"You (the US) will never be able to secure the energy supply of this region," Khamenei told thousands in the Ayatollah Khomeini shrine in south Tehran.
A major part of global oil exports goes through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, which Iran has several times threatened, to block if military operations are conducted against the Islamic state's nuclear sites.
Khamenei, successor to the late Ayatollah Khomeini, reiterated that Iran was not after nuclear warfare and that its nuclear programme is for civil purposes.
"Unlike the US, Iran has never ever threatened any country, never started any violation. We have never been warmongers, we are a peace-loving nation and our only weapon is the belief and resistance of our people," said Khamenei, who has the final say on all state affairs according to the constitution.
While terming the current American administration as "the most unpopular in US history", he said that Washington has become weak due to its failures in Iraq and therefore no longer in a position to threaten other countries, "especially not Iran".
"But if the US still planned to realise their threats, then the Americans would see the sharp side of the Iranian people's anger," Khamenei said.
He accused the US and Israel of trying to tarnish the image of Iran in the world, but said that world opinion would no longer be influenced by such campaigns.
"A country with war criminal records such as the US should never again take the term human rights into its mouth," Khamenei said.
By T.R. Ramakrishnan,
St John's (Antigua), June 4 (IANS) It could have been much worse. That would be the one consoling factor for India after two days of the first Test against the West Indies at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
The Indian innings lasted 20 minutes into the day, after the start was delayed by 15 minutes due to a light drizzle, adding just six runs. The West Indies finished the day at 318 for six. It could have been much more as the Indian bowling looked very average on a wicket that became progressively easier to play on.
The untested pace attack came unstuck. Munaf Patel was lively in spells as was debutant VRV Singh. But S Sreesanth was taken to the cleaners. Even veteran Anil Kumble had a tough day. But part-timer Virender Sehwag gave India something to play for. He dismissed both Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo in a 12-over spell after tea.
All the West Indian batsmen, barring opener Darren Ganga, whom Patel removed in his second over, looked menacing.
Chris Gayle (72) hit Sreesanth for 14 in the ninth over of the innings -- a six was connected so powerfully that the ball soared over the press box, behind long on, and must have gone out of the ground -- before he tamely edged Kumble to slip.
Brian Lara (18), barely two overs into his innings, hit Sreesanth one-handed through covers for a four and followed it next ball with a stunning six over mid-wicket, before getting caught attempting another one-handed slash.
Ramnaresh Sarwan (58) carried his one-day form into this match, hit a series of delightful strokes -- through covers, through midwicket and straight down the ground, and looked set for a hundred. But the tea break got him: he was out leg before to Kumble first ball on resumption.
Chanderpaul (24 off 79 balls), who has feasted on India's bowlers through the years, parked himself at one end, played a couple of lovely front-foot drives, and then under-edged Sehwag to keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Bravo (68 off 92 balls, 11 fours) played the kind of Calypsonian innings which Viv Richards talked about the other day. It was exhilarating stuff from the 22-year-old. Three fours in an over from Kumble showed his virtuosity: a drive through covers, a smashing straight drive and a delectable late cut. Then Dhoni pulled off a smart stumping.
At day two stumps, Denesh Ramdin (22) and Ian Bradshaw (15) were together. They are capable of extending the innings but the Indians can sleep well knowing they are one wicket from getting into the tail. They should make the most of the fact that the West Indies did not put it away today.
-- Indo-Asian News Service
SCOREBOARD
Day 2, Second Test, India vs West Indies, St John's ( Antigua), June 4
India (Ist innings):
Wasim Jaffer c Ramdin b Edwards 1
Virender Sehwag c Lara b Collymore 36
VVS Laxman c Ramdin b Bravo 29
Rahul Dravid c Lara b Collymore 49
Yuvraj Singh b Mohammed 23
Mohd Kaif c Ramdin b Bravo 13
M S Dhoni c Lara b Collymore 19
Anil Kumble b Bravo 21
S Sreesanth batting 24
VRV Singh c Sarwan b Bravo 2
Munaf Patel b Edwards 0
Extras (8lb, 2w, 9nb) 19
Total (92.5 overs) 241
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-51, 3-72, 4-126, 5-155, 6-179, 7-180, 8-227, 9-231.
Bowling:
Fidel Edwards 18.5-3-53-2 (1 nb, 1w)
Ian Bradshaw 24-3-83-0 (7nb)
Corey Collymore 17-7-27-3
Chris Gayle 4-0-6-0
Dwayne Bravo 22-9-40-4 (1nb, 1 w)
Dave Mohammed 7-1-24-1
West Indies (1st innings)
Chris Gayle c Dravid b Kumble 72
Darren Ganga lbw Patel 9
Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw Kumble 58
Brian Lara c Yuvraj b Patel 18
Shivnarine Chanderpaul c Dhoni b Sehwag 24
Dwayne Bravo st Dhoni b Sehwag 68
Denesh Ramdin batting 22
Ian Bradshaw batting 15
Extras (2b, 14lb, 1w, 15nb) 32
Total (for 6 wkts in 82 overs) 318
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-137, 3-159, 4-182, 5-255, 6-282
Bowling
S Sreesanth 13-1-82-0 (1w)
Munaf Patel 21-5-62-2 (6nb)
VRV Singh 10-1-43-0 (2nb)
Anil Kumble 26-5-85-2 (5nb)
Virender Sehwag 12-2-32-2 (2nb)
London, June 4 (IANS) Hindu, Muslim and Sikh scriptures are likely to be recited when Prince Charles is coroneted as the next king, reflecting the realities of modern Britain in which several non-Christian faiths play a major role in public life.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has called for the next coronation to be an "interfaith" event rather than that of the Church of England. The ceremony, he said, needs "very significant changes" so that it becomes inclusive of other religions.
Reports say his comments are likely to cause a rift within the Church of England, but would be welcomed by Prince Charles. The coronation oath includes a pledge to maintain the Church of England.
Prince Charles would become the Supreme Governor of the Church of England when he takes over as the king. He famously stated in 1994 that he wanted to be a "Defence of Faith" rather than a "Defender of the Faith".
In an interview with Channel Five - to be broadcast later this month, Lord Carey says: "When the time comes for the next coronation there's got to be a number of changes. Very significant changes. The Queen came to the throne at a time when the Church of England was really the only Christian faith in the country.
"And there were no Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus around to be in any way evident in the life of the country. Now it's a completely different world; so the coronation oath would have to be looked at more critically.
"It's got to be a much more interfaith coronation service next time around. Prince Charles put his finger on it and there's no way in which the sovereign can be a defender of one faith.
"Although I hope that the next coronation will say very firmly that Christianity is still the dominant faith of the United Kingdom... it's got to be a much more inclusive character."
The Sunday Telegraph reported that a home office report on tackling religious discrimination had stated that a coronation oath in which the monarch swears to uphold the Protestant faith may not be appropriate in modern, multi-faith Britain.
Lord Carey also reveals in the interview that he thinks that the Queen may abdicate if she becomes seriously ill. He says: "I think the only thing that would make her abdicate would be if she became ill, or too incapacitated to do [the role] to the full level of her ability.
"And I could see her one day thinking, 'Well, I'm not doing my job well. I don't want to be a Queen Victoria in my old age just going through the motions'."
Berlin, June 4 (DPA) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan Sunday said the World Cup was an event of global importance and football served as a role model for the international community.
"The World Cup is an event that everyone on this planet will be talking about," Annan told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
"As the only sport that is played in every country, and by every race and religion, football is as rare a phenomenon in the world as the United Nations," he said.
The secretary general, whose home country Ghana is one of the 32 World Cup participants, said he would like to see more such competitions involving different nations.
Football, he said, was a subject that almost everyone talked about. In many cases, people opened up when talking about their teams.
"I wished we had more such discussions across the globe, involving citizens enthusiastic about the economic development of their country, reducing greenhouse gases or combating AIDS," he said.
Foreigners playing in the world's different football leagues also helped improve communications between different peoples, said Annan.
"There should be a level playing field for all to see that migration can be a triple advantage for all concerned - for the guest players, their countries of origin and for the societies in which they live."
By Prasun Sonwalkar, London, June 4 (IANS) The secret of a long life seems to boil down to four factors: diet, exercise, psycho-spiritual and social.
Indeed, what does it take to live to the ripe age of 100? Scientists have listed 10 commandments for a long life - and alcohol is one of them. They say that if you follow the simple rules, you have a fair chance of joining the growing number of centenarians across the globe.
The scientists estimate that the largest centenarian populations in 2050 would be in China with 472,000, the US with 298,000, Japan with 272,000 and India with 111,000.
In new research published in New Scientist, scientists have drawn the list of 10 commandments after trawling through medical studies published over the past 50 years examining why more people are living longer.
The conclusion is that taking good care of the physical lifestyle - food, exercise - is a small part of the trick. Some scientists believe that spiritual and social reasons can be more important.
Psychology and health expert Carey Cooper, from Lancaster University, said positive thinking was one of the most important factors running throughout the 10 rules.
"We're rushing around all the time and don't really have the moments when we can do something for ourselves. If that means sharing a bottle of wine with a loved one, so be it. It's not going to do you any harm and will help you relax and enjoy life," he told the Daily Express.
He added: "Marriage and having a stable relationship is one of the most important factors. A long-term relationship provides you with structure and stability in a world that's ever-changing."
The New Scientist article, titled "How To Live To 100 And Enjoy It", says that the first rule for longer life is exposure to certain 'poisons' that may help to reverse the ageing process and boost life expectancy by up to 15 years.
The article said that small doses of "stressors" normally considered dangerous to humans could actually aid the body's self-repair system and prolong life. Scientists included X-rays, alcohol or mild sunburn cases as possible positive factors in the phenomenon known as "hormesis".
The second commandment is remaining sociable, with a happy marriage and good family life being essential for health. Studies have shown that marriage can add as much as seven years to a man's life and two years to a woman's life.
The place where you live is the third rule: there are several places across the globe that are conducive to man living up to the age of 100.
For example, the Japanese island of Okinawa is generally considered the longevity capital of the world, with more than 400 centenarians in a population of 1.3 million.
The fourth rule is that so-called vices such as wine, chocolate and sleep have a good effect because a little of what you like can do you good rather than harm.
The fifth rule says you should exercise the brain to stay active - play Sudoku, for example.
The sixth commandment follows the age-old adage that prevention is better than cure, urging aspiring centenarians to go for cancer scans if there was a history of the disease in the family.
The seventh rule is simple: watch what you eat.
Rule eight urges people to put more excitement into their lives. Merely living longer is not worth doing unless it is an enjoyable experience.
Rule nine advises those seeking a long life to embrace any new technologies.
The final commandment is to smile and feel happier with one's lot in life.
New York, June 4 (IANS) Eating plenty of green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and collard greens could decrease skin cancer risk says a study.
These vegetables are known to contain a variety of vitamins and minerals and other bioactive substances that include lutein, vitamins C and E, flavonoids, folic acid, and fiber, according to the health portal HealthSentinel.
Researchers studied over 1,000 adults living in Australia over an 11-year period and provided them full-body skin examinations as well as detailed dietary food frequency questionnaire, according to the study published in International Journal of Cancer.
After adjusting for a variety of factors the researchers found that increasing intakes of green leafy vegetables were associated with a 41 percent decrease risk of skin cancer - which is known medically as Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
Dark green leafy vegetables are rich in folic acid, which plays a key role in DNA synthesis and repair, the researchers said.
The researchers also examined diet if any participant previously had skin cancer. They found an even more substantial relationship.
People who previously had skin cancer had a 55 percent decrease in SCC with increasing intakes of green leafy vegetables. Conversely, dairy showed a significant 153 percent increased SCC risk.
"Increased intake of unmodified dairy products increased SCC risk by more than 2-fold," the researchers observed.
"Our findings show that higher intakes of green leafy vegetables may help prevent SCC tumours among people who have prior skin cancers," the researchers claimed.
"A high intake of unmodified dairy, such as whole milk, cheese, and yogurt, may increase SCC risk in susceptible individuals," the researchers said.
Exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun is widely considered to be the most important environmental factor in developing skin cancer.
UV radiation causes direct damage to the DNA and to the immune system. UV radiation also causes indirect damage through the formation of free radicals.
By Amulya Ganguli
When L.K. Advani and other opposition leaders described Manmohan Singh as one of the weakest prime ministers ever, they were seen as losers who were trying desperately to regain their earlier prominence. But the prime minister's present difficulties tend to substantiate their snide comments.
Curiously, it is not the opposition which is posing any problem to Manmohan Singh, but some of his own party men and allies. There is however a way out for him.
His latest difficulties began with Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh's virtual unilateral move to introduce 27 percent reservations for Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in higher educational institutions.
The resultant turmoil has compelled the Supreme Court to intervene, with the result that the government will now have to clarify on what basis it decided on the 27 percent quota.
The task will not be easy and may show up the arbitrary manner in which such crucial decisions are taken. Besides, it was clear during the uproar that the government was feverishly engaged in clearing up the mess by promising to increase the number of educational institutions (again, not an easy task) and even considering the concept of excluding the 'creamy layer' from the beneficiaries of the quota system.
What this hurried response underlined was the government's failure to consider the issue in all its complexity before taking the fateful decision. Evidently, these rearguard actions did not show the prime minister in a favourable light.
The quota controversy is not his only headache. An equally embarrassing situation has been created by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's decision to return the controversial office-of-profit bill (OoP) for reconsideration by parliament.
Like the quota decision, the OoP legislation was also evidently contemplated in a hurry. If the objective of the 27 percent reservations was to placate the numerically preponderant and politically powerful backward caste lobby, the OoP move was a self-serving one for MPs since it conferred legitimacy on the various prestigious posts they occupied.
When a well-known lawyer like Fali S.Nariman described the bill as a "lawless law" on the lines of legislation in South Africa under apartheid, it was obvious that the president might want the political class to take another look at the measure.
If Arjun Singh was the minister who had taken the quota decision, it was Law Minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj who can be held responsible for pushing through the OoP bill without considering all the consequences.
However, the prime minister cannot evade his share of the responsibility for these decisions that have landed his government in trouble. If anything, it showed that he was not in total command of the situation, with his ministers merrily ploughing their own furrows.
But even as he tries to restore some order in a seemingly chaotic situation, his Left allies are upping their ante over matters such as the proposed petrol price hike, disinvestment, airport privatization, foreign direct investment in the retail sector and banking and pension fund reforms.
The Left has evidently been enthused by its creditable performance in the West Bengal and Kerala elections and is wasting no time in making its presence felt.
If the prime minister hadn't been so embroiled in the other disputes, he might have been expected to offer some resistance to the Left demands. But his main concern now is apparently to ensure that the government is not rocked too violently by the stormy winds of the reservations and OoP rows and the Leftist protests.
His only solace at the moment probably is that the opposition parties, and especially the Congress's main adversary, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are in too much disarray to take advantage of the Congress discomfiture.
He is also sure that notwithstanding all the demands which the Left is raising, it will not destabilise the government because of the fear that such a move can only benefit the BJP, even in the latter's weakened state.
In terms of remaining in power, therefore, the prime minister and his party are unlikely to lose any sleep. Even then, what the raging controversies have done is to chip away at Manmohan Singh's image.
His personal integrity may not be in doubt but his management skills are. It is obvious that but for the confidence which Congress president Sonia Gandhi still reposes in him, the prime minister would have been in serious trouble, especially within his party.
True, in a negative sense, Manmohan Singh is being helped to survive by the less than flattering reputation of Arjun Singh, who is seen as a typical example of a cynical politician. The same is also true of other potential challengers.
The booming economy is yet another factor which is helpful to Manmohan Singh although there are also worrying signals from the suicides of farmers and the growing numbers of jobless people. But unless he can show himself to be more in charge through certain decisive measures, he is increasingly likely to become a figure that is respected but not taken very seriously.
Perhaps he can restore some of his own credibility by focussing on excluding the 'creamy layer' from among the beneficiaries of the quota system - something that is opposed by leaders of the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and OBCs who want to eat the cake and have it too.
The misuse of the quota system has long been evident as could be seen from the way former president K.R. Narayanan's daughter secured her entry into the Indian Foreign Service via the Dalit quota. If Manmohan Singh can take a firm step in this matter, his standing is bound to go up.
(Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. He can be reached at aganguli@mail.com)
Singapore, June 4 (DPA) India has offered to help secure the busy Malacca Straits against high-sea pirates who were posing a serious theat to maritime trade.
India Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said New Delhi would be willing to help in any capacity that the littoral states deem necessary, according to the Sunday Times newspaper.
"India has developed capabilities in various aspects of maritime security and would be most willing to share its expertise with the countries of the region," he said in his address at the 5th Shangri-La Dialogue Saturday.
The number of pirate attacks in the Malacca Straits has dropped sharply in recent months, but India, aware that 50 percent of its trade passes through the waterway, remains wary.
According to figures from the International Maritime bureau, there were no pirate attacks anywhere in the Malacca Strait between January and March this year and only one incident between July and December last year.
In contrast, 38 attacks were recorded in 2004, prompting Lloyd's of London to list the strait as a "war-risk area" and hiking insurance premiums for shippers using the waterway.
Singapore Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said he welcomed the offer but it would have to be accepted by the littoral states.
"They must be respectful of international law as well as the sovereignty of the littoral states," he said.
Malaysia and Indonesia have been reluctant to accept significant foreign involvement in strait security.
The three-day Shangri-La Dialogue - named after the Singapore hotel where it is held - brings together delegates from 22 countries, including the US, Britain, Canada, France, Japan, China and India.
This year's Shangri-La meeting was the fifth since the dialogue was set up in 2002.
Tehran, June 4 (DPA) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that his country would "thoroughly" evaluate the new nuclear proposal from the six major powers and make no prejudgment.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is to formally deliver the proposal to Tehran.
"We will thoroughly evaluate the proposal, take our time, and then make the final decision," Ahmadinejad said Saturday in a ceremony marking the 17th death anniversary of Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Ahmadinejad said that he was told Friday by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan "not to rush things and not to disclose any details, and I have promised not to do so".
Ahmadinejad said Iran would decide on the major-powers proposal in line with its national interests but not give in to any intimidation or ultimatum.
"The right for peaceful use of nuclear technology and continuation of the nuclear fuel cycle (uranium enrichment) is the undisputable right of the Iranian nation, and there will be no compromise and not even negotiations on that aspect," he said.
"We are ready to contribute our share for all issues, which are of global concern, such as world peace and security, but we will not accept any literature based on conditions and threats."
He said that the five UN Security Council member states - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany could not consider themselves as "representatives of the world society".
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) contain greater land mass and populations than the six powers together. "And both institutions have already acknowledged Iran's right to pursue peaceful nuclear technology," Ahmadinejad said.
In a reference to any military threats, he said, "the Iranian nation is like the wild waves of an ocean, which would crash any aggressor against the rocks".
Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said earlier Saturday that Iran expected a "fair and comprehensive proposal" from the West on the nuclear dispute.
Solana is expected to arrive Monday or Tuesday in Tehran with the new proposal.
The proposal is a package of incentives hammered out Thursday in Vienna at a meeting of the US, British, Chinese, Russian, German and French foreign ministers.
The two-part package includes a set of incentives to encourage Iran to comply and carries penalties that could be applied by the UN Security Council if Tehran does not cooperate.
Diplomatic sources have said that the US wants to give Iran a few weeks - until the scheduled G-8 summit in July in Russia - to make a decision on whether to suspend uranium enrichment efforts.
New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) With the detention of six Nigerian nationals, police Sunday were tracking a trail of drugs, international involvement and alleged attempts at cover-up as the mystery continued to deepen over the suspected substance abuse by the aide and son of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan that led to the death of the former.
These six Nigerians were picked up from different parts of the city after police teams conducted a series of raids Saturday night. Police was searching for them for the last two days
"They are suspected to be part of the drug cartel that supplied drugs to Rahul Mahajan and Bibek Moitra," police said.
The interrogation of Sahil Zarru, a key witness to the widely suspected indulgence in drink and drugs by the high-profile two, has begun at the special cell immediately after he was brought from Srinagar to New Delhi Sunday afternoon.
His interrogation is expected to yield vital clues to a puzzle whose ramifications have become the subject of national attention for its possible political overtones.
"Sahil is likely to provide crucial clues that can help us to put together the sequence of events on the fateful night," said an official investigating the case.
He said that police have questioned 21 people, including Harish Sharma, Pramod Mahajan's personal assistant.
Police said a team was sent to the capital's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, where Pramod Mahajan's son Rahul was admitted in the early hours of Friday, to speak to him but the questioning could not take place due to his condition and the team had to return.
A special team of Delhi Police went to Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar after Sahil, one of the four people said to be present at the party at Mahajan's residence, surfaced there Saturday. The three others had surrendered Friday.
Sahil, 21, had landed at the studio of Aaj Tak TV network in Srinagar after flying in from New Delhi, and said he had no role in the death of Mahajan aide Bibek Moitra or in the reported drinking binge that took place in the erstwhile official residence of the BJP leader and former minister that his son and aide were using on Thursday night.
"There is no conspiracy. I myself have been a victim of it," Sahil told a stunned television audience. But he admitted that he had tasted "something" that was on the table at the house and soon lost consciousness.
Delhi Police were also carrying out searches across the capital to nab the man who had supplied narcotics to Sahil as reported by him. "We are carrying raids and some drug peddlers have also been questioned," said an official.
"We have the phone number of the drug peddler and we are trying to trace him through that. Sahil was in contact with the peddler so he should be able to give us more details about him. We should get some answers from his questioning," the official said.
Despite a clean chit from the hospital to Rahul saying that no trace of drug use was found in his blood, Delhi Police registered a case of drug abuse and destruction of evidence against "unknown persons" Saturday evening.
The case has been registered under section 27 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
However, former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde and Rahul's uncle, asserted that the latter was never into drugs and that there had been an attempt to poison the late leader's son at the Thursday night party at Mahajan's 7, Safdarjung Road bungalow.
Three of the four people, Karan, Trishay and Rahul Malhotra, who were present at the drug-laced drinking bout Thursday night, were interrogated by Delhi Police Saturday. Sahil's father Ghulam Mohammed, a New Delhi-based businessman, also questioned.
According to the version the trio gave to police, Sahil bought cocaine for Rs.15,000 from a peddler in the posh area of Vasant Vihar in south Delhi. Moitra, the youths said, provided the money.
"Bibek gave Sahil Rs.15,000 to get the cocaine. These three youths are completely innocent. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time," their advocate Ranvir Singh Kundu told IANS.
The BJP has distanced itself from the episode but questions have been raised about the easy access of Rahul and Moitra to drug sources and if they had any connections to the senior Mahajan who was seen as the main fund-raiser of his party and was known for his high-flying lifestyle.
Lucknow, June 4 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati Sunday candidly admitted that she took money from "rich, aspirant contestants" for giving them tickets for elections.
"Since numerous rich people were keen to contest elections on our party's tickets, there was nothing wrong in taking contributions for them. After all, I used the money to enable poor and economically weak Dalit candidates to contest elections," Mayawati told reporters here.
Claiming that she had succeeded in establishing her party across the country through such contributions, she said: "Since the party was strong in states like Uttar Pradesh, we collected donations from our supporters and party volunteers to build our base also in southern states."
"It simply amounts to taking money from economically strong general candidates to support poor, Dalit nominees, who cannot contest an election on their own."
Justifying her stand, she said: "Unlike the Samajwadi Party, the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party, the BSP does not have affluent industrialists, businessmen and traders. We run the party solely with the help of contributions received from party supporters and members.
"While other parties have fake membership drives, we believe in people's mobilisation, which brings us a lot of money in the form of membership fee. Besides, we also receive money as gift against coupons issued on my birthday."
Tehran, June 4 (IANS) A commemorative stamp to mark Iran's participation in the Word Cup football in Germany was inaugurated in a ceremony at Azadi Stadium here during the warm-up football game between Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
According to the Public Relations Department of Iranian Post Company, at the ceremony Wednesday, respective officials sealed a symbolic envelope with the memorial stamp.
The ceremony was attended by a number of officials from the ministry of communications and information technology, post company, physical education organisation and national football federation, the IRNA news agency said.
The memorial stamp features Iran's flag in the background, FIFA's Gold Cup and Emblem for this year's competitions.
The circulation of the memorial stamp is 450,000 series and costs 650 rials each.
Gandhinagar, June 4 (IANS) Congress spokesperson Rajiv Shukla Sunday accused Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of following an agenda of divide and rule in line with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
"Both Modi and Musharraf have a common agenda of dividing India to stay in power. Through his policy, Musharraf wants to destabilise India to retain his position in his country. Similarly, Modi is dividing society on communal lines to remain in power," Shukla told reporters here during the 'Jan Mintra Shibir', a two-day meeting of the Gujarat unit of the Congress party.
He also criticised Modi for remaining silent when former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president L. K. Advani commented on Mohammed Ali Jinnah's secular credentials in Karachi.
"He (Modi) won elections talking about Pakistan and Musharraf. He should have objected to Advani's remark. Why did he remain silent?" asked the Congress spokesperson.
Shukla, along with other Congress leaders, called for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Gujarat.
"Gujarat has maximum complaints of misuse of the scheme. The government is diverting the money to BJP power brokers in villages instead of giving it to the poor and unemployed," alleged Shukla.
He also criticised the Gujarat government for its small cabinet. "There are only four members in Gujarat's cabinet. How can you expect any debate or opposition over any issue? It is not a cabinet but a gang of four," he said.
Podgorica, June 4 (DPA) The former Yugoslav republic of Montenegro declared independence to regain its sovereignty after 88 years and become the latest sovereign European nation.
Independence was declared by the parliament Saturday in a festive atmosphere, with live classical music and cocktails preceding the working part of the session. The new national anthem was played at the start of the legislative session.
A small crowd stood outside the building in pouring rain to watch the guests arrive. The session was boycotted by the opposition, which wanted Montenegro to remain in union with Serbia.
Montenegro declared independence following a May 21 referendum, in which 55.5 percent of the votes cast were in favour of sovereignty. The declaration dissolved the union of Serbia and Montenegro (SCG), established in 2003 to replace the former Yugoslavia.
The assembly first approved the report of the head of the referendum commission, Slovak diplomat Frantisek Lipka, followed by the vote on the declaration of independence.
Parliament also approved a set of basic principles, setting out the state's independent, democratic and civilian character and noting its desire for NATO and EU membership.
Without the opposition, the vote was unanimously in favour of both declarations. Fireworks followed the expressly conducted session, which lasted less than 30 minutes.
Montenegrin government officials said they now expect recognition from the EU this month and a seat in the UN when the General Assembly convenes in September.
Montenegro's independence snuffs out the last vestige of the Yugoslav federation, which had existed in some form since December 1918. With it, Montenegro has regained the sovereignty it voluntarily gave up to join the federation after World War I.
The Serbian government is yet to definitely and unambiguously recognise Montenegrin independence. Belgrade, which inherited the SCG, did not send representatives to the ceremony in Podgorica despite invitations to participate.
A day earlier in Belgrade, EU top diplomat Javier Solana called on Serbia and Montenegro to build a "constructive relationship" and swiftly resolve issues stemming from the dissolution of their union.
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who continues to appear angry and frustrated over the decision of Montenegrin voters, refused any EU help in the dissociation process.
However, the name SCG will linger through the football World Cup in Germany and possibly the basketball world championships in August and September in Japan. SCG, invited on a wild card after a disaster last year at the home Euro, defends the basketball title won four years ago by Yugoslavia.
--DPA
Islamabad, June 4 (IANS) Nearly half the Pakistanis believe that India-Pakistan relations have improved in the last year, according to a survey.
However, a senior politician close to President Pervez Musharraf thinks it has reached a state of impasse and "a new spirit and enthusiasm" needs to be infused.
According to a recent survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan, 48 percent of the respondents believed that the relations have improved, while seven percent thought the relations have deteriorated.
While the remaining 28 percent felt that there was no difference, 18 percent of the respondents were unable to give an answer.
The survey was conducted by Gallup Pakistan - the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International - among a sample of over 1,000 men and women from all income, age and regional groups, NNI news agency was quoted as saying.
However, Pakistan Muslim League (Qaid) president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was quoted by Geo TV as saying that the composite dialogue process between Pakistan and India had gone into a state of impasse, reported Daily Times newspaper.
He said the stalemate came from the Indian side whereas the Pakistani leadership was "ready to take bold and unpopular decisions" to resolve all issues, including the issue of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Saturday that war was no longer an option to resolve the disputes between Pakistan and India and only dialogue could lead to conflict resolution.
Addressing a conference on "Conflict Resolution and Peace", organised by the Rotary Club, he said Musharraf's policy towards India had public support. The conference was attended by Rotarians from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"Bold, courageous, and dedicated decisions are needed from the Indian leadership," Mushahid added, praising the decisions taken by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He also said that the warm hospitality extended to the Indian cricket team during its Pakistan tour was an indication of mutual goodwill at the people-to-people level.
Mumbai, June 4 (IANS) The recovery of cocaine worth Rs.800 million from a Latin American registered cargo vessel here Saturday night shows once again that international drug syndicates are using Mumbai as a major transit-cum-entry point in South Asia.
The haul, the largest ever at the international cargo gateway of the Jawaharlal Nehru Prot Trust at Panvel, some 65 km from here, was the result of painstaking work by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) sleuths. The bureau had been tracking the vessel for the past couple of months.
The sleuths say that powerful Colombian drug cartels, on the lookout for newer routes, have started using Mumbai both as entry and transit points for its consignments for the region.
"We have been tracking the vessel, SL Voyager, that had picked up the cocaine consignment from Colombia and sailed to Hong Kong via South Africa for the past one and a half month," said NCB superintendent Ajit Patil who led the raids on the vessel after it berthed at the Nhava Sheva port in Mumbai Saturday morning.
"Following a tip-off from international sources, we boarded the vessel SL Voyager which is owned by Maersk, after it berthed at the company's exclusive jetty. Since, we had precise information about the consignment, we had no problem in locating the narcotics packed in a particular container on board," Patil told IANS.
"The cocaine was lifted from Colombia, taken to Hong Kong and brought to Mumbai. We found the cocaine packed in canvas bags, stacked between teak logs in one of the eight containers booked by a Mumbai-based firm that was importing teak. We, however, cannot name the firm as investigations are still on," he said.
An NCB official said: "The haul revealed Mumbai has emerged as an important transit point for drug traffickers from Colombia and China."
Five people, including SL Voyager crewmembers, have been detained for questioning, though no arrests have been.
Malappuram (Kerala), June 4 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed has emerged stronger in the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) after being confirmed as party general secretary.
The IUML party executive, which took the decision late Saturday, has been meeting here for the past two days to discuss the revamp. In the reshuffle, IUML strongman P.K. Kunhalikutty was made treasurer in what seen as a demotion.
Ahamed was last week appointed as general secretary in charge after former state industries minister Kunhalikutty stepped down after the humiliating defeat of the party in the recent assembly polls.
The party won only eight of the 21 contested seats in the recent assembly elections. This was the IUML's worst performance in the last decade - in the 1996 polls the party had 13 seats, in 1991 - 19, and in 1987 - 15 seats.
Malappuram district is the citadel of the IUML and in all previous elections the IUML has won as much as nine of the 12 seats it contested. However, in the recent assembly polls, the IUML could win in just five seats from Malappuram district - the lowest number in its history.
In the process, it saw the defeat of three IUML giants - former ministers P.K. Kunhalikutty, E.T. Mohammed Basheer and M.K. Muneer.
Following the rout, Kunhalikutty, the lone general secretary of the party, and two others quit the party post last week. Ahamed and Kunhalikutty have been continuously vying to get a hold on the reigns of the party and it was the latter who was calling the shots till now.
The stinging defeat loosened Kunhalikutty's grip and Ahamed played his cards well to emerge victorious. Ahamed not only managed to get the coveted post, but has also managed to fill the high level executive committee with his close associates.
The other new office bearers include regular faces like Basheer and Muneer.
State party president Panakkad Sayed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal's failing health has been a cause of concern for the IUML. Further, the weeks ahead could prove to be a testing time as parties like the Indian National League (INL) and Muslim organisations like Jamat-E-Islami and groups led by Kanthapuram Abubacker Musaliar have all begun making in-roads into the IUML cadres.
INL, formed by late former IUML leader Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, has already got its first legislator.
INL's P.M.A. Saleem beat IUML legislator T.P.M. Zaheer by 14,093 votes in the Kozhikode 11 constituency. The INL had contested the elections as a part of the LDF.
New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Although China sends the greatest number of students abroad, tertiary students from sub-Saharan Africa are the most mobile in the world, according to a new UNESCO study.
The report tracks the flows of foreign or mobile students. Mobile students are defined as those who study in foreign countries where they are not permanent residents.
South and West Asia is the origin of 194,000 mobile students, with two-thirds coming from India, according to a report from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) titled "The Global Education Digest 2006".
Between 1999 and 2004, the number of mobile students worldwide surged by 41 percent from 1.75 million to 2.5 million, according to the Digest.
"This does not mean that more students are travelling. Rather it reflects the rapid expansion of higher education overall, with tertiary enrolments also increasing by about 40 percent during the same period," the Digest states.
"What this report shows is that the real enthusiasm in tertiary education is coming from African, Arab and Chinese students. They are the driving force behind the internationalisation of higher education," says Hendrik van der Pol, UIS director.
China sends the greatest number of students abroad - 14 percent of the global total - primarily to the US, Japan and Britain.
"In relative terms though, sub-Saharan African students are still the most mobile in the world. Several countries in the region have as many or more students abroad than at home. Most have no choice but to go abroad because of limited access to domestic universities or the poor quality of instruction," states the Digest.
Yet these sub-Saharan African students are rarely counted in national statistics.
"The South and West Asia region's outbound mobility ratio of just 1.3 percent is primarily due to the low ratio reported by India of 1.1 percent. It rises to 11 percent in Afghanistan and 5.0 percent in Nepal," states the Digest.
The Arab states have seen a steady rise in student mobility over the past five years and now accounts for seven percent of the global total.
Presenting the latest education statistics from primary to tertiary levels in more than 200 countries, the report points out that if one out of every 16 - or 5.6 percent of tertiary students from sub-Saharan Africa are studying overseas, at the other end of the scale only one out of every 250 North American students (0.4 percent) studies overseas, making this group the least mobile.
Six countries host 67 percent of the world's mobile students: 23 percent study in the US, followed by Britain (12 percent), Germany (11 percent), France (10 percent), Australia (seven percent) and Japan (five percent).
The Digest also evaluates the extent to which the universities of these host countries can absorb more mobile students.
They already account for 17 percent of total tertiary enrolment in Australia, for example, and 13 percent in Britain. But this figure falls to two percent in Japan and the Russian Federation and three percent in the US and Canada.
The report shows that low- and middle-income countries are playing to catch up with North America and Western Europe in terms of tertiary enrolment, leading to some startling changes in the rankings of countries.
"Mobile students from abroad account for more than seven percent of total enrolment in Bahrain, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mali, Namibia, South Africa and Togo," the report states.
Islamabad, June 4 (IANS) Pakistan's lawmakers have rallied behind disgraced nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, passing a resolution in the Senate opposing the demand of their US counterparts for the scientist's custody for further interrogation.
Such a demand was an attack on Pakistan's sovereignty, said the resolution.
The resolution was moved by Khurshid Ahmed of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and signed by leaders of other parties, the Daily Times said.
"This House views with concern, the unwarranted request of some members of the US House of Representatives demanding the handing over of Abdul Qader Khan for interrogation," the resolution said.
"We term this action a blatant violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and integrity, and an interference in our internal affairs. Pakistan's nuclear programme is vital to our defence and is not directed against anyone," the resolution claimed.
It further stated: Pakistan is a responsible state and is fully cognisant of its responsibilities in international politics."
"We condemn, in no uncertain terms, the character assassination of Abdul Qader Khan and other scientists, which is an attempt to malign Pakistan's nuclear programme. Our scientists enjoy the respect and appreciation of all Pakistanis. Our nation is indebted to them for the remarkable progress that our country has made in the field of nuclear technology and weapons development," the resolution concluded.
The senators condemned "encroachments" into this programme and the "double standards of the US government". They said the nuclear programme was a sacred trust on which none of the previous governments had compromised.
Patna, June 4 (IANS) Bihar's former deputy inspector general of police Arun Kumar Singh was shot dead by unidentified attackers in Patna Sunday afternoon, police said.
Singh was going from his Kankarbag Colony residence to Rajendra Nagar Terminal railway station when he was attacked, a senior police officer told IANS.
"We have arrested four people, and further investigations are on," he said.
The official said that preliminary investigation showed that the attackers only wanted to rob Singh. However, as the officer retaliated he was murdered.
New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Sahil Zarru, a key witness nabbed from Srinagar, would be interrogated here Sunday to gain vital clues about the alleged drinking binge that left Rahul Mahajan, son of late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, battling for life and the politician's close aide Bibek Moitra dead.
"We are bringing him to New Delhi and he should reach here forenoon," said an official investigating the case.
He said that police have questioned around 15 people, including Harish Sharma, Pramod Mahajan's personal assistant, and the questioning of Sahil would be crucial for the investigation.
Police said a team was sent to the capital's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, where Rahul Mahajan was admitted in the early hours of Friday, to speak to him but the questioning could not take place due to his condition and the team had to return.
A special team of Delhi Police went to Jammu and Kashmir summer capital Srinagar after Sahil, one of the four people said to be present at the party at Mahajan's residence, surfaced there Saturday. The three others had surrendered Friday.
Sahil, 21, landed at the studio of Aaj Tak TV network in Srinagar after flying in from New Delhi, and said he had no role in Moitra's death or the party itself.
"There is no conspiracy. I myself have been a victim of it," Sahil told a stunned television audience. But he admitted that he had tasted "something" that was on the table at the house and soon lost consciousness.
Delhi Police were also carrying out searches across the capital to nab the man who had supplied narcotics to Sahil as reported by him. "We are carrying raids and some drug peddlers have also been questioned," said an official.
"We have the phone number of the drug peddler and we are trying to trace him through that. Sahil was in contact with the peddler so he should be able to give us more details about him. We should get some answers from his questioning," the official said.
Despite a clean chit from the hospital to Rahul saying that no trace of drug use was found in his blood, Delhi Police registered a case of drug abuse and destruction of evidence against "unknown persons" Saturday evening.
The case has been registered under section 27 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
However, former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde and Rahul's uncle, asserted that the latter was never into drugs and that there had been an attempt to poison the late leader's son at the Thursday night party at Mahajan's 7, Safdarjung Road bungalow in the capital.
Three of the four people, Karan, Trishay and Rahul Malhotra, who were present at the drug-laced drinking bout Thursday night were interrogated by Delhi Police Saturday. They also questioned Sahil's father Ghulam Mohammed, a New Delhi-based businessman.
According to the version given to police by the trio, Sahil bought cocaine for Rs.15,000 from a peddler in the posh area of Vasant Vihar in south Delhi. Moitra, the youths said, provided the money.
"Bibek gave Sahil Rs.15,000 to get the cocaine. These three youths are completely innocent. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time," their advocate Ranvir Singh Kundu told IANS.
Beijing, June 4 (Xinhua) Leading Chinese mathematician Yang Le Sunday said the successful unravelling of one of the world's toughest puzzles was an outstanding job.
Two Chinese mathematicians Zhu Xiping and Cao Huaidong have put the final pieces together in the solution to the puzzle that has perplexed scientists around the globe for more than a century.
The duo published a paper in the latest US-based Asian Journal of Mathematics, providing complete proof of the Poincare Conjecture promulgated by French mathematician Henri Poincare in 1904.
Columbian professor Richard Hamilton and Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman have laid foundation on the latest endeavours made by the two Chinese.
Hamilton completed the majority of the program and the geometrisation conjecture.
"All the American, Russian and Chinese mathematicians have made indispensable contribution to the complete proof," Yang, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said.
--Xinhua
By Sreeram Chaulia
Former prime minister Indira Gandhi's main contribution to India's foreign policy was geographic concretisation of where the national interests lay. While Jawaharlal Nehru visualised India as a conflict resolver and leader of developing countries at large, Indira Gandhi devised her own Monroe Doctrine by narrowing the intended sphere of influence to the South Asian region. India's goal was to remain the unchallenged regional hegemon in South Asia, with wider world problems taking rhetorical priority.
The Indira Doctrine was based on the realist assumption that influence can be exerted only when it is backed by material power capabilities. With the economic, military and technological poverty of India between the mid-60s and the mid-80s, to wish for a commanding presence beyond South Asia seemed pompous and naive, akin to a featherwieght category pugilist jumping into the super heavyweight ring.
Much water has flowed down the Ganges since Indira Gandhi's hard-nosed agenda for regional domination. The most significant transformation is that of the Indian economy, which outgrew the 'Hindu rate of growth' and has been galloping at an impressive pace since 1991. The second most significant change was India going open about its long-ambivalent nuclear weapons programme in 1998. As is natural, with accretion of material sinews, India today has a geographically much broader range of interests that stretch from the 'Look East' orientation to the end of the Western Hemisphere where a minuet is unfolding with the US.
Strangely, as an "emerging power", India's refocusing on distant problems and partnerships coincides with an utter failure to preserve its stakes in the South Asian neighbourhood. The ever-rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan and Bangladesh has increased Indian vulnerability in the security realm. If one compares the intensity and regularity of terrorist attacks on soft and hard targets in today's India with that in Indira Gandhi's time, the level of insecurity Indian citizens face now is far worse. The chances of one becoming a victim of a terrorist bombing or suicide attack anywhere and at any time are much higher now than in the days when political violence had a localised ambit in separatist provinces of India.
Indira Gandhi's way of ensuring security for Indian citizens was more robust because of her concentration on weakening inimical neighbouring states and maintaining military and economic pressure on state sponsors of terror. Contrary to requirements and in a brazen dereliction of the state's responsibility to protect its citizens, recent Indian rulers have come up with defeatist policies like the so-called 'Gujral Doctrine' or defensive noseying around like containment of terrorism within Indian borders when the challenge is from across the borders. Negotiations with the hijackers of IC-814 and with the military dictatorship in Islamabad are two ends of the same spectrum of purposeless South Asia policy that forgets too much and achieves little.
The announcement by Myanmar's military junta that democracy-rights leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be detained for one more year is another distasteful outcome that reveals the bankruptcy of India's South Asia policy. Myanmar shares a border with India and is technically on the crossroads between South and Southeast Asia. Issues of justice and inequity inside Myanmar are directly tied to the long-term stability and security of India's northeast. Instead of sanctioning and shunning the repressive order in Yangon (formerly Rangoon) and ensuring that a people-friendly regime takes root, India is partying with the generals who easily play off New Delhi and Beijing against each other. If turning a blind eye to the Myanmar people's movement is 'realism', how is it that the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Naga and Bodo secessionists still find a safe haven in Myanmar territory?
India was caught napping by the recent turmoil in Nepal, generating impressions that it favoured the monarchy even when its foundations were shaking from popular agitation. India's track record of reactive ex-post adjustments indicates that it is unprepared for a future divorce between the bourgeois political parties that just stripped the Nepalese king of his armour and the Maoists who demand far more radical socio-economic redistribution than token electoral democracy.
Bhutan is a feudal aristocracy and among the least developed countries of the world. Its establishment depends on Indian largesse and military subsidies. India does not bother to utilise its unique leverage over Thimphu to bring about peaceful democratic change, despite knowing that anti-India insurgents will find it harder to get safe haven in the Himalayan kingdom if popular sovereignty is established there. Sensitivity to non-interference is no excuse for letting go opportunities of ensuring just orders in India's neighbourhood.
India is the only genuinely democratic and relatively inclusive polity in South Asia - a giant oasis in a desertified region where people's rights are being crushed by tyrannies like Pakistan, Myanmar and Bhutan and misguided democracies like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, where syncretic nation-building has been held back by majoritarian chauvinism. Warts and all, India is the only entity in South Asia that has the legitimacy and means to promote positive change in its vicinity.
Sadly, the Indian toolbox for its neighbourhood is presently vision-free. For instance, to crush the LTTE in Sri Lanka or deter it from restarting the war, New Delhi discusses a possible mutual defence pact with the government in Colombo without securing any tangible guarantee for a just solution to the minority rights problem. The sore festers on. The Sri Lankan people lose and so does India in the long run.
Much that passes as 'realism' in India's South Asia policy is akin to shooting itself in the foot. A new Indira Doctrine, mutatis mutandis, is imperative for carving out a friendly and hassle-free neighbourhood that does not impede India's economic development. It will have to meet the expectations of millions reeling under authoritarian thumbs and also make terrorism a costly proposition for state sponsors. The new doctrine should be such that future Tibets are not written off while future Kashmirs are pre-empted.
(Sreeram Chaulia is a commentator on international affairs based in the US. The views expressed are his own. He can be contacted on sreeramchaulia@hotmail.com)