C O M M E N T

Punjab Development Initiative launched at the House of Commons

Pictured Left to Right, Professor Ajit Singh, Mr Shinder Thandi,  Dr. Pritam Singh, John McDonnell MP, Iqbal Singh, and Harinder Singh Mann

JOHN McDonnell (MP) Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Punjabis in Britain and Rob Marris (MP), Treasurer of the Group, launched the Punjab Development Initiative at the House of Commons this evening. Mr. McDonnell highlighted the significance of this initiative by emphasising that in a globalised world, diasporas all over the world are coming to play an increasingly important role in the development of their homelands and that the British government needs to recognise this in its foreign policies. He welcomed the four development economist who had been especially invited to make presentations on the subject.

Opening the discussion, Dr. Pritam Singh of Oxford Brookes University traced the history of the agriculturally-oriented development path Punjab had followed in the last 150 years. He argued that this agrarian-oriented development path had resulted from externally-directed politico-economic strategies. During the colonial rule, the British colonial state initiated the development of Canal Colonies to fulfil the economic, military and political objectives of the colonial empire. In the post-colonial phase, the Centre incorporated Punjab into the Green Revolution strategy to fulfil the politico-economic objective of food self-sufficiency. Dr. Singh argued that in order to reverse the negative consequences of externally-directed development agendas, Punjab needs a significant degree of economic autonomy in decision making. He pointed out that Punjabis would need to show greater responsibility in managing human and natural resources in an era of devolved decision making if Punjab has to achieve sustainable development in the context of a globalised economy. In particular, he argued for developing a welcoming and tolerant attitude towards the poor workers from the other states in India migrating to Punjab.

Mr. Shinder Thandi of Coventry University emphasised the key role of Punjabi diasporas in not only investing in profit making ventures but also in philanthropic work. He showed that in the past major part of remittances for philanthropic work were in the domain of religion but in the recent period, a significant shift is taking place towards social infrastructure like building schools, hospitals and water sewerage systems. He highlighted the pioneering work of Canadian Punjabi diaspora which the British Punjabi diaspora could emulate.

Prof. Ajit Singh of Cambridge University argued for strengthening knowledge-based economy in Punjab and he identified two areas- electronics and pharmaceuticals- that are wholly dependent upon knowledge skills. In order to promote knowledge based economy in Punjab, he suggested the need of greater collaboration and exchange systems between educational institutions in the UK and Punjab. He pointed out that the success of Punjab Agriculture University was mainly due to its collaboration with the University of Ohio in USA. He welcomed the setting up of Punjab Technical University from the angle of developing Punjab’s human potential and knowledge base.

Harinder Singh Mann of the London School of Economics argued that the launch of the Punjab Development Initiative was timely and pointed out that a public opinion survey of British voters in 2005 revealed that 6 out of 10 voters considered that international development was a key issue while in 1997 only 1 out of 10 had considered this as a key issue. He argued that the Punjabi diaspora need to work with British government, multi-lateral organisations and NGOs to emphasise that they need to engage with Punjab in order to deal with problems like environmental pollution, female foeticide and farmers’ suicides.

In the wide ranging discussion that followed these four presentations, many useful interventions were made. Dr. Pippa Virdi from DeMontfort University emphasised the need for peaceful relations with Pakistan for creating conducive conditions for development. Dr. Kaveri Gill highlighted the need to embed gender dimension in the policy making process concerning development. Prof. Parminder Bachu of Clarke University, USA argued that the positive image making role of eminent Punjabi migrants should be celebrated. Ms. Parminder Chadha, an artist, called for recovering the importance of the concept of Sewa (service) in Sikh/Punjabi ethos and suggested that this concept should be invoked to strengthen more NGO-oriented work in Punjab. Santokh Singh Chhokar, a businessman, suggested that the proportion of British foreign aid that is given to Punjab should be continuously monitored. Mohan Luthra, a civil servant, pointed out that Punjabi diaspora could contribute to strengthening the tourist sector in Punjab. Ram Singh Dhesi and Pardeep Singh, both environmental activists, urged that in all development initiatives, sustainability must be made a central consideration.

John McDonnell concluded by outlining  a series of future activities that would be taken up in the future and the most significant would be collaboration with Canadian parliamentarians to strengthen the dimension of international oversight of the  development process in Punjab.

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Nepal: Another Move Towards Democracy

WHEN Chairman of the CPN-Maoist Prachanda alias Pushpa Kamal Dahal met PM Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter's official residence at Baluwatar on June 16, closeness between the two was clear much to the chagrin of those opposing democracy from within Nepal and from India.

Following the informal talks, the top Seven Party Alliance and Maoist leaders held formal talks at Baluwatar. Maoist Chairman Prachanda, Dr Bhattarai, coordinator of the Maoist talks team Krishna Bahadur Mahara and members Dinanath Sharma and Dev Gurung are present in the talks with the top SPA leaders. PM Koirala, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepali Congress-Democratic President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Nepal Sadbhavan Party leader Bharat Bimal Yadav, Janmorcha Nepal Chairman Amik Serchan and Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party Chairman Narayanman Bijukchhe are participating in the talks.

Civil society observers - Laxman Prasad Aryal, Dr Devendra Raj Pandey, Daman Nath Dhumgana, Padma Ratna Tuladhar and Mathura Prasad Sherstha were also present.

The two sides since then have held summit talks between PM Koirala and Maoist Chairman Prachanda. The two sides agreed to draft an interim constitution, dissolve both Houses of Parliament and the Maoist's local governments through consultations, invite the United Nations to manage and monitor the arms of both armies (state army and the rebel army), hold constituent assembly elections in a free and fair environment, among others.

The agreement also said both the sides expressed a commitment to competitive and multiparty politics, the rule of law, civil rights, human rights, and press freedom. A five-member interim constitution drafting committee will prepare the draft and define the process of the constituent assembly.

Prachanda also announced that within a month Parliament and the Maoist's local governments would be dissolved and an interim government formed.  Constituent assembly elections are to be held within a year.

It is pertinent to note what Prachanda said: "We have jointly created a history. No one ever thought that rebels waging war and the parties involved in parliamentary politics would jointly make a revolution happen." He also sought to reduce the strength of army as a poor country does not one lakh soldiers.

The crucial issue is to form a truce monitoring team (Ceasefire Code of Conduct National Monitoring Committee); request the UN to assist the truce monitoring team and to monitor human rights; and to hold further talks under observers. It is indeed time for the U N to show its sincerity, monitor the truce, help the elections to the constituent assembly elections and  establish a multi  party democracy in that poor hapless country.

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