| Issue 23 Vol I, September 15, 2006 | Archive |
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Ranjit Singh denied entry into Canada THE turning away of the former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Bhai Ranjit Singh from the Vancouver Airport last month has divided the Canadian Sikhs. While the moderates have welcomed the episode, the extremists are angry. Bhai Ranjit Singh had issued a controversial edict against the Langar code practiced in the Canadian Sikh temples in 1998. He had asked the Sikhs not to serve the langar to the sanagat on tables and chairs, the practice adopted by the local Sikhs since 1906 when the first Canadian gurdwara was established in Vancouver. Incidentally, the Khalsa Diwan Society is going to mark the first centenary of that gurdwara next month. Bhai Ranjit Singh had excommunicated the Sikh leaders who had defied the edict. He was turned away from the Vancouver Airport when he traveled to Canada on valid documents for security reasons. Gurdwara Kalgidhar in Abbotsford had invited him. He was detained for 12 hours before being forced to return. It is learnt that the Canadian authorities did not let him enter Vancouver, as he did not complete his jail term for the murder of the Nirankari Guru. While the Indian President had remitted his sentence, the local authorities insisted that he did not complete his remaining sentence of about three months. The moderates are happy as they are described "infidels’’ and ridiculed by the hotheaded supporters of Bhai Ranjit Singh. The fundamentalists are accusing the moderates for this episode. They allege that the moderates had leaked the information to the immigration authorities about the proposed visit of Bhai Ranjit Singh. The information about his proposed tour was kept a closely guarded secret. The fundamentalists are annoyed because the Canadian embassy in India had issued him a visa. They claim that he wouldn’t have posed any security threat. His failed visit coincided with the election at the New Westminster Gurdwara. Both the slates in that election had candidates who support Khalistan, although one of the slates had collaborated with the moderate Sikhs. The moderates supported them for strategic reasons. This slate has lost the election held on September 10. |
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Journalist writer and social activist Lalit Surjan who edits The Deshbandhu daily has invited those interested in serious research to make use of the Deshbandhu Library- a division of MSF (Mayaram Surjan Foundation). It offers two distinct facilities to scholars, researchers, activists, policy-makers and all other interested groups. One- A book library with over 30,000 titles on a variety of subjects. But mainly on current affairs, world politics, freedom movement, environment, Hindi and English literature, Indian art, culture and philosophy etc. There are more than 500 books in Gandhiana. Almost the same number on Nehru. Shri I.K.Gujral, former Prime Minister has donated a part of his personal library to us. Two- A research and documentation centre set up with the support from National Foundation of India. It has some 60,000 envelops on hundreds of topics. In addition, we have started producing Dastavez on Chhattisgarh. So far, some 100 dastavez have been prepared. Each includes paper clippings from regional and national, and at times international print media. A dastavez on Salwa Judum has more than 1000 pages. These documents are available at cost price. The library offers institutional and individual membership. It has been visited by a number of well-known figures from the civil society and public life. If you are visiting Raipur and Chhattisgarh, please drop in. You may also like to contact the library on library@msfraipur.org or info@msfraipur.org |
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Balochistan simmers with rage, the senators assail Bugti killing HOW hard the Musharraf regime may try, it can not get out of the mess it has created in Balochistan, Wazirstan and Sindh. The shameful killing of 82 year Bloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti [and other tribesmen] who had been both governor and chief minister besides national law maker is like an albatross round the neck of the army chief and self styled president of Pakistan. Blaming India for the self inflicted wounds and killing of innocent people would befool no one. While people in Balochistan have got a martyr to lead their fight against an oppressive regime in Pakistan, they have got big support from all the main opposition parties and some from the ruling party. A big rally in Lahore the other day that lasted till midnight emphasised that Punjabis in general were not responsible for the plight of the people in either Balochistan, Sindh, or Wazirstan as they themselves a were suffering at the hands of the successive oppressive regimes. A united opposition and a strong democratic opinion if properly guided can save Pakistan from mayhem and disintegration. The military generals have no idea as to how to keep the country united and lead it to progress. On September 13 in a rather belated debate on the killing of Jamhoori Watan Party chief Nawab Akbar Bugti in a military operation in Kohlu on Aug 26, treasury senators joined the opposition and condemned the use of force in Balochistan. They demanded an immediate halt to military operation and called for political dialogue to resolve the issue which was endangering the country’s integrity. Leader of the Opposition in the house Mian Raza Rabbani, opening the debate, said use of brutal state machinery to kill Nawab Bugti had put Balochistan on fire, posing the threat of worst consequences for the federation. He said the regime, instead of overcoming tribalism for which it had claimed to have entered the province, had itself descended into tribalism. The writ of the government could not be enforced but it grew from moral, political and constitutional legitimacy, which the current regime lacked, he said. He wanted immediate halting the army action forthwith, conducting DNA test of Nawab Bugti’s body under foreign supervision, release of all political prisoners, recovery or disclosure of place of detention of those who had disappeared with the nature of charges faced by them and provision of defence counsel to them. He said construction of cantonments and change from levies to police system in the province should be stopped, major projects should be launched in consultation with the provincial government, the first right to employment of locals should be accepted and job opportunities should be created for them on priority basis. He demanded that the gas royalty should be renegotiated and arrears paid. Above all, provincial autonomy should be granted, beginning with deletion of the concurrent list and installing a real representative government in Balochistan. Support came from S.M. Zafar from the treasury benches felt the circumstances in which Nawab Bugti was killed were regrettable and dangerous for the future of the country. He said it was high time that the provinces were given autonomy as enshrined in the constitution with transfer of powers. The process of negotiation should be initiated without losing more time as its absence had caused Nawab Bugti’s death. He stressed that all sides had admitted that the rights of people were unusually usurped under a non-democratic or semi-democratic rule. Political issues could never be resolved by use of force and they need to be resolved through political means. Prof Khurshid Ahmed of the MMA demanded that all those responsible for the operation against Nawab Bugti should be brought to book. He demanded setting up of a national commission headed by a Supreme Court judge to probe into the incident. Dr Abdul Malik warned that the Baloch youths were determined to avenge the killing of their elder who was struggling for their rights. In a voiced chocked with emotions, the former provincial education minister said those who did not bargain on their land were fortunate sons of the soil and those who bowed before the dictators were unfortunate. This perhaps sums up the mood in that hapless country under the control of a wayward military. Kaiser Bengali , a columnist with the dawn wrote, “ The calamity and the sordid handling of the aftermath reflects General Musharraf’s arrogant faith in military solutions to the patently political problems that the country faces, including those that have been created by the perpetuation of the current military dictatorship since October 1999. The generals have certainly not learnt any lessons from Pakistan’s unfortunate history of a quarter of a century ago, nor from the current failure of the world’s sole superpower to enforce its writ in Iraq, or of the mighty Israeli army’s failure to write its agenda in Lebanon.” |
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Integrating Muslims, Canada style Canada wants Muslims to join its police and armed forces. It is meant to integrate the believers in Islam and work for the security. Non white constitute a small number in both, the police and the military. Chinese and Indians, Muslims from Islamic countries are the largest community of migrants, some came a century back. Yet like other migrating people, they do not constitute a corresponding part of the Canadian uniform forces. Lack of interest on the part of migrants is one reason as they are happier doing salaried jobs and businesses and lack of trust on the part of the Canadian government in these communities is another strong reason. Now the government has some rethinking and feels that more from the se communities could be a source of strength. Also faced with dwindling numbers of recruits, the Canadian Forces reach out to the Muslim community by sending an admiral to the Ottawa Central Mosque. The multi-racial crowd that gathered had had endless questions about Canada's military at the Ottawa Central Mosque. Some one wanted to know if it was all right to wear a beard– long and thick favoured by some devout Muslims. Another wanted to know if halal food (sanctioned by God) is served in the forces. Do the Forces have prayer places for Muslims? Will they be allowed time on daily basis to say prayers to Allah? Rear-Admiral Tyrone Pile, Chief of Military Personnel for the Canadian Forces, visited the mosque to encourage Muslims to consider a career in the military said the Forces do not reflect the mosaic of the country. "It's a pity,” Rear-Admiral Pile said. By 2046, he said, half of all Canadians will be non-Caucasian, and that is why it is important to build bridges and break down barriers and to divert from the traditional recruiting grounds of Canadian Anglo and Francophone communities. Muslims are just 0.5 per cent of the 63,000 members of the military, even though demographically they represent two per cent of the population. It is just not the Muslim community; the Aboriginal community, the Chinese-Canadian community and the Indo-Canadian community all are not keen the join the forces. It would take big effort to build bridges across them to make them change their minds. Apart from this fear, it is a known fact that minorities from immigrant backgrounds are reluctant to join the armed forces, including the police. Most come from countries where the armed forces are used to repress citizens and that image lingers in their minds when they come to Canada. Gamal Solaiman, the Imam of the Ottawa Central Mosque, argued that the idea to encourage Muslims to join the military was "overdue." "They are living here in this country and it is their duty to defend this country." Yet how could the Muslims join the Forces if they see that Canada's military being used by NATO" for purposes incompatible with Canadian values. "As a Canadian, if we go the Bush way, things will not go well." He frankly stated. Canada's role in Afghanistan is now warlike and not peacekeeping. As long as Muslims are being sent to kill fellow Muslims, the Canadian Forces might as well forget about recruiting them, he warned. |
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Chaitanya Kalbag is editor-in-chief Hindustan Times Kalbag, who took over as editor-in-chief Hindustan Times on September 1, brings with him a vast and varied experience in journalism. His last assignment was with Reuters where he was managing editor and head of editorial operations for Asia since 2000. He was the first Asian to reach that level. He joined Reuters in 1983 and worked in several countries including Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan and India before he moved to the global news organisation's Asia headquarters in Singapore. Kalbag's last role in Indian media was as an award-winning investigative writer at India Today in the early 1980s. "I'm very excited at the prospect of returning to Indian journalism. I'm thrilled to be leading the Hindustan Times, with its history, its circulation, its influence and its ambition to be the pre-eminent newspaper in India as our country emerges a super power. I'm also happy to be joining HT's management team, with its professionalism and commitment to the highest quality. Above all, I look forward to an enriching partnership with the Hindustan Times's readers." Kalbag said. Kalbag is a voracious reader, sensitive writer and has huge empathy for the people. “Kalbag's arrival at HT Media will further reinforce the leadership of the Hindustan Times in giving its readers excellence in journalism as India with its rapidly changing society, politics and economics takes a position of prominence on the global stage,” The Hindustan Times wrote about its new editor. |
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