Issue 58 Vol III, February 29, 2008

T H I S  O U R  N O R T H  A M E R I C A

An Honest Mistake
Khushwant Toor

Story of Neelam Vir, an immigrant who migrated to Canada in year 2002, made headlines in the Canadian news papers on February 26, 2008. His story has raised a stir of belongingness among the different immigrant communities in Canada especially the South Asian community. On November 20, 2007, Neelam was arrested for threatening to kill a staff member of Premier Dalton McGuinty and rearrested again for violating the conditions of her bail.

In an interview with the correspondent of a local newspaper (The Star), Neelam Vir tried to explain her part of the story. Both Neelam and her husband are Phd’s from India. Going through the usual new immigrant syndrome, both of them did not find a job in their educational fields. Her husband eventually opened a butcher shop, where as she completed another education degree from India, which could only fetch her supply-teaching jobs, apart form working as an airport security guard.

She also started to write as a freelance writer for a Punjabi newspaper in Mississauga. Often she met politicians at different community events being a member of Punjabi media. Passionate with her writing skills and in a false hope which many new immigrants carry that they can make the Canadian system to be pro immigrants, by complaining through emails, (where you don’t even have to spend a dime even on postage stamps); Neelam also started to send emails about the difficulties being faced by new immigrants, to every minister she could possibly link to be responsible for bringing new immigrants to Canada.

In the course she sent about 200 emails to Premier McGuinty form last July, in response to which she received a form-letter reply form Mr. McGuinty. Excited at receiving the reply she sent Mr. McGuinty a Rakhi. At a Sept. 17, 2007 Liberal news conference, in a Toronto book store, Neelam handed McGuinty’s teacher wife, Terri, her resume, with a hope that she would help her find a job. Then on Sept. 28, 2007 she met Premier McGuinty along with her two daughters during a round table with Punjabi media in Woodbridge. At the same event she heard Premier McGuinty saying that he likes eating Gulab Jamuns.

On Sept. 30, Neelam sent a packet of mix for making Gulab Jamuns to McGuinty to express her “love and affection”, dropping it off to a staff member Monica Masciantonio. The same night, she emailed McGuinty, asking whether Monica had given him the mix. In the email she wrote “I said, if she didn’t give it to you, I’ll kill her.’ It’s just slang.” In words of Neelam she meant to convey the Hindi version of it “Mian tumhari jann nikal dungi” which we of the Indian origin use all the time for the close ones.

Obviously, it was interpreted as what it says in English and her email was turned over to the police for further investigation. Instead of Mr. McGuinty’s email reply after the elections on Nov. 20, 2007, half a dozen police officers showed up at her door. They confiscated her laptop, cell phone, camera and papers, and took her to jail on a charge of conveying a death threat to a staff member of premiere’s office.

Neelam had to spend nearly six hours in jail before her husband got her out on bail. As a condition of her bail, Neelam was stopped from communicating with Premier McGuinty and barred form coming close to his office at the Queen’s park in Toronto.

In desperation and contrary to her conditions of release, Neelam sent McGuinty another email, apologizing and trying to explain. A few days later, police rearrested her again for breaching her bail conditions. This time, the court ordered her to see a psychiatrist.

Neelam says that she cannot understand what wrong did she do? She acknowledges that she made an honest mistake but blames that due to cultural differences the penalty she is going through is taking the toll on her family, carrier as well as the Canadian Dream she had in her hopes.

Neelam’s case is still pending in the court and she has to appear to defend the criminal charges laid down against her for the innocent or let’s say over-assumptious mistake she made.  What really strikes me is the whole thing is kind of sad, and I really hope it is resolved sooner rather than later," the premier told reporters, saying that reading the Star's story was the first he became aware of details of the case. "Obviously if I or someone in my family or staff receives some kind of threat, we turn it over to the police and they deal with it the way they see fit."

Speaking of the Canadian Dream which Neelam says has been shattered; a lot of debate has been going on in the community, some speaking in favor of Neelam and still others in defiance, and blame her for the lack of understanding Neelam showed. The fact is, that we immigrants are blind eyed and ourselves we don’t understand the cultural barriers; why do we expect the established Canadian society to understand our cultures and why is that we miss to understand theirs. Only, if we immigrants can realize that Canada has some hopes form us and we try to understand the Canadian culture we are now in to, such honest or over-assumptions mistakes would not happen.

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Fidel Castro, Ever a Venerable Revolutionary
HE outlived the Soviet Union, once a communist nation that inspired him. He outlasted nine powerful American administrations that tried, with all the cunning at their command to eliminate him. He would have lasted the tenth if he had not bid goodbye to the presidency of Cuba on May 18.

Fidel Castro, 81, announced that he was stepping down as Cuba’s President, quietly ending his nearly half-century rule of the island nation.

Castro has been on the sidelines of the Havana leadership since July 2006, when he underwent surgery for an intestinal ailment and temporarily handed over responsibilities to his brother, Raul, 76. In a message Fidel Castro said: “My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath.” But, he said, “it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer”.

He signaled that he would not completely exit the stage. “I am not saying goodbye to you,” he wrote to the people of Cuba. “I only wish to fight as a soldier of ideas”. He would essentially be a father figure to the entire socialist movement particularly in Latin America. And, an inspiration for people struggling worldwide; fighting for justice and equality. The Cuban revolution did not fail as some left intellectuals think despite decades of economic blockade; it has been a torch bearer. Look around Latin America alone and find the answers in Venezuela, and other countries. He rebuffed for over five decades the most dreaded world power.

On February 24 Cuba’s Parliament named Raul Castro as the President, ending nearly 50 years of rule by his brother Fidel but leaving the island’s communist system unshaken. 77-year-old revolutionary leader, Jose Ramon Machado was chosen to head Cuba’s No. 2 spot. Raul, 76, stressed that his brother remains “commander in chief” even if he is not President and proposed to consult Fidel on all major decisions of state — a motion approved by acclamation. It was another rebuff to American administration as it was a smooth affair

Few leaders have taken on the US and lived to tell the tale. Fidel Castro did so till the very end of his memorable rule, which began in 1959 and ended with his resignation. Alarming his foes and winning admirers across the globe he became a legend in his own lifetime, an icon of revolution revered by generations from the fifties onwards. Aided in his efforts by the likes of Che Guevara, his brother Raul Castro and other comrades in the 26 July Movement, he succeeded on January 1, 1959 in overthrowing the government of General Fulgencio Batista, a US puppet under whom Cuba had become a playground for wealthy Americans and a stronghold of the American mafia. His stay at the helm saw his socialist programme change the face of Cuba with its land reforms and provision of quality education and health care to all citizens irrespective of social standing. The literacy rate in Cuba today is 98 per cent, top-notch medical care is free and the country’s infant mortality rate stands at par with that of western countries.

American hegemony and Castro

Only months into his presidency, John F. Kennedy, the so-called liberal American icon ramped up the cold war which Republican President Eisenhower had done his best to tamp down by committing the United States to military confrontation on opposite ends of the world. In a subversion of Eisenhower’s decision not to send US troops to Vietnam, Kennedy lied to the American public about the purpose of his decision to send “flood control” advisers to Saigon. Kennedy’s CIA operatives and later other American President’s macabre methods neither cowed down this colossal of a man nor damped the enthusiasm. Cuba despite economic blockade which was opposed by the United Nations has outclassed even America in development parameters like health, education and general happiness index.

America boasts of protecting human rights and importing democracy with guns and bombs. Is it not a fact, America kidnapped 30 million and Africans sold them into slavery?  Nearly half of them died during transportation. Slavery was completely legal for them. The US does not accept the bombing of Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Dresden and Hamburg. Were these not acts of genocide. Since the end of World War II, the US government has intervened overtly and militarily more than 400 times in 100 countries, and covertly more than 6,000 times. This includes its invasion of Vietnam and the extermination of three million Vietnamese.

While a new exercise to capture Cuba though those so called exiles is on, the American administration insists that it does not intend to relax the trade embargo and other policies aimed at isolating the Cuban government. Bush called on Cuba to make the transition to democracy, la America style perhaps.  Those who plan to turn Cuba into a den of legalised prostitution as well as gambling will surely be disappointed.

Odds are that Castro’s successors, would free the end the grip of a moribund statist economy. Reform leading significantly down the path of the Chinese model, or more appropriately that of Venezuela, is more likely than sudden upheaval.

Comrade Castro has survived 638 assassination attempts by the CIA, by devices such as exploding cigars, poisoned food and an infected diving suit. Every year a farcical vote takes place in the United Nations General Assembly in which it declares its opposition to America’s economic blockade of Cuba. The 2007 edition took place last October, when the resolution was upheld by 184 to four. Those voting against were the US, Israel, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.

As one commentator wrote, “The resignation of Fidel Castro is more promising for the burnishing of his legacy than the mostly septuagenarian Cuban hard-liners in Miami and their fawning allies in the Bush Administration would like to believe. After all, Mao Zedong is still honored in communist China, the fastest-growing capitalist power in the world, and former KGB agent Vladimir Putin is, at least for now, a very popular elected Russian leader.

Castro would be a source of inspiration for those who wish to change the present world order that is more handmaidens to the imperial hegemonic games.

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Message from the Commander in Chief

Dear compatriots:

Last Friday, February 15, I promised you that in my next reflection I would deal with an issue of interest to many compatriots. Thus, this now is rather a message.

The moment has come to nominate and elect the State Council, its President, its Vice-Presidents and Secretary.

For many years I have occupied the honorable position of President. On February 15, 1976 the Socialist Constitution was approved with the free, direct and secret vote of over 95% of the people with the right to cast a vote. The first National Assembly was established on December 2nd that same year; this elected the State Council and its presidency. Before that, I had been a Prime Minister for almost 18 years. I always had the necessary prerogatives to carry forward the revolutionary work with the support of the overwhelming majority of the people.

There were those overseas who, aware of my critical health condition, thought that my provisional resignation, on July 31, 2006, to the position of President of the State Council, which I left to First Vice-President Raul Castro Ruz, was final. But Raul, who is also minister of the Armed Forces on account of his own personal merits, and the other comrades of the Party and State leadership were unwilling to consider me out of public life despite my unstable health condition.

It was an uncomfortable situation for me vis-à-vis an adversary which had done everything possible to get rid of me, and I felt reluctant to comply.

Later, in my necessary retreat, I was able to recover the full command of my mind as well as the possibility for much reading and meditation. I had enough physical strength to write for many hours, which I shared with the corresponding rehabilitation and recovery programs. Basic common sense indicated that such activity was within my reach. On the other hand, when referring to my health I was extremely careful to avoid raising expectations since I felt that an adverse ending would bring traumatic news to our people in the midst of the battle. Thus, my first duty was to prepare our people both politically and psychologically for my absence after so many years of struggle. I kept saying that my recovery "was not without risks."

My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath. That’s all I can offer.

To my dearest compatriots, who have recently honored me so much by electing me a member of the Parliament where so many agreements should be adopted of utmost importance to the destiny of our Revolution, I am saying that I will neither aspire to nor accept, I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief.

In short letters addressed to Randy Alonso, Director of the Round Table National TV Program, --letters which at my request were made public-- I discreetly introduced elements of this message I am writing today, when not even the addressee of such letters was aware of my intention. I trusted Randy, whom I knew very well from his days as a student of Journalism. In those days I met almost on a weekly basis with the main representatives of the University students from the provinces at the library of the large house in Kohly where they lived. Today, the entire country is an immense University.

Following are some paragraphs chosen from the letter addressed to Randy on December 17, 2007:

"I strongly believe that the answers to the current problems facing Cuban society, which has, as an average, a twelfth grade of education, almost a million university graduates, and a real possibility for all its citizens to become educated without their being in any way discriminated against, require more variables for each concrete problem than those contained in a chess game. We cannot ignore one single detail; this is not an easy path to take, if the intelligence of a human being in a revolutionary society is to prevail over instinct.

"My elemental duty is not to cling to positions, much less to stand in the way of younger persons, but rather to contribute my own experience and ideas whose modest value comes from the exceptional era that I had the privilege of living in.

"Like Niemeyer, I believe that one has to be consistent right up to the end."

Letter from January 8, 2008:

"…I am a firm supporter of the united vote (a principle that preserves the unknown merits), which allowed us to avoid the tendency to copy what came to us from countries of the former socialist bloc, including the portrait of the one candidate, as singular as his solidarity towards Cuba. I deeply respect that first attempt at building socialism, thanks to which we were able to continue along the path we had chosen."

And I reiterated in that letter that "…I never forget that ‘all of the world’s glory fits in a kernel of corn."

Therefore, it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer. This I say devoid of all drama.

Fortunately, our Revolution can still count on cadres from the old guard and others who were very young in the early stages of the process. Some were very young, almost children, when they joined the fight on the mountains and later they have given glory to the country with their heroic performance and their internationalist missions. They have the authority and the experience to guarantee the replacement. There is also the intermediate generation which learned together with us the basics of the complex and almost unattainable art of organizing and leading a revolution.

The path will always be difficult and require from everyone’s intelligent effort. I distrust the seemingly easy path of apologetics or its antithesis the self-flagellation. We should always be prepared for the worst variable. The principle of being as prudent in success as steady in adversity cannot be forgotten. The adversary to be defeated is extremely strong; however, we have been able to keep it at bay for half a century.

This is not my farewell to you. My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas. I shall continue to write under the heading of ‘Reflections by comrade Fidel.’ It will be just another weapon you can count on. Perhaps my voice will be heard. I shall be careful.
Thanks.

Fidel Castro Ruz
February 18, 2008, 5:30 p.m.

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US Presidency in Throes of the First
Dr. Amrik Singh writes from Sacramento

THE trivia seem to have taken control of campaigns of Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Both candidates are engrossed in circulating mailers to smear reputations and using gift of the gab to grab democratic nomination. The nation’s scanner has sharpened its focus to glean clues to their real personalities and prospective roles. Barack Obama has been riding a wave of eleven consecutive wins. Hillary experienced a downward slide that doesn’t seem to end. She is desperately looking for a foothold that can defy her opponent’s charismatic surge. A section of pollsters has already dismissed Clinton’s attempt to comeback as a far cry. But Hillary refuses to concede defeat.

If March 4th is an ordeal for Hillary, so is it for Barack. Analysts say that Illinois senator enjoyed a favorable wind in February in the wake of Black History Month, the President’s Day and Toni Morrison’s endorsement to his candidacy. They say American media too is tilted favorably towards Obama’s Herculean enterprise not so much for his sake, but more against Clinton. Hillary sometimes feels incapable of defending herself against calumny and alleged Republican misogyny. But March, 2008, according to them, will be different. A lot has taken place since then that defines which way American democracy will establish its first post.

“Shame on you, Barack Obama,” Hillary’s reaction on Obama’s mailer on her role in NAFTA became a major issue for the media. But the same day, she attended the State of the Black Union Symposium in New Orleans. She braved into the Black territory with rare courage where both Senator Obama and Senator McCain declined the invitation. A considerable section of African Americans in attendance applauded her gesture. Obama was accused of opportunism for shifting his loyalty after winning 11 states. Tavis Smiley, the organizer of the symposium complained receiving threats for hinting at anti-Obama stance at a time when stakes were too high.

Obama campaign accused Clinton for circulating his picture in the traditional Somali dress. David Plouffe, Obama’s Campaign Chief, said “her campaign has engaged in the most shameful, offensive fear mongering seen from either party in this election.” Maggie William, Clinton’s Campaign Manager reacted, “If Barack Obama campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is division, they should be ashamed.” Susan Rice, Obama’s Foreign Policy adviser said the circulation of the photo was divisive and suggests “that the customs, cultures of other parts of the world are worthy of ridicule or condemnation.” On the other hand, Clinton communication Director Howard Wolfson, protested that Senator Obama is running a negative campaign and believes in maligning his opponent for tactical advantage. Wolfson said the media applauds him for launching personal attacks and getting away with them.

If we go back to the history of negative attacks, we can’t forget Obama’s memo to Clinton entitled “Hillary Clinton (D Punjab)” sent on June 15, 2007. Here Obama tried to embark on negative politics of the third world in which minority is made the scapegoat with a view to garner mandate of the majority. His campaign envisaged that Senator Clinton in company with turbaned men could turn the tide in his favor. Words of Susan Rice, Obama’s adviser, confirm his campaign’s belief in stereotype that picture of Obama with the turban is “worthy of ridicule and condemnation.”  Clinton’s campaign condemned the “Punjab” mailer as “racist, xenophobic hit,”   Senator Obama though regretted it as a dumb mistake, it forced Hillary to back out from attending a dinner that was arranged by Indian American community for fundraising.

Senator Barack Obama had a long drawn out strategy to weaken Hillary economically, socially and politically. Favorable Media and her detractors provide Barack resources to attack the Clinton machine.  One of these is to put his story in such a way that both whites and blacks experience an elevation in supporting his candidacy. He appeals to white women in the name of his mother. He also capitalizes on fears of white men under a female dictator. It is pertinent to mention that Obama’s winning spree started only after John Edwards suspended his campaign.

Senator Obama was also accused of twisting Hillary’s remarks on Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. ahead of South Carolina.  The media has almost forgiven him for using words of his campaign’s chair as something not to be bothered at this stage. But New York senator questioned his originality and sincerity in bringing change. The harshest comments of Hillary, perhaps, shook Barack, but the media took upon itself to make him feel good.

The race for primaries is a turning point in American democracy. Obama’s ability to integrate information technologies in his campaign, use the vernacular, cadence of blues and spirituals, rhythmic repetition was, in fact, way beyond Clinton’s eloquence. In contrast to Obama’s campaign, Clinton attempted to dwell on policies, programs and experience in a way that appeared prosaic, old politics and a step in backwardness. Obama campaign deliberately skipped detailing policies in his campaign so that it should not diminish the lilt of the spellbinding and near spiritual experience.

In a keen debate between two democrats on Tuesday, February 26, 2008, a few believe Hillary Clinton has successfully demonstrated her grasp of issues that she will tackle as president of the United States of America.  Fox news host talked to members of a focus group after the debate and found many changed their mind in favor of Hillary after the debate. The majority said that Barack was not specific about issues whereas Hillary had clarity of mind in explaining her viewpoint.

Clinton’s success in primaries in Texas and Ohio won’t depend on her presentation of her experience and ability, but more on her ability to subvert the sway of Obama’s rhetoric and con artistry. Media’s relentless attack on her candidacy has provided more teeth to Obama’s campaign. Hillary supporters are, however, confident that she will stage a big comeback on 4th March 2008.

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India government wants to ‘build bridges’ with Canadian NRIs

THE Indian government has sought the active participation of the Diaspora in Canada in its effort to “build new bridges” with Indian communities abroad. The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would soon be forming an advisory group of eminent overseas Indians to advise on a strategy to build new bridges with the Indian communities abroad.

Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs feels confident that the “Diaspora in Canada will actively participate in these ventures. This issue of seeking support of the Indians living in Canada was discussed threadbare at a roundtable meeting on “Building Bridges: The Role of Indian Diaspora in Canada”. The fact to be noted is that the Indian community has never abandoned the country of their origin and has “undoubtedly built bridges” between the two countries over the years. But it was the government at various levels that has ill-treated the expatriates.

Now Ravi is seeking the community’s participation in developing the trust fund, established for channelising philanthropic resources into India. He said, “The welcome accorded to arriving Indian immigrants in Canada has been a major factor in the evolution of the Indian community there, which has played a significant role in every facet of life in Canada”. Cheering words indeed!

The minister was keen to emphasize that the Indian community in Canada - that numbers around 850,000 - has achieved a high degree of harmony among themselves and between them and the others in that country. Ravi said, “India is legitimately proud of the Indian contribution to the economic and social growth of Canada”.

The research project, “Building Bridges: The Role of Indian Diaspora in Canada” was initiated by former Indian ambassador Kant Bhargava. The roundtable conference was also attended by, among others, deputy high commissioner of Canada Kenneth McCartney. As usual these pious words and sane assessments can be lost sooner rather than later; action is what counts.

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