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.
More
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.
More
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. More
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. More
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.
More
ANALYSIS
A Game of Numbers Ishtiaq Ahmed
A 46-percent voter turnout in spite of the fear of suicide bombers, the
elections being conducted peacefully, and in a free and fair manner –
all these are great gains for the people of Pakistan.
More
Naxalism: India’s Trojan Horse? Micky Sharma
EVERY Indian, even if at times sheepishly, takes a lot of pride in being
recongnised as a citizen of Gandhi’s land; the man who made a wound on
the body look like potion for the soul. But this rosy picture turns a
bloody red the moment the word Naxal gets a mere mention. More
E D I T O R I A L
Pakistan: An Opportunity for Peace and Justice
Musharraf and his cohorts that have run roughshod over Pakistan
for eight long years are in a state of shock. So are their mentors, the
American administration and President Bush. The plans to rig the
elections and reinstall the PML Q, the King’s party have been foiled by
a vigilant people; political workers and civil society activists and
much more than the voters who defied the jihadis and the Taliban and
voted in a big way. We take nearly 47 per cent turn out when bombs and
guns were splitting blood as an excellent measure of the faith people
reposed in the democratic process. More
FOCUS
Time for Democracy Ishtiaq Ahmed ON February 18, 2008 general elections will be held again in Pakistan.
The philosophy behind elections is that if people elect their government
and lawmakers they empower them to exercise legitimate authority on
their behalf. Equally, those who occupy positions of authority know that
without the support and approval of the people they would not be in
power. This way a democracy which is based on a contract which ensures
mutual rights and obligations between the rulers and the ruled comes
into being. Yet, democracy is not without its critics and sceptics. Not
until the 20th century did democracy begin to receive a positive
emphasis in political theory.
More
Pakistan: Fallacy of Poverty Reduction ONE
major claim of president Musharraf and his former World Bank official
and prime minister was that the rate of growth has been phenomenal
during these 8 years of military ruler. Government claims that almost
one third of Pakistan’s poverty problem has been eliminated within a
period of four years. What exactly is the truth? Experts ask did the
relatively high GDP growth during the period 1999-2007 actually lead to
a substantial poverty reduction as claimed by the government. Did
the economic policies of the previous government initiate a process of
sustained high economic growth? More
Malaysia: Politics of Development Gobind Thukral writes from Kuala Lumpur FROM
the causal tourist to a keen observer, this peninsula of Malaysia is a
nearly developed county. During the past fifty years of freedom from the
British, it had its share of turmoil and riots, particularly in 1969. It
had difficulty in holding together a multi ethnic, multi religious
country and had to suffer the separation of Singapore. Close by Vietnam
and Cambodia suffered combating the French and then Americans for 30
long years. Now Indonesia and Philippine and even Thailand look like its
poor cousins.
More
Poll Promises: All things to all people
IT is an accepted fact that political parties promise moon to the
electorate at the time of elections. It is world wide trend that these
promises mostly remain on paper as pious wishes and ideas meant to
hoodwink the electorate. As these add to the cynicism about democracy
and the political class, yet these nevertheless, provide the current
level of aspirations of people and the thinking of the political class.
Malaysia is no exception to this general rule. Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi leader of the Barisan Nasional (BN)'s has promised
"Security, Peace and Prosperity". More
With Compliments
from
Gogi Sidhu
President
Satish K. Jain
Executive Vice President
1301, Mahalo Place, Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220 U.S.A. www.magnespec.com
Phone:- 0013106032262
Jas Chahal,
B.S.E.E., P.E. Principal
3251 Old Lee Highway
Suite 201, Fairfax, VA, U.S.A. 22030
Ph. 703-385-2558
Fax. 703-385-2559
203-12830- 80 Avenue, Surrey.
British Columbia
V3W 3AB
Joginder Singh Ahluwalia
is the President and CEO of Walia Insurance Agencies Ltd.
FEATURES
Most Pay Bribes to Civic Officials in Punjab L K Verma
WE have all known this, experienced it at one level or other. Either you
pay a bribe or have powerful support to get a government or civic job
done. It is a well-known fact that government jobs, which aren’t very
tedious, can be had after paying off hefty sums and for transfers too,
money talks or a good ‘sifarish’. Now a study supports our beliefs. More
Shahid-e-Azam Bhagat Singh’s portrait at the Vancouver Transit Union Gurpreet Singh writes from
Vancouver TO
mark the 100th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, the Vancouver Transit
Union office has installed his portrait along side the poster of the
LATIN American revolutionary, Che Guevara. The portrait of Bhagat Singh
was gifted by an Indo Canadian Union member, Harbhajan Atwal to the
office in presence of Indo Canadian bus drivers.
More
Nepal’ internal crisis resolved: Autonomy for Mahdes Micky Sharma Nepal’s interim
government has shown sign of maturity by accepting the demand of more
autonomy for the Mahdes, the Terai region bordering India. In a major
breakthrough, Nepal government on February 27 signed a peace deal with a
key agitating Madhesi group.
More
LAW
& JUSTICE
Tilt in Judicial Trends Joginder Singh Toor THE
people of India, have somehow got the impression that the Judicial system of the
country has gone far from being an instrument for protection of the rights of
the poor, the weak and the oppressed. Conversely, it is becoming an instrument
the protector of the rich, the powerful and the corporate sector and the neo
liberalism.
More
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Iraq: The Economic Costs of War
WITH record oil prices, rising family debt, and a slowing housing
market, crisis. Even 45 percent of economists expect a recession this
year. With the Bush administration spending $10 billion a month on the
war in Iraq, it is therefore not surprising that Americans increasingly
view withdrawal from Iraq as a way out of this economic slump. According
to a Washington based think tank, the Center for American Progress, “In
fact, 68 percent of the public rank pulling out of Iraq first on a list
of proposed economic remedies, beating out tax cuts…
More
COMMENT West Tears Apart Yugoslavia, Is
India Next? Dr Sawraj Singh
THE unilateral
declaration of independence by Kosovo completes the process of tearing apart
Yugoslavia, started by the West. Instead of Yugoslavia, we now have six small
countries. Kosovo, with a population of about 2 million, will be a tiny country
with Pristina as 'its' capital. It will be the 193rd country. Why does the West
want to break up the bigger countries into smaller countries? It is
easier to swallow smaller pieces. More
IFS
officer in human trafficking racket? Punjabi singers among others chargesheeted
AN Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and a
Punjabi singer are among five persons who have been chargesheeted by the CBI for
their alleged involvement in trafficking nine persons to Berlin three years ago.
The investigating agency, while filing the chargesheet in a court here,
said: “In 2005, Rakesh Kumar, a former director-general of the Indian
Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), facilitated empanelling of a
bogus cultural group - Mehak Punjab Di - and illegally trafficked nine
individuals to Berlin misusing his official position.”
More
Punjab
Shocking State of Education Over
one lakh kids not enrolled in schools
Punjab government should stop fooling around education with Adarsh
schools and the all the boast indulged by the mighty and the powerful.
It has a pitiable record and cannot dream of being 100 per cent
literate, at least for another two decades. Right now as more than one
lakh students are not getting even the elementary education. This
shocking revelation has an official stamp. A recent survey conducted by
the state units of the Sarv Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) found large number of
children devoid of elementary education. More Total
U.S. Deaths in Iraq Close to 4,000
THE number of fatalities among the United States occupation forces in
Iraq has reached 3,950 with the confirmation on Wednesday of the death
of a soldier as a result of an explosion, according to Pentagon
statisticians. The soldier died yesterday when an explosive device
placed on a highway, west of Baghdad, exploded as the vehicle in which
he was traveling passed, the U.S. command announced in a dispatch which
included no further details.
More
LETTERS
I am
writing in response to Jagpal S. Tiwana's "Jat and His Village", a flattering and highly informative review of Dr. Gurnam Singh Brard's book "East of Indus: My Memories of Old Punjab". Although I have not yet had
the opportunity to read Dr. Brard's book, I am very appreciative that Mr. Tiwana has brought it to our attention through the South Asia Post.
More
Pradeep Dheendsa
Sales
Representative
Cell. (647)
225-7653
For all business setup and real
estate needs in Canada contact me
ON February 18, 2008 general elections will be held again in Pakistan.
The philosophy behind elections is that if people elect their government
and lawmakers they empower them to exercise legitimate authority on
their behalf. Equally, those who occupy positions of authority know that
without the support and approval of the people they would not be in
power. This way a democracy which is based on a contract which ensures
mutual rights and obligations between the rulers and the ruled comes
into being. Yet, democracy is not without its critics and sceptics. Not
until the 20th century did democracy begin to receive a positive
emphasis in political theory.
ONE
major claim of president Musharraf and his former World Bank official
and prime minister was that the rate of growth has been phenomenal
during these 8 years of military ruler. Government claims that almost
one third of Pakistan’s poverty problem has been eliminated within a
period of four years. What exactly is the truth? Experts ask did the
relatively high GDP growth during the period 1999-2007 actually lead to
a substantial poverty reduction as claimed by the government. Did
the economic policies of the previous government initiate a process of
sustained high economic growth? 
FROM
the causal tourist to a keen observer, this peninsula of Malaysia is a
nearly developed county. During the past fifty years of freedom from the
British, it had its share of turmoil and riots, particularly in 1969. It
had difficulty in holding together a multi ethnic, multi religious
country and had to suffer the separation of Singapore. Close by Vietnam
and Cambodia suffered combating the French and then Americans for 30
long years. Now Indonesia and Philippine and even Thailand look like its
poor cousins. 
TO
mark the 100th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, the Vancouver Transit
Union office has installed his portrait along side the poster of the
LATIN American revolutionary, Che Guevara. The portrait of Bhagat Singh
was gifted by an Indo Canadian Union member, Harbhajan Atwal to the
office in presence of Indo Canadian bus drivers.
