Thursday, October 24, 2024
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USA and Russia: The way forward

pointman
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USA and Russia: The way forward

Ever since Donald Trump was elected as president of the United States of America there had been allegations of Russians influencing the election results. The US intelligence services believe Russia ordered cyber-attacks on the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Hillary Clinton’s campaign and other political organizations, in an attempt to influence the election in favor of the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. Things were escalated when the former US president Barak Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats as retaliation for the alleged Russian intervention with the presidential elections. It was expected that US diplomats in Russia would suffer the same treatment but that did not happen and Putin showed the political acumen for which he is known. It came as shock to many but not for Donald Trump who tweeted “Great move on delay- I always knew he was very smart!”. But now as the Obamas have said good-bye to the white house, will the Russian-US relations improve as Donald Trump swore in as the 45th president of USA? Very less can be said about the future but one can only hope for the relations to improve.

Could Trump lift sanctions on Russia?

The Russian military intervention in Ukraine which began in late February 2014 and led to the annexation of Crimea forced a number of world governments to ban business from Russia. United States of America was quick to lead the charge against Russia along with European Union to place sanctions. However, Russia also responded and banned import of food products to many western countries including United States of America, Norway, European Union, Canada and Australia. The sanctions on Russia have disrupted the economy of the neo-soviet state. It led to the collapse of Russian ruble and the financial crisis. Not only Russia was affected the effect on many European states was devastating. It’s assumed that the losses piled up to 100 billion Euros. As a pro-Russian president is now the head-of-state of USA things are expected to change. To improve relationship with Russia it might require the United States to drop its opposition to the Kremlin’s annexation of Crimea, and the lifting of sanctions against top Russian officials to punish the land grab from Ukraine. Indeed, this step would increase the suspicion of Trump-Putin rigging the elections but would be significant in improving bilateral ties. Trump would not even have to consult with US allies over lifting sanctions. He could accomplish that by a pen stroke since they were mandated by Obama in a series of executive orders. There is no less chance that Trump may flip-flop from his stand on Russia and his policies would be the result of geo-political and strategic considerations that influence the Russian-US ties.

Syria: The battleground

The US has anti-Assad stand. It has asked Assad to step down from power both because of the alleged human rights violations committed under his watch. The primary objective of US in Syria is to overthrow the president Bashar al-Assad rather than destroying ISIS. Trump who is known for his political incorrectness wants to destroy radical Islamic terrorism. It is well known US support for the rebels who are against al-Assad. The central focus of Trump’s work to improve the US relationship with Russia could come in the Middle East, where Trump has said the US needs to urgently reevaluate its strategy in fighting ISIS. Ceding that point would ensure Russia can preserve a key ally in the region, strengthening its influence in the Middle East. Many times Trump criticized the US’s backing of moderate rebels fighting the Syrian regime and suggested it is more important to fight ISIS alongside Russia than pushing for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Trump has sought to simplify the US’s role in the conflict in Syria, boiling down the campaign to destroying ISIS and making everything else secondary to that objective. Trump’s support for Syrian president would damage America’s standing and popular support throughout the Middle East, particularly among allies who have decried the Syrian government’s slaughter of tens of thousands of civilians. Also the Russians have gained influence in recent years through its support of the Iranian regime, which have gained foothold in Iraq recently.

A friendly US relationship with Russia could allow Moscow to rebuild the Cold War-era influence that the US spent decades deflating. It would lead to multi-polar world rather than a world dominated by a superpower. The future lies interesting as the Trump era has just begun.

Jallikattu vs so called “concerned” people about animals

d2a1
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Jallikattu vs so called “concerned” people about animals

Jallikattu (ஜல்லிகட்டு) is a tradition that is held annually in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. This tradition goes back to about 3000 years. Also known as Eru Thazhuvuthal, Jallikattu this is not a sport but a tradition where, in simple terms a bundle of coins is tied on the horns of the bulls. Men show their physical strength and abilities and try to hold on the hump of the bull with bare hands (no weapons or any kind of external aid is used). It runs till the bundle is removed. If the person is able to pull this above feat off; the person is the winner else bull takes the prize. This is what I as someone who has only seen this tradition on TV and is from the northern part of India is able to gather.

I have heard many concerned people about animal welfare and treatment saying an absurd thing, “Has anyone asked how the bulls feel or what is the bulls opinion?”. I have a question for them: Have you for once ever talked to any bull or animal, for that matter, and have been able to actually understand what the animal is saying and translate it into human speech, being 100% sure of it and it can be verified? I guess most of these animal well wishers will be scratching their heads to find a way to twist and turn this question into something else and divert the argument. People who are closest to the animal, understand them the best. And they are none other than those who own them i.e. the villagers and not the activists siting in their AC rooms and commenting. Also have these people ever visited a slaughter house? Have they ever bought fresh meat from roadside shops themselves where pieces of meat is hanging in open air? They, instead, send their workers to buy and then happily eat Pork Vindaloo, Butter Chicken etc. I would suggest these concerned personalities to once go to butcher shop at the time when a fresh animal is being slaughtered for the day’s business. They will understand what cruelty towards animals is. Also if they are so concerned about animal cruelty, why not ban rearing of animals for meat. If someone wants to eat meat they can hunt, that way even the animals will have the fair chance of fighting for their lives and voicing their opinions on whether they want to become your food or not, I am sure they will have no problems with that right.

Reasons for banning Jallikattu has little to no merit in lowering consumption of animal meat. It would be reduced to only certain occasions/festivals/traditions. It has valid points because not only does meat consumption is animal slaughter but also it has detrimental effects on the environment and some of these are already visible. I remember I read in E.ed subject in college about the 10% energy rule which states that as we move up the food chain the energy transferred is only 1/10 of the total energy produced at the previous stage. This shows that eating meat does not give us more energy than eating veggies so for those who say that meat eating is necessary for survival, rest assured you will not die if you stop eating meat. Not only you will reduce carbon emissions in the environment but also cause less animal cruelty and torture (two birds with one stone). Some of these links will give better view on how the food consumed by us effects the environment (do not skip these links):

Food’s Carbon Footprint

Effects of fisheries on marine ecosystems: A conservationist’s perspective

The effects of fishing on marine ecosystems

Oceans absorbs less carbon dioxide as marine systems change

There is also the argument that certain regulations should be made and then this tradition should be conducted. As far as I know any ancient tradition in our culture always has certain guidelines that are mentioned in our texts. If regulations are indeed needed, follow these guidelines as set by our ancestors regarding the tradition. No need for new rules and regulations. If there are no existing guidelines mentioned in our texts; regulations can be made without destroying the principles of the tradition. As far as malpractice is concerned, local bodies and people should work in conjugation with law and police to apprehend the perpetrators. Strict action should be taken so that such cases do not occur in the future. Also the regulations should only be formulated by those who know and have experienced Jallikattu and not by those who only sit in AC rooms and tweet aka armchair experts.

I am also hearing many people taking it as “Tamil tradition vs the north”, “North does not understand the South”, “People in the north do not understand Jallikattu” etc. Well I understand it as much as I have been able to and I believe my friends understand as well. Henceforth I would humbly request people to refer Jallikattu as an Indian tradition practiced during the festival of Pongal in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Jallikattu is as an Indian festival as Diwali/Dussehra/Onam etc. is. So please do not make it a north vs south debate.

As for banning PETA, I for once think that banning PETA is not the solution though it may act as short term measure. If PETA goes; another one similar to PETA will come. Certain rules/regulations/laws/legislation should be made and stringently implemented so that organisations such as these do not destroy traditions and culture in the name of animal welfare, hypocrisy etc.

Last but not the least for those wanting a cruelty free world for animals, I would suggest they forget this fairy tale dream because the world, believe it or not, is inherently cruel. Tiger kills deer, humans kills animals and plants in order to survive. We kill because if we do not kill the plant or if the tiger does not kill the deer; then neither we nor the tiger will survive. We cannot manufacture food from the environment like plants do. That is why in our tradition we not only thank god but also the earth, fire, animal, plants and every aspect of the nature. We do not believe in absolute since. The world itself is not absolute. Balance is what we aim for. Its high time we start trying to achieve this balance.

P.S.  If anyone says that Jallikattu is upsetting the balance of the environment, I would suggest to compare the numbers of Jallikattu and that of meat industry and then discuss animal welfare.

The quest for Hindu identity amidst Jallikattu protests

Satish Kumar
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The quest for Hindu identity amidst Jallikattu protests

In recent one week, people from Tamil Nadu have been protesting at mass scale to lift the ban imposed by Supreme Court on their millennia old practice, Jallikattu. The mass scale support which this movement has been receiving from every corner is astonishing in several aspects. In recent times, liberals, Cultural Marxists and evangelicals have launched unprecedented attack on every cultural and religious practice of Hindus to alienate them from their religions. When they could take the path of judiciary for achieving their objective-as in case of Jallikattu and Dahi Handi, they did as well as their control on discourse make it more easy for them to push their agenda and ideology in the society.

However, amidst this roaring protests, there are several crucial questions need to be asked. Why do we observe such mass scale protest in the case of Jallikattu only? Why didn’t the Hindus from other part of India protest when there was an assault on their tradition? Which identity has been the central force behind the protest in this case?

Identity is the core of our being, existence and our conception of self. Identity is a multilayered thing having multiple aspects in different contexts and disciplines. According to Angie Andriot and Timothy J Owens, there are four prevalent theories of identity in social psychology. Personal Identity Theory, Role Identity Theory, Social Identity Theory and Collective Identity Theory deal with the different level of human identity. In this case, Collective Identity should be our concern because such movements are often driven by collective identity. When any group fights for achieving particular social or political goal, a sense of homogeneous collective identity is necessary to motivate people for ensuring their participation. Collective Identity can be further divided in four categories: Religious Identity, Cultural Identity, Ethnic Identity and Linguistic Identity. In real life scenarios, combination of identities are responsible for mass scale mobilizations.

Coming to the issue of Jallikattu now, the identity which was responsible for attracting the mass scale protests is cultural identity. CM of Tamilnadu is supporting the movement because this is a direct assault on Tamil culture. AR Rahman tweeted that he would be fasting to support the spirit of Tamil Nadu. Rajnikanth commented, “Bring in whatever rules by Jallikattu must be held to keep up the traditions of our Tamil culture.” When a person or group has multiple identities, one identity becomes stronger than the rest and gains the prominence. Despite having close connections of Jallikattu with Hinduism, nobody is openly proclaiming that we will support Jallikattu because it’s an attack on our religious tradition and celebration.

A section of Hindus have been enthusiastic about the recent developments in this case, as they see it as a movement of Hindu Renaissance. Far from being any sort of Hindu Renaissance, this is another movement of people fighting for their cultural identity and diluting the identity of being a Hindu. In Tamil Nadu, from the days of Dravidian movement, there has been systematic assault on every aspect of Hinduism. Periyar, who was the architect of this movement of Dravidian supremacy and proponent of Tamil nation, tried to severe every aspect of Hinduism in the garb of atheism and rationalism. The foundation of Tamil and Dravidian supremacy lies in the debunked Aryan Invasion Theory which terms all North Indians as foreign invaders and Dravidians being the native of this land. Church was instrumental in propagating this hypothesis to advance their agenda. The breeding of Tamil Supremacy and Church has produced theories which say that Tamil is the oldest language and Jesus used to speak Tamil. No wonder, Christians are the second biggest demographic group in Tamil Nadu.

In past 80 years, Tamils have seldom protested for the defense of Dharma, even when the traditional priest family of fifth-century Natarajar Temple was ousted from managing temple affairs. Such events are the testimony of the fact that the identity of being a Tamil supersedes the identity of being a Hindu. If we fix our gaze towards North India, the situation is even more gloomy for Hindu identity. In this region, Hindus don’t subscribe to any cultural identity even to assert their identity. Most of them have turned into floating bags, disconnected from root. In the Hindi speaking regions, there is neither any sense of religious nor cultural identity which is asserted emphatically by people collectively.Whenever any festival of Hindus is celebrated, the same section of liberals are quick to turn it as misogynist, barbaric, feudal, and casteist practice. When Durga is called an Aryan whore and Mahissaasura is celebrated by JNU students, we don’t see Hindus marching on streets against such nonsense.

In Madhya Pradesh, Hindus lost their rights from centuries old temple in Bhojshala, but there was no any mass scale protest or gathering. In case of Maharashtra, when there was attack on the tradition of Shani Shignapur Temple, Hindus accepted the decision of court meekly without showing any sign of resistance. In Maharashtra, the theory of Mool Niwasi planted by Jyotiba Phule has started yielding its result now with the widespread celebration of Bali as Christ while Vamana being the oppressive Brahmin. In Bengal, people will come on streets to stand up for their Bengali identity, but seldom gather to act against the Islamic onslaught on Bengali Hindus. In almost every case, where cultural identity and linguistic identity can be adopted, Hindus have adopted those identity and abandoned their Hindu identity. Even if there any such identity exists, it’s confined to the premises of house only.

Considering the quantum and diversity of threats which Hindus have been facing currently, the need of Hindu identity has become even more important. Hindus need to put the identity of being Hindu above every other identity to save themselves from annihilation and get desired political results. As long as they’re confused about their identity, the political and cultural sphere will never be in their favour due to the multiplicity of threats. In the realm of identities, the priority of identity must be fixed to achieve the collective goals. Amidst this protests for protecting their Tamil culture, Hindus should take the lesson of subscribing to the identity which is most crucial for their survival.

Are we as bad as Jihadis?

bikashjha
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Are we as bad as Jihadis?

I am a Sanghi, no not an actual on, I am just an Internetwala. And how do I say this, err… I am a bisexual, progressive, blah blah. Still consider myself a Right Winger though, whats that? You don’t accept me. Fine, you can introduce a Fatwa, denouncing me from RW. Because that’s how Anurag Kashyap see us, yeah both of us, and also (not that it matters) Shirish (JihadiJohn) Kunder.

The another thing that I’ve been thinking is, Am I Hindu Zaira Wasim? She is in films, that kid is not wearing Hijab, she is no role model of separatist, but in past she refused to stand up for national anthem, and in present she did what she did to Vijay Goel (am too embarrassed to repeat that incident, google it if you live in cave). Although we are wildly different cases, with wildly different degree of extremism and completely different issues, this seems to be a flavour of the season, so lets examine this in spirit of true secularism and monkey balancing. 

First lets see what homophobia is (according to my opinion), in present day and age, you won’t have to lynch people to prove you are one, that’s so middle eastern and medieval, so there goes your Mehdi Hasaan, RSS, Baba Ramdev, Subraminum Swamy.

(I included Mehdi hassan on the list, because despite being a closet Islamist, he doesn’t believe in throwing gay off the roof, he believes in watching and stoning from down below in spirit of true moderate Islam, and also atheist are animals, and Muslim are fighting morally righteous war.)

Now lets talk about one that matter the most. One that recently again gave sermon on reservation right before UP election, one that keep costing BJP its election, the one that gave us Modi and RSS. RSS aka the punching bag, as you may know is homophobe and sexist, no doubt like I said according to me now sexism or homophobia doesn’t need to be about lynching and thrashing, labelling it mental retardness, or being excluding is pretty much qualified for it.

But lets examine what RSS is and how far it has come though, RSS is not one person/organisation so it does have variety of opinions and people affiliated with it. Other ideas and solutions that it presents, or work that it does are so boring that only its opinion on reservation (right before election), its homophobia, and thoughts/advice on reproduction matters. Its been indeed one of the most extremist organisation of modern Bharat, Nathuram Godse (another person confused because of his religion and sexuality, not for plight of Hindu/Sikh refugee, not for Gandhi absurd demands) killed Gandhi, with blessing of Sangh Sanchalak of the time, MSM have some exclusive snapshots to prove it, which they are planning to release weeks before 2019 election.

RSS also seems to have penetrated deep in judiciary (such high and cunning agency it is), it has influenced court decision on RSS link with Gandhi murder, acquitting Modi of 2002 riot charges, hanging of innocent Afzal Guru, Yakub Menon, Ajmal Kasab, and also recent case of Modi/Sahara scandal and last but not the least its directly accredited with saving a very hardcore Sanghi, Salman Khan in Chinkaraa and Banjaraa cases.

What else RSS have done?

In 2002, it commanded 60 Hindu men, women and children to lock themselves up in a train bogey and set themselves on fire, but that’s not where theirs violence ends. They are also responsible for making Ram Mandir under Babri Masjid, and breaking highly functional and popular Babri Masjid, in its peak hour, again killing  few Hindus, by cunningly snatching police guns and shooting them. Also, it was responsible for vicious 26/11 attack for which Pakistan was blamed by Indian government, but it was RSS ki Sazish, for which highly respected Mahesh Bhatt have attested, he got this exclusive information from his son, Rahul Bhatt, which Rahul Bhatt gained from David Headly, that it was, indeed RSS ki Sazish.

So, we are talking about an organisation in level of Al-Quaida, but is not yet banned by Indian Govt or court as India has always pursued good and bad terrorist policy. And yet this organization came to from criminalizing homosexuality to several years, to no its just cute mental retardness, (chain them up in mental asylum). That is huge. My prejudices aside for a terror organisation, capable of so many murders and infiltration, such level of extremism, but they evolve this much is a big deal. That is like Mehdi Hassan saying, “Well atheists are not animals, but not human either”.

But are these Internet Hindu guys same as RSS. Well one thing I assure you, these techies, virgins can’t kill a fly, so be assured of that and keep hating India and Hinduism. Be open about it. you have every right to hate India and then whine about election results. Are these people homophobes? Some of them are. But lots of them, even some extremely abusive, do not just care, but also are for the cause. So no, I am not confused, I am sure no RSS material. Neither do I agree with Isharat Jahan Ke Abbu, I am all for alcohol, porn, nudity, open sexuality. So I am not with lots of those older ones. But that is same for whole India, regardless of ideologies.

Hey, you ruled for 70 years and 150 years old 377 is there, censorship was established by you, and liberal cabal remained silent all these years. Yeah homos were barred from adopting children through surrogacy, but at the same time unmarried women were allowed for abortion (so one step ahead, one step back) Although this is big, very big, and you waited for 70 years, is unbelievable.

The person whose films were constantly banned wasn’t blaming MMS back then, (Manmohan Singh), but is now. Anurag is known to be obsessed with people, Karan, Kalki, Modi. May be we share the same sexual preferences. May be now is a time, he should go into another hiatus, I don’t see him repeating “Water”, “Satya”. Now, unfortunately (or fortunately may be), those were his scripts, he wanted to direct, but couldn’t back then. Another 7 or 14 year may refresh his mind, may make him a Modi Bhakt like us, as he is on Karans #$@% now. Compare Water, Satya, Blackfriday to the Girl In Yellow Boots, Bombay Velvet and Desi Kill Bills (do I even have to say anything about Jihadi John?).

The point is I am no Zaira Wasim, I am standing up to RSS, and to Jihadis, commies, anyone who will try to enforce undemocratic values on me. That’s may be because I didn’t go through what Zaira went through or Anurag for that matter, god knows kind of commie propaganda he has been through and believe in. And I am a proud Hindu, proud of my culture, tradition and civilization. I don’t believe you have to use the same logic to both Christianity and native American spirituality. One is a clear victim, and another is a clear perpetrator. And neither do you have to live in a crystallized timeline to save your culture, and as a Hindu, I know, what diversity is, when European were killing gypsies, they were thriving here, we gave asylum to all kind of people. That is totally a different thing, we were ruined economically and now for long we haven’t been able to take care of our own people (Na Main Bhukha Rahun, Na Sadhu Bhukha Jaye). Both have to for quite a long time.

I am ready to look beyond cow, caste, curry narrative, I want to be the part of narrative, not a spectator and spit on it. That haven’t done anything to our society in 70 years, except created more illusion and conflict. Kind of people who controlled academia, instead of attacking it, would have tried to understand and work with our culture, we would have been living in best of both world by now. 

My final point is, its not Zaira’s, Anaurag’s, or you know whose, fault. And don’t expect them to understand, don’t expect them to stand up, these are the kind of reaction you will keep getting. They take your request for attack, and comes in defense mode automatically. Reason being how they see you, as an enemy, for that’s what they have been programmed for. In the end we are no Zaira, Anurag. We are open, we are fighting and is trying to cooperate, and move forward constructively unfazed by destruction-walas, trying to build a constructive world.

Be a Proud Troll.

Jai shree ram

Dangal proves quality cinema is all but lost

shaira19
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Dangal proves quality cinema is all but lost

I finally found the time to go watch Dangal in the cinema hall even though it was a school night. I didn’t want to be the only Indian left in the world to not have seen it before it went off the movie halls! And a friend very generously offered to watch it a second time as she insisted that she had loved it that much. Admittedly, when the trailer first came out, it was a familiar feeling. Too many false promises in the past, numbers that rake in the moolah declaring hit after hit and the figures on the movie earnings skyrocketing each time, while the movie it self leaves one wondering what the brouhaha is all about. Dangal had entered the unprecedented 350 crore club. I was harboring the all-too familiar skepticism about the premature excitement around big-ticket films.

So, I let it fester. Until friends and family couldn’t stop raving about it and insisted I must make the trek to the movie theaters and park myself in that seat to watch ‘the movie of the year.’ As the curtain went up, so to speak, I was also transported momentarily to the time before the magic of Bollywood was tainted by acts and feelings of intolerance and anti-nationalism that have quite frankly poisoned the romanticism and purity of cinema as we knew it. But today my thoughts revolve not around the recent discomfort fallen on the elements of Bollywood off screen, but around the evolution (or devolution) of quality cinema on screen.

Gone are the days when superstars were just a handful in the film fraternity. Talent and good writing converged superbly to produce films like Sholay, Mughal-e-Azam, Mother India, Kranti till the 1980s. That was an era when a handful of talented actors ruled the kingdom and were the true “superstars” of the time. The advent of the 90s brought with it a new gamut of emerging actors that were quickly setting the stage on fire and making it their own. The Khans had arrived and they were here to stay. But the 90s also opened the doors to a flood of other talent and also opened a new slip road that led away from mainstream cinema into a new dimension that was coined “Alternate Cinema”. This alternate dimension catered to a whole host of actors who had immense talent that catered outside of mainstream cinema but had nowhere to go with it.

The world was truly their stage and it had provided them with many more doors than the actors of yesteryear had the privilege of ever getting. And yet, the 90s also witnessed a nosedive in quality scripts and an unfortunate rise in ‘time-pass’ cinema. What we saw was age-old talent slowly withering away under the burden of soul-less scripts. In this scenario it was the budding new talent that started to step up and deliver. The performances of not just Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat but also Fatima Sana Sheikh, Sanya Malhotra, Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar brought back a different feeling that had become a rarity. Relief. Pride. Relief that cinema today isn’t entirely lost to meaningless lyrics, shoddy dialogues and an empty plot. Relief that we still have fine performances shining a bright light at the sheer hard work and dedication that has resulted in a “Fatima Sheikh” becoming a “Geeta Phogat” from Haryana so perfectly that one is left speechless and wanting more.

When the Indian national anthem tune played towards the end of the movie both my friend and I dutifully stood up. “Sit down its just music”, someone shouted from behind us. We were, after all, in a different country and the only two Indians in the movie hall. And we happily ignored them. Because you see, the big bad NRIs that we are, contrary to popular opinion, we don’t forget where we come from. And there is no greater feeling of pride when a big screen in a foreign land can assure you that quality and talent like that in Dangal comes out of no other place but home.

Britain’s hard Brexit strategy: Unraveling of the European Union?

Naagesh Padmanaban
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Britain’s hard Brexit strategy: Unraveling of the European Union?

In a hard-hitting speech on the 17th of January 2017, British Prime Minister May clearly spelled out the country’s stand on Brexit. She made it clear that the UK would come out of the single market as well as the customs union and promised to build a truly “global Britain” that would reach out beyond Europe to build  “new partnerships with old friends and new allies”.  Mrs. May cited discontent over directives coming from Brussels that weakened local democracy, tensions over jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, record immigration et al– all of which fueled the Brexit vote last year– as the driving factors for Britain’s decision.

Prime Minister May underscored Britain’s relationships across the world, specifically outside Europe.  She hinted that Britain would revitalize trade relations with erstwhile British colonial ecosystem of the mid-twentieth century and seek to regain its preeminence as a great trading nation. Specifically, she talked about the new trade negotiations underway with Australia, New Zealand and India to drive home the point that Britain would not be seriously impacted by Brexit.

Mrs. May also warned the EU against resorting to “punishing” the UK. This, she warned, would be calamitous for the Union.  Not surprisingly, the hard-hitting speech was meant for the local British constituency as well as the EU, particularly Germany and France who have advocated a tough line against Britain. Following last years’ referendum in Britain, there has been a lot of sound, fury and venting from Europe. Worried that other countries may follow Britain, several EU ministers had demanded punitive measures that would showcase to other nations that leaving the EU could be very expensive an affair.

The Prime Minister’s speech did not wave an olive branch as many observers had expected. It definitely looked more like a resolute leader preparing for war. Indeed, the Brits appear to have done their homework and are prepared to take big risks.

Two developments that have spawned the new-found confidence in PM May are the election of Donald Trump as the President of the US and the resilience of the British economy in that order.

The election of Donald J Trump as the US President has an obvious role in the tough stand on Brexit. Trump has been a vocal supporter of Brexit. He has also come out openly in support of the UK. His opposition to Transatlantic Trade Partnerships is also well known.

Secondly, the strong performance of the economy is a key factor that has emboldened PM May. Data on the performance of the British economy in 2016, and in particular post Brexit is indeed revealing. Most European nations, including Britain, continue to face a sluggish economy. But latest statistics released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that Brexit, by and large has had minimal impact on the UK. For example, unemployment was at a record low– in fact the lowest in a decade. Unemployment fell by 52,000 to 1.6 Million in the three months post Brexit. Per the ONS, unemployment hovered at 4.8%- a 11 year low. Average weekly earnings excluding bonuses increased by 2.7% compared to a year earlier. Overall employment rate hovered at an encouraging 74.5%.

In an update to its biannual World Outlook published on 16 January 2017, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that the British economy will grow by 1.5 percent this year, 0.4 points more than expected in October, after 1.6 percent growth in 2016. The IMF says “domestic demand held up better than expected in the aftermath of the Brexit vote”. But it has revised its 2018 forecast for the UK down by 0.3 points to 1.4 percent growth.

I have maintained all along that Brexit will have negative consequences only in the short term and had disagreed with many Pundits who talked about a collapse of international trade and globalization. Brexit is a trade dispute between the UK and the EU and projecting this as a global trade malaise is an exaggeration. It is a local contagion and will have minimal impact on world trade.

Britain has had a complicated relationship with the EU. The EU continues to be dominated by Germany and France giving it little say. The UK has always harbored an ambition to re-emerge as a world leader and has consistently sought to use every opportunity to project its military, political and economic leadership. Given this agenda, it would only be logical to not expect the UK to play second fiddle in the EU for long.

While the bravado may be applauded back at home, the UK is definitely taking a big risk. Non-EU exports for November 2016 stood at $18.6 billion while EU exports stood at $17.34 billion. On the other hand, non-EU imports stood at 24.2 billion while imports from EU stood at $28 billion. (Data: UK Trade Info). In other words, give or take,  50% of UK trade is with EU. This is a sizeable chunk and the UK will have to work hard to protect this trade.

I am of the view that human ingenuity and innovation will take the lead in crisis situations. I had already expressed this in my earlier piece. My guess is that a new trade deal will be carved out by the UK with its “old friends and new allies”. It is too early to predict an unraveling of the European Union. But suffice it to say it will no longer be the same again. But from what appears in my crystal ball, I can safely say a new trade order and tariff regime is in the offing.

The powerful economies of China and India have been bystanders to this awesome spectacle called “Brexit”. Britain seems to be working overtime to woo these two economic power houses. And rightly so as any future trade grouping and tariff regime can no longer ignore them.

For now, Brexit is not truly any exit. It is the ushering in of a new era in international trade.

Don’t gag them, for a change, let them speak

GUNJAN SINHA
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Don’t gag them, for a change, let them speak

Anyone who is even remotely connected to the armed forces knows that the Jawans aren’t lying in the videos that are surfacing on social media but there is more than what meets the eye. Questioning the mental conditions of the Jawans is one of the frequently followed traditions in the military circles. Across armed forces if you refuse being an orderly of an officer or anything that is not in your job profile you are deemed misfit mentally.

Discipline can’t be a byword for oppression, accusations may be agonizing but they aren’t made in a vacuum, ask any retired airman, seaman or Jawan to substantiate with ‘retired’ being the operative word and you would get the answers.

To put things into perspective with reference to the posted videos let’s narrow down on army and CAPF for better understanding of their requirements. For starters, we need to understand that officers and other ranks in the Army and CAPF perform same duties, they both are in the line of fire physically and mentally unlike the Air Force where only officers (pilots) go for offensives and the Navy where officers are responsible for lives of all sailors aboard and only their sense of offence and defense matters. With that premise the inference calls for a similar quality and quantity of food for both but on ground the truth is at variance. General Rawat said that sharing grievances on social media will hurt the morale of the force but officers (serving and retired) who are reducing the Jawans to liars on national television deserve a reprimand too. The optics of both incidents is uncomfortable but curtaining it on the name of discipline will deepen the rot further. It’s a misfortune that we have made the term ‘morale’ mercurial for our forces, we can’t afford to be precarious as a force that our morale keeps dwindling, can we? Higher echelons and politicians are failing our soldiers by gagging them and giving such alibis to brush things under the carpet every time the system is questioned.

For once even if we believe that Jawans didn’t notify their grievances through proper channels and gave vent to it through social media then an attempt to reach out to them would have worked better for their ‘morale’ then lambasting them on all fronts with a common subtext. Rank and files in the Army fear officers much more than what their counterparts in the Air Force and the Navy do, it stands to reason that this fear further transpires into servility. The dynamics between officers and Jawans should be based on mutual respect and barring a few good officers others think otherwise. Usher in change, bring them into the discourse, 50 thousand officers need to give some space to 1.2 million rank and files. As a tradition, officers have spoken for soldiers for ages and they should but that tradition must not be set in stone.

घी गेहूँ नहीं रोज़गार चाहिए साहब

डॉ नीलम महेंद्र
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घी गेहूँ नहीं रोज़गार चाहिए साहब

भारत दुनिया का सबसे बड़ा लोकतंत्र है और चुनाव किसी भी लोकतंत्र का महापर्व होते हैं ऐसा कहा जाता है। पता नहीं यह गर्व का विषय है या फिर विश्लेषण का कि हमारे देश में इन महापर्वों का आयोजन लगा ही रहता है। कभी लोकसभा  कभी विधानसभा तो कभी नगरपालिका के चुनाव। लेकिन अफसोस की बात है कि चुनाव अब नेताओं के लिए व्यापार बनते जा रहे हैं और राजनैतिक दलों के चुनावी मैनाफेस्टो व्यापारियों द्वारा अपने व्यापार के प्रोमोशन के लिए बाँटे जाने वाले पैम्पलेट!

और आज इन पैम्पलेट, माफ कीजिए चुनावी मैनिफेस्टो में लैपटॉप स्मार्ट फोन जैसे इलेक्ट्रौनिक उपकरण से लेकर प्रेशर कुकर जैसे बुनियादी आवश्यकता की वस्तु बाँटने से शुरू होने वाली बात घी, गेहूँ और पेट्रोल तक पंहुँच गई।

कब तक हमारे नेता गरीबी की आग को पेट्रोल और घी से बुझाते रहेंगे? सबसे बड़ी बात यह कि यह मेनिफेस्टो उन पार्टीयों के हैं जो इस समय सत्ता में हैं। राजनैतिक दलों की निर्लज्जता और इस देश के वोटर की बेबसी दोनों ही दुखदायी हैं। क्यों कोई इन नेताओं से नहीं पूछता कि इन पांच सालों या फिर स्वतंत्रता के बाद इतने सालों के शासन में तुमने क्या किया?

उप्र की समाजवादी पार्टी हो या पंजाब का भाजपा अकाली दल गठबंधन दोनों को सत्ता में वापस आने के लिए या फिर अन्य पार्टियों को  राज्य के लोगों को आज इस प्रकार के प्रलोभन क्यों देने पड़ रहे हैं? लेकिन बात जब पंजाब में लोगों को घी बाँटने की हो तो मसला बेहद गंभीर हो जाता है क्योंकि पंजाब का तो नाम सुनते ही जहन में हरे भरे लहलहाते फसलों से भरे खेत उभरने लगते हैं और घरों के आँगन में बँधी गाय भैंसों के साथ खेलते खिलखिलाते बच्चे दिखने से लगते हैं। फिर वो पंजाब जिसके घर घर में दूध दही की नदियाँ बहती थीं, वो पंजाब जो अपनी  हमान नवाज़ी के लिए जाना जाता था जो अपने घर आने वाले मेहमान को दूध दही घी से ही पूछता था आज उस पंजाब के वोटर को उन्हीं चीजों को सरकार द्वारा मुफ्त में देने की स्थिति क्यों और कैसे आ गई?

सवाल तो बहुत हैं पर शायद जवाब किसी के पास भी नहीं। जब हमारा देश आजाद हुआ था तब भारत पर कोई कर्ज नहीं था तो आज इस देश के हर नागरिक पर औसतन 45000 से ज्यादा का कर्ज क्यों है? जब अंग्रेज हम पर शासन करते थे तो भारतीय रुपया डालर के बराबर था तो आज वह 68.08 रुपए के स्तर पर कैसे आ गया?

हमारा देश कृषी प्रधान देश है तो स्वतंत्रता के इतने सालों बाद भी आजतक  किसानों को 24 घंटे बिजली एक चुनावी वादा भर क्यों है?
चुनाव दर चुनाव पार्टी दर पार्टी वही वादे क्यों दोहराए जाते हैं? क्यों आज 70 सालों बाद भी पीने का स्वच्छ पानी, गरीबी और बेरोजगारी जैसे बुनियादी जरूरतें ही मैनिफेस्टो का हिस्सा हैं? हमारा देश इन बुनियादी आवश्यकताओं से आगे क्यों नहीं जा पाया? और क्यों हमारी पार्टियाँ रोजगार के अवसर पैदा करके हमारे युवाओं को स्वावलंबी बनाने से अधिक मुफ्त चीजों के प्रलोभन देने में विश्वास करती हैं?

यह वाकई में एक गंभीर मसला है कि जो वादे राजनैतिक पार्टियाँ अपने मैनिफेस्टो में करती हैं वे चुनावों में वोटरों को लुभाकर वोट बटोरने तक ही क्यों सीमित रहते हैं।चुनाव जीतने के बाद ये पार्टियाँ अपने मैनिफेस्टो को लागू करने के प्रति कभी भी गंभीर नहीं होती और यदि उनसे उनके मैनिफेस्टो में किए गए वादों के बारे में पूछा जाता है तो सत्ता के नशे में अपने ही वादों को ‘चुनावी जुमले’ कह देती हैं।

इस सब में समझने वाली बात यह है कि वे अपने मैनिफेस्टो को नहीं बल्कि अपने वोटर को हल्के में लेती हैं। आम आदमी तो लाचार है चुने तो चुने किसे आखिर में सभी तो एक से हैं। उसने तो अलग अलग पार्टी   को चुन कर भी देख लिया लेकिन सरकारें भले ही बदल गईं मुद्दे वही रहे।
पार्टी और नेता दोनों  ही लगातार तरक्की करते गए लेकिन वो सालों से वहीं के वहीं खड़ा है। क्योंकि बात सत्ता धारियों द्वारा भ्रष्टाचार तक ही सीमित नहीं है बल्कि सत्ता पर काबिल होने के लिए दिखाए जाने वाले सपनों की है।

मुद्दा वादों  को हकीकत में बदलने का सपना दिखाना नहीं उन्हें सपना ही रहने देना है। चुनाव आयोग द्वारा चुनाव से पहले आचार संहिता लागू कर दी जाती है। आज जब विभिन्न राजनैतिक दल इस प्रकार की घोषणा करके वोटरों को लुभाने की कोशिश करते हैं तो यह देश और लोकतंत्र दोनों के हित में है कि चुनाव आयोग यह सुनिश्चित करे कि पार्टियाँ अपने चुनावी मेनिफेस्टो को पूरा करें और जो पार्टी सत्ता में आने के बावजूद अपने चुनावी मेनिफेस्टो को पूरा नहीं कर पाए वह अगली बार चुनाव लड़ने के लिए अयोग्य घोषित कर दी जाए।

जब तक इन राजनैतिक दलों की जवाबदेही अपने खुद के मेनीफेस्टो के प्रति तय नहीं की जाएगी हमारे नेता भारतीय राजनीति को किस स्तर तक ले जाएंगे इसकी कल्पना की जा सकती है। इस लिए चुनावी आचार संहिता में आज के परिप्रेक्ष्य में कुछ नए कानून जोड़ना अनिवार्य सा दिख रहा है।

Jallikattu: Pointer to a Pan-India malady

J Thiyagarajan
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Jallikattu: Pointer to a Pan-India malady

Until three days back I viewed Jallikattu– the Bull Taming Sport of Tamilnadu– as a game of torture for both men and the animals, I summarily hated the game as it resulted in many ‘avoidable’ deaths and injuries. This changed when I saw a strong contingent of 7000-8000 students calmly protesting outside a college in Chennai’s IT corridor in support of reinstating the sport. Wondered how the lakhs of protesting commoners across the state, supported by the who-is-who in Tamilnadu, could be wrong about fighting for the restoration of their ‘cultural pride’?

The investigation led to the revelation of a few systemic problems that have crept in over the decades, perhaps due to lack of control in the modus operandi that India adopted to improve the availability of much needed milk to its ever growing population. These are not problems of just one state, Tamilnadu, but of the entire nation. Here I have tried to establish the link between Jallikattu and sustenance of native breeds in Tamilnadu.

A1 and A2 Types of Milk

India’s native breeds of cows produce A2-type milk which is superior in several respects to A1-type milk from cows crossbred with imported bulls of species like Holstein Friesian and Jersey or through artificial insemination. This fact which was not widely known earlier is now being propagated by individuals and through social media. The claim is that A1-type milk currently consumed by a majority of Indians is causing long term health issues. The video by Dr. Anuj Shrivastav, a consultant Cardiologist reveals more on this. In several developed countries they now market A2 milk exclusively stating the above facts, which tantamount to acceptance of the facts about the harms caused by A1 milk.

It is astonishing to note that India has had a traditional advantage for producing nutritious and superior A2 milk for its underprivileged masses, but it seems to have been allowed to slip. In my opinion a national action is required to study this further and recoup from what is available before all is lost.

Breeding of Indigenous Cattle

The above fact, when accepted, will give rise to the next question ‘Are we doing enough to sustain growth of purebred native species of cows?’ Sadly, the answer seems to be a ‘No’.

The Operation Flood launched in the 1970s paved the way to cross breeding in an effort to enhance dairy farming but it appears to have harmed the native cattle population.  In fact the research report published by Dr. Subha Ganguly of IJETAE claims, “In the absence of clear-cut breeding plans and programs, further breeding of F1 progeny has resulted in subsequent generations of F2 and beyond in F2 generations the advantages observed in the F1 generation have markedly deteriorated, causing great disappointment among livestock farmer society regarding the value of cross breeding”. It makes us wonder whether our successive governments have not even realized the existence of this problem.

A 2012 report of Working Group on Animal Husbandry and Dairying in its Annexure-V states, “Most of the states failed to operationalize the breeding policy due to inefficient breeding network, non-availability of quality bulls and poor economics of indigenous breeds and lack of farmer’s awareness to use good quality bulls”.

This is amply supported by the Livestock Census Data from Ministry of Agriculture, India. The following facts are evident from this statistics:

One, there has been a substantial reduction in Indigenous cattle, especially the males over the last 2 decades; Two, the growth of the male population (both indigenous and crossbred) is not keeping pace with the overall cattle population. Three, the reproductive indigenous males are getting decimated at a high rate.

(numbers in Thousands, includes non-milk-producing cattle also)

Cattle 1992 1997 2003 2007 2012 Growth from ’92 Average Growth per year
Crossbred Cattle 15215 20099 24686 33060 39732 161% 8.1%
Indigenous Cattle 189369 178782 160495 166015 151172 -20% -1.0%
Total Cattle 204584 198881 185181 199075 190904 -7% -0.3%
Crossbred Males 4658 5344 4945 6844 5971 28% 1.4%
Indigenous Males 96938 90202 77534 76779 61949 -36% -1.8%

It also states “The native cattle breeds exhibit a distinct superiority in utilizing poor quality feed and are adapted to withstand heat stress and show better resistance to tropical diseases.” In comparison, the crossbred cattle fare poorly on these fronts.

Jallikattu’s role in Breeding

Accordingly Mr. Himakiran Anugula of Kangeyam Cattle Research Foundation the sport of Jallikattu interwoven into traditions to help the rural economic activity, by motivating the farmers to rear bulls for reproduction which are otherwise uneconomical. An article by him beautifully brings out how Jallikattu has helped the farmers to keep their bulls agile and virile so that it will be economical to spend on rearing them. Also it explains how over the years when Jallikattu is banned, the farmers were forced to sell their bulls for a pittance to be slaughtered in the neighbouring Kerala state, after the game was banned by Honourable Supreme Court of India against a law suit filed by Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).

But why would anyone sane ban a sport? It appears that the Supreme court’s verdict in 2014 was purely based on the evidences presented by (AWBI) about the cruelty meted out to the animals in the name of sport not just in Tamil Nadu but also in other states including Maharashtra. Obviously, the outcome of a lawsuit depends on the charges made, the sections of IPC involved, the strength of the evidences presented and how well the defense and prosecution argued their cases. From my reading of this verdict, it appears that nowhere the relationship of Jallikattu to breeding of native species of cows is brought forth.

Among these arguments, is it right to demand restoration of Jallikattu as it is ‘the cultural pride’ of Tamilnadu? In my opinion, that could be a very weak argument before the court of law as it has been accused of causing harm to hapless animals. If we have to accept this demand, someone else will come forward asking for allowing ‘child marriages’ as it is their tradition. Obviously, no forward-looking person will accept that. But presenting it as a cost-effective measure in maintaining virility of Animals would be a better argument.

Future Course

It is quite possible that the Jallikattu is restored in some manner very soon but it could become a temporary succor unless it is clearly established in the court of law that it will be controlled through an appropriate mechanism to maintain sanity and justice to the animals involved. Simultaneously the need for expansion of the native breeds across the country, not just in Tamil Nadu, should be addressed to ensure availability of A2 milk for the Indian populace.

Indus Waters Treaty: A historical perspective

etee23
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Indus Waters Treaty: A historical perspective

The Indus waters treaty was the outcome of eight years of discussions and negotiations between the Government of India and Pakistan. The Indus is the river of north-west India and Pakistan. It is one of the most important river systems of the world. The extensive irrigation developments in the Indus basin and those in the adjoining parts of the Ganga basin, which gave birth to the science of canal engineering, were not without inter-state and inter-provincial rivalries between the political units of the basins. The main Indus rivers was fed by the Himalayan snow and the five main tributaries from the east.

The partition of India was not the creation of two states, it also involved the split of Punjab in the north-west and Bengal in the north-east. Under the new international boundary the rivers water flowed from India to Pakistan. Projects which were to be taken up, in the future in the Indus basin in the Indian territory could seriously affect and restrict development s in Pakistan, thus the partition of the subcontinent had posed a serious threat to the subcontinent. Sir Cyril Radcliffe, chairman of the Punjab boundary commission was given the task of demarcating the boundary between East Punjab and West Punjab. Joint control by East Punjab and West Punjab was not possible after Partition. The one canal system, U.B.D.C. (Upper Bari Doab Canal) with headworks at Madhopur in East Punjab and the Dipalpur canal with head works at Ferozpore. The lower portions of channels of UBDC which were in West Punjab (were called CBDC) were to receive water supply through the upper portions in East Punjab. Irrigation headworks and canals were to be divide territorially between East Punjab and West Punjab. The arrangement made by the Punjab Partition Committee to assure continued water supplies lasted till 31st March 1948, in the absence of any subsisting “stand-still agreements, East Punjab discontinued on 1st April 1948, with arrangement was made in 18th result that some irrigation channels near Lahore became dry, and soon a new April 1948. On the 3 and 4th May 1948, the question of the supply of water from Upper Bari Doab and Dipalpur Canals was discussed and on 4th may an inter-dominion agreement was signed by which India agreed to give Pakistan all the water she needed in return for Rs.1.2 million. In July, the same year Pakistan was allowed seven years to develop alternative sources of water supply. However Pakistan suggested in June 1949 that India should refer the matter to the International Court of Justice, as bilateral conferences and negotiations between the two countries brought to the fore front the dispute between India and Pakistan over possession of Kashmir. The matter was then transferred to the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development, The World Bank. W. A. B. Illif , the Vice President of IBRD, G. Mueenudin from Pakistan and Niranjan D. Gulhati from India were representatives and India and Pakistan were ranged on opposite sided till the treaty was signed at Karachi in 1960.

The Nehru years

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a statesman, but he was also a romantic. He felt for India with a romantic’s intensity, as is so evident in his ‘Tryst With Destiny.’ Thus feeling as he did for India and her people, it is no surprise that Nehru more than anyone else stands for post independence India. The India that we know today was birthed by him. Nehru looms like a colossus upon the contemporary history of post independence India. And as Indira Gandhi said at one place, Nehru grew through the “storm and stresses”, having been a part of the first general elections and the second general elections in 1951-1952 and 1957 respectively. In Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, took over as Prime Minister, after Mohammad Ali Jinnah in September 1948, only to be assassinated in October 1951. By mid 1951 the state of the country was deteriorating over the anti-Ahmadiya and other issues, the situation deteriorated further and a new constitution was proclaimed by 1956. The dominion of Pakistan now became the Islamic republic of Pakistan. President Iskandar Mirza took over. No elections could take place however, like in India and the Prime-Minister-ship changed hands frequently. President Mirza declared a coup d’etat in 1958 and Ayub Khan took over as President. Martial law was imposed and a new constitution promulgated in Pakistan which came into force by 1962. In India the Congress party ruled over the period of negotiations (1947-1960), the Muslim Legaue ruled in Pakistan till 1954.

The Indus-waters dispute: Post partition

The real problem of the Indus waters had arisen out of the fact that out of 26 million acre of land irrigated annually by the Indus canals post-partition, only 5 million acres of land fell in India and 21 million acres of land in Pakistan. India’s concern was to develop new uses from the Indus rivers to increase her irrigated agricultural area from 5 million acres. All these problems had to be resolved in an atmosphere of migration, displacement of millions with no employment. This was not an easy thing to do.

Eugene Black, the then Vice President of IBRD visited New Delhi to talk to the Prime Minister, Nehru. B.K.Nehru, the director on the World Bank from India was also present. An agreement was reached in 1952 during separate discussions with Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nizammudin and Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Both governments had agreed to participate in a meeting of engineers, however the working party reached a deadlock. The bank had rejected the Lilienthal plan (David E.Liliental, former chairman of the Tennessee valley authority and of the atomic energy Commission, USA). The World Bank proposed for a division of waters allocating the eastern rivers (Sutlej, Beas and Ravi) to India and the Western rivers (Chenab, Jhelum and Indus) to Pakistan. This required a new system of canals to transfer the water from the Western rivers in the areas of Pakistan which depended on irrigation supplies from the Eastern rivers. The banks proposal had received a negative response from Pakistan. Indian however felt, that the cost of link canals in Pakistan would be detrimental to the economic development of India but was even prepared to accept the bank’s proposal as the basis to an agreement which would thereby protect the uses of water within Jammu and Kashmir by allocating a small volume from the Jhelum for Kashmir. However no provision was to be made for any new irrigation development from the river in the Indian territory.

Bhakra- Nangal opens

In a letter dated 25 September 1951, to Eugene Black Nehru had stated that the Bhakra-Nangal project, which was under construction in India would not discontinue work on the project as was suggested by Pakistan. By mid 1954, India had given further indications of her opening the Bhakra-Nangal canals and on 8th July 1954, India opened the Bhakra canals. The Pakistan Times of Lahore and other dailies referred to it as a fatal blow and an act of aggression. Nehru in his speech at Nangal however made it clear that the opening of the Bhakra canal would not lead to any reduction of supplies to Pakistan. Till the end of 1957 they did not come about any way of finding a settlement on the basis of the bank proposal. Pakistan presented its plan on 7th July 1958 in London in a meeting with the Bank. The plan provided for irrigation uses for the western rivers in Pakistan. The irrigation uses however were in excess to what had been proposed by Pakistan earlier at Rome. India soon came up with an alternative plan. The Bank continued to hold meeting with India and Pakistan representatives through 1958 and by May 1959 the negotiation on the Indus waters seem to be ending. With the third draft done by mid 1960, the treaty was concluded was concluded by 19th September 1960. The Indus waters treaty was a division of the system into parts, Western and Eastern. The Western part (the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) and the Eastern part (Sutlej, Beas and Ravi) was allocated to India. The Indus waters treaty functioned satisfactorily under the prevalent conditions. The two countries were partitioned in 1947 and their waters in 1960.

Dr. Etee Bahadur teaches Development Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia

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