It is good to adopt cool-headed approach with China, but shows sincerity and seriousness

The Chinese objection to the visit of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Arunachal Pradesh during election campaigning is absurd and it is their highhandedness to say that the Indian state is a disputed territory. India is genuinely disapointed and concerned at Chinese objectionable remarks. China must know that Arunachal Pradesh is the integral part of India and it will remain so. China claims 90 Sq. km of Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh and wants to establish its own control, violating all norms of the validity of international border with India and neighbourly relations with it. It is not the first time that China has objected the visit of Indian leader to Arunachal Pradesh. In the past also it has objected and it has shown Arunachal Pradesh on the map as its own. Indian foreign office has rightly reacted promptly to Chinese objectionable remarks. Chinese foreign spokesperson has been quoted as saying on its military website that Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh is a disputed territory. This is China’s nefarious design on India, so it must be thwarted at all costs. China is seething with anger at the permission given by India to exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama to visit Tabang in Arunachal Pradesh in November. Dalai Lama demands autonomy of Tibet that China has kept control over the province by force and forced spiritual Tibetan leader to live in exile in India. Because of the highhandeness of China, so far 13 rounds of talks have taken place to resolve the border issues, but it has produced no result. China has occupied 43,180 sq kms in Jammu and Kashmir and 2200 Sq. km in Uttarakhand and Pakistan has also ceded 5500 Sq. km in Aksai Chin plateu to China. China also does not recognise British demarketed international border McMohan Line . Border dispute with China has been old one and it is not solved due to Chinese rigidness with its own terms, regardless of the amicable settlement sought by India. Airspace violation and incursion into Jammu and Kashmir and Laddakh is made by China at frequent intervals, though the Indian government describes them as media hype, but later on it only regrets that is of no use. China is planning to encircle India on all sides by setting on neighbours against it, besides violating border with it. India needs to to be alive to the ongoing activities of China and must lodge its strong protests seriously with the forums concerned at the international levels. When Arunachal Pradesh is the integral part of India, why India Prime Ministers and other leaders would not visit the state. China’s objection is very serious and it must be dealt with as such. China and India are the two emerging global economic powers and both are Asian giants. India is competing with China in every field that has become an eye-sore to them. China always wants to establish supremacy in Asia, which it feels to be challenged by India. That is why China offers all sorts of help to Pakistan, which is hostile to India, to disturtb it. Pakistan’s economy is in tatters but it has also become a nuclear power state. How? It is because of China only that offered and extended all helps so that Pakistan also could stand up with India on the same platform. China also does not want India to be in high club of five nuclear power states and nor does it like India to get a seat at UNSC. Though this is the time of economic paramountcy and all other considers are relegated in the back ground, China is always on the look out for grabbing Indian territory, which India must object with all mights at its disposal. It is good that Indian Prime Minister deals with China with cool-headed approach, which is best suited to the country but at the same time sovereignty and integrity must be protected at all costs.

Pak intent is not clear

Letting off the brain behind Mumbai attacks and chief of Jamaat-Ud-Dawa and founder of dreaded terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba Hafiz Saeed by the Lahore High Court because of the feeble charges made against him is a foregone conclusion. Despite the UN suspecting Saeed of having association with Taliban and Al-Qaeda and putting him on the list of terrorists, Pakistan has not proscribed him. This is enough to show that the intention of Pakistan is not clear and it has never taken the dossiers provided by India to establish clearly the involvement of Hafiz Saeed in Mumbai attacks. The court has freed him for his provocative speech in Faislabad on the occasion of Ramazan in which he preached to lauch Jihad against infidels, pointing clearly towards the US and Kashmir. The court found the evidence filmsy and it let him off. After the Mumbai attacks, the five Pakistani nationals other than the mastermind of the attacks Hafiz Saeed were arrested for their involvement in the attacks under immense international pressure, and Hafiz Saeed too was put under House arrest. But because of the insufficient evidence against him despite India submitting enough evidences, the Pak government deliberately did not produce them before the court. The court of law always deliver judgement on the merit of the case. It found the evidence insufficient and freed him. Now the question here arises why the civilian government of Pakistan connive with taking action against Saeed.It is because of his strong links with the Army and ISI, which have great influence on the government. It is also no secret that without the consent of army and ISI when the issue is involved with India, Pak government can do nothing. Army and ISI are the driving forces behind the successive governments since the inception of Pakistan. And that must be understood by US too, the mentor of Pakistan. When there is clear evidence, which has been submitted by India to Pakistan and other sixteen countries, including the US, against Hafiz Saeed being the mastermid of Mumbai attacks, why does the US not compel Pakistan to act against him if its intent is clear for fighting against terrorism? The US Intelligence Department has said a number of times that Pakistan is the breeding ground of terrorism, but no concrete action has ever been taken. Why so?

Attack on Pak army Hq is its own making

The attack on Pakistan Army Headquarters by Tahreek-e-Pakistan(Pak Taliban) is its own making. Pakistan has nurtured the most destructive and devil elements for a long time to disturb and destabilise India by sending them across the border at frequent intervals. When the US threw out out-lawed regime of Taliban of Afghanistan after 9/11, they found safe haven in Pakistan. They are cobras whom Pakistan offered milk adequately. It has also been rightly said,”you will reap, so will you sow”, and it is proving absolutely correct in the context of Pakistan. The group of Pak-based Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other militant elemets are dead against the US. Because the US is on hunt of them after 9/11, though it also offered all sorts of help to Pakistan to nurture these elements before 9/11. But after the 9/11, situation in US has completely changed and it has already launched a drive against them. US in the fight against international terrorism has made Pakistan a frontline ally and always puts pressure on it to act against terror elements in the country. Because of that all militant elements, hardliners and those who are their sympathisers have turned against the US. It is no secret also that the US is the mentor of Pakistan and its financial assistance keeps the country going. But it is the demand of the situation for the US to keep Pakistan in good humour in its fight against international terrorism. Though civilian and military regime in Pakistan have been handled by ISI, military establishment and hardliners on the issue of India, now these elements are proving for Pakistan a serpent in the grass. Terror elements in the country have become a great threat to the sovereignty of Pakistan. Its existence appears to be in peril. Ten suicide bombers had held hostage to 16 army personnel. Though army headquaters have been freed of Taliban, 6 armymen and 4 militants were killed. These days, Pakistan is passing through trying times and no day passes without the terror violence in the country. The spurt in terror violence is threatening the existence of Pakistan. Destabilised Pakistan is in no one’s benefit and it would also pose a great threat to the peace in South Asia. India always wants Pakistan stabilised and united . Zardari-led civialian government needs to take hard steps to crush the tentacles of Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other militant groups, which have made their bases there. As the concience of Pakistan is not clear in the context of India, it provides support to these notorious elements to create mayhem in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is Pakistan which provides overt and covert support to militants based there to cross over the border and execute violence in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in India. Terrorism is the enemy of humanity. So it must be fought unitedly.

Attack on Indian Embassy is the handiwork of enemy

The attack on Indian Embassy in Afghanistan is the handiwork of enemy and all fingers of suspicion being raised at Pakistan, though the Taliban has claimed responsibility of the attack to shield ISI. 15 months ago in July 2008, the Indian Embassy were also attacked in which casualties were five times high. This time 17 locals were killed in the attack on Indian Embassy by suicide bomber. No Indian officers and staff were killed in the attack and only three ITBP personnel sustained minor injuries. The US has propmtly condemned the attack on Indian Embassy and expressed solidarity with India in times of crisis. No damage was done to the Indian Embassy because it was fortified after the last year’s attack. The Indian presence in Afghanistan has been eye-sore to Pakistan and its notorious Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) plays pivotal role in executing suicide bomber attacks on Nato forces and Indian people engaged there in the developmental projects in Afghaniostan. Afghanistan is a very good friend of India and its President Karzai is working hard for strengthening democracy and crushing Taliban and Al-Qaeda elements to get the country free of the scourge of humanity. But Pakistan with the full backing of its military and ISI extends support to Taliban to resurface and regroup in Afghanistan, though it is itself riven with the violence in the country by Taliban. US president’s Af-Pak policy must be centred on the activities of Pakistan in Afghanistan. Pakistan is always on look-out for an opportunity to derail India in Afghanistan and because of that its notorious ISI contributes full time in planning and hatching conspiracies to create mayhem in through through Taliban. This must be understood by US. Because it is US on whose financial packages Pakistan is running. And finance is the most important factor in influencing any individual and the country. The US must ask Pakistan that it may stop financial packages if it continued to misuse it in organising terror attacks out of the country by the elements which are also bent on destroying its own existence. US does not get tough with Pakistan only because it always fears that if it tightens screw, Pak may slip into the waiting lap of China.As Afghanistan has strategic importance for India also, it can not sacrifice its own interest at any cost. That is why it is the third largest donor in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. India has pledged to donate 1.2 billion dollar in Afghanistan. It has great contribution in several developmental projects and infrastructure in the country. India must not desist out of attacks by Taliban at the behest of Pakistan. It only needs to beef the security of its citizens involved in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. India only keeps Pakistan under pressure of international community through vigorous diplomatic offensive.

Talks with separatists on cards

PMO is likely to send the letter of invitations to moderate separatist leaders of Jammu and Kashmir for talks later this month when Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visits the state on October 18 for inauguration of the Anantnag-Qazigund leg of the Kashmir rail. It is good that Centre is keen to open channel of commuications with separatists, but it must be kept in view that during the Vajpayee-led NDA regime and Manmohan Singh-led UPA-1 in 2003 and 2005 respectively had held several rounds of talks without yielding any result. The BJP-led NDA government first brought the separatists to the negotiating table when it held two rounds of talks with the united Hurriyat in January and June 2003. The third round couldn’t materialise due to a change of government at the Centre and the Hurriyat split with the hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani walked out in protest. Geelani insists on Pakistan’s inclusion in the talks and a recognition of J&K’s disputed nature. The UPA government picked up the threads and held separate talks with Hurriyat, JKLF leader Yasin Malik and People’s Conference chief Sajjad Lone in late 2005 and early 2006. The Centre’s optimism most certainly has gone up by huge military successes against terrorists and setbacks separatists faced with the record turnout in last year’s assembly elections. It is seen as an attempt to co-opt the Hurriyat in the backdrop of the recent Shopian and Amarnath agitations. The Hurriyat-backed agitations saw some of the biggest pro-separatist rallies in two decades, which analysts believe could have been prevented had the Centre offered some concessions to them. The Hurriyat has used these rallies to show its representative character, more so when the Centre has tried to look the other way. It is also the mishandling of Omar Abdullah government of Shopian rape and murder incident that gave opportunities to hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to exploit the situation in favour of divisive forces.It must also be kept in view that the alarming rise in infiltration from across the border before the onset of winter might escalate the violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Given the present situation and role of the armed forces in the state, the demand for abrogation of AFSA and reduction of troops from urban area is irrelevant. It must not be considered by the Centre. Centre has stated its position umpteen times that it would not budge from bilateralism, while separatist leaders want trilateralism. They want the inclusion of Pakistan in talks on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. That is out of question.Moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Omer Farooq too wants to include Islamabad in the talks with Centre alongwith various factions of All Party Hurriat Conference (APHC). J & K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other mainstream parties have also thrown their weight behind the separatist-Centre dialogue. The issue was one of the major poll issues for both NC and PDP and Omar is believed to have lobbied hard for opening the channels of communication. The bipartisan support is seen as a good sign ahead of the talks. The Congress, however, has to walk a tightrope and can’t be seen as conceding too much given the backlash it could face in Jammu, where it has made substantial gains recently at the cost of BJP. There must be talks between moderate separatist leaders and the Centre to resolve the outstanding issues in Jammu and Kashmir but without compromising the national interest. The separatist leaders should pledge first the faith in the Constitution of India and its democratic process. Hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani wants merger of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan and another separatist leader and JKLF supremo Yasin Malik wants the independence of Jammu and Kashmir. But they must understand that Jammu and Kashmir is the integral part of India and it will remain so. Until and unless all separatist leaders come to the terms with the Centre, and continue to dance at the tune of Pakistan, any talk with them will be an exercise in futility.

Nuisance in public places must not be allowed

With the announcement of liberal Excise policy by Delhi Government last week, which allows the sale of liquor in Malls also, it appeared that it sent out message among the Delhiites that Government is only concerned with boosting its finance by encouraging drinking while driving and in public places. It threw very poor light on the Delhi government. Realising the negative impact of last week’s excise policy on public peace and tranquility , Finance Minister Dr. A K Walia has reportedly mooted a stricter Excise Bill to be introduced in the winter session of the assembly to curb public nuisance by drinkers in open public spaces and in car and train by imposing heavy monitory penalty. The tendency of drinking has risen so steeply among the majority of youngsters in Delhi that a peace loving and law abiding person can not pass the roads by the side of which are liquor stalls are running. The space in front of liquor shops are so crowded during the evening that it has become a great problem to cross that area. So far Delhi has been guided by Punjab Excise Act under which a person can be fined Rs. 200 for driking in public places. But now the Delhi Finance Minister has taken a right decision by deciding to impose stricter laws and heavier financial penalty to curb public nuisance caused by drinkers in public place through a Delhi Excise Bill under which now the fined for drinking in public place has risen from Rs. 200 to 5,000 and that may go up to Rs. 10000 and a jail term of 3 months. And if the liquor shop opwners serve liquor in open public places without authorised licence, they would be fined Rs. 50, 000. The proposed Delhi Excise Bill will curb many other social vices and rising crimes of various types caused by drinking heavily in public places . Now anyone found drinking in car on Delhi roads will be fined Rs. 5000. The Delhi Excise Bill must be passed and there should be no delay in the enact ment of the Bill. Delhi is going to host Commonwealth Games next year and the thousands of foreign tourists will descend on the capital and if the present position of the unregulated crowd cotinued to flaunt liquor bottles before liquor stalls by the side of diffeent roads, what impression would they gather about Delhi can be easily imagined. So any action which amounts to public nuisance in the national capital Delhi must be curbed and the Bill propsed to be piloted in the Delhi Assembly regarding Delhi Excise Act by Finance Minister Dr. A K Walia is most welcome. Dr. Walia must be credited for taking initiative for curbibg nuisance in public places in Delhi.

Naxalism is a grave internal security threat

Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram have said that Naxalites are internal security threat to the country. The question here arises when the country's leadership is convinced about Naxal menace, which is posing grave internal security, why are they complacent in taking concrete step to combat Maoists in right earnest? It is no secret also that out-lawed CPI(Maoist) enjoys political support in states and that holds the police personnel to launch drive against Naxals to stop their slaughtering of innocent persons.London educated Maoist leader Cobad Gandy has been recently arrested in Delhi. He has international network and incharge of Maoist propaganda. He says that they are fighting against state terrorism, but he forgets that killings of Children aged between 10 to 15 neither have any justification in any way nor can they help them achieve their goal. The rising naxal violence is more dangerous than the threat of terrorism from cross border that India has been facing for the last two decades. Primarily, the terrorism has taken root in Jammu and Kashmir and all the seven north-eastern states of the country, while at least 15 states have been hit hard by outlawed CPI(Maoist). The senseless killings of 16 innocent villagers in a village of Khagaria District in Bihar by armed Maoists can in no terms be justified. The land dispute between the Mussahar caste among Mahadalits and Kurmi caste among Other Backward Castes (OBCs) has reportedly been the cause of brutal massacre of 16 innocent persons, including two children aged between 10 to 15. The killing of the children by Maoists shows that they have nothing to do with the social upliftment of the downtrodden and with the state. Maoists perception that they are fighting against state terrorism is nothing but an eyewash. They follow the Chinese Communist stalwart Mao Zedong's belief that power flows from the barrel of the gun but they have forgetten that they are now living in 21 first century where there is nothing like barrier which the people can not not cross.Now, the power flows from the knowledge and economic prosperity. Maoists are criminals and they deserve to be treated as such. In 2009, 700 innocent people, including children and women have been killed. Maoists' strike in Rajnandangaon of Chattoishgarh killed 33 constables, including an IPS officer . The killing of police personnel and the innocent people by Naxalites can never be justified for fulfilment of their goal. There is no doubt that wide economic disparity among different sections of society exist but it can not give any one permission to take up arms against the state and allow anyone to rise in rebellion against it.The Centre must compel by being tough with Maoists to understand that until and unless they join mainstream of the national activities and pledge faith in democratic process of the country, they can not get their aspirations fulfilled. The government of India must not take the naxal violence at any stage merely a problem of law and order and state should be left on its own to deal with them. It must first call all party meeting and evolve consensus over how to fight out Maoist menace and provide all possible help to thse naxal-affected states.