Tit bits from Southasian region

Southasian Briefs Tibet  
Full state honours
Drawing to a close a controversial issue, the United States House of Representatives recently voted to go ahead with longstanding plans to award the Dalai Lama with the US Congressional Gold Medal, the country's highest civilian honour. The House vote not only paved the way for the awarding of the medal to the exiled Tibetan leader, but also to use the rotunda of the US Capitol building to do so, in a ceremony slated for 17 October. The House first voted last year to bestow the medal on the Dalai Lama, then seen as a highly contentious move, given the US's growing economic and political ties with China. Beijing duly denounced the decision at that time, as it did again in September. The US-based International Campaign for Tibet called the decision to give the Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama the most significant international tribute to himsince the Tibetan leader won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Only one question remains: How many more awards need be given before the question of Tibet is finally resolved? Many, many more, by the looks of it.
——————————————————————————– Afghanistan Chinese Taliban weaponry
In September, the UK government for the first time complained to Beijing about the Taliban's widespread usage of Chinese-made weapons. The Taliban has recently begun to boast publicly of its sophisticated new weaponry, although it has always refused to say from where the ammo and munitions are coming. Beijing officials promised to look into the matter, although a Foreign Ministry statement earlier this year had promised that all Chinese weapons exports were taking place in accordance with "international obligations". (In mid-September, China, for the first time in a decade, made public its weapon-export logs, surprising many with who topped the records: Dhaka.) Afghan officials have confirmed that the Taliban is in possession of a wide variety of Chinese-made weaponry, including missiles, landmines, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns – and that some of the weapons are of recent make. Southern Afghanistan has long been home to Chinese weapons, which are often the cheapest guns available in the marketplace. In the past, Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has also been known to sell Chinese weapons to the Taliban. In the current context, however, it is conducive for neither the ISI nor China itself to arm the Taliban. As such, many observers are eyeing Iran as the guilty party in the transfer of weapons.
——————————————————————————– The Maldives  
Best islands in the world!
Amidst the dramatic political upheavals over the past two years, the Maldives has been awarded international recognition as the world's 'Best Islands'. The award was given at a ceremony in London held by the international luxury brand Conde Nast, just weeks after the atolls held the contested national referendum on their future system of governance. More apolitical lauding was in store. Readers of the magazine Conde Nast Traveler also rated the country their third-favourite destination, out of 100 worldwide. In addition, one of the Maldives' top resorts, the One and Only Reethi Rah, was named the foremost resort in the world, and also won two other related awards. The Tourism Ministry can now firmly put aside any worry that may have cropped up over the past two years that protesters in the streets of Male would impact on the luxury destinations further out in the atolls. Also, the 2004 Tsunami now seems only a memory. The rest of Southasia can gloat over such high recognition being paid to our fellow islanders, but one suspects that there will be a bit of envy in nearby Sri Lanka, Kerala and Goa!
——————————————————————————– India/Pakistan Ahem, Attari
So, we hear that the Wagah border will now be officially known in India as the Attari border. Evidently, the Punjab government recently realised that Wagah was actually a village in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the residents of Roranwala and Kangarh are also scratching their heads, quietly pointing out that their villages are still closer to the 'zero line' than is Attari, or Wagah, or whatever.
——————————————————————————– India/Pakistan  
Heart to fence
We know it's a bit late, but we still cannot get over the fact that the 60th-anniversary gala slated for mid-August on the Indo-Pakistani border was called off for 'security concerns'. Shahrukh Khan, A R Rahman, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and many more were to take part in the crossborder event, dubbed 'Dil se Dil' (Heart to Heart). But evidently, that was one dil too many for Border Security Force (BSF) officials. The organisers said that Dil se Dil would have been the first time in 60 years of independence that Indians and Pakistanis could have celebrated the anniversary together. They also maintain that both central governments had given the go-ahead well in advance of the concert, and that 150,000 people had been expected to attend. BSF personnel have subsequently denied that any such event was ever planned right at the border. "What if all the 150,000 people, in the frenzy of the event, decide to break the man-made fence at the international border and try to cross it?" asked one anonymous BSF official. "This could be a catastrophe."
——————————————————————————– India/Pakistan No appeal
In early September, just weeks after the annual Independence Day crossborder release of prisoners between India and Pakistan, New Delhi rejected a proposal by Islamabad to create a committee, made up of retired judges, that would hear and decide on appeal cases from prisoners in each other's jails. This year, there was unhappiness in Pakistan that India released far fewer prisoners than anticipated – and far fewer than New Delhi had initially promised. Indeed, Pakistan has over the past few years released far more prisoners than has India, a fact that rankles the Islamabad government. Since 2003, Islamabad has released 2823 Indian prisoners from its jails, including 2559 fishermen; during that same period, New Delhi has released only 823 Pakistanis, including 448 fishermen. The annual release clearly makes the innocents who are caught on the other side over the course of an average year pawns caught in India-Pakistan relations. Why should innocent civilians be kept in jails at all, when there is no war on? Clearly a year-round release of prisoners is in order, overseen by retired justices on each side. India/Pakistan
——————————————————————————– Come to JNU!
Jawaharlal Nehru University, in Delhi, in early September announced that it was for the first time planning on opening an examination centre in Pakistan, in an effort to encourage students from that country to come study in India. JNU already has similar centres in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and the decision marks a new confidence in the thaw in relations between India and Pakistan. More importantly, it could give a fillip to improving the climate of crossborder academia. JNU currently operates 37 examination centres around the globe. H B Bahidar, the university's chief proctor, promised, "In due course, we will open such centres in all SAARC countries." Bahidar noted that, while the university's administration has long wanted to open a Pakistani examination centre, the New Delhi and Islamabad governments had not been sufficiently "supportive" until now.
——————————————————————————– India  
Road along the river
Officials in Lucknow have finally announced the decision to create a major new highway, linking western and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The eight-lane road, to be called the Ganga Expressway, is estimated to cost USD 1 billion, and will run (for the most part) along the Ganga River for 1000 kilometres, from Noida to Ballia. UP Chief Minister Mayawati said that new towns and commercial centres would be set up along the new highway. Dubbing the new project a "boon to Purvanchal", the chief minister said that the roadway would bring both development and job opportunities to one of India's most poverty-stricken, populous areas. Some are now worrying that the new highway could block older arteries. With Lucknow having announced that the road would be built high, to act as a flood barrier, critics warn that environmental issues have not been adequately dealt with along the proposed Expressway. They predict ecological disaster if the road ends up preventing any of the 200-odd tributaries in the area from emptying into the Ganga. But besides water-logging in the north, what of the enhanced floods on the southern bank?
——————————————————————————– Region From here to everywhere
At the first-ever meeting of SAARC transport ministers, held at the end of August in New Delhi, officials broached a plan for an integrated regional transport network. As currently foreseen, the plan would include 6540 kilometres of rails and nearly 11,850 km of roads, all with the intent of more closely binding together Southasia's 1.5 billion people. The project would also include ten ports, 16 airports and two inland water routes with a total length of around 2760 km. The Indian representative put forward a blueprint for the bilateral agreements that would be needed in addition to the infrastructural plan, including for visas, tariffs and related obligations. All in all, the project would offer ten new road and five new rail corridors. The ministerial discussions are the end result of a decision taken at the 2004 SAARC Summit in Islamabad, when closer regional integration and greater connectivity were officially acknowledged as important goals. Some of the proposed road corridors now include: 2453 km from Lahore to Agartala; 1323 km from Kathmandu to Calcutta; 1039 from Thimphu to Calcutta; 1362 from Kathmandu to Chittagong; 906 km from Samdrup to Calcutta; and 227 from Agartala to Chittagong.
——————————————————————————– Tibet Approval denied
Few should be surprised that Beijing has a couple of tricks left up its sleeve regarding its plans for total control over Tibet. Nonetheless, Tibetan activists themselves acted the most flabbergasted when, in late August, the Chinese government moved to promulgate a new policy on reincarnation. Now, an official stamp will be required for approval of any Tibetan religious figure considered a 'new incarnation' – as draconian a measure as it is ironic, considering the fact that the Communist Party of China is officially atheistic. The new law, officially titled "Management Measures for the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism", would specifically target tulkus, or reincarnated lamas that play a central role in Tibetan Buddhism. Lodi Gyari, the Dalai Lama's official envoy and a key figure in talks between Dharamsala and Beijing (including a sixth round that took place in early July), said that the move "strikes at the heart of Tibetan religious identity. They will only create further resentment among the Tibetan people". Observers worry that Beijing appears to be moving forward with a plan to undermine the influence of Tibet's religious authorities, including the Dalai Lama (himself a fourteenth incarnation). In reality, however, the Chinese government had long ago asserted its right to decide on the reincarnations of the best-known tulkus, including the Dalai and Panchen lamas. A week after it was first publicly discussed, on 1 September the new law technically went into effect, although the change on the ground will only be evident in days to come. But what a distressing piece of legislation, requiring the gurus of Himalayan Mahayana to be approved by un-incarnated Han authorities in Beijing!
——————————————————————————– India/Pakistan  
Lucky cement
Responding to a longstanding demand on the part of Islamabad, Indian officials have finally given clearance to the first Pakistani cement company to begin exporting to India. In all, seven such manufacturers have applied to the Indian authorities for clearance, which was a priority for the Pakistani delegation at recent bilateral secretary-level trade talks. Though only one company, the aptly named Lucky Cement, has thus far been confirmed approval, a second, Maple Leaf, has reportedly been unofficially confirmed as well. Following the confirmation, 5000 tonnes of cement from the Lucky factories were to be send to India (by sea) during the first week of September. Eventually, up to 100,000 tonnes of Pakistani cement may be allowed into India per month. The Pakistani sacks are expected to sell for around 75 percent less than the prevailing price in India. Although all cement exports are currently forced to move between Pakistan and India by sea (from Karachi to Bombay), New Delhi and Islamabad also recently agreed to begin allowing commercial truck traffic through the Wagah-Attari border. This would be a breakthrough. Under the current set-up, goods to be transported across the border are stopped, unloaded, carted across the border and reloaded by hand, taking up time and money. While the extent of the discussion at this point is to allow the Pakistani trucks to cross the no-man's land, they will still be stopped for reloading in designated points immediately on the Indian side. Not good enough! There will be no Pakistani trucks in Delhi anytime soon!
——————————————————————————– Region  
TAPI, IPI, yippee
There's no time like the present to check in on the incredibly drawn-out process of piping gas from one part of Asia to another. First to Turkmenistan, where, in late August, a crucial meeting was called off indefinitely between members of the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gasline. The gathering, organised by Islamabad and the Asian Development Bank, would have discussed several issues central to the TAPI project, including the formal inclusion of India, and the security situation in Afghanistan. Turkmenistan, however, said that its own domestic situation would preclude it from going forward with the meeting anytime in the immediate future. If built, the USD 4 billion pipeline would stretch for 1600 km, from the Turkmen city of Daulatabad to the Indian city of Bikaner. Meanwhile, negotiations on the similarly (though not equally) mired Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline have been plodding along. US disapproval of India's engagement with Iran notwithstanding, gas pricing has long been the most contentious issue between the three members. In mid-July, talks ground to a halt when Tehran demanded a price more than 30 percent higher than New Delhi's offer. A month later, Iran's oil minister was dramatically fired, possibly for having agreed to sell gas at a discount price. But with Tehran and Islamabad having since come to an agreement on a variety of related pricing issues, observers emitted cautious optimism when, during the second week of September, officials from New Delhi travelled to Tehran in an attempt to hammer out the specifics on the pricing. Iranian news reports (referring to the USD 7 billion, 2775 km gasline as the 'Peace Pipeline') subsequently trumpeted the talks as being in their "final" round. Tehran's new caretaker oil minister, Gholam Hussein Nozari, expressed his confidence that "the two other sides are also determined to reach a conclusion soon." Not so fast. The following day, Indian news agencies were reporting "fresh snags" in the pricing negotiations. Furthermore, few have discussed the fact that New Delhi and Islamabad have yet to get anywhere near agreement on how much money the former will be giving the latter as transit fees, should the gas ever start to flow. It was the binding of that aspect, presumably, that gave the Peace Pipeline its name in the first place.
——————————————————————————– Bhutan/Nepal 'People's war' before elections
"Unconfirmed" reports have it that the Communist Party of Bhutan (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist) has decided to undertake an armed struggle within Bhutan prior to national elections scheduled for next year. In media accounts in late August, an unnamed CPB (MLM) leader dubbed the movement a "people's war". He added: "In the midst of growing unhappiness among the refugees over the issue of relocating to the United States, the CPB is preparing to stage a peoples' revolt in Bhutan." The reference is to the US offer to take in more than 60,000 Bhutani refugees, who have spent 17 years in camps in southeastern Nepal. While the actual strength of the CPB (MLM) remains unknown – and discussion of the organisation remains extremely contentious – the group has been active in the Bhutani refugee camps since 2001. Meanwhile, the CPB leader boasted that, within Bhutan, his party had garnered "comfortable support" in 16 of the country's 21 districts. One does not know how much to believe the the man, but political violence in the refugee camps and in Bhutan would certainly not bode well for inhabitants within either.
——————————————————————————– Afghanistan/Pakistan  
Jalozai deadline extended
A week after the United Nations' refugee agency formally requested Islamabad not to shut down one of the Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan, government officials agreed to keep the Jalozai camp open until March 2008. Pakistani officials, under increasing pressure to crack down on crossborder militancy, months ago had placed their focus squarely on shutting down the refugee camps. The Jalozai camp remains home to roughly 86,000 Afghan refugees, many of whom are resisting Islamabad's attempts to step up repatriation. Jalozai was supposed to close at the end of August. But in the days leading up to that date, UNHCR personnel in Pakistan had warned that doing so would set off a humanitarian crisis over the upcoming winter. With the extension, Islamabad has now extracted, from elders living in Jalozai, promises that the population voluntarily repatriate before next March. The government has already closed down the two-decade-old Kachha Garhi refugee camp.
——————————————————————————– Pakistan/Bangladesh Karachi to Chittagong?
Following foreign-secretary-level discussions in late August, Islamabad agreed to start selling large amounts of rice to Bangladesh. The move comes as the two countries have set a USD 1 billion goal for annual bilateral trade. Last year that figure was only around USD 210 million. (India-Bangladesh trade, although a regular whipping boy for Dhaka politicians for its imbalance, still stands at only around USD 2 billion annually.) The last such meeting was back in September 2005, at which time an agreement was made to draw up a free-trade accord between the two countries. Bangladesh is now set to import around 450,000 tonnes of rice in 2007-08, as well as an additional 350,000 tonnes of wheat. Recent flooding in Bangladesh has damaged around USD 500 million worth of crops, including standing rice. Additional agreements are now being urged between the two countries in tourism, agriculture, fisheries and livestock. Most importantly, the talks included the possibility of restoring the shipping link between Karachi and Chittagong, which was halted in 1987. Officials from both countries have long complained that this fact has remained the single most significant obstacle to boosting bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan – seemingly a critical element in attaining the one-billion mark.
——————————————————————————– India/China Move your bunkers
Sikkim's borders are not quite as set as many had thought, or hoped. On the back of heightened rhetoric over border disputes in Arunachal Pradesh, Beijing recently took issue with a series of Indian military bunkers that are near the West
Bengal-Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet border, in Dokala. In August, the Chinese government lodged an official complaint regarding the bunkers, warning that they are in Chinese territory and demanding their immediate removal. The issue was again raised at the Independence Day ceremony at the Nathula border point attended by Chinese and Indian officials. Analysts in Delhi maintain that the bunkers have been in place for years, and say that New Delhi is quite unlikely to agree to remove the installations. As such, the current war of words seems more aimed at allowing Beijing to continue to express its displeasure over the ongoing negotiations between India and the US over the so-called 123 nuclear agreement, as well as the increasingly cosy US-India relations in general. China's is indeed a strategic concern, but these bunkers seem mostly an excuse to indicate irritation.
——————————————————————————– India/Bangladesh  
Beefing up security
Border officials in West Bengal have begun photographing cows in the Indo-Bangladeshi frontier, in order to give them official identity cards. Border Security Force (BSF) officials said that the move was taken in order to stem the smuggling of the bovines out of India and into Bangladesh, and headed for Dhaka abattoirs. According to the BSF, between 20,000 and 30,000 cows per day are spirited out of India. Evidently, the new security plan has been extremely popular, with villagers in West Bengal lining up to get their cows properly registered. Currently, the project is going forward on an experimental basis in Murshidabad District, but could soon be expanded to other frontier districts, as well. India officially outlaws the export of cattle due to Hindu sentiment, but demand in Bangladesh, particularly surrounding Muslim holidays, has long been very high. The new cow cards will be good for two years.
——————————————————————————– Region Productivity up
A recent report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) found that cumulative productivity in Southasia has risen by 50 percent over the past decade. At the same time, however, productivity throughout the rest of the world also continued to rise, and at a faster rate, thus widening the gap in productivity levels between Southasia and the West in particular. 'Productivity', as per the ILO report, is based on the average output per person employed. In Southasia, this figure went from around USD 5418 in 1996 to just under USD 8000 in 2006. Despite this impressive gain, the productivity of the average Southasian worker remains just an eighth of that of a worker in a developed economy. In India, for instance, productivity in 2006 was USD 6587, while in the United States that figure stood at USD 63,885. The ILO did find some other positive regional trends over the past decade. For instance, levels of 'working poverty', meaning those Southasian families that have at least one member employed but remain below the poverty line, fell from 57 percent to 34 percent. And potential, as always, remains high. Around the globe, the agency found that up to a third of the workforce, or 1.5 billion people, can currently be classified as 'potentially underutilised'.    
 
 

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