Shutdown, restrictions paralyze life in India-controlled Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India-controlled Kashmir, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Life across Muslim majority areas of India-controlled Kashmir including Srinagar city Monday came to a complete halt in response to a shutdown call and severe restrictions imposed by authorities, officials and locals said.
The shutdown call was given by Kashmir Bar Association, a fraternity of lawyers to protest what they call "the collapse of judiciary, maltreatment meted out to political prisoners in and outside jails and veiled attempts by New Delhi to change the demographic position and identity of India-controlled Kashmir."
However, authorities fearing clashes in the Srinagar city, the summer capital of India-controlled Kashmir deployed hundreds of paramilitary troopers and policemen to impose restrictions. These men have blocked roads by placing barricades and coils of concertina.
"The restrictions have been enforced to prevent clashes in the city and maintain law and order," said a police officer posted in the city.
Business, shops and government offices remained closed in Srinagar and traffic was off the roads. Similar reports were received from other districts of the region.
"There is heavy deployment outside on roads. The police and paramilitary troopers are checking the identity of the pedestrians since early morning," said Dilshad Ahmad, a downtown resident in a telephonic interview.
The shutdown call by Kashmir Bar Association was supported by both factions of Hurriyat Conference, a separatist alliance.
New Delhi is preparing for the biggest ever headcount or census 2010 across India including insurgency affected India-controlled Kashmir.
Last time, in 2001, separatists had asked people to stay away from the census or a decennial exercise, and militants had threatened officials too.
In 1991 census did not take place in Kashmir because of disturbed situation, and officials projected figures on the basis of 1981 census, which itself has been controversial and criticized by many Kashmir politicians. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-05/10/c_13286192.htm

India: Last Week

National Summary:
Politics:
UPA government wants to restore caste-based census but in the criticism from opposition force it to wait for consensus of all parties in parliament. Opposition does not want to change the decision of the framers of the Constitution and the first Cabinet after Independence which had leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, B R Ambedkar and Maulana Azad. They decided to do away with caste-based census which was seen as divisive. Caste-based census is considered logical as it would be helpful to implement Mandal commission recommendations for OBCs and minorities.
Insurgency Movements:
Maoists trigger at least three blasts at a government-run residential school for tribal girls at Dhepaguda in the district on Saturday while damaged rail track and set ablaze two buses to enforce their 48-hour north Bihar Bandh, which began on Thursday.
Economy:
The CII Business Outlook Survey based on response from 458 companies said that India Inc expects the economy to grow by 7.5 to 8.5 per cent during the current fiscal fuelled mainly by rising capital investment and expanding exports. The industry optimism was also expressed in the Business Confidence Index that rose to 67.6 points for April-September 2010-11, compared to 66.1 points during the second half of 2009-10, according to the survey.
The government said that the value of India's exports for 2009-10 may fall short of the previous year's figures on account of the global economic downturn, but will cross the USD 170 billion mark. The country's exports in 2008-09 had amounted to USD 185 billion.
India and EU are expected to sign FTA this October. Both are working to eliminate differences through negotiations. EU has concerns on Indian policy of market access liberalisation and environment.
Geostrategic/Foreign Relations:
India is most likely to get access to American Lashkar terrorist David Coleman Headley this month with the United States indicating that it will communicate the exact date latest by next week. But officials keeping a track on the probe do not seem to be optimistic about any favourable outcome of his questioning.
The number of Pakistanis coming to India in 2009 decreased by almost 50%. The total number of visas issued to Pakistanis by India in 2009 was 51,946, a sudden and sharp fall from the 95,112 issued in 2008. Sources attribute the decline to more stringent norms for issuance of visas to Pakistanis in the aftermath of 26/11.
Indian Ocuupied Kashmir:
Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Gilani was not allowed to lead a march to the United Nations office and authorities kept him under house arrest. However, the day saw youth taking to the streets and clashing with the police, closure of shops and disruption of traffic. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat faction, and senior leaders of the conglomerate were also placed under house arrest to prevent them from going to Anantnag district for a rally. Mr. Gilani had called a march to the office of the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan to submit a memorandum, seeking U.N. intervention to grant the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination.
Dr. Shah Faisal becomes the first from Kashmir to top the Union Public Service Commission 2009 examinations. Dr. Faisal chose Public Administration.
Social Issues:
The radiation-related death of a scrap metal worker has raised concerns over nuclear safety in India, at a time when the Asian power is wooing foreign players to its $150 billion civilian nuclear market. Authorities have launched a probe into the unauthorised disposal of a disused machine from the chemistry department of Delhi University, which contained the radioactive material cobalt-60 and ended up in a scrap metal hub in the capital. A man died in hospital from exposure last week, in a case a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was quoted as saying was the most serious worldwide since 2006. Safety standards are a sensitive issue in India, where a gas leak in a Union Carbide factory killed thousands a quarter of a century ago in one of the world's worst industrial accidents.
According to noted economist Nancy Birdsall’s (president of the Center for Global Development) new definition of the middle class for developing countries, the middle class in the developing world to include people with an income above $10 day. By this definition, India even urban India alone has no middle class; everyone at over $10 a day is in the top 5% of the country. This is a combination both of the depth of India's poverty and its inequality. Birdsall defines middle class in monetary terms, the broader concept of what a middle class really is, as opposed to merely counting the middle third of a country.
The Special Sessions Court on Thursday sentenced to death Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Kasab was given the death penalty on five counts: murder, abetment to murder, waging war, criminal conspiracy and committing terrorist acts. He was also awarded life imprisonment on five counts: attempt to murder in furtherance of a common intention, kidnapping and abducting in order to murder, conspiracy to wage war, collecting arms with the intention of waging war and causing explosion thus endangering life and property.
Regional Summary:
Central India/Hindi Heartland:
The BJP on Saturday agreed to pleas made by JMM leaders and let Shibu Soren continue as Chief Minister of Jharkhand for some more time, putting on hold a decision on the transfer of power for now. After a marathon meeting of BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari, former president Rajnath Singh and party general secretary Ananth Kumar, with Soren’s son Hemant and other JMM leaders as well as allies like JD(U) and AJSU, it was decided that the “consultation process, amongst the allies, would continue”.
Eastern States:
Alleging that the Congress is “providing oxygen to a dying Communist Party of India (Marxist)” by breaking the electoral alliance for the coming civic polls in the State, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday that “there is no alliance in West Bengal.” “We were in favour of an alliance…but they [the Congress] did not want it,” She also ruled out the possibility of “friendly contests” with the Congress, as there was no such thing in politics. She determines to contest election with full force against CPM.
Holding the Congress responsible for the break-up of its alliance with the Trinamool Congress for the upcoming polls to civic bodies across the State including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Subrata Mukherjee, one of the working presidents of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC), is all set to re-join the Trinamool Congress.
Western States:
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan, on Monday signed an MoU to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for two river interlinking projects to facilitate inter-basin transfer of water to benefit both the states. Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Bansal on Monday signed the tripartite MoU between the Government of India, Maharashtra and Gujarat in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the preparation of DPRs of Damanganga-Pinjal and Par-Tapi-Narmada link projects.
A new census in Gir forests has revealed that the population of the Asiatic lion has risen by 52 to reach the figure of 411.

India Last Week

National Summary:

Politics:
Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor resigned after meeting PM Manmohan Singh. He was under severe criticism for his alleged involvement in the Kochi IPL cricket franchise bid. He said his decision to quit the Cabinet was “in the high moral traditions of our democratic system and in keeping with the standards”. Opposition parties criticise the IPL for misusing Indian cricket passion. Opposition demands a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe covering the full range of irregularities in the control and management of the money-spinning T-20 cricket tournament.
The BJP is criticizing the UPA for rising prices, attributing it to the “wrong economic policies” of the government and “bad management and corruption”. Charging the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government with failure to check the unprecedented price rise and protect the interests of the common man and the poor, the BJP came down with massive show of power on Wednesday, 21 April.
Despite their cut motions being defeated in the Lok Sabha, the Opposition parties on Tuesday claimed moral victory, saying that they were successful in pressuring the UPA over price rise. The SP and the RJD did not support the cut motion.
Government is under criticism for phone tapping issue. Opposition parties declare it intolerable and against the spirit of democratic norms.

Minorities' Issues:
The Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, has sought an independent, high-level inquiry into bomb blasts of all kinds, fake encounters and confinement of Muslim youth, to nail the lie that Muslims are involved in acts of terrorism. He asserted that “99 per cent of Muslims arrested on accusations of terrorism are innocent.”

Hindu Fundamentalism:
BJP President Nitin Gadkari said his party is not against the Muslim community but was unfortunately caught in an image warp. At the same time, he said there was nothing to be apologetic about Hindutva or the core issues of the BJP, including uniform civil code and Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Insurgency Movements:
The West Bengal government said it may introduce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for reconnaissance in Maoist strongholds, if the experience elsewhere proves successful.
There will be no census exercise in several hundred villages in Chhattisgarh which have been rendered out of bounds for government officials by Naxalite groups. District administrations of Jagdalpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Kanker, all part of undivided Bastar which was once one of the largest districts in the country, have informed senior officials in Raipur that it will be difficult for them to carry out the census exercise; counting of people, collection of biometric data for preparation of the National Population Register in many areas in view of the Naxal threat.

Economy:
Analysts expect food inflation to soften on arrival of the Rabi crop harvest in markets by the middle of next month and in case the Meteorological Department happens to forecast a normal monsoon in its initial projections to be unveiled. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said the tightening of monetary policy by India is an 'appropriate' step, as the country is faced with high inflation and needs to consolidate the fiscal measures initiated during the slowdown. With the prices of certain essential items such as rice, milk, fruits and vegetables continuing to rule high, food inflation crept up further to 17.65 per cent for the week ended April 10 from 17.22 per cent in the previous week.
The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China on Thursday demanded the commitment to reform the Bretton Woods financial institutions that the advanced economies made at Pittsburgh during the G-20 summit be completed by this year itself. The BRIC document calls for an open and merit-based selection method, irrespective of nationality, for the heading positions of the IMF and the World Bank.

Geostrategic:
China has said the dam being built by it on river Brahmaputra will have no impact on the downstream flow of the river into India, Chinese foreign minister assured that it is a small project which will not have any impact on the river's downstream flow into North-east India.
A junior diplomat (Madhuri Gupta) in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has been arrested by the special cell of the Delhi police on the charge of leaking sensitive national secrets to Pakistani intelligence agencies.
India and Pakistan ended a diplomatic stalemate on Thursday by resuming dialogue at the foreign-minister level, as part of an agreement worked out by PM Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Thimphu.

Social Issues:
For purposes of food security, the Planning Commission finally accepted that the number of people living below the poverty line in India is 37.2 per cent of the total population. The 37.2 per cent poverty line (that works out to 40.71 crore for 2004-05) is based on the methodology recommended by the Suresh Tendulkar committee that submitted its report to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in December 2009. The number of poor in 2004-05, as per the Plan panel’s own estimate released in March 2007, was estimated at 30.17 crore or 27.5 per cent of the total population. Were this number to be accepted as the BPL population, only 6.5 crore families would have got access to food security. But with the Plan panel accepting the Tendulkar report, about 10 crore families will benefit.
The government stepped up efforts to get to the bottom of alleged financial irregularities in the Indian Premier League (IPL), with officials from the income tax department visiting the Mumbai offices of World Sports Group (WSG) and Multi Screen Media (MSM) in Mumbai. WSG holds all audio and video rights for IPL, while MSM is the broadcast-rights holder. Media reports had said that MSM had paid a ‘facilitation fee’ of $80 million to WSG to secure the rights. IPL commissioner Lalit Modi is also under pressure for alleged corruption.
The India Meteorological Department on Friday issued its first-stage, long-range forecast for the Southwest Monsoon. It is likely to be “normal,” with a precipitation of 98 per cent of the long-period average (LPA), with a model error of plus or minus five per cent. In other words, the rainfall during the four-month season, from June to September, is likely to be between 93 per cent and 103 per cent of the LPA. (The LPA is the average of the rainfall over 50 years from 1941 to 1990 and it comes to 89 cm).
The Supreme Court has held that pre-marital sex is not a statutory offence and criminal law cannot punish individuals merely for expressing "unpopular views" justifying such acts as it would violate freedom of speech and expression. A three judge bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishna and justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan passed the judgment while quashing the criminal cases filed against popular south Indian actress Khushboo for her views on "pre-maritial sex".
Regional Summary:

Central India/Hindiheartland:
Congress wants Shibu Soren to resign as chief minister first before making a move in Jharkhand where BJP-JMM partnership collapsed under the weight of the voting on cut motion on Tuesday, while ruling out any support to the veteran tribal leader. Congress is categorical that it will not back a CM from outside, ruling out support to Soren a la BJP.
In the backdrop of concerns regarding the dwindling number of tigers in the country, the ongoing tiger census has brought some more alarming news from Bihar. At the Valmiki Tiger Reserve Bihar’s only national park — only three adult tigers have been caught by the trap cameras so far. The census is set to wrap up in June. While the reserve, spread over 880 sq km, including 340 sq km core area in West Champaran along the Nepal border, boasted of 63 tigers in 1990, the number had fallen to 13 in the last tiger census in 2006

Eastrn States:
To seek the rural votes, the Left Front government has decided to amend the existing Land Reforms Act. Earlier, the Act enabled an encroacher to have the ownership of the land provided one had the possession from 1974 or before. Now, the government has decided to bring down the cut-off year to 2009. In other words, any squatter on a piece of land not more than five cottahs in a rural area, who has been there since last year will now be given the right over the land.
The 12-hour Bharat Bandh called by the ruling Left Front in West Bengal will cost the state close to Rs 500 crore what with an estimated production loss of 61-62 per cent.

Southern India:
Nearly 65% of class V students in rural areas of Tamil Nadu can’t read even a class II textbook in their mother tongue, 45% don’t know subtraction and nearly 81% can’t read simple English sentences, the Annual Status of Education Report for 2009, compiled by Delhi-based NGO Pratham Foundation, has revealed. The findings of the survey, which had a sample size of 33,000 students in both private and government schools, showed that while 19.4% of class V students could read words and 7.2% could only identify letters, 3.7% could read nothing

India Last Week

National Summary:
Politcs:
Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Gadkari blamed the Congress-led Centre for the price rise and unemployment and the DMK-led State government for the power and water crises in Tamil Nadu. According to him Congress government at the Centre is appeasing the minorities and terrorist organisations for political gain and for vote-bank politics which he said, would endanger the country's unity and integrity. Criticising the Congress and other secular political parties for describing the BJP as a communal party, Mr. Gadkari said the party was for justice for all irrespective of caste and creed.
Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla expressed concern that roughly 700 out of 1,000 registered political parties do not contest polls but said the Election Commission has no power to de-register them.
The involvement of Tharoor in the IPL franchise for, the Kochi team has raised concerns among political circles and even in his own party. Left parties demanded his resignation as, for them, its highly inappropriate for a minister in the Union government to be part of such activities.
Minorities' Isuues:
Muslim groups in Rajasthan have alleged that over a dozen persons accused of carrying out and conspiring in the May 2008 serial blasts in Jaipur were being kept at the Central Jail without basic facilities and forced to make fresh confession despite the completion of investigation.
Hindu Fundamentalism:
Senior BJP leader L K Advani emphasized that the party needs to work to explain to the people that Hindutva and Indian secularism are synonymous. The BJP leader quoted Supreme Court judgment on Hindutva in which the court had observed, “Hindutva is a way of life or state of mind and cannot be understood as religious Hindu fundamentalism.”
Insurgency Movements:
After the government came under opposition attack on the handling of Naxal violence, Home Minister P Chidambaram said that the state governments have the primary responsibility to fight the Maoist menace and the Centre was ready to assist them.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has said there are no Maoists in West Bengal. Banerjee claimed there are about 200 camps of the Communist Party India (Marxist), which have unleashed violence across the state. Criticising the so-called Operation Green Hunt of the government, Banerjee said the operation is being carried out to suppress or kill rural folk in the area.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles successfully flew over the forests of Bastar in the first trial run for anti-naxal operations. The trials, which assumed urgency after the Dantewada massacre in which 76 security personnel were killed by Maoists, were aimed at generating real-time intelligence information to help ground forces in any offensive. The first trial involved an American UAV.
Economy:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India was poised to achieve 9-10 per cent economic growth but for this it required protection-free international climate. During the meeting with President Barack Obama, Singh said, there was a need to "rewrite" the architecture of global economic system in which the G-20 could play an important role. Referring to the global economic crisis, Singh referred to role of US in strengthening growth impulses in world economy particularly in developing countries in period after World War II and stressed that that experience should be repeated.
According to the 'ING Investor Dashboard Survey' Investor sentiment in India has been the highest among the Asian economies in the January-March period of 2010 because of robust domestic consumption and expectations of increased stock market activity. The India index, which provides market insights into investor attitude and outlook, has jumped to 174 for the first quarter of 2010, from 169 in the immediate previous quarter. The survey found that a majority of Indian investors (91 per cent) believe the economic situation will improve in the next quarter, signaling continued confidence in the local economy. Also investors are willing to take more risk as the economic outlook turns bullish.
Geo-strategic Developments:
US President Barack Obama has hoped that the controversial nuclear liability bill will be concluded "expeditiously" by the Indian Parliament. The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, introduction of which was deferred by the government on March 15, figured in the talks Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had with Obama on Sunday. The bill that seeks to limit the liability of a nuclear power plant operator at Rs 500 crore in case of an accident has generated criticism from opposition parties.
India seeks access to David Coleman Headley under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), 2005, which binds India and the US to share information and material while pursuing criminal cases.
The Obama Administration has asked the Congress to double its anti-terrorism budget to India to USD 4.5 million for the fiscal 2011.
Social Issues:
s:A Freak storm preceded by hurricane-force winds killed nearly a hundred people in four blocks of North Dinajpur district in West Bengal and Araria, Purnea and Kishanganj districts of Bihar around midnight on Tuesday. While 31 people were killed and more than 50 injured in West Bengal, the toll was around 65 in Bihar. The figure is likely to rise as rescuers are still clearing debris of flattened houses in both states
Regional Summary:
Central India/Hindi Heart Land
Congress and BSP are struggling hard to gain Dalit’s vote bank in UP. Both parties have announced different programmes to celebrate the birth anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar. Rahul Gandhi and UP chief minister Mayawati are the main contester in vote bank politics.
Northern States:
Rajasthan government extended a fresh invitation for talks to Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, who is spearheading a protest demanding five per cent quota for the community in state jobs. Hundreds of Gujjars led by Bainsla have been marching to Jaipur since April 11 to press for their demand.
Eastern States:
Muslim religious leaders publicly voiced their support for Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and criticised the CPM for not helping the Muslims in Bengal.

Southern States:
Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for a project of constructing roads of international standard in 11 cities, including Madurai. Discussions were taking place at various levels to build the roads, which would have good lighting facility, footpath, and sign boards, an official release said.
Western States:
The number of suicides in Gujarat has risen by 10.5 per cent in 2008, as compared to 2007, with housewives constituting the highest percentage, according to a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. The recently published report titled 'Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India-2008' said the number of suicides in Gujarat has increased to 6,165 in 2008 from 5580 registered in 2007, an increase of 10.5 per cent. The all-India average was recorded at 2.2 per cent. Out of the 6,165 suicides in 2008 in Gujarat, 1,744 (28.3 percent) were housewives. Gujarat, where 4.9 per cent of the total suicides in the country took place in 2008, stands eighth in the list of state after West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, where high suicide rates were recorded.

An India- Pakistan love story

Indian and Pakistani men cannot see beyond their male pride in the love story of a Pakistani cricketer and Indian tennis champ, writes Aijaz Zaka Syed*

Ah, to be young and in love! And when you are young and in love, you seldom see beyond your nose -- or that of your sweetheart's. If Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik was foolish to exchange vows over the telephone with an Indian girl in distant Hyderabad eight years ago without ever having met her, he is down right stupid to fly to India to meet tennis champ Sania Mirza, his new love, in the face of a brewing storm of global proportions.
But then what love is -- madness. And as someone said, when love is not madness, it is not love.
The affair between Pakistan's former cricket captain and the hot Muslim tennis champion of India reads like a Bollywood love story.
It has all the elements that make for a juicy, heady potboiler, and the Bollywood dream merchants are drooling over it: love, the seat-edge suspense, conspiracy of circumstances and resistance from zalim samaj (society), the villainous other woman, and two telegenic and famous faces at the heart of all the emotional circus. This India-Pakistan love saga is far more arresting than anything the most gifted of Bollywood storytellers could come up with.
No wonder the media in India and Pakistan, especially its over-the-top television news networks, is hungrily lapping it up, producing the same chewed and overchewed, long regurgitated crap 24/7.
My youngest holds her pretty head in her tiny hands when she sees me tune in to Zee News to watch for a zillionth time the latest on the Shoaib-Sania affair. Which is not much different from what you saw five minutes back -- or five hours ago.
This affair seems to have cast a spell on the entire South Asia and beyond. The faces of Indo-Pak sports celebrities and lovers are permanently plastered on television screens. The two of them are torn apart by the bespectacled image of the beady, bleary-eyed Ayesha Siddiqui, the girl who claims to have married Shoaib in 2002. Shoaib, who is in trouble now, what with the Hyderabad police filing a criminal case against him and seizing his passport after hours of interrogation, says Sania and her family know "the truth" about his first marriage.
But whatever the truth and the suspicious circumstances in which this marriage was performed, a marriage is a marriage.
Besides, whether Shoaib divorces Ayesha and marries Sania or not, this whole episode has made a mockery of Islamic Sharia and the institution of marriage that plays such a critical role in Muslim and South Asian society.
I can't bear to watch Islamic scholars, dazed by the blinding lights and all the paraphernalia of a television studio, hopelessly try to explain Shoaib's actions in the light of Sharia even as their hosts bend over backwards to suggest all Muslim males are like Shoaib and this happens all the time to poor women in Muslim society.
But what has it got to do with Sharia or Islam? No religious teachings can explain or justify the recklessness or pure idiocy that love seems to bring out in the Shoaibs of this world.
After the damning revelations made by Ayesha's parents in a globally telecast press conference, Shoaib flew down to Hyderabad like a gallant, cavalier hero in true filmy fashion to woo back his disturbed heroine and reassure her obviously concerned parents. But in doing so, he may have provided a heaven-sent opportunity to the scorned Siddiquis, the media and the mob, of course.
Hopelessly bedazzled by love, Shoaib seems to have walked into a minefield from which I am not sure how he is going to walk out alive or at least without egg on his face.
True to the sub-continent's time-honoured traditions, this crossborder love story has turned into an ever-widening mudslinging match between India and Pakistan. Soon after Sania's family revealed her plans to tie the knot with Shoaib, there was all-round jubilation in Pakistan with many Pakistanis patting Shoaib's back -- and their own --- for his "Indian conquest".
After years of Bollywood movies that always show Pakistani girls falling for Indian men, the revenge couldn't have been sweeter for Pakistanis. Predictably, this was greeted by loud condemnations on the other side of the border, with many of my fellow Indians seeing in Sania's love for Shoaib the ultimate betrayal of mother India.
The irrepressible Bal Thackeray, again hopping mad over the fact that Sania's heart beats for a Pakistani, as usual implies all Indian Muslims are traitors and Pakistani agents.
And it is not just the Hindu groups that are upset. There has been total bedlam online here in the Gulf. A fellow Hyderabadi based in Saudi Arabia sparked the free-for-all by thrashing the tennis sensation in earthy Deccani Urdu for picking a Pakistani. Suggesting he cannot now face his Pakistani colleagues and neighbours, he moaned: Main munh pe kapda daalke ghoom rhhaun aajkal because of her (I have to cover my face because of her).
This started a virtual cacophony with some, including yours truly, defending the lovers' right to find their love wherever they please and others interpreting it as a "surrender" to Pakistan. Some were upset that this could spark another vicious campaign against Indian Muslims by militant Hindu groups.
Remarkably, all of those who see in this harmless love affair a catastrophic sellout to Pakistan are Muslims and come from the city of pearls and Charminar like Sania does. The city that some in India see as being allegedly soft on Pakistan with the police regularly rounding up young Muslims as ISI agents.
But clearly this has little to do with patriotic fervour and more to do with male chauvinistic pride being hurt by the fact that one of their girls has fallen for someone from across the border. The same pride that forced pre-Islamic pagan Arabs and some communities in Rajasthan, India to kill their daughters right after birth.
If this is how Indian Muslims think, imagine the heartburn this whole thing must have caused our sensitive friends in the Hindutva brigade. Let's face it. In our hearts, we are all Male Chauvinistic Pigs no matter how much progress we have made in terms of education and economic growth. Also at play are double standards and rank hypocrisy that seem to come naturally to us.
We take immense pride in some of our distant relatives making it to the West, flaunting their Western passports. We get hysterical even at the suggestion of Sania settling down in Pakistan or embracing her prospective husband's nationality. And what's wrong if it's the other way round and Shoaib settles down in India?
We were after all one people and one country, for God's sake! Until only six decades ago. We do not just share culture, language, religion, literature, music and sports. We share this great land. Whether we like it or not, we inseparable from each other. Let's learn to live with each other. And, yes, let's give Shoaib and Sania a break. It's their life after all. This India-Pakistan love story should bring the two nations and people together, not tear them further apart.
* The writer is opinion editor of Khaleej Times.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2010/993/op23.htm

India: Last Week Summary

National Summary:

Politics
BJP is not happy with government’s policies to improve minorities’ status in the country as BJP president Nitin Gadkari criticized the Congress for its "minority appeasement" policy saying this is a threat to the country's unity and will create a divide between the so called majority and minority. The BJP leader also hit out at the Congress for "sheltering" infiltrators from neighboring Bangladesh rising inflation.
The SP and the RJD are committed to oppose the Women's Reservation Bill in its present form at an all-party meeting convened by the government and stick to their demand for quota for Muslim women and backward classes.
Home minister P Chidambaram accepted "full responsibility" for the Dantewada massacre of a CRPF contingent by Naxalites, while all political parties condemned the incident and killing.

Hindu Fundamentalism
The VHP once again wants to disturb communal harmony by raising Ram temple issue as the verdict is expected by year-end from the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court in the main title deed case related to the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid complex. Muslim community is not interested in any clash and determined to accept the court verdict.

Insurgency Movements
Maoist rebels killed 74 members of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and two policemen from the Chhattisgarh police, and destroyed an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) in Dantewada district. The attack took place in the Mukrana forest, about 540 km southeast of the State (Chhattisgarh) capital Raipur when the force was returning to base camp after a three-day area domination exercise.
It is revealed by Special Investigation Team interrogation of suspected Naxalites in Gujarat that international Maoist groups are involved in the arms training of Indian Mao rebels and one such session was held in the forests of Kerala. Surat Range IGP A K Singh told that interrogation of Bharat Puwar and Sulat Puwar, who were allegedly involved in Naxal activity in Dangs district, has revealed that members of the Communist Party of Philippines (CPP) had trained a batch of 25 tribals from various parts of the country in guerrilla warfare and the use of arms, ammunition and explosives.

Economy
Qatar is interested to invest in Indian energy sector. According to the report, a delegation from India will soon visit Qatar to discuss prospects for investment.
Salman Khurshid, Minister of State for Corporate and Minority Affairs has said reverse brain drain to country has begun and it is a great sign of the world's confidence in India and its recognition of India's potential. Many second-generation Indians are coming back to the country. Top multinationals are sending their top Indian minds to head their companies in India.

Foreign Relations/Geostrategic Developments
After the February 25 fruitless Foreign Secretary-level talks, India is willing to have the second round of talks but is yet to get any response from Pakistan’s side. Water issue is getting critical as India refused to accept that it is violating Indus Water Treaty by constructing illegal water reservoirs on Pakistan’s share of water resources. Indian authorities claim that fault lies with Pakistan’s poor management of water resources as it has very short water storage dams and reservoirs.
India wants to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as it is an important regional organization. The government had asked the missions in four central Asian countries, Russia and China to explore the nature of rule changes for joining the SCO that are under way. India's inclination comes amid the SCO's plan to take into its fold more countries from the near neighbourhood, including Pakistan and possibly Iran.
India seeks China’s support for permanent membership of Security Council. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s visit to China is focused on two issues; China’s investment in Azad Kashmir and improvement of ties with China to increase cooperation in different fields.

Indian Held Kashmir
A railway track was blown up in Indian held Kashmir. . An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was triggered, probably using a remote-control device, which left a three-foot crater on the tracks, police said.
Separatist leaders of Indian held Kashmir advised people to participate in census. In a shift from their past stand, separatists have not asked people to boycott the Census. On the contrary, they have asked them to actively participate in the exercise. The reason for this shift is the separatists’ concern that the Muslim majority status of J&K is being eroded. Chairman of Hurriyat’s hard-line faction Syed Ali Shah Geelani hinted he wasn’t opposed to the exercise by saying, “There are concerted efforts under a pre-planned conspiracy to reduce the Muslim majority status of the state. The Census is being carried out by the employees from outside the state and they have been tasked to erode the Muslim majority status of the state.” Geelani said Muslims were 85 per cent of J&K’s population before 1947 “but in the subsequent censuses of 1961 and 1981, it (Muslim population) was put at 69 per cent and 64.5 per cent respectively.”

Social Front
According to the Annual Flow Report released by the US Department of Homeland Security the number of Indians receiving the coveted Green Card or the Legal Permanent Residency status in the US has experienced a considerable decline in the past three years. Latest official figures released showed that the number of Indians being granted the Green Card has declined each year since 2007. In 2009, as many as 57,309 Indians received the Green Card, while in 2008 the figure was 63,352 and the previous year in 2007 as many as 65,353 Indians had received the Legal Permanent Residency Status. India was, however, among the top five countries who provided the maximum number of LPRs to the US in 2009.
Regional Summary:

Central India/Hindi Heartland
Opposition parties included Congress held protest in Chhattisgarh on Thursday against the massacre of 76 troopers by Maoist guerrillas. The shutdown hit life in the five districts- Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar and Kanker. Schools remained closed across the state while shopkeepers downed their shutters as a mark of protest. Chhattisgarh state Congress president Dhanendra Sahu told reporters here that the strike was called to protest the flawed policies of the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) that resulted in the the killing of 76 troopers Tuesday in the biggest ever attack carried by Maoists.

Eastern States
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee announced that the state government will implement 10 per cent Muslim reservation in government jobs at the earliest. He argued that if Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes can be provided with reservation, why Muslims can’t be provided the same as they are equally backward. Stressing on the overall minority development, the CM also announced that in 12 districts of the state, Rs 500 crore would be spent as Multi-Sectoral Development Fund for the overall development of minorities.

Southern States
The World Bank is ready to give a massive grant to the tune of Rs. 1,000 crore to develop the city traffic and public transportation infrastructure. World Bank team identifyied measures necessary to improve road network, signages, public transport, pedestrian facilities, multi-level parking et al, senior civic officials concluded that a whopping Rs. 4,128 crore was required for the same. The large-scale perspective plan was prepared for seeking funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
Kerala has decided to seek Rs 165 crore as assistance from the Centre to tackle drought conditions. According to Revenue Minister K P Rajendran, the state wanted central support of Rs 115.69 crore for maintaining water supply through short-term schemes in drought-hit areas.

Western States
Sudhir Mungantiwar was unanimously elected Maharashtra BJP president at the party's State convention, which began at Jalgaon on Friday.
The relocation of slums from the riverfront development area spanning from Subhash Bridge to Sardar Bridge is expected to adversely impact attendance in at least 10 municipal schools. Nearly 4,000 children will feel the pinch from the coming academic session.

Maoist rebels kill at least 76 troops in east India

Maoist rebels in eastern India killed at least 76 paramilitary troops Tuesday, authorities said, underscoring the continued strength of an insurgency that India has tried for decades to wipe out. The dawn attack in Chhattisgarh state was among the deadliest by the guerrillas in memory.S.R. Kalluri, a deputy police inspector in densely forested Dantewada district, where the attack occurred, told local reporters that the troops were on an extended patrol and stopped to rest Monday night.Insurgents learned of their location and "at the break of dawn the Maoists attacked," Kalluri said. "Now we are chalking a strategy to retaliate."Several thousand people have died in attacks since the Maoist insurgency began in the late 1960s. The rebels are said to number about 20,000, including an estimated 6,000 hard-core combatants.In recent months, they have stepped up their attacks in response to a police offensive initiated late last year across several "red corridor" states. On Sunday, rebels set off a land mine that killed at least 10 members of an elite anti-Maoist unit in the mineral-rich eastern state of Orissa.The rebels are funded in part by hundreds of millions of dollars extorted from companies each year. Their arsenal includes automatic rifles, shoulder-fired rocket launchers, mines and related explosives, some of which have been stolen from Indian authorities and some purchased from Chinese smugglers.The Maoists, who say they are fighting for poor farmers and landless workers, are particularly strong in impoverished, rural areas where basic government services are limited and local corruption is endemic. India's expanding middle class displays its affluence in the cities, clogging roads and crowding shopping centers, but vast swaths of the country have not shared in the economic gains.Home Affairs Minister P. Chidambaram said an evident intelligence failure allowed the patrol, a joint operation of state and central government forces, to walk into a trap. Monday was reportedly the second night that the paramilitary units had been camping out in remote jungle terrain.Police spokesman R.K. Vij estimated that 1,000 rebels took part in the attack; others put the number closer to 300.Although the central government has claimed progress in its Operation Green Hunt campaign against the Maoists, the number of attackers and their ability to avoid detection suggest that the government faces a tough fight. More than 1,000 attacks, resulting in 600 deaths, were recorded last year."They will hit you where you are the weakest and run and hide when you are strong," said Ajai Sahni, executive director of the New Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management, a think tank. "It is the basic principle of guerrilla warfare. . . . The government needs to stop telling people about massive deployments and giving sound bites to the media. It needs to develop a strategy."

By Mark Magnier and Anshul Rana
April 7, 2010

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/asia/la-fg-india-maoists7-2010apr07,0,505985.story