Sub-continent/South Asia’s famous Ghazal Singer Chitra Singh’s 47-year-old daughter Monika allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her Bandra (W) residence in the wee hours of Friday. Though she did not leave a suicide note, police claim Monica Chaudhary was under depression for the past few months. Chaudhary was residing in Kalpal Hormus building at Perry Cross Road at Bandra.
Monthly Archives: June 2009
To Be Happy, Make others Happy
“To do as much good as we can, in as many ways as we can, to as many people as we can” – Dada J.P. Vaswani
The dream of a better world is back
By Alain Gresh + By Omer Khalid
Courtesy: Liberation, Jun 2nd, 2009
For two decades, from the sierras of Latin America to the paddy fields of Asia and the mountains of North Africa, a single hurricane seemed to be sweeping away the old colonial order and the economic dominance of the North. As the title of a 1977 documentary by Chris Marker depicting revolutionary struggles from Paris to La Paz put it: “Deep down the air is red” (Le fond de l’air est rouge).
HUM THAY JIN KE SAHARAY By Naveed
Sindh: The new epicenter of global stability
Sarrows of Sindh – Demands of Minority Provinces finally being Heard in US Policy Advisory Institutions!
by Khalid Hashmani, McLean, Virginia, USA
The 11th Session UN Human Rights Council that began on June 2, 2009 will end on June 19, 2009. The focus of this session is protection and promotion of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social, and cultural, including right to development. Although, since the last elections, the political, social and civil rights in Pakistan have somewhat improved, much needs to be done for our cultural, economic, and right to achieve development. More information on this session can be obtained by visiting http://www2. ohchr.org/ english/bodies/ hrcouncil/ 11session/ agenda.htm.
The over due demand of Sindh and other minority provinces remains un-fulfilled. The economic conditions in Sindh, particularly in rural areas remain critical. Thousands of schools remain closed and poverty has disrupted millions of lives. The Pakistan radio and television continues to ignore Sindhi language and Sindhi cultural programs in its programming. The laws pertaining to the promotion of Sindhi language continue to be flouted in government and private institutions and businesses.
Our struggle to achieve cultural, economic and provincial autonomy rights must continue unabated. We cannot lower our guard just because few Sindhis have become prominent in the federal government. The results so far are not very encouraging as the governments at both the federal and provincial level are only paying lip service to Sindhi rights. In these critical times, it is heartening to know that Mr. Munawar Laghari, a well-known Sindhi Rights activist, will be once again talking about sorrows of Sindh including its cultural and economic plight at the 11th UN session of Human Rights. He has published an array of the following five highly pertinent articles in issue 2 of Sindh Monitor, which will be distributed at the 11th session:
1. “Sindh: The new epicenter of global stability” by Dilshad Bhutto (Senior). 2. “Oil and Gas Resources and Rights of Provinces: A case study of Sindh” by Naseer Memon. 3. “Sindh: A Land of Tolerance” by Manzoor Chandio. 4. “Eroding Religious Harmony” by Salam Dharejo. 5. “Demands of Minority Provinces finally being Heard in US Policy Advisory Institutions” by Khalid Hashmani.
A New Beginning – President Obama’s speech in Cairo
“The White House website has the following note: The State Department has been busy translating the President’s speech, click here to find links to translated transcripts, and later versions of the video with translated captions as they come in. Languages will include Arabic, Chinese, Dari, French, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu.”
Nawaz Shareef Zardari
Merciful storekeeper changes robber’s mind, religion
From Kiran Khalid
NEW YORK (CNN) — A potential victim became a compassionate counselor during a recent robbery attempt, changing the would-be criminal’s mind — and apparently his religion.
SUP rally attacked by Police and Ragners, one killed, 4 injured, Zain Shah arrested
Jamshoro – Private TV channels ARY News and Express News are reporting that police has resorted to baton charged and airiel firing on protesters of Sindh United Party (SUP) activists who were protesting against arrival of outsiders in province of Sindh. SUP stages a big demo on Super highway, blocking traffic for hours.
Police and rangers arrested several activists including party’s General Secretary Syed Zain Shah. Hearing this news of arrest, party activists blocked National High Way and Super high way. ARY News showed live footage of police beating and firing on workers, several workers were picked up by rangers and police after beaten on super high way.
Workers continue to block National High way at Jamshoro Phatak, while Rangers and Police are clearing the super high way for traffic. TV channels report police have registered cases of treason against activists of SUP.
According to reports rallies against settlement of displaced people in Sindh have been peaceful, Sindh Taraqi Pasand Parrty (STP) has announced to stage Sit-in on June 10 at Chief Minister’s house in Karachi and another Sit-in on Sindh Punjab border on June 17.
Political parties in Sindh have been of the opinion that influx of Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Malakand operation area, where Pakistan army is fighting Taliban militants, would convert Sindhis into minority in their own motherland as millions of illegal aliens are already residing in Sindh. Afghan migrants of 1980s still have not gone back to their country. New wave of migration would do a big blow to the demography and culture of the Sindh.
Politics, economy, business and culture of Karachi, the capital of Sindh, is already dominated by non-Sindhis.
4 June 2009.
Goat’s milk is good for health
Goat’s milk is a much better choice than other milk. It is more similar to human milk, lower in lactose and very much less likely to cause allergies.
Book Review – The Battle For GOD
In the late twentieth century, fundamentalism has emerged as one of the most powerful forces at work in the world, contesting the dominance of modern secular values and threatening peace and harmony around the globe. Yet it remains incomprehensible to a large number of people. In The Battle for God, Karen Armstrong brilliantly and sympathetically shows us how and why fundamentalist groups came into existence and what they yearn to accomplish.
We see the West in the sixteenth century beginning to create an entirely new kind of civilization, which brought in its wake change in every aspect of life – often painful and violent, even if liberating. Armstrong argues that one of the things that changed most was religion. People could no longer think about or experience the divine in the same way; they had to develop new forms of faith to fit their new circumstances.
Allah loves those who give charity without making their identity public
Allah loves those who sacrifice their repose and arise in the depths of the night to glorify the word of their Lord; those who give in charity without making their identity public..
- The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as reported by Ahd’Allah bin Mas’ud
Why Pakistan will stay uinted – Daily Times
WASHINGTON DIARY: A united Pakistan
by Dr Manzur Ejaz, USA
June 2nd, 2009
Dr. Manzur Ejaz’s note – This column has been written as a student of Political Economy and not from any patriotic inkling. So, please comment from that angle if you want to.
Sri Lanka took more than two decades to suppress Tamil separatists and prevailed. The Pakistani state, with its powerful institutions and military, can get the job done in the northwest in a much shorter period.
For some time now, several elements in the US intelligentsia, military strategists, Indian analysts and even some Pakistani intellectuals have been declaring Pakistan a failed state that will disintegrate in the near future.
L.K. Advani – A leading political personality of our times
L.K.Advani, the leader of BJP, is resigning from the leadership of the Party, and possibly from politics, altogether. I am sad that this great Sindhi will no longer be in the political arena. His immense love for Sindhis and his utmost respect for Sindhi values and Sindhi ethos is great and I feel extremely sad that he will be away from the political scene in India. I take this opportunity to reproduce here under a Review by Gul Karamchandani which appeared in Sindhishaan on L.K.Advani’s recently published autobiography . The review bears testimony to Advani’s affection for Sindh & Sindhi values.
Submitted by Arjun Sippy
—
REVIEW: My Country My Life – an autobiography, By: L. K. Advani
(Former, Deputy Prime Minister of India and Present, Leader of Opposition)
By Gul Karamchandani
My Country, My Life is an extraordinary autobiography by a leading political personality of our times–L.K. Advani – which has been brought out by Rupa Publishers this month in India (Number: ISBN 978-81-291-1363- 4)..This nearly thousand-page book presents a candid self-portrait to what Advani’s admirers and critics have always known him for: the gift for clarity of thought, strong convictions and forceful articulation.
Sindh education department – Hold every one responsible
Khalid Hashmani
by Khalid Hashmani, McLean, Virginia, USA
In my view, it is good that the Sindh Education Minister has warned the teachers of government schools to fulfill their responsibilities and improve their performance. However, to rebuilt and ensure quality in Sindh’s schools, we would need to hold every one responsible including the Sindh Education Minister himself.
I am sure if the political party in power is courageous enough to take all necessary actions to improve education system in Sindh, particularly in rural areas, where only the government schools exist. I believe that actions that are required are as follows:
1. Eradication of corruption, nepotism, and influence paddling in the Sindh Education department. All recruitment and teacher performance evaluation processes should be transparent to public. The Minister himself should openly commit to achieve measurable targets by certain deadlines and pledge to resign if he cannot achieve them by those dates.
The real threat for Pakistan is from the enemies within
From News post of today’s The News, Monday, June 01, 2009
The army in Bahrain
by Zubair Torwali, From Bahrain and now in Islamabad
Bahrain is a scenic town in upper Swat generally known as Swat Kohistan. Swat Kohistan comprises the narrow valley beyond Madyan, another scenic town in upper Swat. Bahrain is the main business hub of the adjacent villages with a collective population of over 90,000. The people of Swat Kohistan are ethnically distinct from the rest of Swat. The people of Bahrain speak Torwali while the people of Kalam have their own language called Gawri. The people of both the communities have their own culture as well. The whole valley beyond Madyan is the most visited tourist resort with its tributary valleys such as Daral, Jabba, Ushu and Utrot.
On May 28 the Pakistan army entered Bahrain and was greeted by the local people who came forward with white flags and kept on chanting “Pak Fauj Zindabad’. This is unique in that something like this has happened for the first time in the whole of the troubled Swat valley. It was also unique as Bahrain had been under the control of the Taliban since the beginning of April. When the brave soldiers of the Pakistan army saw this scene they also became emotional and began chanting slogans in favour of the army and the people. The people were so happy at this spectacle of the state forces that they happily carried the ammunition, guns and other luggage of the soldiers to their positions. Even a big gun was carried by 20 local people to a small hilltop above the main town of Bahrain . This was a pleasant surprise for the army as they thought that the people would despise them because, they say, they have gone through such experiences in some parts of the tortured valley.
The people and the soldiers later mixed with each other and exchanged stories. The soldiers then flocked to the shops in order to get the SIM cards of the sole functional cell phone provider. Those who are still in Bahrain told me that initially a curfew was imposed but seeing the enthusiasm and warmth of the people it was lifted after two hours. The locals have even tried to invite the soldiers for dinner despite the fact that food is still short in the whole area. In the wake of this, the army has abandoned shelling of the area and whenever they shell the nearby hills they inform the people before. The people are so jubilant that they have now forgotten about the food crisis and really regard the army as true saviours. This change is important because initially in the previous phases of the military operation — carried out last year and the year before that — the people were most disheartened by what they saw the army’s ambiguity regarding the Taliban militants. And it is in that context that what has happened in Bahrain must be replicated in the whole valley. The war against the militants can only be won by winning the hearts and minds of the local population — and this has been done in Bahrain .
And this will be done only if the armed forces realise that their only real assets are the people of Pakistan and not those who have till now been regarded as ‘assets’ against India or Afghanistan. The real threat for Pakistan is from the enemies within. Of course, there is one major flaw with the current operation and that is of intelligence — proved by the fact that no one among the top leadership of the Swat Taliban have yet been arrested or killed. The people of Pakistan pay for a regular well-equipped and trained army and therefore they are justified in demanding that the said force carry out its constitutional responsibility to protect them from all enemies — from within or without.
Courtesy: Pakistani e-lists/ e-groups, June 2, 2009
Demographic explosions, Sindh and strategic vision
by: Prof. Aftab Kazi, PhD (Pittsburgh)
Please note: The writer is HEC (Higher Education Commission) Foreign Professor, FCS, National Defense University of Pakistan.
..In my opinion, despite the demographic dilemmas, the situation in Sindh can be managed in short-term to be controlled in long term. Not through the kind of political activism of a nationalist/ sub-nationalist nature, but by the government of Sindh, if it has the will and strategic vision, because politics is often in fluid; hence subjected to constant change. Unfortunately y the Sindh Government and cohorts lacl strategic vision, just like most, if not all Sindhi politicians did during 1950s. Migrations and demographic explosions are common to every society cross-continentaly. Wise societies and civilizations have attempted to incorporate demographic changes to their advantage by implementing specific political socialization processes through certain policy mechanisms. Why politicians in the Sindh government are holding up from introducing Sindhi language and Culture as a compulsory part of the curriculum for all Sindhis and non-Sindhi speakers, aimed at incorporating all newer elements within the societal mainstream? Pathans won’t object to this and by now, under the constantly changing demographic environment MQM is likely to approve albeit with some short-term hesitation. This political socialization mechanism, if adapted, could be the insurance for Sindhis that they will not converted into a minority by naturalizing all non-Sindhis within their cultural fold.
What’s wrong with a 30-hour work week?
By Don Fitz
Courtesy: Links International
May 30, 2009 — With millions of jobs lost during the first part of 2009, who is calling for a shorter work week to spread the work around? Not the Republicans. Not even the Democrats. But why is there nary a peep from unions?
