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ACHA is an non-profit, non-political organization, which is dedicated to promote peace and harmony among South Asians regardless of where they live. Current Board Members are Pritam Rohila (President), Jagdish Grewal (Secretary), Dr. Abdul Qayum (Treasurer), Dr. Kanak R. Ravel, Gulzar Ahmed, Ishvar Patel and Susheela Hoefer. Dharam Yadav is the Honorary Financial Advisor. For more information about ACHA and comments about ACHA Bulletin, please contact us at by telephone at 503-362- 4635, or 503-658-4715, or by email at pritamr@open.org, or visit our Web Page at http://ecumene.org/ACHA/ACHA.htm . The Web Page is maintained by Dr. Ingrid H. Shafer, Professor of Philosophy, Religion & Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Science and Arts, Chickasha, OK. ( The Web Page used to be maintained by Dr. Sunil Khanna of OSU at http://osu.orst.edu/groups/acha/.)
This Bulletin is being relayed as a part of ACHA's South Asian community service program. Currently, it is being sent out every other Wednesday to about 300 individuals in Africa, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, U.K., and USA. Please let us know (pritamr@open.org), if you want to have your name removed from our email distribution list. Also, please let us know if someone should be added to the list. Comments, letters to editor, and short articles are also welcome and can be sent to the same address. ACHA BULLETIN 11/4/98 (Next issue due on 11/18/98) CONTENTS
ACHA MISSION The members of the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA) envision South Asia to be a region of peace and harmony, where - 1. Individuals of all regions, religions, sects, castes, and cultural and ethnic groups live in peace and harmony, and their holy books, places of worship, and founders are respected; 2. Where there are no wars or threats of wars, and nations respect each others' borders and solve their disputes through peaceful means; 3. Where governments respect the human rights of all their residents and do not engage in persecution or repression of any individual or group on account of caste, ethnic or national origin, beliefs, religious practices, or political affiliations; and 4. Where children of either gender, and women enjoy respect and protection. PEACE QUOTE * "Peace isn't just the responsibility of world authorities. It's up to everyone." - Camelia Anwar Sadat, daughter of former Egyptian President, speaking on October 27, 1998, at Willamette University, Salem, OR, USA EDITORIAL * Peace - Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D. It is difficult to define peace. Not even experts in peace studies agree on a definition of peace. The confusion over the concept of peace was reflected in responses of 28 elementary school children in Northen Ireland to the question, whether there was peace in Northern Ireland. The question was asked on three different occasions (December 1994, June 1995, and January 1996) by Francis McLernon, a graduate student at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. Presenting the results at a recent International Congress symposium on peace, Ms. McLernon's professor, Edward Cairns, Ph.D. said that each time the children came with a different answer. Yes No Don't Know 1994 18 14 68 1995 50 46 4 1996 54 42 4 The children were not merely guessing, rather they were genuinely changing their mind and reflected their confusion over the concept of peace. For example, one child, who said there was peace, also said, "There is a bit of peace, except for all the bombs." When asked "Has there ever been peace in Northern Ireland?" the vast majority of them (93% in 1994, 82% in 1995, and 75% in 1996) said "no." Also, even those who said "yes, there has been peace" hadn't witnessed it firsthand. One said, "I can't remember peace myself, but I know there was peace." Another one said, "I think there was peace before I was born. When my mother was at school, there was peace." Dr. Cairns asserted in order to promote peace in the areas where there is conflict, children should be told that conflict hasn't always existed and that at some time in the past there was peace. "Because if you tell them that there was peace before presumably it becomes rather more of a realistic goal that there will be peace in the future," he said. Another expert, Ann Sanson, Ph.D. of the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia, based on her own work came to the conclusion, "The capacity to envision a peaceful future is needed in order to work toward it." In order to achieve peace, we need to be able to think that there was peace sometime in the past, and hope that there can be peace sometime in the future. It is difficult, if not impossible to achieve peace in areas (or families) if the parties on the two sides have neither the conception of peace in the past nor the vision of peace in the future. PEACE PRAYER * I contribute harmony and goodwill to all my relationships ( Daily Word, July 30, 1998) Does it seem difficult at times to get along with the ones I love the most? I want only what is best for us all - but do I place blame for any disharmony on others and not me? Of course not, because blaming others does not help. And my responsibility is not to change or control others; it is to live in harmony with them. Knowing this, I focus my attention on myself: how I treat others and what I can do to promote more harmony in all my relationships. I ask myself some soul-searching questions: "Am I giving others the respect they deserve as unique creations of the Creator? Am I giving them love and forgiveness that I am capable of giving?" Harmony is created by all the people in a relationship, and I do my part by expressing love and goodwill to all. OPINION * Resolving the Kashmir Issue By Balraj Ruri (From Times of India) Te usual advice from the world for resolving the Kashmir is issue is that public opinion in the state must be kept in view. Whether or not India and Pakistan respect public opinion, its moral - and in the long run political - value cannot be dismissed altogether. It was primarily the vitality of Kashmiri nationalism - called Kashmiriyat - which motivated Kashmir overwhelmingly to opt for secular and democratic India and to refuse to merge its identity in the new Islamic nation of Pakistan. Even when local sentiments against India peaked were expressed in the slogan of Azadi (Independence), not anything in favor of Pakistan. What India should have done to show its genuine respect for Kashmiriyat cannot be discussed here. But to treat Kashmiri Muslims as only Muslims and not as Kashmiris is to overlook the rich heritage of a 5,000-year-old civilization. Without this background, the complexity of the Kashmiri mind and Kashmir problem cannot be understood. Another important clue to understanding the reality of the state is that while Kashmiris are the single largest and most vital community in the state, in the overall configuration, non-Kashmiris outnumber them. The people on the Pakistani side of the state do not speak the Kashmiri language, and thus are not true Kashmiris. The All-Party Hurriyat Conference Claims third-party status in all Indo-Pak talks on Kashmir, but it has little influence outside the valley, which probably explains the gradual decline in its popularity. Initially, the insurgency in Kashmir and the way it was dealt with by the government created some sympathy for it outside the valley. Human rights activists and liberals felt that the wrong policies of the government of India had pushed the Kashmiri youth on to the path of violence. Even those who did not approve of the violence were critical of the severe methods used by the state to crush the insurgency. Many innocent individuals became victims of counter insurgency measures. Moreover, many, who did not entirely agree with the objectives of the insurgents, had sympathy for the broader aspirations of the people of Kashmir and wanted them to be accommodated. In the course of time, outside sympathy started waning. One question that as troubled non-Kashmiris communities is the vagueness of the ideological and political stand of the separatists, who even as they want a mandate to represent the whole state, refuse to indicate the future status of various regions and communities within the proposed state. Obviously the separatists cannot appreciate the aspirations of non-Kashmiri speaking communities. While many people in Jammu are willing to concede that successive governments of India have not always been fair to the people of the valley, few separatist leaders are willing to admit that the ruling leaders of Kashmir Valley, too, have not been fair to Jammu. The Hurriyat might have an explanation for not cooperating with the Regional Autonomy Committee, which was assigned the job of a balanced development of the three regions in the political, economic, cultural and social fields. For the committee was appointed by the government which it did not recognize. However, the Hurriyat and all other separatist leaders have been cooperating with the other institutions of the state including courts. The RAC is as independent in its functioning as the courts are. But even without cooperating with the RAC, they could have offered an alternative blue- print for the status of regions and communities within the state. A result of too much valley-centered movement has been its isolation from all other non-Kashmiri speaking communities, not only on the Indian side of the state but also on the other side of the Line-Of Control. The Mirpur community which was the most vocal and effective supporter of the insurgency in Kashmir became lukewarm as it wa snot sure about its own status in the proposed independent Kashmir. The people of Gilgit and Baltistan were equally concerned about their distinct identities. The Kashmir problem which defied a solution for the last 50 years may still remain beyond solution for a long time to come. But, what we need immediately is a minimum amount of understanding and sympathy for the various regions and ethnic communities. In fact, no final solution can even be hypothetically conceived, if any single group become chauvinist enough to claim to represent the rest of the state. Eventually, the future of the state - both parts of it - and its relations with India or Pakistan will be shaped by how overall urges of all its regions and communities are satisfied and reconciled. PEACE NEWS * October, Wye Mills, Maryland, USA: LAND-FOR-PEACE ACCORD BETWEEN ISRAEL & PALESTINE AUTHORITY signed today, after nine days of marathon bargaining assisted by the US President Clinton, and Jordan King Hussein. In an emotion-laden ceremony, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestine leader Yasser Arafat, pledged to work for the well-being of each other. * October 12, Tamil Nadu, India: CASTEIST POSTERS & GRAFFITI BANNED by Tamil Nadu to contain the recurrent caste clashes in its southern districts. * October 16, London, U.K.: NOBEL PEACE PRIZE AWARDED TO JOHN HUME AND DAVID TRIMBLE Northern Ireland leaders to recognize the hard work and risks they have undertaken to end 30 years of sectarian violence between their embattled Catholic and Protestant communities. * October 18, Islamabad, Pakistan: INDIA PAKISTAN PEACE TALKS ENDED WITH AN AGREEMENT to meet again in New Delhi, India, in February 1999. To mark the occasion and as "a gesture of goodwill" and in view of "humanitarian considerations" Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered release of an unspecified number of Indian fishermen and boats held by Pakistan. * October 21, London, U.K.: ARGENTINA & BRITAIN BEGIN TO HEAL WOUNDS left over by their 1982 war over the stil-disputed Falkland Islands, as Argentine President Carlos Menem placed a wreath before a plaque for England's Falkland dead. Among those who shook hands with the President was former British parachute Regiment Pvt. Denzil Connick, who lost a leg in the 1982 war. At the 15-minute service at St Paul's Cathedral, Rev. George Cassidy read from the Book of Micah: "They shall beat their swords into plough-shares...nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." * October 26, Brasilia, Brazil: PERU & ECUADOR SIGN TREATY to end a half-century dispute regarding the ownership of a slice of Amazon jungle, over which they have fought two wars in 1981 and 1995. * October 29, Ankara, Turkey: "TURKEY IS SECULAR AND WILL REMAIN SO," chanted thousands lined up along the route to mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who had founded on October 29, 1923, the modern republic of Turkey and had made secularism the state's ideology. They had gathered there to watch and cheer a parade held to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the occasion. * October 30, Chandigarh, Punjab, India: To commemorate the 300TH BIRTHDAY OF SIKHISM, besides, other things, the Khalsa Express, a 15-coach train will be taken across India, according to Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. It will be equipped with exhibits depicting the message of the ten Sikh gurus for evolving a new social order based on liberty, equality, and fraternity, as well as the faith's history and accomplishments. Badal appealed to all political parties and social and religious groups to participate in the celebrations to depict the "centuries-old harmonious ties and glorious culture of the country". * October 30, New Orleans, Louisiana: LAWSUIT AGAINST HANDGUN INDUSTRY filed by the City of New Orleans to recover millions of dollars that have been spent toward police protection, emergency services, police pensions, medical care and lost tax revenue related to hand gun violence there. The city contends that the gun industry knew about "the unreasonable dangers of their guns" and failed to provide safety devices and warnings. "What makes the violence in our community so vile is that it can be prevented," said city's mayor Marc Morial. * October 31, Panmunjom, Korea: COOPERATION BY NORTH KOREAN LEADER General Kim Jong II assured in a multimillion-dollar business venture by South Korea's largest conglomerate, and the founder of Hyundai group, Chung Ju-yung. In this largest joint venture between the two nations since the Korean peninsula was divided into and North and South Korea in 1945, Hyundai will pay North Korea $906 million over the next six years in exchange for the right develop the scenic attraction at Diamond Mountain with tax exemptions and to send there 2,000 tourists a week on luxury ships. * October 31, Kabul, Afghanistan: TRUCE LIKELY TO BE EXTENDED, according to an Afghanistan's opposition spokesman. The week-long truce, made earlier with the ruling Talibans, to allow the exchange of as many as 2,000 prisoners was to end Monday. * November 3, New Delhi, India: RELEASE OF ALL PAKISTANI FISHERMEN has been announced by India in an effort to create a congenial atmosphere for the Indo-Pak talks beginning here on November 5. * November 3, New Delhi, India: DELHI-LAHORE BUS SERVICE, the first rad contact in a long time between India and Pakistan for passenger traffic, will be formally inaugurated here on Nov 6. * November 3, Dharamsala, India: FOR PROPOSED TALKS WITH CHINA for talks about autonomy for their homeland, the Tibetan's parliament-in-exile authorized Dalai Lama to formulate the crucial policy. Chinese President Jiang Zemin had stated during his US visit last June that "the door to dialogue and negotiations is open." NEWS * October 19, New Delhi, India: A draft bill to prevent IMMORAL TRAFFICKING of women and children was presented in the Parliament. * October 30, New Delhi, India: ASSEMBLY POLLS in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram, and the Bharuch (reserved) Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat were announced today by the Election Commission. An estimated 220 million voters are expected to exercise their franchise. Harish Salve, counsel for the commission, told the Supreme Court yesterday that the EC will soon issue another notification banning the conduct or publication of opinion polls up to 48 hours before voting begins. Exit polls will also be banned. * October 30, Islamabad, Pakistan: SINDH ASSEMBLY DISSOLVED and Governor's rule was imposed in the province of Sindh today. * October 31, New Delhi, India: ASIA EMERGING AS DEFENSE WORLD'S BIGGEST SPENDER. The United States and Russia are engaged in a desperate contest to sell arms in Asia, according to the Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis, New Delhi, because of the region's huge potential and the decline of defense spending elsewhere. South-East Asia alone spent US $9 billion on arms purchases in 1995, or 22 per cent of all weapon sales in the world, making it the third largest market after the US and Europe, and putting even West Asia in the shade. Russian military co-operation with China is also growing with Beijing's plans to refurbish its armed forces finding ready response from the Russian military-industrial complex which had armed the Chinese in the 1950s and 1960s and has been facing a slump since the demise of the Soviet Union. China accounts for nearly 40 per cent of Russia's defense exports, with most of the contents remaining secret. DID YOU KNOW * No fewer than 86% of the population of Bombay travels by train or bus. * Amartya Sen, the latest Indian to win the Nobel prize in Economics is the 6th Indian to receive the honor. He is preceded by Rabindranath Tagore in 1913 for Literature, C.V. Raman in 1930 for Physics, Hargobind Khorana in 1968 for Medicine, Mother Theresa in 1979 for Peace, and S.. Chandrasekhar in 1983 for Physics. * India's first "Women Only" train started service on October 12 between Chennai Beach and suburban Tambaram sector during peak hours. Even the ticket examiners on this train will be women. HOLIDAYS: November - 4 Guru Nanak's Birthday, 11 Veteran's Day (USA), 24 Guru Teg Bhadur's Martyrdom Day, 26 Thanksgiving Day (USA). ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT * November 6, Portland, OR, USA: BHARATHAM: BHAVA RAGA TALAM, an evening of classical Indian dance with Jayanthi Raman and her group of 6 dancers, at 7:30 p.m. at Northwest Service Center, 1819 NW Everett. Tickets at $11/13 and $8/10 from Fred Meyer Fastixx 503-224- 8499. Mor info from natya_dance@hotmail.com. * November 6, Buena Park, CA, USA: MUSHAIRA by international poets including the poet of the year Abdur Rehman Siddiqi at 7:30 p.m. in Lexington Room, Sequoia Athletic Club. More info from Urdu Markaz International of Los Angeles 310-96-9303. * November 7, Pasadena, CA, USA: RIVER OF TIME - DANCE AND RHYTHM: INDUS TO THE PRESENT, a Pakistan Arts Council and Pacific Asia Museum presentation of Kathak dances by Anjani Ambegaokar and troupe, and music program by Habib Walimohamed at 8 p.m. at Thorne Hall, Ocidental College. More info from 310-37-1824. * November 14,San Leandro, CA, USA: LIVE CONCERT by Bhupinder & Mithalee at 8 p.m. at Bal Theater, 14808 east 14th Street. More info from 925-458-2203. OTHER EVENTS * November 4, San Francisco, California, USA: ART OF SRI LANKA, a lecture on by Dr. Mary- Ann Milford-Lutzker, Carver Professor of Asian Studies and dean of Fine Arts at Mills College in the Asian Art Museum Trustee's Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. More info from 415-379-8805. * November 5, Hong Kong, China: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BUDDHA: AN ICONIC JOURNEY FROM INDIA TO CHINA, a special "Asia Society Members Only" viewing of the exhibition of over 120 objects from different regions of Asia, at the Art Museum, University of Hong Kong. The exhbition traces the development and migration of Buddhist ideas through images and icons, from India along the Silk Road into the rest of Asia. More information from 852-2103-9506. * November 8, San Francisco, CA, USA: TAGORE NOVELS & STORIES, a talk by Dr. V.S. Naravane at 11 a.m. at 2650 Fulton Street. More info from The Cultural Integration Fellowship 415- 386-9590. * November 13, Portland, OR, USA: GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE will hold a public hearing 1:30-5:00 p.m., in Conference Room C, II Floor, Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th St.
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