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Please, use the back button in your browser to return to the table of contents and choose another linked section. ABOUT US ACHA Bulletin is being relayed to you as a part of ACHA's South Asian community service program. It is sent out on the first Wednesday of each month. It goes to individuals in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, U.K., and USA, and Zimbabwe. 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 consists primarily of material selected from the printed and the electronic media. It aims to highlight the news of peace and harmony in the world, to shed light on issues of concern to South Asians, and to provide them information of general interest. The Bulletin is edited by Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D. Its editorials and the selection of its material are his sole responsibility and do not necessarily represent the views of or an endorsement by any other Director, or member of ACHA or Dr. Ingrid H. Shafer, who has graciously donated space for it on her server and is volunteering her time to maintain our Web Page. ACHA is a non-profit, non-political organization. It is dedicated to promote peace and harmony among South Asians regardless of where they live. The membership is open to all who are committed to ACHA Mission and its Declaration of Commitment. Annual dues are $10 (Individuals), $20 (Couples), $25 (Family). ACHA Board of Directors appreciates people's goodwill and support for this cause. For more information about ACHA and comments about ACHA Bulletin, please contact us at by telephone at 503.393.6944, or 503.251.0070, or by email at <pritamr@open.org>, or visit our Web Page at http:/ecumene.org/ ACHA/ACHA.htm. CONTENTS: Section A: PRAYER
CONTENTS: Section B
PRAYER *As an instrument of God's harmony, I help create an atmosphere of love, Daily Word, 06/20/2000, <www.unityworldhq.org>. I don't have to agree with everything others say and do in order to get along with them. I honor our diversity because it is a way that God has made us unique. I am one of God's creations in a world of diversity. Accepting others as they are and sharing God's love with them infuse the atmosphere of my home and workplace with harmony. I spread peace in my own familiar surroundings and wherever I may go. Whether I am at home, at work, at school, or at the grocery store, I want to shine harmony onto every scene. With each loving though, word, and action, I am being an instrument of God's harmony. Day by day, I am reaching a new level of understanding in my relationship with God and with the people who share my life. SOUTH ASIA PEACE & HARMONY NEWS *May 25, London, U.K.: At a hugely attended meeting at Conway hall, Praful Bidwai and Achin Vanik, ANTI-NUCLEAR campaigners from South Asia and Britain exposed the folly of going nuclear in South Asia . The public meeting was jointly organized by Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Liberation and Aaj Kay Naam (a campaign for human rights, social justice and democracy in Pakistan). Praful Bidwai saidd the argument of nuclear deterrence was also demolished in the tests and subsequent events. Instead of creating stability and peace, a year after both countries tested their nuclear devices they went to war over the line of control in Kashmir. This war was extremely expensive for both countries and created a climate of xenophobia, which had not been present before leading to a national security complex among the elite. This is one of the most dangerous legacies of the 1998 tests. Meanwhile both countries have raised not diminished their military budgets. Vanaik praised the emergence as a consolidated bloc of anti-nuclear weapon states in the international negotiations for global disarmament as well as the initiative of south-east Asian states in the Bangkok Declaration to move towards a nuclear weapons free. He strongly suggested to other non-nuclear South Asian nation to join the nuclear free Asian zone to deliver moral snub to both India and Pakistan for going nuclear. Vanaik heralded the new anti-nuclear movement in India, which will be having its first national conference in November.(Aaj Kay Naam <aajkaynaam@yahoo.com>) *May 27 & 28, Sangrur, Punjab, India: All India People's Resistance Forum (AIPRF) held its third all-India Conference held here at Prem Sabha School Hall. Among other things, the Forum sharply opposed the increasing trends of Hindutva obscurantism like COMMUNALISM, increasing attacks on Muslims and Christians, Jingoism, bullyism and Hindu Chauvinism. These issues dominated the proceedings to the extent that the struggle against these, were accorded almost equal importance to the struggle for basic social change. More than 250 delegates from the states of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Orissa and Punjab attended the 2-day Conference, according a report released by the organizers (<aiprf@sigmaonline.net>). Over 1500 people from Punjab also attended the inaugural session. Leaders of various fraternal organizations delivered fraternal messages. A number of booklets on important aspects of the Indian people's movements(e.g. Nationality Question in India, Punjabi Nationality Question, on WTO and on Criminal Law Amendment Act) were published on the occasion. *June 7, Leh, J&K, India: After performing Sindhu Pujan and inaugurating the SINDHU Darshan Festival 2000, here on Wednesday, prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee reiterated India's desire for friendship with Pakistan, according to a UNI report by Mukhtar Ahmad. "Let the gushing Sindhu carry friendship to Pakistan," he said. Saying the Sindhu (Indus) was a river of friendship, he hoped, "Its currents will carry the message of peace, brotherhood, co-operation and tranquillity wherever it flows." He said, "Our endeavours will succeed, though it may take some time." The Indus, he said, symbolizes 5000 years of the great Indian civilization and its rediscovery would strengthen emotional integration in the country (www.rediff.com/news/2000/jun/07jk.htm). *June 8, Northeast India: Holding anti-militancy posters and banners, shouting peace slogans and singing patriotic songs, at least one million people MARCHED through the streets of major towns in the seven north-eastern troubled states Thursday to protest the lingering separatist violence in the region, official sources said. The march was sponsored by the seven chief ministers of the region who have vowed to jointly combat militancy and pressure New Delhi to aid peace talks with the rebels. "The aim is to send a message to the insurgents that the people in general do not approve any form of violence and want peace," said "E.K.Mawlong, chief minister of Meghalaya. "The aim of the march is to mobilise public opinion against all forms of militant violence and to help build an atmosphere where the rebels can join the mainstream," Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, chief minister of Assam, remarked." Leaders exhorted the Center to speed up ongoing peace talks with at least three notorious rebel groups, including two factions of the outlawed National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN). "If talks between the government and the NSCN bears some result, than automatically other rebel outfits will be forced to join the peace process under pressure", S.C.Jamir, chief minister of Nagaland, said (www.rediff.com/news/2000/jun/08ne.htm). *June 9, Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan today outlined an ambitious campaign aimed at slowly curbing networks of MILITANTS that have taken root here and in Afghanistan, according to a New York Times report by Judith Miller. In an interview, Moinuddin Haider, the interior minister said his government had made a ''clear-cut policy decision'' to begin controlling the thousands of religious schools, some of which preach hatred of the West and provide young recruits to the ''jihads,'' or holy wars, in Kashmir, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Chechnya, and to other conflicts involving Muslims. Haider said the military government has decided to act because the networks threatened Pakistan by ''fanning sectarian violence and poisoning people's minds.'' ''Pakistan ought to become a progressive, modern and tolerant secular state,'' he remarked. Among other things, the steps Pakistan is talking about include demanding that Afghanistan shut down 18 training camps identified by Pakistan; arresting and extraditing 20 to 25 Pakistanis and an unspecified number of Arabs wanted for terrorism by their respective governments; and improving border controls. A second part of the effort involves the potentially explosive topic of identifying thousands of religious schools, which typically have not been regulated, and imposing standards on them. To date, Mr. Haider said, about 4,000 religious schools, or madrassas, have been registered. He has been meeting with madrassa leaders, he said, to encourage them to modernize their curriculum to include mathematics and computer skills. Such schools, he said, which often take the place of public schools, should not produce zealots, but ''balanced persons.'' *June 10, New York, NY, USA: After all-night debate, delegates from 180 nations at a U.N. conference hammered out a broad plan today that aims to enhance and protect the rights of WOMEN worldwide, according to a CNN report (www.CNN.com)..Negotiating paragraph by paragraph, participants agreed on a document that calls for tougher measures to combat domestic violence and trafficking in women. In addition, they called for laws to eradicate forced marriages, female circumcision and so-called "honor killings," in which female relatives are killed for supposedly shaming their families. It was the first time such practices had been addressed in a document of international consensus. The text also called on governments to set a target date of 2005 to eliminate the gender gap in primary and secondary education. "I feel that all those millions of women who are looking at us are totally vindicated, and they have something to grasp to assist them for their battles for equality," U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Angela King, a special adviser on the advancement of women (Via inrfvvp <inrfvvpe@athena.louisville.edu>). *June 13, Muscat, Oman: Last evening, at the end of his two-day visit to Oman, PAKISTAN's CEO Pervez Musharraf said that his country was ready to resolve the Kashmir issue with India, according to Kuna. The issue reflected negatively on relations with India through border skirmishes between the countries in which people were getting killed daily, Musharraf was quoted by as saying in a statement before leaving Muscat (www.rediff.com/news/2000/jun/13pak.htm). *June 20, Lahore, Pakistan: A meeting organized by the Christian Organizations for Social Action in Pakistan ( COSAP) demanded an end to the separate electorate system introduced by General Zia-ul-Haq initially in 1979 for the local bodies elections, and in 1985, through a presidential order, also for the provincial and national elections. Under this law, the whole country is divided into five religious groups comprising Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Ahmedis and Parsies, Sikhs other non-Muslims. Each group is only permitted to elect their own candidates. COSAP leaders lamented that this system amounts to a RELIGIOUS APARTHEID political order and usurped the fundamental political rights of the entire 135 million citizens of Pakistan, because it deprived candidates to receive votes of Pakistan citizens belonging to a different religion. According to them the system led Pakistan to being torn apart by a severe sectarian strife and "like cancer, attacked the very fabric of the social and religious harmony of our civil society. They demanded an end to the system (Via Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed of Pakistanis for Peace & Alternative Development <Ishtiaq.Ahmed@statsvet.su.se>). *June 25, Islamabad, Pakistan: After two days of deliberations at Islamabad's Sustainable Development Policy Institute, the representatives of some 3,500 NGOs from across Pakistan decided to launch a concerted campaign to counter retrogressive and obscurantist elements, who, they said, were virtually holding the entire Pakistani society hostage, according to Muhammad Najeeb of India Abroad News Service.. The NGOs said that for the past few weeks, particularly after the government's decision to withdraw procedural amendments to the blasphemy law, these fundamentalist forces had been on the offensive and had been making threats against organizations working for social development and enlightenment of people. The NGOs working on women and minorities issues were particularly targeted by the religious organizations, said Amjad Rasheed of the Baluchistan NGOs Federation. "Some NGO workers are even receiving death threats," Anis Haroon, an activist from Karachi, told journalists. In a communique unanimously adopted at the meeting, the NGOs said: "We, the representatives of civil society organisations and networks from all over the country, have come together today to share and express our grave concern over the campaign launched by certain reactionary forces against the progressive development agenda in Pakistan." They demand the state stop all forms of harassment and vilification against NGOs from government departments and strict action against all those responsible for the growing harassment of and violence against women and activists working for their rights. They asked the state must adhere to its publicly announced human rights agenda, particularly its commitment to equal representation of women at the union council level. *June 25-30, Pittsburgh, PA, USA: Several hundred Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, Buddhists, Taoists, Wiccans, Baha'is and members of other religions from around the world (including Argentina, Canada, England, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Uganda, U.S.A, and Venezuela) came together for a global summit here at the Carnegie Mellon University. On June 26 they signed a charter that launched the UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE, an international grassroots organization. A highlight of the charter-signing ceremony was a procession of all participating delegates in traditional religious regalia and ceremonial dress led by a drum troupe from Manipur. A Youth Summit of local students from all faiths was held June 28 to promote interfaith dialogue. URI President Bishop William E Swing told rediff.com: "Just as there is a United Nations, we have been trying to build an organization that will make it possible for all the religions of the world to meet daily to promote interfaith co-operation. We are also looking to end religiously-motivated violence and create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the earth and all human beings" <www.rediff.com/us/2000/jun/23us.htm). *June 29, Chamiliyal, J&K, India: Indian Border Security Force personnel, today, took two tractor loads of SUGAR AND SHERBET to the India-Pak border and handed them over to Pakistan Rangers, resuming the annual ritual at the 200-year-old holy shrine of the mystic Baba Dileep Singh Manhas, who is revered by people on both sides, according to a Reuters report. Pakistani guards then handed over a sheet of embroidered Koranic verses, for the shrine. The ritual had been skipped last year (www.rediff.com/news/2000/jun/30ritual.htm). *July 2, Calcutta, West Bengal, India: Pakistan High Commissioner to India Ashraf Jehangir Qazi expressed interest in exchanging information with India on the two neighbors' NUCLEAR COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS at a seminar on India-Pakistan relations held here today, according to a Press Trust of India report. "We need to know each others' nuclear philosophies and command and control systems," he was reported to have said (www.rediff.com/news/2000/ jul/03pak.htm). *July 5, New Delhi, India: Former chairman of HURRIYAT Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq today said his organisation was ready for talks with the Center provided the latter accepted them as a party to the Kashmir issue. "Yes, of course we are willing to hold dialogue with the Centre...but it should be result oriented and ensure ending of the decade-old bloodshed in the state," he told Press Trust of India before leaving Delhi for Srinagar. He was reacting to the statement made by Home Minister L K Advani yesterday that the government was willing to talk to anyone "within the country." "When we speak of a solution to the Kashmir problem, our focus is on the entire state, including the parts under Pakistan's occupation, and the autonomy issue touches only a small part of the problem," the Mirwaiz said (www.rediff.com/news/2000/jul/05jk1.htm) *July 6, Tamil Nadu, India: At a public meeting organized by ten political
parties to condemn the
PEACE ORGANIZATIONS (In this section of each issue of ACHA Bulletin we feature one or more organizations whose work relates to peace and harmony in South Asia. Readers are invited to send <pritamr@open.org> information about similar organizations they know). *Brahma Kumaris Website: <www.bkwsu.com> As a worldwide family of individuals from all walks of life, the Brahma Kumaris, a world-wide spiritual organization, which "recognizes the intrinsic goodness of all human beings and teaches meditation to help each one rediscover their inner resources and strengths." It offers an education in human, moral and spiritual values. Currently they are trying to gather 100 million signatures on a manifesto for peace and to present them to the United Nations Millennium General Assembly by September 2000. "Each pledge" according to them, "is a step towards a global change in values, attitudes and behaviour, from a culture of war and violence to a culture of peace and non-violence." MANIFESTO 2000 is a document drafted by a group of Nobel Prize Laureates for this, the "International Year for the Culture of Peace." To sign the manifesto, which is reproduced below, please visit website <www.bkwsu.com/manifesto2000> "1. Respect All Life - Respect the life and dignity of each human being without discrimination or prejudice. "2. Reject Violence - Practice active non-violence, rejecting violence in all its forms: physical, sexual, psychological, economical, and social, in particular towards the most deprived and vulnerable, such as children, and adolescents. "3. Share With Others - Share my time and material resources in a spirit of generosity to pt an end to exclusion, injustice, and political and economic oppression. "4. Listen to Understand - Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity, giving preference always to dialogue and listening without engaging in fanaticism, defamation, and the rejection of others. "5. Preserve The Planet - Promote consumer behaviour that is responsible and development practices that respect all forms of life and preserve the balance of nature on the planet. "6. Rediscover Solidarity - Contribute to the development of my community, with the full participation of women and respect for democratic principles, in order to create together new forms of solidarity." *Inssaf International, Kishori Ram Hospital
Building, Basant Vihar, Bathinda, Punjab, India, Website <www.geocities.com/insaafin>,
Email <insaaf@glide.net.in>. Dr. Vineeta Gupta, General Secretary, Phone
91-164-215400; Fax: 91-164-214500; E-mail <insaaf@glide.net.in>.
They are concerned about the sharp escalation in violence against minority communities in last couple of years in India. In last six months, there have been at least 35 attacks on Christian institutions and individuals. There have been several acts of burning of religious literature, attacks on missionary institutions, priests and nuns. Four bomb blasts targeting churches took place in various parts of the country in a day. These are certainly not `isolated criminal incidents' as the government has tried to project, but a thought out plan against the minority community. Insaaf International is organizing a 'SADBHAWANA MARCH' (peace and goodwill march) and rally on July 15, at Bhatinda, Punjab India to protest against this violence. They have invited all religions and secular parties and organizations to participate in it. On that day they will submit to the president of India through Deputy Commissioner the following memorandum. They are request organizations and individuals to endorse the memorandum and to circulate it widely to muster National and International support for the cause. The endorsements should be sent to <insaaf@glide.net.in> with a copy to vineetag@ch1.dot.net.in Memorandum to the President of India "Sir, Integrity, secularity and unity of India never faced a greater threat than it does today. It is a very dangerous and critical situation. India is a secular country. For centuries different communities and religions have co existed in harmony. It gave all religions the fundamental right of freedom to profess, practice and propagate their faith without resorting to violence against each other. Today this fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution, and protected by the Rule of Law, stands systematically violated. The concept of secularism is one facet of the right to equality woven as the central thread in the fabric depicting the pattern of the scheme in our constitution. Now a serious challenge to the existence of this fabric has been created by a handful of fundamentalists. Fundamentalist violence has acquired sharp and worrying dimensions. It poses a serious threat to harmony, integration and secularity of our country, which have been strong pillars of its strength and unity. Beginning from Babri Masjid demolition to present escalation of violence against Christians, cold-blooded murders and bomb blasts in places of religion, the minorities are facing a serious threat to their peaceful living and freedom to religion from fundamentalist forces On this day, 15.7.00 we condemn all violence on the name of religion. We appeal to your Excellency to take such immediate steps as to curb the sinister activities and plans of fascist elements. Stringent punishment be given to those responsible for murder and terror on the name of religion and holy war, propagating hate among different communities and committing atrocities on minorities. Government must act now. It must check those who seek to divide communities and threaten to wage war on minorities. Long live secular India!" Endorsed by
*Lok Abhiyan, A-893, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016, U.P., Ph: (0522) 347365, e-mail ashain@lw1.vsnl.net.in As part of the nuclear disarmament and global peace campaign Lok Abhiyan is going to organize a day-long program to observe this year's Hiroshima Day, i.e., 6th August, in Jadugoda. Jadugoda is the place in Jharkhand, Bihar where Uranium mining takes place and nuclear waste is brought back here for disposal. According to them, the radiation due to these activities here is taking a heay toll on the health and lives of the Santhali tribal community which inhabits this area. The people and children of this area are affected by physical disability, improper mental growth, leukemia, skin diseases and women not being able to retain pregnancy, and other such diseases. Lok Abhiyan is requesting children to make paper cranes (symbols of peace) and send them to Jadugoda. Also, they are also running a signature campaign so that Uranium mining and nuclear waste dumping can be stopped in Jadugoda and children can lead a healthy life here. They requesting help in gathering signature for this campaign. The statement on which we are collecting signatures is given below. "We want the Uranium mining and nuclear waste dumping in Jadugoda, Jharkhand, Bihar to be stopped immediately so that the inhabitants of this region can be freed of the hazards of radiation. Like children of elsewhere, the children here too have a right to lead a healthy life. The dangers of radiation violate this right of theirs." Name and Address
*South Asians for Enlightenment (SAFE), c/o Ikram Rabbani Rana , P.O. BOX. 6222, Lahore Cantt, Pakistan, Telephone (92-42) 6660773-4, Fax: (92-42) 6670998, Email <safepak@wol.net.pk>. SAFE intends to work for South Asia, free from violence, discrimination, poverty and ignorance. It plans to bring people and cultures of South Asia together through seminars, workshops and conferences, field projects, training programs and through visitors exchange programs for academicians, intellectuals, social and political activists, NGOs and ordinary citizens of the region. "As we all know, with the end of Cold War era, the global situation is undergoing a dramatic change. The fundamental conflict in international relations has turned from the past east-west military confrontation to the present development gap between the north and south. In resolving conflicts between nations, weapons are being replaced by peaceful consultations. In the advances of human society, peace and development have become the mainstay. The world today is a world of mutual reliance. The stability of one country is dependent on the stability of a region or even the globe. The prosperity of a country is simply unachievable without a peaceful internal and external environment. "However, we are also clear that the planet we live in, is by no means a peaceful harbor, but rather a place where disputes and conflicts may never cease. From the catastrophic World Wars, to the undeclared military competition in the cold war period. From the frequent territorial disputes to the racial conflicts, from the sharp disparity between the rich and the poor to the present trend of multipolarization, all these are constant reminders that peaceful coexistence of nations is the prerequisite for a better life for mankind." - Ikram Rana *Hands Across the Borders Motoring Expedition. Website <www.cuvlindia.com/overview.htm>. Expedition Leader Akhil Bakshi, harmony.972, Sector 17 Gurgaon - 122001 (Haryana) India e-mail <abakshi@nda.vsnl.net.in> The last half-century has been one of mutual suspicion, bitterness and conflict between the nations of South Asia. "We must work towards a future full of peace and happiness for all the people living here, " according to the Hands Across the Borders Motoring Expedition. Designed as a campaign of hope and confidence for the future and to promote peace and development in South Asia, the Expedition began in Colombo, in March 1999. Traveling in five jeeps, it comprised of 18 young men and women from South Asia, selected from the world of endeavor and achievement. By May 1999, the expedition drove 18,000 kms across the interiors of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and 16 states of India. The members addressed over 1000 public meetings in villages, schools and colleges and presented its AGENDA FOR FRIENDSHIP to the state and national leadership of these countries. The final leg of the expedition - from Delhi to Khyber Pass and back -is to be undertaken in from August 4-16, 2000. As this is a joint expedition of the youth of South Asia, interested participants from Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal may kindly respond by sending their bio-data. The expedition will meet all the cost of travel, boarding and lodging from Delhi to Delhi. *Secularism challenged by K. N. Panikkar, DAWN Special Report On South Asian Century, <www.dawn.com/events/millennium/10.htm> Via South Asia Citizens Web Dispatch <www.mnet.fr/ aiindex>. (For full version send a blank email to <pritamr@open.org> with SECULARISM in its subject section) The communal content of Hindu revivalism has become more aggressive during the last two decades. The formation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in 1964 heralded a particularly militant phase of Hindu revivalism by trying to marginalize the minorities from the mainstream national life and stigmatizing them as enemies of the nation. The Parishad set out to remedy the 'historical wrongs' committed by the minorities in the past, which led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, and the physical intimidation and attack of Christians more recently. By foregrounding the Hindu grievances and interests these initiatives have given an unprecedented fillip to the communal mobilization and have consequently yielded considerable political advantage. Without that the BJP's electoral success would not have been possible. Hindu revivalism is not a 'modern' phenomenon. In fact, it is antithetical to modernity, even if it is in harmony with capitalist development and globalization. Obscurantism is writ large in its social agenda. Nor is it opposed to imperialism, although its origins can be traced to the colonial cultural and intellectual hegemonization. What contributed to its progress is its communal character and its strategies of religious mobilization. The cultural crisis of a fast expanding middle class provided it with an influential social base and the pathology of economic development, which denied to a vast majority of people even the minimum necessities of life, has ensured to it an expanding electoral support. The Hindu revivalism is now well entrenched, politically powerful and socially influential. Whether it will succeed in subverting the secular-democratic polity of India is the puzzle of the next century. *India, minorities and twenty-first century by Ashgar Ali Engineer, Secular Perspective Dec. 1-15, 1999. (For full version send a blank email to <pritamr@open.org> with MINORITIES in its subject section) [Note from the website editor: for a collection of Dr. Engineer's writings, please visit http://ecumene.org/IIS/csss.htm] But India can be justly proud of being democratic right from the day of its independence. The question now is to further deepen and consolidate it and to improve its quality. And the quality of democracy certainly depends on the question of treatment of minorities. In real democratic governance minorities should be treated with justice and dignity. Both majority and minorities will have to realise that confrontation leads to destruction and dialogue promotes mutual understanding and constructive attitude. While the majority should realise that more secure the minorities feel, more they will contribute to the process of nation building and prosperity of the country. And the minorities should realise that more they contribute to the process and consolidation of nation building more they will be respected and only both together can ensure better quality of democratic governance in the next century. *Parivar monopoly by Mukul Kesavan, The Telegraph, 05/21/00, Via South Asia Citizens Web - Dispatch <aiindex@mnet.fr>. (For full version send a blank email to <pritamr@open.org> with PARIVAR in its subject section) The fact that Hindus are an overwhelming majority in India is not a problem. Nor is it their fault that advertisers, TV programming, magazines, greetings cards manufacturers, shopkeepers, movie makers tend to take their sensibilities into account more than those of Muslims, Christians or Sikhs. How many Hindi film heroes have you seen who wear turbans and beards? The market looks at volumes; that's why Hindi movies are likely to stage a Hindu wedding more often than a Muslim nikah (wedding) (though there was a movie by that name that did moderately well). It needs to be said, though, that the business generated by a religious occasion isn't always limited by the size of the community that celebrates it. Christmas drums up more business than Indian Christians alone could account for. But even if the market were always to tend towards the presumed tastes of the Hindu majority, secularists would have no cause for complaint, no beef. But if a company like the Sangh Parivar Pvt. Ltd. was to use its hypothetical control of Hindus and its real control of the state to insist that no one distributed Bibles or sold beef, that would be rigging the market. It would be unfair, it would be unjust and some department of justice would be right to intervene. *Pakistan in search of identity by Mubarak Ali, Communalism Watch and Governance Monitor, <www.saccer.org>, 05/10/00. (For full version send a blank email to <pritamr@open.org> with IDENTITY in its subject section) In asserting her identity Pakistan is in a state of dilemma: in case of rejection of the Pakistan ideology, it has to repudiate the very basis of its separation from India; to keep and preserve the ideology means to alienate the non-Muslim minorities to become a part of the Pakistani nationhood. On the other hand, as the ideology has been used by the political and military leadership for their domination by maintaining over centralisation; it disillusioned the small provinces: they saw in the shape of the ideology a tool to snatch their political rights and deprive them of their regional and cultural identity. The alternative which is suggested by some of the Pakistani scholars is to reconstruct the Pakistani identity on the basis of territorial rather than religious nationalism. Hamza Alavi rightly says that; "By that we will free ourselves from our present day hang-ups about the so-called Pakistan ideology and its confusing appeal to religion, which only has effect of promoting vicious sectarian conflict." *Secularism as a solution, by J.S. Tissainayagam, Sunday Leader 3/22/00 Via South Asia Citizens Web Dispatch <aiindex@mnet.fr>. (For full version send a blank email to <pritamr@open.org> with SOLUTION in its subject section) The usual argument is that the majority of Sri Lankans are Buddhist and therefore greater emphasis should be laid of fostering Buddhism as a state religion. The fact is that this has nothing to do with percentages. It has all to do with intentions. The state that promotes all religions equally will earn the name of a secular state, while all others are all theocracies called by other names. Therefore the Tamil parties should not look upon secularism as a good to be bartered in the give and take of political negotiation. Secularism has to be guaranteed by the state if Sri Lanka is to emerge from its present turmoil and then join the committee of nations as a free, modern state. The UNP on the other hand, has repeatedly spoken about maximum power at the centre. If it can guarantee that the state will be truly secular, it will be a bait hard to resist for the minorities. *Minority communities in south Asia - more positive assurance needed by ABMS Zahu, Daily Star, 01/0700, via South Asia Citizens Web Dispatch <aiindex@mnet.fr>. (For full version send a blank email to <pritamr@open.org> with POSITIVE in its subject section) Geographically Bangladesh is surrounded on three sides by India and Myanmar. India is a Hindu-majority country and Myanmar is Buddhist dominated. It may further be added that eastern part of India (bordering Bangladesh) is dominated by Buddhists, Christians and tribals. It would, therefore, be most pragmatic for Bangladesh not only to tolerate these cultures but also to encourage development of their cultures so that political relations of Bangladesh with its neighbours are developed on a warmer and firmer footing. This will help her much to quicken the pace of development of trade and economic relations. It is indeed surprising that despite long experience of ruling the country for twenty years (11yrs by BNP and 9 yrs by JP) both BNP and JP are trying to raise the issue of religion in the name of so called "nationalist parties". For them it may be useful to raise the religious sentiment of the illiterate and simple voters through publicising that Awami League is a pro-Indian and secular party and as such not enough committed to protect Islam, the religion of the majority people of Bangladesh, but it would certainly be harmful for the country in the long run. * We Indians are ever-willing to believe the worst against Muslims, for it is already established in our minds that the Muslim has extra-terrestrial loyalties, that the Muslim is a born criminal, that they are out-breeding us. They are not *of* India, even though they may be *from* India,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy (www.rediff.com/news/2000/jun/20sai.htm) *Even if we are to believe that nobody from the BJP and its friends actually murdered that priest and bombed those churches, the climate they have built with their incessant insinuations and accusations can only lead to crimes like these. It's called incitement,' says Dilip D'Souza (www.rediff.com/ news/2000/jun/22dilip.htm). *July 12: Marathi language magazine "Andolan" which is published from Pune invites submissions are invited for opinion polls for the Persons and Events of the Century/ Millennium Who/which ‘changed' the world. Submission should be made before July 12 to vinaysuniti@rediffmail.org or sanjay@narmada.org. Andolan attempst to provide the news, stories, news features, reviews, interviews, debates regarding the people's struggles, constructive work for alternative technology, social and political processes. It considers all vignettes of progressive and alternative thought and strives to have a healthy interface and debates among these to evolve an alternative politics. Like in the years before, Andolan publishes the August issue as special issue, concentrating on a single themes and exploring its various facets. The theme of this year's August issue is "On the Threshold of New Age". *February 23-24, 2001: ASCETICISM AND POWER IN THE ASIAN CONTEXT conference.
Is being organized by the Royal Asiatic Society, London, in conjunction
with the School of Oriental and African Studies. Abstracts invited by September
1, 2000. More information regarding the Far East from Rupert Cox <106207.2000@compuserve.com>,
regarding South Asia from Peter Flugel <pf@cix.co.uk>, and regarding
South East Asia from <Gustaaf Houtman <ghoutman@tesco.net>
*Indo-Pak history on the net - Dr. Mubarak Ali & Mr Isa Daudpota (<daudpota@huic.edu.pk>) History in Pakistan has become a victim of the ideology of the State. There is an attempt to partition the history of the subcontinent," says a dejected Dr Mubarak Ali, a historian working towards removing communal distortions in history writing in the subcontinent. Dr Mubarak Ali is isolated in his task — universities in Pakistan do not invite him and the Urdu press boycotts his writings. However, he has not given up and edits the only journal of history in Pakistan called Tarikh. To bypass the systematic distortion of history on both sides of the border, three projects are being attempted by Dr Mubarak Ali and Mr Isa Daudpota, a physicist by training — publishing anthologies of the writings of Pakistani and Indian historians for the Ancient, Medieval and Modern periods; trying to write a history of the subcontinent with an Indian counterpart and a project for collectively writing a school text-book of the history of the subcontinent on the net. The last of these is the brainchild of Mr Isa Daudpota, a consultant with Hamdard University in Islamabad. The basic, problem of historiography in Pakistan, Dr Mubarak Ali feels, is one of deciding where to start the history of Pakistan. "Some say that you should start it from 711 AD when the Arabs arrived and disregard the ancient period. Others say that we should start with 1947. Whatever has happened in the past is of course history. You can't ignore Indus Valley or the Gandhara period. Even in archaeology, Pakistan does not give importance to the ancient period. Only the foreigners who come here are interested in that period. There is an ideological framework — either you write history within that or you don't write history," he says. "There is no mention of Akbar in history text-books in Pakistan - because he was enlightened and secular. In Indian historiography Akbar is praised, in Pakistani historiography, he is condemned. Aurangzeb is praised by the communal historians of Pakistan, while their counterparts in India condemn him. So in this way, history is also partitioned," Dr Mubarak Ali said. He says that being an ideological state, Pakistan feels an acute need to control the curricula - specially textbooks - so that the minds of the young can be moulded and controlled. He recalls, "When I was young, there wasn't much control over textbooks. I studied ancient and medieval Indian history. But the process of ideologisation and politicisation has changed everything. Now we don't include Ancient India in our curriculum. We teach Medieval India - because you can't partition the Sultanate period and Mughal India. However, it is called the 'History of Pak-o-Hind'. Can you imagine someone trying to change the name of Medieval Indian History?" Even in recent modern history, according to Dr Mubarak Ali, the main emphasis is on the two-nation theory. "The portraits of India and Hindus that are presented in our text-books are very negative. This is what the RSS and the BJP are also trying to do in India - present a negative image of the Other. There is a similarity on both sides about projecting history as a conflict between Hindus and Muslims. But we have an additional problem besides being an ideological state. We are not a multi-cultural, multi-religious society and, therefore, the image of the Other - the enemy - is accepted without any verification. Except in Sindh, there are hardly any Hindus here. There is little chance of meeting them or interacting with them. So whatever image the students get in the text books, they believe it," he explains. The joint-history writing project, therefore, was thought of as one way of changing the mindset of the youngsters on both sides of the border. Mr Daudpota claims that he got the idea of such a project from an Israeli site on the net where Arab and Jewish school kids interacted with each other. He initially thought of creating a similar site for Indians and Pakistanis to communicate with each other through moderators on both sides: "I realised that this would only become a chat site. And then www.chowk.com was already there, though that is a slightly highbrow discussion group." Mr Daudpota then came up with the idea of producing an independent history text-book for Middle School level jointly written by Indian and Pakistani historians. "They could interact on the net, agree on a plan for the book, divide the tasks or do them jointly. As a chapter develops, they put it on the net and open it to moderated discussion hoping that independent students and teachers would read and comment on the contents. Here too there would be a need to moderate the comments to mould them in a way that they become valuable inputs to the writers," he explains. Popularly known among his friends as "Hazrat Isa" because of his flowing beard and name, Mr Daudpota told me that he expected that Dr Mubarak Ali would be the Pakistani historian on the internet joint history text-book writing project. "This cross-border collaboration will give the history being written a legitimacy. We could also create a resource of FAQs (frequently asked questions) on the net, subverting communal history texts on both sides," he hopes (Bharat Bhushan, the Hindustan Times <www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/060700/detFRO05.htm>, Via Communalism Watch and Governance Monitor <www.saccer.org>). *Indian Currents, 375 A, Pocket II, Mayur Vihar, Phase I Delhi - 110 091, Ph: 011-2250667,2251317, Fax: 0120-4629008, Editor Kranti Putra. Website< www.indiancurrents.com>, Email <indiancurrents@hotmail.com>. The internet and printed editions of the weekly Indian Currents are published in English to highlight human rights violations; justice, peace, communal harmony and ecological concerns, problems of the marginalised, oppressed, and dalits; and causes of women and children. The June 24 includes the following articles on Delhi Archbishop Alan De Lastic who died recently, the murder of a witness, hate campaign against minorities, especially Christians, and the controversial Metastrips Ltd. in Goa. *Zamin kaNauha (Lamentations of the Earth)(Urdu), edited by Zamir Niazi, published by Scherezade, 2000, Pp 350. This 350-page book in Urdu by Pakistani writers on the hazards of nuclear explosions is published by Scherezade, a non-profit organization with interest in off-beat and alternative books. More than 50 prominent Pakistani writers and poets are represented in this anthology. It is edited by veteranjournalist and writer Zamir Niazi, well-known for his series of books chronicling the struggle for freedom of press and expression in Pakistan. The book opens with three essays: Zamir Niazi traces the history of
nuclear conflict and its devastating impact on South Asia; Kahlique Ibrahim
Kahlique traces the human and literary dimensions while Asif Farrukhi analyzes
the attitudes adopted by writers in the face of "nuclear winter."
The next section brings together new writings from Urdu, Sindhi, Baluchi, Punjabi, Pashto and English. Previously unpublished, new poems by Ahmed Faraz, Fahmida Riaz, Kishwar Naheed and other prominent poets are a highlight of the book. The poets included here are Shanul Haq Haqqi, Zia Jallundhari, Anwer Ahsan Siddqiui, Hassan Abidi, Muslim Shamim, Saeeda Gazdar, Hilal Naqvi, Shahid Naqvi, Azra Abbas, Noon Meem Danish, Zeeshan Sahil, Ali Mohammed Farshi, Tauqeer Chughtai, Mustafa Arbab and Usman Qazi. Sindhi poems by Attiya Dawood and Shah Mohammed Pirzada; Baluchi poem by Rahim Bux Azad; Punjabi poem by Zahid Hassan and an English poem by Harris Khalique are included in Urdu translations done by the poets themselves for this book and appearing here for the first time. The prose section opens with Intizar Hussain's poignant account of post-nuclear nightmare of history in which peacock colors are fluttering away. Firdaus Hyder, Dr Shershah Syed, Asif Farrukhi and Mubin Mirza's short fictions open several possibilities of describing and reacting to the events within the country. Tahir Afridi's Pashto short story as well as a Baluchi short story by a leading woman writer, Gohar Malik describe the pain and anguish suffered by the land and its people. The book also includes an extract from Mohsin Hamid's new novel "Moth Smoke", recently published from New York and receiving rave reviews from critics as a significant new talent in English writing from Pakistan. Two short pieces by Amar Jaleel, translated from English, bring this section to a close. Dr Aslam Farrukhi has written a "na'at" for this book. *Swami Vivekananda: Life, Works and Research, a multi-media CD available for Rs. 700/- plus Rs. 20/- for postage in India, and for US $ 20/- inclusive of postage, outside India. More info from Advaita Ashrama <advaita@vsnl.com>. This CD being released in August contains Nine volumes of The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Two volumes of Life of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern & Western Disciples, Six volumes of the research work by Marie Louise Burke, Story of Swami Vivekananda for children, World Thinkers on Swami Vivekananda, About 300 photographs of Swami Vivekananda and of persons and places connected with him, A Benedictory Address by Srimat Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj, Selected Classified Quotes of Swami Vivekananda, Quiz on Vivekananda of various types, Brief information about the centers of the world-wide Ramakrishna, Order, A powerful word search facility for the whole section with an additional index search facility for the Complete Works, Glossary of about 600 words hyper linked in the Complete Works. The CD is compatible with both PC and MAC machines. Koodankulam primer by S. P. Udayakumar, Ph. D., pp 65, $20 Several informed and thoughtful people have expressed concerns about the Koodankulam project. The authorities have either not done or if done not shared with the local people the results of any systematic site evaluation or a carefully done environmental impact study. In fact, even the existing eyewash safety regulations are being seriously undermined by the Indian government. According to the author, money from the sale of this book will be used to produce audio-visual educational packages in Tamil and Malayalam and to organize debates and discussion forums for a grassroots campaign to create an awareness among the public in the southern tip of the Indian peninsula about the possible impact on them this nuclear power project. To order (1) send a check for $20 per copy to the SINGH (Secular India's National Growth and Harmony) Foundation, c/o Ramakrishnan, 50 West 97th St. 15-T, New York NY 10025, and (2) A note to the author S. P. Udayakumar, Ph. D, 2238 Doswell Avenue, Apt. 2 St. Paul, MN 55108, USA (Phone: 651-641-0614, Email: spkumar@tc.umn.edu, Web: http://www.saccer.org). For more info about the SINGH Foundation visit their website at (www.singhfoundation.org ). *Humanscape, June 2000 (www.humanscapeindia.org) How much of the benefits of INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY really trickle down to the common man? What does all the Internet hysteria signify in a country like India where the penetration of PCs is 1.1 per 1000 people, compared to 450 per 1000 in the US? Does a drought-ridden state like Andhra Pradesh need portals or potable water? Are we being swept away by dotcom delusions? This issue of Humanscape explores these questions, and provides several first-hand reports of the benefits of information technology to the villagers around Pondicherry, to a cowherd in Maharashtra's hills, to the women who form part of SEWA, to the `mobile ladies' of Bangladesh who are doing brisk business with their new cell phones..... *The River and Life: People's Struggle in the Narmada Valley, by Sanjay Sangvai, Earthcare Books (2 Anand, Anand Kamal Society, 17 Carmichael Road, Mumbai 400 026 E-mail: earth@bom5.vsnl.net.in, Phone: 022 - 496 4825 or Earthcare Books/Classic Books, 10 Middleton Street, Calcutta 700 07, E-mail: earthcarebooks@vsnl.com, Phone: 033 - 229 6551),July, 2000, Rs 150 (within India) and $12 (outside India). *Indian Politics, BJP & RSS .Some recent publications on from Manohar Book Service 2/6, Ansari Road, Daryaganj New Delhi-110 002 (India) Tel: 328 4848, 328 9100, 326 0774, 326 2796 Fax: (011) 326 5162 <manbooks@vsnl.com> (Via Communalism Watch and Governance Monitor <www.saccer.org> Aloysious, G: Nationalism without a Nation in India. New Delhi, OUP, 2000, 265p, Rs. 250 (Pb), ISBN 019-564-6533 Atal, Yogesh: Mandate for Political Transition: Reemergence of Vajpayee. Jaipur, Rawat, 2000, 300p. Rs. 375, ISBN 81-7033-573-4 Basu, Sajal: Comunalism, Ethnicity and State Politics. New Delhi, Rawat, 2000, Rs. 375, ISBN 81-7033-564-9 Frankel, Francine R et.al.(eds): Transforming India: Social and Political Dynamics of Democracy. New Delhi, OUP, 2000, 443p. Rs. 595, ISBN 0-19-565157-X Frawley, David: How I Became A Hindu - My Discovery of Hindu Dharma. New Delhi, Voice of India, 2000, 208p. Rs. 200, ISBN 81-85990-60-3 Gupta, N. L: Communal Riots. New Delhi, Gyan, 2000, 328p. Rs. 475, ISBN 81-212-0644-8 Mishra, Brij Nath: Changing Indian Leadership. New Delhi, Classical, 2000, Rs. 300, ISBN 81-7054-206-3 Sastry, T.S: Fifty Years of Indian Independence and Polity. New Delhi, APH, 2000, 250p. Rs. 500, ISBN 81-7648-149-1 Thakur, Sankarshan: The Making of Laloo Yadav- The Unmaking of Bihar. New Delhi, HarperCollins, 2000, 226p. Rs. 295, ISBN 81-72223-399-X Zavos, John: The Emergence of Hindu Nationalism in India. New Delhi, OUP, 2000, 256p. Rs. 450, ISBN 0195651405 *The much-awaited Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project in BANGALDESH would start as early as possible with the availability of fund, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a reply tabled in Parliament. The proposed nuclear power plant is estimated to produce 600 MW electricity. Later, a second plant with a capacity of 600 MW will be set up at the same site. *An estimated 8,000 babies are born with neural defects in Rajasthan
each year. Most of them die within a few months of birth. They are lucky.
Because those who survive suffer from grave deformities. S G Kabra, physician
at the Indian Institute of Health Management Research in Jaipur,
*Bangladesh's GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT is expected to grow 6.4 percent in fiscal 2000 ending June 30 due to a bumper rice crop and increased industrial production, a regional U.N. Organizations said, May 22. *Nearly 65 per cent of the CHILDREN who are employed as domestic workers in Chennai have entered the workforce between 9 and 12 years of age. A study by Arunodhaya, an NGO for street and working children, and Anti-Slavery International, conducted throughout the 10 corporation zones in the city shows that most residential child domesticworkers in city are either school dropouts or have never been to a school. Illiteracy of parents and desertion by one or both parents were among the contributing factors that sent children to work. (The Hindu Via India News <indianews@pobox. com>). *Nepal's hydro-electric power capacity will double next year to 570 megawatts, easing the acute power shortage in the Himalayan Kingdom, officials said May 11. *The Tamilnadu Science Foundation (TNSF) has been working in villages and slums all over Tamilnadu has initiated the Arivoli LITERACY campaigns <www.indiatogether.org/wehost/tnsf/ tnsf.htm> *The world's largest bronze statue of MAITREYA BUDDHA, to be installed in Bodhgaya, Bihar, is being conceptually designed and developed with state-of-the-art computer facilities in the steel city of Sheffield, U.K. Sponsored by the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, an international organization, this 17-stories high, 152.4-meter-tall statue in a sitting posture will be three-times higher than the statue of Liberty in the USA. *The Supporting Excellence in Education (SEED) Foundation provides greater educational and COMMUNITY SERVICE opportunities for young Americans of Indian descent. Started in the Spring of 1998, the Foundation's activities are promoted by a six-member Board of Directors, all of whom are young professionals <www.indiatogether.org/stories/seed.htm>. *Indian FILMS are achieving unprecedented success in Britain, even beating Hollywood movies at the box office, according to media reports. Recently, three Bollywood films ranked among the U.K.' s top ten list of takings. *Carrying out Helen Keller's (born in1880 in Alabana, U.S.A) work of reaching out to the DEAF AND THE DEAF-BLIND the world over, Sense International (India) is starting a new service for such people at Kutch on the occasion of her birth anniversary on June 27. Based in the UK, known as 'Sense U.K', SI (I) is an international NGO in India developing services for the deaf and the deaf-blind people through out the country (India News <indianews@pobox.com>). * Rare celestial phenomenon in the offing, as during the lunar ECLIPSE on July 16, the moon will be passing through the center of the earth's shadow, resulting in the longest total eclipse in 141 years, an event that will occur again only after the year 3000 <www.rediff.com/news/2000/jul/06sun.htm>. *Over 1,000 attended the annual convention of the TAMIL community, coming from all over North America, England and even India <www.rediff.com/us/2000/jul/06us2.htm>. *Thousands of tribal JEWS in India's far north-east are eyeing a possible future in Israel, claiming that they are direct descendants of one of the 10 Biblical lost tribes <www.rediff.com/news/2000/ jun/29euro.htm>. *India's biggest, three-meter optical TELESCOPE will be set up jointly by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and U.P. State Observatory, above 8.000 feet at Devasthal peak in Nainital, U.P. *India is opening its doors to the transgenic TRANSGENIC COTTON - or should we say has initiated the process for the final green signal. <www.oneworld.org/cse/html/dte/dte20000615/ dte_news1.htm>. *On May 10, the Supreme Court of India announced a clear schedule for supply of cleaner PETROL AND DIESEL to the capital <www.oneworld.org/cse/html/dte/dte20000615/dte_news2.htm>. *India emerges victorious from a legal wrangle with the US over the patenting of NEEM. It was a long bitter fight. But for India, it ended on a promising note <www.oneworld.org/cse/html/dte/ dte20000615/dte_news.htm>. *Till August 23, Berkeley, CA, USA: STARING AT THE SUN: INDIA/DIASPORA, a festival celebrating film-makers from India in Britain, Canada and the United States at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, at Pacidic Film Archives theater at 2575 Bancroft Way. The schedule is as follows: July 5, Seducing Maarya by Director Hunt Hoe (Canada/India, 1999); July 12, Earth 1947 by Director Deepa Mehta (India/Canada, 1999); July 19, The Victoria Cross (U.S., 1916) and the Last Cartridge, an Incident from the Sepoy Rebellion in India (U.S., 1908); July 26, Fearless: The Hunterwali Story by Director Riyad Vinci Wadia (India, 1993), It is a Crime (U.S., 1997), and My Life as a Poster by Director Shashwati Talukdar (U.S., 1996); August 2, The Laughing Club of India (India/U.S., 1999), and Battu's Bioscope (Poland/India, 1998); August 9, Paddana: Song of the Ancestors by Director Anula Shetty (india/U.S., 1999), Voices of the Morning (U.S., 1992), and Seven Hours to Burn (U.S., 1999); Masala by Director Srivivas Krishna (Canada, 1991); Bhaji on the Beach Directed by Gurinder Chadha (U.K., 1993), and Junky Punky Girls Directed by Nisha Ganatra (U.S., 1996). Tickets at $7 for one film, and $8.50 fordouble bill. More info from 510.642.1412, or 510.642.0808. *Till September 4, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: DUST ON THE ROAD. Hoopoe Curatorial presents Canadian artists in dialogue with SAHMAT (the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust, New Delhi) at the York Quay Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West. It is a major exhibition that showcases SAHMAT's activities, projects and initiatives which have become landmarks in cultural activism in India in the last eleven years Their activities have involved an almost unique collaboration between artists, performers, intellectuals, academics and social activists on issues of social conscience. Besides displaying scores of posters, videos and books, it also presents excerpts from the exhibitions: 'Images and Words' 1992, 'Hum Sab Ayodhya' 1993, 'Punchline' - Cartoonists against Communalism 1994, 'Postcards for Gandhi' 1995, 'Gift for India' 1997 and 'Harvest of Hatred' 1999. Large banners and stage backdrops from street events form a backdrop to these displays. More info about the exhibition from <www.harbourfront.on.ca>, <shari@harbourfront.on.ca> or 416. 973.3000 and about SAHMAT from <sahmat@nde.vsnl.net.in>, <shabhashmi@hotmail.com>, <ramrahman@yahoo.com>. *July 12-August 12, Los Angeles, CA, USA: INDIAN ART CLASSES will be presented at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Saturdays. Using slide lectures, recordings of music, and visits to the museum's permanent collection, the course will look at "the land, gods, temples, palaces, paintings, and the decorative arts." Tuition $65. More info from 323.857.6139. *July 12-September 17, New York, NY, USA: A small selection of photographs offers an insider's glimpse into the world of TIBETAN BUDDHISM and the color and pageantry surrounding the spiritual path. Asia Society at Midtown/ 502 Park Avenue at 59th St., New York, NY. Tel: 212-288-6400. More info from (212) 517-ASIA. *July 14-August 2, New York, NY, USA: Indo-American Arts Council's FESTIVAL OF INDIAN THEATER, 8 p.m. every night (Opening night & amp; Wednesday nights at 7 p.m.) at Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers St., NYC. The event features two of India's foremost playwrights. Mahesh Dattani's Dance Like a Man (July 14 - 26), directed by Lillette Dubey, is a brilliant drama centered around two generations of Bharat Natyam dancers. Vijay Tendulkar's Once Upon a Fleeting Bird (July 28 - Aug 2), directed by Akash Khurana, is a fascinating love story set in Bombay during the 90's. Pre-performance chats with the playwrights have been organized by the Asia Society: 6:30 p.m., Saturday, July 22 Mahesh Dattani and Monday, July 31 Vijay Tendulkar. Post-performance discussions between the audience & amp; the directors/cast : 9 p.m., Wednesday July 19th: moderator Shashi Tharoor, Wed, July 26th: moderator TBA, Wed, Aug 2nd: moderator TBA. Tickets: $35 per ticket per play. Call the Tribeca Performing Arts Box office Tue - Sat, noon- 6 pm at 212 346 8510. Groups of 20 or more $30. Students w/ID: $25 per ticket per play. Season tickets: one ticket for each of the two plays $ 50.00.July 14th Opening night & Gala Dinner tickets $150: call Aroon at 914-576 6180. Pre and post theater chats are included in the ticket prices. More information from Aroon Shivdasani, Executive Director, Indo-American Arts Council Inc, 27 Holly Drive, New Rochelle, NY, 10801. Tel: 914 576 6180. Fax: 914 632 2390, Email: aroon@masiny.com *July 21-23, Zurich, Swtizerland: GOPIO CONVENTION 2000. Although the theme of this Global Convention of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) meeting "Global PIO Collaboration in Technology, Trade, Investment and Pooling Resources," the Fijian crisis will also be a major topic for discussion, according to GOPIO President, Thomas Abraham. Ph.D. Also, PIO artists from the U.S., Guyana, India and Switzerland will perform on Friday and Saturday evenings. More info from conveners Dr. Jagat Motwani at 516/735-9605, e-mail jagatmotwani@yahoo.com or Dr. Satish Gupta at (41) 31-971 971-4115, E-mail: satish.gupta@gmx.net or from GOPIO president by mail at P.O. Box 1413, Stamford, CT 06904, USA, by Phone at 203/329-8010, by Fax at 203/322-2233 or by email at <gopio@t-three.com>. Also check their Website <www.gopio.net> *July 22, London, UK: NEW MILLENNIUM, NEW CHALLENGES: THE FUTURE OF THE SINDHI NATION is the theme of the 12th International Conference on Sindh to be held at Sindhi Center, 230A Kenton Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA3 8BY. More info from World Sindhi Congress, 769 Manchester Rd, Bankfoot, Bradford, BD5 8LN, UK, Phone +44-1274-742609, world_sindhi_congress@yahoo.com. *PUSHPA NAGAR, 23, is UP's youngest woman sarpanch. She is in charge of 36 villages, has miles to go and promises to keep <www.rediff.com/news/2000/jul/04pushpa.htm>. *MEETA VYAS is the first Indian woman to head a US corporation as CEO of US-based Signature Brands <www.rediff.com/money/2000/jul/04meeta.htm>. *AZIZ SIDDIQUI, Pakistan's well known journalist and Joint Director
of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan passed away on June 7. As a
journalist he wrote frequently on India-Pakistan
*LORD NAVNIT DHOLAKIA, a non-resident Indian was elected unopposed president of the Lberal Democratic Party of United Kingdom (PTI). *Recent Indian-Americans high school grauates SEBASTIAN MATHEWS of Maryland and RISHIKESH DALAL of Kansas were among the four recipients of the American Academy of Neurology's the 2000 Neuroscience Prize for Research (IANS). *<www.worldbank.org.pk> is the new external Website of the World Bank's Islamabad Office. It is designed to provide up-to-date information about Pakistan's economic situation and prospects, World Bank financed development projects in Pakistan, Economic and Sectoral Reports, and links to other development and knowledge Websites both within and outside the World Bank. The World Bank In Pakistan is also connected with the Bank's main Website, making a wealth of information available to journalists, researchers, academicians and students. Besides the site also provides information on and links to other agencies within The World Bank Group: The International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). *<www.yahoo.co.in> provides information about India (N. Gandhi <nagandhi@hotmail.com>).
*<www.geocities.com/rainforest/jungle/2690/> provides information about the wildlife of Pakistan (Sarfaz Hayat <saffh@hotmail.com> via InfoTimes: <www.InformationTimes.com> ). *<www.siddhivinayak.org> can be used to get Lord Ganesh's blessingsonline by offering prayers and paying for rituals at the click of a button (IANS). *<www.indianfilmmusic.com> claims to be the largest online Indian music store. Sad But True: The paradox of our time in history is that we
We have bigger houses and smaller families;
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
We have higher incomes, but lower morals;
These are the times of world peace, but domestic
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce;
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