Internal Security Watch

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 22 Apr 2011 22:16

http://www.rediff.com/news/special/spec ... 110422.htm

Muslims debate need for new Islamist-backed political party
April 22, 2011 14:53 IST

The men behind the new party insist that it is not a Jamaat front, though critics argue otherwise, pointing out that the top-brass of the party are mostly senior Jamaat activists, reports Yogi Sikand

The floating of a new political party, styling itself the 'Welfare Party of India' [ Images ], by the Jamaat-e Islami Hind late last week has, predictably, set off a vigorous debate in Indian Muslim circles.

The men behind the party insist that it is not a Jamaat front, though critics argue otherwise, pointing out that the top-brass of the party are mostly senior Jamaat activists and that everyone knows that the party has been set up under the orders, and with the blessings, of the Jamaat top-brass. The party, for its part, explains its agenda in predictable terms: of promoting 'genuine' democracy, secularism, human rights, social justice and so on. The subtext that underlies its justification for its formation is that Indian Muslims have been denied justice by existing political parties, and so a new party is necessary to secure justice for them, in addition to other marginalised communities.

No sooner had the WPI been officially launched in New Delhi [ Images ] than Muslim supporters as well as critics began posting their comments on various, mainly Indian Muslim, websites, arguing for and against the party. Some, mostly members or sympathisers of the Jamaat, hailed the new party as a welcome development.

One such enthusiast praised the Jamaat as supposedly being a team of dedicated and sincere Muslims, and hoped that the new party would help bring 'morals and ethics' into the Indian political system where, he said, they were badly missing and sorely needed. He even opined that the WPI and its 'value-based politics' would be 'a role- model for other political parties in India.'

Another supporter claimed that by setting up the WPI, the Jamaat was working for the broader 'Islamic cause' because, he claimed, echoing the Jamaat's consistent line, 'Islam is a complete way of life, with solutions to all problems, and it does not recognise any distinction between religion and politics.' The WPI, he hoped, would help the Jamaat in its agenda of 'establishing Islam' or iqamat-e deen, in all spheres of Indian social life -- possibly a subtle reference to working for the eventual formation of an Islamic State (on which the Jamaat's understanding of Islam is based) in India.

Yet another ardent supporter welcomed the formation of the party by expressing the hope that it would consolidate Muslim votes across India, which would make Muslims a political force to reckon with, as a result of which other parties would no longer be able to ignore them or take them for granted. This, he argued, would be a powerful counter to forces that were bent on further marginalising Muslims.

The floating of the party was met with trenchant criticism by many other Muslims, however, who feared that it boded ill, rather than auguring well, for Indian Muslims. One such critic, who identified himself as a 'Salafi', thereby indicating his affiliation with Saudi-style Salafi Wahhabism, argued that by forming a party that would operate within the Indian system of democratic politics, the Jamaat had accepted democracy and, therefore, had turned its back on its original agenda of struggling to establish an Islamic caliphate in India. In doing so, he claimed, it had abandoned the vision of the Jamaat's founder, Syed Abul Ala Maududi, who had been viscerally opposed to democracy as a man-made, and, therefore, 'un-Islamic', system. He warned the Jamaat that if truly wished to establish the caliphate, which considered an Islamic imperative, 'it could not do so by remaining enslaved to the existing false and polytheistic political system.'

Criticism of the WPI on such supposedly 'Islamic' grounds seemed to be less of a concern for most other Muslim opponents of the party who commented on it on various websites and online discussion groups. Instead, many of them expressed the worry that by entering the field of electoral politics, the Jamaat would give a fillip to anti-Muslim Hindutva forces. If the WPI intended to consolidate Muslim votes, it was bound, they argued, to further widen existing antagonisms between Hindus and Muslims, which would only benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party [ Images ] and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

An irate Munaf Zeena, an Indian Muslim based in London [ Images ], remarked that the WPI 'seems destined to create a predictable onslaught on the Muslim community of India', predicting that the party would also fail in its ambition to politically unite the Indian Muslims because most of them were not ideologically linked to the Jamaat. Instead of setting up 'separate' platforms like the WPI, which could only result in 'chaos', he sensibly urged that 'all Indians should work together for the benefit of all.'

Another such commentator argued that the WPI would serve as 'a boon and bonanza for the RSS'. He reminded the Indian Muslims of the advice given to them by Abul Kalam Azad soon after the Partition -- to desist from setting up their own political party on the grounds that this would strengthen Hindu reactionary forces. Sadly, he said, the Jamaat leaders had ignored this sage advice, and he accused them of being politically illiterate. Rather that jumping into the political arena, he went on, Jamaat leaders should concentrate on promoting modern education among Muslims, including among themselves, which, he remarked, was woefully lacking.

Yet another critic, a certain Dr. Mookhi Amir Ali, likened the WPI to the BJP and opined that the two would have a symbiotic relationship with each other while posing a grave danger to secular, democratic and progressive forces. He scoffed at the claims of the WPI of being a 'truly' secular, and not an exclusively Muslim, party. Simply because one of its several vice-presidents was a Catholic priest who recited the Gayatri Mantra at the inauguration of the party, it did not make it secular, he insisted.

'The Welfare Party of India, spawned from the Jamaat-e Islami Hind, reminds one of the BJP, the offspring of the mother RSS. Its Christian vice-president Father Abraham Joseph brings back memories of the BJP's almost permanent vice-president, a Muslim Sikandar Bakht. When Ashok Singhal of the VHP hears of the Gayatri Mantra being chanted at the launch of the WPI, he will exclaim, "I am loving it!"' Mookhi caustically remarked.

In a similar vein, in a mail sent to members of the progressive Indian Muslim online discussion group, The Moderate Voice, a critic, calling himself simply 'Ansari', mocked the claims of the WPI of being genuinely committed to secularism, democracy and social justice. '"Welfare Party" by Jamaat-e Islami? Hahaha! Must be a joke,' he scoffed. 'The main aim of the Jamaat is to establish an Islamic State in India on the lines of the caliphate. [] The Jamaat is a mirror image of the Hindutva parties. Let it first deny [this] claim before trying to fool people in the name of welfare.'

In a similar vein, a certain Dr Irfan Waheed, writing in NewAgeIslam.com, claimed that the WPI might give a boost to unwanted tendencies among Muslims, and that it might incline them even more towards conservatism, and even possibly extremism. 'There is a possibility,' he wrote, 'that the rise of a right-wing Muslim political party like the WPI will give rise to radical Islamic thought and a rigid un-pluralistic outlook among the Muslims who have very successfully integrated themselves into the secular and cultural atmosphere of the country while retaining their religious identity.'

Dr Waheed also noted that the claims of the WPI of being genuinely committed to social justice could easily be questioned by its critics. For instance, he explained, the WPI would be unable to deny that the Jamaat's ideological mentor, Syed Maududi, was on record as having declared that 'he did not bother if the Hindus treat the Muslims of India worse that the mlechhas' because 'he was only bothered about making Pakistan an Islamic state at any cost.'

Further, he went on, the Jamaat could not deny that the Pakistani Jamaat-e Islami, then under Maududi, 'not only extended ideological support to the Pakistani military' in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation struggle, 'but actually formed a militia whose members fought the Bengalis, killed and raped both Muslim and Hindu women and declared that no library in Bangladesh would have any book on secular topics either by Hindu writers or Muslim writers.'

In other words, what Dr Waheed seemed to suggest, the devastatingly stained record, as far as secularism, democracy and social justice were concerned, of the Jamaat's own founder Syed Maududi rendered the Jamaat morally totally incapable of defending what it presented as the rationale for the floating of the WPI.

Challenging this view, a few commentators opined that the WPI would actually help promote moderation and act as a dampener to fringe extremist elements among Muslims, rather than promoting radicalism. Thus, a certain Ilyas Ameen pointed out that what he characterised as a radical Islamist outfit, the Popular Front of India, was spreading 'like cancer' across the country, and noted that this boded ill for Hindu-Muslim relations. He suggested that the Jamaat could act as a counter to the Popular Front, by weaning away Muslims who had been attracted by the Front's rhetoric.

Another such critic, who chose to remain anonymous, said that because Muslims lacked an all-India party till now, 'some extreme groups tried to fill the vacuum', but this had 'brought only humiliation' to the Indian Muslims. Hence, he hoped, the Jamaat's political party could help curb such radical tendencies.

Critics voiced their apprehensions about the WPI using other arguments, too. One anonymous commentator scoffed at the claims of the Jamaat of being sincerely committed to Muslim welfare by pointing out that it had done little, if at all, all these years for the social and economic development of the poor among the Muslims, accusing Jamaat leaders of being interested only in feathering their own nests.

'Many of them have sent their children abroad, to the Gulf and even to the USA, where they live comfortably and have become exceedingly rich. That is a true measure of their supposed commitment to the plight of the Indian Muslims!' he remarked. He further noted, 'The Jamaat and WPI harp on democracy and secularism in India, where we Muslims are a minority, but they, like other Islamists, vehemently denounce secular democracy as anti-Islamic in Muslim-majority countries. Is this not hypocrisy? Why don't they condemn the persecution of non-Muslim minorities in Muslim countries, often in the name of Islam, if they are really sincere about social justice, which is what they claim the WPI will struggle for in India?'

Similarly, a certain Pervez Yusuf mocked the claims of the Jamaat, including the men behind the WPI, of being dedicated to the welfare of the Indian Muslims. 'Their social work is only visible in Abul Fazl Enclave', he sarcastically remarked about the Jamaat, referring to the Muslim locality in New Delhi where the Jamaat has its national headquarters.

Questioning the Jamaat's and WPI's claims of disinterested community activism, he added, 'They collect funds from Middle East,' leaving it to readers to make of this not-so-cryptic statement what they wanted. Likewise, a certain Wajid caustically remarked that the leaders of the Jamaat were 'intellectually corrupt, ambitious and power hungry' and suggested that the WPI could hardly be expected to live up to its tall claims.

Other critics feared that far from consolidating Muslim votes and thereby empowering the Indian Muslims, as it claimed it would, the WPI would only further fragment the Muslim electorate. One anonymous critic pointed out that numerous Muslim parties in the past had failed, such as the maverick politician Syed Shahabuddin's Insaf Party, the short-lived Ulema Council of India, the Tamil Nadu Muslim Makkal Katchi, and so on, and raised the possibility that the WPI could go the same way, too.

A certain Tahira Hasan suggested that the WPI might follow other such Muslim political parties, which, in her words, 'just do not work for community', but, instead, enter into pacts with 'mainstream' parties in order to promote the interests of their leaders. Such parties, she went on, 'never raise voices against assaults on Muslims', while 'secular' non-Muslims do so, thus suggesting that Muslims must look to the latter rather than the former for hope to secure justice for themselves.

Another such commentator, Zaheer Ali, opined that by entering into the political arena, the Jamaat would be forced to make ideological compromises, indicating, for instance, the recent support given to the CPI(M) by the Jamaat in Kerala [ Images ], although ideologically the Jamaat was vociferously opposed to Communism.

Several of these comments on the WPI, whether for or against, were hosted on okhlatimes.com, a website run by Asad, a young Muslim man based in Okhla, the same locality in New Delhi where the Jamaat has its national headquarters. In an article on the WPI hosted on the website, a commentator noted that from discussions about the party on Facebook, for instance, 'it could be made out' that the Jamaat 'is fast losing its respectability.' In another article on the WPI on the same website, tellingly titled, 'All is Not Well With the Jamaat-e Islami Hind', Asad himself wrote:

'Over the years, the JEIH [Jamaat] has undergone a sea change. Of late, it has built swanky offices in Abul Fazal Enclave, equipped with all the latest facilities. Also, its senior members don't miss the opportunity to share a podium with powerful politicians. Most of the senior JEIH leaders have adjusted to the changing time well by giving up a frugal lifestyle. Will it also adapt to the Indian politics that is out-and-out corrupt?'
And that is a question that is troubling numerous Muslims concerned about the implications of the WPI for Indian Muslim politics.
Yogi Sikand

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 24 Apr 2011 14:05

“Palanpur airstrip was facilitated for illegal Dubai trips”

Honorable Shri Subramaniam Swami today in his speech at Ahmedabad’s GLS auditorium in a programme of ‘Lawyers for Justice’ revealed that 2G scam accused Usman Balwa was using an airstrip at north Gujarat’s Palanpur to fly illegally to Dubai and other places.

Swami narrating height of the things that can happen in the country in present time said Balwa possessed an aircraft illegally and facilitated Palanpur air strip not only for him, but also for politicians to fly to Dubai and other places without any government control.

“I sent my people to Palanpur to check the things, and I am in process to obtain the names of those who flew from Palanpur air strip in private planes to reach Dubai and other places. There are some names of ruling party and some names from opposition party too. You need to wait for my disclosure on this,” Swamy said adding that he has told the court too about Palanpur airstrip affair.

http://deshgujarat.com/2011/04/23/palan ... bai-trips/

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 26 Apr 2011 05:07

RK Meghen saga redux...

Rifikhang kin to move HC

The family of Rajen Goyari, alias Rifikhang, who is the vice-chairman of the NDFB’s Ranjan Daimary faction, is going to file a habeas corpus petition in Gauhati High Court seeking his production at the earliest. “We will make a prayer before the court to direct the government to explain his current status. If he is in the custody of the NIA or any other security agency, then it is illegal as he is yet to be produced in court. Moreover, his family members are apprehensive that he could be killed in a fake encounter,” Sarania said. “If he has been arrested by the Indian authorities, then according to law he has to be produced in court within 24 hours of his arrest and his family should be informed,” he added.
...
The Telegraph, in its April 21 edition, had reported that Rifikhang, along with self-styled finance secretary of the NDFB Danswrang Narzary and Jakra, a hardcore rebel of the outfit, were apprehended in Bangladesh almost two months back before the NIA took them into custody on April 20.

http://telegraphindia.com/1110426/jsp/n ... 900546.jsp
I can guess that the NIA was interrogating Rifikhang in a safehouse in BD for a while because extra-judicial procedures are not allowed inside India.

Shillong Times reports on April 25 that, Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) ‘commander-in-chief’ Sohan D. Shira narrowly escaped a Police raid at his home on the outskirts of Williamnagar District in Meghalaya on April 24. This is not the first time the elusive militant leader has escaped death or capture. During his Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) days as ‘area commander’ of South Garo Hills, he also managed to escape an attack by Special Operations Team (SOT) commandos at his hideout in Siju.

I can guess that the info on the raid was "leaked" given that many of the GNLA members are former Meghalaya cops and there is a huge nexus between them and the current cops in the extortion racket.

As Anand Sharma concludes the trade visit and the rail line looks imminent,

Assam Tribune reports that the Government of India initiated a series of mega plans for increasing vigil along the 4,095 kilometres international border with Bangladesh, which include raising of new battalions of the Border Security Force (BSF), creation of helicopter bases, creation of new frontier headquarters of the border guarding force, etc. The Inspector General (Operations) of the BSF, H Desai said that the process of raising 16 new battalions of the border guarding force has started and the new additions to the force would be used exclusively for increasing vigil along the international border with Bangladesh. He said that the process of raising of the new battalions is likely to be completed by the end of this year. Desai, who is holding additional charge of IG, Assam-Meghalaya frontier, said that the new battalions would be deployed in the vulnerable patches along the international border, including the riverine border areas. He said that the riverine international border in West Bengal, Assam, Mizoram and Tripura are considered most vulnerable and the other vulnerable patches along the border have also been identified for deployment of the forces to improve border management.

Trading off enclaves is still a few months off, but things dont seem to be going well in the Jaintia belt. Rightly so, char territory is not to be bequeathed out of some misplaced biraderi syndrome. It is land and the pop density on our side is high too.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 26 Apr 2011 07:16

From twitter

>> @ibnlive: Bombs recovered on Sealdah-New Delhi Rajdhani http://t.in.com/7dGa

>>SC raps Centre for anti-naxal militias http://bit.ly/fOcFd9

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 26 Apr 2011 08:24

Pragya taken to Dewas court, in hospital

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Pragy ... al/781238/

BhairavP · Post by **BhairavP** » 26 Apr 2011 13:31

Sushupti wrote:
“Palanpur airstrip was facilitated for illegal Dubai trips”

Honorable Shri Subramaniam Swami today in his speech at Ahmedabad’s GLS auditorium in a programme of ‘Lawyers for Justice’ revealed that 2G scam accused Usman Balwa was using an airstrip at north Gujarat’s Palanpur to fly illegally to Dubai and other places.

Swami narrating height of the things that can happen in the country in present time said Balwa possessed an aircraft illegally and facilitated Palanpur air strip not only for him, but also for politicians to fly to Dubai and other places without any government control.

“I sent my people to Palanpur to check the things, and I am in process to obtain the names of those who flew from Palanpur air strip in private planes to reach Dubai and other places. There are some names of ruling party and some names from opposition party too. You need to wait for my disclosure on this,” Swamy said adding that he has told the court too about Palanpur airstrip affair.

http://deshgujarat.com/2011/04/23/palan ... bai-trips/

Palanpur has a Nawab, old gentleman now. Off-topic, Javed Miandad (yes, samdhi-ji to Shri. David Abraham KAskar), has his roots in Palanpur. One of the richest towns in Gujarat, esp. with the Palanpuri Jain diamond traders.

kumarn · Post by **kumarn** » 28 Apr 2011 13:52

Purulia Exposé: India's best kept secret

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 29 Apr 2011 09:18

From twitter @jadithyareddy:

>>http://bit.ly/lauCFi || Lack of evidence against Aseemanand forces NIA to defer chargesheet - So much for yindoo terror

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 29 Apr 2011 17:38

X-post from the "Red" thread..

Impressive account - read in full..

If one is really interested in knowing the horrors of the CI strategy in C'garh (incl Salwa Judum/Koya Commandos/SPOs), this article does more than any other in recent memory...

http://www.caravanmagazine.in/Story.asp ... =FullStory

Aman Sethi has known ideological proclivities (he wrotes for The Hindu!), but this article is devoid of any ideological passion, though not of passion per se..Which makes it so readable, and the story so disturbing...

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 29 Apr 2011 18:39

somnath wrote:X-post from the "Red" thread..

Impressive account - read in full..

If one is really interested in knowing the horrors of the CI strategy in C'garh (incl Salwa Judum/Koya Commandos/SPOs), this article does more than any other in recent memory...

http://www.caravanmagazine.in/Story.asp ... =FullStory

Aman Sethi has known ideological proclivities (he wrotes for The Hindu!), but this article is devoid of any ideological passion, though not of passion per se..Which makes it so readable, and the story so disturbing...

Some quotes from the article

Ramanna aka Ramanaiah aka Ravula Srinivas, was a broad, dark, ox-like man with three names, a childlike voice and an AK-47 with a light wood finish. Now in his late 40s, and the secretary of the South Bastar Regional Committee of the CPI (Maoist), he had come to Dantewada 30 years ago as a teenaged activist in the People’s War faction of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). In 2004, People’s War had merged with the Maoist Communist Centre to form the CPI (Maoist); a formidable political force with a well-trained guerrilla army dispersed across seven states.

As the secretary and area commander of the most significant military sector in the Maoist insurgency, Ramanna is arguably the most important Maoist leader in south Chhattisgarh. Primarily a military man, he answers in turn to the all-powerful CPI (Maoist) central committee. While the central committee members flit from operation zone to operation zone, coordinating between various regional committees, Ramanna stays put and directs military operations over a 40,000 sq km territory spanning five districts: Dantewada, Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur and Bastar—which are collectively known as Bastar. It’s an area larger than all of Kerala. I met Ramanna in a tribal hamlet a day’s march from the site of the massacre. An unarmed man, clad in a plain T-shirt and pants, picked me up from the outskirts of a forest and brought me down to a village, where a young woman carrying a .303 rifle walked me to a dropoff point manned by a contingent of uniformed guerrillas.

For the Indian state, the goal of the current phase of the conflict is as much about gaining control of valuable natural resources as is it about restoring the peace

There is no precise inventory of the scale of violence carried out by the Judum, but the closest estimate might come from a petition filed in 2008 urging the National Human Rights Commission to examine 537 allegations of murder and 99 cases of rape. The commission’s report was widely regarded as a whitewash—the 16-member investigating team included 15 current or former policemen, and considered only a small fraction of the allegations—but the number of charges filed presents a rough approximation of the terror unleashed by the anti-Maoist vigilantes.

A few weeks later, on 1 October 2009, the CoBRAs and state police attacked another border village called Gompad. “We had specific intelligence that the Maoists were going to be present, right down to the house in which the meeting would take place,” an intelligence source told me later. “I can’t understand what happened.”

What happened was that the security forces conducted a pre-dawn raid, opened fire and killed nine villagers—including a 12-year-old girl—and burnt down at least three houses. This time, the security forces did not release any information about the botched operation; CRPF sources told me they had forwarded the details to the state police, who apparently declined to make them public.

at least some of the village sentries are part of Maoist ‘jan militias’—small village defence groups, which aren’t formally part of the CPI (Maoist). These “part-timers” make up a Maoist intelligence network that spans hundreds of villages scattered across Dantewada and Bijapur, keeping the guerrillas informed of all movement in the forests. By putting pressure on interior villages, with raids and arrests, the police and security forces have unwittingly improved both the level of participation and the quality of the Maoist surveillance system.

The Article is nothing but a collection of Maoist Propaganda machine which is well funded are able to buy the Media barons who publish some articles.

More accurate stories are here http://naxalwatch.blogspot.com/

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 29 Apr 2011 23:13

Thanks for reading and giving suitable treatment to the article Aditya_V; good job. Its important to see all such means to slip in devious propaganda by apparently reasonable facade is exposed at every turn and often.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 30 Apr 2011 00:21

Aman Sethi, the writer of that article, is an open maoist supporter and writes in "the hindu" also criticizing everyone from the establishment (the government at the Center, the governments at the State level, the Supreme Court, the state and district courts, the police, the army) on the maoist menace in India. In short, a convenient anti-establishmentist using the guise of a free press to propagate unwarranted rubbish and antediluvian agendas. Posting his articles as the cardinal truth is as akin to letting gautam navlakha, arundhati roy, aruna roy, praful bidwai, etc. claim to be the sole representatives* of the "civil society." As if others dont exist. And when exactly have Open, Caravan, E&PW, etc. have become mainstream media in India worth great attention? If these outlets are par for the course, then so should be anything that wants complete annihilation of anyone who is against the progress of India as defined by that chosen person. Extremism on the left side is the same as extremism on any side, if you know what a Jacobson radical means, you will get the pun in the statement.

* There is a decent critique of this civil society rubbish by Andre Bateille, "CIVIL SOCIETY MEMBERS
- An Opposition has great weight in a democratic institution" http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110426/j ... 899511.jsp

** And we know that Somnath will use one line from anyone who is on the other side if it suits his agenda like happened with Ajai Sahni, but will forget to read the rest of Ajai Sahni's suggestions. That is what we call rank opportunism.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 30 Apr 2011 00:44

More...
Our friend recognizes Aman Sethi's ideological proclivities, but lets Aman's "passion" for the cause get a free chit. Why?

No country has put down internal insurgencies by passing a flower to the insurgent, which is exactly what this cabal wants. Terrorism in India was put down in Punjab with a heavy hand, in Mizoram with an even heavier hand using aerial shooting down of terrorists and their OGWs, in Tamil Nadu with a not so heavy hand, etc. Wherever the GoI or the state government has prevaricated, it has let innocent people get killed in its internal prevarications and dabbling. The case of J&K is a clear example, but not so obvious examples are Manipur and Arunachal. In counterinsurgency studies, there is a pathline that goes like this: "no intervention is the best intervention." No intervention is the best intervention if there are a multitude of groupings fighting the establishment, works best in Manipur if the govt wants each one to kill the other and wait for the last man standing with a heavy brick in its hand. But in the heartland of India where one group has emerged dominant, sitting on your backside means more people getting killed. No sensible govt can and should do that. Advocating flower path is akin to sedition, and yes, that is a criminal act without a serious or even a half decent understanding of tackling counterinsurgency. I can cite many academic farticles on how gangland warfare has been put down in different places (LA for example), but then the nitpicker friend here will deem them rubbish because gangland warfare != terrorism. In fact, nitpicker friend will say gangland warfare != internal mutinies. How convenient?

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 30 Apr 2011 01:03

Palanpur has a Nawab, old gentleman now. Off-topic, Javed Miandad (yes, samdhi-ji to Shri. David Abraham KAskar), has his roots in Palanpur. One of the richest towns in Gujarat, esp. with the Palanpuri Jain diamond traders.

A Mohajir mentioned many years ago that Miandad was a Memon...so it matches this account.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 30 Apr 2011 11:02

Have you all forgotten our deal old pal, Abdul Nasser Mahdani/Maudhany who is now having a good time at Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara, Bengaluru? The gentleman had been running from pillar to post looking for a bail. Now he has finally reached the Supreme Court.
‘Maudhany bail plea on health grounds only a smokescreen'

The bench which is hearing the case consists of Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra.

sum · Post by **sum** » 30 Apr 2011 14:22

MIM leader attacked in Hyderabad, critical

Majlis-e-lttehad Muluslimeen legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi was critically injured in firing by a group of assailants in Hyderabad on Saturday.

The assailants are believed to be followers of a local gangster Mohammed Pehlwan. They reportedly opened fire at Owaisi's vehicle. They also allegedly attacked him with sharp weapons when he was on his way to Barkas area of the city to attend some programmes in his constituency Chandrayangutta.

At least three others, including another MIM legislator Ahmad Bilala, were also injured in the incident.

Akbaruddin Owaisi was rushed to Owaisi Hospital where a team of doctors is treating him.

Hospital sources said that he was hit in the abdomen and has also suffered injuries on his right hand.

"There was a lot of blood loss by the time he was brought here," sources said.

As the news of his attack spread like wildfire, hundreds of people rushed to the hospital.

Shopkeepers, business establishments and offices were closed in the old city. Security was tightened and additional forces have been deployed.

Police sources said that four persons were taken into custody in connection with the attack.

Eyewitnesses said that one of the assailants was beaten to death on the spot of the attack by Akbaruddin's supporters.

Akbaruddin's elder brother and member of Lok Saba Asaduddin Owaisi [ Images ] is on his way to Hyderabad from New Delhi [ Images ].

According to police sources, Mohammed Pehlwan was angry at Akbaruddin as the letter was freeing up land plots held by him in the old city.

The incident is being seen as a fall-out of the growing political rivalry between MIM and some local groups. Mohammed Pehlwan has reportedly sided with anti-MIM elements after quitting the party.

Not sure if should feel sad for either side...

Hope that this is not pinned onto the RSS/Sadhvi/Purohit in few months time!!!

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 01 May 2011 12:33

Two observations:

1. Palanpur airfield: It appears to be the airfield located in Deesa in North Gujarat. This place is about 125 odd Km north of Ahmedabad.
The interesting thing is that the IAF will be taking over the airfield to convert it into an IAF airbase.

Currently it has a 1 Km runway, I guess enough for a small private jet to operate.

2. Sadhvi Pragya's Narco test: It is alleged that she's been subjected to 17 Narco tests.
Now they still use Thiopentone Sodium in India. It is a barbiturate and is widely used for anesthesia induction.
If there is any truth in the story that she's been given 17 tests, then one must question the validity of giving a person a barbiturate like this on 17 occasions in a very short span - I wonder if this is medically justifiable. I wonder if maintaining high blood levels of a barbiturate will make a person an addicted to the stuff.

Perhaps someone who is in Anesthesia might be able to offer insights wrt the abuse potential of this.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 01 May 2011 15:10

^^ Depends on the dosage. Narco analysis dose will be small. 17 is high but it will last for days rather than hours. Chance of addiction. Can be used for control fits.

Anaesthetic dosage is higher.

partha · Post by **partha** » 03 May 2011 12:14

This news from New Delhi. Not Islamabad.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 147921.cms

NEW DELHI: From incredulity to hostility towards the US -- reactions of Indian Muslim organisations changed rapidly as it became clear that the news of Osama bin Laden's death in a CIA operation in Abbottabad in Pakistan was not American propaganda.

Muslim religious leaders, cutting across sectarian divisions, questioned the "America-propounded" description of the al-Qaida leader as a terrorist, asking what judicial procedures had been followed to pronounce him as one. There was, however, obvious unease at the fact that he had been found to be living in Pakistan and had been killed in an US operation on Pakistani soil.

Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Imam of Jama Masjid, objected to Osama being called a terrorist, "When did any court of law in the world convict Bin Laden of terrorist activities? It is only America's assertion and that of Nato that he was one. Why should we believe them. As for the government of India's reactions, I would want to know their views on what is happening in Palestine even now when thousands of Muslims are being killed by Israel with US help. The killing (of Osama) in a continuation of US interference in Libya, Iraq and Palestine."

Maulana Arshad Madani, president of one faction of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, also disagreed that Osama was a terrorist. "I do not believe he indulged in terrorism. The question to be asked is why did US come into Afghanistan in the first place? Who created Osama? Americans did to exterminate the Russians. Now that their need has been fulfilled, they term Osama, who was at one point their best friend, a terrorist. It is symptomatic of the American way of functioning of their constant use and throw policy with countries and people."

The Indian Muslim establishment initially reacted with incredulity to the news of Osama's death, citing US operations in Tora Bora as a precedent where claims of his killing had later been proved false. It took statements from home minister P Chidambaram and Pakistani MP Sherry Rehman to convince them of the veracity of these reports, after which prominent Muslim leaders said Osama was a one-time American ally with whom relations had soured because he had lost his utility which was to tackle the Russians in Afghanistan.

There was, however, some resentment about the fact that he was in Pakistan. Imam Bukhari said it proved the contention that ISI gave shelter to terrorists. "I am not saying Osama was a terrorist but the fact that outfits like JeM and LeT have bank accounts in the US show that US and ISI jointly sponsor the acts of terrorism in India."

Cutting across the Muslim sectarian divide, the reactions remained similar. Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salafi, general secretary of the Markaze Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind – one of the oldest Muslim organisations in the country and believed to have Wahabi roots -- said, "Osama was a puppet of a superpower, in fact the kind of power he wielded and the widespread consequences of his alleged acts could not have been possible if he did not have powerful backers. Now that he has outlived their necessity, they took him out. This is a conspiracy of the enemies of Asia and of Islam to paint Muslims in a bad light."

The overwhelming consensus seemed to be that the US would do well to steer clear of internal matters of sovereign states in which it has no business. "It is only America's contention that Osama was a terrorist. There is no reason for us to take their words at face value. As for his having been killed inside Pakistan by American forces, that is something Pakistan should get worried about," said Jamaat Islam-i-Hind president Jalaluddin Umri.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 04 May 2011 12:47

A news channel reports that the Hon.SC division bench did not reach an unanimous decision on the bail plea of Abdul Nassar Mahdani. While Justice Markanteya Katju was in favour of giving the bail, Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra objected it. The bail plea would now be heard by a new bench, which would have the judges chosen by the CJI. So for Mahdani, I feel he would have to accept the hospitality of the staff at Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara for some more time.

Mathrubhumi (English)

sum · Post by **sum** » 05 May 2011 09:08

Police ‘encounter’ rowdy Akram

Police shot Akram around 4.25 am near a BBMP park in HMT Layout, Peenya II Stage, Bangalore North. Akram (35) began his criminal career as a small time sandalwood smuggler in his home town Shimoga-Bhadravati. He gradually shifted to vehicle lifting and later, got into kidnapping, robbery and attempt to murder.

He earned the wrath of the city police after he fired at Dhananjaya, a police informant near Kengeri on 15 April, this year. Currently, Dhananjaya is being treated at a private hospital for bullet injuries.

Two days later, he shot at Nanjundappa, a realtor, in Chandra Layout. After the incident, police formed teams to hunt for him.

Bang on target

According to the police version, in the wee hours of Wednesday, having got specific information on Akram’s movements, a CCB team led by ACP Nyamgowda, police inspectors Ashokan and Nagaraj deployed on the Ring Road.

Fired three times

Akram, along with an associate was spotted driving a white Hyundai Accent car. The police party gave chase in a jeep. Once the police jeep came in front and stopped his car, Akram got out, took out a revolver and fired three times at the police team.

One of the three bullets hit the ACP who was wearing a bullet proof jacket while another hit the jeep’s windshield.

Inspector Nagaraj ordered Akram to cease fire and surrender. But since Akram refused to desist, Nagaraj took out his service revolver fired once. The bullet entered Akram's forehead.

In the melee, Akram's associate who was seated next to the driver’s seat, managed to escape.

The standard encounter story was dusted off and republished with names of the encountered changed...

Surprised that the "secular" GoI hasn't come down on the communal hindu nationalist BJP government for this fake encounter which killed a innocent ( like Ishrat jahan or Sohrabbudin)

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 07 May 2011 18:50

SOme how these sort of incidents are never condemed by the Uber-Secular media. Getting rid of Political opponents is passed on somthing since they don't support our Ideology these all dersve to Die.

Sena corporator shot dead in Ambernath

negi · Post by **negi** » 09 May 2011 08:28

Pune students' forum quietly hosted Qaida leader in 2007

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 09 May 2011 09:27

Qaeda used Delhi-based Tablighi Jamaat as cover: WikiLeaks

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 09 May 2011 23:17

This Paki analyst in the video talks about SIMI and the mumbai mafia in the threat section.

-----------
The Institute for Gulf Affairs had predicted that OBL was inside close to the capital of Pakistan long years ago.
On Fox news the director even said that second in command Zawahari is close to India border inside Pakistan.

http://www.gulfinstitute.org/artman/pub ... 2009.shtml
The Gulf Institute’s director pointed Osama Ben Laden hideout in 2009
In November 18, 2009 IGA Director Ali Al-Ahmed spoke at AEI’s Critical Threats briefing concerning Pakistan’s war in Waziristan and the security implications of that conflict.
One of the topics that came up was the location of senior Al-Qaeda leadership. Al-Ahmed gave his own analysis that it was highly unlikely that Bin Laden was in Waziristan or in a mountain hideout citing the example of September 11 masterminded Khalid Sheik Mohammed who was captured in an upscale apartment in Rawalpindi.
[quote]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Ll_Anx7cI
Al-Ahmed also cited the ties many in Al-Qaeda have to allies in the Pakistani security services. He concluded by remarking that it seemed most likely that Bin Laden would be found in an upscale residence somewhere near Islamabad.
Al-Ahmed's analysis was on target and proven right after the killing of Osama Bin Laden this week in a mansion outside Islamabad.
Al-Ahmed's expertise and knowledge on Bin Laden was evident in November of 2001 when he deciphered the video tape captured by American forces in Kandahar, Afghanistan in a Ben Laden hideout. The Pentagon and the State Department both failed to accurately translate the tape but it was by Al-Ahmed. The story received massive national and international attention.

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 10 May 2011 01:34

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/columnis ... 72377.html

Home Minister P Chidambaram, though miffed with our hostile neighbour, had earlier advocated discussion and dialogue. On the other hand, Congress leaders refrain from speaking in public on this policy, privately favouring the suspension of talks. They are upset about the open defiance of India by pro-Pakistan elements in Srinagar like Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s procession protesting Osama’s killing. Many Union ministers and Congress office-bearers have warned the party high command about the negative impact of India’s soft Pakistan policy on the public mood, especially after the Abbottabad raid. Powerful foreign office mandarins influenced by American thinking are ignoring all political feedback; they are determined to push a Keep-Pakistan-Happy policy.

The Ministry of External Affairs has mounted enormous pressure on the Government through opinion-makers, saying any reversal of India’s attitude towards Pakistan at this state would strengthen pro-Taliban elements. The survival of many think-tanks, managed and run by former diplomats and academics operating from India and abroad, depends on Indo-Pak relations. Some are upset with the revival of a pending demand for Pakistan to hand over 25 terrorists, including Dawood Ibrahim. Salman Bashir, Pakistan’s foreign secretary, took advantage of this rift, stating undiplomatically that “I only see them (statements) as symptomatic of trends and tendencies within Indian establishment and their armed forces to subvert the agenda of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. I don’t think Indian leadership would really subscribe to this”. On the same day , General Kayani issued a veiled threat to India. With Pakistan refusing to yield and the US asking India not to compare 26/11 with 9/11, Manmohan’s grand dream of peace with Pakistan could be in jeopardy.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 10 May 2011 01:36

A few more variations of the Kilo transported Marcos graphic will make them shiver.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 11 May 2011 04:05

This is not the first, nor will it be the last...

Nongthonbam Anand, 36, the suspected commander-in-chief of one faction of a banned Manipuri militant outfit, was arrested in Bangalore on May 5 by a Delhi police team.

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 12 May 2011 07:26

Didnt know where to post this - isnt an "internal security" thing, well it is in a manner of speaking...

But one of the most heart warming stories I have read in recent times...

Message from Auriya
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Message-f ... 96348.aspx

Read in full..

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 12 May 2011 07:37

Has anybody read the much acclaimed Breaking India? Any reviews? Excerpts? Critiques? Much appreciated.

Sorry for any OT.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 13 May 2011 09:34

Forced to sign statement, tortured: Aseemanand

Raghavendra · Post by **Raghavendra** » 13 May 2011 11:21

abhishek_sharma wrote:Forced to sign statement, tortured: Aseemanand

congress party demonised and declared him terrorist to garner muslim votes with active participation of congress party media slaves NDTV and Headlines Today giving maximum coverage to news of his arrest and alleged confessions but today no word about his torture from both these slaves networks

to all those people from ndtv and headlines today reading this, if your parents had known about your future deeds they would have gladly aborted you and instead adopted dogs, such is the shame to you have brought to them by your neech behaviour

if given a choice between eliminating terrorists and congress party slaves, people will eliminate the slaves first and that bank balance earned thru congress chamcagiri wont save you duffers

Manish Jain · Post by **Manish Jain** » 13 May 2011 15:40

And to further rub the salt in wounds -

No concrete evidence to prove Ishrat's terror links

This, despite Headley confirming her to be a terrorist and LeT's website listing her as a martyr.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 15 May 2011 18:30

BREAKING NEWS: India pardons 142 Teroorists. Wonder if there victims were consulted?

It seems in this country if you want a commit a crime , hwoever, henious it might be simply do it in the name of Indian Mujahaideen, Paki-ISI, Ulfa or Maoists. Your crime will always be forgiven. Very few if any of these group have ever gone to Gallows. Meanwhile, we brilliant people like Justice Katju wanting to throw a large number of Police, Army to the gallows because there is not enough evidence that there encounters were fake. Looks like until one day when the Luttens Elite Business Interest, Con party elite, Left JNU, Media, NGO crowd Terrorists are not seen as a threat as declared by Yuvraj to US diplomats.

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 16 May 2011 04:40

Jamiat to begin stir against ‘illegal’ occupation of Wakf properties
May 16, 2011 5:15:24 AM
http://www.dailypioneer.com/339032/Jami ... rties.html
Rakesh K Singh | New Delhi

The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, the powerful body of Muslim clerics, plans to launch a nationwide agitation against “illegal” occupation of Wakf properties and permission from the authorities to allow the community members to offer prayers in all such mosques that are in possession of the Archeological Survey of India.

The Jamiat has passed a resolution to launch a movement for the protection, restoration and development of Aukaf (conglomeration of wakf) and will set up a legal cell and a website to create a database of such properties across the country.

The Jamiat in association with like-minded NGOs has through the resolution on Aukaf demanded immediate action to allow the Muslims to offer prayers in mosques taken over by the ASI.

“As the ASI has failed in protecting the mosques from illegal and immoral use under the patronage of its staff, it is the duty of all the Muslims and persons of conscience to respect the sanctity of the Masjids and allow them to offer prayers for which they were established by the Wakf,” according to the resolution of the Jamiat meet held earlier this month.

The Jamiat further resolved to demand that the Muslims be allowed to pray in the mosques which have been encroached by the land mafia and other unscrupulous persons.

Urging the Government to impress upon the Select Committee of Parliament on Aukaf to finalise the Wakf Amendment Bill in consultation with Muslim Personal Law Board and place the same before the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, the Jamiat demanded that a dispute resolution mechanism be drafted in consultation with Muslim organisations.

The Muslim clerics’ body further demanded for incorporation of an independent Wakf Development Corporation through which Wakf properties can be developed for the benefit of the community.

Demanding the Wakf Boards to be allowed to recover the rent on basis of fair rental value of the properties, the Jamiat also urged the State/Central Government to immediately start paying the rentals on all the Wakf properties under their occupation.

Rajya Sabha MP, Maulana Mahmood Madani, has been nominated as the convenor and Kamal Farooqui will be the co-convenor who are expected to form a steering committee for the movement to be carried out on the lines of agitation for the Lokpal Bill, a Jamiat leader said, adding the timelines and strategies will be formulated soon.

Wakf is the land dedicated by Muslims for use by the community and is considered religious and charitable in nature.

There are as many as five lakh properties measuring six lakh acres under the Wakf and the market value is estimated to be running into thousands of crores of rupees. The Sachar Committee had estimated that the present revenue of `163 crore annually from the Wakf properties could be significantly enhanced if their management is improved.

Wakf properties, according to the Jamiat, have been encroached upon by Mutawallis (managers of Wakf properties) and Sajjada Nasheens (protector of mausoleums) besides the State and Central Government.

The Sachar Committee has made observations about the rampant mismanagement of Wakf properties which have opportunities of being developed for educational, social and general well being of the Muslims.

Marut · Post by **Marut** » 16 May 2011 13:23

Highlighting some more nuggets from the above article.

Sushupti wrote:Jamiat to begin stir against ‘illegal’ occupation of Wakf properties
May 16, 2011 5:15:24 AM
http://www.dailypioneer.com/339032/Jami ... rties.html
Rakesh K Singh | New Delhi

The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, the powerful body of Muslim clerics, plans to launch a nationwide agitation against “illegal” occupation of Wakf properties and permission from the authorities to allow the community members to offer prayers in all such mosques that are in possession of the Archeological Survey of India.

The Jamiat has passed a resolution to launch a movement for the protection, restoration and development of Aukaf (conglomeration of wakf) and will set up a legal cell and a website to create a database of such properties across the country.

The Jamiat in association with like-minded NGOs has through the resolution on Aukaf demanded immediate action to allow the Muslims to offer prayers in mosques taken over by the ASI.

“As the ASI has failed in protecting the mosques from illegal and immoral use under the patronage of its staff, it is the duty of all the Muslims and persons of conscience to respect the sanctity of the Masjids and allow them to offer prayers for which they were established by the Wakf,” according to the resolution of the Jamiat meet held earlier this month.

The Jamiat further resolved to demand that the Muslims be allowed to pray in the mosques which have been encroached by the land mafia and other unscrupulous persons.

Urging the Government to impress upon the Select Committee of Parliament on Aukaf to finalise the Wakf Amendment Bill in consultation with Muslim Personal Law Board and place the same before the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, the Jamiat demanded that a dispute resolution mechanism be drafted in consultation with Muslim organisations.

The Muslim clerics’ body further demanded for incorporation of an independent Wakf Development Corporation through which Wakf properties can be developed for the benefit of the community.

Demanding the Wakf Boards to be allowed to recover the rent on basis of fair rental value of the properties, the Jamiat also urged the State/Central Government to immediately start paying the rentals on all the Wakf properties under their occupation.

Rajya Sabha MP, Maulana Mahmood Madani, has been nominated as the convenor and Kamal Farooqui will be the co-convenor who are expected to form a steering committee for the movement to be carried out on the lines of agitation for the Lokpal Bill, a Jamiat leader said, adding the timelines and strategies will be formulated soon. {This will become a gold mine for the p-secs and their media hounds. Expect lots of about communalism and anti-minority laws, etc}

Wakf is the land dedicated by Muslims for use by the community and is considered religious and charitable in nature.

There are as many as five lakh properties measuring six lakh acres under the Wakf and the market value is estimated to be running into thousands of crores of rupees. The Sachar Committee had estimated that the present revenue of `163 crore annually from the Wakf properties could be significantly enhanced if their management is improved.

Wakf properties, according to the Jamiat, have been encroached upon by Mutawallis (managers of Wakf properties) and Sajjada Nasheens (protector of mausoleums) besides the State and Central Government.

The Sachar Committee has made observations about the rampant mismanagement of Wakf properties which have opportunities of being developed for educational, social and general well being of the Muslims.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 16 May 2011 22:34

Pioneer

LINK

New issues put questions over Kim Davy extradition

May 16, 2011 11:03:56 PM

Udayan Namboodiri

The prospects of CBI succeeding in extraditing Niels Holck aka Kim Peter Davy, the alleged “mastermind” of the 1995 Purulia Arms Drop, has got a little dimmer in the past few days. That’s because the CBI itself has blundered by producing “evidence” which could backfire. Add to that the Defense’s move to produce two important witnesses whose testimonies could well bolster some typical European perceptions of the Indian justice system.

First, this is how the CBI shot itself in the foot. After the government pompously announced early May that it was sending two officers to Copenhagen with “evidence” of Kim Davy’s guilt (which was actually unnecessary since the issue before the Court is the tenability of India’s diplomatic assurances, not who-did-it), the CBI submitted a 23-page “excerpt” of an “interrogation” of Peter Bleach from 1996.

When this document was e-mailed to Bleach for his comments, he confirmed what was always suspected. That it was part of the 30-page confession which he had typed out soon after his arrest in 1996 on the laptop of the then CBI S.P. (and now IGP Operations in NIA), Loknath Behera, and Upen Biswas, then eastern regional director of CBI and recently elected Trinamool Congress MLA. Bleach also said that JK Dutt, who was Joint Director of CBI at the time, was present when he typed it out.

We got independent confirmation of this from Biswas, who we interviewed in his Salt Lake, Kolkata, residence on February 14 this year. Biswas recalled the event well. “Bleach decided to tell all when I persuaded him that we have evidence linking the seized cache of weapons to the AN-26 aircraft which he was flying in”. Though Biswas was subsequently removed from the case as a result of an internal power struggle in the CBI, he said the confession should have formed part of the chargesheet under Section 160 (1) of CrPC which was submitted to the Calcutta City Civil Court on April 30, 1996.

But the statement vanished. Says Bleach: “I wrote down every detail of the operation right up until the time I was detained at Mumbai. Behera always said that he would print a copy and give it to me but he never did. Later on, the CBI told the court that I had never made any statement to them, and they denied the existence of this document.”

“I recognised this (23-page “excerpt) immediately as part of the document I wrote. But it is certainly not complete, and it may have been altered. This was simply saved electronically on a laptop and anybody could have altered it. It has no value whatsoever as evidence. However, notwithstanding that, I am now curious as to where it has come from. Whilst the contents may have no evidential value, the document as a whole may be vital evidence showing that the CBI lied to the court. I was right - the document did exist and the CBI knew it existed.”

JK Dutt, who appeared in the Times Now TV “News Hour” show on April 28, denied that Bleach had ever typed out a 30-page confession. But on the following night, Biswas came on the same show and contradicted his former colleague.

In December 2010, the lower court in Hillerod had rejected the extradition plea. Under the format of the Appeal which will be heard over the next four days in the Eastern High Court, the Prosecution, i.e. the Denmark government assisted by a CBI lawyer, will press for Niels Holck’s extradition. On Wednesday, the Defense will present its case and the judgment of the five-member Bench is expected the following day.

Now, if the CBI thinks the contents of the extract is “proof” of Niels Holck’s culpability, its legal eagles perhaps overlooked the vital parts which says that the original plotter was a man called Peter Haestrup, from whom Peter Bleach had received the first inquiry for AK-47s. Not only that, Bleach had stated – and still maintains – that it was Haestrup who had invited him over to Copenhagen by sending him a first class air ticket, and the first meeting had taken place in Haestrup’s riverside villa. The man who the world later knew as Kim Davy joined the meeting later.

Surprisingly, the CBI converted this admission by Bleach into a product of its “investigation” and its team went to Copenhagen in 2002 with a power point presentation which emphasised it. Haestrup’s role was described on the very first page in that PPT. He was described as “son of an important person of Copenhagen”. The other bullets on that page say he was: “ A business contact of Niels; had negotiated with Bleach for purchase of arms in August 1995 …visited Dhaka and Bangkok along with bleach…attended crucial meeting at Bangkok on 27.09.95.”

Now, those very words may well come back to damn the CBI. The logical question which nobody has ever asked the CBI before is: “Why wasn’t Peter Haestrup’s extradition sought?” Or, worse, “what is the Government of India scared of?”

That question may well be answered by Haestrup himself when he takes the witness stand on Wednesday. The elusive Dane, who has always shunned publicity, may have quite a story to tell because it is widely believed that he had alerted Danish intelligence about the impending Purulia arms drop. The political angle to the conspiracy – revealed by Kim Davy over Times Now TV last week – may get some credibility as well. Why else would the CBI be reluctant to bring him before an Indian court?

Another crucial witness for the Defense is Christer Brannerud, a Swedish police superintendent seconded to Interpol in France at the time of the arms drop, who, for the life of him, could not understand why the Indian government consistently ignored his reports on Kim Peter Davy’s whereabouts in the years between 1996 and 2002, when he was in charge of the case. CBI officers frequently undertook globe trots, covering countries as disparate as Australia, Peru, South Africa and Kazakhstan, to “look for Kim Davy”, knowing all along that he was in Denmark. Finally, a Calcutta High Court order forced the CBI to move extradition papers in October 2002.

Christer Brannerud was requested by CBI to carry out a full analysis of all that happened at the European end of the conspiracy and submit the report to the CBI. Now, by another self goal, the CBI had admitted having received his report but used the excuse of “national security” to bar it from being admitted as evidence in the case against Peter Bleach and the five Latvians at Calcutta City Civil Court.

Bad luck for the CBI, the existence of Brannerud’s report is well known in Denmark, and it is probable that Brannerud will be questioned on its contents.

Tomorrow: first report on the Extradition Trial

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 17 May 2011 04:22

Raipur to skip plan panel over Binayak

Nagpur, May 16: Chhattisgarh’s BJP government has decided to abstain from Planning Commission meetings in protest against the inclusion of Binayak Sen in its steering committee on health.

Chief minister Raman Singh has told TV channels that an elected government cannot attend meetings where a “convict” will be present.

Senior state officials, though, said that bureaucrats would be sent to plan panel meetings on financial matters such as outlays and projects. Skipping these meetings can hurt a state government.

Sen, 61, was jailed for life by a Chhattisgarh court for sedition but later granted bail under the orders of the Supreme Court, which observed that no case of sedition could be made out against him. Sen’s appeal against his conviction is pending in Chhattisgarh High Court.

The Centre has earned praise from Sen’s fellow rights activists by appointing him to the plan panel committee on May 11. He is to advise the committee on the health policy for the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17).

The Chhattisgarh government today issued a statement confirming that none of its ministers would attend any of the plan panel’s meetings, where states are expected to provide inputs for the 12th Plan. Raipur is expected to communicate this decision shortly to the office of the Prime Minister, who is the Planning Commission chairman.

The plan panel’s 40-member steering committee on health is expected to hold its first meeting on May 25 or May 26. It will review the National Health Policy, 2002, and explore the possibility of adopting a rights-based approach to health issues.

Syeda Hameed, a committee member, has said that Sen was inducted because “his inputs on malnutrition in tribal children would be crucial while formulating the 12th Plan”. Sen, a paediatrician, has worked extensively among Chhattisgarh’s impoverished tribals.

The Chhattisgarh BJP has taken the issue to the streets, accusing the Congress of “playing with people’s sentiments”. Yesterday, the party’s medical cell staged a sit-in at Raipur demanding the plan panel reconsider its decision.

“The state government will take an appropriate decision at its level, but as a party we will oppose the UPA’s decision,” Chhattisgarh BJP president Ram Sevak Paikra said.

“It is beyond our comprehension why the government has appointed a person who is facing sedition charges in Chhattisgarh and has connections with Maoists.”

Paikra said that though Sen had received bail, the case against him was not over. “Sen’s appointment is not in the national interest,” he said.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110517/j ... 991929.jsp

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 17 May 2011 15:34

Surprised to see the article in rediff.

http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-sh ... 110517.htm

Foreign funds to NGOs: Why better scrutiny is needed

Talks about massive amount of monies being pumped in through NGOs for conversion.

Largest donors were World Vision USA -- Rs 706 crore (Rs 7.06 billion); Gospel for Asia Inc USA -- 596 crore (Rs 5.96 billion); Fundacion Vicente Ferrer, Barcelona, Spain -- 459 crore (Rs 4.59 billion); Shyam Shyam Dham Samiti India -- Rs 359 crore (Rs 3.59 billion); Action Aid International -- Rs 228 crore (Rs 2.28 billion); and Fundacion Vicente Ferrer, Spain Rs 241 crore (Rs 2.41 billion).

Must read.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 17 May 2011 16:47

Sanku wrote:Surprised to see the article in rediff.

http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-sh ... 110517.htm

Foreign funds to NGOs: Why better scrutiny is needed

Talks about massive amount of monies being pumped in through NGOs for conversion.

Largest donors were World Vision USA -- Rs 706 crore (Rs 7.06 billion); Gospel for Asia Inc USA -- 596 crore (Rs 5.96 billion); Fundacion Vicente Ferrer, Barcelona, Spain -- 459 crore (Rs 4.59 billion); Shyam Shyam Dham Samiti India -- Rs 359 crore (Rs 3.59 billion); Action Aid International -- Rs 228 crore (Rs 2.28 billion); and Fundacion Vicente Ferrer, Spain Rs 241 crore (Rs 2.41 billion).
Must read.

There is also a good article in India Today -

Freelancers of God
Independent churches mushroom across India attracting foreign funds

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story ... 36664.html

I think its an effect of the Breaking India book by Malhotra.