By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS,
Guwahati : In a surprise move, perfume baron and Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) leader Badruddin Ajmal Saturday said his party will back candidates of Assam's main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in next month's parliamentary elections.
"If we think that some AGP candidates are good and competent with a secular face, then we might help them in some seats to win the elections," Ajmal told IANS.
Ajmal's stand is significant as the AGP has a pre-poll tie up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the AUDF is known to be a party espousing the cause of the minority Muslims in Assam.
"The AGP is not in an alliance with the BJP, but just has a seat sharing arrangement. Our stand is clear, we are not going to support the AGP-BJP combine and would only back AGP candidates wherever we think it does not clash with our own candidates," the AUDF president said.
Ajmal's stand comes a day after AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary said his party would have preferred an alliance with the AUDF for better performance in the elections.
"We are fighting Congress and BJP forces. We have no problems with the AGP and still hope we can work out a partnership with the regional party in the future," the AUDF leader said.
The AUDF was formed just before the 2006 assembly elections and managed to win 10 of the 126 assembly seats thus becoming the third largest party in Assam after the Congress and the AGP.
"We would put candidates in eight to nine seats of the 14 parliamentary seats on our own and hope to win in four to six seats," Ajmal said.
He himself will contest from two seats - Dhubri and Silchar.
Ajmal said actor Suresh Oberoi is willing to contest the parliamentary elections from Assam on an AUDF ticket.
"I am not ruling out the possibility of fielding Oberoi. Let me tell you filmstars and glamour are today part and parcel of politics...from Dharmendra to Hema Malini and now Sanjay Dutt. Actors are liked by the people," said Ajmal, a man who is also a Maulana (cleric) from the well-known Muslim seminary in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh.
"We hope some film stars would come for campaigning," said Ajmal, who has made a fortune by exporting 'ittar' or traditional Indian perfume, primarily to the Middle East.
Political analysts and opposition parties are of the view that the AUDF would be a crucial factor in the polls as Muslims account for about 30 percent of Assam's 26 million people.
"Surely the AUDF would be a major factor in the elections and I have no hesitation in admitting this political reality," AGP president Patowary told IANS.
But Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of the Congress party said AUDF is not a factor and cannot impact the poll outcome.
"It is for the people to judge which party is a factor or could command the support of the voters...why pre-judge the minds of the electorate?" retorted the bearded AUDF leader, skull cap in place.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
AGP not part of NDA despite poll tie-up with BJP
By IANS,
Guwahati : Assam's main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) clarified Monday that it was not part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) even though it had stitched an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to the general elections.
"Let me clarify that we are not part of the (BJP-led) NDA. The AGP and the BJP are partners for the Lok Sabha elections forged to defeat the Congress party," AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary told journalists here.
The AGP leader's clarification comes after BJP president Rajnath Singh last week told journalists that the regional party was a partner of the NDA.
Patowary said the seat sharing arrangement with the BJP would in no way dilute the regional character of the AGP.
"The Congress party is getting nervous and frustrated by the day and hence coming up with all theories about the AGP getting marginalised by the BJP following our alliance. In reality, the Congress is really worried with our electoral tie up," Patowary said.
"We challenge the Congress government to publish a white paper on development activities in Assam," the AGP president said.
Under the seat sharing arrangement, the BJP would contest in eight of the 14 parliamentary seats in Assam, while the AGP would field candidates in six constituencies.
On Monday, Patowary formally announced the names of the six contesting candidates.
In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won nine seats and another by an independent that later supported the ruling party. In the same elections, the AGP and the BJP won two seats each.
"We are confident of routing the Congress this time and are hopeful of wresting a number of seats from the ruling party," Patowary said.
Guwahati : Assam's main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) clarified Monday that it was not part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) even though it had stitched an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to the general elections.
"Let me clarify that we are not part of the (BJP-led) NDA. The AGP and the BJP are partners for the Lok Sabha elections forged to defeat the Congress party," AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary told journalists here.
The AGP leader's clarification comes after BJP president Rajnath Singh last week told journalists that the regional party was a partner of the NDA.
Patowary said the seat sharing arrangement with the BJP would in no way dilute the regional character of the AGP.
"The Congress party is getting nervous and frustrated by the day and hence coming up with all theories about the AGP getting marginalised by the BJP following our alliance. In reality, the Congress is really worried with our electoral tie up," Patowary said.
"We challenge the Congress government to publish a white paper on development activities in Assam," the AGP president said.
Under the seat sharing arrangement, the BJP would contest in eight of the 14 parliamentary seats in Assam, while the AGP would field candidates in six constituencies.
On Monday, Patowary formally announced the names of the six contesting candidates.
In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won nine seats and another by an independent that later supported the ruling party. In the same elections, the AGP and the BJP won two seats each.
"We are confident of routing the Congress this time and are hopeful of wresting a number of seats from the ruling party," Patowary said.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
AGP-BJP alliance a factor for Assam polls, says chief minister
Guwahati, March 8 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Sunday admitted that the pre-poll tie-up between the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be a factor in next month's parliamentary elections.
"Yes, AGP-BJP (alliance) would be a factor in the elections, although we have totally stopped thinking of the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) as the party would have no bearing or impact on the elections," the chief minister said.
Gogoi was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a political convention in Guwahati, marking the Congress party's formal launch of the election campaign in Assam.
"Development would be our main election mantra and this time we are hopeful of bettering our performance compared to the 2004 parliamentary elections," the chief minister said.
Launching a scathing attack on the AGP, Assam's main opposition party, Gogoi said the regional party has lost its identity by clubbing itself with the BJP.
"See the fun how the AGP surrendered before the BJP. Out of 14 parliamentary seats in Assam, the BJP is contesting in eight seats, while the AGP was allowed to field candidates in just six seats as per their seat sharing adjustment," the chief minister said with a tone laced with sarcasm.
"The BJP would swallow the AGP in the days ahead and the regional party would be further marginalised in the bargain."
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Mabel Rebello said the final list of candidates for Assam would be announced by Wednesday.
"There could be some new faces and I can say that if not two, at least one woman candidate would be there in the list and she would win the polls," Rebello said.
More than 5,000 Congress party workers attended Sunday's political convention where leaders called for aggressive campaigning in the run up to the April 16 and April 23 elections in Assam.
"Let the message of development and stability reach the masses and as responsible Congress workers we all should mobilise all our resources and reach out to the masses from today onwards," Congress' Assam unit president Bhubaneswar Kalita said.
The Congress won nine of the 14 seats in the 2004 parliamentary elections. An independent MP later went on to support the Congress.
"Yes, AGP-BJP (alliance) would be a factor in the elections, although we have totally stopped thinking of the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) as the party would have no bearing or impact on the elections," the chief minister said.
Gogoi was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a political convention in Guwahati, marking the Congress party's formal launch of the election campaign in Assam.
"Development would be our main election mantra and this time we are hopeful of bettering our performance compared to the 2004 parliamentary elections," the chief minister said.
Launching a scathing attack on the AGP, Assam's main opposition party, Gogoi said the regional party has lost its identity by clubbing itself with the BJP.
"See the fun how the AGP surrendered before the BJP. Out of 14 parliamentary seats in Assam, the BJP is contesting in eight seats, while the AGP was allowed to field candidates in just six seats as per their seat sharing adjustment," the chief minister said with a tone laced with sarcasm.
"The BJP would swallow the AGP in the days ahead and the regional party would be further marginalised in the bargain."
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Mabel Rebello said the final list of candidates for Assam would be announced by Wednesday.
"There could be some new faces and I can say that if not two, at least one woman candidate would be there in the list and she would win the polls," Rebello said.
More than 5,000 Congress party workers attended Sunday's political convention where leaders called for aggressive campaigning in the run up to the April 16 and April 23 elections in Assam.
"Let the message of development and stability reach the masses and as responsible Congress workers we all should mobilise all our resources and reach out to the masses from today onwards," Congress' Assam unit president Bhubaneswar Kalita said.
The Congress won nine of the 14 seats in the 2004 parliamentary elections. An independent MP later went on to support the Congress.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Other media voices on Afghan war
By Norman Solomon
Overall, judging from the U.S. mass media, you might think that there’s not much to debate about U.S. military escalation in Afghanistan.
At first glance, President Obama’s recent announcement that he’ll send 17,000 additional troops to that country — with more deployments expected by the end of this year — seemed to spark little controversy.The New York Times reported on Feb. 27: “Despite some grumbling on the left and right, Mr. Obama’s pullout plan generated support across party lines ... indicating an emerging consensus behind a gradual but firm exit from Iraq.”
And the word “consensus” reappeared later in the article, as the Times went on to refer unequivocally to “the consensus behind Mr. Obama’s plan.” Evidently, the consensus emerged so fast that within a few paragraphs it went from an “emerging consensus” to, flat out, “the consensus.” In the process, the media narrative ignored the voices of those who continued to criticize the Obama plan for withdrawing troops from Iraq too slowly and with too many loopholes for continuation of the US war effort there.
As for Afghanistan, while the news media provided scant reporting on perspectives that were sharply critical of Obama’s escalation plans, such voices were readily available to editors.
Notably, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert came through with a March 3 piece that directly challenged the faulty logic of the president’s move toward doubling U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan by next year. Herbert pushed the usual envelope toward greater clarity as he warned that “instead of cutting our losses, we appear to be doubling down.” With foresight that is likely to be all too prophetic, Herbert wrote: “I can easily imagine a scenario in which Afghanistan and Iraq both heat up and the U.S., caught in an extended economic disaster at home, undermines its fragile recovery efforts in the same way that societies have undermined themselves since the dawn of time — with endless warfare.”
The bad news is that Herbert was conspicuous as a high-profile pundit who directly contradicted the assumptions behind the escalation in Afghanistan. But lower-profile commentators are widely available as they critique and often demolish Obama’s announced plans for the Afghan war.
Former Times war correspondent Chris Hedges — writing a March 2 piece headlined “It’s Obama’s War, Now” on the Truthdig website — offered a devastating analysis. He recounted the history of previous foreign invaders, most recently the Soviets, who found it impossible to keep occupying Afghanistan. And Hedges pointed out that the current war has all the signs of deepening catastrophe.
“An additional 30,000 troops will do little to prop up the detested and corrupt regime of Hamid Karzai,” wrote Hedges. “Our attempt to buy off Afghan tribal groups with money and even weapons has collapsed, with most slipping back into the arms of the Taleban insurgents. The UN estimates that the Taleban are now raking in $300 million a year from the expanded poppy trade to fund the resistance.”
Hedges added: “The Taleban controlled about 75 percent of Afghan territory when we invaded eight years ago. They have recaptured about half of the country since its initial defeat, and its reach has expanded to the outskirts of major cities such as Kabul and Kandahar.”
All this has a sadly familiar ring to it. The evidence of disaster in Vietnam was available at the time, more than 40 years ago, but the US news media — and the dominant politicians in Washington — gave it short shrift. And the war went on. And on. And on.(Creators Syndicate)
-- Norman Solomon is the author of “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death,” which has been adapted into a documentary film of the same name. For information, go to: www.normansolomon.com.
Source: Arab News
Overall, judging from the U.S. mass media, you might think that there’s not much to debate about U.S. military escalation in Afghanistan.
At first glance, President Obama’s recent announcement that he’ll send 17,000 additional troops to that country — with more deployments expected by the end of this year — seemed to spark little controversy.The New York Times reported on Feb. 27: “Despite some grumbling on the left and right, Mr. Obama’s pullout plan generated support across party lines ... indicating an emerging consensus behind a gradual but firm exit from Iraq.”
And the word “consensus” reappeared later in the article, as the Times went on to refer unequivocally to “the consensus behind Mr. Obama’s plan.” Evidently, the consensus emerged so fast that within a few paragraphs it went from an “emerging consensus” to, flat out, “the consensus.” In the process, the media narrative ignored the voices of those who continued to criticize the Obama plan for withdrawing troops from Iraq too slowly and with too many loopholes for continuation of the US war effort there.
As for Afghanistan, while the news media provided scant reporting on perspectives that were sharply critical of Obama’s escalation plans, such voices were readily available to editors.
Notably, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert came through with a March 3 piece that directly challenged the faulty logic of the president’s move toward doubling U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan by next year. Herbert pushed the usual envelope toward greater clarity as he warned that “instead of cutting our losses, we appear to be doubling down.” With foresight that is likely to be all too prophetic, Herbert wrote: “I can easily imagine a scenario in which Afghanistan and Iraq both heat up and the U.S., caught in an extended economic disaster at home, undermines its fragile recovery efforts in the same way that societies have undermined themselves since the dawn of time — with endless warfare.”
The bad news is that Herbert was conspicuous as a high-profile pundit who directly contradicted the assumptions behind the escalation in Afghanistan. But lower-profile commentators are widely available as they critique and often demolish Obama’s announced plans for the Afghan war.
Former Times war correspondent Chris Hedges — writing a March 2 piece headlined “It’s Obama’s War, Now” on the Truthdig website — offered a devastating analysis. He recounted the history of previous foreign invaders, most recently the Soviets, who found it impossible to keep occupying Afghanistan. And Hedges pointed out that the current war has all the signs of deepening catastrophe.
“An additional 30,000 troops will do little to prop up the detested and corrupt regime of Hamid Karzai,” wrote Hedges. “Our attempt to buy off Afghan tribal groups with money and even weapons has collapsed, with most slipping back into the arms of the Taleban insurgents. The UN estimates that the Taleban are now raking in $300 million a year from the expanded poppy trade to fund the resistance.”
Hedges added: “The Taleban controlled about 75 percent of Afghan territory when we invaded eight years ago. They have recaptured about half of the country since its initial defeat, and its reach has expanded to the outskirts of major cities such as Kabul and Kandahar.”
All this has a sadly familiar ring to it. The evidence of disaster in Vietnam was available at the time, more than 40 years ago, but the US news media — and the dominant politicians in Washington — gave it short shrift. And the war went on. And on. And on.(Creators Syndicate)
-- Norman Solomon is the author of “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death,” which has been adapted into a documentary film of the same name. For information, go to: www.normansolomon.com.
Source: Arab News
International seminar sheds light on Indo-Arabic-Persian relations
GUWAHATI, March 6 – The Departments of Arabic and Persian, Gauhati University, recently organised a three-day international seminar on ‘Indo-Arab-Iran relations to promote co-operation in language, literature and culture in the North East’, a press release said.
The inaugural session of the seminar was held at Phanidhar Dutta Seminar Hall of Gauhati University. Dr Rakibuddin Ahmad, while welcoming the delegates presented a profile of the Departments of Arabic and Persian of GU and stressed upon the importance of Arabic and Persian studies in the region.
The Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University Prof OK Medhi released the Souvenir brought out on the occasion and delivered his inaugural address. Prof Medhi appreciated the importance of Arabic and Persian studies in the development of world civilisations. He said that Arabs and Persians significantly contributed to the discipline of Chemistry originally known as Al Chemiya and Omar Khayyam was a household name in our society. He also observed that in modern times, Indo-Iran and Arab relations were being promoted through oil, music and film.
North East has been a seat of Arabic and Persian studies since the last six decades and has tremendous potentialities to undertake research translations in the universities and colleges of the region to promote peace in civil society.
Dr Shabi Ahmad of ICHR graced the inaugural session as chief guest and presented an overview of Indo-Arab-Iran relations which evolved out of several hundred years of historical process. He rightly pointed out that relation among these countries in the ancient time, was trade-based, but after the advent of Islam in India, Indo-Arab-Iran relations assumed literary and cultural dimensions. Perso-Arabic scholarships were developed in India, Sufism became an important point of contact between the people of South Asia and the tenet of Haj in Islam brought the Indian Muslims in close contact with the Islamic world. Dr. Ahmad rightly pointed out that during the Indian freedom movement, our freedom fighters used to take refugee in Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey.
Professor Gulshan Dietl from the Centre of West Asian and African Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi was the guest of honour and delivered the keynote address. She claimed that from North East India one can see as far as Istanbul, the door way to Europe. The seminar thus, covered a considerable expanse of time and space in which great civilisations flourished in India, Iran, Mesopotamia and Egypt which reformed and refined human life in Asia. The keynote speaker drew the attention of the learned audience to the three great empires of medieval and early modern periods of Asian history, namely the Mughal, Safavid and Ottoman empires. These empires were not only epicentre of power and politics but also hub of trade, commerce, literature, culture and religion.
The Silk Route facilitated trade and commerce on one hand and transmitted stories, ideas, philosophy and religions on the other. Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism evolved in West and South Asia and fostered common links among the people of Asia. Professor Gulshan Dietl augured that the present seminar would open new vistas of knowledge and understanding in its academic and business sessions.
Dr Abolghasem Esmaelpour, an eminent Iranologist from the Department of Ancient Languages of Iran, Shahid Behishti University, Tehran, participated in the seminar as a special guest and spoke at length on the linguistic affinities between ancient India and Iran. He referred to the inscription of Bughas Koi in Turkey in which the two nations swore upon the Indo-Iranian deity, Mitra Varuna and signed a treaty of peace that they would not wage war against each other. Mitra Varuna was not two Gods but one, whom both the Iranians and the Indians worshipped in the past. The entire region from the Bosphorus to the Brahamputra has many common cultural patterns. Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam began to manifest themselves in Sufism and the poets of Persia have venerated both Hinduism and Islam in their poetry.
Dr Reza Mostafavi Sabzvari, Professor of eminence from Allama Tabatabai University, Tehran conveyed the greetings and good wishes of the Iranian academic fraternity to the Vice Chancellor, teachers and students of Gauhati University. He emphasised upon the monumental work of Al Beruni, Malal Hind that for the first time in the annals of Islamic history, Al Beruni introduced Indian culture and heritage to the people of Arabia and Iran. He also appreciated the efforts of Dr Narges Jaberi Nasab, a faculty in the Islamic Azad University at Tehran for co-ordinating the works of the seminar in Iran and enabling the Iranian delegates to participate in the conference. The grand finale of the inaugural session was the Zikr programme devotionally and meticulously staged by the students of the Departments of Arabic and Persian, Gauhati University. The vote of thanks was proposed by Prof. Raina Khanum Majumdar.
Two post lunch parallel academic sessions were held in the Department of Arabic and Phanidhar Dutta Seminar Hall of GU wherein 20 papers in Arabic, English and Persian were presented. The papers covered various aspects of west Asian studies, Indo-Arab and Iranian studies. The following day, the Persian academic session was held in the conference room of the Greenwood Resorts Pvt Ltd, Khanapara. The valedictory session was held in Emerald Hotel, Kaziranga.
The inaugural session of the seminar was held at Phanidhar Dutta Seminar Hall of Gauhati University. Dr Rakibuddin Ahmad, while welcoming the delegates presented a profile of the Departments of Arabic and Persian of GU and stressed upon the importance of Arabic and Persian studies in the region.
The Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University Prof OK Medhi released the Souvenir brought out on the occasion and delivered his inaugural address. Prof Medhi appreciated the importance of Arabic and Persian studies in the development of world civilisations. He said that Arabs and Persians significantly contributed to the discipline of Chemistry originally known as Al Chemiya and Omar Khayyam was a household name in our society. He also observed that in modern times, Indo-Iran and Arab relations were being promoted through oil, music and film.
North East has been a seat of Arabic and Persian studies since the last six decades and has tremendous potentialities to undertake research translations in the universities and colleges of the region to promote peace in civil society.
Dr Shabi Ahmad of ICHR graced the inaugural session as chief guest and presented an overview of Indo-Arab-Iran relations which evolved out of several hundred years of historical process. He rightly pointed out that relation among these countries in the ancient time, was trade-based, but after the advent of Islam in India, Indo-Arab-Iran relations assumed literary and cultural dimensions. Perso-Arabic scholarships were developed in India, Sufism became an important point of contact between the people of South Asia and the tenet of Haj in Islam brought the Indian Muslims in close contact with the Islamic world. Dr. Ahmad rightly pointed out that during the Indian freedom movement, our freedom fighters used to take refugee in Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey.
Professor Gulshan Dietl from the Centre of West Asian and African Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi was the guest of honour and delivered the keynote address. She claimed that from North East India one can see as far as Istanbul, the door way to Europe. The seminar thus, covered a considerable expanse of time and space in which great civilisations flourished in India, Iran, Mesopotamia and Egypt which reformed and refined human life in Asia. The keynote speaker drew the attention of the learned audience to the three great empires of medieval and early modern periods of Asian history, namely the Mughal, Safavid and Ottoman empires. These empires were not only epicentre of power and politics but also hub of trade, commerce, literature, culture and religion.
The Silk Route facilitated trade and commerce on one hand and transmitted stories, ideas, philosophy and religions on the other. Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism evolved in West and South Asia and fostered common links among the people of Asia. Professor Gulshan Dietl augured that the present seminar would open new vistas of knowledge and understanding in its academic and business sessions.
Dr Abolghasem Esmaelpour, an eminent Iranologist from the Department of Ancient Languages of Iran, Shahid Behishti University, Tehran, participated in the seminar as a special guest and spoke at length on the linguistic affinities between ancient India and Iran. He referred to the inscription of Bughas Koi in Turkey in which the two nations swore upon the Indo-Iranian deity, Mitra Varuna and signed a treaty of peace that they would not wage war against each other. Mitra Varuna was not two Gods but one, whom both the Iranians and the Indians worshipped in the past. The entire region from the Bosphorus to the Brahamputra has many common cultural patterns. Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam began to manifest themselves in Sufism and the poets of Persia have venerated both Hinduism and Islam in their poetry.
Dr Reza Mostafavi Sabzvari, Professor of eminence from Allama Tabatabai University, Tehran conveyed the greetings and good wishes of the Iranian academic fraternity to the Vice Chancellor, teachers and students of Gauhati University. He emphasised upon the monumental work of Al Beruni, Malal Hind that for the first time in the annals of Islamic history, Al Beruni introduced Indian culture and heritage to the people of Arabia and Iran. He also appreciated the efforts of Dr Narges Jaberi Nasab, a faculty in the Islamic Azad University at Tehran for co-ordinating the works of the seminar in Iran and enabling the Iranian delegates to participate in the conference. The grand finale of the inaugural session was the Zikr programme devotionally and meticulously staged by the students of the Departments of Arabic and Persian, Gauhati University. The vote of thanks was proposed by Prof. Raina Khanum Majumdar.
Two post lunch parallel academic sessions were held in the Department of Arabic and Phanidhar Dutta Seminar Hall of GU wherein 20 papers in Arabic, English and Persian were presented. The papers covered various aspects of west Asian studies, Indo-Arab and Iranian studies. The following day, the Persian academic session was held in the conference room of the Greenwood Resorts Pvt Ltd, Khanapara. The valedictory session was held in Emerald Hotel, Kaziranga.
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