IRAQ: Deal to leave

IN the first week of December, the Iraqi parliament voted for a new Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States. On December 4, the country’s three-member Presidency Council gave its formal approval to the controversial deal, which will come into effect on January 1, 2009. Sections of the Iraqi people oppose the agreement, but general opinion is that, at least on paper, it is a significant step forward to end the American occupation. The agreement calls for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from “all Iraqi cities, towns and villages” by the middle of 2009 and from the whole of Iraq by the end of 2011. Article 25 of the agreement calls for the creation of “mechanisms and arrangements to reduce the U.S. force levels within the specified time period”. There is no 50-year mandate for U.S. bases in Iraq as many had predicted. According to reports, the George W. Bush administration also gave an undertaking to Iraq that its territory will not be used to launch attacks against any neighbouring country. The SOFA was passed by a narrow majority in parliament after last-minute compromises. Shia and Kurd legislators had to agree to the demand of Sunni legislators for a nation-wide referendum on the pact in July 2009. If Iraqis vote against the agreement, then the U.S. government will be given a year’s notice for complete withdrawal of its forces from the country. The Iraqi parliament simultaneously passed another U.S.-Iraq bilateral pact called the Strategic Framework Agreement, aimed at ensuring the constitutional rights of the Sunni minority. On the day the SOFA was signed, thousands of Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad. The radical Shia cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, who has bitterly opposed the agreement, called for a three-day national mourning period, saying that the pact legitimised the American-led occupation. His Mahdi militia has threatened to reopen hostilities against the occupation forces.

The level of violence in the country has escalated since the Iraqi parliament approved the agreement. But many Western analysts and commentators think that the new agreement is a defeat for the “neoconservative” plan of turning Iraq into a vassal state and using it as a platform to project power in West Asia.

The Bush administration tried to get from the Iraqi government concessions that would have allowed U.S. forces to stay on beyond 2011. The U.S. also wanted immunity for its troops in Iraq and a longer lease on its military bases. Both these wishes have not been fulfilled. American “contractors”, in fact mercenaries, will now come under Iraqi jurisdiction. Article 12 of the SOFA states that “Iraq has the primary legal jurisdiction over the contractors with the U.S. and their employees”.

Contractors, especially those belonging to the Blackwater group, are responsible for the death of thousands of Iraqi civilians. At present there is an estimated 163,000-strong army of contractors in Iraq. The agreement also states that the “United States recognises the sovereign right of the government of Iraq to request the departure of the United States Forces from Iraq at any time”.

American troops are forbidden by the SOFA from carrying out operations without Iraqi approval and from detaining any Iraqi citizen without a court warrant. Earlier, American troops and contractors had a free run in the country.

Article 3 of the agreement prohibits the transferring of any non-U.S. citizen from Iraq. The Bush administration has been using Iraq as a base for its “extraordinary renditions” programme under which suspects were routinely picked up and extradited to American safe houses outside Iraq.

It was on the insistence of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani that the tough new conditions were imposed on the Americans. It was his implicit backing for the revised SOFA text that got the required consensus in parliament. The Bush administration had pressured the Iraqi government by threatening to withdraw American forces expeditiously if the agreement was not approved by parliament.

Iraqi security forces are woefully unprepared to maintain the unity of the country in the wake of the devastation and confusion created by the American-led occupation. Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki added to the panic in Iraq’s ruling circles by saying that if the pact was not approved there would be “an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq”. American commentators say that the lame duck Bush administration did not exert too much pressure on the Iraqi government as the President-elect, Barack Obama, has strongly signalled that he proposes to withdraw American troops from Iraq in the next couple of years. But the U.S. will continue to have considerable leverage in Iraq. It controls more than $10 billion worth assets seized from the Iraqi government after the 2003 invasion and the proceeds from the export of oil held under a “Special Purpose Account” on behalf of the U.S. Department of Treasury. The funds were meant “to assist the people of Iraq in the reconstruction and development of their economy”. In reality, the money has been used mainly to benefit American corporations that have been given contracts in Iraq.

In the debate before the approval of the SOFA, Iraqi parliamentarians wanted guarantees from the United Nations that Iraqi assets would be protected against claims involving billions of dollars. Such legal claims by companies, individuals and countries under the guise of war reparations or breach of contract could make it difficult for Iraq to sell its oil and conduct financial dealings with international banking institutions.

Senior U.S. officials said that the SOFA contained assurances that the U.S. would work to extend the protection of Iraqi assets by the U.N. Security Council. The current Security Council resolution requires all Iraqi oil revenues to be first deposited at the New York Federal Reserve Bank before it is sent back to Iraq to meet budgetary requirements.

The Maliki government may have given assurances to Washington about the possible deployment of U.S. troops continuing beyond 2011. Iraq’s Defence Minister Abdul Qadir al-Obaidi spoke about the possibility of American troops being needed in Iraq after 2011. He said that a precipitate American withdrawal would turn Iraq into another Somalia, and the rampant acts of piracy in the Gulf of Aden could be replicated in the Persian Gulf too.

White House Press Secretary Dan Perino went to the extent of saying that the withdrawal dates mentioned in the SOFA text were only “aspirational dates”. Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that it was “theoretically” possible for the deadline for the complete withdrawal of troops from Iraq to be extended.

An earlier draft of the SOFA, which permitted U.S. forces to stay beyond 2011, does not figure in the final agreement. Until recently, highly placed American officials were talking about the possibility of 40,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops staying beyond 2011 in Iraq for training and support. Senior U.S. military officials have told the American media that it would be logistically impossible to dismantle dozens of large U.S. bases in Iraq within three years and withdraw 150,000 American troops quickly.

Prepared for a long stay

The U.S. has built 14 mega military bases and a humongous embassy in Iraq, in preparation for a long stay. The agreement states that both countries “retain the right to legitimate self-defence within Iraq, as applicable by defined international law”.

The Bush administration had defended the invasion of Iraq as an act of “self-defence”. The U.S. could try to prolong its stay in Iraq and hold on to its expensive bases, citing “self-defence” as a pretext. The U.S. military establishment does not seem to be in sync with Obama’s plans for a speedy withdrawal.

The public mood in Iraq is overwhelmingly against a continued American military presence. A 2007 survey reported in the American media showed that Iraqis cutting across the religious and sectarian divide viewed the U.S. occupation as the primary cause of violence in their country. The majority of Iraqis felt that the departure of the “occupying” forces would hasten national reconciliation.Meanwhile, the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq has been dwindling on a daily basis. In the past two months, troops from Bosnia-Herzegovina, South Korea, Poland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Latvia and Azerbaijan have left. Japan will end its air force mission flying supplies into Iraq by the year end. There are 146,000 American, 4,100 British and fewer than 1,000 other foreign troops left in Iraq now. The U.N. mandate governing foreign troops in Iraq expires at the end of 2008. The Iraqi government has announced that it does not want the mandate to be renewed.

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Chaos in Congo

THE Great Lakes region of Africa is once again on the brink of war. In the last week of October, the forces of the rebel warlord, Laurent Nkunda, breaking a short-lived truce, routed government troops in eastern Congo. General Nkunda’s forces were at the gates of the city of Goma at the end of the month.

Laurent Nkunda listens to the anthem of the National Congress for the Defence of the People at the stadium in the town of Rutshuru on November 22.

The resulting chaos, for which both the government troops and the rebels are responsible, left in its wake more than 250,000 refugees. Some humanitarian agencies put the figure at two million. Thousands of people have already died in the fighting. A report from the conflict zone said that the rebels were using corpses to put up roadblocks. Women and children have been the worst hit. Horrific instances of looting and rape have been documented. Hunger stalks the land. The presence of United Nations peacekeepers on the ground proved ineffectual. The international community is of the opinion that the U.N. is in need of a clearer mandate in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The U.N. has estimated that 100,000 refugees are beyond the reach of humanitarian agencies. On November 20, the U.N. Security Council belatedly took a decision to send 3,000 more troops in addition to the 17,000 peacekeepers on the ground. Indian and Pakistani troops are among the biggest contingents.No details have been given about the countries that are willing to dispatch troops to the volatile region, but the U.N. has indicated that the force assembled will be one with more offensive capability. The United States and European countries, already bogged down in Afghanistan and in other parts of the world, have so far been reluctant to send troops to the region. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has been named as the U.N.’s special envoy to Congo. In the second week of November, he flew to eastern Congo to meet with Nkunda. He also held talks with Congolese President Joseph Kabila.Nkunda has spoken out against the increase of U.N. military presence in eastern Congo. He has warned that such a move would result in an escalation in the fighting. Nkunda is known to have close ties with Paul Kagame, President of neighbouring Rwanda. According to U.N. reports, Rwandan troops were fighting alongside Nkunda’s Tutsi militia. U.N. observers have also said that artillery fire from Rwandan forces into Congo helped the Tutsi militias advance.

Nkunda was Kagame’s comrade-in-arms to reinstate Tutsi domination in Rwanda. The majority Hutus there have not yet come to terms with the changed realities on the ground. Remnants of the defeated Rwandan army, dominated by Hutus, had fled across the border to Congo. Hutus and Tutsis have been living across the border for generations now. But the aftermath of the civil wars in Rwanda and Burundi have polarised the communities in Congo too. Both the ethnic groups formed their own militias in the chaos that followed the collapse of the old regime.The Hutu militia, strengthened by the influx of their compatriots from Rwanda, stick to the sectarian agenda responsible for the deaths of more than a million people in the Rwandan genocide of the early 1990s. Hutu militias, such as the Mai-Mai inside Congo, have sided with the central government of Kabila. The ethnic Congolese Tutsi militia led by Nkunda’s National Congress for the Defence of the People gets support from the Rwandan government. Nkunda has claimed that his latest military assault was a preventive measure to stop Hutu insurgents in Congo from destabilising the government in Rwanda. The Congolese and Rwandan Presidents met in Nairobi after the crisis in eastern Congo erupted. Kagame said that he would do his best to restore normalcy in the region. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, also visited Kigali, the Rwandan capital, to persuade Kagame to lend a helping hand to stabilise the situation in Congo. Rwanda is one of the closest political and military allies of the U.S. on the African continent.In the third week of November, Nkunda’s forces started withdrawing from the areas they captured. The media-friendly warlord is ambivalent about his goals. He says “negotiations are the only way to stop the conflict” but at the same time reiterates that the government of Kabila is corrupt and ineffectual and deserves to be overthrown.

In early November, he threatened to march all the way to the capital, Kinshasa, and topple the government. Though most commentators characterised the threat as fanciful, it was a Tutsi-led invasion force that toppled the government of Mobutu Sese Seko and installed Laurent Kabila, the father of the current President, in power in 1997.

Nkunda has so far refused to recognise Joseph Kabila as the legitimate President of the Republic despite his electoral victory two years ago. International observers certified that the elections of 2006 were generally free and fair. Kabila won in a run-off. Nkunda now wants to muzzle his way to power by using military force. Despite persistent demands, Kabila has refused to enter into direct talks with the rebel warlord. A face-to-face meeting will only give political credibility to Nkunda’s cause.

In 2004, Nkunda fought a bloody battle to capture the town of Bukavu in the east. An international warrant for war crimes was issued against him. But President Kabila, in a bid to heal old wounds, has tried to close the book on that civil war. He has said that the warrant has expired.

In the third week of November, Rose Kabuye, a close aide of Kagame, was arrested while on an official trip with the President to Germany. The German authorities were acting on a French arrest warrant. Kabuye has been accused of complicity in the shooting down of the plane carrying the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi in April 1994. That incident triggered the holocaust in Rwanda. Its impact is still being felt in eastern Congo where the Tutsi and Hutu militias are carrying out a proxy war.

Nkunda, like Kabuye, is surely on a wanted list somewhere. There are reports that his militia is forcibly inducting child soldiers.

Kabila has other options despite the dismal performance of his army in eastern Congo. His political and military allies Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia have indicated that their armies would step in again if the Tutsi militia does not lift its siege and revert to a ceasefire. There are reports that the Angolan and Zimbabwean troops are already deployed inside Congo. The influential Southern African Development Community (SADC), of which Congo is a member, has given its strong backing to the beleaguered government in Kinshasa.
In the last round of bloodletting, which began in 1998 and lasted for over six years, more than six million people were killed. That round of fighting, which has been described as the “First World War of Africa”, drew outside powers to the region. It was the intervention of forces from Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia which prevented the DRC from disintegrating and its riches falling into the hands of warlords. Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda had sided with the rebels. Rwanda and Uganda later fell out during the mad scramble for the control of the mineral riches of the country.

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Upgrading ties

PRIME Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey arrived in New Delhi on November 20 on a five-day official visit. This is the first visit by a Turkish Prime Minister since that of Bulent Ecevit in March 2000. A lot of things have changed in both countries since then. Turkey has been governed by the centre-right AKP (Justice and Development Party), which had its roots in the Islamist Welfare Party of the 1990s. Under the dynamic leadership of Erdogan, the country has charted out a new course for itself in international politics. Although firmly rooted in the Western alliance, Turkey in recent years has been taking many independent foreign policy initiatives.“Global Trends 2025”, a report published by the United States National Intelligence Council (NIC), has predicted that Turkey will play an increasingly important role on the world stage. It noted that Turkey was once again playing “a key role geopolitically, at the crossroads not only between the Middle East [West Asia] and Europe in the West but also, in a sense, north-south to Russia, Iran and with the rest of the world”. The report, brought out every four years for the U.S. government, has highlighted Turkey’s impressive economic growth and the vitality of its emerging middle class. Ankara has become the back channel for talks between Israel and Syria. However, when the occasion demands, the Turkish government has been critical about Israeli atrocities on Palestinians despite both countries having a long-standing strategic alliance. Erdogan once told a senior Israeli Cabinet Minister, when Ariel Sharon was the Prime Minster, that there was “no difference between a terrorist who kills Israeli citizens and Israel, which also kills civilians”. The Turkish government is playing an important role in ensuring that Iraq remains united.

Not long ago Erdogan made a visit to Armenia, the first by a Turkish leader in recent history. The two countries have now restored diplomatic links, which were severed in 1993 after Turkey objected to Armenia’s annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-dominated enclave inside Azerbaijan. The Turkish government is in favour of the issue being settled bilaterally and is even prepared to play a behind-the-scenes role to facilitate a deal.

The “genocide” and ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Turkey in the early part of the 20th century is still an emotive issue. Although Turkey’s foreign policy mainly focusses on the issue of accession to the European Union (E.U.), it has been careful to keep other options open. It is well known that some major E.U. countries are opposed to Turkey’s entry into the grouping. The fear, articulated at times by European politicians, is that the entry of Turkey would dilute the identity of the E.U. as a club of Christian nations.

DEEP HISTORICAL TIES

Erdogan, who arrived with a 100-strong business delegation, had fruitful talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The talks centred mainly on economic cooperation and energy security. Turkey also offered India its expertise in combating terrorism. The country has been facing serious challenges on this front for the past 50 years from the Kurdish separatist group, the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).

In an interactive dialogue with a small group of academics and journalists, Erdogan noted that both Turkey and India shared “deep historical ties”. He said Turkey, like India, was facing big challenges, especially in the fight against terrorism. Describing the scourge of terrorism as an international phenomenon, he suggested a mutual extradition treaty. The Turkish leader talked about plans to concretise “an alliance of civilisations” in which both the countries could play leading roles. The Turkish government has already enlisted the cooperation of international organisations for this ambitious venture. Turkey plans to host an international conference next year to formalise this “alliance”. Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami tried to promote a similar “dialogue of civilisations”. But that project could not take off as it got mired in a political stand-off between Iran and the West.

The Turkish economy under AKP rule has been a success story so far. Erdogan expressed the hope that bilateral trade would reach $6 billon by 2010. He said that the balance of trade was now in favour of India. Turkey has expressed a keen interest in a free trade agreement with India.

On top of Erdogan’s official agenda in India was Turkey’s offer to extend the Ceyhan-Red Sea oil pipeline to India. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is already functional and is transporting oil and gas from the Caspian region and Russia. Erdogan is of the view that if New Delhi agrees to the proposed Ceyhan-Red Sea-India pipeline, it will help India achieve energy security. The oil will be piped to the Israeli port of Eilat on the Red Sea and then shipped to India. India, Erdogan said, would be able to get oil at a low price of $18 a barrel if the deal materialised. Turkish officials said that the proposed pipeline was not a rival to the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline but pointed out that the current security situation made the Iran pipeline unfeasible.

Given its heavy dependence on external energy sources, Turkey is trying to position itself as an energy transit hub in the region. This is one major factor why its government is putting great emphasis on improving ties with Russia and Iran.

DOMESTIC PRIORITIES

Outlining the domestic priorities of his government, Erdogan said it placed major emphasis on education, health care, justice and security. Housing has already been made affordable for those in urgent need. The government had promised to build 500,000 homes, of which 330,000 have been already constructed. The recipients of these homes will have to pay only 20 per cent of the costs in advance. The rest of the money will be recouped by the government in easy instalments. In the case of small houses, the government is selling them “at cost”. A small percentage of the flats constructed by the government is given for “free” to those without any source of income. But they are expected to pay for the subsidised structures once they find gainful employment.

The government also provides unemployment dole worth $300 a month along with food and clothing. As many as 130,000 new classrooms have been built across the country, with particular emphasis on less developed regions. Erdogan revealed that his country would soon be able to claim 100 per cent literacy. In the health care sector, the AKP government has done away with the system of separate hospitals for the rich and the poor. Erdogan said that there was no more discrimination on the basis of class or income. “Democracy and economy should advance side by side,” he said.

The government has pledged to improve 15,000 kilometres of roads along with air and rail network during its current term. The AKP was elected with a thumping majority last year. One of the reasons for the party’s success was the development projects undertaken by its government. The Turkish government has invested a lot in the comparatively underdeveloped eastern part of the country, populated predominantly by Kurds. The AKP did surprisingly well in what were considered pro-PKK strongholds in the last elections. In fact, Erdogan earned his reputation as an efficient administrator when he was the Mayor of Istanbul. He cleaned up the city and tackled crime and corruption. Today Istanbul is among the best administered cities in the world.



WORLD AFFAIRS

Upgrading ties


JOHN CHERIAN


Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to New Delhi gives a boost to economic cooperation between the two countries.





RAJEEV BHATT

Erdogan inspecting the guard of honour during a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on November 21.

PRIME Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey arrived in New Delhi on November 20 on a five-day official visit. This is the first visit by a Turkish Prime Minister since that of Bulent Ecevit in March 2000. A lot of things have changed in both countries since then. Turkey has been governed by the centre-right AKP (Justice and Development Party), which had its roots in the Islamist Welfare Party of the 1990s. Under the dynamic leadership of Erdogan, the country has charted out a new course for itself in international politics. Although firmly rooted in the Western alliance, Turkey in recent years has been taking many independent foreign policy initiatives.

“Global Trends 2025”, a report published by the United States National Intelligence Council (NIC), has predicted that Turkey will play an increasingly important role on the world stage. It noted that Turkey was once again playing “a key role geopolitically, at the crossroads not only between the Middle East [West Asia] and Europe in the West but also, in a sense, north-south to Russia, Iran and with the rest of the world”. The report, brought out every four years for the U.S. government, has highlighted Turkey’s impressive economic growth and the vitality of its emerging middle class.

Ankara has become the back channel for talks between Israel and Syria. However, when the occasion demands, the Turkish government has been critical about Israeli atrocities on Palestinians despite both countries having a long-standing strategic alliance. Erdogan once told a senior Israeli Cabinet Minister, when Ariel Sharon was the Prime Minster, that there was “no difference between a terrorist who kills Israeli citizens and Israel, which also kills civilians”. The Turkish government is playing an important role in ensuring that Iraq remains united.

Not long ago Erdogan made a visit to Armenia, the first by a Turkish leader in recent history. The two countries have now restored diplomatic links, which were severed in 1993 after Turkey objected to Armenia’s annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-dominated enclave inside Azerbaijan. The Turkish government is in favour of the issue being settled bilaterally and is even prepared to play a behind-the-scenes role to facilitate a deal.

The “genocide” and ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Turkey in the early part of the 20th century is still an emotive issue. Although Turkey’s foreign policy mainly focusses on the issue of accession to the European Union (E.U.), it has been careful to keep other options open. It is well known that some major E.U. countries are opposed to Turkey’s entry into the grouping. The fear, articulated at times by European politicians, is that the entry of Turkey would dilute the identity of the E.U. as a club of Christian nations.

DEEP HISTORICAL TIES

Erdogan, who arrived with a 100-strong business delegation, had fruitful talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The talks centred mainly on economic cooperation and energy security. Turkey also offered India its expertise in combating terrorism. The country has been facing serious challenges on this front for the past 50 years from the Kurdish separatist group, the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).

In an interactive dialogue with a small group of academics and journalists, Erdogan noted that both Turkey and India shared “deep historical ties”. He said Turkey, like India, was facing big challenges, especially in the fight against terrorism. Describing the scourge of terrorism as an international phenomenon, he suggested a mutual extradition treaty. The Turkish leader talked about plans to concretise “an alliance of civilisations” in which both the countries could play leading roles. The Turkish government has already enlisted the cooperation of international organisations for this ambitious venture. Turkey plans to host an international conference next year to formalise this “alliance”. Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami tried to promote a similar “dialogue of civilisations”. But that project could not take off as it got mired in a political stand-off between Iran and the West.

The Turkish economy under AKP rule has been a success story so far. Erdogan expressed the hope that bilateral trade would reach $6 billon by 2010. He said that the balance of trade was now in favour of India. Turkey has expressed a keen interest in a free trade agreement with India.

On top of Erdogan’s official agenda in India was Turkey’s offer to extend the Ceyhan-Red Sea oil pipeline to India. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is already functional and is transporting oil and gas from the Caspian region and Russia. Erdogan is of the view that if New Delhi agrees to the proposed Ceyhan-Red Sea-India pipeline, it will help India achieve energy security. The oil will be piped to the Israeli port of Eilat on the Red Sea and then shipped to India. India, Erdogan said, would be able to get oil at a low price of $18 a barrel if the deal materialised. Turkish officials said that the proposed pipeline was not a rival to the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline but pointed out that the current security situation made the Iran pipeline unfeasible.

Given its heavy dependence on external energy sources, Turkey is trying to position itself as an energy transit hub in the region. This is one major factor why its government is putting great emphasis on improving ties with Russia and Iran.

DOMESTIC PRIORITIES

Outlining the domestic priorities of his government, Erdogan said it placed major emphasis on education, health care, justice and security. Housing has already been made affordable for those in urgent need. The government had promised to build 500,000 homes, of which 330,000 have been already constructed. The recipients of these homes will have to pay only 20 per cent of the costs in advance. The rest of the money will be recouped by the government in easy instalments. In the case of small houses, the government is selling them “at cost”. A small percentage of the flats constructed by the government is given for “free” to those without any source of income. But they are expected to pay for the subsidised structures once they find gainful employment.

The government also provides unemployment dole worth $300 a month along with food and clothing. As many as 130,000 new classrooms have been built across the country, with particular emphasis on less developed regions. Erdogan revealed that his country would soon be able to claim 100 per cent literacy. In the health care sector, the AKP government has done away with the system of separate hospitals for the rich and the poor. Erdogan said that there was no more discrimination on the basis of class or income. “Democracy and economy should advance side by side,” he said.

The government has pledged to improve 15,000 kilometres of roads along with air and rail network during its current term. The AKP was elected with a thumping majority last year. One of the reasons for the party’s success was the development projects undertaken by its government. The Turkish government has invested a lot in the comparatively underdeveloped eastern part of the country, populated predominantly by Kurds. The AKP did surprisingly well in what were considered pro-PKK strongholds in the last elections. In fact, Erdogan earned his reputation as an efficient administrator when he was the Mayor of Istanbul. He cleaned up the city and tackled crime and corruption. Today Istanbul is among the best administered cities in the world.


AFP

A section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline at the Ceyhan crude oil terminal near Turkey's southern coastal city of Adana.

Erdogan has also promised to provide running water to every village in Turkey. “Water is civilisation. If there is no water, there is no energy, no civilisation,” he remarked. He said that his government was implementing its blueprint to overcome its “largest challenge” posed by the shortage of water. Hydroelectric power is harnessed on a large scale. The Attaturk Dam is among the largest in the world. He said that the annual per capita consumption of water in Turkey was currently 1,750 cubic metres. The government hoped to raise this in the near future. Erdogan said he was confident of attaining the target as the government was investing heavily in many water-related projects, including recycling.

Talking about domestic politics, Erdogan emphasised that “civilians should have primacy, once and for all”. The Turkish Constitution, he said, had demarcated clearly the roles of the executive and the armed forces. Sections of the Turkish military are still not completely reconciled to the rise of democracy and the AKP. The “Ergenekon” trial, which is currently under way, has exposed the deep nexus between elements in the army, the judiciary, the media and far-Right parties. The Ergenekon had allegedly planned to assassinate prominent Turks and resorted to terrorist activities with a view to undermining the AKP government.

The controversy over the wearing of head scarves in public was another issue that “secular fundamentalists” used to destabilise the AKP government last year. The wives of both Prime Minister Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul insist on wearing head scarves in public. Erdogan maintained that the country’s Constitutional Court had made its observations on the issue very clear and that the government was strictly adhering to the position taken by the court. He pointed out that the ban on the wearing of head scarves was only implemented after the September 1980 coup.

Erdogan said that his country was playing an “intermediary role” in the ongoing talks between Israel and Syria. He revealed that four rounds of talks had already been held but the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had stalled the talks. He said that both Damascus and Tel Aviv had expressed optimism about the future of the dialogue process. Syria is negotiating the terms for an Israeli pullout from the occupied Golan Heights.

Erdogan admitted that Turkey faced some problems on the road to full membership of the E.U. He said that some E.U. members were using the “Cyprus issue” as a bogey to stymie Turkey’s membership. Turkey feels that making Cyprus an E.U. member was a mistake in the first place. Turkish officials say that the E.U. should have recognised that Cyprus is divided into two countries. According to them, the E.U. seems to have preferred the claims of 600,000 Greek Cypriots over those of 70 million Turks. Erdogan said Turkey had not lost its patience. “We can wait for another 15 years.”

Erdogan is optimistic about the presidency of Barack Obama in the U.S. but cautions against plans to partition Iraq. He said that such a move would be disastrous for the region. Joseph Biden, who will be the next U.S. Vice-President, had earlier supported the trifurcation of Iraq. An independent Kurdistan is anathema to Turkey. The Turkish Army has been regularly carrying out cross-border raids into northern Iraq targeting the PKK, which has its safe havens there.

Erdogan also observed that the situation in Afghanistan was deteriorating seven years after the end of Taliban rule. Turkey has allocated $200 million for Afghanistan for undertaking relief and development activities.

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Truth & Tawang

RECENT official statements by India and China on their boundary dispute merit a calm and realistic appraisal shorn of both chauvinism and sentiment. The two countries have set themselves firmly on the path of friendship. But the dispute is an obstacle – serious, but easily removable. Yet little is being done to settle it. Progress in the talks has been insignificant. We must not lose heart; equally, we must not ignore the realities. Neither side has been, or is, free from blame. A fair appraisal will necessarily be a nuanced one. Notoriously, both hawks and doves shun nuances.The statements must be read in the context of vastly improved relations between the two countries. Chinese writings on world affairs, unlike ours, are shorn of sentimentality and are starkly realistic. A brilliant article by Han Hua, Professor of International Relations at the School of International Studies at the University of Beijing, is a fine example of such a calm appraisal, albeit from the Chinese perspective. It is entitled “Friends or Foes: Mutual Perceptions between two Asian Giants” (China & India edited By Isabelle Saint-Mezard; Centre of Asian Studies, The University of Hong Kong). She notes that “the two have shown their increasing keenness to appreciate the salience of their ties… one must admit that there still are obstacles to be removed in order to achieve a cordial and sensible relationship.” The first obstacle she identifies is the border dispute, which lends force to her emphasis on sensibility. For, the dispute simply makes no sense at all. Each has its non-negotiable vital interest securely under its control – China has the Aksai Chin and India has the McMahon Line. Neither side can compromise on this. Han Hua accurately sums up the perceptions each has of the other and holds that both have moved towards the mainstream.

“The mainstream-view holders consent [sic.] that while the border war scenario is unlikely, they don’t foresee a quick accomplishment of a final resolution.” On this, she is on target, and China is responsible for this perception. Just as India’s policies led China to suspect that the Indian leadership lacked the will and political clout to arrive at a fair compromise and sell it to the people, China’s stand leaves many in India with the uncomfortable feeling that it is not ready for such a deal, either.

Han Hua praises both countries for adopting “a pragmatic policy… on various bilateral issues in the past few years”. Is it “pragmatic” for China to question the McMahon Line drawn in 1914, nearly a century ago, and demand that India cede Tawang to China? It is as impossible a demand as if India were to demand the Aksai Chin – which it does not. The Tawang demand, if persisted with, would be a deal-breaker, and there is no reason to believe that China does not want a settlement. As this writer argued earlier (“Maps and borders”; Frontline, October 24, 2008), we must analyse rigorously the situation created by China’s demand and ask why it persists with it so stridently. The truth is a great liberator, and history puts paid to China’s demands in the eastern sector and to India’s stand in the western sector.

On October 24, 2008, Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister, informed the Lok Sabha that the two countries had agreed to exchange maps delineating the frontier and disputed areas but that the progress was “not very bright”. There were different “perceptions”. In 2003, Special Representatives were appointed to resolve the border dispute. “This is going on, but this is taking time.”

On November 9, at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, Pranab Mukherjee rejected China’s claims to the territory: “The people of Arunachal Pradesh regularly elect two representatives to the Lok Sabha, and there is an elected State Assembly…. The question of parting company with Arunachal Pradesh or any part of it does not arise.” He referred to the 12 rounds of talks that the Special Representatives had held and his efforts “to develop friendly ties with China” and “to persuade them to reopen border trade with Arunachal Pradesh”. On November 11, the official spokesman of China’s Foreign Ministry, Qin Gang, said: “We deeply regret the Indian side’s remarks that take no regard of the historical facts.” The McMahon Line was “illegal”, he said, adding, “China and India have never officially settled demarcation of borders, and China’s stance on the eastern section of China-India borders is consistent and clear-cut.” China was willing to find a “fair, reasonable and acceptable” solution to the dispute through negotiation in the spirit of “mutual understanding and adjustment” – a 50-year-old mantra whose implications have varied with the times.Qin is absolutely wrong in claiming that China’s stand has been consistent. From 1956 to 1960, China was prepared to accept the McMahon Line. In his talks with Jawaharlal Nehru in New Delhi on April 20 and 22 in 1960, Zhou Enlai accepted the Line: “We make no claim in the eastern sector to areas south of the McMahon Line.” It was most unwise of Nehru to have insisted on China’s withdrawal from the Aksai Chin, which caused the talks to collapse. Which is why Zhou revealed, at his press conference on April 25, in answer to a question by K. Rangaswami of The Hindu, that “comparatively less time has been spent on discussions of the eastern sector of the boundary” and “there exists a relatively bigger dispute” on the western sector (Premier Chou En-lai’s Visits to Burma, India and Nepal; Information Office, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China; pages 25 and 26).The McMahon Line of 1914 stretches over Myanmar, which was a part of India until 1937. Zhou accepted it in the boundary agreement with Myanmar on January 28, 1960, shortly before coming to India.

Nineteen years later, China performed a somersault. Far from softening its stand after the war of 1962, China hardened it. On February 14, 1979, in Beijing, Deng Xiaoping offered External Affairs Minister A.B. Vajpayee “the package deal” – de jure recognition of the status quo by both sides. He asserted that the eastern sector was “the area of the biggest dispute”. It was of economic value. This was inconsistent with China’s stand until that day. Was it a tactical riposte to pre-empt India’s expected demand for the restoration of the status quo before the 1962 war? One cannot be sure. What is clear is that China has persisted in this stand for the past nearly 30 years in total variance with its earlier stand.

The nuances have varied. Initially, China insisted on parity of concession – India concedes in the east; China, in the west. Later, this was varied to an insistence that India must first concede in the east if there were to be a settlement. But the room for concession there is restricted. The 1914 sketch map is susceptible to improvement in this age of satellite cartography. But China wants more than a few limited areas that do not disturb the Line. It wants the Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh.

Qin Gang’s plea for “regard for the historical facts” is justified. China opened its archives recently. India’s archival policy is the most illiberal in the entire democratic world; it is more illiberal than Russia’s or China’s. Our historians ritually pass resolutions at their annual meetings but do not mount a campaign together with supporters in the media and the academia. Why not present a petition to the Prime Minister, himself an academic? A high-power delegation should call on him. Failing redress, have recourse to the Right to Information Act, move the Central Information Commission and eventually the Supreme Court. The National Archives is barred from revealing files after 1914 on this subject.

The Government of India has failed to fulfil a 40-year-old pledge to the people. On June 15, 1966, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was asked at a press conference, “Will it not be better, in order to obtain a clear picture of our border disputes with China and also to end speculations going on here and abroad, to see that all pertinent documents, especially the full proceedings of the 1914 Simla Conference and also the minutes of both meetings of Nehru and Zhou Enlai, in 1954 and 1956, are made public?” She replied, “It is just a suggestion; it can be considered.” Nothing has been done about such an obviously sensible step as yet. The job has been left to private research. Indian scholars are obliged to go to London to do research in the British Library.

The results of all the significant research on the question were published well after the war of October 1962. Margaret Fisher, Leo E. Rose and Robert Huttenback’s pioneering work Himalayan Battleground was published in 1963; Alastair Lamb’s masterly essay “China-India Border” in 1964 was followed by his two volumes on The McMahon Line in 1966; Dorothy Woodman’s definitive Himalayan Frontiers appeared in 1969. W.F. Van Eekelen, a Dutch diplomat who made excellent use of his sojourn to New Delhi and London, published his work Indian Foreign Policy and the Border Dispute with China in 1964. All these were works of original research based on archival material. P.C. Chakravarti’s The Evolution of India’s Northern Borders and S.C. Bajpai’s The Northern Frontiers of India were published in 1971; Parshotam Mehra’s The McMahon Line and After appeared in 1974 and his two volumes of documents, The North-Eastern Frontier, in 1979-80. Mehra is the doyen of scholars in this field, and my debt to him is enormous.

No scholar has been more sympathetic to China than the formidable Alastair Lamb. He wrote in 1964: “The Chinese attitude to the McMahon Line, indeed, seems to have been little influenced by any Chinese views as to the availability of that line as a boundary. In fact, in the 1960 Sino-Burmese boundary agreement China accepted a portion of the McMahon Line as the border the moment the alignment had been renegotiated. No doubt in any genuine boundary discussions with India the present Chinese government would be willing to abide by a freshly negotiated boundary of more or less the McMahon type so long as such a boundary did not carry with it the implications of the March 1914 notes. The McMahon Line is, on the whole, quite a fair and reasonable boundary between China and India along the Assam Himalaya. In a few places, however, it includes territory on the Indian side which could well have been left in Tibetan hands” (emphasis added throughout).

What of Tawang? “Tawang north of the Se La [Pass] was a district which could also have been returned to Tibet at any time before 1947 without sacrifice of Indian interests. It did not, it would seem, actually come under direct Indian administration until 1951, and at the end of British rule in India it was still controlled by Tibet, just as it had been before 1914. Tawang south of the Se La, however, had by 1947 definitely come under Indian control. The retention of this region, moreover, was clearly essential on strategic grounds so as to avoid a salient of Tibetan (and, by 1947, potentially Chinese) territory thrusting right to the edge of the Brahmaputra valley. If, however, all these possible modifications had been made, then India would have reduced its theoretical limits by perhaps less than a 1,000 square miles and this would have represented the maximum adjustment of the McMahon Line that any Tibetan government could have reasonably expected” (pages 169-170, 1964).

He misses two points. First, tripartite talks among Britain, China and Tibet became necessary because of the collapse of China’s power in Tibet after the Revolution in 1912. Earlier, Chao Erh-feng’s military campaign to occupy Lhasa had alerted the British. His armies reached as far as Kima. To find out how far the Chinese had penetrated, Noel Williamson set out with an escort party of 44. All were killed by the tribesmen. Calcutta was incensed.

There was in this region an Inner Line fixed by the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873 and an Outer Line. The British administered up to the Outer Line along the foothills of the Himalayas. Between it and the McMahon Line lay an area that China claims. However, from 1873 onwards, the British gradually extended a shadowy administration beyond the Outer Line – except in Tawang. The region was depicted on the maps as falling within Britain’s sphere of influence.

In October 1910, the Viceroy Lord Minto advised the India Office to “gain a buffer” by “extending the Outer Line” to Tibet. The alignment he suggested excluded Tawang. So did his successor Lord Hardinge’s alignment.

Surveys galore beyond the Outer Line were conducted by the Survey of India – by Major J.W. Beresford, J.F. Needham of the Bengal Police, Captain E.H. Molesworth, Captain G.A. Nevill and Captain F.M. Bailey. “The entire country was surveyed,” Dorothy Woodman recorded (page 138). The McMahon Line was drawn on the basis of these surveys. It was not drawn arbitrarily.

There was no Chinese presence here ever . Zhou Enlai was altogether wrong when he claimed at his press conference that the area was under China’s administration. The Tibetans did have a presence, but only in Tawang. There was a British, at one remove, Indian, presence, incontestably. “We only administer politically,” as Hardinge put it. Charles Bell, who knew the region like the back of his hand, warned in 1910: “If the Chinese regain control over Tibet, later on they will pay special attention to the development and consolidation of the at present thinly populated but warm and fertile districts in the southwest of Tibet, which are not far from Assam and from which districts, when developed, a considerable army could be fed.”

A very confidential evaluation he wrote at this time read: “Until the recent Tibet Mission, and the resulting growth of Chinese power in Tibet… China had very little power and there were no signs of her being aggressive on the Indian frontier…. The position is now completely damaged. China is becoming every year more formidable as a military power. She has seized the power in Tibet and is increasing her military strength there more and more. Only a narrow stretch of territory intervenes between her conquests and the plains of India. And these conditions apply to 1,100 miles of frontier, i.e. from the north-west corner of Nepal to the north-east corner of Assam. It is of vital importance to keep China and all foreign powers out of this narrow stretch of territory.”

Strategic importance In Ladakh in the 19th century, the fear of a Russian advance prompted the British to encourage China to bring its presence down to the Karakoram. Fear of China’s advance prompted Calcutta to advance beyond the Outer Line to reach the Himalayas. Military Intelligence agreed, but its line also excluded Tawang.

The die was cast by a “Confidential Note by Chief of General Staff” dated June 1, 1912. It warned: “The direction of the frontier line about Tawang requires careful consideration. The present boundary (demarcated) is south of Tawang, running westward along the foothills from near Udalgiri to the southern Bhutan border, and thus a dangerous wedge of territory is thrust between the Miri country and Bhutan. A comparatively easy and much used trade route traverses this wedge from north to south, by which the Chinese would be able to exert influence or pressure on Bhutan, while we have no approach to this salient from a flank, as we have in the case of the Chumbi salient…. Rectification of the frontier here is therefore imperative, and an ideal line would appear to be one from the knot of mountains near Longitude 93” Latitude 28”20’ to the border north of Chona Dzong in a direct east and west line with the northern frontier of Bhutan. There appears to be a convenient watershed for it to follow.” The rest followed.

The second point that Lamb and others miss is that China accepted Tibet as an equal participant at the Simla Conference. China accepted the terms set out in a Memorandum that the British Ambassador presented to the Waichiapu (China’s Foreign Office) on August 17, 1912.

The Order by President Yuan Shih-kai appointed Ivan Chen as special plenipotentiary for Tibetan negotiations and directed him “speedily to proceed to India, there to negotiate provisional treaty jointly with the plenipotentiary appointed by Great Britain and the Tibetan plenipotentiary, and sign articles which may be agreed upon in order that all difficulties which have existed in the past may be dissolved”.

The Dalai Lama appointed Lonchen Shatra as his plenipotentiary. The Foreign Secretary in the Government of India, Sir Arthur Henry McMahon, represented India. China’s plea for London as the venue was turned down. The India-China-Tibet conference opened, instead, at Wheatfield House in Simla on October 13, 1913.

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Victory for Chavez

ELECTIONS seem to be an annual feature in Venezuela. This year, it was the turn of local and gubernatorial elections, which were held in the third week of November. As predicted by opinion polls, President Hugo Chavez’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) won emphatic victories in 17 of the 23 States.

At the same time, the electorate sent a strong message to the government: PSUV candidates for Governor lost in five States, including the two most populous ones, and in the Capital District of Caracas. In the elections held four years ago, the opposition managed to win only two States. Among the candidates who were defeated this time were close allies of Chavez, the most prominent one being Aristobulo Isturiz, a former Education Minister. He was defeated in greater Caracas. The victor, Antonio Ledezma, is a confidant of former President Carlos Andres Peres. Peres, who now lives in the United States, once called for the assassination of Chavez. But overall, the results can be interpreted as a massive mandate for Chavez. His party polled around 57 per cent of the votes. The President’s personal popularity ratings have remained over 60 per cent for more than a year. In an address to the nation immediately after the election results were announced, Chavez said that the outcome has “ratified the construction of socialism in Venezuela and now we will deepen it”. He said that Venezuelans had participated in the elections in a “joyful and civic manner” but sarcastically added that some people would still insist that “there is a dictatorship in Venezuela”. A day later, the President said that his party would seek to amend the Constitution so that the head of state could have uninterrupted terms. Chavez narrowly lost a referendum on the issue last year. His current term expires in 2013.

Local issues predominated in the elections. The opposition belatedly gave up on its tactics of demonising Chavez and instead focussed on issues relating to crime, inflation and corruption. These are facts of life in Venezuela. The homicide rate in the capital, one of the highest in the region, has been worrying the authorities. Inflation has been high for some time now and is currently at 30 per cent, the highest in Latin America. But most Venezuelans have given credit to the government for efficiently managing the economy despite the alarming fall in the international price of oil. The government has used its $40-billion-dollar reserves prudently to ensure that its ambitious social programmes are not impacted adversely.

The latest election results show that the Bolivarian movement led by Chavez still faces formidable challenges. One important reason the opposition could make some gains is that both the print and electronic media continue to be monopolised by the pro-U.S. private sector. Private right-wing television stations continue to spew vitriol on Chavez and the government. The government-owned Telesur network, which was meant to be a counter to CNN and the American-financed private channels, has not been able to make much of an impact.

The election results are no doubt being keenly analysed in Washington. Relations between the two countries have gone from bad to worse under the George W. Bush presidency. Chavez welcomed the election of Barack Obama and expressed the hope that with a “black man” as President, bilateral ties would improve. “We hope that he tunes into the frequency of the world and convinces the U.S. hawks that it is impossible to dominate the planet,” Chavez said in his inimitable style.In the last week of November, a squadron of Russian warships arrived in Venezuela for the first time, and the navies of the two countries will be conducting joint exercises. This development is viewed with undisguised alarm in the U.S. Chavez has emphasised that strong relations with Russia are important in order to reduce U.S. influence in the region and maintain peace and stability.

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Short on strategy

THE war on terror in Mumbai is sure to revive the debate on whether the Central and State governments are soft on terror, with the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in 2004 being cited as a manifestation of this laxity. The campaign by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose National Democratic Alliance government enacted POTA in 2002, for a tough anti-terror law to contain the alarming rise of terrorism in the country obfuscates the real issues.

The Supreme Court held both the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), 1985, and POTA constitutional, in spite of their draconian provisions. It was the political class that repealed these Acts because of their grave potential for abuse by those responsible for implementing them. The Supreme Court refused to strike them down merely on the grounds that they could be abused, maintaining that such a challenge could be mounted against any law. The court sought so that that the law provided for proper checks and balances to ensure due process and protection of individual liberties were guaranteed, as prosecution could continue in cases registered under these Acts even after their repeal and lapsing. The history of the two anti-terror laws is ample testimony to the fact that we tend to substitute legislative response for institutional response. The country has not been able to win the war on terrorism because it lacks an institutional response. Strange as it might seem, both TADA and POTA could not “prevent” terrorist acts although that is what they were intended for. This is because prevention of a terrorist act is largely a result of the work of an efficient intelligence agency, which helps to apprehend the suspects before the commission of an offence. The legislative framework becomes relevant once the investigating agency takes over and the suspect becomes the accused and is prosecuted in accordance with the law. It is assumed that successful investigation and prosecution of suspects depends on a legal framework that enables doing away with certain legal safeguards, which are seen as loopholes by the accused. These safeguards give opportunities to the accused to seek to establish his/her innocence and minimise the scope for the investigating agencies to resort to short cuts in resolving a case.

It is naive to assume, for instance, that the terrorists who struck in Mumbai would not have done so if our legal framework did not have these safeguards. These terrorists were ready to lose their lives and even risk police torture if caught alive. Even the harshest of laws would not have dissuaded them from taking the risk.

On the contrary, there is enough evidence to prove how the anti-terrorist legislation lent itself to abuse. Take TADA, for instance, which was allowed to lapse in 1995. Union Minister of State for Home Rajesh Pilot stated on August 24, 1994: “Of the approximately 67,000 individuals detained since TADA came into force, 8,000 were tried and only 725 persons were convicted. Some 59,509 people had been detained with no case being brought against them. The TADA Review Committees found that except in 5,000 cases the application of TADA was wrong and asked for the withdrawal of cases. Despite the admissibility of the confessions made to the police as evidence – which were invariably made under torture – the conviction rate was less than 1 per cent. Yet, thousands of people underwent prolonged detention without ever being convicted. The maximum numbers of arrests under TADA were not made in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir or north-east India but in Gujarat, which had no record of terrorism. The majority of the victims belonged to religious minorities.”

The experience with POTA, 2002, does not inspire any confidence about the effectiveness of safeguards against its abuse. In Jharkhand, where the highest number of POTA cases and detainees were registered, there is evidence to suggest that the tribal community was targeted. In Gujarat, all except one of the POTA detainees belonged to the Muslim minority. The Central POTA Review Committee’s conclusion that POTA was inapplicable against the accused in the 2002 Godhra train tragedy case is an instance of how the State government sought to abuse the law. The State government refused to abide by the committee’s decision and did not withdraw POTA charges against the accused for nearly three years. The cases were withdrawn only after the Supreme Court held recently that the committee’s decision was binding on the State government.

The three POTA Review Committees that were set up under the POTA Repeal Act in September 2004 submitted their findings to the Union Home Ministry in September 2005. These findings indicated that of the 1,529 POTA accused the committees had examined in the 263 POTA cases, no prima facie evidence was found against 1,006, suggesting that POTA was not applicable to two-thirds of the accused. Nearly 100 of these 263 cases were lodged in Gujarat and Jharkhand. In Jharkhand, those arrested under POTA included women and children.

The United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre amended the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967, to incorporate some of the provisions of POTA pertaining to the definition of and punishment and enhanced penalties for terrorist activities, and specific procedures, including the banning of terrorist organisations and interception of communications.The amendment dropped some of the following POTA provisions that were widely perceived as draconian: treating the confessions to a police officer as admissible evidence and the prolonged period of custodial detention, that is, 180 days. The amendment reduced this period to 90 days, in accordance with Section 167 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The only possible justification for treating the confessions of an accused to a police officer as admissible evidence is that the investigating agencies are unable to gather evidence against terrorists other than through confessional statements, which can be secured through torture, the safeguards against involuntary confessions not being very effective. The reduction in the period of custodial detention could ensure expeditious investigation of terrorist offences. The reason that prolonged detention could help the police investigate an offence better is not very convincing.Similarly, under POTA, an accused could not seek bail for a period of one year after arrest without the consent of the prosecution and the satisfaction of the court. POTA also provided for presumption of guilt of the accused and the shifting of the burden of proof of innocence on to the accused. The amended UAPA does not retain these provisions. The absence of these provisions has, however, not weakened the legal mechanism as the courts, under the CrPC, retain the discretion to deny bail in cases of terrorism and the prosecution is free to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.

The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) submitted its eighth report on “Combating Terrorism: Protecting by Righteousness” to the government in June this year. It has reiterated its recommendation made in its report on “Public Order” for the creation of a specialised division in the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate terror offences. The need for a federal agency to fight terrorism has been widely felt in recent days, to ensure coordination between the Centre and the States not only in gathering and sharing intelligence but in investigating terrorist crimes. The commission has also recommended an amendment to the National Security Act (NSA) instead of the UAPA, in order to ensure an adequate legal framework against terrorism, and comprehensive police reforms. The ARC’s recommendations may not be sufficient to guarantee the requisite institutional response against terrorism, but they can at least make a beginning in that direction, if accepted by the government.

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Pathways to the Spirit

How can science provide us with pathways to the spirit when we are living in the modern age of the brain? Today, the majority of scientific materialists, which include most psychologists, neurologists and psychiatrists, believe that anything we call mental or spiritual is merely a by-product of biochemical processes taking place in the brain. For them, the spirit or soul is merely an illusion - it simply doesn't exist. For other scientists however, consciousness and the spiritual self are not regarded as illusory epiphenomenona but rather something that transcends the physical brain altogether.

So if the soul or spiritual self is something other than a by-product of brain activity, then what is it? Spirit is generally described as an indwelling animating force present within all living things, associated with mind, will and feeling and responsible for one's sense of personal identity as a spiritual being and immortal soul. Within the context of Christian theology it is part of the trinity, called the holy ghost, while parapsychologist usually regard it as an indwelling nonlocal consciousness which is nonphysical in nature and therefore capable of mentally transcending many normal limitations of physical space and time, as well as surviving the demise of the physical body. In this article we will examine two different scientific pathways to the spirit provided by prominent research biologists and quantum physicists who have rediscovered an ancient truth - that the indwelling spirit is present in the physical world actively participating in its enfoldment. The Biology of the Spirit
Gregory Mendel (1822-1884), an Augustian monk who lived in Brunn Austria, discovered the fundamental biological laws governing heredity by breeding pea plants in his monastery garden. He crossed varieties and species of plants, carefully observing the physical characteristics of the hybrids that he produced. His conclusions, based on his discovery that physical traits are genetically inherited, were published in 1865 in an obscure scientific journal, which to his surprise attracted practically no attention. It wasn't until 1900 that Mendel's discovery resurfaced again, when Hugo DeVries, Erich Von Tsohermark and Carl Correns, working independently, duplicated Mendel's experiments and corroborated his findings.

Today, based on Mendel's materialist genetic theory, all living things are merely regarded as biochemical machines entirely programmed by their genes. Living organisms are regarded as nothing more than complicated collections of organic particles, blindly pushed and pulled by its neighbors. Richard Dawkins describes living things, including ourselves, as nothing more than automatons or 'gene machines'. Thus one's biological fate is sealed as it entirely predetermined, unalterably recorded in their genes.

The independent existence of mind and spirit are no longer recognized as they are considered to be merely epiphenomenona created by biochemical processes taking place within the physical body. Now, geneticists have gone even further, claiming that it is not only physical characteristics that are inherited but all psychological traits including abnormal behavioral as well. Whether it be an inherited disposition to acquiring a particular disease, a health problem, or a tendency to abnormal behavior such as lying, stealing or homosexuality, one can always opt out of any personal responsibility for their condition or behavior by claiming that it is not their fault - that they get it from their genes!

One of the problems with conventional genetics is the kind of language generally used to describe biochemical processes. If genetic material is composed of inert molecules of protein and amino acids, how can they possibly contain a 'memory' of coded genetic information? We cannot legitimately describe biochemical processes by appealing to subjective terms as if matter had mental qualities - a concept which biologists have already rejected.

If the brain is a blob of matter and consciousness is merely an epiphenomenona created by its activity, then how can we claim that the right side of the brain 'appreciates music', or imply that inert chemical molecules are aware of their environment and can intelligently respond to it. We can't attribute to physical matter subjective characteristics that belong to mind unless it really does posses those characteristics. And this is the crux of the problem; what if matter really does have mental characteristics that most biologists are unwilling to recognize?

According to molecular biologists the primary necessity of living things is to reproduce themselves through genetic duplication and DNA is perceived as being the physical blueprints required for the reproduction of the species - but who is there to read those blueprint? If these genetic blueprints are merely comprised of different forms of inert, unintelligible molecules, then how do we explain how a plant is able to successfully develop without the presence of some form of intelligence to inform and guide the complex biological processes involved in its development? The belief that blind biochemical processes can accomplish this miracle is entirely unwarranted.

The Psychogenetic Revolution
I recently obtained a copy of Dr. Bruce Lipton's book: The Biology of Belief, which has finally substantiated my long-held belief that there is something drastically wrong with the current scientific theory of genetics. As a result of his extensive research in cell research, he has literally turned the scientific world up-side-down with his revolutionary approach to a new biological theory he calls epigenetics.

Dr. Lipton is certainly well qualified to lead such an important revolution. He began his career as a cell biologist, receiving his PhD. Degree from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville before joining the Department of Anatomy at the University of Wisconsin's School of Medicine in 1973. Between 1987 and 1992, while conducting basic research at Stanford University's School of Medicine, he achieve an important breakthrough in the study of cellular behavior which seriously challenges the validity of the conventional genetic theory that is so widely accepted by biologists today.

In our search for pathways to the spirit, Dr Lipton has discovered a very important one that will help us understand how the mind and spirit participate in the enfoldment of all living things. In what remains of this section on the Biology of the Spirit I would like to summarize Dr. Lipton's findings and would encourage you to visit his website at www.brucelipton.com.

Some of the insights that Dr. Lipton's research reveals includes the following:
1.The body is not a mechanical device but depends on the participation of mind and spirit. Although every cell is a free-living entity capable of surviving on its own, the body's collective cellular community works together responding to the intentions and wishes of the controlling voice - the mind and spirit. These messages that we mentally send to our cells, including our particular unconscious beliefs and the way we perceive the world around us, directly influences our genetic programming and physically affecting our well-being. For example, habitual negative thinking or prolonged chronic stress are so debilitating that they are able to over-ride healthy genetic programming resulting in many forms of organic dysfunction and disease.

2. Conventional thinking among most biologists continue to entertain the concept of 'genetic determinism' which is the theory that the nucleus of the cell containing genetic material is the commanding center or all cellular activity and is in complete charge of the development of a living organism. But Lipton has demonstrated that once the genetic material in the cell's nucleus is removed it continues to survive for several months. In the absence of any genetic material the cell is still able to maintain its metabolism, digest food, excrete waist, breathe and respond to its immediate environment. As Dr. Lipton has concluded: the fact that a cell maintains a successful and integrated life in the absence of genes reveals that they are not the 'brain' or controlling center of the cell. In actuality, genes cannot be the controlling center of cellular activity as they have no way of chemically turning themselves on or off. What then does turn genetic activity on and off, thus controlling all cellular activity?

3. Dr. Lipton made the revolutionary discovery that it is the membrane surrounding the cell, which provides a perceptual interface with its environment, that is actually the controlling center of cellular activity. This outer membrane of the cell has previously been regarded as being a passive, semi-permeable barrier, whose primary function was to contain the cytoplasm. But it has been discovered that this outer cellular membrane has receptors and effectors capable of monitoring and responding to signals in its surrounding environment. In other words, it has the perceptual capability of being consciously aware of changing conditions in its environment, with the capacity of responding accordingly. But an even more revolutionary discovery is that we are not helpless victims of our genetic inheritance. Because we are continually interactively communicating with these outer membranes surrounding the millions of cells that comprise our physical body, we can alter our genetic programming by changing our beliefs, intentions, and the particular way we perceive reality.

Such a discovery immediately frees us from the dominating fear that is normally associated with the materialistic doctrine of genetic determinism, providing us with an awareness of how we can intentionally begin to participate both mentally and emotionally in influencing our biological well-being. In addition, Lipton's theory of epigenetics ushers in a new age of enlightenment - a biology of the spirit that provides us with an important path that each of us can follow in discovering our spiritual nature that is intimately interwoven within the very cellular structure of our biological world.

Quantum Physics and the Sacred
Does Quantum physics also provide us with a pathway to the spirit? Dr. Lawrence W. Fagg, a retired research professor in nuclear physics originally associated with The Catholic University of America believes so; a conclusion resulting from his thirty-five years of pioneering research exploring the quantum frontier between spirit and matter. His revolutionary findings were published in a book entitled: Electromagnetism and the Sacred, in 1999.

Dr. Fagg's general thesis is that the material world is electromagnetic in nature and that its interactions, which underlie the very fabric of our experiential world, from rocks and planets to minds and living organisms, all depend on the activity of virtual photons which are the 'messenger particles' for the electromagnetic force responsible for the formation of the physical world.

Every form of electromagnetic radiation is composed of photons, both real and virtual. Real photons, which are observable and can be measured, are responsible for illuminating the world around us. They are produced in various ways, for example, when charged particles are accelerated or when electrons collide. Virtual photons on the other hand, are not observable or measurable, yet they play a vital role in constraining electrons to specific orbital paths surrounding the nucleus of an atom thereby providing a stabilizing force required for structuring and sustaining the existence of the many different kinds of molecules that comprise our physical world. Without the active participation of virtual photons there would be no electromagnetic interactions and consequently no physical world at all.

As all electromagnetic phenomenon are essentially different forms of light, Dr. Fagg believed that the creative role of light in manifesting physical reality reflects the wisdom of sacred scripture and religious beliefs which have persistently claimed down through the centuries - that God is light. He wondered if there really was a meaningful connection between electromagnetism and God's immanence within the nature of things. But if that were the case, then we should expect to find an all-pervasive intelligence actively present within quantum phenomena itself, and that is exactly what we do find!

Quantum Action-at-a-Distance
The concept of nonlocality, or 'action-at-a-distance' was first proposed in 1935 by Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen, which has since become know as the EPR paradox. This was originally a 'thought experiment' which involved sending twin particles off in separate directions, each with its own spin. If one was spinning to the left the other would have to spin to the right. Now, assuming that these spinning particles were separated by a vast distance, what would happen if an experimenter suddenly changed the spin of one of the particles? Would the other particle become aware of this change and alter its own spin in the opposite direction?

Alain Aspect, a French physicist, was able to successfully perform the EPR experiment in 1982 and found that twin quantum particles did in fact communicate with each other at a speed greater than the velocity of light, compensating for any abrupt change in polarization or direction of spin. The question now is, how do we propose to explain this exchange of information?

First of all, orthodox quantum mechanics in its original form was not capable of explaining this type of mental phenomena. Since the inception of quantum mechanics by Heisenberg and Bohr, consciousness had been completely excluded from the physical universe. Bohm, an American physicist, later introduced his theory of the 'quantum potential' which postulated fields of active information in terms of 'pilot waves' and 'back action', which provided a workable model for understanding the relationship existing between quantum energy and the distant communication between particles in the EPR experiment.

For David Bohm, a particle rather than just being causally influenced by mechanical forces, is always accompanied by a pilot wave which informs and guides it. The idea of 'active information' is that the pilot wave, which has very little energy itself, uses the information it has to directly influence or control the much greater energy possessed by the particle. According to his concept of 'back action' quantum information is also constantly fed back from the particle to the pilot wave, which then revises the information it has accordingly. Like a pilot controlling the incredible power of a jumbo-jet, information is conveyed from the plane’s instruments according to a mental choreography in which the plane and the pilot interact, giving it the semblance of a living object that is sensitive and responsive to changing conditions in its environment. It is this same kind of scenario that is taking place on the quantum level.According to Bohm, in order to understand this interaction taking place between an informed particle, its pilot wave and the objective environment, including the presence of an observer, all these elements must be viewed in their undivided wholeness. The humble particle, like other living things, is not entirely subject to chaotic mechanical forces but rather through the presence of consciousness provided by the quantum pilot wave which accompanies it, it is able to participate to a degree in its own self determination. For further information on Bohm's contributing to the development of quantum theory, there are two books that are well worth reading: Wholeness and the Implicate Order by David Bohm, and Infinite Potential: the life and times of David Bohm by F. David Peat.As physical reality is comprised of quantum electromagnetic energy, we need to finally recognize the fact that ordinary matter exhibits a nonlocal, rudimentary level of consciousness that is able to transcend the physical limitations of time and space such as the ultimate speed of light, which is approximately 186,000 miles a second. Through time, these pilot waves or quantum fields of awareness associated with matter have slowly evolved to progressively higher functional biological levels of consciousness and at each level there is a proportionately higher degree of complexity and response, such as we find in living organisms. As quantum electromagnetic energy manifesting as our experiential world is simply different manifestations of light, we are in a position to appreciate Dr Fagg's revolutionary insight into the relationship that he has found to exists between electromagnetism and the sacred. Both Lawrence Fagg and David Bohm have provided invaluable insights regarding the nature of an important pathway to the spirit which is actively present at the very deepest levels of the quantum world.

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Mumbai under seige

Terror struck the country’s financial capital late tonight as “coordinated” serial explosions (12 of them) & indiscriminate firing rocked areas across Mumbai. City was held on gun point as terrorist fired gun shots on the streets of the city. Which at this point of time seems like complete planned attack. City beared a Gaza strip look with gun being fired from AK-47 and grenade being shot at will. Several police personal and citizen were dead. Foreign nationals, Anti Terrorist Squad officers & Media persons were targeted. The first incident took place between 10.15 pm and 10.30 pm when bullets, apparently from automatic weapons, were fired at police and paramilitary forces outside the Taj Mahal Hotel in south Mumbai. Minutes later, bullets were fired near Hotel Trident - another five-star hotel - barely a kilometre away from the Taj. Trident is in a high security zone and lies just behind Air India and Maharashtra legislature buildings. Unidentified persons also opened random firing near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, headquarters of the Central Railway, which is a world heritage building and remains crowded almost throughout the day. According to sources, two men rushed into a local train stationary at CST and fired indiscrimately. The next time he raises the issue of terrorism in Parliament, CPM member N N Krishnadas will be able to speak from his personal experience as he had a providential escape from the gun-toting extremists who barged into the Taj Hotel in Mumbai on Wednesday night.Death was never so near, it was terrible,” the Left MP from Palakkad in Kerala told Deccan Herald from Mumbai over telephone.His colleagues Vikhe Singh Patil from Maharashtra and Lalmani Prasad from UP were still inside the hotel and rescue operations were on when he spoke to media on Thursday evening.
“We reached Mumbai on Wednesday as part of a Parliamentary Committee visit and were allotted rooms in the third floor,” Krishnadas said.“Around 9.40 pm, myself and another MP Bhupinder Singh Solanki were having dinner at the Shamiana Restaurant in the hotel and suddenly two masked men barged in firing indiscriminately,” he said.One foreigner was shot dead on the spot. It was a matter of a few minutes, and before they could figure out anything, the hotel staff escorted them out through an emergency door to the first floor lobby.“When we reached there, we could see about 150 people lying on the floor to save themselves from fire and counter-fire and the whole night we were there in that position,” he said adding that other two MPs were in their rooms at that time.

Around 9.40 pm, myself and another MP Bhupinder Singh Solanki were having dinner at the Shamiana Restaurant in the hotel and suddenly two masked men barged in firing indiscriminately,” he said.One foreigner was shot dead on the spot. It was a matter of a few minutes, and before they could figure out anything, the hotel staff escorted them out through an emergency door to the first floor lobby.“When we reached there, we could see about 150 people lying on the floor to save themselves from fire and counter-fire and the whole night we were there in that position,” he said adding that other two MPs were in their rooms at that time.
Around 9.45 am on Thursday, commandoes evacuated them and escorted them to the Asadnagar Police station, from where they were taken to the Bank of Baroda guest house at Churchgate. Solanki, who also witnessed the 2001 Parliament attack, said the Mumbai attack was deadlier than the one in Delhi.
Target Points:-
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower,Apollo Bunder, S.Mumbai
Hotel Oberoi/Trident Nariman Point,S.Mumbai
Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Railway Station
Police headquarters in S. Mumbai
Metro cinema, S. Mumbai
JJ school of Art, N.A. M. G. Road, Fort, S.Mumbai
Leopold's restaurant, Colaba, Nawroji F Road,S.Mumbai
Blast in a taxi in Vile Parle, N.Mumbai
Western Expressway, S.Mumbai
Cama Hospital, Mahapalika Marg, S.Mumbai
Sequence of events:-
Wednesday, 26/11/2008
Millitants enter city via sea on boat.
Cafe Lehold, Nawroji F Road,Colaba, South Mumbai faces first attack at (09:30 PM IST, Wednesday, 26/11/2008)
Militants open fire at CST,Railway Station & UNESCO World Heritage Site(10:15PM IST)
Gun battle at Metro cinema (10:20 AM IST)
Millitants enter Cama Hospital, (10:30PM IST)
Militants hijack police gypsy and open fire on public at Colaba with AK-47, AK-56 & hand grenades (10:33PM IST)
Hotel Taj was one of the flashpoint, where 17 blasts has been reported so far (10:45 PM IST).
Thursday,27/11/2008
ATS chief Hemant Karkare (IPS) broght dead at JJ Hospital with 3 bullets, after leading operation at Cama hospital (02:20 AM IST, Thursday, 27/11/2008)
ATS officer Ashok Kamte killed at cross fire with millitants at Metro cinema.
Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, JJ school of Art is under attack
More than 100 people have been killed & 283 have been injured.
5 terrorist have been killed in encounter in Hotel Taj.400 people were rescued from Hotel Taj & 170 from hotel Oberoi.
9 terrorists (alleged) have been captured by ATS (5:30 AM IST)
119 of 125 dead are Indian national rest 6 are foreigners.
Several people are held as hostages in Hotel Taj, Nariman Point & Oberoi(Trident)
Milltary has started several operations with ATS, CRPF, STF, Mumbai Police ( including CST which is now under millitary control).
Navy being called by Home Ministry, central.
NSG (National Security Guards) commandos have been air lifted from New Delhi to Mumbai for anti-terrorists operations (05:00 AM IST, Thursday, 27/11/2008)
NSG reaches Mumbai (07:00 AM IST)
No order from Police commisioner & Home Ministry to start operation.
City under complete control of Military, NSG, STF,ATS,CISF & Mumbai Police.
'Deccan Majahedeen' claims responsibilities of attack via e-mail to news agencies/channels.
Cama Hospital cleared of milittants. Under army control now. (08:30 AM IST)
A couple and old lady dies in 'threat firing' early in morning (08:45 AM IST)
NSG trying to negotiate with millitants but fails. (08:45 AM IST)
NSG commandos (200 of them) with help of STF, ATS,Military (5 columns, 800 in numbers) & Navy starts special operation to gush out millitants now, probably 2 or 3 of them. 6 foreign nationals among 15-20 hostages. (08:50 AM IST)
Few (approx.40) people, all civilians, move out of the hotel as NSG moves in. (09:10AM IST)
Anti-terrorist operations on at 3 places viz. Taj Palace, Hotel Oberoi (also known as Trident) & Nariman Point (09:20AM IST)
An hour after operations began, no clue about the progress as no gun-shots heard in last 30-35 minutes(10:30 AM IST)
NSG asks media not to go into detail of operation on air as millitants might be wtching on TV. Media asked to take cautious approach at immensely tense and vulnerable situation (10:35 PM IST)
Citizens,World & Media wait & watch as NSG and rest do hard job at ground zero.30-35 persons remain hostage, including 2MPs (10:50 AM IST)
DGP AN Roy : " Complicated operation, time factor not known". Terrorists are believed to be asking ransom. Operation continues.....(13:25 HRS IST)
Hotel Taj Palace free of hostages, search on there for any hiding terrorists. Final assault at Taj. Hostage crisisis at hotel Trident/Oberoi & Nariman point. NSG go all out at terrorist at these 3 places. (14:30 HRS IST)
Coast Gaurd & Indian Navy launch massive search operation at Indian coasts looking for escaping millitant's boat (14:45 HRS IST)
Indian coast Guard & Indian Navy get hold of MV Alpha by which terrorists supposedly reached Mumbai (via Gateway of India) from Karachi Port, Pakistan(15:45 HRS IST)
6 Blasts occur in Oberoi in last 15 minutes, gunbattle continues at Trident & Nariman Place. (16:05 HRS IST)
Atleast 200 people are feared stuck in Hotel Oberoi as intense gunbattle continues to rescue citizens of difffrent nations. (17:45HRS IST)
6 fresh blasts at hotel Oberoi/Trident & Nariman house (18:00 HRS IST)
Fire again breaks out at Taj Palace (18:10 HRS IST).
1 alive terrorist of Pakistan national captured from Taj hotel (18:25 HRS IST).
Terrorist kill their own head, who was master mind of this attack, body was recovered by STF in Mumbai (19:00 HRS IST)
Hotel Taj palace is now free of militants, struggle continues at Oberoi though, 2 force personnel killed. (22:00 HRS IST)
26th hrs after it all started, the fight continues as brave hearts continue their fights & Mumbai struggle for euillibrium (23:00 HRS IST)
Friday, 28/11/2008
7 rescued from Hotel Oberoi including 3 foreigners (00:05 HRS IST)
Rescue operations carry on at Hotel Oberoi (00:30HRS IST)
2 NSG commandos injured in operation at Hotel Oberoi (02:30 HRS IST)
Fresh fire break out Hotel Oberoi (03:00 HRS IST)
More person brought out of Taj Palace (05:00 HRS IST)
Army,NSG & STF decides to air drop commandos at Nariman point as it gets difficult to gush them out (05:45 HRS IST)
Operation continues at Oberoi & Nariman place (07:30 HRS IST)
More grenades blasts at Nariman Point (08:30 HRS IST)
Helicopter continue to hover around Nariman Point, as rescue operation continues (09:45 HRS IST)
Operation reaches decisive phase as security forces corner terrorist at Nariman point (10:05 HRS IST)
ATS officers under attack:-
ATS Special squad ACP, Ashok Kamte (IPS), is reported to have died in Operation
ATS encounter specialist ACP Vijay Salaskar (IPS) is also dead as bullet hits his head in cross-fire.
ATS chief Hemant Karkare (IPS) is dead in operation.
3 more senior ATS officers of IPS ranks are fighting for their life in hospitals.
16 police personnel including 4 senior officers (3 of IPS Rank) died in operations. 2 SI, 2 ASI & 6 constables include among police deaths.
STF, NSG, Millitary & ATS trying to crack into hotels. Cross fire still on.
CISF deployed at airport.
Millitary & STF do flag march to restore normalcy in the city
Fire still on at Taj Palace.
Aftermath:-
Emerging hostage situation in Taj Palace, Oberoi hotel and Cama Hospital.
All educational institute & Govt,PVT. office to remain close today.
No trading at BSE & NSE: SEBI
Domestic & international flights cancelled/delayed
Local train run late
England cricket tour of India has been cancelled.
Championship matches shifted out of Mumbai.
Australia rejects to visit India for T-20 cricket championship.

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With love from Jaipur

Some snaps from last visit of Jaipur,Rajasthan,India

Jaipur, the pink city was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Jai Singh II, a Kachhwaha Rajput, who ruled from 1699-1744. Initially his capital was Amber, which lies at a distance of 11kms from Jaipur. He felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water. Jaipur is the first planned city of India and the King took great interest while designing this city of victory. He consulted several books on architecture and architects before making the lay out of Jaipur.

The Red wall

After several battles with Marathas, Jai Singh was keen on the security aspect of the city. Due to this reason, he focused on his scientific and cultural interests to make a brilliant city. Being, a lover of mathematics and science, Jai Singh sought advice from Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Brahmin scholar of Bengal, to aid him design the city architecture. Vidyadhar referred the ancient Indian literature on astronomy, books of Ptolemy and Euclid, and discussed the plan with the King

Road less travelled

With a strategic plan, the construction of the city started in 1727. It took around 4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was built following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the Indian Architecture. The city was divided into nine blocks, out of which two consist the state buildings and palaces, whereas the remaining seven blocks were allotted to the public. In order to ensure the security, huge fortification walls were made along with seven strong gates. According to that time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent.

The Puppet Royal Pillars

The Musician

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