Where Hao Hao Xuexi is not Possible
Just around 250 kilometers – a three to four hour bus drive from Beijing – and 65 kilometers from Zhangbei county, Loutapan village in Hebei province wears a pre-medieval look. Except for a macadamized road, which connects the village to rest of the world, it lacks almost all the basic facilities. Even a basic need like water is a luxury, as villagers have to walk more than a kilometer to fetch a bucket of water from a well in the nearby fields. However, education the necessity of modern society is not easy to receive here. The absence of basic schooling facilities in the village is believed to have become major reason for migration in the village to urban centers.
It is an established fact that education is one of the important pillars of any society’s development and primary education its foundation. No tertiary education, how affective it may be, can fill the vacuum created by the absence of good primary education. For China education became first priority when Chairman Mao famously once said “好好学习天天向上” hao hao xuexi tian tian xiangshang – study hard and get better day by day. But in Loutpan Mao’s saying turns meaningless. Though the village, according to elders, had culture of education by informal teaching even before the independent China. The villagers will hire an educated person to teach their kids in return of cash and kind, recalls Luo Guihua, 87, oldest in the village. Later a formal school was also opened in the village and villagers had to pay fee to educate their kids. But now though education is free for all, Luo is disappointed, as her village does not have a school. Luo’s daughter, who has three kids, had to migrate to the nearby town, which is about twenty-five kilometers away from the village, so that she can educate her kids. Thus she cannot now take care of her farmland. Luo is not the only person who has to leave her home for the future of her kid, and the Loutapan is not the only village which lacks the basic school facility. The similar stories such as that of Luo in particular and Loutapan village in general can be found in many Chinese households and villages.
As the effects of one child policy become visible, in the form of not many children in Chinese villages. Government decided to close the schools at village level and combine them at one place as there were fewer students enrolled in the village school. Though the policy might be economically cost effective, and help government save some money. It does have a social and psychological impact on the society. The two major visible impacts are: it forces parents to migrate from the village for the education of their kids. Right now, 1/3 of the Loutpan population has migrated to the nearby townships to work there as migrant labors in order to provide education to their kids. And, secondly, it detaches kids from their natural environment, which might have an impact on their future development.
On the other side in Wudaohe village in Anchungoumen county situation is not much different. Here every father of a small kid has a same tale to share, that they had to migrate for the better future of their children. A village resident Qi, who lived on the mountainous side of village, is father of a beautiful three year old girl. The family of three: Qi, his wife and daughter were living comfortably in their village till last year. But now, their daughter has to go the Xiao Ban (kindergarten) but there is no Xiao Ban and primary school in the village or somewhere nearby. So the only option for them was to migrate, if they wanted to educate their daughter. And they did. Migration from village means giving-up farming, livestock, neighbors, and living in the township means increase in daily expenditures for them.
Qi, who works in a Brickyard; earns 70-80 yuan a day. However, his wife who would earlier earn some money in the village is no more able to work, despite being in township. She has to take her daughter to the school at 8 a.m. Pickup her at 11 a.m. for lunch; and takes her back to the school at 1:30 p.m. and then again pickup her up at 3:30 p.m. Thus her whole day goes with taking care of her daughter. In between living in the township has increased her expenditures. Before they could take bath at their home in the village, now they have to use public bathroom, which cost them 5-7 yuan every time. In the village they would use wood, which is almost free, to cook meals; now living in the town, they have to buy coal to prepare meals. However, being out of village does not mean that they can abandon ties with their fellow villagers. Thus during festivities and celebrations they have to go back to village. And, going from township to the village always costs them more money. Living in town certainly has brought them some comfort too: easy availability of a doctor, buying goods and do access to other luxuries. But at the same time it has brought some sort of alienation in them as well. Qi’s wife, Qi Luo, says that she doesn’t feel happy to live in the township. She believes, happiness has gone since she moved to the town, she is not familiar with neighbors, she feels alienated in the city life.
Luo Qi and their ilks are waiting for the day when there will be a school again in the village, so that their sons and daughters don’t have to migrate from the village for the education of their kids. And, availing possibility of hao hao xuixi will be at their doorstep again.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Egyptian Protests: A Defining Moment For Arab World
Egyptian Protests: A Defining Moment For Arab World
By Suhail Masoodi
07 February, 2011
Countercurrents.org
As the Friday protests at the Maidani Tehrir could not prove decisive to change the regime, as it was expected; it, however, unnerved, already weak, Hosni Mubarak. He was not only asked to step down and leave the country by the people of Egypt, but his close ally the US president, Barack Obama, also asked him to listen to the legitimate voices of people. The slogans reverberating on the streets of Egypt are very clear and loud. Hey Mubarak, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is calling you, and the hotel in Judah is waiting for you, chanted at Tehrir makes it clear that writing is on the wall.
One the other side of Arabian peninsula Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, convened an emergency meeting of Shura and parliament on February 2, and declared that he will neither run for 2013 presidency himself nor will allow his son to do so. Interestingly, Yemeni parliament was planning to make constitutional amendment last month, which would enable a president to hold the presidency for lifetime. At the same time Jordan’s King Abdullah II sacked prime minister and his cabinet and appointed a new one, which was pretty much appreciated by western powers. Before all this, the first uprising which motivated/inspired all these movements was Tunisian revolution which might turn to be originator of reformation movement in the Arab world.
All these events suggests that the sleeping Middle East and Arab World has awakened and for good. This becomes a challenge not only for Mubarak, but to his ilk in the Middle East and Gulf and to the western world, particularly USA, which pretty much tries to micromanage this region.
Zain El Abidine Ben Ali’s stepping down as Tunisian president and his flight at the dead of the night provided fuel and inspiration to the Egyptian people, who were on and off protesting against the price rise, unemployment and other economic problems and social issues. Egyptians thought that if a small country with less population can dethrone its stringent and most authoritarian ruler why cannot Egypt, which is considered as the leader of the Arab region. Tarek Mohammad, a Ph.D. scholar from Egypt in China believes that Tunisian revolution was not only inspiration for Egypt but also a challenge that if they fail to change this authoritarian and ineffective government, we have no right to call ourselves leader of the Arab World. Protests were also seen in Jordan, Mauritania, Sudan, Yemen, and Algeria thus sending signals to the Arab rulers that the bells have starting ringing, therefore, your fall is certain.
But there is a serious concern. In Yemen the protests might be catastrophic. The worry about Yemeni protests is: if the protests intensify, unlike Egypt and Tunisia, they can turn into a civil war. The country which has 21 million populations with sixty million guns—which means on an average an individual owns three guns, besides tanks, rocket launchers and other modern weaponry in the hands of ordinary people. With almost tribal wars going on among the tribes, which have Al-Qaida ranks inside them, there can be bloody clashes between the government and the people. This movement will not only have divisive effect on Yemen, but might take Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states with it as well.
However, the revolution and regime change in the Arab countries, to start with from Egypt will not only determine Arab World’s future, but will also change whole geo-political relations of west towards these countries. And if the democracy comes in these countries, one might see the influence of Arabs in the world. The United States and Israel is threatened by that development. The Washington and Tel Aviv need Egypt more, in the Middle East, than Egypt needs them. But, if there is again imposition or enthronement of western lead government, as it seems most probably will happen in the form of Israel and the U.S. favorite Omar Suleiman lead temporary government, which might turn into permanent one, it will be disastrous for the Arab world, which could crumble again, may be for many many years. The protests were started against the economic problems, and might end there if any government addresses these issues with basic respect of human rights and public service delivery. There are most likely chances of change in regime, but not system of governance. However, it would not be 100 percent democracy or 100 percent Authoritarian governance system. Thus Mubarak might be replaced by incumbent vice president Mr. Omar Suleiman. If that happens Washington and Tel Aviv would be glad to see their man, on the presidential position, at the same time garner support in the country by removing Mubarak from the presidential positions. Ehsham Mohammed a Ph.D. Scholar from Egypt in China believes that people have to choose between bad and worse. “Mubarak is worse and Omar is bad,” says Mohammed, “So we may have to choose lesser evil.” Washington does not only want to meddle in Arab world affairs to keep controlling scare recourses in the region, but also to safeguard the interests of its all weather friend and ally Israel.
Transition from Mubarak will happen but how, in what form, and what will be the state of affairs at the time of transition, will determine the future of Egypt. Though Obama administration is in constant touch with Mubarak and has asked him to step down, but deep down Washington is worried which path it should take? It would not, obviously, want another Iran in the Middle East. As the symbolic military gestures are seen in the streets and planes are flying on air, Egyptian people are no way in a mood to give up. Therefore, sending signals not only to the Mubarak to leave the post, but also to the world powers that either you are with the people or with self imposed leader. And, Washington and other powers have no option this time except to be in the people’s side.
No matter what, there are visible signs of change, but the bigger question is: Can imposition of western model of free market liberal democracy bring justice and fulfill the people’s aspirations?
Protests in Cairo, Yemen and post-protest phase in Tunisia, does not clearly suggest what form of governance system would be placed in these countries. But if it turns to be a movement for Westminster democracy, Samuel Huntington’s soul would be happy. Had he been alive he would have called it fourth wave of democracy in the world. However, looking at the prevailing world order and the recent history, it is conspicuous that Westminster democracy has not shaped well in the third world countries either. Amy Chua classically presents the case in her book World on Fire, wherein she thoroughly explains how exporting free market democracy “breeds ethnic hatred and global instability”. At times the case looks clear and persuasive. Before Chua many western thinkers such as Robert Kaplan have expressed concerns with the western obsession of exporting liberal democracy to countries that lack the institutions, which support, carry forward, and nourish its principles. As per Kaplan imposing democracy on countries that lack the institutions necessary for its implementation, is naïve and often dangerous, fostering demagogues and communal hatreds. Democracy along with free markets enriches certain ethnic groups, which lead to vicious sectarian strife. This often leads to creation of market dominant minorities; groups like Chinese in Southeast Asia, Jews in Russia, Whites in Zimbabwe and Indians in Africa and Fiji. Democratic set up along with free markets allows these groups, while being minorities to control hugely disproportionate percentage of their countries assets. In such situations democracy gives voice to impoverished majorities there can be, as have been, violent backlashes on the ethnic minorities. The examples are violence against ethnic Chinese in Philippines, against Jews in Russia, against Indians in South Africa etc.
The lesson here is that the system of Westminster democracy, which is a collage of institutions, practices and principles, cannot be adopted and implemented everywhere. Nation states have to go through a necessary evolution of their systems before they can prepare and adopt this system of governance or to create their own governance system that guarantees universal human rights, yet does not clash with the basic cultural and traditional fundamentals of that society. It is too early to say which form the Egyptian revolution will take, but there is a serious need to have incremental economic, political, judicial and social policy changes in the whole Arab world, because rapid change might burst it into pieces, thus create what Durkheim calls anomic situation.
By Suhail Masoodi
07 February, 2011
Countercurrents.org
As the Friday protests at the Maidani Tehrir could not prove decisive to change the regime, as it was expected; it, however, unnerved, already weak, Hosni Mubarak. He was not only asked to step down and leave the country by the people of Egypt, but his close ally the US president, Barack Obama, also asked him to listen to the legitimate voices of people. The slogans reverberating on the streets of Egypt are very clear and loud. Hey Mubarak, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is calling you, and the hotel in Judah is waiting for you, chanted at Tehrir makes it clear that writing is on the wall.
One the other side of Arabian peninsula Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, convened an emergency meeting of Shura and parliament on February 2, and declared that he will neither run for 2013 presidency himself nor will allow his son to do so. Interestingly, Yemeni parliament was planning to make constitutional amendment last month, which would enable a president to hold the presidency for lifetime. At the same time Jordan’s King Abdullah II sacked prime minister and his cabinet and appointed a new one, which was pretty much appreciated by western powers. Before all this, the first uprising which motivated/inspired all these movements was Tunisian revolution which might turn to be originator of reformation movement in the Arab world.
All these events suggests that the sleeping Middle East and Arab World has awakened and for good. This becomes a challenge not only for Mubarak, but to his ilk in the Middle East and Gulf and to the western world, particularly USA, which pretty much tries to micromanage this region.
Zain El Abidine Ben Ali’s stepping down as Tunisian president and his flight at the dead of the night provided fuel and inspiration to the Egyptian people, who were on and off protesting against the price rise, unemployment and other economic problems and social issues. Egyptians thought that if a small country with less population can dethrone its stringent and most authoritarian ruler why cannot Egypt, which is considered as the leader of the Arab region. Tarek Mohammad, a Ph.D. scholar from Egypt in China believes that Tunisian revolution was not only inspiration for Egypt but also a challenge that if they fail to change this authoritarian and ineffective government, we have no right to call ourselves leader of the Arab World. Protests were also seen in Jordan, Mauritania, Sudan, Yemen, and Algeria thus sending signals to the Arab rulers that the bells have starting ringing, therefore, your fall is certain.
But there is a serious concern. In Yemen the protests might be catastrophic. The worry about Yemeni protests is: if the protests intensify, unlike Egypt and Tunisia, they can turn into a civil war. The country which has 21 million populations with sixty million guns—which means on an average an individual owns three guns, besides tanks, rocket launchers and other modern weaponry in the hands of ordinary people. With almost tribal wars going on among the tribes, which have Al-Qaida ranks inside them, there can be bloody clashes between the government and the people. This movement will not only have divisive effect on Yemen, but might take Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states with it as well.
However, the revolution and regime change in the Arab countries, to start with from Egypt will not only determine Arab World’s future, but will also change whole geo-political relations of west towards these countries. And if the democracy comes in these countries, one might see the influence of Arabs in the world. The United States and Israel is threatened by that development. The Washington and Tel Aviv need Egypt more, in the Middle East, than Egypt needs them. But, if there is again imposition or enthronement of western lead government, as it seems most probably will happen in the form of Israel and the U.S. favorite Omar Suleiman lead temporary government, which might turn into permanent one, it will be disastrous for the Arab world, which could crumble again, may be for many many years. The protests were started against the economic problems, and might end there if any government addresses these issues with basic respect of human rights and public service delivery. There are most likely chances of change in regime, but not system of governance. However, it would not be 100 percent democracy or 100 percent Authoritarian governance system. Thus Mubarak might be replaced by incumbent vice president Mr. Omar Suleiman. If that happens Washington and Tel Aviv would be glad to see their man, on the presidential position, at the same time garner support in the country by removing Mubarak from the presidential positions. Ehsham Mohammed a Ph.D. Scholar from Egypt in China believes that people have to choose between bad and worse. “Mubarak is worse and Omar is bad,” says Mohammed, “So we may have to choose lesser evil.” Washington does not only want to meddle in Arab world affairs to keep controlling scare recourses in the region, but also to safeguard the interests of its all weather friend and ally Israel.
Transition from Mubarak will happen but how, in what form, and what will be the state of affairs at the time of transition, will determine the future of Egypt. Though Obama administration is in constant touch with Mubarak and has asked him to step down, but deep down Washington is worried which path it should take? It would not, obviously, want another Iran in the Middle East. As the symbolic military gestures are seen in the streets and planes are flying on air, Egyptian people are no way in a mood to give up. Therefore, sending signals not only to the Mubarak to leave the post, but also to the world powers that either you are with the people or with self imposed leader. And, Washington and other powers have no option this time except to be in the people’s side.
No matter what, there are visible signs of change, but the bigger question is: Can imposition of western model of free market liberal democracy bring justice and fulfill the people’s aspirations?
Protests in Cairo, Yemen and post-protest phase in Tunisia, does not clearly suggest what form of governance system would be placed in these countries. But if it turns to be a movement for Westminster democracy, Samuel Huntington’s soul would be happy. Had he been alive he would have called it fourth wave of democracy in the world. However, looking at the prevailing world order and the recent history, it is conspicuous that Westminster democracy has not shaped well in the third world countries either. Amy Chua classically presents the case in her book World on Fire, wherein she thoroughly explains how exporting free market democracy “breeds ethnic hatred and global instability”. At times the case looks clear and persuasive. Before Chua many western thinkers such as Robert Kaplan have expressed concerns with the western obsession of exporting liberal democracy to countries that lack the institutions, which support, carry forward, and nourish its principles. As per Kaplan imposing democracy on countries that lack the institutions necessary for its implementation, is naïve and often dangerous, fostering demagogues and communal hatreds. Democracy along with free markets enriches certain ethnic groups, which lead to vicious sectarian strife. This often leads to creation of market dominant minorities; groups like Chinese in Southeast Asia, Jews in Russia, Whites in Zimbabwe and Indians in Africa and Fiji. Democratic set up along with free markets allows these groups, while being minorities to control hugely disproportionate percentage of their countries assets. In such situations democracy gives voice to impoverished majorities there can be, as have been, violent backlashes on the ethnic minorities. The examples are violence against ethnic Chinese in Philippines, against Jews in Russia, against Indians in South Africa etc.
The lesson here is that the system of Westminster democracy, which is a collage of institutions, practices and principles, cannot be adopted and implemented everywhere. Nation states have to go through a necessary evolution of their systems before they can prepare and adopt this system of governance or to create their own governance system that guarantees universal human rights, yet does not clash with the basic cultural and traditional fundamentals of that society. It is too early to say which form the Egyptian revolution will take, but there is a serious need to have incremental economic, political, judicial and social policy changes in the whole Arab world, because rapid change might burst it into pieces, thus create what Durkheim calls anomic situation.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Research is the key!
It is hard to have development without innovation, and impossible to have innovation without research, writes Suhail Masoodi
Greater Kashmir
January 27, 2010
On the first day of the 2010, I started off with a normal routine; grabbed a newspaper and started reading it. But this time I adopted a more optimistic approach, perhaps as part of a New Year resolution, that 2010 will be better than the previous year in terms of peace and development in India and the world. I also hoped that the role of policy makers, politicians, and writers will be pragmatic for the well being of a common man.
Turning the pages of “Times of India”, I came across an article written by Swaminathan Aiyer, one of the most respectable writers of India. The article entitled “India to overtake China in 2020” seemed to me far from reality. Being in China for over a year and looking at the development of China which accelerates at the fastest pace, I wondered whether the author is trying to befool people by his tall claims.“China is set to be 2nd largest economy in the world,” I said to myself, and recalled what my professor would often say “China will catch-up USA by 2020.” Even though both my professor and Mr. Aiyer made assumptions, the difference was the former’s claims were based on facts and figures while the latter’s was sheer rhetoric. Several people had even termed “ridicule” Mr. Aiyer’s article in their comments.
Exactly 16 days later on January 16, a news story in The Indian Express “‘UGC's norms link promotion to output; Seniority not a factor’” caught my eye. This news put me back in a thought- that something concrete is also happening. The University Grants commission (UGC) initiative (promotion on the bases of research output) led by Sibal is practical and need of the hour. Aiyer through his article wanted people to believe that India can overtake China because it has more young population, more English speaking population. While, Sibal knows, saying “all is well” phrase that has attracted thousands of people after it was used in a recently released Bollywood movie “3 Idiots,” is not going to work.
If India wants to compete with China it has to change its basics first. And, Sibal has touched the right nerve: research. It would have been better for the development of India and specifically for its educational development had they brought this regulation a decade ago, but, better late than never. Under this regulation, the promotion of a university/college teacher would be based on his/her research output, and satisfaction in teaching rather than experience. Apart from this, another regulation was passed some months ago by the HRD Ministry in which CBSC exams system of evaluation would change into the grading system of evaluation. I believe both the systems grading pattern of examination system and promotion on the basis of research output and quality of teaching are borrowed from China—which have been part of the Chinese education for years.
Fair enough. Countries adopt policies from other countries, which can fit to their context, and leave the ones which are not applicable. But the problem here is not with the policy but with the perception of people, especially teachers, professors in this case. The members of Federation of College and University Teachers Association (FEDCUTA) have supposedly gone for hunger strike against this regulation saying it will affect the teaching quality.
Usually in many other developing countries teachers complain that bureaucrats come in their way, when they want to focus on research, but here it is opposite. They say, a scholar’s desire is to produce more and more research, but it seems that is not true in India. Either the teachers don’t want to do the research and enjoy 60 years of life-long employment, without any accountability. Or they don’t know the importance of research. But blame does not lie squarely on teachers only. There is also institutional fault which the HRD is now trying to rectify by creating new policies which make research output pre requisite for promotion. But only this is not going to bring any drastic change unless the mindset is changed and skills for research are incorporated. The basic need is to change the pattern of evaluation system in the colleges and universities. It should be based on research paper submission, presentations, group discussions among others by the students in the class, pretty much like most of the developed countries as well as developing countries like China, and Singapore etc do, instead of present examination system which in one hand creates fear psychosis on the students and on the other hand fails to bring critical thinking among them.
Lifelong employment without any threat of getting fired has proved ineffective except in few countries like Japan, where unlike India; ownership of government work can be seen from each and every person. Thus, many countries replaced the lifelong employment system with the contract system of employments, which has proved to be affective
Secondly whether research is important for a country? The answer to this question lies in industrial revolution which changed the power politics of world. Finally policy change in the education system would improve the Indian research out. Most of the Indian students lag behind in research and academic writing skills because of the faulty education system. Contrary to India, where a student has to memorize the answers in order to write them in exams, in China an under graduate student write a thesis paper in order to graduate besides other course requirement papers and exams. The requirement for master’s degree student is to at least publish one academic paper in addition to his/her thesis. But in India, except few topnotch universities like Delhi University, JNU, IIM, or IIT’s students get even PhD degrees without any academic publication.
To borrow from Jaffrey D. Sachs argument, “it is the technology not the exploitation of poor, which became force behind the increase in income in rich world”. (Sachs; The End of Poverty). A small piece of steal (chip set) on which they add knowledge became much more expensive than our gold. Developed countries are developed because of innovation, not because they have natural resources, or they exploited the poor countries. I do not say natural resources do not play role in countries development, or the mighty America, western, and new rising East Asian tigers did not exploit poor countries, which helped in economic growth in these countries. But, it was innovations and technology, which made them superior than the rest of the world. History is testimony to the fact that many countries have developed in spite of less or nonexistent natural recourses; and at the same time sizable number of countries in Africa, Middle east, Central Asia, Asia pacific and South Asia are under developed despite huge natural recourses. Countries like Saudi Arabia. Qatar, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and even China have huge natural resources than a small country like South Korea which has no natural recourse at all, but none of these countries can match the economy of South Korea; which has mostly knowledge-based economy. Instead of benefiting a country’s development, the natural resources in many developing countries or least developed countries have become what Richard Auty calls “Resource Curse”. This “resource curse” could be seen in many African, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and many other developing countries.
So, where is the India’s knowledge capital? India’s HRD Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal answering a question in a debate on 12 March, 2008 in the Raj Sabah said, “India lags behind China in Research and Development (R&D) output and R&D spending”. India has 157 researchers per million population compared to China’s 633, Germany 3222, USA’s 4,526, Japan 5085, Sweden 5171 and Finland 7431.The gap between India and China in research output is very wide. In 1996, China was ranked 9th on research output with 26, 853 documents and India grabbed 13th spot with 20,106. This gap widened until 2006, China got onto the second position in research output after the USA with 166,205 documents, and India secured 10th position with 38,140 documents. (Subbiah Arunachalam 2008). This gap may widen further as China is investing huge money on R&D sector compared to India. China already invests around 1.80% of its GDP on R&D compared to USA’s 2.5%, and India’s 0.8%. China is planning to spend 2.5% of GDP on R&D in 2020 to don innovation in the world. So for India, the challenge is not only to invest in R&D and make India advanced in technology and foster development. But to effect the institutional change by changing the mindset of teachers and students, and by enforcing legislation that would encourage research. Or else, it is not going to happen. As the American Scholar Margeret Lavi says, “People seldom want to change the habits and norms that have protected them and promoted their individual ends, unless they are not convinced that the circumstances have truly changed.”
It is hard to have development without innovation, and impossible to have innovation without research. So research is the key.
Greater Kashmir
January 27, 2010
On the first day of the 2010, I started off with a normal routine; grabbed a newspaper and started reading it. But this time I adopted a more optimistic approach, perhaps as part of a New Year resolution, that 2010 will be better than the previous year in terms of peace and development in India and the world. I also hoped that the role of policy makers, politicians, and writers will be pragmatic for the well being of a common man.
Turning the pages of “Times of India”, I came across an article written by Swaminathan Aiyer, one of the most respectable writers of India. The article entitled “India to overtake China in 2020” seemed to me far from reality. Being in China for over a year and looking at the development of China which accelerates at the fastest pace, I wondered whether the author is trying to befool people by his tall claims.“China is set to be 2nd largest economy in the world,” I said to myself, and recalled what my professor would often say “China will catch-up USA by 2020.” Even though both my professor and Mr. Aiyer made assumptions, the difference was the former’s claims were based on facts and figures while the latter’s was sheer rhetoric. Several people had even termed “ridicule” Mr. Aiyer’s article in their comments.
Exactly 16 days later on January 16, a news story in The Indian Express “‘UGC's norms link promotion to output; Seniority not a factor’” caught my eye. This news put me back in a thought- that something concrete is also happening. The University Grants commission (UGC) initiative (promotion on the bases of research output) led by Sibal is practical and need of the hour. Aiyer through his article wanted people to believe that India can overtake China because it has more young population, more English speaking population. While, Sibal knows, saying “all is well” phrase that has attracted thousands of people after it was used in a recently released Bollywood movie “3 Idiots,” is not going to work.
If India wants to compete with China it has to change its basics first. And, Sibal has touched the right nerve: research. It would have been better for the development of India and specifically for its educational development had they brought this regulation a decade ago, but, better late than never. Under this regulation, the promotion of a university/college teacher would be based on his/her research output, and satisfaction in teaching rather than experience. Apart from this, another regulation was passed some months ago by the HRD Ministry in which CBSC exams system of evaluation would change into the grading system of evaluation. I believe both the systems grading pattern of examination system and promotion on the basis of research output and quality of teaching are borrowed from China—which have been part of the Chinese education for years.
Fair enough. Countries adopt policies from other countries, which can fit to their context, and leave the ones which are not applicable. But the problem here is not with the policy but with the perception of people, especially teachers, professors in this case. The members of Federation of College and University Teachers Association (FEDCUTA) have supposedly gone for hunger strike against this regulation saying it will affect the teaching quality.
Usually in many other developing countries teachers complain that bureaucrats come in their way, when they want to focus on research, but here it is opposite. They say, a scholar’s desire is to produce more and more research, but it seems that is not true in India. Either the teachers don’t want to do the research and enjoy 60 years of life-long employment, without any accountability. Or they don’t know the importance of research. But blame does not lie squarely on teachers only. There is also institutional fault which the HRD is now trying to rectify by creating new policies which make research output pre requisite for promotion. But only this is not going to bring any drastic change unless the mindset is changed and skills for research are incorporated. The basic need is to change the pattern of evaluation system in the colleges and universities. It should be based on research paper submission, presentations, group discussions among others by the students in the class, pretty much like most of the developed countries as well as developing countries like China, and Singapore etc do, instead of present examination system which in one hand creates fear psychosis on the students and on the other hand fails to bring critical thinking among them.
Lifelong employment without any threat of getting fired has proved ineffective except in few countries like Japan, where unlike India; ownership of government work can be seen from each and every person. Thus, many countries replaced the lifelong employment system with the contract system of employments, which has proved to be affective
Secondly whether research is important for a country? The answer to this question lies in industrial revolution which changed the power politics of world. Finally policy change in the education system would improve the Indian research out. Most of the Indian students lag behind in research and academic writing skills because of the faulty education system. Contrary to India, where a student has to memorize the answers in order to write them in exams, in China an under graduate student write a thesis paper in order to graduate besides other course requirement papers and exams. The requirement for master’s degree student is to at least publish one academic paper in addition to his/her thesis. But in India, except few topnotch universities like Delhi University, JNU, IIM, or IIT’s students get even PhD degrees without any academic publication.
To borrow from Jaffrey D. Sachs argument, “it is the technology not the exploitation of poor, which became force behind the increase in income in rich world”. (Sachs; The End of Poverty). A small piece of steal (chip set) on which they add knowledge became much more expensive than our gold. Developed countries are developed because of innovation, not because they have natural resources, or they exploited the poor countries. I do not say natural resources do not play role in countries development, or the mighty America, western, and new rising East Asian tigers did not exploit poor countries, which helped in economic growth in these countries. But, it was innovations and technology, which made them superior than the rest of the world. History is testimony to the fact that many countries have developed in spite of less or nonexistent natural recourses; and at the same time sizable number of countries in Africa, Middle east, Central Asia, Asia pacific and South Asia are under developed despite huge natural recourses. Countries like Saudi Arabia. Qatar, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and even China have huge natural resources than a small country like South Korea which has no natural recourse at all, but none of these countries can match the economy of South Korea; which has mostly knowledge-based economy. Instead of benefiting a country’s development, the natural resources in many developing countries or least developed countries have become what Richard Auty calls “Resource Curse”. This “resource curse” could be seen in many African, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and many other developing countries.
So, where is the India’s knowledge capital? India’s HRD Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal answering a question in a debate on 12 March, 2008 in the Raj Sabah said, “India lags behind China in Research and Development (R&D) output and R&D spending”. India has 157 researchers per million population compared to China’s 633, Germany 3222, USA’s 4,526, Japan 5085, Sweden 5171 and Finland 7431.The gap between India and China in research output is very wide. In 1996, China was ranked 9th on research output with 26, 853 documents and India grabbed 13th spot with 20,106. This gap widened until 2006, China got onto the second position in research output after the USA with 166,205 documents, and India secured 10th position with 38,140 documents. (Subbiah Arunachalam 2008). This gap may widen further as China is investing huge money on R&D sector compared to India. China already invests around 1.80% of its GDP on R&D compared to USA’s 2.5%, and India’s 0.8%. China is planning to spend 2.5% of GDP on R&D in 2020 to don innovation in the world. So for India, the challenge is not only to invest in R&D and make India advanced in technology and foster development. But to effect the institutional change by changing the mindset of teachers and students, and by enforcing legislation that would encourage research. Or else, it is not going to happen. As the American Scholar Margeret Lavi says, “People seldom want to change the habits and norms that have protected them and promoted their individual ends, unless they are not convinced that the circumstances have truly changed.”
It is hard to have development without innovation, and impossible to have innovation without research. So research is the key.
India Needs To Act, Atleast For Its Own Sake
If India wants to meet first Millennium development goal “to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger,” it has to leave its static position and take a proactive role in Copenhagen to combat Climate Change.
By Suhail Masoodi
07 December, 2009
Countercurrents.org
On 3rd December, 2009, just 4 days ahead of Copenhagen summit on Climate Change, Minister of Environment, Mr. Jai Ramesh, announced in the Indian Parliament that India has voluntarily agreed to cut 20-25 percent carbon emissions by 2020 over 2005 level. On next day, Arun Jaitly, leader of the India’s largest opposition party BJP rebuked Mr. Ramesh for agreeing to emissions cut, which he believes was done under the USA pressure. On the other side of Indian border, and world’s biggest carbon emitter China also agreed first time to set a target of 40-45 percent cut in its carbon emissions. It must be stated here, China’s decision came a day after President HU Jintao’s meeting with the US President Barak Obama last month in Beijing, and Indian government’s decision what they called voluntary action, also came just after few days after PM Manmohan Singh’s meeting with President Obama. This is the first time when both the countries, India and China set targets to cut Co2 emissions, which means the big daddy Obama means business, and thus wants to take action himself and push others to do so.
There are many voices not only in India and China but in other parts of developing world that seem to be not in favor of making any commitment to cut the carbon emissions, thus stating the old and obsolete argument that developed countries should cut the emissions, thus take whole responsibility on their shoulders. Fair enough, everybody knows they (developed world) have polluted the world, but does that mean we in developing world should sleep and let our people die. In India, except some scientists and environment activists nobody seem to be bothered about climate change, and why should they be? It will neither fetch votes for Politicians, nor has it yet affected its bourgeois, India’s three hundred million middle class. Yes, it has affected its over 28% population who live under the below poverty line, it affects and will severely affect in future its 400 million population (which is almost equal to the population of whole Europe and the US) who are still without basic electricity.
Over the years we have seen increase in threat of Climate Change to the world. According to Global Humanitarian Forum report 2009, around 325 million people are seriously affected by climate change, and estimated 500 million will be at extreme risk, and 4 hundred billion people (about two thirds of world population) are expected to be vulnerable to the future effects of climate change. More and more land is getting severely affected by drought. The percentage of land affected by drought has gone up from 1% to 3 % from last 10 years, and it is expected to affect 8% in 2020, and 30% by the end of this century. Looking at the rising problems created by Climate Change, it is obvious that it is the poor Indian population who will have to face the brunt of climate change in the coming years. A very shocking truth about the effects on poor Indian farmers come from the National Crime Records Bureau, which tell us that an estimated 16,625 farmers across India have killed themselves in 2007, nearly one fourth of them were from the Maharashtra’s Vidarba region. The growing worry is that the numbers are continuing to rise. Since 1997, 182,936 Indian farmers have ended their lives, or roughly, 46 Indian farmers kill themselves every day - one suicide almost every 30 minutes. These suicide rates although cannot be generalized as being solely due to negative impacts on agricultural produce from climate change, but Climate Change has certainly contributed to their agony and the negative effects of climate change on agriculture are bound to worsen this scenario further. It is believed that methane emissions especially from the cultivation of rice (especially the flood irrigation of rice) and livestock are the principal green house gas (GHG) emitters in the South Asian region. These account for about 25 percent of GHG emissions in India and 40 percent in neighboring Bangladesh and Pakistan. As such it has become a vicious cycle where the poor end up having no choice but to emit GHG and in turn also suffer from the negative effects of the emitting.
On the other hand the increasing affects of global warming, have caused the Himalayan glaciers to melt rapidly. The 24,000 kilometer Himalayan glaciers which are source for 9 largest rivers in Asia thus provide water to over 1.3 billion population cutting across geographical boundaries. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body on Climate Change; Himalayan “Glaciers could disappear altogether by 2035.” So it is high time for India to act rather than playing petty politics on the issue. If India is able to manage to save the Himalayan glaciers, it will not only help herself, but will also help her neighboring countries as well. India needs to play a central role and bring other stakeholders like China, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bhutan to save the Himalayan glaciers from melting. There is a clear indication that water capacity in India has been decreasing, since 1947, as such this decreasing rate of water availability is a serious concern for the whole subcontinent. Currently, India has 1,100 billion cubic meters of aggregate annual utilizable water and it is believed the water demand in 2025 of the country will be 1,013 billion cubic meters. Although the data shows the country has enough water, as the current availability of water is higher than the projected demand by 2025, but decreasing water capacity makes it alarming. In the year 2000 India had 2,200 billion cubic meters of water available, which is expected to decrease to 1,600 billion cubic meters by 2017.
Though India has taken a series of measures including 2008 eight point action plan to combat Climate change, but it does not seem India has invested much in green technology, despite its relative advantage in wind energy it has so far failed to make full use of it. On the other hand China has been immensely investing in green technology. With $ 218 billion green stimulus package, it has already become largest investor in green technology in the world. Making green technology as a mission, it has launched major research in solar battery and wind energy; it is pertinent to mention here that China already creates more power from renewable energy than other countries, if you walk to Beijing or Shanghai streets you could observe a caravan of electronic bikes, but hardly any petrol or diesel motor bikes. Renewable energy in China is getting immense importance contrary to India, where even its minister for new and renewable does not visibly get invitation for meeting on climate change. So if India wants to meet first Millennium development goal “to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger,” it has to leave its static position and take a leadership in Copenhagen to combat Climate Change. At least for its own sake.
By Suhail Masoodi
07 December, 2009
Countercurrents.org
On 3rd December, 2009, just 4 days ahead of Copenhagen summit on Climate Change, Minister of Environment, Mr. Jai Ramesh, announced in the Indian Parliament that India has voluntarily agreed to cut 20-25 percent carbon emissions by 2020 over 2005 level. On next day, Arun Jaitly, leader of the India’s largest opposition party BJP rebuked Mr. Ramesh for agreeing to emissions cut, which he believes was done under the USA pressure. On the other side of Indian border, and world’s biggest carbon emitter China also agreed first time to set a target of 40-45 percent cut in its carbon emissions. It must be stated here, China’s decision came a day after President HU Jintao’s meeting with the US President Barak Obama last month in Beijing, and Indian government’s decision what they called voluntary action, also came just after few days after PM Manmohan Singh’s meeting with President Obama. This is the first time when both the countries, India and China set targets to cut Co2 emissions, which means the big daddy Obama means business, and thus wants to take action himself and push others to do so.
There are many voices not only in India and China but in other parts of developing world that seem to be not in favor of making any commitment to cut the carbon emissions, thus stating the old and obsolete argument that developed countries should cut the emissions, thus take whole responsibility on their shoulders. Fair enough, everybody knows they (developed world) have polluted the world, but does that mean we in developing world should sleep and let our people die. In India, except some scientists and environment activists nobody seem to be bothered about climate change, and why should they be? It will neither fetch votes for Politicians, nor has it yet affected its bourgeois, India’s three hundred million middle class. Yes, it has affected its over 28% population who live under the below poverty line, it affects and will severely affect in future its 400 million population (which is almost equal to the population of whole Europe and the US) who are still without basic electricity.
Over the years we have seen increase in threat of Climate Change to the world. According to Global Humanitarian Forum report 2009, around 325 million people are seriously affected by climate change, and estimated 500 million will be at extreme risk, and 4 hundred billion people (about two thirds of world population) are expected to be vulnerable to the future effects of climate change. More and more land is getting severely affected by drought. The percentage of land affected by drought has gone up from 1% to 3 % from last 10 years, and it is expected to affect 8% in 2020, and 30% by the end of this century. Looking at the rising problems created by Climate Change, it is obvious that it is the poor Indian population who will have to face the brunt of climate change in the coming years. A very shocking truth about the effects on poor Indian farmers come from the National Crime Records Bureau, which tell us that an estimated 16,625 farmers across India have killed themselves in 2007, nearly one fourth of them were from the Maharashtra’s Vidarba region. The growing worry is that the numbers are continuing to rise. Since 1997, 182,936 Indian farmers have ended their lives, or roughly, 46 Indian farmers kill themselves every day - one suicide almost every 30 minutes. These suicide rates although cannot be generalized as being solely due to negative impacts on agricultural produce from climate change, but Climate Change has certainly contributed to their agony and the negative effects of climate change on agriculture are bound to worsen this scenario further. It is believed that methane emissions especially from the cultivation of rice (especially the flood irrigation of rice) and livestock are the principal green house gas (GHG) emitters in the South Asian region. These account for about 25 percent of GHG emissions in India and 40 percent in neighboring Bangladesh and Pakistan. As such it has become a vicious cycle where the poor end up having no choice but to emit GHG and in turn also suffer from the negative effects of the emitting.
On the other hand the increasing affects of global warming, have caused the Himalayan glaciers to melt rapidly. The 24,000 kilometer Himalayan glaciers which are source for 9 largest rivers in Asia thus provide water to over 1.3 billion population cutting across geographical boundaries. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body on Climate Change; Himalayan “Glaciers could disappear altogether by 2035.” So it is high time for India to act rather than playing petty politics on the issue. If India is able to manage to save the Himalayan glaciers, it will not only help herself, but will also help her neighboring countries as well. India needs to play a central role and bring other stakeholders like China, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bhutan to save the Himalayan glaciers from melting. There is a clear indication that water capacity in India has been decreasing, since 1947, as such this decreasing rate of water availability is a serious concern for the whole subcontinent. Currently, India has 1,100 billion cubic meters of aggregate annual utilizable water and it is believed the water demand in 2025 of the country will be 1,013 billion cubic meters. Although the data shows the country has enough water, as the current availability of water is higher than the projected demand by 2025, but decreasing water capacity makes it alarming. In the year 2000 India had 2,200 billion cubic meters of water available, which is expected to decrease to 1,600 billion cubic meters by 2017.
Though India has taken a series of measures including 2008 eight point action plan to combat Climate change, but it does not seem India has invested much in green technology, despite its relative advantage in wind energy it has so far failed to make full use of it. On the other hand China has been immensely investing in green technology. With $ 218 billion green stimulus package, it has already become largest investor in green technology in the world. Making green technology as a mission, it has launched major research in solar battery and wind energy; it is pertinent to mention here that China already creates more power from renewable energy than other countries, if you walk to Beijing or Shanghai streets you could observe a caravan of electronic bikes, but hardly any petrol or diesel motor bikes. Renewable energy in China is getting immense importance contrary to India, where even its minister for new and renewable does not visibly get invitation for meeting on climate change. So if India wants to meet first Millennium development goal “to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger,” it has to leave its static position and take a leadership in Copenhagen to combat Climate Change. At least for its own sake.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
For Palestinians, Every Day Is Kristallnacht
Foreign Policy Journal
December 15, 2009
by Paul Craig Roberts
Israel_stealing_palestine“Settlers attack West Bank mosque and burn holy Muslim books” was a London Times headline on December 11, 2009.
These attacks, together with the demolition of Palestinian homes, the uprooting of Palestinians’ olive groves, the innumerable checkpoints that prevent Palestinians from accessing schools, work, and medical care, the Israeli Wall that denies Palestinians access to the land stolen from them, and the isolation and blockade of the Gaza Ghetto, are part of the Israeli government’s policy of genocide for the Palestinians.
The Israel Lobby has such power over America that even former President Jimmy Carter, a good friend of Israel, is demonized for using the polite term–apartheid–for the genocide that has occurred over the decades during which American “Christian” preachers, together with bought-and-paid-for politicians, justified Israel’s policy of slow genocide for Palestine.
Israelis who still have a moral conscience–a small part of the population–endeavor to use moral protests against the inhumanity of the Israeli government. Israelis Jeff Halper and Angela Godfrey-Goldstein lead the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD), a non-violent, direct-action group established to oppose and resist Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes in the Occupied Territories.
Under international law an occupier by military force is forbidden to steal the occupied land. The US, however, has protected Israel’s violation of international law for decades by vetoing UN resolutions. Israel has been able to steal Palestine from the Palestinians, because the US government used its power to prevent Israel from being held accountable under international law.
In March 2003 American citizen Rachel Corrie stood in front of an Israeli bulldozer, made by Caterpillar and sent to destroy a Palestinian home. Her courageous act of defiance was regarded as an annoyance, and she was run over and murdered by the Israeli bulldozer operator. Israel suffered no consequences for its murder of an American citizen who had a moral conscience.
In the Israeli-controlled American media, we hear endlessly that Palestinians are terrorists who strap on explosives in order to kill innocent Israelis and who terrorize Israeli towns by firing rockets into them. One look at the maps above is enough to make clear who the real terrorist is. The success of Israeli propaganda in the face of totally obvious facts damns the ignorance and unconcern of the American people.
The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, which also has a moral conscience and is intelligent to boot, wrote on December 4, 2009: “Every appointee to the American government must endure a thorough background check by the American Jewish community.” Haaretz notes that any American that the President of the United States proposes for an appointment to his government is subject to the approval of the Israel Lobby, which can blackball appointees at will.
Haaretz gives the example of Charles Freeman, whom President Obama intended to appoint as head of the National Intelligence Council. The Israel Lobby proved, again, that it was more powerful than a mere American President and prevented the appointment, citing Freeman’s “anti-israel leaning.” In other words, because Freeman was not an overboard apologist for Israel’s crimes he was unacceptable to the Israel Lobby.
Haaretz reports: “The next attempt to appoint an intelligence aide, in this case, former Republican senator Chuck Hagel, also resulted in vast criticism over his not having a pro-Israel record.” The Israel Lobby has blocked Hagel’s appointment by President Obama. Hagel doesn’t want to start a war with Iran for Israel’s benefit and was blackballed by Morton A. Klein, the president of the Zionist Organization of America. Hagel, it seems, “refused to sign a letter calling on then-president George Bush to speak about Iran’s nuclear program at the G8 summit that year.”
Now it is a Jewish daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Hannah Rosenthal, whose appointment to head the US Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, an office that is another indication of America’s puppet state status, is under attack. Rosenthal was the head of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs during 2000-2005. Her black mark came from serving on the advisory board of the J Street Lobby, a recently-formed American Jewish organization formed in opposition to AIPAC’s murderous militarism.
The Israel Lobby’s opposition to Hannah Rosenthal shows that no moral person can survive the Israel Lobby’s blackball.
The US, “the world’s only superpower,” has no independent voice in Middle Eastern affairs. The real power rests in the hands of the settler thug, Avigdor Lieberman, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel and Minister of Foreign Affairs. This is the man who controls the Obama government’s Middle East policy. Lieberman forced the “all-powerful President of the US, Barack Omama,” to rescind his order to Israel to halt the illegal settler settlements on occupied Palestinian land. Obama was given the bird and submitted to his master.
Macho Americans who prance around as if they owned the world are nothing but the puppets of Israel. The US is not a country. It is a colony.
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Paul Craig Roberts
Hon. Paul Craig Roberts was educated at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Virginia, the University of California, Berkeley, and Oxford University where he was a member of Merton College. Dr. Roberts has held numerous academic appointments, including Senior Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and William E. Simon Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Georgetown University. Dr. Roberts served in the Congressional Staff in the House and Senate and was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Treasury by President Ronald Reagan. He was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 1987. Dr. Roberts is author of 'Alienation and the Soviet Economy' and 'The Supply-Side Revolution'. He is coauthor with Matthew Stephenson of 'Marx’s Theory of Exchange, Alienation, and Crisis'. He is coauthor with Karen LaFollette Araujo of 'Meltdown: Inside the Soviet Economy and The Capitalist Revolution in Latin America'. He is coauthor with Lawrence Stratton of 'The New Color Line and The Tyranny of Good Intentions'. His latest book, 'How The Economy Was Lost', will be published by CounterPunch in October 2009. Dr. Roberts is a columnist for Creators Syndicate in Los Angeles.
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2009/12/15/for-palestinians-every-day-is-kristallnacht/
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Disputed Kashmir serves China’s interest
The optimism is misplaced. With China issuing stapled visas, only Kashmiris end up on the losing side.
Rising Kashmir
Ghulam Nabi
On November 12, Indian Foreign Affairs Ministry declared it officially that no stapled visa issued by Chinese Embassy in Delhi will be entertained. Before that, it was only at the international Airport where Kashmiri people who had stapled visa would be informed that they can’t board the flight because of having different visa; which does not say anything different from normal visa except that it is not pasted, but stapled on the passport.
The issue is not as simple as it seems. Why China started issuing separate visas to Kashmiris now when it has always treated it as a disputed region? Though a section of Kashmiri society is jubilant about it thinking that China might be a saviour to help Kashmir secure its independence, but if we look into history then it seems a hoax. Though China has never treated Kashmir as part of India, but it has always adopted different policies vis-à-vis Kashmir, shaped according to her interest.
During 1950’s China adapted neutral policy, but in 1960’s and 1970’s the country towed her position towards Pakistan because of the deteriorating relations between USSR and China. Their relations aggravated first because of lack of support of USSR to China in 1962 Sino-India war, and later turned worse during the time of Cultural Revolution. So there was no love relation for Pakistan, which made China to modify their stand in favour of her “all weather ally”. As the old saying goes, my enemy’s enemy is my friend. With the shift in China’s overall foreign policy during Deng Xiaoping’s period who unlike his predecessor without any doubt gave more importance to economic reformation than sticking to a political ideology. China tried to build its business relations with different foreign countries including India. With the revival of business linkages with India, China’s stand on Kashmir also changed, it went back to its 50s position – ‘Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan’. Thus it secured its business interests while at the same time maintained its relation with Pakistan.
China continued with its post-1980 policy towards Kashmir issue till this year with little variations every now and then. However, it is pertinent to mention here that China alongside the US pushed Pakistan to withdraw from kargil war in 1999. Why China pushed Pakistan to withdraw from Kargil? Either, it does not want war in its neighborhood and if Kargil war could go worse it might affect China also or was it something else?
Coming back to visa controversy, with Chinese embassy in India is issuing separate visas to Kashmiri students and businessmen, some political commentators in Kashmir believe it is good for Kashmir, but if we give it a deep thought, it is the Kashmiri who is on the losing side.
There are 23 resolutions pending with the United Nations on Kashmir issue. There is an armed conflict, which is supported by peaceful non-violent resistance movement - going on from the last 20 years. The disputed nature of conflict is being discussed in every important forum. Even political commentators go on to say the road for peace in South Asia goes through Kashmir. But that has turned into rhetoric. So how would stapled visa help solve Kashmir issue? All it does is that it bars Kashmiri students to get their education in China. Similarly, when whole world is trying to build their business relations with China, Kashmiri business community can’t take benefit of it unlike the Indian business community which doesn’t face such restrictions. China has emerged as India’s largest trading partner in 2008, while surpassing United States. Just one decade ago, the bilateral trade between the two Asian giants was $2 Billion, and it has reached $51.8 billion in 2008.
If China was sincere to help Kashmir, it would help Kashmiri students to get admission and scholarship in Chinese universities on priority bases. It would also give concession to Kashmiri traders, which would not only help China to connect with Kashmiri people, but would also boost deteriorated Kashmiri economy. However, it is doing entirely opposite.
The very jubilance in Kashmir about China is coming is like “aaya aaya Lashkar aaya”. Lashkar is coming, Jaish is coming and now China is coming. These comings neither helped in the past nor they are going to help in the future. It might be of the interest of Indian business community (excluding trigger-happy FCCI people who formed task force of retired army generals and bureaucrats, which proposed to wage war in Pakistan, without knowing consequences of it) to have good relation with Pakistan if the Kashmir problem is solved. India which is not able to get access to Central Asian market will not only get that, but the solution will also help to build a successful South Asian block, which is in a way threat for China. So if China wants to fulfill its dream to rule Asia, it is in her benefit to have conflict like Kashmir in South Asia. This argument can be also looked in the context of a recent article titled “If China takes a little action, the so-called Great Indian Federation can be broken up” published by a Chinese writer Zhong Guo Zhan Lue Gang on 8th of August, 2009 which says China should use its forces and take support from countries like Pakistan, Nepal etc to split India. The fragmentation of India would only help China to be sole economic power in the region.
Though at the political level, China does not have good relations with India, but it does not want its politics effect its economic cooperation with India. And at the same time it’s getting free hand to do any kind of business in Pakistan. The all-weather ally and sweeter than sugar friendship with Pakistan is strategically important for China. On one hand Pakistan recognizes Xinjiang as part of China and on the other hand China is getting access and enormous support in Muslim we of its friendship with Pakistan. However, it cannot be negated that China has been relatively good with Muslim world compared to many western countries, but it remains to be seen how long this good-will remains.
Finally it has to be seen from one of my Pakistani friend’s perspective, who says whenever he visits China if he sees two people, one is Indian and the other is Chinese. He adds that he prefers to talk to Indian than Chinese. I can relate something to him; we share same culture, language, tradition, food habits. The day Kashmir problem is solved we will have more close relations with India than China. So will it be in the Chinese interest to solve Kashmir problem when it sees its competitor, India, without having a proper trade relation with South Asia and Central Asia and yet chasing him in every direction, and if they get access to this area that can be the threat to the Chinese market, and that too when USA is going to provide India every kind of support to contain China.
The author is a social activist and can be contacted at gkashmiri @gmail.com
Rising Kashmir
Ghulam Nabi
On November 12, Indian Foreign Affairs Ministry declared it officially that no stapled visa issued by Chinese Embassy in Delhi will be entertained. Before that, it was only at the international Airport where Kashmiri people who had stapled visa would be informed that they can’t board the flight because of having different visa; which does not say anything different from normal visa except that it is not pasted, but stapled on the passport.
The issue is not as simple as it seems. Why China started issuing separate visas to Kashmiris now when it has always treated it as a disputed region? Though a section of Kashmiri society is jubilant about it thinking that China might be a saviour to help Kashmir secure its independence, but if we look into history then it seems a hoax. Though China has never treated Kashmir as part of India, but it has always adopted different policies vis-à-vis Kashmir, shaped according to her interest.
During 1950’s China adapted neutral policy, but in 1960’s and 1970’s the country towed her position towards Pakistan because of the deteriorating relations between USSR and China. Their relations aggravated first because of lack of support of USSR to China in 1962 Sino-India war, and later turned worse during the time of Cultural Revolution. So there was no love relation for Pakistan, which made China to modify their stand in favour of her “all weather ally”. As the old saying goes, my enemy’s enemy is my friend. With the shift in China’s overall foreign policy during Deng Xiaoping’s period who unlike his predecessor without any doubt gave more importance to economic reformation than sticking to a political ideology. China tried to build its business relations with different foreign countries including India. With the revival of business linkages with India, China’s stand on Kashmir also changed, it went back to its 50s position – ‘Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan’. Thus it secured its business interests while at the same time maintained its relation with Pakistan.
China continued with its post-1980 policy towards Kashmir issue till this year with little variations every now and then. However, it is pertinent to mention here that China alongside the US pushed Pakistan to withdraw from kargil war in 1999. Why China pushed Pakistan to withdraw from Kargil? Either, it does not want war in its neighborhood and if Kargil war could go worse it might affect China also or was it something else?
Coming back to visa controversy, with Chinese embassy in India is issuing separate visas to Kashmiri students and businessmen, some political commentators in Kashmir believe it is good for Kashmir, but if we give it a deep thought, it is the Kashmiri who is on the losing side.
There are 23 resolutions pending with the United Nations on Kashmir issue. There is an armed conflict, which is supported by peaceful non-violent resistance movement - going on from the last 20 years. The disputed nature of conflict is being discussed in every important forum. Even political commentators go on to say the road for peace in South Asia goes through Kashmir. But that has turned into rhetoric. So how would stapled visa help solve Kashmir issue? All it does is that it bars Kashmiri students to get their education in China. Similarly, when whole world is trying to build their business relations with China, Kashmiri business community can’t take benefit of it unlike the Indian business community which doesn’t face such restrictions. China has emerged as India’s largest trading partner in 2008, while surpassing United States. Just one decade ago, the bilateral trade between the two Asian giants was $2 Billion, and it has reached $51.8 billion in 2008.
If China was sincere to help Kashmir, it would help Kashmiri students to get admission and scholarship in Chinese universities on priority bases. It would also give concession to Kashmiri traders, which would not only help China to connect with Kashmiri people, but would also boost deteriorated Kashmiri economy. However, it is doing entirely opposite.
The very jubilance in Kashmir about China is coming is like “aaya aaya Lashkar aaya”. Lashkar is coming, Jaish is coming and now China is coming. These comings neither helped in the past nor they are going to help in the future. It might be of the interest of Indian business community (excluding trigger-happy FCCI people who formed task force of retired army generals and bureaucrats, which proposed to wage war in Pakistan, without knowing consequences of it) to have good relation with Pakistan if the Kashmir problem is solved. India which is not able to get access to Central Asian market will not only get that, but the solution will also help to build a successful South Asian block, which is in a way threat for China. So if China wants to fulfill its dream to rule Asia, it is in her benefit to have conflict like Kashmir in South Asia. This argument can be also looked in the context of a recent article titled “If China takes a little action, the so-called Great Indian Federation can be broken up” published by a Chinese writer Zhong Guo Zhan Lue Gang on 8th of August, 2009 which says China should use its forces and take support from countries like Pakistan, Nepal etc to split India. The fragmentation of India would only help China to be sole economic power in the region.
Though at the political level, China does not have good relations with India, but it does not want its politics effect its economic cooperation with India. And at the same time it’s getting free hand to do any kind of business in Pakistan. The all-weather ally and sweeter than sugar friendship with Pakistan is strategically important for China. On one hand Pakistan recognizes Xinjiang as part of China and on the other hand China is getting access and enormous support in Muslim we of its friendship with Pakistan. However, it cannot be negated that China has been relatively good with Muslim world compared to many western countries, but it remains to be seen how long this good-will remains.
Finally it has to be seen from one of my Pakistani friend’s perspective, who says whenever he visits China if he sees two people, one is Indian and the other is Chinese. He adds that he prefers to talk to Indian than Chinese. I can relate something to him; we share same culture, language, tradition, food habits. The day Kashmir problem is solved we will have more close relations with India than China. So will it be in the Chinese interest to solve Kashmir problem when it sees its competitor, India, without having a proper trade relation with South Asia and Central Asia and yet chasing him in every direction, and if they get access to this area that can be the threat to the Chinese market, and that too when USA is going to provide India every kind of support to contain China.
The author is a social activist and can be contacted at gkashmiri @gmail.com
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Beyond Media Rhetoric, Muslims Enjoy a Respectable Life in Beijing
When we talk about china’s approach towards religious minorities’. The first thing that comes in our mind is: China does not recognize any religion, religious minorities and specifically Muslims are being harassed, ill treated by the Chinese Government. Coming from the Muslim background, I too had the same conception about China, and there was a reason to be skeptical, worried as I had seen on The Tsinghua University website that no religious activity should be performed inside the campus; yet on the other hand when I browsed the same website I saw there is a Muslims dinning hall available for Muslim students between zijing 21 and 22 dormitories.
I arrived in Tsinghua on August 2008, after taking shower I tried to look for the Dinning hall I had seen on the website, but unfortunately I was told that the dinning hall does not serve Muslim food, though it is meant for Muslims, they buy Halhal meat, yet they mix Alcohol in the food, which makes it Haram (prohibited) for Muslims to eat. While I was looking for Muslim food, I accidently met an Indian student here in Tsinghua, who took me to a restaurant near Wudakho where I had my dinner. The night passed, the worry started again, where should I take breakfast, lunch. I decided to visit my School, the school of Public Policy and Management, but for me reaching my school was not easy as I could not speak a single Chinese word. So I started looking for some one who could speak English, fortunately I found a guy, who could speak English, I requested him to show me the school of Public policy. This was the first time when I saw the warmth of Chinese people. This student not only came with me to my school but he took me around the whole Tsinghua campus; more importantly when I told him I am Muslim, He helped me to get the dinning card, took me to another Muslim restaurant inside the Tsinghua, which is meant for Chinese Muslim students. I was elated to see Muslim restaurant, though not as sophisticated as other canteens in the campus; but the restaurant even provided me free Sehri during the month of Ramadan , which I had never expected to get here.
With the passing time, I came to know china’s policy towards its minorities. I found that unlike most of the universities in the world, in china all the universities have special restaurants for Muslim students, which serve subsidized food. Besides, these Muslim restaurants inside the campus, there are a number of Muslim restaurants outside the campus as well. A Muslim can find Halhal food in every super market. From meat to milk, and from bread to ice-cream and juice, Halhal food is available all the corners of Beijing
Outside the university campus, China offered me a chance to visit one of the oldest mosques of Islam; Niujie Mosque in Beijing, which was built in 996 AD. It was again surprising for me to see men and women flock together to offer the prayers. The gathering was so huge I thought I am somewhere in a Muslim country.
When we look back to Chinese history since Mao’s period, Muslims were least affected even in the Cultural Revolution period. Chinese government has been always effectively protecting the Muslims community and their sentiments. The example of these policies can be seen from the Pig year 2007, when China banned any mention of pigs in the TV adds, in order not to antagonize Muslim community in China which constitute two percent of china’s population .
As I become familiar with the people, culture, and society here in China , I don’t see any problem in practicing my religion, I some times feel more secure, empowered than in my homeland.
While looking at China’s pro minority policies, I realize whey china is so close to Muslim world, Whether it is china’s all time close friend Pakistan, or it is Saudi Arabiya, Iran, or any other Muslim country; China has a cordial relation with whole Muslim world. The result of that can be seen not a single Chinese person was touched in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. Ultimately truth prevails, beyond media rhetoric I would say Muslims in Beijing are freer, independent and empowered then many Muslim communities in the world.
I arrived in Tsinghua on August 2008, after taking shower I tried to look for the Dinning hall I had seen on the website, but unfortunately I was told that the dinning hall does not serve Muslim food, though it is meant for Muslims, they buy Halhal meat, yet they mix Alcohol in the food, which makes it Haram (prohibited) for Muslims to eat. While I was looking for Muslim food, I accidently met an Indian student here in Tsinghua, who took me to a restaurant near Wudakho where I had my dinner. The night passed, the worry started again, where should I take breakfast, lunch. I decided to visit my School, the school of Public Policy and Management, but for me reaching my school was not easy as I could not speak a single Chinese word. So I started looking for some one who could speak English, fortunately I found a guy, who could speak English, I requested him to show me the school of Public policy. This was the first time when I saw the warmth of Chinese people. This student not only came with me to my school but he took me around the whole Tsinghua campus; more importantly when I told him I am Muslim, He helped me to get the dinning card, took me to another Muslim restaurant inside the Tsinghua, which is meant for Chinese Muslim students. I was elated to see Muslim restaurant, though not as sophisticated as other canteens in the campus; but the restaurant even provided me free Sehri during the month of Ramadan , which I had never expected to get here.
With the passing time, I came to know china’s policy towards its minorities. I found that unlike most of the universities in the world, in china all the universities have special restaurants for Muslim students, which serve subsidized food. Besides, these Muslim restaurants inside the campus, there are a number of Muslim restaurants outside the campus as well. A Muslim can find Halhal food in every super market. From meat to milk, and from bread to ice-cream and juice, Halhal food is available all the corners of Beijing
Outside the university campus, China offered me a chance to visit one of the oldest mosques of Islam; Niujie Mosque in Beijing, which was built in 996 AD. It was again surprising for me to see men and women flock together to offer the prayers. The gathering was so huge I thought I am somewhere in a Muslim country.
When we look back to Chinese history since Mao’s period, Muslims were least affected even in the Cultural Revolution period. Chinese government has been always effectively protecting the Muslims community and their sentiments. The example of these policies can be seen from the Pig year 2007, when China banned any mention of pigs in the TV adds, in order not to antagonize Muslim community in China which constitute two percent of china’s population .
As I become familiar with the people, culture, and society here in China , I don’t see any problem in practicing my religion, I some times feel more secure, empowered than in my homeland.
While looking at China’s pro minority policies, I realize whey china is so close to Muslim world, Whether it is china’s all time close friend Pakistan, or it is Saudi Arabiya, Iran, or any other Muslim country; China has a cordial relation with whole Muslim world. The result of that can be seen not a single Chinese person was touched in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. Ultimately truth prevails, beyond media rhetoric I would say Muslims in Beijing are freer, independent and empowered then many Muslim communities in the world.
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