மோடியின் நாணயத் தடை மோசடியின் இலங்கை விளைவுகள்

இந்தியப் பிரதமர் நரேந்திர மோடி 500 ரூபா, 1000 ரூபா நாணயத்தாள்களை செல்லுபடியற்றவையாக அறிவித்ததையடுத்து, சிறிலங்காவில் இந்த நாணயத் தாள்களை வைத்திருக்கும் பெருமளவானோர் நெருக்கடிகளைச் சந்தித்து வருகின்றனர்.
கடந்த 9ஆம் நாள் தொடக்கம் இந்த நாணயத்தாள்கள் செல்லுபடியற்றவை என்று அறிவிக்கப்பட்டதையடுத்து, சிறிலங்காவில் உள்ள வெளிநாட்டு நாணயமாற்று நிலையங்களில், 500, 1000 ரூபா இந்திய நாணயத் தாள்களை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள மறுக்கின்றனர்.

பழைய நாணயத் தாள்களை மாற்றிக் கொள்வதற்கு இந்திய அரசாங்கம் டிசெம்பர் 30ஆம் நாள் வரை காலஅவகாசம் வழங்கியுள்ளது.

இந்தியாவுக்கு அடிக்கடி பயணம் மேற்கொள்வோர் மற்றும் வியாபாரிகள் 500, 1000 ரூபா இந்திய நாணயத் தாள்களை அதிகளவில் பயன்படுத்தி வருகின்றனர்.

இவர்கள் வைத்துள்ள இந்த நாணயத் தாள்களை சிறிலங்காவில் மாற்றிக் கொள்ள முடியாத நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதுகுறித்து சிறிலங்கா நாணயமாற்று சங்கம் கூறுகையில், பெரும்பாலான வெளிநாட்டு நாணயமாற்று செயற்பாடுகள் நாளாந்த நாணயமாற்றுப் பெறுமதியிலேயே இடம்பெறும் என்றும், இந்த முகவர்களுக்கு இந்தியாவில் வங்கிக் கணக்கு இல்லாததால், அவர்கள் செல்லுபடியற்றதாக அறிவிக்கப்பட்ட இந்திய நாணயத்தாள்களை மாற்றிக் கொள்ள முடியாது என்றும் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

சிறிலங்காவில் உள்ள 70 வீதமான சிறிய நாணயமாற்று முகவர்கள், இந்திய நாணயத்தாள்களை வாங்கி விற்கும் செயற்பாடுகளையே மேற்கொண்டு வந்தனர்.

அவர்கள் செல்லுபடியற்ற நாணயத் தாள்களை வாங்கினால், அதனை விற்க முடியாது என்பதால், நட்டமடைவார்கள் என்றும் அந்தச் சங்கம் கூறியுள்ளது.

இந்த நிலையில், செல்லுபடியற்ற இந்திய நாணயத் தாள்களை மாற்றுவது தொடர்பாக கொழும்பிலுள்ள இந்தியத் தூதரக ஊடகப் பிரிவில் பணியாற்றும் அதிகாரியான நிதின் விளக்கமளித்துள்ளார்.

“சாதாரணமாக ஒருவர் 25 ஆயிரம் இந்திய ரூபாவுக்கும் அதிகமான இந்திய நாணயத்தாள்களை நாட்டுக்கு வெளியே கொண்டு செல்ல முடியாது.

செல்லுபடியற்றதாக அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள நாணயத்தாள்களை இங்குள்ள மக்கள் எவரேனும் வைத்திருந்தால், அந்த தாள்களை மீண்டும் இந்தியாவுக்குச் செல்லும் போது மாற்றிக் கொள்ளலாம்.
இல்லாவிடின், இந்தியாவில் உள்ள நண்பர்கள் அல்லது உறவினர்களுக்கு அனுப்பி அதனை மாற்றிக் கொள்ளலாம்” என்று அவர் கூறியுள்ளார்.

இதற்கிடையே, செல்லுபடியற்றதாக அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள இந்திய நாணயத்தாள்களை சிறிலங்காவுக்குள் மாற்றுவது தொடர்பாக தமக்கு எந்தப் பொறுப்பும் இல்லை என்று சிறிலங்காவின் நாணய மாற்று கட்டுப்பாட்டுத் திணைக்களம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

தற்போது சிறிலங்கா மத்திய வங்கியினால் 14 நாடுகளின் நாணயங்களே கண்காணிக்கப்படுகின்றன. அதில் இந்திய நாணயம் பட்டியலிடப்படவில்லை. எனவே, இந்திய நாணய பரிமாற்று வர்த்தகம் சிறிலங்காவில் சட்டரீதியானதல்ல.

அத்துடன் இந்திய நாணயத்தை சிறிலங்காவுக்கு எடுத்துவருவதற்கும் அனுமதிக்கப்படுவதில்லை” என்று நாணயமாற்று கட்டுப்பாட்டாளர் ரி.எம்.ஜே.வை.பி.பெர்னான்டோ தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

Under Trump, China may once again replace Russia as main U.S. adversary

Under Trump, China may once again replace Russia as main U.S. adversary

November 15, 2016 Sergei Strokan, Maxím Yusin, Kommersant 

The imminent change in U.S. policy will alter Washington’s relations with the world, with Donald Trump’s promises to get tough on trade with China possibly heralding a souring in relations between the world’s two biggest economies. Meanwhile, his positive statements on Russia may see a warming in ties with Moscow.

Donald Trump’s election as the next U.S. president will bring about a change in America’s relations with the outside world. The shift of global confrontation into the world economy makes a new showdown between Washington and Beijing inevitable.

Trump, who sees national interests as protection of the American market, intends to introduce protectionist measures against China, which may deliver a serious blow to its economy. This gives Russia a new chance to have sanctions against it lifted and to gradually restore relations with the West.

Although there is still two months remaining till the official handover of power in Washington, world capitals have started preparing for the arrival of the new American leader. Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his election. Officials in Moscow openly expressed their satisfaction at the impending change of power in Washington.

Trump statements leave China guarded

Reaction from Beijing was far more reserved. The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s official spokesman Lu Kang expressed the hope that the new U.S. leadership will “take an objective view of trade and economic relations” between their two countries.

He was responding to journalists’ request to outline Beijing’s position on some of the hardline statements that Trump had made on his campaign trail. Their gist was that the main dividends from bilateral trade go to Beijing rather than Washington. Trump more than once made it clear that, if elected president, he intends to change this state of affairs to actively protect the interests of American business.

“Were it not for the benefit of both our nations, it would have been impossible to reach such a level of trade. That is why trade and economic cooperation between China and the U.S. is mutually beneficial,” said Kang. He went on to add that in 2015 bilateral trade reached an astronomical figure of $560 billion.

For its part, Beijing expects Trump to outline a clear position on some of the more sensitive issues in bilateral relations that concern security, the diplomat said. These include the deployment of the United States’ THAAD missile defense system in South Korea and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Pragmatism above ideology

Experts believe that Donald Trump’s election opens a prospect for Russia of no longer being perceived in America as its main potential enemy.

“In China, there are indeed concerns that under Donald Trump relations between Washington and Beijing will deteriorate and these concerns are quite justified, although this scenario cannot yet be considered as definite,” said Alexander Lomanov, a chief researcher with the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of the Far East.

Lomanov points out that numerous political contradictions had accumulated in relations between the two countries during Barack Obama’s presidency. These contradictions were linked to the situation in the South China Sea, the need to defend Asian allies from “the Chinese threat,” tensions around Hong Kong and other irritants.

According to Maxim Suchkov, an expert with the Russian Council on Foreign Affairs, Moscow is interested in seeing under the new U.S. administration “a new system of national security priorities in which the main threat will not be Russia.”

The view is echoed by Vladimir Sotnikov, the head of the Russia-East-West Center for Strategic Studies and Analysis: “Do you remember who Barack Obama listed as America’s main enemies? Russia, Islamic State and Ebola,” he said, adding that Trump is “unlikely” to adhere to the same approach.

“He is more about pragmatism than ideology; he realizes that Russia poses no threat to the United States’ vital interests. These vital interests do not lie in the former Soviet Union, in Ukraine, but in completely different regions,” said Sotnikov.

“Which means that a path is opening for a dialogue with Moscow and for possible geopolitical bargains that the Democratic administration in the White House would never have agreed to.”

Kashmir Day 132: Elderly man hit by tear gas killed

Day 132: Elderly man hit by tear gas shell succumbs
Published at November 17, 2016 08:26:

Large number of people attend his funeral prayers, protests in Soura

• Panchayat ghar, school building torched
• 2 persons involved in burning, ransacking of schools in Budgam arrested: Police

Mir Liyaqat Ali Srinagar, Nov 17:

 An elderly man of Illahi Bagh Soura, who had sustained head injury after being hit by a tear gas shell on November 2, succumbed to injuries on Thursday.

The shutdown remained in force in Valley for the 132nd day today while a government panchayat ghar and government schools were torched by unknown persons and police claimed to have arrested to persons involved in torching and ransacking of schools in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
75-year-old Ghulam Muhammad Khan, who was hit by tear gas shell fired by forces in Soura area on November 2, succumbed to injuries at SKIMS, Soura today.

Khan, a former president of Secretariat Employees Union, had gone for a walk outside his home at Ellahi Bagh, Soura when hit by a tear gas shell on head.

“He had suffered severe head injury and doctors had kept him on ventilator at the SKIMS from the day one,” a doctor of the hospital said.

Family members of Khan said no protests were going on in the area when he was hit by tear gas shell fired by the forces.

The family members alleged that Khan was deliberately targeted by force personnel when he was sitting in the nearby park.

A senior police official said that FIR no. 124/2016 has been lodged into the incident and investigations taken up.

As the news about his death spread, large number of people visited his residence and participated in his funeral prayers amidst chanting of pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans. He was buried at his ancestral graveyard in Ellahi Bagh, Soura.

The youth of the area staged a protest demonstration against the killing of elderly person. They clashed with the police and paramilitary personnel, who were deployed in strength in the area to foil protests. The clashes continued for some time.

With the killing of the 75-year-old Khan, the death toll of people killed in ongoing unrest in the Valley triggered by killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 have risen to 94. Over 13,000 people have also been injured in the forces action in last more than four months in the Valley.

Meanwhile, life in Valley remained crippled for the 132nd consecutive day today due to separatists-sponsored shutdown. The shops, business establishments, educational institutions and petrol pumps remained closed while public transport was off the roads. However, private vehicles and three wheelers were plying.

The clashes erupted between youth and force personnel in Fateh Kadal of down Srinagar. The clashes continued for some time and a woman was injured after being hit by stone.
Meanwhile, unknown persons set ablaze a panchayat house in Arigam village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The fire was extinguished by the firefighters.

The single -storey Panchayat Ghar was damaged in the fire incident.

In another incident, fire broke out under suspicious circumstances at government middle school at Busarbugh in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.

“A chowkidar and some teachers present in the school at the time of the fire brought the blaze under control,” officials said, adding the fire damaged a store in the building.

They said police is investigating the cause of the fire at both the places.

Fire also damaged a shopping complex at Duderhama town in Ganderbal district yesterday, the officials said, adding cause of the fire was not known immediately.

Meanwhile, police today claimed to have arrested two miscreants namely Farooq Ahmad Malik alias Buda son of Ali Mohammad Malik and Bilal Ahmad Malik alias Durani son of Abdul Karim Malik residents of Shunglipora for setting on fire Government School at Habbar, Lassipora in Budgam.

“As the school was located away from the human habitation, the two miscreants managed some kerosene oil from their respective homes and used the same for setting the school on fire. Both of them have confessed to their guilt,” a police spokesman said.

He said the duo had also ransacked Hanfia School in the Budgam district.

“Both of them have been arrested and further investigation is going on,” added the spokesman.
In past four months of unrest in the Valley, over 32 schools have been torched by unknown persons.

(Additional inputs from PTI)