Demonetization in India - National Hawker Federation Report

Demonetization in India Has Paralyzed Retail Trade and the Informal Economy, Triggered Violence, Poverty and Despair
National Hawker Federation

By Saktiman Ghosh
Global Research, November 19, 2016

The National Hawker Federation (NHF) expresses its strong disagreement with the ways in which the Government of India has addressed the evil of corruption in the country. While we do feel as a collective of more than 1176 unions and associations of street vendors of this country, that black money and the corruption raj should end and rule of law be established, we strongly believe that struggle against corruption cannot be waged devoid of a strong social will, a long-term agenda, an alternative infrastructural vision, and popular consent.

We have seen in the last few days, how millions have faced unnecessary harassment, and sizeable loss of income due to a sudden and unprecedented demonetization of the economy.

As victims of the structural violence of corruption in bureaucracy, the street vendors are critically aware of how black-markets operate. The people involved in financial corruption hardly keep their undisclosed incomes in the form of hard cash as such. The people of India know how unaccounted money constantly takes the form of precious foreign currencies, real-estate property, and gold. If the Government was serious enough to stop/minimize the circulation of black money, it should have followed different mechanisms, and should not have exposed the entire country to a state of (yet undeclared) economic emergency.

Instead, the Union Government treaded a path that impoverished the 98 percent of India. We know, even after so much self-congratulatory statements about financial inclusionand monetization of welfare through Aadhaar, and the spectacular spread of cell phone and internet infrastructures; Indian trade has continued to remain “post-paid” and hard-cash driven. It is curious to note that even the app based businesses in the urban transport and retail sectors had to take recourse to the prevailing practices of the land.

We believe, a sudden demonetization of the economy was targeted to restructure this age-old system, and paralyze the circulation of hard cash in the market. Such a violent measure has been justified in the name of a holy war against corruption. The ultimate target of the Government is to smoothen the entry of informatized big capital to make an inroad predominantly in retail and transport sectors. The anonymous market process appears to be inadequate to usher in a complete destruction of small economies.

The informal economy of this country, which employs roughly the 93 percent of India’s working class, has been impoverished. Around 50 percent of the street vendors of India do not still have bank accounts. In addition, a sizeable section of street vendors can access banks only at their home towns/villages as they usually keep valid documents at home in safe custody. They migrate to cities, and save their little incomes in the form of INR 500 and 1000 notes. They need the supply of hard cash from the last day’s transaction to start a new cycle in the morning. They procure merchandise from the wholesalers in the late night, or in the early morning depending on the product cycles. It is virtually impossible for these groups to hastily put together a valid documentation and access the banking facility. Even if they access the banks, they do so at a huge cost. Many of them have already spent a full working day in the bank, sacrificing their wages. When they return, they have to re-assemble a broken supply chain.

Who will count the aggregate loss in the informal economy? Why will they bear such economic hardships when they have no role in corruption? Why will they consent to a decision in which their consent is not even sought? What kind of democracy are we practicing in India in which only a handful of top regime functionaries take major economic decisions without debates and public practising in India in which only a handful of top regime functionaries take major economic decisions without debates and publicnotifications? An electoral victory hardly authorizes them to use emergency powers at will. We hope, the Government reconsiders its totalitarian decision, and remains confined to conventional democratic procedures.Saktiman Ghosh General Secretary of the NHF

The original source of this article is Counter Currents
Copyright © Saktiman Ghosh, Counter Currents, 2016

“Black Money” Prominent Citizens Question Delhi Government's Intentions

“Black Money” and India’s Demonetization Project
Prominent Citizens Question Delhi Government's Intentions
By Prof Prabhat Patnaik

Global Research, November 19, 2016    Countercurrents.org 16 November 2016

We, the undersigned, support all efforts to stop corruption, stamp out black money and counterfeit currency, and act against funding that helps creates unrest in the country be it through terrorism or creating divisions and hatred among people.

However, the decision to demonetize Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes is misconceived and will not address the problem of black money for the following reasons:

1.If it is the Government’s case that high value denomination currency is used to hoard black money, then the decision to reissue new Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes does not make sense. Issuing even higher value Rs 2000 note is completely inexplicable and puzzling.

2.Black money is generated through evasion of taxes on income from lawful activities and money generated from illegal activities. In the absence of steps to curb the generation of black money, demonetization is a futile exercise, as it proved to be in 1978.

3.In the last 5 years, IT raids have found that only 5-6% of black money is kept in hard cash. Moreover, those who have amassed sizable black money are equipped to find ways
around demonetization by converting their existing cash to bullion, gold jewellery, real estate and foreign currencies through brokers and middle-men. In fact, organized middle-men and touts have already emerged to convert black money into white for a commission.

4.As per The Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata study done on behalf of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Rs 400 crores worth of fake currency is in circulation in the Indian economy. This is only .028% of Rs 14,180 billion worth currency demonetised in Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes

5.Experts including a former RBI Governor and the current Chief Economist of the World Bank have spoken against demonetization.6.86% of currency in circulation is in Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. 97% of all transactions by volume are done in cash. Summary demonetization has created chaos all over the country with people unable to purchase daily essentials and, in many cases, life-saving goods and services. 5 persons, including one infant, have died as a direct result of the impact of demonetization

7.Only about 30% of the Indian population has access to the banking system as per data compiled by the banking division of the finance ministry. Moreover, the distribution of banks is highly skewed with a third of all bank branches in only 60 Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities/towns. Consequently, people in rural India who often also suffer from inadequate information have become the worst victims of demonetisation.

8.Reports have started coming in of digital payment systems unable to keep up with the new volume of transactions with credit and debit card servers also going down.

9.All currency has value only because of the inherent trust in the banking system. Summary demonetization has shaken this trust and will likely impact India’s economy well beyond
the initial and widespread chaos.

It is evident that demonetisation will not achieve its stated intent of eliminating black money but has thrown the entire country’s economic system in disarray. Related developments also call into question Government’s intentions and need clarification:

1.Rs 1.14 lakh crore of bad debts has been waived by Government banks in the last 3 years. At the same time, loans worth lakhs of crores of rupees are still outstanding. Why has the
Government not made public the names of the beneficiaries of the waiver and the names of the big defaulters, both individuals and corporations?

2.A key campaign promise was to bring back black money stashed abroad and deposit Rs 15 lakh each from the proceeds in the account of every citizen. Why has the Government not
made public the names held by it of Indian account holders in offshore banks?

3.Were BJP leaders and friends given prior information about the impending demonetisation so that they could take pre-emptive measures to safeguard their assets? [The WB unit of the BJP is reported to have deposited a total of Rs 3 crore in Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in its bank accounts in the days and hours before the announcement of the demonetisation. A BJP leader posted pictures of wads of Rs 2000 notes much in advance of the demonetisation. A digital payments company printed a full page advertisement lauding demonetisation in a newspaper on the morning following the announcement at 8 pm on November 8, 2016.]

4.Why did the Government announce that cash deposits higher than Rs 2.5 lakh will be scrutinised against the tax return with 200% penalty for any tax evasion? [This appears to be intended to dissuade people from depositing money so that the Government can claim success of demonetisation and forewarn people to split their deposits among different accounts and different depositors.]
5.All conversions can be done only after filling a form and attaching ID proof. This has led to major harassment of poor and illiterate people and those who do not have an identity card.

6.What is the cost of demonetisation? [It has been estimated that the cost of replacing currency in circulation with new Rs 500 and Rs 2000 notes will be Rs 20,000 crore. Besides, far
greater losses will be incurred by markets predominantly run on cash and the participants (wholesale markets, retail stores, street-vendors, transportation etc) and in lost productivity.]

7.Even if the Government was intent on demonetisation, why was it not implemented after careful planning: new notes printed, arrangements made for distribution, ATMs recalibrated etc? [It has been seen that banks are running out of cash within hours of opening and most ATMs are still non-functional.]

8.We are all concerned about the use of money power in elections. Why hasn’t the Government proposed state funding of elections? Why is the BJP resolutely against transparency in
its own funding by refusing to come under the Right to Information Act?

The summary way demonetisation has been effected is leading to a riot like situation in the country. We demand that the Government ensure that common people have immediate access to enough money to pay for their daily needs and health emergencies. Failing which, we demand the rollback of demonetisation or suspension of demonetisation to enable the common person to make adequate arrangements for daily needs and for more orderly phasing out of the old notes. The role of the Government is to undertake honest tax administration and not to treat the common person like a criminal making him/her stand in line and filling forms to access his/her own legitimate money.

Signed/-
Prabhat Patnaik,Prashant Bhushan, Aruna Roy, Bezwada Wilson, Jayati Ghosh, Harsh Mander,Kavita Srivastav, CP Chandrasekhar, Nikhil Dey, Shantha Sinha, Aniket Alam,Dipa Sinha

The original source of this article is Countercurrents.org  Copyright © Prof Prabhat Patnaik, Countercurrents.org, 2016

Highlights of Xi's address at 2016 APEC CEO summit

Highlights of Xi's address at 2016 APEC CEO summit 

Source: Xinhua |  2016-11-20 02:15:21 | Editor: huaxia 

Screenshot of Chinese President Xi Jinping delivering a keynote speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Lima, capital of Peru on Nov. 19, 2016. (Xinhua Photo)

LIMA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday delivered a keynote speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Lima, capital of Peru, highlighting open economy, inter-connectivity and global growth. The following is the gist of his address:

* We traveled thousands of miles to Peru for a common goal: To discuss the ideas and measures for promoting the development in Asia-Pacific region.

* The Asia-Pacific should boost economic integration and build open economy as openness is the lifeline of the regional economy.

* Any regional trade arrangement, in order to earn broad support, must be open, inclusive and all-win; closed or exclusive pacts are not the right choice.

* Building the FTAAP is a strategic choice concerning the long-term prosperity of the Asia-Pacific; We should steadfastly promote its construction and provide institutional guarantees for fostering an open regional economy.

* We need to promote inter-connectivity and realize collaborative development. Inter-connectivity is an important way to unleash development potential and serves as a basic premise for the realization of collaborative development.

* The Belt and Road Initiative, with inter-connectivity as main focus, was proposed three years ago to facilitate the free and convenient circulation of production factors, forge platform
for diversified cooperation and realize win-win results and shared development. It has gained active participation and support from over 100 countries and international organizations as of now.

* Braving anemic global growth and domestic challenges, China has kept its contribution to world economic growth at more than 25 percent in recent years.

* China will implement its opening-up strategy more actively, so as to create a deeper, more comprehensive and diversified pattern of opening-up.

* In 5 years, China is expected to bring its volume of imports to 8 trillion U.S. dollars, total amount of inward foreign investment 600 billion dollars, stock of outward foreign investment 750 billion dollars, and number of outbound tourist trips 700 million.
 ===============================================

News Analysis: By Matt Burgess
Peru APEC is opportunity to fight against protectionism 
 Source: Xinhua |  2016-11-18 15:40:13 | Editor: huaxia 

SYDNEY, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The global economy is crying out for leadership to stem the opposition to free-trade, yet the stagnant economic recovery post-Global Financial Crisis is
having countries implementing inward looking policies.

The dynamics of European Union post the United Kingdom's referendum to leave the single market (Brexit) has created a global and regional integration challenge that's filtering throughout the developed world.

Increasing protectionist rhetoric by members of Australia's government -- both ruling and opposition power brokers -- as well as the looming Donald Trump presidency proves resistance to globalisation is gathering pace.

"That has got indirect impacts on the way APEC leaders are seeing the world," Director of the Institute of Global Finance at the University of New South Wales Professor Fariborz Moshirian, told Xinhua earlier this month.

And of course there are other regional forces at play dictating whether APEC on its own can become a force for economic and financial integration, Moshirian said, noting the friction between the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).
"It's a bit complicated... everyone is trying to create their own sort of bloc," Moshirian said, adding it's essentially a battle for "supremacy and control of trade and investment within the Asia Pacific region."

Feasibility and cost-benefit studies of a free trade zone covering all APEC members, agreed as part of a proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) at the 2014 APEC summit in Beijing, are to be delivered at the Peru Summit.

The free trade zone encompassing the 21 APEC members, who currently account for over 50 percent of global GDP, should potentially be implemented no later than 2025 if agreements can be reached, just under 20 years after its original proposal by the United States.

With roughly 10-percent of national income traded, there is little risk for the United States if they pushed for FTAAP to be delayed, though they would risk isolating themselves in the Asia-Pacific.
Australia seeks to negate this, wanting to "capitalise on this moment in the global economy" though increased free-trade in the booming Asia-Pacific, but is consciences that the "impacts of change can be borne unevenly across the community".

"Countries that have embraced open trade and investment policies have experienced, as we know, significant gains in income, employment and living standards," Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told the Business Council of Australia annual dinner on Thursday night, adding it has lifted billions of people out of poverty in the region.

"But we are living in a time where the pace and scale of change is without precedent in human history.

"Change is unsettling, and as people see things change around them, they are concerned they could be left behind. Weaker growth in incomes is feeding uncertainty, helping anti-trade sentiment find a foothold."

Turnbull said the world has seen economies introduce the equivalent of five protectionist trade policies per week over the past year, the fastest pace since the Global Financial Crisis.

"Retreating from policies that have delivered us prosperity and opportunity is the wrong call," Turnbull said.

But protectionism isn't just about trade policies, it's also the issues that influence trade.

Since the Global Financial Crisis, the developed world economies have been running extraordinarily loose monetary policy, some experimental.

It's a bid to lower a country's currency to make their exports more competitive. In effect, increase exports, decrease imports and spur the domestic economy, Moshirian said.

"But if everyone does it, it's the same thing that happened in the great depression, and you suddenly slow down free trade," Moshirian said.

The ideal solution to boost global trade, thus global growth is the failed World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha trade negotiations that stumbled because complex issues couldn't be resolved. So, nations are now forming regional trade blocks, which are politically charged.

Pushing FTAAP is using APEC to its full capacity, minimising the smaller, politically charged trading blocs such as RCEP and TPP.

An agreement on the feasibly of FTAAP proves APEC is a rightful global leader in a region of dynamic change. It's now time for APEC to pull together to agree to press the next stage,
the Doha round.

"Frankly, my hope (is) that they can just not play politics, but rather be united for multilateral free trade," Moshirian said. 

மோடியின் கறுப்புப்பண மோசடியை எதிர்த்த கழகப் பிரச்சாரம்

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)

PM Modi speaks to Trump, extends best wishes

PM Modi speaks to Trump, extends best wishes on being next US President-elect

 PTI, New Delhi
Updated: Nov 09, 2016 23:22 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to US President-elect Donald Trump to convey his best wishes following his electoral victory and hoped the two nations would continue to build on the “bedrock of strong Indo-US ties”.

“PM conveyed his best wishes & the two leaders looked forward to working closely to take the #IndiaUS strategic partnership to a new height.

“Continuing to build on the bedrock of strong Indo-US relations. PM spoke just now to @realDonaldTrump to congratulate him on his election,” Vikas Swarup, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman, said on twitter.

Earlier in the day, Modi had taken to the microblogging website to congratulate Trump on being elected as US President, saying he looked forward to working with him closely to take Indo-US ties to a new height.

 

Trump-Putin alliance sparks diplomatic crisis

Trump-Putin alliance sparks diplomatic crisis

Britain is facing a diplomatic crisis with the United States over Donald Trump's plans to forge an alliance with Vladimir Putin and bolster the Syrian regime.

In a significant foreign policy split, officials admitted that Britain will have some "very difficult" conversations with the president-elect in the coming months over his approach to Russia.

It comes after Mr Trump used his first interviews since winning the election to indicate that he will withdraw support for rebels in Syria and thanked Vladimir Putin for sending him a "beautiful" letter.

Mr Trump said he will instead join forces with Russia and focus on defeating Islamic State (IS). He has previously said it would be "nice" if the US and Russia could work together to "knock the hell out of" IS.

His views are in stark contrast to those of Theresa May, who has accused President Bashar al-Assad's regime of perpetrating "atrocious violence" and said that the long-term future of
Syria must be "without Assad".

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, has accused Russia of perpetrating war crimes over the deaths of hundreds of civilians.

The dramatic shift in US policy has prompted significant concern in the Foreign Office, and Britain will use the next two months before Mr Trump enters the White House to try to convince him of the importance of removing Assad from power.
 
Mr Johnson is expected to fly to the US within weeks to meet senior figures in Mr Trump's incoming administration and
make clear Britain believes Assad must go.

The diplomatic tensions emerged as a flotilla of Russian warships which had passed through the English Channel arrived off the coast of Syria.

 Mr Trump told the Wall Street Journal his administration will prioritise defeating IS in Syria rather than removing Assad. He said: "I've had an opposite view of many people regarding
Syria. My attitude was you're fighting Syria, Syria is fighting [IS], and you have to get rid of [IS].

"Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria. Now we're backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are."

He said that if the US attacks Assad's regime "we end up fighting Russia".

The Government had hoped that Mr Trump would be prepared to soften his stance on the issue after winning the election, as he has with several other flagship campaign plans including his pledge to repeal Obama care.

However, his interview signalled that he will pursue the alliance with Russia. Foreign Office officials emphasised that Britain will not change its position. "We have been very clear that Assad has no place in the future of Syria," the official said. "He has the blood of 400,000 people on his hands."

Another Foreign Office source said there is hope that Mr Trump will be forced to change his position when he deals with Mr Putin directly.

"There is no doubt that he looks upon Putin as a person who he thinks he can do business with," the source said. "When he discovers that Putin is not a rational or reasonable guy he
might change his mind. This will take time to settle down."

It came as President Putin urged Mr Trump to encourage NATO to withdraw its forces from Russia's borders as part of an attempt to improve relations. Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's official spokesman, said Russia sees "NATO's muscles getting bigger and bigger and closer and closer to Russian borders".As a "confidence-building measure" between the US and Russia, he said, Mr Trump could help relations by "slowing down" or "withdrawing" NATO's military presence from its borders.

There are mounting concerns over the future of NATO after Mr Trump suggested that the US may withdraw from the organisation because European members are failing to "pay their
bills".

During a visit to Norway, Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, agreed that the level of expenditure by EU countries is "not good enough". Defence spending by European members
has fallen from 1.7 per cent of national income to 1.4 per cent on average.

It came as four Americans were killed yesterday in a suicide bombing inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing inside the
heavily fortified Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul. The assault highlights rising insecurity in Afghanistan nearly two years after US-led NATO forces formally ended their combat
operations.

Sir Michael said: "When we go out of the EU, only 20 per cent of the NATO budget will be paid by EU countries. That's not good enough."

Donald Trump's victory averted World War Three, top Putin aide claims

Donald Trump's victory averted World War Three, top Putin aide claims

© Provided by Independent Print Limited  One of Vladimir Putin’s closest advisors has claimed Donald Trump’s victory has averted a third world war.

Speaking after Mr Trump won a shock victory over Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, Kremlin advisor Sergei Glazyev said the Democrat politician was a “symbol of war” and under Mr Trump the US had “a chance to change course”.

He told Russian news wire RNS: “Americans had two choices: World War Three or multilateral peace.

“Clinton was a symbol of war, and Trump has a chance to change this course”.

Relations between the two countries have sunk to their lowest point since the Cold War after Russia was accused of interfering in the election with the strategic leak of emails which were damaging to Ms Clinton and the Democrat party.

In October, the Department of Homeland Security officially blamed Russia for the leaking of emails exchanged by members of the Democrat National Committee (DNC) where they conspired to undermine the campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders. Russian officials have repeatedly denied allegations of interference.

On Thursday, Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said the Kremlin had been in frequent contact with Mr Trump’s campaign team ahead of his victory.

He told Russian news agency Interfax that Moscow had “contacts” within Mr Trump’s inner circle.
He said: “I don't say that all of them, but a whole array of them, supported contacts with Russian representatives”.

It comes as the former head of Nato, Anders Rasmussen, warned Mr Trump to show “strength” against Russia or it will be the “beginning of the end” for the US-led organisation.

Mr Rasmussen, who led the alliance between 2009 and 2014, said Mr Putin “only respects a firm hand” when dealing with other world leaders and said Nato needs to intervene to protect the vulnerable Baltic states.

He said: “The US must increase support for Nato's eastern flank, set up military bases wherever Russia is threatening the freedom and livelihood of US allies, and whole-heartedly protect Ukraine against future Russian aggression.

“The US President must initiate a no-fly zone to impose and maintain a credible and durable ceasefire in Syria.

“The US must force the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, to the negotiating table and find a political solution to the devastating conflict.”

Mr Rasmussen, who previously served as the Prime Minister of Denmark, is currently working as an adviser to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

His comments follow remarks made by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright where she called Mr Trump “a useful idiot” for Mr Putin to exploit.

She said: “The main thing is to remember that he is President of the United States and that our interests vis a vis what the Russians are doing are very important, and that our friends and allies in central and eastern Europe have been our friends and allies for a very, very long time”.