புவிக் கோள் காக்க ஏகாதிபத்தியம் ஒழிப்போம்!

SRI LANKA: Climate Change Worse Than Civil War – UN Expert

"Industrialised countries should lead the way as they are the biggest polluters,"

"But unfortunately if the developed world doesnt do anything to mitigate the impact, there little Sri Lanka can do."

SRI LANKA: Climate Change Worse Than Civil War

UN Expert

By Feizal Samath

COLOMBO, Apr 24 2007 (IPS) - As the world prepares for yet another report by the United Nations panel on global warming and climate change, a Sri Lankan specialist in the group says Tamil rebels and government troops are actually fighting over land due to be submerged as sea-levels rise.

A major part of Jaffna and other northern areas (of Sri Lanka) will be submerged when the sea-level rises. So people are fighting and dying over areas that may soon not be there, Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, vice-chairman of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told IPS in an interview.

Jaffna, seat of a revolt for an independent homeland for minority Tamils, lies on the northern tip of the island. Northern and eastern coastal areas, both claimed by the rebels as traditional Tamil homelands, are vulnerable to submersion as they are flatter than other coastal areas.

The vulnerability of the north and east was highlighted during the Dec. 26, 2004 Asian tsunami when these areas bore the brunt of the damage caused by the killer waves that hit the island, following an undersea earthquake off the coast of Indonesia Sumatra island.

Munasinghe, known internationally for his work on energy and sustainable development, says climate change in Sri Lanka will have dire consequences on water, agriculture, health and the coast. "Already there are early signs of the impact which would assume serious proportions by 2025," he said. "But unfortunately if the developed world doesnt do anything to mitigate the impact, there little Sri Lanka can do."

IPCC is releasing the third volume of its 4th assessment report in Bangkok on May 4. Since the first one came out in 2001, IPCC reports have been closely scrutinised by policymakers across the world, but action has been painfully slow in tackling the problem of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and carbon dioxide emissions that are said to cause global warming.

The biggest culprits are the United States and Europe through their fossil fuel industry and its powerful lobbies.

Providing a peek review of the forthcoming report Munasinghe, a former World Bank who has advised several Sri Lankan governments on energy issues, said among the key messages would be the need to take immediate action to mitigate or reduce GHGs.

The report will also focus on the methods and technologies to make this early start and provide clear signals to industry to develop the technologies to make such a change. "Industrialised countries should lead the way as they are the biggest polluters," he said, adding that the Europeans clearly recognised these concerns earlier this year. "Thus there is now some action in the developed countries," he said.

The IPCC vice-chairman is frustrated at the general apathy of countries in dealing with global warming despite the fact that some of the best experts in the world prepare the reports on global warming. The latest one has contributions from 3,000 scientists.

"No one takes it seriously because it is something that does not happen today or tomorrow. The biggest culprits are the rich countries…so it difficult to take action," he said, adding that one of the weaknesses in the campaign is the inability of scientists to translate their jargon into language that is understood by everyone, including politicians.

The world response to global warming has been very slow. When IPCC first report, released in 1990, provided scientific evidence to show the existence of GHGs that can alter the climate, the public was sceptical. The second report dealt with the impact of GHGs, the impact on humans and need for mitigation.

The third report in 2001 focussed on vulnerability and adapting to situations. It said even if there were zero emissions, what is already in the atmosphere would cause global warming and impact mostly on tropical countries, and thereby the poor. Experts say even in rich countries it is the poor that are affected by global warming – as the impact of Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. has shown.
More than 80 percent of the emissions that cause climate change come from rich countries with lifestyles and development that cause the problems. The per capita emissions of countries like India or China, despite being large, are a mere 1/30th or 1/40th of what is emitted by the U.S. or Europe.
Munasinghe says his argument, made during a presentation at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, that there is a strong need for integrating climate change and longer term issues into sustainable development strategies has become a reality today. "Sustainable development is the way out… starting with the industrial nations," he said.

In the Sri Lankan scenario, population shifts where the country would have a bigger aging population in 20 years will exacerbate the problem since health is one area where the impact would be high.
"Remember malnutrition and disease affects mostly children and older people. An aging population means there would be fewer people to carry the burden as well and all these would be vulnerable. Productivity will get affected because there are fewer young people," he said.

Sri Lanka expects that over the next two decades the sea-level will rise by half a metre with dry areas becoming drier and wet areas becoming wetter, leading to floods in some areas and drought in others.
Earlier this month, Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of IPCC, said at a press conference in New Delhi that up to 60 million coastal people in the low-lying areas of South Asia could be displaced by global warming by the end of the 21st century.

Especially vulnerable, said Pachauri, are the coastal metropolises of Mumbai and Kolkata which are already showing signs of strain on their drainage systems and infrastructure.

India could be most seriously affected by scantier rainfall and by glacier melt in the Himalayas which supply the river systems on which agriculture depends, Pachauri said, adding that glacier melt could also seriously affect China.

According to Pachauri the impact of global warming on India, where almost 700 million people are dependent on agriculture, would be really serious and trigger mass migration of rural communities to urban areas in search of alternate livelihoods.

The most frightening prospect for Sri Lanka is also in agriculture. We have done some studies with the meteorological department which show higher temperatures and less water, said Munasinghe. This will result in paddy farming output falling by 20-30 percent in the next 20 to 30 years. The output will begin to drop gradually over the next few years.

The other issue is that of equity, says Munasinghe, in the wet zone where the hill country is filled with tea bushes – the tea crop will increase making those workers well off. While paddy is cultivated mostly by farmer-families in which the cost of production is much higher than the selling price, tea workers are assured of their monthly wages even if tea companies find production costs higher than selling prices. Tea is generally a profitable crop.

He says in the hotter areas mosquitoes will be more rampant and even move into the more hilly areas. Thus the incidence of vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue in endemic areas could increase in addition to diseases triggered by poor quality water that accompanies droughts.
============
Feizal Samath - Chairperson

Feizal Samath is an experienced journalist with a career spanning over 30 years. He has worked for major Sri Lankan newspapers and international news agencies Reuters (Colombo and India) and Bloomberg (Colombo), covering sports, culture, entertainment, law, politics, business, and development and social issues. He is currently Business Editor of a leading Colombo Sunday newspaper.

Feizal is also a correspondent for Inter Press Service (IPS) news agency in Colombo reporting essentially on development news and features, and is a contributor to some Middle East newspapers.
He is a social activist working on helping children in need, and supports causes relating to poverty and women's' empowerment. His special interest is music and he has helped raise money for children's charities through UNICEF and Save the Children by organizing annual country and folk music concerts titled Country Roads since 1988 through his non-profit organization, the Country Music Foundation (CMF).

Climate Change In Sri Lanka-1

 



 

PFLP Gaza Protest: US imperialism not welcome in Palestine!

 

 

Mass march in Gaza declares: Donald Trump, US imperialism not welcome in Palestine!

 

 

May 232017

 

          

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine organized a mass march and rally in Gaza City on Tuesday, May 23, from Palestine Square to the prisoners’ support tent for the hunger strike, in rejection of the visit of the war criminal, US President Donald Trump, in our occupied homeland Palestine.

Thousands of comrades, leaders, representatives of national and Islamic forces and of the Front, led by members of the Political Bureau, the cadres of the Progressive Student Labor Front and the Union of Progressive Palestinian Youth, marched, carrying banners and signs in support of prisoners and condemning the visit of Trump to occupied Palestine.

Marchers set photos and an effigy of Trump on fire, challenging U.S. imperialism, and rejecting U.S. attempts to brand resistance as terrorism.

Comrade Hani Thawabteh spoke at the march, in which he emphasized the support of the Palestinian people for the struggle of the Palestinian prisoners and complete rejection of schemes that aim to liquidate the Palestinian cause. He saluted all of the prisoners on their 37th day of hunger strike, armed only with their will and determination to confront the Zionist occupation on the front lines of resistance.

He further noted that the Trump visit to the region is part of the consistent approach of U.S. imperialism toward maintaining the security of the Zionist entity with the support of the thrones of Arab reactionary regimes acting as agents of imperialism and Zionism in the region. Thawabteh emphasized the importance of confronting American and Zionist schemes against the Palestinian cause, including an “Oslo 2” project that aims to liquidate the right of return, suppress the resistance and create a self-rule pseudo-government that is a mere security guard for the occupation. “In the name of Palestine, our people and our prisoners, we say that U.S. President Donald Trump represents evil and terrorism in the world. You are persona non grata in our county, Palestine!” Thawabteh said.

He denounced the attempts by Trump and reactionary Arab regimes to label Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas as “terrorist”, calling this a “malicious attempt to distort the facts and target the resistance.” He said that the Arab nation will rise up and confront the reactionary regimes that plunder the fortunes of the people and perform marketing services to normalize the Zionist ane imperialist project in the region.

Thawabteh also expressed confidence in the coming victory of the prisoners, emphasizing that such a victory will be a source of great momentum for the Palestinian people in confronting all schemes and liquidationist projects. He declared that the Front remains faithful to its principles and will continue to confront all conspirators against the Palestinian people and their resistance, including imperialism, Zionism and reactionary Arab regimes, in order to defeat the occupier and liberate the entire land of Palestine.

Kashmir : Sabzar's killing triggers spontaneous shutdown, clashes

Sabzar's killing triggers spontaneous shutdown, clashes

Police and paramilitary CRPF men who were deployed in strength in the area fired dozens of tear gas shells and pellets to disperse the protestors, who offered stiff resistance and retaliated with stones, triggering clashes

ABID BASHIR/SYED RIZWAN GEELANI

Srinagar, Publish Date: May 28 2017 1:00AM | Updated Date: May 28 2017 1:00AM

Sabzar's killing triggers spontaneous shutdown, clashes
Photo: Aman Farooq/GK

At least 55 persons, including 25 policemen, sustained injuries in clashes that broke out in old city and in some uptown areas in Srinagar on Saturday following the killing of Hizbul-Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad and his aide in a gunfight with government forces in south Kashmir’s Tral area. The news about Sabzar’s killing triggered a spontaneous shutdown in Srinagar city and north Kashmir areas.

As soon as the news about the Hizbul-Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad and his close aide being killed reached Srinagar, youth took to streets at Nowhatta, Bohri Kadal, Saraf Kadal, Gojwara, Sekidafar, Rajouri Kadal, Kawdara, Habba Kadal and other adjoining areas in old city and staged massive pro-freedom demonstrations.

Police and paramilitary CRPF men who were deployed in strength in the area fired dozens of tear gas shells and pellets to disperse the protestors, who offered stiff resistance and retaliated with stones, triggering clashes which spilled over to almost entire old Srinagar.

Massive clashes also erupted in Maisuma, Batamaloo, Rawalpora and Rangreth areas in uptown Srinagar.

The news of Sabzar’s killing led to shopkeepers closing their shops, while traffic movement also decreased on the city roads, reports said. Late evening reports said that evening clashes were going on in many old city areas and also in a few uptown areas, including Batamaloo and  Rawalpora near Railway Bridge.

Central Kashmir

Central Kashmir’s Budgam district observed a spontaneous shutdown while youth clashed with forces personnel at Beerwah and Chadoora towns, witnesses said.

They said as the word about Sabzar’s killing spread students assembled at main Chadoora Chowk and clashed with the force personnel deployed there. 

Witnesses said students of Khag Higher Secondary School staged protests and enforced shutdown in Khag area. Clashes also broke out between the students and policemen in Ganderbal and Kangan areas on Saturday afternoon. The shopkeepers downed their shutters and traffic was affected.
The students of Government higher secondary school Kangan staged protests at Kangan market. Other small townships including Tulamulla, Safapora, Baroosa, and Nagbal observed shutdown.

North Kashmir

Reports said that clashes erupted between students and government forces at Sumbal in north Kashmir's Bandipora district. Scores of students of HSS Sumbal and GDC Sumbal took out a protest march and hurled stones at police station Sumbal. "Police fired dozens of tear smoke shells to disperse protesting students, triggering clashes," reports said.

Meanwhile, Bandipora town observed  spontaneous shutdown soon after the news about the killing of Sabzar Bhat spread in the town. Later, students of Girls Higher secondary Plan, boys higher secondary school Kaloosa and GDC Bandipora took out a protest rally and marched towards police station Bandipora. As they reached near police station, forces deployed outside the police station fired teargas shells to disperse them, triggering clashes which lasted for an hour.

Similar clashes were witnesses at Hajin, Chittibandey, Aragam and Papchan areas in Bandipora district.

Reports from north Kashmir’s Spore area said massive clashes rocked Sopore town after scores of students of Government boys Higher Secondary School Sopore staged protests.

Sources said that the protestors assembled at Iqbal market In Sopore and staged a massive protest. However, police and paramilitary men reached there and used force to disperse the protesters, who retaliated with stones triggering massive clashes.

Sources from Baramulla district said following killing of Hizb commander, Baramulla town observed a spontaneous shutdown. The shutdown was marked by clashes between students.

Reports said the news of killing of Hizb commander triggered massive student protests in colleges and higher secondary schools.

In Baramulla town, Police lobbed scores of teargas shells after students of Boys Degree College Baramulla tried to take out a protest march from the college, reports said. 

Meanwhile, a student, Nauman Ahmad, pursuing journalism course at Degree College Baramulla was allegedly thrashed by police and his equipment including a camera were seized by the cops, reports said.

Police had to face tough time during the protest carried out by the girl students of girls higher secondary school and Women's college Baramulla. Police lobbed scores of teargas shells to quell the protesting girl students at Tehsil road of the town.

In Pattan and Palhallan areas of Baramulla district, clashes between youths and police were witnessed for the whole day.

Reports from Handwara area said that  students clashed with and policemen while in neighbouring Kupwara town youth assembled and raised pro-freedom slogans.

Reports of students’ protests and clashes were also received from Langate and Handwara town of Kupwara district.

Reports said clashes between government forces and protesters   erupted in Kralpora area in Kupwara which affected the traffic movement.

Students hit streets again

Campuses across Kashmir erupted once again following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his close associate.

Reports said students of Women’s College MA road Srinagar were vacated from the campus and the authorities suspended the class work for whole day. “We suspended the class work at around 12 pm as the news about killing of militants spread in Kashmir. We asked the girls to leave for their homes to avoid any untoward situation,” said a Professor in Women’s College M A Road.

Also, the class work was suspended at SP College Srinagar as a precautionary measure to avoid student protest in wake of the militant killings. However, the Principal SP College, said the class work was suspended in wake of death of father of a staffer “The father of one of our staffers has passed away and we suspended the classes to offer condolences to the bereaved staffer,” the Principal said.

Meanwhile, panic gripped Lal Chowk after students from various neighboring institutions staged a protest and started pelting stones on CRPF bunker at Exchange road this afternoon.

Student protests also erupted at Amar Singh College and Polytechnic College in Gogji Bagh area.
Protests erupted inside Kashmir University campus. The students took out a protest march within the campus and later dispersed off peacefully.

Students of Government Degree College Bijbehara blocked Bijbehara-Pahalgam road near Degree College Bijbehara.

Separatists Caged

Authorities placed almost all the separatist leaders under house arrest. Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani continued to remain under house arrest at his Hyderpora residence, Chairman Hurriyat (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest at his Nigeen residence. Others that include senior resistance leaders Shabir Ahmed also continued to remain under house arrest while as resistance leaders that include Advocate Shahidul Islam, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Ayaz Akbar, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Ashraf Laya, Hilal Ahmed War, and many others were also placed under house arrest.

Rail Services suspended

Authorities suspended Baramulla-Srinagar-Banihal rail services for indefinite period.

Police Version

A police spokesman said stone pelting incidents were reported from about two dozen places in Kashmir. “The gatherings of miscreants pelted stones on police establishments and forces camps. They also pelted stones on the moving vehicles on the busy roads and in the Chowks,” he said.
“Police and security forces rushed to tackle the protestors.  They were also pelted upon in which 25 police and security forces personnel were injured. During these incidents 12 miscreants were also injured,” he said.

Kashmir Resistance camp calls for shutdown on May 28, 29

Resistance camp
calls for shutdown on May 28, 29

Srinagar, Publish Date: May 28 2017 1:10AM | Updated Date: May 28 2017 1:10AM

The joint resistance leadership including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik has called for complete shutdown on May 28 and 29 against killing of Hizb commander Sabzar Ahmad and his associate in Tral, and six other militants in Rampur sector.

The joint resistance leaders while paying tributes to slain militants blamed Indian authorities for “prevailing appalling situations” in the state, saying that “their (Indian authorities) rigid and unrealistic approach is the root cause of uncertainty in state.”

 “We condemn the use of unjustified and brute force against peaceful mourners and ask people to attend condolence meeting on May 30 in Tral to pay tributes to slain youth. Excessive and unjustified use of brute force against peaceful mourners and killing of a civilian in Tral is state sponsored terrorism. It is inevitable to call shutdown against this inhuman and senseless act to register our resentment,” they said.

Elaborating, they said that “millions of people in 2008, 2010 and 2016 while pursuing their genuine struggle, insisted for right to self-determination” and instead of showing any serious concern, “were showered with bullets and pellets.”

“Hundreds were brutally killed, thousands maimed and scores blinded. Indian authorities have adopted unrealistic and stubborn attitude. Youth of state feel highly distressed and are left with no option but to pick up arms. Our brave hearts are highly educated, mature, dedicated and committed to cause. Most of these youths were haunted, chased and subjected to third degree torture by police and forces, thus compelled to pick up arms against this barbarism and forced slavery,” they said.

“It is natural phenomenon and resentment and as such those youth subjected to humiliation and torture have only one option to resent the coercion with might and their resolve,” they said.

Paying glorious tributes to the slain, the leadership said, “It is moral duty to pay our respects to these brave hearts. Our children are choosing this path because of the rigidity and stubbornness of India and they are sacrificing their today for the tomorrow of their nation.”

Condemning the forces for “unjustified and brute force” on peaceful mourners, resistance leadership blamed authorities for “adding fuel to fire.”

The leaders said restraining them “to mourn our slain youth is against all ethics and condemnable.”

Burhan Wani's successor Sabzar Bhat killed in Kashmir

Successor of Burhan Wani Sabzar Bhat

Burhan Wani's successor Sabzar Bhat among nine killed in Kashmir, clashes erupt

Bhat was among eight militants killed in two separate gunfights in north and south Kashmir. A civilian was also killed after forces opened fire on people marching towards the encounter site in Saimoh village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Srinagar, Publish Date: May 27 2017 4:01PM | Updated Date: May 27 2017 4:04PM

Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, who succeeded Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, was killed in an encounter with government forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Bhat was among eight militants killed in two separate gunfights in north and south Kashmir. A civilian was also killed after forces opened fire on people marching towards the encounter site in Saimoh village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Six militants were killed after army claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid in Rampur sector of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Two militants, including Sabzar Bhat – a lieutenant of slain Hizb commander Burhan Wani killed on July 8 last year – and Faizan were killed in an encounter in Saimoh.

The killing of Bhat has triggered protests and clashes across Kashmir valley. Dozens of people have been injured in the ensuing clashes.

Kashmir: Top Hizb commander Sabzar killed in Tral

People carry body of Hizb Commander Sabzar Bhat to his home. PHOTO: Mir Wasim/GK

Kashmir: Top Hizb commander Sabzar killed in Tral
2 houses destroyed, 2 militants escape: Claim locals

ABID BASHIR
Srinagar, Publish Date: May 28 2017 12:48AM | Updated Date: May 28 2017 2:24AM

A top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his close aide Faizan Ahmed were killed in a gunfight with the government forces at Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday. 

A top police official said, “Soon after the militants believed to be Sabzar and his two aides, attacked an army patrol at Saimoh village in Tral on Friday evening, forces laid a siege of around three villages. There was no clue about the exact location of the house where the militants were hiding but we were sure that militants were holed up.

“As the inputs were further corroborated, during the night long cordon and with the first light of the day the house where militants had taken a refuge in Saimoh village was zeroed in on and both the militants were killed.”

Locals said as the search was on, the forces blew up two residential houses using explosives. “One house of Abdul Rashid Mir was set ablaze by forces on late Friday night although there was no militant inside.

“However, on early Saturday morning forces conducted house to house searches.  As soon as the force personnel entered into the house of Ghulam Hassan Bhat, where militants were hiding, the militants fired on them. Forces returned the fire triggering an encounter in which both the militants were killed,” sources added.

The slain militants were identified as Sabzar Bhat son of Ghulam Hassan Bhat of Rathsun, Tral and his associate Faizan Ahmed son of Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat of Darul Uloom Road Tral.

Locals claimed at least two militants, including Adil Rashid Chopan, of Lurow village managed to flee from the encounter spot after people rushed to help them escape. “We saw them in an injured condition but they managed to escape successfully,” locals said.

A Police official said that Sabzar had joined militant ranks in April 2015 after snatching a riffle from force personnel and was a close confidant of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) Dr S P Vaid termed Sabzar’s killing a “great success” for the forces, including Army and CRPF.

An Army officer said that they had a specific lead about the presence of the Hizb commander. “The encounter was conducted in a very coordinated and smooth manner,” the officer said.

“Army’s 42 RR, Special Operation Group of Police and 180 bn of CRPF were involved in the operation,” he said.

India recalibrates Sri Lanka policy

India rightly recalibrates Sri Lanka policy

New Delhi emphasises on historical linkages that have shaped South Asia’s geopolitical traditions, apart from enhancing the existing economic engagement with Colombo

By Seema Sengupta, Special to Gulf News
Published: 16:33 May 25, 2017
Gulf News
 

The recent back-to-back visit of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to New Delhi and Indian Premier Narendra Modi to Colombo reinforces the two neighbouring countries’ commitment to strengthen a long-standing partnership that seeks to enhance all-round prosperity and development.

By embarking on his second visit to the island nation since assuming office in 2014, Modi seems to have given a clear message that New Delhi is determined to reverse the prolonged neglect of a special relationship, which is not only more than 2,500 years old, but often marked by a lack of understanding on the part of India of Sri Lankan nationalism. As Nihal Rodrigo, former Sri Lankan foreign secretary, who had also served as the secretary-general of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, put it candidly: “India and Sri Lanka have had deep relations, not always cooperative and yet mutual engagement with each other has more often led to be a major asset to both countries.” Indeed, Modi’s effort to transform India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations, through a calibrated mix of cultural diplomacy and robust economic cooperation attains great significance at a time when China is aggressively harnessing its strategic One-Belt-One-Road initiative to make deeper forays into India’s extended neighbourhood in South Asia.

Recognising its shortcomings in conventional economic diplomacy, because of the inability to invest lavishly in transcontinental infrastructure initiatives unlike China, New Delhi has taken the right approach of giving special emphasis on historical linkages that have shaped South Asia’s geopolitical traditions, apart from enhancing the existing economic engagement with Colombo.

Very rightly, Indian foreign office mandarins are carefully extricating the India-Sri Lanka ties from the morass of mutual distrust, caused by the interventionist policies of the 1980s, in order to try and create a conducive and harmonious atmosphere for greater economic integration. But then, that is easier said than done. In the words of Professor S.D. Muni, former Indian diplomat and an eminent South Asia expert, apart from being the first Indian to be conferred ‘Sri Lanka Ratna’ — Sri Lanka’s highest national honour: “Sri Lanka has a strong and alert middle-class that does not always sees all its interests tied to India economically, as it would like to play competitive forces based on its strategic location.” Muni believes there will be reservations in Sri Lanka on issues like speedy conclusion of second-generation trade agreements and that “economic relations between India and Sri Lanka will grow depending on the areas of mutual interests and may not be defined by any one side, least India.”

Former deputy governor of Sri Lanka’s Central Bank, Weerakoon Wijewardena, agrees that negative sentiments may lead to truncated agreements, but emphasises simultaneously on his country’s need for deeper economic engagement with India to successfully align with the Asian supply chain. India, being Sri Lanka’s second-largest trading partner after the United States and a source of about 20 per cent of its imports and 5 per cent of exports, is of great importance to Colombo so far as trade and commerce is concerned, feels Wijewardena, while recollecting how India came to Sri Lanka’s rescue when the latter was facing a severe external sector crisis. “On many occasions, New Delhi had extended a generous SWAP facility to the Sri Lankan Central Bank for enabling Colombo to wade through foreign currency shortages to meet its external sector obligations,” says Wijewardena.
Indian policymakers hit a real masterstroke by invoking Buddhism to mend the derailed India-Sri Lanka tie. After all, it was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, Anagarika Dharmapala, who played the most distinct role in preserving Buddhist heritage in the Indian subcontinent through his Kolkata-based organisation, Maha Bodhi Society. Moreover, spiritual diplomacy not only helps India to put the contentious baggage of interventionist Tamil political agenda of the past to the backburner — without compromising her support for inclusive reconciliation agenda to usher lasting peace in Sri Lanka though — but also underlines New Delhi’s disinclination in challenging Sri Lankan sovereignty any longer in the garb of protecting minority rights. Undoubtedly, Lord Buddha is a great leveller, presenting a self-awakened India longing to bring real progress to the people in her neighbourhood through mutually beneficial partnership based on sovereign equality.

The cornerstone of India-Sri Lanka relations is seeking cooperation through consultations based on mutual compromises and avoiding unnecessary confrontation. Global politics is replete with instances of how calibrated diplomacy, painstaking negotiation and hard compromise have helped accomplish the most unexpected results. According to Rodrigo, “India and Sri Lanka are close in much more than their geographic proximity and do provide even a sample for courage in cooperation and consultations.” Saarc would benefit from the example of Indo-Sri Lanka compromises and cooperation rather than excessive competition, asserts the former Sri Lankan foreign secretary.
Professor Muni, while acknowledging the role and responsibility of both nations in stabilising the Indian Ocean region, however, warns that Colombo may not like to work with India alone on all strategic and regional prosperity issues, partly because New Delhi has never been very enthusiastic in responding to Sri Lankan initiatives on matters pertaining to regional security, that involves countries like Pakistan or China.

Seema Sengupta is a Kolkata-based journalist and columnist.
 

மன்செஸ்ரர்: வெஞ்சினத்தை விதைத்தவர்களே விளைவுகளுக்குப் பொறுப்பாளிகள்!

Jeremy Corbyn links foreign policy to growing terror threat
Friday 26 May 2017 09.31 BST  First published on Thursday 25 May 2017 22.00 BST 

Jeremy Corbyn will return to campaigning for the general election on Friday morning after the pause following the Manchester bombing. He plans to give a speech criticising police cuts and drawing a link between British foreign policy and terror attacks.

With less than a fortnight until polling day, the Labour leader will tell an audience in London that a government led by his party would provide more resources for law enforcement and the NHS to ensure people were “not protected and cared for on the cheap”.
 
The longtime peace campaigner and former chair of the Stop the War coalition will also argue that it is the responsibility of government to ensure that “our foreign policy reduces rather than increases the threat to this country”.

Jeremy Corbyn

Corbyn will say: “Many experts, including professionals in our intelligence and security services, have pointed to the connections between wars our government has supported or fought in other countries and terrorism here at home.

“That assessment in no way reduces the guilt of those who attack our children. Those terrorists will forever be reviled and held to account for their actions. But an informed understanding of the causes of terrorism is an essential part of an effective response that will protect the security of our people that fights rather than fuels terrorism.”

He will argue that the government should admit the “war on terror” had failed and rethink its approach.

Ben Wallace, a Conservative security minister, criticised Corbyn’s comments as “crass and appallingly timed” and defended the government’s record on security spending. “He needs to get his history book out,” Wallace told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “These people hate our values, not our foreign policy.”

Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, also criticised Corbyn’s intervention: “A few days ago, a young man built a bomb, walked into a pop concert and deliberately slaughtered children. Our children. Families are grieving. A community is in shock. Jeremy Corbyn has chosen to use that grotesque act to make a political point.”

Farron added: “I don’t agree with what he says, but I disagree even more that now is the time to say it. That’s not leadership, it’s putting politics before people at a time of tragedy.”

The Labour leader was defended by Barry Gardiner, the shadow trade secretary. He said: “What Jeremy [Corbyn] is saying is that we need to profoundly reassess the way in which there are linkages. What we did there was we made a military intervention and then withdrew. That country has been in chaos. There was no planning for what might happen afterwards. Now that country has women being sold in slave markets in its cities. That country is in chaos.
 
“Military intervention has gone in hard then lost its way. You can look back to Iraq, Afghanistan and see that the stabilisation of a country is so important.”

Corbyn and his close aides have long held the view that British foreign policy, including the involvement of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, which he vehemently opposed, has exacerbated the risk of terrorist attacks by destabilising the Middle East and fuelling suspicion of the west.

In a speech at the Chatham House thinktank in May, he suggested a Labour government would seek to rely on a “triple commitment” to defence, development and diplomacy, to protect Britain’s interests, rather than a “bomb first, talk later” mentality.

After the terror attack on Manchester, the Conservatives are likely to seize on the intervention as evidence that Labour would be soft on terrorism.

But Corbyn will highlight Labour’s pledge to put 20,000 more police officers on the streets, saying: “Labour will reverse the cuts to our emergency services and police. Once again in Manchester, they have proved to be the best of us. Austerity has to stop at the A&E ward and at the police station door. We cannot be protected and cared for on the cheap.”

Many election candidates across the country resumed low-key campaigning, delivering leaflets and knocking on doors on Thursday, after a minute’s silence was observed in the morning to honour the victims of Monday’s deadly attack.

Corbyn’s speech will mark the full resumption of national campaigning. He will say: “No government can prevent every terrorist attack. If an individual is determined enough and callous enough, sometimes they will get through.

“But the responsibility of government is to minimise that chance – to ensure the police have the resources they need, that our foreign policy reduces rather than increases the threat to this country and that at home we never surrender the freedoms we have won and that terrorists are so determined to take away.”

He will also talk about the “British values” seen in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack, saying: “I want the solidarity, humanity and compassion that we have seen on the streets of Manchester this week to be the values that guide our government. There can be no love of country if there is neglect or disregard for its people.”

Corbyn and a small group of aides have planned a “phased return” to electioneering after the pause, which was agreed to by the major parties.

Andrew Murray, another former Stop the War chair and former communist, who was recently drafted in to Labour HQ to help with the campaign, shares many of Corbyn’s views, regarding Britain’s involvement in Middle East conflicts, including in Syria, as “western imperialism”.

Labour had appeared to be eating into Theresa May’s poll lead last weekend as the Conservatives struggled to explain the social care policy that was the centrepiece of their manifesto.

The prime minister executed an abrupt U-turn on Monday, announcing that she would consult on introducing a cap on total costs, so older people did not face unlimited liability. At an awkward press conference in Wrexham, she repeatedly insisted “nothing has changed” and played down accusations that the Tories would impose a so-called dementia tax.

But May halted the campaign to take direct control of the aftermath of Monday night’s attack, chairing meetings of the Cobra emergency committee and delivering a defiant speech in Downing Street insisting British values would prevail over terrorism. She will go to Taormina in Italy on Friday to attend a summit of the G7 industrialised states, but other ministers will return to campaigning.