littlek wrote:Gautam, thanks for posting. I know we are sadly uninformed about India. I never think of it as a third world country. Nor do I think it uncivilized. Actually, in many ways a much more civilized country than the US is.
Anyway. I'm sure I will have loads of Qs for you. Right now, I'm trying to collect info, links, interviews that seem real to me. I'm aiming to collect that info from the Indian angle, but will undoubtably have data from Pak and US as well.
After we collect some data and some history (and hear more from you), people can see for themselves what the story is.....
there's alot of history that are kept hidden. for instance, lil'k did you know that within the u.s. of a, that the hawaiian monarchy was overthrown by the u.s.? i'll bet not many know that. you don't have to look to far to see past injustices. as a direct decendant of kamehameha, i find many things troubling as you can see for yourself here.
http://www.hawaii-nation.org/soa.html
I know that the US took over Hawaii and that at sometime it was a matralineal culture.... maybe I'm confused. I'll check out the link.
The PM of India admits that voting has been rigged in the past. He says that last year's voting was fair and will continue to be fair. He wants a peaceful resolution in Kashmir, but offers no ideas.....
BBC on Kashmir
Ideas can only be developed when the two sides begin talking. And I don;t think that India is wrong in its stance that cross border terrorism should stop before talks occur.
How can you even think abt dialogue when incidents like this keep happening ?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2974945.stm
Same issue that Palestine and Isreal are having....? People's sons and daughters, husbands and wives dying - revenge and /or bitter-rage blinding any hope of peace. <I didn't read the article, will come back to it>
Some economic titbits on Kashmir...
While per capita central assistance to other states moved from Rs 576.24 in 1992-93 to Rs 1,137 in 2000-01, that to J&K spiralled from Rs 3,197 to Rs 8,092. That translates into an annual money order of Rs 40,460 sent by New Delhi to each J&K family of five.
In 2001-02, the state spent Rs 7,516.6 crores (75.2 billion) of which Rs 4,577 crores (45.8 billion) or 60 paise out of every rupee came from New Delhi. The state's salary bill of Rs 1,193 crores (11.93 billion) exceeded its own revenue of Rs 1,095 crores (10.93 billion) and therefore could not have been paid without New Delhi's help.
New Delhi pays the security-related expenditure of the state, the financial assistance to Kashmiri migrants, the ex-gratia sums to families of people killed in terrorist acts and expenditure on public works related to security.
And if the 0.55 million security forces deployed in the state are considered a nuisance to human rights of the state's citizens, consider the fact that it is their presence which has been the crucial factor in the per capita consumer expenditure in the state shooting up from Rs 134 a month in 1981 to Rs 746 in 2000.
Hmmm....
So, simplisticly, what should happen to make it all better?
Both Prime Misters (Pakistani and Indian) have offered to meet for talks. Is this going to happen?
BBC link
Perspectives from BBC readers from around the world....
BBC Readers' Views
Nothing will come out of these talks, if indeed they happen. I am of the firm opinion that we should not be going back to the table, unless Pakistan stops sponsering cross border terrorsim. After all, this is not an unreasonable demand is it ? Talks under the shadow of the gun will never succeed. The current prime minster has unilaterally inititated talks twice - once with Nawaz Sharif, which resulted in Pakistan occupying the Kargil peaks, and then with Musharraf, which resulted in an atack on the Indian parliament.
I understand that the Indian PM said as much about the border crossings.
I would call it infilteration
wow.... hoping that the people fighting in the streets will give their governments the benefit of the doubt for a little while.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3028435.stm
well, what does it mean? Pakistan banned a militant leader from going into Pakistani ruled Kashmir. He was let out of prison as an exchange for hijacked indians last year. Does that mean the the Pakistani police force will make sure he doesn't cross the line? Does it mean that if he does and is caught by Indian authorities they have more rights as to his enprisonment?
I wonder..... what percentage of the main indian population is muslim? I believe that muslims are the majority in the kashmir area.
http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501030310/persecution.html - "Islam in Asia"
150 million muslims across India - dunno if that counts those in kashmir. The article also says that there have been christians killed as well, by hindu indians.
