Wednesday 30 March 2011

Ten Things to Learn from the Japanese


1.    THE CALM
Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated. 
2.    THE DIGNITY
Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture. 
3.    THE ABILITY
The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.
4.    THE GRACE
P
eople bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.
5.    THE DISCIPLINE
No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
6.     THE SACRIFICE
Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
7.      THE TENDERNESS
Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.
8.      THE TRAINING
The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.
9.      THE MEDIA
They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.
10.  THE CONSCIENCE
When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly 

Sunday 27 March 2011

Indian Peace Delegation is back from Pakistan after a successful visit


An Indian Peace Delegation visited Pakistan from 17th to 25th March 2011. During their stay they visited Karachi, Hyderabad, Islamabad and Lahore. They met Pakistan Prime Minister Mr. Yusuf Reza Gilani, Sindh Chief Minister Mr. Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Senators of various political parties, civil society activists, journalists, members of business community, and students amongst others. The 12 member Indian delegation was led by Mr. Kuldip Nayar (veteran journalist) and included Mr. Mahesh Bhatt (Film Personality) , Mr. Bhalchandra Mungekar (Memeber, of Parliament) Mr. Shahid Siddiqui (Editor, Nai Duniya), Mr. Jatin Desai (FOCUS), Dr. Mazher Hussain (COVA), Ms. Kamla Bhasin (SANGAT), Mr. Ramesh Yadav (FRI), Mr.Sanjay Nahar (SARHAD), Mr. Haris Kidwai (Peace Activist), Mr. Y. Laxmi Prasad (Former MP) and Mr. A. Krishna Rao (Journalist).
In his meeting with the Indian Peace delegation, Mr. Gilani, the Prime Minister of Pakistan stated that dialogue is the only way to make progress in India-Pakistan relations. He assured the Delegation that his government was fully committed to make the peace process work. He also expressed confidence that the meeting between Home Secretaries of the two countries in Delhi would yield results. He praised the role of civil society in promoting peace between India and Pakistan.
The Indian Delegation also had the opportunity to watch the Joint Session of the Pakistan Parliament addressed by Mr. Asif Ali Zardari,
Many members of both the house of Parliament (National Assembly and Senate) of Pakistan agreed that there is a need to form India-Pakistan Forum of Parliamentarians to address the outstanding issues between both the countries and the Indian Peace delegation along with members of Pakistan Peace Coalition  have decided to work for the formation of such a Forum..
The members of the Delegation participated in many meetings, seminars and interactions in Karachi, Lahore, Hyderabad (Sindh) and Islamabad. The themes and concerns covered in these interactions were the need for uninterrupted and uninterruptible dialogue between India and Pakistan, release of all fishermen from the prison of each other’s countries, revival of India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners, resolutions of water sharing disputes and opening up of trade for prosperity of both countries.
There was a constant demand that Visa should be made easily available to members of divided families, artists, students, researchers, academics and  peace activists to encourage greater people-to-people contact that alone could help normalize relations. As an immediate step, both the governments should extend the facility of visa on arrival to the senior citizens and children below 12 years as agreed between them earlier.     
It was also felt there is an immediate necessity of a joint mechanism against terrorism and a need to provide platform to common people to enable them to participate in foreign policy formulation that could reshape relations between the two countries from confrontation to cooperation and friendship.
The Delegation also met the family members of Salman Taseer, Governor of Punjab, who was assassinated by his own security guard, for his principled position on Blasphemy Law. Mr. Taseer stood for basic values like human rights and minority rights. The Delegation offered its condolence at the unfortunate demise of Mr. Taseer and expressed their solidarity with his family. 
            The team is back from Pakistan with a message of love and friendship. It is time that establishments in both India and Pakistan reciprocate the wishes of people of both the countries to address all outstanding issues. In fact, the issues of Siachen and Sir Creek can be resolved quickly as they were very close to signing the agreement when the Composite Dialogue was paused following the attacks on Mumbai.

Thursday 3 March 2011

Dreaming Taj Mahal- Aspirations of Pakistani Taxi Driver Captured by Indian Film Maker

TV 9 Naveena
In association with
COVA
Invite you to the screening of the Documentary

“Dreaming Taj Mahal’

Life of a Pakistani taxi driver captured by an Indian film maker!

His life, family, social perceptions, problems, politics, feelings about India and the burning desire to see

The Taj Mahal!!

A must see for all
Duration:51 Minutes

Produced & Directed by
NIRMAL CHANDER

The screening would be followed by a Panel Discussion with
Ms. Madeeha Gauhar (Renowned Theater Personality from Pakistan),
Mr. Sumanaspati Reddy (Hyderabad Documentary Circle and
Dr. Mazher Hussain, COVA

Venue: Lalitha Kala Thoranam
Time: 4 pm
Date: Saturday, 5th March 2011

SYNOPSIS
Haidar, a taxi driver, dreams of going to India to see the Taj Mahal. The choice doesn’t seem strange for a man who believes that “Love is everything”. The only problem is he lives in Pakistan!
Why is Haidar's dream so impossible to achieve? Is it because he is a Pakistani, a Muslim, seen by the Indian government as a potential spy or a terrorist? Or is it because he is a common man with no strings to pull?
India and Pakistan have a long-standing relationship of suspicion and hostility. They have been to war four times and continuing terrorist attacks in India make Haidar’s quest for a visa look almost impossible.
To see how Haidar's dream can be given a voice, and what it means for all of us, I travel from India to Pakistan.

Haidar's solution for peace is simple. If ordinary citizens of both countries are allowed to interact with each other, they will realise not only are they historically and culturally close but they also have similar problems - from potholed roads to corrupt politicians.
But can his dream come true?
Festivals:
1)   TIDF, Taiwan 2010, competition
2)   World Film, Estonia, Tartu, 2011
3)    Signs, Kerala, 2011, competition
     4)  Triburon Film Festival, 2011, USA

Peace and Equity Audit


Need for Peace and Equity Audit as a Parameter for Development Planning

Mazher Hussain

The objective of Planning should be to secure development and progress for all. But it is seen that development initiatives in India are leading to exclusion of large sections, increase in income disparities, intensification of social tensions and onset of conflicts between different communities / groups and even between the people and the State.  .

Though liberalization seemed to have accelerated the annual growth of GDP of India to an average 9 %, it has contributed to the prosperity of only some sections while the condition of the majority of the populace seems to be worsening as is evident from the downward slide of the performance of India on Human Development Index (HDI) from 128 and 127 in 2000 and 2005 respectively to 134th position in 2009. While a handful are reaping benefits and entering the billionaires club, millions are being displaced from their lands, livelihoods and habitations and forced into deprivation and disempowerment- an unusual phenomenon of continuing poverty and marginalization in the midst of galloping plenty.  

Before the onset of liberalization, the State functioned as a custodian of all natural and national resources like land, water, minerals, forests, infrastructure etc that were held in trust as national assets. But the ill regulated and unbridled privatization of all these resources by the State (as if it is the “owner” and not just a custodian of these resources) is resulting in humongous appropriations of these national assets by a few individuals and communities at unprecedented scales and at unimaginably low prices. This auctioning of national resources and national assets by the State is also leading to unbelievable levels of corruption with deals involving lakhs of crores in kickbacks causing immense loss to the exchequer, gigantic accumulation of assets and wealth in the hands of a few and displacement, dispossession and disempowerment of large sections of society leading to extreme economic disparities and increasing social conflicts.

As most such transactions as well as access to opportunities in the fields of employment, entrepreneurship and access to credit are based on political discretion guided by community considerations and affiliations, only those sections and groups that have access to the power of the State are cornering all the benefits while excluding most others that are already marginalized. This is leading to further enhancement of inequitable distribution of resources and increase in discrimination in all spheres on the basis of religion, caste, gender, community, region etc. resulting in accentuation of social fault lines - and in many cases - creation of new tensions between different groups and communities and also between the people and the state.
           
Conflicts: A Product of Inequity and Marginalisation
The deprivation, marginalization and exploitation of millions of poor seems to be turning them against the system as they find themselves more and more excluded from the benevolent and protective character of the State. This disenchantment and exclusion of the masses is getting translated into a variety of social and political conflicts that are manifested as agitations, riots, resistance, militancy and even terrorism. The major forms of conflict that seem to be increasing / emerging as a result of the present trajectories of uneven and discriminatory socio-economic development are the social conflicts (covering communal, caste, regional, ethnic conflicts etc), conflicts over resources (leading to displacements, migration, resistance, inter- state and inter- regional disputes,) and political conflicts (around issues of governance, accountability, inclusion policies, peoples aspirations etc). Most regions of the country seem to be affected by one or other form of these conflicts and their spread and intensity seems to be on the rise.

If left unaddressed, all these conflicts have the potential of bringing down the legitimacy of the state, lead to violence between groups and cause irreversible damage to social integrity and national polity. Hence it is imperative that any planning process of the State should also focus on deliberations about how development in different spheres is contributing to generation / enhancement of conflicts and explore the possibility of using the Five Year Plans for mitigation of conflicts rather than provide conditions for their accentuation as seems to be the case now.
Peace and Equity Audit
Every development plan, policy or program can affect different stakeholders in different ways and some of them negatively also. Further, by providing unequal benefits to some and / or affecting the exclusion of some other sections, the process of development could lead to the generation / enhancement of conflicts. Once such conflicts set in, it is difficult to reverse or contain them and over time, they extract heavy economic, social and political costs apart from creating an atmosphere of constant insecurity.
Hence every development plan, policy or program should be reviewed through a “Peace and Equity Audit” to evaluate if it is equitable to all sections and will not lead to any conflict. If the result from the Audit is in the negative, then it should be modified suitably to ensure that development is always a vehicle for promoting equity, social justice and peace in society rather than contributing to inequality, marginalisation and generation of conflict.       
Parameters and procedures for Peace and Equity Audit should be formulated and employed by all agencies and bodies – government or private- that are engaged in development work of any kind. Appropriate mechanism should be established to discourage and disallow all such development initiatives that do not clear the Peace and Equity Audit.
Presently, there seems to be a tendency to measure development by mainly focusing on the growth of the GDP. But we have seen that accelerated growth of GDP could also lead to increasing disparities and actually take the country down on the Human Development Index (HDI). Hence an appropriate procedure for assessment of development could be a combination of both the growth of GDP and HDI. Only such development initiatives that could score positively on both the HDI and the GDP should be endorsed and encouraged.  

XII Five Year Plan through the Paradigm of Peace and Equity
Though the country has progressed substantially in the last 63 years thanks in large measures to the Five Year Plans format that was adopted, but the development that has been achieved is not without its share of inequity and conflicts. Standing at the threshold of preparing the Approach Paper for the XII Five Year Plan, the Planning Commission of India should seriously analyse the generation / enhancement of conflicts as a result of the development processes initiated through the Five Year Plans and evolve parameters and procedures to factor in the possibility of mitigation and redress of the ongoing conflicts through the XII Five Year Plan that is being formulated.
It is heartening to note that The Planning Commission of India is seeking suggestions for addressing the challenges related to decentralization, empowerment and information to be included in the Approach Paper to the XIIth Five Year Plan. The Approach paper would focus on how these challenges impact various sections of society in the development context.  This could transform the Planning process from being a predominantly economic exercise to also include the concerns and perspectives of the people and thereby ensure increased equitability in development and reduction in conflicts - provided appropriate parameters and procedures for a Peace and Equity Audit are evolved and adopted for the formulation and finalization of the XII Five Year Plan for India.

Mazher Hussain
Executive Director
COVA
09394544244, 09849178111
email:mazherhussain11@gmail.com