Seven year old girl prescribes medicines with aplomb

Puducherry: She is just seven years old, but Bhagaiyashree of Ariyankuppam could prescribe medicines for any diseases with utmost ease.
A student of an English Medium school at Ariyankuppam, Bhagyashree, displayed her talent in the presence of Puducherry Public Works Minister M O H F Shajahan and a host of doctors from the Government General Hospital.

Bhagyashree was quizzed on the medicines to be prescribed for various diseases, such as pneumonia, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, dengu, tumour and leukaemia, among others.

The child was quick and confident enough to answer correctly.
As a token of appreciation, Mr Shajahan, honoured her with a shawal and presented Rs.5000. The minister also promised to provide her a computer.
Her father, Bhaskar, a watch repairer, said Bhagyashree used to read medical books whenever she finds time and thus developed her skill.
Bhagyashree's ambition is to become an Oncologist in future, he added

Two suspected Pak terrorists killed in Noida

Noida, PTI: The incident took place at 2.35 am at sector 97 near UNITECH plot after the terrorists, travelling in a white Maruti car, opened fire on the ATS team, leading to an exchange of fire between the two sides.
In a pre-dawn encounter, two suspected Pakistani terrorists, trying to enter Delhi from Ghaziabad, were on Sunday killed and an Uttar Pradesh ATS personnel was injured here, a day before the Republic Day celebrations.
The incident took place at 2.35 am at sector 97 near UNITECH plot after the terrorists, travelling in a white Maruti car, opened fire on the ATS team, leading to an exchange of fire between the two sides.
"One of the terrorists, while being taken to hospital identified himself as Farooq, a resident of Okara in Pakistan, and his companion as Abu Ismail from Rawalakot (POK)," UP Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal told a press conference in Lucknow
"Two AK-47 assault rifles, four magazines, 120 rounds of ammunition, five hand-grenades, nine suspected RDX rods, detonators, a Pakistani passport and Rs 18,000 were recovered from the terrorists," Lal said.
"The passport recovered from Farooq bears the name Ali Ahmed, resident of Rahimyaar Khan in Pakistan," the ADGP said, adding some documents like identity cards and diaries were also recovered from them.
"We are verifying the documents," he said.
The officer said the ATS team had been working for the past one month on a terrorist module and around midnight last night, it got the information that the two persons, equipped with AK-47 rifles, in a white Maruti car were trying to enter Delhi from Lalkuan in Ghaziabad.
The ATS unit deployed at Amity outpost saw the suspected vehicle coming at around 2.15 am and tried to stop it, on which the terrorists opened fire at the team, he said.
In the retaliatory fire, the two terrorists and an ATS personnel Vinod Kumar Singh were injured, Lal said.
The ATS team was also assisted by the Noida police during the operation.
The injured were rushed to the hospital, where the two terrorists were declared brought dead by the doctors, the officer said, noting that the constable was out of danger.
"We are probing what the terrorists were up to and who were their local contacts," the ADGP said.
The UP police was already on high alert in the run up to the Republic Day celebrations, he said.

India soft on Pakistan, say Advani, security experts

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani and a select group of security experts feel that India adopted the mildest response to Pakistan after the Mumbai terrorist attacks and it was not befitting an emerging global player, the party said Saturday.
According to a BJP statement, the participants in the closed-door meeting at Advani's residence Saturday said that "after Mumbai, any self-respecting government would have adopted a much more robust response" - referring to the terror strikes in that city in November.
Such a response "alone could compel Pakistan to not only bring to book those behind the incident but also to wind up the infrastructure of terror (in that country)," it said.
The statement said the participants felt that despite "Pakistan's involvement" in several terror strikes in India during the last three years, the government had adopted a soft policy. "(This) inevitably led to the Mumbai action."
The BJP statement listed out measures that the government should initiate to improve internal security situation. Among them is a "blueprint" proposed by Advani for security reforms containing 350 recommendations on intelligence, higher defence management, internal security and border management.
The statement did not clarify if the experts also agreed with Advani's "blueprint".
The meeting was attended by 35 people, including 14 retired defence officials and 13 retired civil servants.
Party leaders Rajnath Singh, Arun Shourie and Arun Jaitely participated in the discussion. Former chiefs of air staff, Air Chief Marshals A.Y. Tipnis, S. Krishnaswami and S.P. Tyagi, and former chief of naval staff Admiral Arun Prakash, were among the retired defence officials.
Among former civil servants at the meeting were home secretary Anil Baijal, defence secretary Yogendra Narain and director of Intelligence Bureau Ajit Doval.
Journalists M.J. Akbar, Chandan Mitra, Swapan Dasgupta and Brahma Chellaney were also present.

With Pakistan on mind, India, Afghanistan open crucial road

New Delhi/Kabul: Undeterred by a resurgent Taliban, India and Afghanistan on Thursday formally opened a crucial road link that can reduce Pakistan's influence over its landlocked neighbour, and mounted pressure on Islamabad by asking all countries to stop terror emanating from its soil.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee jointly inaugurated the 218-km landmark highway that links Zaranj on the Iran-Afghan border and Delaram in south Afghanistan, and underlined their commitment to combat terrorism.
“The project symbolised India's strong commitment towards the development of Afghanistan,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement in New Delhi after Mukherjee returned home from his two-day visit to Afghanistan Thursday evening.
The road that promises more trade and prosperity to the Afghan people will reduce Afghanistan's dependence on Pakistan for overland access to Iran and Central Asia. It will also provide to India an alternative route to Afghanistan and Central Asia. India currently is dependent on Pakistan for overland access to transport relief material meant for that country.
Mukherjee met Karzai and his Afghan counterpart Rangin Dadfar Spanta and discussed ways of intensifying counter-terror cooperation in the wake of the Mumbai mayhem, and a coordinated strategy of dealing with terror both sides believe is orchestrated by elements across the border.
Afghanistan joined hands in mounting pressure on Islamabad to honour its anti-terror pledge by acting against the perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage.
“Both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to combat terrorism and reiterated that all countries should comply with their multilateral and international obligations and should fully control terrorist activities emanating from the sanctuaries and camps located within their territory,” the external affairs ministry said here.
Both countries face “same terrorism from the same source”, Spanta said. Although he did not name Pakistan, the reference was not lost on anyone.
“In our region, there are some entities who use terrorism as tool for foreign policy. This should end,” the Afghan foreign minister said.
The construction of the road in the face of a hostile Taliban and a suspicious Pakistan is seen as a triumph of Indian diplomacy in a country that not too long ago under the Taliban regime had become virtually inaccessible.
“The completion of the road reflects the determination of both India and Afghanistan that nothing can prevent or hinder collaboration between the two countries,” Mukherjee said at the handover function in Delaram, the capital of Nimroz province, while describing the project as “a glowing example” of India-Afghanistan cooperation.
“Our cooperation will not stop,” Karzai said while stressing that the completion of the road was a message to those who are against friendship between the two countries.
The construction of the road, built by nearly 300-odd workers and engineers from India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO), at a cost of $150 million was bitterly opposed by the Taliban and its backers across the border, who have targeted Indian workers involved with the project over the years.
With these attacks on mind, Mukherjee said: "Our project personnel did face many challenges in the implementation of the project... In effect, one human sacrifice was made for every kilometre and a half constructed."
It will further regional cooperation by encouraging new trade and transit through Iranian ports and a supplementary access of Afghanistan to the sea, he said.
At least six Indians, including a BRO driver and four ITBP soldiers, have been killed in these attacks led by the Taliban militants aiming to discourage India's increasing involvement in Afghanistan.
The inauguration of the road was kept a top secret due to security reasons. The highway was completed a few months ago and was to be inaugurated last year.
But the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul and the Mumbai terrorist attacks last year delayed the plans for a formal opening of the road that is seen as a symbol of India's unflinching commitment to Afghanistan's reconstruction and an assertion of its strategic interests in that country.
India has pledged $1.2 billion to Afghanistan for different reconstruction projects ranging from roads and bridges to power stations and parliament in which over 2,000 Indians are involved.
India will also shortly be completing the Pul-e-Khumri to Kabul transmission line and sub-station at Chimtala. New Delhi also plans to construct an additional sub-station at Charikar.

Remembering Netaji

His love for India, mystery 'death' in plane crash

New Delhi: Did Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose really die in a mysterious plane crash in Taiwan in 1945? And what about the letter written by him found in the KGB archives dated 1946 saying that he had safely reached the then Soviet Union; and also the findings of the Mukherjee Commission saying that there had been no plane crash at the Taipei airport around the time the plane is supposed to have crashed.
These were some of the questions raised by speakers at a function held to commemorate the freedom fighter on his 112th birth anniversary Friday evening in Gulmohar Park Club here.
Captain Shobharam Tokas, who was one of Netaji's bodyguards from the Indian National Army (INA) that he set up to fight against the occupying British, is certain that Netaji did not die in the Aug 18, 1945, plane crash.
"No, he certainly did not die in the plane crash," said the 89-year-old Tokas. "How is it then that Captain Habibur Rehman (a close associate of Netaji who was also on the Japanese military aircraft on that fateful day) came away unscathed? His uniform did not have a scratch, but Netaji's body was said to have burnt to ashes. Is it possible, No," said Tokas.
There is also no photograph of the crashed aircraft or the body of Netaji, he said, adding that the government is deliberately trying to suppress the truth relating to the freedom fighter.
A copy of a letter written by Netaji was discovered in the KGB archives in Russia after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. "The letter was dated 1946, more than a year after he was supposed to have been killed in the mystery crash," said Forward Bloc general secretary G. Devarajan.
"What happened to Netaji after that is not known," said Devarajan, adding that probably Russia, under a post-World War II agreement with Britain to exchange war criminals, had sent him to that country.
The government has also rejected the Justice Mukherjee Commission report, tabled in parliament in 2006, which said that there had been no plane crash at Taipei airport either on Aug 18, 1945, or a week before and after that day, said Devarajan.
He also said that there are more than 7,000 files in the government's archives containing the correspondence of Netaji with the Indian leaders then, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, and also with leaders of foreign countries, but they are not being made public.
"We have asked the government to make these letters public. We have a right to know the contents," added Devarajan. The Forward Bloc was formed by Netaji in 1939.
He also said that the reference to Netaji in school text books is perfunctory. "The government has bypassed his great contribution to the freedom struggle, without which independence from the British would not have been possible."
Devarajan said during his travels through many villages in north India, he found that the history text books had copious references to Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi, her two sons, daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi and also her daughter Priyanka Vadra and her children, with photographs, "but except for two lines on Netaji, there is nothing".
"Netaji was a great thinker and very farsighted. He had already thought of a Planning Committee for an independent India, which would address issues like the country's burgeoning population, problems of farmers, of unemployment, of illiteracy and women's issues. Though he formed the Planning Committee while he was president of the Indian National Congress in the 1930s, he made Jawaharlal Nehru its chairman. That was his humility," said Devarajan.
When Netaji formed his Azad Hind government in exile in 1943 from Singapore, it had all the trappings of a proper government - with portfolios distributed, including a women's affairs ministry and a propaganda ministry, what would be known today as an information and broadcasting ministry. The government also had a currency.
"Nine countries gave recognition to the Azad Hind government, including Russia, China, Italy, France and Japan. He opened embassies abroad - such was the force of his movement for a free India, but our children are taught nothing of his great political thought," Devarajan rued.
The Forward Bloc has been asking the government to name Jan 23 as "Desh Prem Divas" (Patriotism day) to instil among the younger generation a fiery love for the motherland as Netaji had and spread awareness about him, his thoughts and his deeds, he said.
The sense of adventure, or "romanch", associated with Netaji makes him the most attractive and enduring of all freedom fighters, said Subhash Vasishta, convenor of the Gulmohar Park Study Circle, which kicked off with the symposium in memory of Netaji Friday evening

Brahmin convention condemns Laine for book on Shivaji

Pune: The fifth multi-lingual Brahmin convention here on Saturday passed a resolution condemning American writer James Laine for his "defamatory" writings about Maratha warrior king Shivaji.
Chhatrapati Shivaji is held in highest esteem in India for his fight against foreign rulers and to cast aspersion on him is an insult to the entire country, the resolution adopted at the convention held at Bhugav near here said.
James Laine's book on Shivaji had drawn flak and led to an attack on the city-based Bhandarkar oriental research institute, scholars from which were believed to have aided his work a few years ago.
Through another resolution, the convention, attended among others by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, Yoga Guru Ramdev baba and Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamkoti Jayendra Sarswati, asked Brahmins to look beyond party politics and vote for those who worked for the community's all round progress.
The convention declared that it was not demanding any reservation for Brahmins, but said it would work to have necessary provisions to ensure educational progress of the community members.

Statement attributed by ATS a "pack of lies": Himani Savarkar

Pune: Abhinav Bharat (AB) President Himani Savarkar Friday said Maharashtra ATS' contention that the Malegaon blast conspiracy was discussed in her presence by Lt Col Prasad Purohit in April 2008 in Bhopal, was a "pack of lies". Savarkar, who was questioned by ATS here last month, has been reportedly quoted in the chargesheet against the Malegaon accused as saying that she walked out of a closed door meeting attended by AB members as she was opposed to violent methods.
The ATS was making "misleading" statements based on her questioning, she told reporters here.
"When I was speaking it was being recorded on a computer. But I was not shown the contents of my statement and I never signed it," she added.
Savarkar said she had attended only an 'Aamsabha' (general meeting of AB in Bhopal) and not any closed door conclave which allegedly discussed use of RDX by the accused in Malegaon.
The ATS has not made Savarkar an accused in the case, citing her as a witness in the chargesheet.

Anti-Terrorism Squad says no evidence against Abhinav Bharat chief, but has listed her as a witness in the case

While the ATS has filed a 4,528-page chargesheet in the September 29 Malegaon blast case, which includes 452 witnesses, it has found no evidence to pin Abhinav Bharat chief Himani Savarkar (62), as an accused in the case. Instead, she has been made a witness in the case against the arrested accused.
According to the ATS, Himani had attended several meetings with the accused, but was not part of the blasts conspiracy. ATS chief K P Raghuvanshi said, "Himani Savarkar is a witness in the case. She was present in the meetings, but was not a part of the blast conspiracy. The accused have been arrested, and the chargesheet is prepared on the basis of the evidence gathered."
He added, "There was no evidence of her taking part in the blast or the conspiracy." However, Himani, who confesses to being part of the meetings, is not aware that she has been made a witness in the case. Himani said, "I was the part of the meetings held in April 2008, in Bhopal, where members of Abinav Bharat were present." She also agreed to have met Dayanand Pandey alias Sudhakar Dwivedi, Pragya Singh Thakur, and the other accused in the Malegaon blast case.
She added, "I had gone to attend a function of Abhinav Bharat, and there were talks about Hindutva. But there were no talks about any blast."
She denied having met Lt Col Shrikant Purohit at the meeting. "I don't even know that I am a witness in the case. Also Purohit was not present in any of the meetings. The police have made a false case," she said. However, according to the charge sheet and the statements of other witnesses, Himani was present in the meeting when they discussed the Malegaon blasts. It also adds that Purohit propagated setting up a Hindu Rashtra, and exacting revenge against Muslim terrorists.
According to Himani's statement in the chargesheet, she walked out of the meeting, as she was opposed to violent methods.

Remove Islamic tumour within India: Thackeray

Pune: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who turned 83 today has said the elements who were waging a battle against Islamic fundamentalism within the country, were being branded as Hindu terrorists by the rulers.
The oblique reference to the charge-sheeting of 11 Malegaon blast accused under MCOCA, came in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', in which he said the metropolis, despite a semblance of normalcy was still reeling under the horrific Mumbai terror attacks that killed over 200 citizens.
"The blood is yet to dry up. Share market is functional. The Taj has opened.
But the common Mumbaikar continues to be in the grip of a fear complex as he goes through his daily chores in local trains, crowded bazaars and buses," he said.
Thackeray accused Congress of its "appeasement" of Muslims and vote bank politics and said, "Pakistan today is not afraid of India because the fanatic Muslims within our country is the real strength of the hostile neighbour."
"Instead of removing the Islamic tumor that was growing in India's stomach, the present rulers were making it more malignant," he said.
Touching upon the fresh flare-up on Maharashtra- Karnataka boundary dispute, Thackeray said,"I have given 42 years of my life to this struggle and will continue to fight for the rights of Marathi speaking population in Belgaum for the rest of my life."
Thackeray alleged that Marathi population in the border districts of Karnataka who were wanting 'merger' with Maharashtra was being subjected to excesses and atrocities and the Ashok Chavan-led Congress government in the state was a "mute spectator" to it.
Taking a dig at NCP president Sharad Pawar, Thackeray said, "the strong Marathas enjoying power in Centre and the state government are more concerned about their chair as against the interests of Maharashtra."
Belgaum and Malegaon have become the graveyard of Maharashtra's self-respect, he remarked in the editorial.

"Pranabda is running the government."

Sheela Bhatt assesses the likely impact of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's absence from office on the government and the Congress party.

Prince Siddhartha took sanyas to eventually become Lord Buddha when he confronted misery due to old age, sickness and death. Even as the Congress party plays down Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cardiac bypass surgery on Saturday, his absence from the Prime Minister's office cannot be ignored.
It is well-known that in deciding political issues, Dr Singh never carried weight suitable to his position within the party. There was and is a clear demarcation between the political power wielded by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Dr Singh's sphere of work in running the government.
In the Congress and in Indian politics for the last decade, '10, Janpath', Sonia Gandhi's home in New Delhi, has been a metaphor for real power within the Congress party. Still, Dr Singh's physical absence from office at a most unsuitable time will make the Congress party uncomfortable.
Paying homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives at India Gate on Republic Day and being a big part of the annual parade of military pomp and cultural pagentry is a historic privilege no prime minister likes to miss. There will also be protocol problems like leading the bilateral talks with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the chief guest at this year's Republic Day parade.
In New Delhi's power structure, the immediate issue subtly noticed once again is the trust deficit between Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee. It is a fact that the United Progressive Alliance government was heavily dependent on Mukherjee's political wisdom. Dr Singh gave Mukherjee charge of almost all crucial matters and policy decisions; the veteran minister headed scores of committees that took vital decisions with far-reaching impact.
People casually noted that "Pranabda is running the government." Still, that old, invisible distance between 10, Janpath and Mukherjee exists and there are no signs that suggest it has disappeared.
On October 31, 1984, when then prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated, then Congress party general secretary and her elder son Rajiv Gandhi was travelling in West Bengal. A special flight was arranged to bring Rajiv back to New Delhi.
Rajiv, Pranab Mukherjee, Uma Shanker Dixit, then the governor of West Bengal, his daughter-in-law Sheila Dixit, then secretary general of the Lok Sabha Subhash Kashyap and security personnel were on that special flight from Calcutta to New Delhi.
What transpired on the flight has never been forgotten by the Gandhi family. It is said Mukherjee tried to argue that when a prime minister dies, convention requires the senior-most cabinet minister take oath as prime minister. This argument was construed as Mukherjee's claim to the office.
However, convention was set aside and Rajiv Gandhi, who had never held a ministerial post until then, was sworn in as prime minister. The 'senior-most minister' in Indira Gandhi's cabinet was set aside.
The Congress has many issues to tackle other than selecting a successor to Dr Singh if the need so arises.
Dr Singh could not throw his weight around when he was present, but his short absence will mark his importance in the corridors of Congress politics and in managing diplomacy after the Mumbai terror attacks, where time is the crucial factor.
India's relationship with Pakistan and America depends on Dr Singh's personal touch and beliefs. The coming fortnight is crucial for India's relationship with both countries and Dr Singh's absence will be felt.
Dr Singh was also a fair referee between Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram and Mukherjee. Congressmen claim that in recent weeks Chidambaram has encroaching on Mukherjee's turf at the external affairs ministry. His interview to The Times, London is cited as an example of this.
Chidambaram also took a hardline stance against Pakistan as against Mukherjee's soft approach. It is said Mukherjee spiked Chidambaram's proposed trip to the United States, which was otherwise also ill-timed.
Though Mukherjee will take temporary charge of the finance ministry when Dr Singh recovers from surgery, the prime minister's sure hand at the wheel will be missed when the government prepares for the passage of Vote on Account in Parliament.
As a general election approaches, instead of the annual Budget, the government will seek a Vote of Account during a truncated session of Parliament from February 12 to February 26. It will nevertheless give the country an overview of the economy and the challenges it faces as the world experiences a global financial meltdown.
Some other decisions are pending like the appointment of a Secretary (R) to head the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency. P V Kumar was tipped to become the R&AW chief, but there is no word as yet from the Prime Minister's Office.
In the last five years, the Congress has not tried to encash Dr Singh's role in making liberalisation work. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's 'Vibrant Gujarat' would not have been as impressive but for Dr Singh's effort in bringing huge Japanese investment of more than Rs 40,000 crore to build an industrial corridor between Mumbai and Delhi. Nearly 40 percent of the route falls in Gujarat.
Modi grabbed the opportunity and made the embassy of Japan a partner in his recent Vibrant Gujarat show and most of the promises of billions of dollars in investment are mainly on the both sides of the corridor and the development of a new port near Jambusar.
Behind the shrewd publicity of the Modi government's business activity, it is Dr Singh's economic policy at work at a macro level.
The Congress will go to the polls with the young face of party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and issues like aam aadmi. Dr Singh's services will not be asked for in the electoral battle of 2009; in any case, it was rarely used in the last five years. His presence in the Congress scheme of things was more of symbolic, rather than political, value. But he was a stable symbol of governance that has now been shaken by his short absence from office.
Lord Buddha knew thousands of years ago how age brings uncertainty and fear. The prime minister's short leave from office has reminded that to all of us.

Breaking Story: Malegaon plot was MI anti-terror ops

Lt Col Purohit said that his fundraising and arranging logistics for Malegaon blast were all part of covert Military Intelligence ops to fight terror.

As long as some Madrases, continue churning out terrorists or teaching hate philosphy against other religions, except Islam or teach how to kill "Kafirs" (non believers: which includes myself), these kinds of retributive terrorism might continue to flourish and would continue to get sympathy/support from certain sections of people.......
MUMBAI: Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, alleged to be the main conspirator in the Malegaon bomb blast case, is said to have told witnesses, including some in the Defence forces, that his fundraising, arranging logistics for the attack and drafting a constitution for the extremist outfit “Abhinav Bharat” were all part of a covert Military Intelligence (MI) operation to fight terrorism.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chargesheet in the case filed yesterday alleges that Purohit gave an impression to witnesses that he was “conducting some covert MI operation and penetrating into some Right-wing organisation”. Purohit, who was arrested on November 5, for his alleged involvement in the bombings, served in MI from 2005 to early 2008 and was posted in Nashik and Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh.
In one instance, the chargesheet alleges that an unnamed witness, who is a serving officer from the Army Education Corps in Pachmarhi, has told the ATS that he was introduced to Purohit at an official dinner at the officers mess of AEC Training College in December 2007 by a senior colleague. The witness told Purohit that he wanted to set up an old-age home and school after retirement and Purohit offered to help him through his contacts and invited him to Delhi.
The witness allegedly took up the invitation and went to Delhi from where he was taken to Faridabad where the first meeting of Abhinav Bharat was underway. “Lt. Col. was talking about overground forum and also underground forum must be created. Later on, when I asked Lt. Col. Purohit about that he told that it was part of some covert MI operations and I need not know more than that,” the chargesheet quotes the unnamed AEC officer as saying. The ATS alleges that this was the meeting where Purohit took responsibility of providing explosives for the blast.
Purohit, the chargesheet alleges, called the AEC officer to a meeting in Kolkata in February 2008 saying he wanted to discuss the school project. There, the officer was introduced to Swami Asimanand from Gujarat, Abhinav Bharat founder Himani Savarkar [Himani is the daughter-in-law of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's brother. Savarkar had set up Abhinav Bharat in 1904 for an armed struggle against the British government. After the independence, the organisation was dissolved in 1952. Himani Savarkar started working with the Abhinav Bharat in 2006] and a man named Tapan Ghosh. The witness, according to the chargesheet, recalled that Ghosh and Purohit discussed the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh.
They also allegedly discussed training youth and when Ghosh asked about arms training, Purohit said that he would consider it and organise it after asking his superiors. When the witness claimed that he confronted Purohit when he returned to Panchmarhi, Purohit allegedly explained that it was a “covert operation under the direction of superiors to fight terrorism”.

'Pak militant groups mulling friendly Kashmir'

After Mumbai attack, Pak based militant groups in Kashmir may be changing strategy.

Islamabad: Pakistan-based militant groups, including Lashker-e-Toiba, are pondering a "new, friendly policy on Kashmir" in the wake of mounting pressure on them following the Mumbai attacks, a media report claimed on Thursday.
Senior leaders of LeT and the United Jehad Council, a conglomerate of terrorist groups active in Jammu and Kashmir, are reassessing their policy in the aftermath of the November 26 Terror strikes, the News daily said.
The top militant leaders are "pondering a new, friendly policy on Kashmir" because of mounting global pressure on Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks and subsequent action against jehadi groups in the country, a 'knowledgeable' source was quoted as saying in the report.
The newspaper said it was unable to reach UJC chairman Syed Salahuddin for his comments. Salahuddin's spokesman Ehsan Elahi said the groups wanted the Kashmir issue to be "settled amicably" in the emerging situation.
"It is our desire that this problem is resolved through dialogue... Neither is militancy an easy affair nor are we happy with it," Elahi said.
"We want peace but it does not mean that we are renouncing our stance or showing a weakness. If there is such an impression in any quarter, it is completely wrong." Elahi complained that the current Pakistani government, unlike past administrations, was "not supporting them".
Since the Pakistan People's Party-led Government is not backing the groups diplomatically and morally, they had "obvious grumbles" but understood the "prevailing volatile situation", he said.

Mr.Bush Again Defends His Presidency

“There were some good days and there were some tough days but every day was an honor to be your president,” he said. “I gave it my all. Listen. Sometimes what I did wasn’t popular, but that’s okay, I always did what I thought was right.”

George W. Bush, now the former president, flew to Midland, Texas, after the inauguration this afternoon and told a small welcoming crowd much of what he has been saying in his farewell speeches and interviews over the last few weeks. But in light of Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address today — and the new president’s stark repudiation of what his predecessor left behind — Mr. Bush’s speech almost seemed like a rebuttal.

“I always felt it was important to tackle the tough issues today and not try to them on to future presidents, and future generations,” Mr. Bush said. “I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think. And I’m coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment.”

Much of his speech was a defense of his presidency and his decisions, particularly after 9/11 when, he said, “we liberated 50 million people from the clutches of terrorism.”

Perhaps his dominant theme was that he believed he did the right thing, even if it wasn’t popular and he tried to make the case that popularity didn’t matter. He leaves office with the lowest poll ratings of any president in modern times.

“There were some good days and there were some tough days but every day was an honor to be your president,” he said. “I gave it my all. Listen. Sometimes what I did wasn’t popular, but that’s okay, I always did what I thought was right.”

In a recent commencement speech, he said, he noted that he had said: “Popularity is as fleeting as the Texas wind; character and conscious are as sturdy as our oaks.”

He added: “History will be the judge of my decisions, but when I walked out of the Oval Office this morning, I left with the same values that I took to Washington eight years ago. And when I get home tonight and look in the mirror, I’m not going to regret what I see — except maybe some gray hair.”

He spoke a bit about the next chapter of his life, saying he hadn’t figured out exactly what he might do. He said that the house that his wife Laura has bought in Dallas _ which he hasn’t seen _ was “the first faith-based initiative of the post-presidency.”

He paid homage to his father, whom he called “Number 41.” After George H.W. Bush left the White House, he decided he wanted to parachute from airplanes. “My dad is America’s only sky-diving former president and that’s a title he’s going to keep,” the son said.

When he said he would be relaxing tomorrow at his ranch in Crawford, someone in the crowd yelled out, “You deserve it!”

In the morning, he said, he would make his wife coffee, “skim” the newspaper, call some friends, read a book, feed the dogs, go fishing, take a walk and by that time it will be 8 in the morning. “That’s what happens when you’re a type A personality,” he said, going on to knock his wife’s cooking: “I told Laura I was excited about her cooking again — kinda,” he said. “She told me she was excited about me mowing the lawn and taking out the trash –- it’s my new domestic agenda.”

He also said he wanted to spend time with his parents and noted, “I’m the first former president to be able to share the post-presidency with both my parents.”

He said he would be active, adding that he and his wife may be retired, “but we’re not tired out.”

Of the book he is planning to write, he said: “I want people to be able to understand what it was like in the Oval Office when I had to make some of the tough decisions that I was called upon to make. History tends to take a little time for people to remember what happened and to have an objective accounting of what took place and I’d like to be a part of making a real history of this administration come to life.”

Though there has been "legitimate debate" about many of his decisions, including the war in Iraq, Mr.Bush said, "there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."

Some Key Highlights of Mr. George Bush's Administration:
1.Faith-based initiatives and taxpayer relief are priorities at outset of Bush's first term

2.September 11, 2001, changes everything, and a global fight against terrorism looms

3.War in Afghanistan and Iraq become the defining moments of the administration

4.As his "troop surge" finds success in Iraq, the economy begins to unravel at home

WASHINGTON-- Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush have landed in Midland, Texas, the former first lady's hometown and her husband's childhood home.

A cheering crowd greets former President George W. Bush Tuesday in Centennial Plaza in Midland, Texas. A crowd welcomed the Bushes in Midland, waving red, white and blue W signs. Country music performers Rodney Atkins, the Gatlin Brothers and Lee Greenwood performed until the former first family arrived.

"Today is a good day for the Bush family. We're back in Texas, and we're here to stay," Bush told a cheering crowd in downtown Midland's Centennial Plaza. "I am grateful that y'all came out to welcome us home."

The Bushes flew to Midland from Washington on Tuesday after inaugural ceremonies for President Obama.

"A good man took the oath of office today, and we offer him our prayers for success," he said.

The Bushes boarded a helicopter in front of the Capitol bound for Andrews Air Force Base shortly before 1 p.m.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walked the Bushes to the helicopter -- known as Marine One when the president is on board but called "Executive One" for this flight -- and bid them farewell with handshakes and hugs.

The former president kept busy right up until his final moments in the White House.

Painters and cleaning crews were still working in the West Wing press offices. Moving crews heaved boxes and delicately carried paintings bound in bubble wrap. Other moving trucks were unloading boxes and carting them into the White House.

The former president also had a conversation with his good friend the Rev. T.D. Jakes. Jakes is the chief pastor of the nondenominational megachurch Potter's House in Dallas, Texas. He was in Washington to give a sermon Tuesday at St. John's Church, a short walk from the White House.

It's unclear what was said in any of these exchanges, but Bush made clear to the nation last week that his presidency was challenging and that he is "filled with gratitude."

Though there has been "legitimate debate" about many of his decisions, including the war in Iraq, Bush said, "there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."

Don't MissWistful ex-President Bush says goodbye to White House Obama: Challenges real, but 'they will be met' The highlights of the Bush legacy Noting that Bush's last day in the home he has known for eight years was fraught with emotion, press secretary Dana Perino spoke affectionately about her boss.

Bush "gave me a kiss on the forehead," she said. "It's something I will never forget."An attempt to sweeten the memories of the White House press corps was made Tuesday when Perino gave reporters boxes of M&Ms. The candies were wrapped with a presidential seal and signed by President Bush.

Shortly before President Barack Obama and his family arrived at the White House, Bush took a last walk around the South Lawn. He spent his remaining time at the White House with his family.

After the inauguration, a wheelchair-bound Vice President Dick Cheney, who injured his back lifting boxes while moving, was taken to a motorcade.

CP(I)M Suspends Mr. A P Abdulla Kutty (the sitting MP from Kannur) for praising Mr.Narendra Modi

This is what happens to every Indian, if he/she speaks the truth, regardless of his/her religious affiliations.

New Delhi: CPM has suspended Kannur MP A P Abdullakutty — who praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's development model — from the party for one year for praising Modi.

Abdullakutty, a two-time MP from Kannur, had reportedly said during a visit to Dubai last month that Modi's efforts to bring development to his state was worthy of emulation even in the face of disagreement over his political policies.Following which, the CPI(M) has sought an explanation from the party MP from Kannur A P Abdullakutty for reportedly praising the development model being pursued by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Risking disciplinary action from his party, Abdullakutty on Saturday stuck to his stand that the development model being pursued by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was worthy of emulation while outrightly rejecting the "communal agenda" of the saffronite leader.

In a statement issued shortly after sending his reply to the explanation sought by the party district unit, the Kannur MP reiterated his view on the investor-friendly development atmosphere created by Modi in Gujarat and said he went on record on this with the good intention of triggering a debate in Kerala as a state that suffered from problems like hartals.

It is to be remembered that A P Abdullakutty, the controversial CPI(M) MP from Kerala who has had run-ins with the party earlier for openly speaking against bandhs and questioning the “communist should be an atheist” theory, created stir at the end of December, 2008, by saying that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi should be made the model for attracting private investment.

The two-time MP said states, including Left-ruled Kerala, should emulate the Gujarat model on dealing with investors and ushering in development. He, however, qualified his statement by making it clear that he was only praising Modi’s skills in attracting investment to the state and still considers the saffron posterboy as a “communal fascist”.

“Gujarat is India’s number-one investor-friendly state. Modi made it possible for Reliance to invest Rs 25,000 crore in the state and the company has made huge profits. When Ratan Tata pulled out the small car project from Singur, it was Gujarat which came up with the most attractive offer. Other states, including Kerala, should emulate the Gujarat model,” he told The Indian Express from Dubai.

A brief treatise on Mr.A P Abdulla Kutty

Mr.A P Abdulla Kutty hails from an orthodox Muslim family of agriculturists of Narath village in Kannur District. Born on 08 May 1967, he is the third of five children of Shri T. P. Moideen and Smt. A. P. Sainaba. He has an elder brother and an elder sister. He also has a younger brother and a younger sister. He considers himself most fortunate to have this unique position of “the sibling in the middle.”

Abdullakutty’s family members were Congress party sympathizers. During his schooldays he was favourably disposed towards the Congress, though politically inactive. Brought up to be a devout Muslim, he used to go to the Madrasa every morning. His mother’s ardent desire was that one day her son would grow up to become a Mullah.

Abdullakutty had his primary education at the Narath Mapillai LP School where he studied upto the 4th standard. Later he went to the Kambil Mapillai High School, from where he passed his SSLC with a second class. His brother who was in the Gulf suggested that he should be sent to the local Industrial Training Institute to learn to be a civil draftsman. This would open up immense possibilities for a lucrative overseas career. It was customary for youngsters in the village to go to the Gulf countries after completing their SSLC. Not many bothered to study further. The Gulf was the ultimate destination for the average Muslim youngster – his passport to a lifetime of prosperity. Much against his wishes, Abdullakutty found himself enrolled in the ITI. And this proved to be a major turning point in his life.

Abdullakutty found himself irresistibly drawn to the ideals and programs of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Soon he was elected Union General Secretary and threw himself into the struggle against privatization of professional education. A 50 day strike ensued and Abdullakutty was arrested and lodged in the Kannur Central Jail for a month. He missed his exams and ended up discontinuing his education at ITI.

Abdullakutty then joined the SN College, Kannur, for the Pre-degree course. In time he passed the Pre-degree examination and registered for B.A. (Malayalam) in the same college. He was now a full-fledged SFI activist. He was soon elected as University Union Councillor, a remarkable achievement considering that the SN College had always been a KSU stronghold. (Kerala Students Union is the student wing of the Congress.) This was a great feather in the SFI cap. In his first year as an under-graduate student, Abdullakuuty was elected General Secretary of the Calicut University Union, thus establishing the ascendancy of the SFI once again. This victory caused him to be described by the flattering epithet “Jeyikkaanai Jeyichavan” (born to win).

After his graduation, Abdullakutty joined the Law Academy Law College at Trivandrum from where he completed his LLB degree.

Escalation on the Cards
Kanchan Lakshman

Today I heard a British, high official talk about democracy in Pakistan on NDTV Ltd !! I think the said British Official should brush his knowledge about the real definition of democracy.....

How can a country which has Islam as the state religion (instead of secularism), be democratic, in the first place??!! In democracy, state should be free of the rule of church.......if state and the church colludes, then where is democracy??!!

Moreover, I was stunned to see the quality of audience present to in the studio, to hear the "Great Speeches" of that British Official. The said audiences did not even think to ask this simple question to that Official.

It is worth noting that NDTV Ltd has been notoriously biased over the years in inviting audiendes to its studios and in that list of Yellow journalists affiliated with that channel, Barkha Dutt, tops the charts.

We all know that British has been instrumental in dividing our country, India and now they are spreading wrong information in the Indian media through some spineless media channels; who have always pandered to the sentiments of a religious group.

NDTV Ltd over the years has created this kind of confusion among the masses and have spread information, which most of the time humiliated majority community in India; to find acceptance among the Pakistani Audience.

Off late I am told NDTV Ltd (Please confirm from your end) is doing brisk business in Pakistan and hence this might be their attempts to woo the Pakistani masses.

Meeting on the sidelines of the 15th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on August 2, 2008, India’s Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh reportedly conveyed the country’s concerns over the increasing involvement of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, in anti-India activities. Dr. Singh is believed to have specifically conveyed concerns over ISI involvement in the July 7 suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, with a message that the incident, along with cease-fire violations on the Line of Control (LoC) and increasing infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), had created "difficulties" in the relationship between the two countries.

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, on his part, assured his Indian counterpart that Islamabad would independently investigate the embassy attack which killed 60 people, including four Indians. The cease-fire violations coincide with the terrorist attacks on Indian targets at home and abroad. There have been serial bombings in India – in the western commercial hub of Ahmedabad, capital of Gujarat, on July 26, and in the southern IT/BPO centre of Bangalore, capital of Karnataka, on July 25, which left a cumulative total of approximately 56 people killed and 150 wounded. Earlier, the suicide bombing in Kabul on July 7 killed at least 60 people, including diplomat V. Venkateswara Rao and the military attaché Brigadier Ravi Datt Mehta.

With the security agencies currently investigating the bombings in Bangalore and Ahmedabad and the antecedents of the shadowy Indian Mujahideen (which claimed responsibility for the mayhem in Ahmedabad), definitive evidence is still elusive regarding the ISI’s possible role. There is, however, no such uncertainty over the ISI's involvement in the suicide bombing at the Indian Embassy in Kabul.

New Delhi stated, further, that the peace process was "under stress" after the Kabul Embassy bombing. India’s National Security Adviser, M. K. Narayanan, stated on July 12, "We not only suspect but we have a fair amount of intelligence (on the involvement of Pakistan)… We have no doubt that the ISI is behind this..." In fact, increasing evidence reportedly indicates that Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) cadre Hamza Shakoor, a 22-year-old who hailed from Gujranwala in Pakistan’s Punjab province, drove the vehicle used to bomb the Embassy. Afghanistan has unequivocally blamed the attack on the ISI.

To Pakistan’s acute embarrassment, reports indicate further that the ISI’s involvement has been substantially confirmed by USA’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), based on communication intercepts. According to The New York Times (NYT), American intelligence agencies have concluded that the ISI helped plan the suicide bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul based on "intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and militants who carried out the attack, the officials [of US] said, providing the clearest evidence to date that Pakistani intelligence officers are actively undermining American efforts to combat militants in the region."

Subsequent forensic investigations by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have also reportedly established that the explosives used bore markings of the Pakistan Army Ordnance Factory. Further, NYT reported that "American officials also said there was new information showing that members of the Pakistani intelligence service were increasingly providing militants with details about the American campaign against them, in some cases allowing militants to avoid American missile strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas…

The information linking the ISI to the bombing of the Indian Embassy was described in interviews by several American officials with knowledge of the intelligence. Some of the officials expressed anger that elements of Pakistan’s government seemed to be directly aiding violence in Afghanistan that had included attacks on American troops." US intelligence believes that the embassy attack was probably orchestrated by militants loyal to Jalaluddin Haqqani.

Pakistan’s response to all this, of course, has been a blank denial. As proof of innocence, Prime Minister Gilani declared, "we have condemned this incident in the strongest terms," adding further, "against this background, the Indian statement (regarding Pakistani involvement) is not only surprising but shocking too."

It is useful to note that a Pakistani role has long been documented in virtually every major act of Islamist terrorism on Indian soil, as well as in an overwhelming majority of incidents of Islamist terrorism across the globe.

On July 29, flagging 19 ceasefire violations on the LoC by Pakistan in 2008, India, asked Islamabad to honour the November 2003 cease-fire agreement and not to vitiate the atmosphere and disturb the bilateral peace process. The incident in Kupwara sector on July 28, in which one Indian soldier, was killed was described by the Army as the first direct incursion by the Pakistan Army across the LoC after the 1999 Kargil War. Unconfirmed reports said that four Pakistani soldiers were killed with one body found on the Indian side of the LoC.

Most of the 19 violations occurred in the Poonch and Rajouri areas of Jammu. Infringements have also been reported in the Uri, Kupwara, Tanghdar, Machail and Gurez sectors. Army sources stated that most of these violations were in June and July 2008. While Pakistani troops are given to resort to covering fire for infiltration attempts, the recent LoC truce violations are being seen as part of a broader escalation strategy. Praveen Swami notes:

Islamabad hopes a crisis on the LoC will give it the pretext it needs to pull troops out of the North-West Frontier Province, a senior military official told The Hindu. It believes a crisis would compel the United States of America to pressure India to make concessions on Jammu and Kashmir, he said. According to the official, India’s decision not to use punitive force along the LoC was intended to avoid this outcome. Pakistan had thinned out its forces along its northern borders with India soon after the 2001-2002 military crisis, in support of United States of America-led anti-Taliban war in Afghanistan.

However, Army chief General Pervez Ashfaq Kayani is believed to have decided to slash force commitments for the anti-Taliban campaign, and return troops to their traditional locations facing Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

And for the record, the jihad infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir is well in tact. However, commanders of the LeT are more cautious in their campaign of subversion – covert propaganda, hidden recruitment, training and exfiltration continue through a changed modus operandi, which has become sufficiently clandestine not to attract excessive media attention and affords Pakistan the option of denying the State’s involvement in fostering terrorist activities.

The interrogation of Jameel Ahmed Awan aka Abu Zargam aka Dheeraj, a resident of Abottabad in Pakistan, who was arrested earlier in 2008, has revealed that the ideologues of the Ahl-e-Hadith sect continue to make provocative speeches laced with exhortation for jihad, particularly in areas where there is insignificant presence of security forces (SFs). Care is taken to switch off the microphone if such speeches are made in mosques and speeches made in city areas are far more temperate.

Sources indicate that, since April 2008, the leadership of the LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and Al-Badr Mujahideen have met at least twice in the garrison city of Rawalpindi to discuss the jihad in J&K and in Afghanistan.

And on the ground in J&K, there has been a renewed offensive by the militants, backed by increased infiltration. While July has been the most violent month in 2008 with some 82 fatalities, April and May accounted for almost 90 infiltration attempts. In fact, April, May and June accounted for 161 infiltration attempts, with most of these reported from the Uri, Machail and Keran sectors, Army sources disclosed. Based on radio intercepts of militants, sources said most of the infiltrators were from the LeT and JeM, with instructions to force a poll boycott in J&K. Militants have stepped up their attacks in more recent times. In July alone, the major incidents include:

July 24: Five people of the same family, including four children, were killed and 18 persons were injured when militants lobbed a grenade at the crowded Batmaloo bus stand in the capital, Srinagar.

In the Doda District, HM cadres shot dead four members of the family of a surrendered militant.

July 19: Ten soldiers were killed and 18 were wounded when HM militants destroyed a SF bus in an IED blast at Narbal Crossing on the outskirts of Srinagar.

July 4: Five soldiers were killed in an ambush by militants in the Kupwara District.

Intelligence sources indicate, moreover, that militants are planning to escalate violence ahead of the J&K Assembly polls in October-November 2008. Khadim Hussein, a HM ‘commander’ arrested in the Doda District sometime in April 2008 revealed that, "We have been told to remain low till the elections are near and then target leaders." Sources indicate that the Gilani regime backs the ISI plan to disrupt the forthcoming elections in J&K. It was with the support of the new Government that LeT has recently opened two new training camps in Rawlakot and Kotli in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The outfit has reportedly created "an army of 200-250 militants" who are specially trained in carrying out attacks on political rallies, candidates and election booths. In addition to their own cadre, "the LeT was also ready to help some militants of Hizbul and Jaish to infiltrate under their banner to J&K to sabotage the elections". These specially trained LeT cadres reportedly hail from Multan and Bahawalpur in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Rawlakot, Kotli and Bhimber in PoK, and have been selected after a long drawn process of trials.

While the primary target of the ISI-backed armies of mujahideen has been J&K, the post 9/11 era has gradually induced a parallel shift in strategy, with increasing terrorist incidents in various metropolitan areas in India. The intent and objectives of the ISI are increasingly apparent in a wide range of activities intended to provoke communal violence, engineer terrorist incidents, and recruit militants for a pan-Islamist jihad across India.

A shift in the pattern of violence from J&K to other centres "would offer Pakistan greater ‘deniability’, and enable it to argue that Indian Muslims have been pushed to a point of no return by the government’s ‘atrocities’. However, such a shift in strategies should not be perceived as a radical departure or even as a nuanced reorientation of the ISI/jihadi agenda. It lies entirely within the paradigm that has been sustained since the Zia-ul-Haq regime, and has progressively translated itself into the Islamist fundamentalist and terrorist movement in the region."

It is now clear that, whatever tactical restraint exercised by Pakistan for some time, has obviously disappeared. India, on the other hand, continues to exercise "adequate restraint" to prevent any runaway escalation of tensions, though Defence Minister A.K. Antony asserted that India is fully prepared to deal with any such instances "firmly".

During his visit to the US between July 27 and 30, 2008, Prime Minister Gilani was forced to defend the ISI in the wake of rising allegations of sustained wrongdoing by the agency. While allegations of supporting terrorist networks are not new to the ISI, it is the cumulative impact of the recent Western and (for much longer) Indian and Afghan reports that is causing concern for the Agency. While its network and strategy of promoting militancy in J&K, and of seeking ‘strategic depth’ in Afghanistan, are well-known in this part of the globe, the West has, for a host of reasons, refused to recognize the nature and intent of the Agency. However, the West is now finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the footprints of ISI terror across the world.

According to a London Times report, Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a visit to Islamabad in July 2008, had privately warned that Washington would take unilateral military action if Pakistan did not move more aggressively to stop infiltration of militants across the border into Afghanistan. On July 12, 2008, Stephen R. Kappes, the CIA Deputy Director, reportedly traveled to Pakistan to confront Islamabad with "new information about ties between the country’s powerful spy service and militants operating in Pakistan’s tribal areas."

Any faint hopes that Pakistan's civilian political leadership would rein in the ISI were abruptly dashed. On July 27, the Government reversed its decision, announced the previous night, to place the ISI under the administrative, financial and operational control of the Interior Division. The Press Information Department had issued a memorandum late on July 26 stating that the ISI and the Intelligence Bureau had been placed under the Interior Division’s control. The Pakistan People’s Party-led Government later ‘clarified’ the earlier notification, saying the ISI would continue to operate at the Prime Minister’s ‘discretion’: "The said notification only re-emphasises more co-ordination between the Ministry of Interior and the ISI in relation to the war on terror and internal security."

For the record, it may be noted that "the ISI is supposed to be under the Prime Minister’s control but with a mainly military set-up, is known to function as an arm of the Pakistan military. A serving Lieutenant-General heads the organisation, and a lot of its manpower is drawn from the military."

It is not the first time that the ISI has come in for global censure. A report commissioned by Britain's Ministry of Defense in September 2006 concluded that the ISI "has been supporting terrorism and extremism, whether in London… or in Afghanistan or Iraq… The [Pakistani] Army’s dual role in combating terrorism and at the same time promoting the MMA [Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, a coalition of Islamist parties], and so indirectly supporting the Taliban through the ISI, is coming under closer and closer international scrutiny." The British Defence Academy report recommended that it was necessary to dismantle the ISI if the problem of Pakistan’s support to Islamist terrorism was to be resolved.

The Pakistani military establishment will oppose any move that could potentially reduce its powers, or the powers of the ISI. Given the architecture of Pakistan’s domestic politics and in the absence of sustained global pressure, a diminution of the ISI’s extraordinary powers and network cannot be expected in the proximate future. The shadowy ‘state within a state’, and its mandate of subversion and terror, will consequently continue to be a cause for serious global concern.

Note: The author is a Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management, New Delhi, India.

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