Raza painting sells for record $220,000

–– NEW YORK
It has been a record Asia Week in New York this fall.

In the Art Deco auction room of Christie's New York, murmurs of applause broke out at an afternoon session when the hammer rested on the bid by an Asian buyer for "Rajputana", Syed Haider Raza's acrylic on canvas, for $220,300.

It is a world auction record for the artist, the son of a Madhya Pradesh forestry official who first studied art in Nagpur, then followed it up in Mumbai and Paris. The previous record for Raza stood at $158,025, achieved at the Saffronart online summer auction on May 4-6.

Confounding scepticism that contemporary Asian art was a passing fad, the hammer came to stop again and again at Christie's at record figures for others, including Sabavala and Swaminathan.

The phenomenon was repeated at Sotheby's.

Usually, it is the Asian Art Week in spring that brings the most dealers and buyers to New York, where the Week has not only become an annual tradition, spilling into 10 days, but has become a twice-a-year celebration of Asia's arts, both classical and contemporary.

But this year the fall results have gone through the roof.

Hugo Weihe, international head of the Indian and Southeast Asian art department at Christie's, said that the auction "was a ground-breaking event which not only realised the highest total ever for a sale of Indian and Southeast Asian art but also set a world auction record for any work of art in the field, with the exquisite Khmer figure of Uma selling for
$1,127,500."

This is a figure of loveliness and sensuality, but only a torso, with the head missing. It comes from the period of the reign of Hindu king Suryavarman who ruled in Cambodia in the early 12th century. The anonymous sculptor who wrought this million-dollar plus masterpiece must have worked for subsistence wages -- if at all he was a free artisan and not a slave.
"Carefully composed," Weihe said of the sale, "with a strong focus on superb provenance and top quality, the sale attracted an international audience of collectors fully honouring the rarity and quality of the pieces and competing for them passionately.

"Across the board the sale achieved spectacular results, a trend that continued in the afternoon when the section of 20th century Indian painting realised nearly $2.5 million, the highest in the contemporary Indian field, setting world auction records for Sabavala, Raza and Swaminathan."

The total for the Indian and Southeast Asian art sale at Christies – 248 lots offered; 192 lots sold -- was $8,043,851. At Sotheby's the grand total (168 lots offered; 128 sold) was $3,088,000.


British city remembers Rammohun Roy

–– LONDON
An annual service of commemoration was held in the British city of Bristol to celebrate the life of Raja Rammohun Roy who died there during a visit on September 27, 1833.

The event was organised at Arnos Vale Cemetery, the place where Roy was buried in a tomb which is a Grade II listed monument.

The tomb is covered by a 'chhattri,' or umbrella style canopy, which has become a prominent symbol of the cemetery. The chhattri was designed by William Prinsep and built with sponsorship from Dwarakanath Tagore.

Roy was initially buried in the grounds of Beech House, but 10 years after his death, his friend Tagore had him re-interred in Arnos Vale.

The service was attended by the Lord Mayor Simon Cook, together with a representative from the Indian High Commission and other guests. Flowers and wreaths were laid and prayers offered, besides readings and hymns.

The commemoration service is an annual event at the cemetery, which was bought by the council after compulsory purchase order proceedings. A trust has been set up by the council to manage a five-million-pound restoration programme for the neglected cemetery.

A statue of Rammohun Roy given by the Indian government to the city in memory of his life stands on the College Green.

The statue, built by the famous Kolkata-based sculptor Niranjan Pradhan, was installed in 1997 on the 50th anniversary of India's independence during L.M. Singhvi's tenure as the Indian high commissioner.

The statue was inspired by Roy's portrait done by Henry P. Briggs. The statue is 8.5 feet high, made of bronze and weighs approximately 900 kg. It cost 13,000 pounds.

Roy visited England in 1831 after his writings about the first three gospels stirred a great deal of interest among scholars and religious writers.

One of his friends was Lant Carpenter, a Unitarian minister in Lewins Mead, Bristol, who invited him to visit the city. Ten days after his arrival, he fell ill and died a week later from meningitis.


A literary voice against ostracism: Mulk Raj Anand

–– NEW DELHI
There are two things for which author Mulk Raj Anand would forever be remembered -- as one of the country's first, and finest, writers in English, and as a vibrant critic of the caste system.

Anand, 99, died on September 28 at Pune's Jehangir Hospital at around 8:30 a.m. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde called up Anand's family members to express their grief. Anand lived in Pune.

With Raja Rao and R.K. Narayan, Anand was the third of a trio considered the founding fathers of Indian novel writing in English. He was the master of expressing the Indian idiom in English.

The son of a coppersmith and soldier studied at Panjab University, Cambridge and London University and lectured at the League of Nations School of Intellectual Cooperation in Geneva but returned home to write on that great social stigma in Indian society -- caste.

In the 1930s, his books ‘Untouchable’ and ‘Coolie’ created a furore because they took the caste system head on, tearing it to shreds with delicate irony and pointed writing.

‘Coolie’ tells the story of a 15-year-old child-labourer who dies of tuberculosis, and ‘Untouchable’ chronicles a day in the life of a Bakha, an outcaste.

In ‘Untouchable,’ Anand dissected exploitative societal norms and presented a picture of a caste-ridden where birth is more important than achievement and how British rule was only making the discrimination worse.

The man who wrote on myriad subjects from Marx to the Kamasutra was also the founder of the Indian People's Theatre Association and the Progressive Writers Association.

Always enlightening, forever questioning, Anand's writing drew from his vision of India, from his experiences of participating in the freedom struggle and even fighting with the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War.

There was analysis in the writing, a forced though never crude, critique, an almost journalistic wonderment, some of which was honed during the World War II when he worked as a broadcaster and scriptwriter for the BBC in London.

After the war Anand made Mumbai his epicentre and started the fine-arts magazine ‘Marg.’ He had strong sympathies for the leftists.

In the 1960s he was Tagore Professor of Literature and Fine Art at Panjab University and visiting professor at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Shimla. Between 1965 and 1970, Anand was fine art chairman at the Lalit Kala Akademi.

From ‘Two Leaves and a Bud,’ where he spoke of the abuse of a peasant in the hands of a British officer, to his trilogy -- ‘The Village,’ ‘Across The Black Waters’ and ‘The Sword and the Sickle’ -- Anand was a master of telling the tales of his times.

But ‘The Private Life of an Indian Prince’ (1953) was born of his relations with a woman from the hills while married to his first wife, the actress Kathleen van Gelder.

For a man who started his career writing in T.S. Eliot's magazine ‘Criterion,’ the ideas in Anand's later work was hugely influenced by Mahatma Gandhi. He counted among is friends E.M. Forster, Herbert Read, Henry Miller and George Orwell.

Anand had been working on a seven-volume autobiography called ‘Seven Ages of Man’ since the 1950s -- among those that appeared are ‘Seven Summers’ (1951),
‘Morning Face’ (1968), ‘Confessions of a Lover’ (1976) and ‘The Bubble’ (1976).


I can do business with Musharraf: Manmohan Singh

–– On Board Air-India One
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a throwback to a famous remark of an
earlier era, said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was a person "I can do
business with."

He said before his eagerly awaited meeting with Musharraf in New York, he
had described it as an "essay in mutual comprehension."

He said the reason for his one-on-one meeting, where even customary note-takers were not present, was because he felt that was the "best way to size him up and for him to form an opinion of me."

"I was very encouraged by Gen Musharraf. We have a person with whom we can
do business."

The meeting last week resulted in a major agreement to continue their composite dialogue and discuss various options to resolve their 57-year-old Kashmir dispute.

In the 1980s, British “iron woman” Margaret Thatcher said of then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev: "He is a man I can do business with." That remark set off Gorbachev's romance with the West and triggered a chain of events that ended the Cold War.

India's moon mission in 2007-08

–– THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
India's unmanned moon mission -- Chandrayan -- could take place in 2007-08 as it is progressing smoothly, the country's space agency chief G. Madhavan Nair said here on September 26.

"There has been a lot of debate in the scientific community whether we should do this because of the huge cost, but what I would like to say is that the total cost of the project is just Rs. 3.8 billion ($83 million)," Nair, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman, told reporters.

He said the question of a manned mission is ruled out because it would cost Rs. 100 billion ($2.2 billion). Nair said India's space budget was just $500 million as compared to U.S.' $12.5 billion.

Speaking about the country's communication satellite programme, he said INSAT 4A would blast off from French Guyana in February next year with a payload of 3.7 tonnes and would have 12 Ku band antennas and an equal number of C-band antennas. After this, INSAT 4B and 4C would be launched.

Nair said that the recently launched educational satellite Edusat is doing well and it would become operational in a matter of four weeks.

"In two weeks the payloads would be switched on. In another two weeks each of the six transponders would be switched on and thereafter it would be fully operational," he added.

Dixit meets Condoleezza Rice

–– NEW YORK
National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit met his U.S. counterpart Condoleezza Rice to discuss the Next Steps in the Strategic Partnership (NSSP) – the official expression for the evolving bilateral relationship -- between the two countries, officials said.

The meeting was a follow-up to the breakfast meeting between President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 21.

It is understood that besides the security and military dimension to emerging ties, the two senior officials discussed the September 24 meeting between Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.


Help India globalise, shun protectionism: Manmohan to US

–– NEW YORK
Noting the modest U.S. investment in India and "disturbing signs" of American protectionism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has urged the U.S. to stand firm on its commitment to free trade.

In his address to the Council on Foreign Relations here, Singh promised on September 24 to strengthen India's economic reforms but urged the U.S. to help India in its efforts to integrate with globalisation by allowing free trade and open access.

"I must confess that at times we see disturbing signs of protectionism in the U.S. which run counter to everything this country has stood for," said Singh, who as finance minister in 1991-96 spearheaded India's free market reforms.

"The U.S. can help in sustaining India's efforts to globalise by remaining true to your own traditional commitment to freer trade."

Pointing out that India and other developing countries were beginning to be won over by the persuasiveness of the case for globalisation, he remarked: "I hope the argument will not be lost here. We count on the U.S. standing firm in its commitment to free trade and open access."

Singh talked about challenges his government faced back home in ensuring that the process of reforms should be equitable and caring, particularly in a polity where public dissatisfaction could easily be converted into electoral defeat.

In this context, he brought up the April-May general election that toppled the incumbent and led to his Congress party returning to power after eight long years. It was a verdict that stunned many.

"(The elections) were not, as some have said, a vote against reforms," assured the prime minister. "They were a vote against a process of reform that was seen to be unbalanced, a process which neglected the needs of our rural areas and the agricultural economy."

Singh said his government was committed to addressing these problems, asserting that his coalition regime's vision of inclusive politics was rooted in a vision of liberal economics.

"We will strengthen and deepen reforms so that India can benefit from the tremendous opportunities which the global economy offers today, but we will also ensure that there is a better distribution of benefits."

According to Singh, the integration of the Indian economy with the world opened new vistas of potential cooperation with the U.S.

Observing that the U.S., while a potentially major investor, still had modest volumes of investment in India, Singh called for massive investments in infrastructure, much of it from public-private partnerships.


Manmohan praises Indian Americans for can-do spirit

–– NEW YORK
Prime Minister Manohan Singh lavished praise on the Indian American community for its "can-do attitude, creativity and enterprise" and assured them they would be a key part as India works towards making the 21st century the Indian century.

In his only major public engagement with the Indian-American community at the prestigious Lincoln Center Friday evening, where over 2,000 people were present, Singh said he was impressed by their "indomitable spirit" and "can-do" attitude.

He said those were the attributes that made Indian-American children routinely win the Spelling Bee contests, golfer Vijay Singh dethrone Tiger Woods and took the late astronaut Kalpana Chawla into space.

The Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC) organized the public meeting but its president, Surinder Malhotra, attempted to keep it as a non-partisan affair involving most major local community groups.

Leaders of many cultural, social and professional Indian-American groups were personally introduced to Singh, who exhorted the Indian diaspora to contribute not only dollars but ideas to their motherland.

The 1.9 million strong Indian-American community has dozens of groups which are often at loggerheads as they claim to be the main representative group.

Singh's over 30-minute address, frequently broken by applause, was a mix of his handsome tributes to the community and unequivocal acknowledgement of the greatness of America.

"I invite ideas on how you can directly contribute to making Indian education, healthcare, financial services, tourism and other service sectors world class. We are not talking here of just dollars, but of ideas, of individual initiative, of community action," he appealed.

"I am aware that in reaching out to Indian Americans and overseas Indians, our governments in the past have more often than not focused too narrowly on inward investments in India.

"I would like to invite you to contribute more directly to the quality of teaching and research, of infrastructure and our services sector."

He drew many parallels between India and the U.S. "The idea of India is no different from the idea of America. .... it is the idea of unity in diversity."

He spoke of America as a melting pot and salad bowl which accepted "without a fuss" communities of different ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic backgrounds "that came knocking at its doors." India, he said, had also accepted people of different backgrounds.

The prime minister said at a time "when the world is torn apart by conflicts" the pluralism and liberalism of India and the U.S. have "acquired a new resonance."

The abiding theme of his speech was to urge the Indian diaspora to increase their participation in the development of their country of origin. But concerns about terrorism also found special mention.

"India and the U.S. are on the same side of history in the battle against terrorism," Singh said, pointing out that it was in the nature of the two democracies to be exposed to such threats.

"But when faced, we are determined not to let the threat weaken our resolve to remain open, free and democratic societies. We will take every measure that is necessary and lawful to wipe out terrorism. But we will remain equally committed to the fundamental principles of democracy."

And it was this idea that had to define the way the two countries approached the twin challenges of the times, namely globalisation and terrorism, he said.

"Our approach is based on our unswerving commitment to democracy and pluralism. The economic processes of globalisation must respect the diversities that characterise our societies. The political response to terrorism must also be based on our long cherished values of democracy and pluralism."

This was finally what defined the personality of both nations, noted Singh, paying homage to the victims of 9/11 that included Indian Americans.

The meeting began with a dance performance by school children to the tune "Swagatam, Shubh Swagatam" (warm welcome) and the singing of the two countries' national anthems.

The prime minister called the community "the best and the brightest face" of India. "It fills me with immense pride that Indian Americans are among the most ideal communities in the U.S.," he said.

Manmohan calls it 'historic day' after summit with Musharraf

–– NEW YORK
In a summit that both leaders thought would be etched in history, India and Pakistan on Septemberv 24 decided to settle all disputes and differences "to restore normalcy and cooperation" between the once-warring nations.

Manmohan Singh, the prime minister of India who was born in Pakistan, and Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan who was born in India, decided at an hour-long meeting at the highly secured Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan to "work and succeed in writing a new chapter between the two countries" despite difficulties in their way.

The two met for the good part of the hour alone --- without any aides and officials present. Senior officials of the two sides, including their foreign ministers and senior advisers, were present only for the first 10 minutes.

The meeting, according to officials, was peppered with Urdu couplets that spoke of rising above petty preoccupations to aim for the sky and grasp the moment in history which otherwise may not forgive those who failed to rise above mistakes of the present.

The two leaders came out smiling after the meeting to face a large crowd of mostly Indian and Pakistani journalists in the hotel lobby.

Musharraf, reading out a joint statement on behalf of the two -- a gesture implying in itself a measure of agreement between the two sides – that "possible options" for a negotiated settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue "should be explored in a sincere spirit and purposeful manner."

After the statement was read out by Musharraf, Manmohan Singh said it was a "historic day" and a "new beginning" and contended both leaders believed that despite differences, they would work together and succeed in writing a new chapter in the history of the sub-continent.

Both countries have agreed to continue their bilateral dialogue "to restore normalcy and cooperation between India and Pakistan," the joint statement said.

They agreed to consider the possibility of transporting natural gas from Iran to India via Pakistan -- a pipeline project New Delhi was sceptical of all these years for fears that Islamabad could sabotage it.

"It was felt that such a project could contribute to the welfare and prosperity of the people of both countries and should be considered in the larger context of expanding trade and economic relations between India and Pakistan," the statement said.

After reading out the statement, Musharraf said the fact that Singh had given him the honour of reading its text should "augur well for the future of India-Pakistan relations."

Both leaders had come here to attend the U.N. General Assembly session and met on its margins to cap a Composite Dialogue Process that the two countries had resumed this year.

Before the meeting began, Musharraf presented a set of landscape paintings to Singh that officials related to Gah village in Pakistan where the prime minister was born 72 years ago.

He also gave the prime minister some sure to be treasured mementos, including a framed photocopy of his report card from his primary school days in that village and a photo album.

From the Indian side, those who attended the summit included External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit, foreign secretary Shyam Saran and joint secretary in the Prime Minister's Office Sujata Mehta.

Assisting Musharraf in the delegation level talks were Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, military secretary to the president Gen. Shafatullah (one name) and Pakistan's permanent representative at the U.N. Munir Akram.

Manmohan Singh and Musharraf invited each other to visit their respective countries and the invitations were mutually accepted.

The two leaders may meet again on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Dhaka in January. Manmohan Singh said he looked forward to receiving Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in New Delhi next month.


End to cross border terror precondition for talks: Manmohan

–– NEW YORK
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 24 said he had made it clear to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that an end to cross-border terror was a precondition to any forward movement of a meaningful dialogue.

Responding to a question about the absence of any mention of India's concerns over cross-border terror in the joint India-Pakistan statement, Singh said he had nambiguously raised the issue and Musharraf had recognised it.

"I brought it up unambiguously and I told him that it would be a precondition for moving forward on the composite dialogue," said the prime minister.

"It is the starting point of the present dialogue and it was reflected in the January 6 joint statement issued after the last summit between the countries in Islamabad, containing Pakistan's commitment that territory under its control will not be used for terrorism."

Musharraf, he asserted, "recognised (the importance of) that."

Addressing a press conference at the New York Palace Hotel rounding off his five days of hectic engagements in London and New York, Singh said he and Musharraf broadly discussed the "various options" available to both sides for a final resolution of the Kashmir problem.

"We're looking at various options available (regarding the settlement of the Kashmir issue) and the pros and cons of these options." He said the foreign secretaries of the two countries would discuss these options when they meet shortly to follow up on the summit deliberations.

He said the two sides had an "intensive agenda" of discussions for the next few months and the Kashmir issue as well as other outstanding issues would be taken up in these meetings that would peak with another meeting between him and Musharraf on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Dhaka in January.

Senior officials accompanying Singh said this was the first time in 50 years the two countries were looking specifically at options of resolving the Kashmir dispute that has bedevilled ties between the two countries and led to three of their four military conflicts.

The groundwork for the summit had been set by a series of preparatory meetings that National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit had with his Pakistani counterpart Tariq Aziz, a close aide and confidant of Musharraf.

Singh said he had a good meeting with Musharraf earlier in the day and there was an easy flow of conversation between the two. The two leaders met one-on-one for most part of their hour-long meeting when even note-takers were not present.

He found Musharraf sincere in his desire to improve bilateral ties. Musharraf complained to him that he was "grossly misunderstood" in India and wrongly seen as being "unifocal" in his views -- in the sense that he always talking about Kashmir and nothing else.

Singh said both agreed that the dialogue was the only way to find a solution to the outstanding issues between the two countries and said India was completely sincere "about finding solutions that will put the unhappy past behind. We have both agreed on the approach."

He said the joint statement issued after his meeting was a "significant step forward" and represented a "new beginning" in many ways.

At his brief press interaction along with Musharraf just after the talks, Singh had said it was a "historic day" for both countries and both leaders had agreed to "work and succeed to write a new chapter in ties" between their nations.

Both Singh and Musharraf were here to attend the U.N. General Assembly. It was their first meeting as leaders of their South Asian nations.


Manmohan Singh's opening remarks at his Press Conference

–– NEW YORK
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made the following opening remarks at his press conference here on September 24:

Friends,

Thank you for coming this evening. I am happy to have this chance to share my impressions about this visit with you. I believe this has been a very productive visit and it was useful for me to start this personal interaction with several important leaders -- both in government and with leaders of industry and trade.

In my very brief halt in the U.K., I had several substantive meetings, I met PM (Tony) Blair and a joint statement that takes the India-U.K. partnership to a higher level -- one of comprehensive strategic partnership was agreed and issued. This provides a basis for closer exchanges between our governments --we envisage annual summit level interaction -- and a regular and sustained dialogue on a range of issues encompassing themes such as environmental change and sustainable development, trade and economic
cooperation, possible cooperation in India's nuclear energy programmes and so forth. You all heard Blair's very categorical remarks about the U.K. supporting India's candidature for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. Blair also told me that he is intent on finding ways for a closer association between G-8 and India (and China).

In the U.K. I met an impressive group of CEOs, economic writers and analysts in an interactive session in which we addressed all their concerns about economic reforms. To my mind there should be no doubt at all about the fact that the economic reforms are going to continue and that this is a process which is irreversible. However, if there are concerns about this in people's minds, I am happy to engage and tell them about our intentions. I believe I was able to do so in my meetings in the U.K.

Since my arrival here in New York there have been several equally important meetings and events that I would like to recall about briefly. My visit here was essentially for me to participate in the general debate in the UNGA (United Nations General Assembly). As you know I did so yesterday. The broad themes that I emphasized were India's commitment to multilateralism and to its embodiment -- the U.N., the process of U.N. reform -- to enable the body to refashion itself to become relevant to our times and in relation to this I laid out the reasons why I believe India should be a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. I underlined our willingness to take on all the obligations and responsibilities that befit our standing and role in the world community.

I want to underline the importance of a meeting that Prime Minister (Junichiro) Koizumi had arranged which I attended, along with President (Luiz Inacio) Lula of Brazil and Deputy Prime Minister (Joschka) Fischer of Germany. This G-4 meeting was a very significant statement of intent by our four countries to participate in the U.N. reform process on the basis of a mutual understanding to support each other for permanent membership of the Security Council. We cannot of course determine the outcome of this process but we shall stay engaged.

I had a useful meeting with the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in which we discussed the U.N. reform process and I stressed the importance of this being carried forward in a purposeful way.

On the bilateral side my meeting with President (George W.) Bush on September 21 was a very important event in my programme here. He has made a personal contribution to strengthen India-U.S. relations and I appreciate his meeting me in the midst of his election preoccupations and conveyed to him our interest in strengthening our relationship, particularly its strategic dimension. The conclusion of Phase I of NSSP (Next Steps in Strategic Partnership) just prior to our meeting underlined the message.

While our discussions covered many issues, the most important were our commitment to combat terrorism, WMD proliferation and related global threats. My endeavour, which I believe is reciprocated fully by President Bush, is to build a partnership of cooperation and trust between our two countries. By doing so, I believe that we would realize the enormous potential of our bilateral ties while working together to make the world a
better place.

Our conviction that there are new opportunities to strengthen our economic relationship was reflected in my meeting with American CEOs at the New York Stock Exchange. As you are all aware, I saw in it an opportunity to emphasis India's credentials as a very attractive investment destination. My discussions with India-American CEOs yesterday were also very productive in terms of ideas to give a more positive orientation to our plans for reform and growth. I sought to take advantage of their experience and creativity to address issues facing us today in India. I proposed that they should establish a group which could plan recommendations on what we should do to achieve our objective of FDI inflows of $10 billion annually.

Our thinking on the fundamentals of India-U.S. partnership also found expression in my address to the Council of Foreign Relations. The special role that the Indian community in this country plays as a bridge was recognized in my meetings with them. I also met the leaders of the American Jewish community as they have been particularly supportive of our interests.

Other than these, on the margins of the UNGA -- an expression that I find my officials are being fond of -- I met President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and underlined to him our support for the presidential elections that are to take place early next month, and to Afghanistan's development and reconstruction.

I also had the pleasure of meeting President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. Our president was in South Africa just last week as you know. I took this opportunity of meeting President Mbeki to explore common ground in our world views, in particular on U.N. reform.

Earlier today, I had a meeting with (Pakistan) President (Pervez) Musharraf. I have already spoken about it. Suffice to say that we both agreed that dialogue is the only way forward to find a solution to the outstanding issues between us. India is completely sincere about finding solutions that will help us put the unhappy past behind. We have both agreed on this approach.

As I said, I am satisfied with the outcome of my visit, India's views and interests were projected on all my meetings and I perceived a very high degree of receptivity in all my interaction - that India's position is central to addressing major issues of the day.

Text of joint statement on India-Pakistan summit

-- NEW YORK

Following is the text of the joint statement issued on September 24 after summit-level talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf:

President Musharraf and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had a one hour meeting this morning. Their discussions were held in a constructive and frank spirit. They welcomed the opportunity of making each other's acquaintance during the first meeting.

Both leaders reiterated their commitment to continue the bilateral dialogue to restore normalcy and cooperation between India and Pakistan.

They agreed that confidence building measures (CBMs) of all categories under discussion between the two governments should be implemented keeping in mind practical possibilities. They also addressed the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and agreed that possible options for a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the issue should be explored in a sincere spirit and purposeful manner. In the sprit of the Islamabad joint press statement of January 6, 2004, they agreed that CBMs will contribute to generating an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding so necessary for the well being of the peoples of both countries.

The possibility of a gas pipeline via Pakistan to India was also discussed. It was felt that such a project could contribute to the welfare and prosperity of the people of both countries and should be considered in the larger context of expanding trade and economic relations between India and Pakistan.

Indian Americans asked to be nation's bridge and brain bank

–– NEW YORK

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked Indian Americans to be a "developmental and intellectual bridge" between the U.S. and India so that what was once seen as a brain drain can be a brain bank which the nation could draw on for mutual benefit.

Addressing a group of prominent Indian American CEOs on September 23, Manmohan
Singh commended them for the success and respect they have achieved in the U.S. in the space of one generation.

"You play a role in U.S. society and economy far beyond what may have been expected given the size of the community and its relatively recent arrival here," the prime minister said.

"Your skills help to make America competitive, your minds are at the cutting edge of research, you services in a wide variety of professions enhance the quality of life in this country."

He said the achievements of the community and their reputation for hard work had been instrumental in shaping favourable American perceptions about India and Indians.

Singh said it was not surprising that an innovation like Hotmail, the free e-mail facility, was first thought of by an Indian American, Sabeer Bhatia, to whom millions of families in India and across the world would be grateful "for having contributed to the creation of a global cyber-community bringing People of Indian Origin closer to India."

Bhatia was among the 17 Indian American achievers who had come to meet Singh.

"It is this spirit of enterprise and adventure that I want you to inject back into India and I am here to assure you that our government is fully committed to the pursuit of such policies that enable this two-way flow of ideas and opportunities," Singh told the entrepreneurs' delegation.

He said he always shared the view of his friend, Columbia University professor Jagdish Bhagwati, that the migration of talent does not necessarily constitute a 'brain drain' but can in fact help create a 'brain bank' "from which we can draw provided we can place at home the required policies and infrastructure."

He said it would be the sincere endeavour of his government to pursue such policies and programmes that would enable Indian Americans to have a more productive and creative engagement between the two countries.

He said India wanted to emerge as a competitive manufacturing power as well as a knowledge-driven economy and, as prime minister, he was committed to a reform of the government and to increased investment in infrastructure, especially power, communications, airports and urban amenities.

He wanted Indian Americans to play an important role in bringing the knowledge economy in its wider scope in both countries closer. The recent agreements with the U.S., in what is called the Next Steps in the Strategic Partnership, would lead to closer interaction in the fields of research, higher education and development of India's infrastructure and financial sectors.

He urged the community to join the government in its attempt to build a stronger and more open economy that is also committed to the principles of democracy and pluralism.

"You can play a unique and important role by being the developmental and intellectual bridge between our two great democracies," Singh said.

Among those who met Singh were Vinod Dham, partner, New Path Ventures, Victor J. Menezes, senior vice chairman, Citigroup, Sabeer Bhatia, CEO, Bhatia Enterprises, Gururaj Deshpande, chairman, Sycamore Networks, Indra Nooyi, president and CFO, Pepsi, Purnendu Chatterjee, chairman, The Chatterjee Group, Kanwal Rekhhi, founder, TiE, Pradman Kaul, president and COO, Hughes Networks Systems, and Niranjan Shah, chairman, Globetrotters Engeering Corp.


Manmohan for wiping out 'democracy deficit' from global discourse

–– UNITED NATIONS
In a speech that was remarkably well received, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 23 said the United Nations must wipe out its "democracy deficit" to become an effective influence on global economic and political issues.

Spelling out India's philosophy regarding greater democratisation of the international order, Manmohan Singh, in his maiden address at the U.N. General Assembly, said the international community must find ways of "contracting the circles of exclusion" so that those on the margins of globalisation are able to participate more in international discourse and development.

Once again pushing India's claim for permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council, Manmohan Singh said "an overwhelming majority of the world's population cannot be excluded from an institution that legislates on an increasing number of issues, with an ever-widening impact.

"The expansion of the Security Council, in the category of both permanent and non-permanent members, and the inclusion of countries like India as permanent members, would be a first step in the process of making the U.N. a truly representative body," he said.

Manmohan Singh's speech appears to have struck an emotional chord among a large number of delegates, with many of them lining up to congratulate him on this "thoughtful address."

Devoid of the mutual point-scoring rhetoric that had been the hallmark of previous U.N. speeches by Indian and Pakistani leaders, Manmohan Singh's address appeared mild in delivery yet strong in philosophy, perhaps in keeping with his own temperament.

However, he could not resist making a veiled criticism of the U.S. for its courting of Pakistan, saying "we choose to overlook the absence of democracy in too many cases for reasons of political expediency."

He referred to the holding of recent national elections in India – that brought his government to power -- as representing the world's largest exercise of popular will and underlined the "great significance of democracy as an instrument for achieving both peace and prosperity."

Manmohan Singh also touched on the issue of non-proliferation, saying the "elimination of weapons of mass destruction must be based on a balance of obligations between those who possess such weapons and those who do not."

Holding the Chemical Weapons Convention as a good model to follow in respect of other weapons of mass destruction, he said "it is through representative institutions rather than exclusive clubs of privileged countries that we can address global threats posed by proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery."

Talking about the two main global hotspots -- Iraq and Afghanistan -- Manmohan Singh said the UN had a "central role" to play in erasing the present discord in Iraq while the coming presidential elections and the subsequent parliamentary polls will allow the Afghan people to express their will freely.

India, he said, will contribute to Iraq's humanitarian and economic reconstruction while its traditional assistance to Afghanistan's reconstruction will continue.

Briefly touching on bilateral issues so as not to make it the centrepiece of his address that was aimed at forging what one official called a "consensus of willing nations", the Indian prime minister said his government was determined to carry forward the dialogue with Pakistan to a "purposeful and mutually acceptable conclusion."

Careful not to raise undue expectations of his meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Manmohan Singh only said ties between India and Pakistan had been a matter of attention of the international community as both countries sought to settle their differences, including over Jammu and Kashmir, through what is called a composite dialogue.

"I reaffirm our determination to carry forward this dialogue to a purposeful and mutually acceptable conclusion," said the prime minister, dressed in his traditional bandhgala closed-neck suit and sky-blue turban.

In sharp contrast to Musharraf, who even while delivering a fairly moderate speech warned about the urgency of resolving the Kashmir issue, Manmohan Singh made only a cursory reference to the dialogue with Pakistan while amplifying more on global issues and international concerns like non-proliferation, AIDS, Iraq, Afghanistan and reform of the U.N.


Manmohan meets American Jewish leaders

––NEW YORK
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met here with some leaders of the American Jewish community -- a group with tremendous political and economic clout -- continuing a tradition begun by former premier Rajiv Gandhi.

The Jewish American community in the U.S. is about 6.1 million strong, constituting barely 2.6 percent of the U.S. population.

Yet it packs considerable weight in influencing decisions in Washington because of its tremendous financial clout and its close symbiotic relationship with the Israeli government.

Fifteen representatives from seven major Jewish organisations on September 23 came to the New York Palace Hotel, where Singh is staying, and urged his government's support for the Israeli government and its policies in pursuit of lasting peace in the Middle East.

The Jewish organisations recognize the rapid development of Indo-Israeli relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992, with Israel rapidly emerging as India's second largest defence supplier and a major high-technology cooperation partner.

The Jewish lobby wants India to support Israel's cause in the U.N. or, at least abstain from rather than vote against U.N. General Assembly resolutions aimed against that country.

The group is also against India's close ties with Iran, a country it sees as being fundamentally opposed to Israel.

Among the influential Jewish organisations are the American Jewish Community (AJC), the Anti-Defamation League and the B'nai B'rith International.

An AJC delegation had visited New Delhi recently to seek reassurances about the continuity in ties between the new Indian government and Israel and the U.S.


Raja Ramanna - the man Saddam wanted so badly (OBITUARY)

–– NEW DELHI
When Raja Ramanna visited Iraq in 1978 as a personal guest of then president Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator had made an offer that lesser men would have found hard to turn down.

"You have done enough for your country. Don't go back. I will pay you whatever you want," he told India's leading nuclear scientist who authored the country's first nuclear explosion Pokhran I in the deserts of Rajasthan.

Seeing the bemused look of the tall, broad-shouldered Indian, Saddam, who was keen to develop his own bomb, said: "I expect you to honour this offer."

Years later, Ramanna recalled staying awake all night worried that Saddam would prevent him from returning home. He never went back to Iraq.

Ramanna died in a Mumbai hospital early on September 24, aged 79.

Ramanna's contemporary Indian scientists and his admirers often cite his encounter with Saddam Hussein to explain why the West is not really worried about India becoming a nuclear proliferater after it joined the exclusive nuclear club uninvited with a series of tests in May 1998.

They also juxtapose this episode with that of disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, who admitted to selling nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

While the Indian government continued to maintain that the 1974 test was a "peaceful explosion," Ramanna never entertained such illusions.

"The Pokhran test was a bomb, I can tell you now... An explosion is an explosion, a gun is a gun, whether you shoot at someone or shoot at the ground... I just want to make clear that the test was not all that peaceful," he said in an interview months before India's second nuclear tests.

Like President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the eminent missile scientist who plays the veena, Ramanna is among the few scientists who carried on with his music alongside his physics, having been an accomplished piano player with a Diploma of Licentiate from the Royal School of Music in London.

Ramanna was director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) when then prime
minister Indira Gandhi, during a tour of the facility in September 1972, authorised the scientists there to manufacture an atomic device they had designed and prepare it for a test.

Throughout the development of this device -- more formally dubbed the Peaceful Nuclear Explosion or PNE but commonly called Smiling Buddha perhaps because the test was conducted on Buddha Purnima -- very few records of any kind were kept either on the development process or the decision making involved in its development and testing.

This was intentional to help preserve secrecy but it resulted in the events being documented almost entirely by oral reports, including Ramanna's own accounts many years later.

Aside from the PNE development team members actually at Pokhran, the only other Indians who knew of the test in advance were the prime minister and her close advisers P.N. Haksar and D.P. Dhar.

In the wake of the test, Ramanna and the other scientists who produced the device became national heroes.

The test immediately revived Indira Gandhi's popularity, which had flagged considerably from its high after the 1971 Bangladesh war.

"Nobody in the world was happy over our success. Not even our friends," Ramanna said later.

"It was difficult for them to believe that India had indigenously conducted the nuclear tests. Another reason for unhappiness was that nuclear power then was seen as a messenger of destruction; but now the situation is changing and people are realising the immense potential of nuclear energy in other sectors also," he said.

Born at Tumkur in Karnataka on January 28, 1925, Ramanna studied at Madras Christian College and London University and held various prestigious positions in his distinguished career, including minister of state for defence (January-November 1990) after being nominated to the Rajya Sabha the previous year.

He was also president of the Indian National Science Academy, director-general of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, director of National Institute of Advanced Studies, secretary of Department of Defence Research and Department of Atomic Energy, scientific adviser to the defence minister and member-chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the director-general, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.

Kalam, Manmohan Singh condole Ramanna's death

–– NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam led the nation in paying tributes to eminent scientist Raja Ramanna who passed away in Mumbai early on September 24.

Expressing deep grief at the death of one of the foremost brains involved in the country's nuclear programme, who was also former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and former junior minister for defence, the prime minister said India had lost "one of its most outstanding scientists."

"Ramanna was associated with India's nuclear programme at a critical stage of its development and contributed to placing the country's indigenous nuclear capabilities on a firm footing. India's first peaceful nuclear explosion was conducted in 1974 during Ramanna's tenure as director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)," Manmohan Singh said in New York where he has gone to address the U.N. General Assembly.

"Ramanna's contribution to the development of India's nuclear capabilities as well as in the consolidation of India's nuclear power programme will be remembered for a long time to come," he said.

"Ramanna was also an accomplished pianist and a man of letters. His loss would be deeply felt by the scientific community worldwide and the people of India," the prime minister said.

In New Delhi, President Kalam mourned the death of a close associate as one of the most eminent nuclear scientists of India.

Ramanna, 79, passed away hours after the president visited him in a Mumbai hospital.

"The president is deeply saddened by the demise of Ramanna," a presidential aide said. "He held him in very high esteem and owed him a lot of respect and affection."

Kalam had made an unscheduled stop at Mumbai around midnight to see his former senior after a long day, when he visited Gulbarga (Karnataka) and Aurangabad (Maharashtra).

Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde met him at the airport and escorted him straight to the Bombay Hospital, where Ramanna, on a ventilator, was in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit.

Kalam spoke to the doctors and spent nearly an hour there before rushing back to the airport. He returned to New Delhi after 3 a.m. on September 24.

Kalam worked closely with Ramanna when the latter was scientific adviser to the defence minister in the early 1980s, and later when Kalam came to the Defence Research and Development Organisation as the project director of the integrated missile development programme.

Both worked together on India's nuclear programme at a critical stage of its development.


India should be on radar of every U.S. company: Manmohan

–– NEW YORK
Manmohan Singh, India's economist-prime minister, told top American chief executives over lunch here on September 22 that India was a "good story" that must be a part of every company's global investment strategy.

Addressing 17 top American chief executives and chairmen, who collectively represent some one trillion dollars in assets at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Manmohan Singh made a big pitch for greater American investment in India.

"I am not an astrologer to predict the course of events. But I have a dream. Like I said in my first speech as finance minister in 1991, I quote 'No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.’"

He said India offered a high-growth economy, a stable policy environment that transcended changes in government, low operational costs and a large market with a voracious capacity to absorb capital across a wide range of industries.

The prime minister said India needed about $150 billion worth of investment in infrastructure alone and domestic resources were inadequate for this purpose.

"To achieve 7-8 percent growth, India requires the support of the international community. I see an expanding role for financial services industry in our country," he said.

Manmohan Singh was probably the first Indian head of government to visit the NYSE and was invited by John Thain, the chief executive of NYSE.

"I am here to seek your support and guidance for making India a power-house in the evolving global economy," he told the impressive list of invitees on a balmy September afternoon that officially marked the first day of the fall season.

"India is moving over to policies that foster a spirit of adventure and enterprise," he said before guests that included the top brass of some of America's largest companies that are doing or seeking to do business in India.

The list included Robert E. Rubin and Charles O. Prince, chairman and chief executive respectively of Citigroup, Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express, Henry Paulson, chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and CEO of McGraw-Hill Companies, John Rutherford, chairman and CEO of New York Life, Peter Kahn, chairman and CEO of Dow Jones and Michael A. Redenbaugh, CEO of Bell Helicopter, among others.

Manmohan Singh said he was happy to be at the NYSE, the world's premier stock exchange and a major source of global financial flows, and that his visit should be taken as a "signal of the importance I attach to attracting investment to India and of our commitment to capital markets as sources of finance."

The prime minister pointed out that there was political consensus on investment in infrastructure -- an allusion to the ideological opposition his coalition was facing from Communist partners in getting investment in certain sectors like insurance and telecom.

The U.S. is the largest investing country in India, accounting for 21 percent of foreign investment approved from 1991 when the country's market reforms began. Between then and April 2004, U.S. firms have invested over $16.5 billion in India.

Yet, even though foreign direct investment (FDI) from the U.S. has been growing steadily, India's share in total FDI from the U.S. was only 0.24 percent, compared with 0.68 per cent for China.

This is indicative of the differential business stakes that the world's largest market economy has in the two countries.

In the candid speech, Manmohan Sigh also spoke about corruption in India. "I believe if we simplify the regulatory procedures and simplify the tax system, out country will be less corrupt," he said. "My government is as transparent and as respectful as they should be to creators of wealth."

Address by Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India at the 59th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

September 23, 2004
New York

Mr. President,
Allow me to congratulate you on your election as President of the 59th Session of this August Assembly. May I assure you of India's full support in ensuring its success.
Sir, as we gather here on the 60th year of the United Nations, we might perhaps pause to reflect on the fate of the ideas and ideals of the international community that animated its creation.
The post-war generation had already become aware that the world which had emerged from the ashes of the global war could no longer be a peaceful world unless the underlying forces of conflict were addressed effectively by the entire community of nations as a collectivity.
Nations, therefore, were united together to make the world a safer and more peaceful place, a world in which a free people could together pursue a destiny of shared prosperity.
Mr. President, the impulse behind the creation of global institutions nearly sixty years ago has become even more pressing reality today. If we look around us, the single most defining characteristic of our contemporary world is the global, transnational character of the many challenges we confront, whether these are in the realm of international security or development.
Virtually every major issue that we face as nation states, has both a domestic as well as a transnational dimension. It is becoming increasingly apparent as never before that unless we fashion a global response, based on a meaningful consensus, to these challenges, we would not succeed in creating a world that truly manifests the ideals of the United Nations.
Sir, terrorism is one such challenge for which many of us have paid an unacceptable price. We shall not forget that three years ago, it was this great city that witnessed the single most horrendous terrorist act in human history.
About three weeks ago, the world saw another brutal act of terror, in Russia, which took the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians, including a large number of young children.
Terrorism exploits the technologies spawned by globalisation, recruits its foot soldiers on ideologies of bigotry and hatred, and directly targets democracies.
And yet it is a sad reality that international networks of terror appear to cooperate more effectively among themselves than the democratic nations that they target.
We speak about cooperation, but seem often hesitant to commit ourselves to a truly global offensive to root out terrorism, with the pooling of resources, exchange of information, sharing of intelligence, and the unambiguous unity of purpose that is required. This must change, Mr. President.
We do have a global coalition against terrorism. We must now give it substance and credibility, avoiding selective approaches and political expediency.
Mr. President, let me turn to other major challenges we face today, such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. There is an increasing reliance on restrictive regimes and the use of punitive action to confront this threat to international peace and security. While India is firmly opposed to proliferation and has an impeccable record in this respect, we believe, Mr. President, that it is only a global consensus of willing nations that would ultimately prove to be the truly effective in this regard.
The Chemical Weapons Convention is a good model to follow in respect of other weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons.
It is through representative institutions rather than through exclusive clubs of privileged countries that we can address global threats posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
Sir, as far back as in 1988, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had outlined a series of specific steps in an Action Plan, whose central proposition remains valid even today that progressive steps towards the elimination of weapons of mass destruction must be based on a balance of obligations between those who possess such weapons and those who do not.
It is quite evident today that a global discourse is required for evolving a more cooperative and consensual international security order.
India believes that this consensus must differentiate between states whose actions strengthen non-proliferation and those that weaken realization of its objectives.
Mr. President, let me now turn to the central theme for the vast majority of UN members; the challenge of development and the eradication of mass poverty. Globalization has undoubtedly brought enhanced effectiveness and efficiency in the functioning of our economies. It has integrated market places, higher standards of living and a revolution in global connectivity.
But, Sir, there is also the phenomenon of widening economic disparities, both within and among countries. Connectivity also means that the people are painfully aware in real time of how far and how fast they are falling behind in their relative conditions of living.
Development today is no longer a function of domestic resources and national policies alone. It is a process that is vitally linked to the international economic environment that the developing countries face.
Sir, the international community must find ways to contract the circles of exclusion. We need to find innovative sources of financing and access to new technologies that are necessary to assist those who are on the margins of globalization.
Just as prosperity cannot be sustained by being walled in, poverty cannot be banished to some invisible periphery. Development, therefore, must return to the centre of the global discourse.
We must evolve equitable and rule-based regimes to manage global trade, investment flows and movement of services.
Sir, four years ago, at our Millennium Summit, we adopted ambitious global development goals, but it is a matter of concern that we have already fallen behind in their implementation.
While globalization has generated new challenges, it has also given us new technologies to deal with these massive challenges.
The world faces looming pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, but it today also possesses remedies and skills that can rid the world of this scourge. We face problems of environmental degradation in many parts of our planet, but we also have available safe and environment-friendly technologies.
Many countries are beset by problems of hunger and malnutrition, but we posses modern techniques of food production and processing to make a hunger-free world a credible and realistic dream.
Although our excessive dependence on hydrocarbons raises concerns about the long-term availability of energy and about security of supplies, technology has made available many environmentally sound alternative technologies.
What we lack, however, is a truly global concert and a mobilization of the international community to overcome these massive challenges.
Mr. President, Sir, the experience of the decades since the inception of the United Nations demonstrates the great significance of democracy as an instrument for achieving both peace and prosperity.
While it is gratifying that the frontiers of democracy have expanded dramatically in the last decade and a half, they still exclude significant numbers.
Only a few months ago, in India’s 14th General Elections, our country went through the largest exercise of popular will in the world. I can, therefore, assert with confidence the importance of national articulations in global forums truly reflecting the democratically expressed will of their people.
We choose to overlook the absence of democracy in too many cases for reasons of political expediency.
Sir, democracy's representative nature validates the commitment we take on as countries; it should also determine the manner in which the architecture of international institutions evolves.
For what is required for the international community to successfully deal with global challenges, whether they be security challenges, economic challenges or challenges in the sphere of the environment are the existence of international institutions and a culture of genuine multilateralism.
The United Nations and its specialized agencies are the only instruments available for responding effectively to the challenges we face collect.
But what is missing is our sustained commitment to democratize the functioning of the United Nations.
Sir, it is common knowledge that the UN is often unable to exert an effective influence on global economic and political issues of critical importance.
This is due to its what may be called as "democracy deficit", which prevents effective multilateralism, a multilateralism that is based on a democratically-evolved global consensus.
Therefore, reform and restructuring of the United Nations system can alone provide a crucial link in an expanding chain of efforts to refashion international structures, imbuing them with a greater degree of participatory decision-making, so as to make them more representative of contemporary realities.
Mr. President, Our Millennium Declaration had recognized the urgency of the reform of the United Nations Security Council. An overwhelming majority of the world's population cannot be excluded from an institution that today legislates on an increasing number of issues, with an ever-widening impact.
The expansion of the Security Council, in the category of both permanent and non-permanent members, and the inclusion of countries like India as permanent members, would be a first step in the process of making the United Nations a truly representative body.
Mr. President, I would like to make brief references to two countries with which India has had historically friendly ties and whose early return to political normalcy is the focus of the world's attention.
The situation in Iraq causes us great concern. The United Nations has a central role to play in erasing the discord of the recent past and in ensuring that the Iraqi people can soon exercise effective sovereignty, preserving the country's unity and territorial integrity.
An end to the suffering of the Iraqi people and recognition of their aspirations should be the guiding objectives.
Consistent with our longstanding ties of friendship with the Iraqi people, India will contribute to Iraq's humanitarian and economic reconstruction.
Sir, in the past three years, the international community has assisted Afghanistan in pulling back from the brink of chaos and chronic instability.
We sincerely hope that the forthcoming Presidential elections and the subsequent Parliamentary elections will allow the Afghan people to express their will, free from interference and intimidation. India's assistance to Afghanistan's reconstruction and development will continue.
Relations between India and Pakistan have been a matter of attention for the international community. It is known that since January this year India and Pakistan have initiated a composite dialogue to resolve all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. Sir, I reaffirm our determination to carry forward this dialogue to a purposeful and mutually acceptable conclusion.
In closing, Mr. President, I would like to reaffirm India's commitment to the principles that have brought us together in this Organisation.
These principles retain their relevance and validity even while the global economy and the international political order pose new and very different challenges.
All of us have to grow out of the comfort of the predictable, discard constraining habits of thought and move forward with confidence to meet the demands of the present and the future.
Each of us has to be prepared to take on new obligations and larger responsibilities relevant to the needs of our times.
Sir, I deem it a privilege to say unhesitatingly that India is conscious of the responsibilities that lie ahead. I speak of an India on the move, on the cutting edge of economic, technological and developmental transformations.
This is an India endowed with outstanding human resources, and we are putting in place policies which will respond to emerging and critical tasks. We have the capability and the capacity to take these on, and to participate in the re-structuring of a just and dynamic world order.
We are confident that in an inextricably interdependent world that we live in, our commitment to the common good, which this organization embodies, will be resolute and firm.
In this, we are inspired by the vision of internationalism bequeathed to us by India's first Prime Minister, The Great - Jawaharlal Nehru. His vision of a world order whose pillars are peace, harmony, cooperation and development.
This vision needs to reanimate the collective wisdom of the world community for a new partnership to meet the unprecedented challenges we face.


U.S. should not have hyphenated ties with India, Pakistan

–– NEW YORK
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the U.S. should not have a "hyphenated relationship" between India and Pakistan as ties with New Delhi had its own dynamics and ought to develop independent of the geopolitical compulsions that led Washington to strengthen ties with Islamabad.

"India is a country of great potential and ... we feel that our relationship with the U.S. does not have to be a hyphenated relationship between India and Pakistan," Singh said in an interview broadcast on September 21 night on the popular Charlie Rose show.

"We recognize, I think, the circumstances in which the U.S. had to strengthen its relationship with Pakistan because of the events in Afghanistan," Singh went on to say.

However, he felt that it should not be a barrier or bar to development of relations between the U.S. and India that were "multi-fold" and were lent vitality to by the presence of 1.5 million people of Indian origin in this country.

India, U.S. to intensify strategic links

–– NEW YORK
India and the U.S. have decided to intensify a rapidly evolving "strategic partnership" that includes closer defence ties and cooperation in civilian nuclear and space technology, after a 60-minute breakfast meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and U.S. President George W. Bush on September 21.

Both leaders, who were meeting for the first time after they came here to attend the U.N. General Assembly session, agreed that ties between the two countries "have never been as close as they are at present, and they set the direction for further development of the India-U.S. strategic partnership."

The two leaders met in Bush's suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in what was the American president's first engagement in New York. Indian officials described the talks as "relaxed, friendly and substantive" that included issues ranging to war on terrorism to the India-Pakistan dialogue, strategic cooperation, Iraq, Afghanistan and Nepal.

The two covered the entire spectrum of Indo-U.S. relations, endorsing what is called the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) to expand cooperation in the areas of civilian nuclear activities, civilian space programme and high technology trade.

They also agreed to expand dialogue on developing cooperation in missile defence as well as areas of joint military exercises that both countries have been undertaking for some time.

Also discussed was the ongoing India-Pakistan dialogue and Manmohan Singh's upcoming meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf September 24 here. The U.S. has supported the ongoing peace process and would like both countries to settle differences, including those over Kashmir, peacefully.

Singh emphasized to Bush that the peace process could progress only if Pakistan stopped cross-border terrorism. Bush, according to Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who briefed the Indian media, expressed "appreciation and understanding" of India linking the peace process to the ending by Pakistan of cross-border terrorism.

Bush said terrorism was a global phenomenon and the war against it had to be fought globally and could not be segmented, an apparent endorsement of New Delhi's long-held position on the issue.

Those present with Manmohan Singh from the Indian side were External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen.

The American side included Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and former US Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill, who is now coordinator for strategic planning in the National Security Council.

Since the discussions centred largely on bilateral relations, the two countries agreed to strengthen their "economic partnership" and expand cooperation on international economic issues.

Bush described India as a nation that had a "huge potential for economic development" after Manmohan Singh spoke about his government's commitment to deepening and broadening the process of economic reforms.

Manmohan Singh, significantly, did not raise the issue of India's aspiration to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council with Bush – a subject he has been speaking about before leaving New Delhi as well as during his confabulations with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London -- as Indian officials said that the discussions merely centred on all aspects of their bilateral ties.


'Outsourcing can bring India, US closer'

–– NEW YORK
The Bush administration has acknowledged that outsourcing is a positive link between India and the U.S. with the potential to bring both countries closer, Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said here on September 21.

Saran was speaking after a breakfast meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Both are in the city to address the 59th annual U.N. General Assembly session.

Saran said the US was also taking cognisance of the fact that India is "becoming a nursery of high-technology."

Emphasising that outsourcing was not all that India was about, he said the country was moving from lower-end functions to higher-end businesses like research and development for new technologies.

The U.S. is recognising the fact that India is "coming of age" in terms of technology development, the foreign secretary said.


India claims increasing support for Security Council seat

–– NEW YORK
India says more and more countries have expressed support for its candidature for permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council following talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and world leaders.

Singh met U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on September 21 as well as attended a meeting of the pressure group of four nations -- India, Japan, Germany and Brazil -- eager to get a permanent place in the top U.N. body.

All four countries feel they are the most qualified to take their places at the high table in an expanded Security Council, along with a representative of the African continent, and see it as an inevitable consequence of present day power dynamics.

Leaders of the four countries, who met on the margins of the General Assembly session, said the reforms were imperative for effective functioning of the world body in future and that keeping the permanent membership as an exclusive preserve of five countries -- the U.S., Britain, Russia, France and China -- was an anachronism.

"The Security Council must reflect the realities of the international community in the 21st century," said a joint press statement issued after the four-nation meeting.

"It is essential that the Security Council include, on a permanent basis, countries that have the will and capacity to take on major responsibilities with regard to the maintenance of international peace and security."

Later, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran told Indian journalists: "In terms of demography, contributions to peacekeeping or abilities at furtherance of the objectives of the U.N., India more than fulfils the criterion."

Saran, however, would not disclose how many countries were opposed to India's candidature, and if Pakistan was one of the leading opponents of the move.

"There is no link between our permanent membership and the Kashmir issue,"
Saran told a questioner who asked him if Pakistan was linking support for India to a resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Saran said India opposed any other formula that fell short of the demands of the four countries. Among the ideas in circulation are to make the permanent membership of more countries, besides the present permanent five, rotational among selected nations or to create a new category of semi permanent members without veto powers.

"Any reform that perpetuates the present exclusivity of certain countries won't work," Saran said.


Bush praises Singh's reputation as economist

–– NEW YORK
U.S. President George W. Bush generously praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a "well known economist" and invited him to visit the Oval Office next year if he returned to power.

At the start of their breakfast meeting on September 21 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Bush greeted Singh warmly as he walked into the presidential suite and said he had heard a lot about his reputation as an economist from his aides, especially his taking India down the road of a free-market economy when he became finance minister in 1991.

Bush also asked Singh if he had ever visited the Oval Office and invited him to the White House if he returned to power after the November 7 general election. Bush also said he planned to visit India next year if re-elected.

Bush apparently was keen to know the Indian leader's mind on many issues and left the meeting impressed with Singh's deep knowledge and grasp of subjects as well his ability to put forward India's viewpoint strongly on them.


India's first education satellite launched

–– HYDERABAD
India on September 20 successfully placed into geo-stationary orbit its first satellite dedicated to spreading education.

The 1,950 kg Edusat satellite was launched by the GSLV-F01 (Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) that blasted off at 4.01 p.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, about 450 km southeast of here.

Scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the satellite was placed in orbit 17 minutes after blast off. The satellite, which is expected to last seven years, will be co-located with Kalpana-1 and INSAT-3C satellites in the same orbit.

There was all-round jubilation at the space centre as the 49-metre-tall, 414 tonne three-stage GSLV-F01 rose into the sky.

The satellite was placed at the 36,000 km high orbit by firing in stages its on-board liquid apogee motors. Edusat is intended to meet the demand for interactive satellite-based distance education. According to ISRO, the satellite has specially been configured for the audio-visual medium.

The satellite will have multiple regional beams covering different parts of India -- five Ku-band transponders with spot beams covering northern, northeastern, eastern, southern and western regions, a Ku-band transponder covering the Indian mainland and six C-band transponders covering the whole of India.


Bush attaches importance to ties with India: Manmohan

–– ON BOARD AIR-INDIA ONE
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the fact that U.S. President George W. Bush was having a breakfast meeting with him in New York on September 21 despite his preoccupation with the U.S. election campaign was indicative of the importance he attached to ties with India.

"Despite a change of government in India, the new government remains strongly committed to strengthening ties with the U.S.," Singh told accompanying journalists as he headed for London.

He was to be in London for about half a day -- for a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair -- before taking off for New York where he will meet Bush and other world leaders.

He said his meeting with Bush would hopefully build on the initiatives taken during the time of the last government.

"The fact that President Bush is meeting me over breakfast in the midst of a very busy election campaign is indicative of the importance that he attaches to relations with India," Singh said to a question on his upcoming meeting.

Singh said he hoped that his meeting would result in "considerable relaxation" in import restrictions for Indian entities engaged in hi-tech activities and the joint statement to be issued after the meeting would take the strategic partnership between the two countries to a higher level.

The two countries announced a major agreement on September 17 on relaxation of U.S. export controls on a range of technologies that would benefit India's civilian nuclear and space programmes that were placed under sanction following the nuclear tests of 1998.


India committed to reforms, welcomes foreign investment: Singh

–– ON BOARD AIR-INDIA ONE
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh emphasised his commitment to economic reforms, saying his government would be pro-business and create a climate conducive to greater foreign investment.

In his first major visit abroad since taking over the reins of the government May 22, Singh told journalists accompanying him to London and New York that his government's commitment to the continuation of the reform process would remain unchanged, with only some "course corrections" being done to ensure that the reforms have a "human face".

His strong statement came despite some problems with his Communist allies who do not share his government's enthusiasm for foreign investment, especially in areas like insurance and telecommunications.

Singh, known for his pioneering role in opening up India's closed economy and unlocking its immense potential in 1991 when he became finance minister, said his government would be pro-business and create an environment conducive to foreign investment.

Even in his departure statement from New Delhi, Singh said his government was "determined to carry forward the process of economic reform, which will increase opportunities for greater economic interaction" with the U.S. and Britain.

When a journalist asked him what change he saw in the situation in the country between 1991 when he became finance minister in the government of P.V. Narasimha Rao and now that he was prime minister, Singh replied there was a "sea change."

He pointed out how at that time India was on the verge of bankruptcy and its credibility was seriously at stake, it had to pawn gold to borrow a mere half a billion dollars and there were questions marks regarding the "viability of our economy."

However, in the last few years, the country had been able to maintain a 6-7 percent growth rate and, despite some ups and downs, the economy had by and large done quite well, he said.


India, Pakistan have opportunity to open new chapter: Manmohan

–– ON BOARD AIR-INDIA ONE
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said India and Pakistan had an opportunity to "open a new chapter in the history of our relationship" if cross-border terrorism "remained firmly under control" and both demonstrate patience to deal with a "complex
situation."

Addressing the media delegation accompanying him on his weeklong trip to London and New York - a trip he described as a "voyage of discovery" -- Singh said Sunday his government was committed to the composite dialogue process begun with Pakistan but the precondition was that "terrorism must remain firmly under control."

He said he was looking forward to his meeting in New York with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, saying "my effort would be to establish direct communication with him so that the two of us can together make our contribution towards normalising relations."

Sounding quite upbeat and confident, he said there was a "new climate" between the two countries since January, when his predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Musharraf had a path-breaking meeting in Islamabad, and reminded that his new government had stuck to the timetable of the scheduled talks despite only a few months in the job.

"This was an indication of our sincerity to work actively for normalizing our relations between our countries," the prime minister stated.

He reiterated that if terrorism remained firmly under control, India could look forward to the dialogue being taken forward on all issues so that progress can be made on all fronts "to open a new chapter in the history of our relationship".


I want India to be taken seriously: Manmohan

–– LONDON
A quietly confident Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that he wants to steer India in a direction in which it is taken seriously and that it has a strong claim to a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council.

Singh, on a brief visit to London on his way to New York, said his vision for India includes making the country a global economic powerhouse embracing competitive challenges and having a full say in world affairs at the U.N.

In an interview with ‘The Times,’ Singh said he would urge British Prime Minister Tony Blair to back India's claim to a seat in the Security Council. "We feel that India has a strong claim to a seat, given our size, our potential, given our capacity," he said.

The Times on September 20 carried the lengthy interview with a large four-column photograph of Singh with folded hands. The photograph extended below the fold.

The coverage included graphics about India's exports, imports, population and GDP growth, the minority ethnic population in Britain, and a comment piece that saw Singh emerging as a global statesman.

The newspaper mentioned Singh's association with Britain and claimed his blue turban reflects the "Cambridge blue" colours of his alma mater. He studied at Oxford and Cambridge and is an honorary fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford.

In the interview conducted in New Delhi prior to his departure on his overseas tour, Singh said he would tell Blair how faulty the policy was to charge high fees for overseas students. Britain attracts a sizeable number of Indian students who pay more than three times the fees of local students.

Singh said a generation of Indians was now looking at the U.S. instead of Britain because British universities do not offer generous scholarships available in the U.S.

Singh told the interviewers that India was willing to cooperate with anyone to eradicate terrorism, bilaterally or regionally, to end "this menace to a civilized way of living".

The newspaper noted many Indians saw Singh as an "accidental Prime Minister," but Singh sought to allay any such notions.

"I have no doubt that the government is here to stay. It will complete five years. That is the mandate," he asserted.

Rejecting the suggestion that Congress president Sonia Gandhi was the real power, Singh said: "I have every reason to believe that the relationship that I enjoy with Mrs Gandhi strengthens me in discharging my responsibilities as prime minister."

In his comment piece, Michael Binyon recalled many of Singh's qualities and the background to his taking over as India's prime minister, but remarked that he was yet to demonstrate two things necessary to carry out major changes -- power and charisma.

If the charismatic side of Manmohan Singh was beginning to emerge, the writer felt it would be difficult to wield power given the fractious nature of India's polity.

"Dr. Singh must now become more prime ministerial. That means asserting himself on issues where he has less knowledge. He has made a good start... Dr. Singh seems to be growing into power politics, though he still seems unwilling to appear tough or take a stance on such issues as peacemaking and terrorism," Binyon wrote.

"If Dr. Singh and India can shed their diffidence and extend their global reach, then indeed he will be seen as the accidental prime minister who became a global statesman."

Text of India-Britain Joint Declaration

— LONDON
Following is the full text of the Joint Declaration issued on September 20 after talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his British counterpart Tony Blair:

The British Prime Minister The Rt. Hon Tony Blair MP and the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today signed a joint declaration, in which they set out plans to strengthen and deepen the bilateral relationship between the two countries, through a comprehensive strategic partnership.

1. We, the prime ministers of India and the U.K., believe that the relationship between our two countries is now the strongest it has ever been. Building on the achievements of the 2002 New Delhi Declaration, we commit ourselves and our governments to strengthening and deepening the comprehensive partnership that exists between our countries -- to benefit our peoples, and to create a safer and more prosperous world.

2. People are at the heart of our relationship. Almost 1.5 million people of Indian origin live in Britain today. Their cultural values contribute significantly towards making Britain the vibrant, dynamic society that it is today. They are a vital bond between our countries.

3. Both our societies value, and encourage, cultural and ethnic diversity.

4. Both our countries have a long and proud historical tradition, and yet are countries looking forward, adapting to the challenges, and trying to shape the outcome of the 21st century.

5. The flow of people between our countries is huge. 500,000 Indians visit Britain each year. 400,000 Britons visit India. These people-to-people links flourish in many areas -- education, health, development, science and technology, including in the frontier technologies, investment, trade and tourism.

6. India and the U.K. are natural economic partners. As India emerges as a global power, trade and investment relations are becoming more diverse. Bilateral trade grew by over 20 percent last year. We want this rapid growth to continue. But the real partnership lies in the strength of investment in both directions. The U.K. is the second largest investor into India. India was the 8th largest investor in the U.K. in 2003. It is one of the fastest
growing, investing in the UK's knowledge economy. The U.K. provides an important bridge into the European market, attracting over 60 percent of India's investment in Europe.

7. Shared democratic values and a commitment to human rights, justice and the rule of law underpin our relationship. We share a global vision of peace, security and shared prosperity, based on sustainable development. We have shared interests in combating key global challenges -- terrorism, poverty, HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation, climate change, drugs, international crime, illegal migration and trafficking in people. We will
step up our bilateral cooperation on these issues.

8. However, we must also urgently strengthen the multilateral system to meet these global challenges. We will cooperate closely on this and the U.K. will continue to work for India's permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council.

9. We can achieve even more together than we already do. We now intend to take our relationship to a new level. We see the relationship between our two countries as among our top international priorities. As heads of government, we will work for a long-term comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century of shared values and interests. In particular we will strengthen our links in the following areas:

Foreign and Defence Policy

10. Heads of government and foreign ministers will exchange visits annually to reinforce and extend our bilateral co-operation in the fields we have identified for joint action.

11. We will reinforce our strategic partnership, and enhance our defence cooperation, in the pursuit of a more peaceful and secure world. We will build upon, and expand, programmes of joint military training and exercises. We will explore the co-production of defence equipment. We will work towards the objective of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means of their delivery.

Security Challenges

12. Both our countries are deeply committed to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We will work together to try to ensure that the global norms against terrorism are upheld by all countries. We will share our experience and augment our cooperation, including operational cooperation between police, law enforcement agencies and others in our criminal justice system. We will enhance our cooperation to counter money laundering and terrorist financing.

13. The U.K. will support India to join the Financial Action Task Force. We will identify specific needs and share best practice in the areas of justice, judicial cooperation and mutual legal assistance. We will cooperate in the fight against international, organised and serious crime and new forms of criminality, including illegal migration, drugs trafficking and trafficking in people.

Economic and Trade Issues

14. Our economic ties will continue to expand. We will establish a ministerially led Joint Economic and Trade Committee to further develop a strategic economic relationship, and develop business-led vehicles to enhance bilateral trade and investment in specific sectors including services and knowledge-based industries. We will enhance our dialogue on international trade and investment issues.

15. We will also establish an Indo-British Economic and Financial Dialogue on bilateral and global issues, on financial systems, and to enhance economic and financial co-operation.

16. At this important time in the development of the international trade regime, we will work closely together for a successful conclusion to the WTO's Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations.

17. The U.K. and India agree to expand cooperation in the fields of civilian nuclear activities, civilian space programmes, and high technology trade, in accordance with their international obligations.

Science and Technology

18. The U.K. and India already cooperate closely on science and technology. We have established a Joint Committee on Science and Technology and a networking scheme that enables scientists to meet each other, exchange research ideas and establish links. We will now enhance existing collaboration and identify new areas for cooperation in fields such as climate change, alternative and clean energy technologies, environmental
science, commercial applications of high technology like biotech and bio-informatics, nano-technology, agriculture, and health research and development. We will encourage collaborative opportunities in these areas.

Development Partnership

19. We have an important development partnership. The U.K. is recognised as a leader in international development. India has made great development progress over the last two decades and is now establishing itself as a development partner for other developing countries. Our shared commitment to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals provides an opportunity to exchange experience on aid effectiveness and development practices. Working together, we can accelerate development and make progress globally towards the Millennium Goals.

Sustainable Development

20. Both our countries recognise that cooperation is essential to deliver the progressive global agenda set by the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Millennium Declaration. We will initiate regular high-level dialogue to share experiences on how we can overcome social, economic and environmental challenges, and bring real quality of life improvements for people in both our countries and around the world.

21. Climate change and broader issues of sustainable energy security are high on our respective agendas. Climate change will be a central theme of the U.K.'s Presidencies of the G8 and E.U. next year. We will promote effective cooperation in our responses to climate change, including by building on the successful joint work that has already been carried out by the U.K. and India on climate change impacts and modelling. To this end, we will establish a structured dialogue to exchange views and information and take forward any bilateral cooperation projects.

Education and Culture

22. There are strong and vibrant academic links between the U.K. and India. By 2008, we expect that 25,000 students from the U.K. and India will be studying in each other's academic institutions. We will explore ways to help educational establishments in our countries to establish lasting partnerships.

23. The cultural influence of the U.K., not least through the use of English, has added to the richness of Indian culture, and Indian writers have enriched English literature. Now, through the community of Indian origin in the U.K., and directly, Indian culture is becoming an important component of multi-ethnic Britain. We welcome this and will work to strengthen cultural linkages between our countries, including in areas like
publishing and film production.

Conclusion

24. On this historic occasion we reaffirm our commitment to strengthen our comprehensive strategic partnership for the benefit of both our peoples and
the international community based on universal values of democracy and respect for the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms. We stress our commitment to work towards promoting international peace, stability and security and the eradication of poverty. We recognise that a strengthened multilateral system, including a reformed Security Council that would reflect the changing aspirations of the 21st century, is an important element of this process. In recognition of our comprehensive strategic
partnership we will hold annual summit meetings alternating in our capitals and will continue the high level dialogue established through our personal envoys.



We totally condemn terrorism in Kashmir: Blair

–– LONDON
Prime Minister Tony Blair said here on September 20 that there was absolutely "no equivocation" on Britain's part in "totally and absolutely" condemning terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and that both his country and the U.S. supported the current dialogue process between India and Pakistan towards a peaceful resolution of problems.

Addressing a joint press conference with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at 10, Downing Street after their 45-minute talks, the first interaction between the two leaders after the change of government in New Delhi in May, Blair said Britain also supported India's claim to permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council.

He also said there was a move to involve India in a regular dialogue with the G-8 group of industrialised nations on key global issues. Singh was here on a 20-hour stopover en route to New York to address the U.N. General Assembly and also meet U.S. President George W. Bush and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf among other world leaders.

Both Blair and Singh were equally upbeat about the state of their bilateral ties. Blair said ties with India had been going from "strength to strength" while Singh described bilateral ties as being at an "all-time peak."

Blair paid high tributes to India for being the "world's greatest democracy," especially since many people around the world had always been sceptical about the country's ability to remain a democracy with all its problems.

"India is an outstanding example of a country that is a model of democracy that is home to 150 million Muslims, as also people from many other religions."

He also said India not being in the Security Council "was not in tune with modern times" and Britain was strongly supportive of India's aspirations in this regard.

Manmohan called his visit here as a "sentimental journey," recalling his first visit to Britain as a student 50 years ago when he came to study at Oxford, and said when he first saw 10, Downing Street from outside, little did he realise that one day he would be visiting the place as India's prime minister.

After the press conference, Singh had lunch with Blair to round off his hectic visit that included a breakfast meeting with 23 British CEOs and an interaction with the Labour Friends of India, a lobby group of over 100 MPs in the British Parliament.

The two leaders also signed a Joint Declaration that reaffirms their "strategic partnership" and draws up a roadmap for their cooperation spanning areas from defence to high technology to culture to business, with Singh making a major pitch to British businessmen to invest in the "changed" India.


Manmohan swears by reforms before top British CEOs

–– LONDON
In a breakfast meeting with chief executives of top British companies here on Septemebr 20, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said economic reforms in India were firmly on course with new vistas for foreign investors.

It is a tribute to Indian genius that radical changes brought about in the Indian economy in July 1991 had stood the test of time despite three changes in the country's central government since then, he said.

There is a new mindset in India to have a fresh model for reforms as the country integrates with the global economy, but by keeping economic liberalisation programme on course, the prime minister told high-profile captains of British industry.

In the candid, hour-long engagement, Manmohan Singh said there was need for further dialogue on the issue of economic reforms with Left parties, which support his coalition government from the outside.

At the same time, he said the announcements made in the national budget for this fiscal on enhancing foreign investment limits in the insurance, civil aviation and telecom sectors were very much on track.

"Investment is an act of faith. I request you to have faith in India," he told the meeting. "India has always surprised people and we will surprise you again. Please have faith in India," the prime minister added.

Those at the meeting included representatives of gas and oil exploration majors BG Group, Cairn Energy and Royal Dutch Shell, financial services majors HSBC, Prudential, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Morgan Stanley, Royal & Sun and 3i, British Airways, telecom majors Marconi and Vodafone and retailer Tesco.

Others at the meeting included representatives from apex chambers of British commerce and industry and leading think tanks, as also editors of ‘Financial Times’ and ‘The Economist.’

Drawing attention to his weekend meeting with senior Communist Party of India- Marxist leader and former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu in New Delhi, the prime minister said the Left parties in India were not opposed to reforms.

He said even Communist-ruled West Bengal was open to foreign investment and cited the example of the state government inking a $400-million pact with P&O Ports recently for developing a port at a special economic zone in the state.

Manmohan Singh said there was scope for enormous investment opportunities in
India's infrastructure sector with an increasing role for the private sector. He said his four-month-old government was not ideologically opposed to privatisation, but intended to take a pragmatic view of it. There was "no earth-shaking reason" to privatise those public sector companies that were profitable and being run in a competitive environment,
he said. "We will pursue privatisation wherever required."

He also referred to India's state-run railways and said while there was no plan to hand it over to the private sector, his government intended to have a debate at a later date.

Similarly, on banking, he said while the Reserve Bank of India, the country's central bank, had invited views on further liberalisation in the sector, the government has not spelt out its final word.

U.S. to lift export controls on Indian nuclear, space programme

–– WASHINGTON
In a major step towards sealing their growing "strategic partnership," the United States have agreed to ease export controls on equipment for India's nuclear power plants and for its civilian space programme.

The development came ahead of the meeting on September 21 between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W. Bush in New York.

This follows an agreement between the two countries on what is called the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) initiative, which also envisages easing of export licensing policies to expand bilateral cooperation in commercial space programmes undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

An indication to this effect was given in a joint statement issued at the end of the two-day talks September 17 between Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman and visiting Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.

It says these efforts have enabled the United States to make modifications to U.S. export licensing policies that will foster cooperation in commercial space programs and permit certain exports to power plants at safeguarded nuclear facilities

The statement talks of "implementation of measures to address proliferation concerns and ensure compliance with U.S. export controls."

These export controls were part of the sanctions slapped by the U.S. on India in protest against its 1998 nuclear tests.

The joint statement, released on September 17 night at a press conference addressed by Saran, says, "the progress announced today is only the first phase in this important effort, which is a significant part of transforming our strategic relationship."

"Implementation of the NSSP will lead to significant economic benefits for both countries and improve regional and global security," it said.

The two countries agreed in January last to expand cooperation in three specific areas: civilian nuclear activities, civilian space programs, and high-technology trade. In addition, the two countries agreed to expand their dialogue on missile defence. These areas of cooperation are designed to progress through a series of reciprocal steps that build on each other.

Since then, the statement points out, the two governments have worked closely together to conclude phase one of the NSSP. This has included implementation of measures to address proliferation concerns and ensure compliance with U.S. export controls.

These modifications, including removing the ISRO from the Department of Commerce Entity List, are fully consistent with U.S. non-proliferation laws, obligations, and objectives.

It says the U.S. and India will continue to move forward under the NSSP and have a joint implementation group for this purpose.

During his talks with the Bush administration officials the foreign secretary met with Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Under Secretary for Commerce (Industry and Security) Kenneth Juster, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Marc Grossman, and Under Secretary (Policy) in the Defense Department Douglas Feith

Trishul missile test-fired

––BHUBANESWAR
India on September 15 test-fired the short range, surface-to-air Trishul missile from a range in Orissa, defence officials said.

The missile was fired from the range at Chandipur in Balasore district at 2.15 p.m., the officials said.

Trishul has a range of nine km and carries a 15-kg warhead. Reports last year had indicated the programme to develop the Trishul had been put on the backburner due to serious flaws in its guidance system.

But several tests of the missile have been carried out since December last year.


GSI going hi-tech to improve capabilities

–– NEW DELHI
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) plans to acquire a new research vessel, a heliborne geo-physical survey system and an aircraft based electro-magnetic system to vastly improve its survey capabilities.

The decision to modernise the land, aerial and marine survey systems of the country's premier survey and exploration agency comes after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently stressed the need to equip GSI with most advanced technologies to enable it to meet the emerging challenges for optimal harnessing of mineral resources of the country.

The prime minister said funds should not be a constraint in modernizing equipment and recruitment of scientists for GSI. GSI has been allocated Rs. 10 billion ($222 million) under the 10th Plan Period (2002-07), including Rs.3.05 billion ($67 million) for modernisation.

An official statement said GSI proposed to replace its old research vessel, R.V. Samudra Manthan, built in 1983, by re-fitting an old hull of 1958 vintage. That vessel had substantially contributed to the surveys, mostly on exclusive economic zones and some sectors of international waters.

The new research vessel will cost about Rs. 4.5 billion ($100 million). GSI will also acquire a geo-technical ship at a cost of about Rs. 400 million ($80 million) for coastal exploration and to assist in exploration of emerging areas.

For aerial survey in rugged terrains including the northeast and the Himalyas, GSI will acquire heliborne geo-physical system at a cost of about Rs. 500 million ($110 million).

In order to expand it serial survey capability, GSI has also proposed acquisition of air-borne time domain electro-magnetic system mounted on fixed wing aircraft at a cost of about Rs. 500 million, the statement said.

Diplomats must change mindset: Shyam Saran

–– NEW DELHI
Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran September 14 asked diplomats to change their mindset, saying diplomacy in the age of information revolution could no longer be linked to keeping secrets.

With the changing global scenario, the role of envoys has to undergo a paradigm shift with a focus on public transparency and efficient dissemination of information, Saran said while releasing the book, ‘The 21st Century Ambassador.’

While diplomacy was traditionally linked with keeping secrets, the source of power in the modern age lay in disseminating information, Saran said.

The book was written by Kishan Rana, India's former ambassador to Germany, Algeria, Czechoslovakia, Kenya and Mauritius.

Pakistan High Commissioner Aziz Ahmad Khan, British High Commissioner Michael Arthur and Singapore High Commissioner See Chak Mun were among senior diplomats and foreign affairs experts who were present on the occasion.

Saran said diplomats today had to effectively play the role of CEOs and promote the national interest of their country by understanding, informing and influencing foreign audiences.

Calling for "institution building and strengthening the delivery system" in India, he said "public diplomacy" was becoming the need of the hour and Indian diplomats should gear up to the challenge.

Talking about the book, Saran said it "could become a major contributor towards understanding modern diplomacy."

British envoy Michael Arthur said there was a need for a fundamental review on conducting diplomatic relations in the present scenario.

He said Britain had published a strategic paper on foreign policy that seeks to promote national interest and national security through understanding, informing and influencing foreign observers and broadening dialogue between British citizens and institutions and their counterparts abroad.

The Singapore high commissioner said the institution of the ambassador had to now deal with complex and multiple issues, and they have to play the role of a "CEO Ambassador". He stressed the need for transparency and dissemination of news.


Kalam honours India's top athletes

–– NEW DELHI
The magnificent Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan resounded with applause on September 21 as President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam honoured India's top athletes with the nation's highest sports awards.

The high-domed, chandeliered hall of the presidential palace was packed to capacity with sportspersons, sports administrators, cabinet ministers and the city's glitterati for the annual presentation of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's most prestigious sports prize, the Dronacharya Award for coaches and the Arjuna Award for sporting excellence.

The loudest cheers were reserved for the wife-husband duo of Anju Bobby George and Bobby George –– and not just because this was the first time a couple was being honoured together. Long jumper Anju received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for her bronze winning performance at the Paris World Athletics Championships last year. Bobby received the Dronacharya Award for coaching her to that achievement --- the
first time an Indian had won a medal at a world championship.

Athens Olympics shooting silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was among the 15 sportspersons who were presented the Arjuna Award for their performances last year.

Rathore, the only Indian ever to win an individual Olympic silver, is almost certain to get the Rajiv Khel Ratma next year as his accomplishment at the Athens Olympics came before 2003, the period for which the award is considered.

Rathore won silver in the double trap shooting event at the games --- the only medal for India at the Aug 13-29 extravaganza.

Teenaged cueist Pankaj Advani, who won who the world snooker title last year aged 19, was given the Arjuna Award.

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh was the only Arjuna awardee not present as he is in England with the Indian cricket team. His mother received the award on his behalf.

Three more coaches --- Anoop Kumar (boxing), Rajinder Singh (hockey) and Sukhchain Singh Cheema (wrestling) --- were bestowed the Dronacharya Award for producing champions.

The Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement was given to Labh Singh (athletics), Hardayal Singh (hockey) and Mehendale Digambor Parasuram (physically handicapped).

Guru Nanak Dev University of Amritsar clinched the 2002-03 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for excellence in sports among universities.

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, which was instituted in 1991-92 and carries prize money of Rs. 500,000, is presented to the athlete who returns the most spectacular and outstanding performance in a year.

The Arjuna Award, instituted in 1961, carries a purse of Rs. 300,000, a ceremonial uniform, a statuette of the legendary warrior Arjuna and a certificate for having performed consistently for three successive years.

The awards are usually presented August 29, which is hockey wizard Dhyan Chand's birthday and is celebrated as National Sports Day. The ceremony was deferred as some of the award winners were away to Athens for the August 13-29 Olympic Games.

The winners:

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2003: Anju Bobby George (athletics)

Dronacharya Awards 2003: Robert Bobby George (athletics), Anoop Kumar (boxing), Rajinder Singh (hockey) and Sukhchain Singh Cheema (wrestling).

Arjuna Awards 2003: Soma Biswas and Madhuri Saxena (athletics), Pankaj Advani (billiards and snooker), M.C. Mary Kom (boxing), Koneru Humpy (chess), Rajesh Pattu (equestrian), Devesh Chauhan and Suraj Lata Devi (hockey), Akram Shah (judo), Sanjeev Kumar (kabaddi), Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (shooting), Harbhajan Singh and Mithali Raj (cricket), Shokinder Tomar (wrestling) and Madasu Srinivas Rao (Paralympic games).

Dhyan Chand Awards 2004: Labh Singh (athletics), Hardayal Singh (hockey) and Mehendale Digambor Parasuram (physically handicapped).

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy 2002-03: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

Lifetime Achievement: Bula Chowdhury Chakraborty (swimming); Land Adventure:
Brian Dermot Kharpran Daly; Water Adventure: Relu Ram Thakur.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's first press conference

–– NEW DELHI

Making it clear he was no reluctant prime minister, an assertive Manmohan Singh said on September 4 that his three-month-old coalition government would last a full five-year term and he could never be pressurized by anyone.

Addressing his first formal press conference on his government's 106th day in office, Singh said India was not shy of discussing Kashmir with Pakistan, he greatly admired the progress made by China and that India's "legitimate place" in the U.N. Security Council "can't be ignored".

The 71-year-old Singh, propelled to power after Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi declined to become prime minister, came out as a confident politician as he answered dozens of questions on issues ranging from domestic policies to global diplomacy with aplomb, speaking mainly in English without any aides on his side.

Singh did not duck any question, save one convoluted query that he admitted he did not quite understand, and came out as one who knew his job well -- and was enjoying the challenge.

Speaking at the Vigyan Bhavan conference centre, he called his job "a great challenge, a great opportunity and a great honour" to have been chosen for a position he did not aspire for.

For the first time, Singh emphatically dispelled all speculation about the longevity of his Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

"My government will last five years. So let there be no doubt or ambiguity about this," Singh said. "Misconceptions that I can be pressurised into giving up are just not going to materialize."

He denied that Sonia Gandhi was acting as a parallel power centre. "Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson of UPA, and as the Congress president it is only her right to know what is going on in the government," he said. "Insinuations that there are two separate centres of power have no foundation."

Singh touched upon the economy repeatedly during his 90-minute press meet, saying the Indian economic reforms would continue though there would be "course corrections" to take care of marginalized sections of the community.

"The CMP (the ruling coalition's Common Minimum Programme) has committed us to the reform path that addresses the concern of all sections of the society," said Singh, who began India's path-breaking economic reforms as finance minister in 1991.

"We will stay the course but we may to do some course correction to address concerns of the community that has not benefited from the first phase of reforms."

Referring to the opposition on the economic front from the communists, Singh expressed confidence that his government would "overcome all obstacles". He also denied there was any "deceleration in growth" in the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2005 despite the rising inflation and drought in parts of the country.

"There is no deceleration of economic growth," Manmohan Singh said, adding that industrial growth, exports and overseas investments had been "buoyant" in recent months.

Singh, who travels to New York this month to address the U.N. General Assembly, insisted that India's claim for a permanent seat in the all-powerful Security Council was "a legitimate aspiration."

"It would not be a very health development if India is not represented in the UN Security Council (after its expansion)."

The prime minister said his government was for improving ties with both Pakistan and China and was ready to help "friends in the neighbourhood" with their problems.

New Delhi, he reiterated, was firmly opposed to any break-up of Sri Lanka, where rising tensions and killings have fuelled fears of a renewed conflict that has already claimed some 60,000 lives since 1983. "We are for the unity and integrity of Sri Lanka and at the same time want all the legitimate aspirations of Tamils and other minorities to be met."

Singh said if the dialogue process between New Delhi and Islamabad was to move forward, "Pakistan will have to implement what the president (Pervez Musharraf) had promised" about not allowing its territory to be used for staging terrorist acts in India.

"We are not afraid of discussing Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan, but I don't believe that Kashmir is the only issue affecting relations between our countries," he added.

But Singh said he was not promising anything path-breaking in India-Pakistan relations. "The progress has to be achieved step by step. We will make progress."

Announcing that he would soon visit Jammu and Kashmir, Singh called upon all separatist groups in the strife-hit state, where a separatist campaign since 1989 has left thousands dead, to engage in a dialogue with New Delhi.

"We will talk with any group that shuns violence," Singh said, referring to both Kashmir as well as the north-eastern states.

Singh said India was interested in bringing together the divided people of Jammu and Kashmir together and urged Islamabad to act quickly on starting a bus service linking Srinagar and Muzaffarabad cities on both sides.

India is proposing a soft border between the two Kashmirs, now demarcated by a Line of Control, or the military ceasefire line.



India and Pakistan foreign ministers conclude two-day talks

–– NEW DELHI

India and Pakistan on September 6 announced a series of confidence-building measures, including in the military and nuclear fields -- but made little progress in resolving the Kashmir issue.

External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, who concluded two days of difficult talks here, did not mince words while restating their respective positions on the Kashmir dispute at a joint press conference.

But at the same time, they sought to reassure the international community that there is no danger of a nuclear conflict between their countries over the issue and expressed their determination to carry forward the Composite Dialogue the two countries had initiated early this year to normalise ties.
"We have arrived at several agreements that would take the process forward," Singh said.

The agreements include discussions among experts groups on military and nuclear BMs, technical level talks in October-November on starting a train service between Munabao- Khokrapar linking India's Rajasthan state with Sindh province across the border and talks between the Indian Coast Guard and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency for stablishing communication links between them.

They also agreed on half-yearly meetings between the Indian Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers -- the first one to take place in October -- and to hold a joint survey of the boundary pillars to demarcate the international boundary in the disputed Sir Creek, a muddy estuary separating India's western Gujarat state and Sindh province.

Singh also announced a bus service on special occasions between Amritsar, the Sikh holy city in the Punjab, and Sikh pilgrimage places in Lahore such as Nankana Sahib and enhanced interaction and exchanges between the two foreign offices, including study groups of young diplomats to each other's country.

However, there was no agreement on the Indian proposal for starting a bus service between Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered part of the Himalayan region primarily because of differences over the kind of travel permits the passengers would carry.

Singh reminded Pakistan of its assurance that territories under its control would not be used to launch terrorist activities directed against India He said while India was committed to "deepen and widen" engagement with Pakistan, the continuing "cross-border infiltration remains a serious concern and I have reiterated our concerns to Mr. Kasuri."

"Significantly, the ceasefire has held since November 25, 2003, and both sides are committed to continuing it. The first round of the composite dialogue has been concluded successfully. The scheduled meeting in February 2004 was maintained and the outcome of the dialogue process is positive," Singh said.

Said Kasuri: "It is not that Pakistan is only interested in just discussing Jammu and Kashmir. No, we know ... we can cooperate. There are areas where other countries in the world are cooperating and they are doing so most successfully when the efforts are joint.

"And I am sure there are areas Pakistan and India can cooperate and the results of fruits of cooperation will be greater if we were to go along the line we have agreed upon and that there are differences between Pakistan and India."

He said both countries should be mature enough to recognise those differences "because that is the only guarantee that we will be able to solve those problems" and acknowledged that the concept of the Composite Dialogue was that there should be progress on all items. "Hopefully there will be progress on all the eight items," he added.

India to train Afghan diplomats

–– NEW DELHI

India will train Afghanistan's diplomats under an agreement signed here on September 1 by the two countries.

External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh signed the memorandum of understanding along with his visiting Afghan counterpart Abdullah Abdullah.

The pact provides for cooperation between the Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Institute of Diplomacy of the Afghan foreign ministry.

The signing of the agreement was preceded by official-level talks between the two sides, an MEA statement said.

The agreement also provides for the exchange of diplomats to join training programmes conducted by institutions in both countries.


Indian Army gets first woman lieutenant general

–– NEW DELHI

The Indian Army will get its first woman lieutenant general when Punita Arora is promoted to the rank September 1 and assumes command of Pune's Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC).

A graduate of the college, Arora joined the Army Medical Corps in 1968. She did her post-graduation in gynaecology and obstetrics from the college and was awarded a gold medal for topping the examination conducted by Pune University.

She was awarded the Sena Medal by the president for establishing gynaecology, endoscopy and oncology facilities in armed forces hospitals. She has been a member of the panels on Safe Motherhood and polio eradication.

Arora was instrumental in setting up the "Assisted Reproductive Technology" at AFMC and Delhi's Army Hospital (Research and Referral) "which has come as a boon to a large number of infertile couples of the armed forces," a Ministry of Defence statement said.

She was awarded the Visisht Seva Medal for the "efficient and prompt" treatment provided to the victims of a terrorist attack on an army camp at Kaluchak in Jammu and Kashmir in May 2002.


Dixit wants neighours to respond to India's initiatives

–– NEW DELHI

India wants its neighbours to respond to its initiatives to strengthen cooperation in South Asia but "vested interests" in many of these countries are stymieing such moves, National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit said September 2.

"Just saying you (India) have a larger responsibility because of your large size and resources is not enough," the blunt-speaking former diplomat told a regional conference on "SAARC: Post-Islamabad Challenges" here.

He was commenting on a remark by Rehman Sobhan, executive director of the Dhaka-based South Asia Centre for Policy Studies.

Sobhan said India, which is far ahead of its neighbours in development according to all available indicators, should play a "vanguard role" in South Asia. "It should lead, not necessarily by hand," he said.

Said Dixit: "All I am saying is that let there be an acknowledgement of (India's) initiatives. I am not saying the response should be reciprocal or equal. But to shoulder that responsibility there should be a response."

According to Dixit, a former foreign secretary who has served in almost all countries of the region during his more than three-decade long diplomatic career, the civil societies in all those countries supported stronger and closer cooperation among the countries.

But whenever India put forward any idea the "constant refrain was that the idea was very good but there would be political problems; so we can't support it."

"I do not think the civil societies have any reservations. It is essentially the vested interest that stand in the way of cooperation, whether it is the issue of interlinking of rivers in India, sale of electricity by Nepal or natural gas by Bangladesh (to India)," Dixit said.

He called for exposing the "spuriousness of such arguments" and urged SAARC nations to "look at ground realities." He noted that all countries of the region were "politically volatile" resulting in internal destabilisation.

"This is an albatross that is hanging around the neck of all of us as a collective liability," he said and called for collective response to such challenges. There is need to move forward with clarity that cooperation is good for all of us," he added.


The postman in khaki is going blue

–– NEW DELHI

NCome October, India's huge army of postmen will change colours --- from khaki to blue.

Ever since the British set up the Indian postal department 150 years ago, the khaki has adorned its employees. The makeover marks a major victory for the postal employees union that had been demanding a change in the dress code for years.

A senior postal department official said that the new uniforms would come into effect from October 1, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the department.

"The khaki uniforms were too thick and unbearable in summer. We will be happy to get into the new uniform," said Dinesh Bahadur, a postman who has donned the khaki every single day of his service since joining the department in 1982.

"We were told that tailors would take the field staff's measurements but no one has turned up yet," added A.D. Joshi, a postmaster in New Delhi.

"The blue colour must be good because when we wore khaki we were often taken for a police constable," he added. "Also, the khaki cloth given to us was of poor quality."

The postal department was formed in October 1854 under the British East India Company and has since grown into an obese organisation with about 600,000 employees working in its 155,000 outlets, of which 138,000 are in rural areas.

Officials of India Post, as the department is now christened, felt that the dress change would not only mark the anniversary but also boost the morale of its 50,000 field employees -- and the department's image. "Postmen will wear full-sleeved light blue shirts with navy blue pants, while women would wear light blue saris and navy blue blouse," said an official at the department's material management division.

Postwomen also have the option of wearing a salwar kameez.

"The colour-code change is also in keeping with the changes in the duties and responsibilities of the postman. The postmen of today are involved in a number of services, including data/statistics collection for government agencies," the official said.

The National Textile Corporation would supply the dress material, which would have the logo of India Post embroidered on it.

Kalam's Africa safari draws to glittering close

–– DURBAN
A vibrant medley of ballet, zulu and kathak dances, symbolising a multicultural symbiosis, brought the curtain down on Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's weeklong Africa safari on September 17 night.

Bidding farewell to the land that welcomed him with open arms everywhere he went, Kalam paid a tribute to South Africa's extraordinary spirit of perseverance in winning freedom from apartheid 10 years ago and moving on.

"The people of South Africa deserve to be complimented on the extraordinary spirit of reconciliation they exhibited in the last decade," the president said, speaking at a civic reception for him at Chatsworth, a Durban neighbourhood with a large number of people of Indian origin. "India and South Africa are connected through their struggle for freedom."

The crowd at the Chatsworth stadium, where the function was held, whooped and cheered for the Indian president even as they sang the South African national anthem with fervour. They chanted "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and enjoyed it most when Zulu dancers took the stage.

South Africa has around 1.2 million people of Indian origin, constituting about 2.5 percent of the country's total population of 45.5 million. Many of their ancestors were brought as slaves or indentured labour. The bulk of Indians came to work on the sugar farms.

The largest Indian settlements are at Chatsworth, Phoenix, Tongaat and Stanger in Durban. Pietermaritzburg has a community of some 200,000 people of Indian origin.

Before arriving in South Africa, Kalam paid a four-day visit to Tanzania during which he interacted with the Indian diaspora, academicians and children. He also spent a few hours at the clove and spices island of Zanzibar, an autonomous region in Tanzania.

Kalam's visit has been described by Indian officials as a ceremonial and substantive one that has taken bilateral ties to higher level.

Kalam, the first Indian President to set foot on South African soil – a country with which India has a historic association and shared chequered diplomatic ties -- announced a host of initiatives to aid Africa, chief among them being a project to connect 53 African nations through a seamless and integrated satellite, fibre optic and wireless network.

He made the announcement as he became the first Indian leader to address the Pan-African Parliament that was televised live in the entire continent.

Kalam's visit came during the 10-year celebration of democracy in the nation previously divided by apartheid under its white rulers.

Coinciding as it was with the 100th anniversary of the Phoenix Settlement that Mahatma Gandhi established in Durban in 1904 as a crucible of his passive resistance theory, the president also visited this "island of peace and equality."

But the highlight of Kalam's visit was his meeting with South African legend Nelson Mandela at Johannesburg and his visit to Pietermaritzburg, retracing Gandhi's journey before he was thrown out of a train in an incident that changed the late Indian leader's life.

Kalam also travelled to Robben Island, the place where Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. So moved was the president by the sight of the tiny cell that Mandela stayed in that he could not stop talking about it in subsequent events.

A man keen to learn and as well as share his vast knowledge, the scientist-president kept the fun and ceremonial aspects of his visit to the bare minimum and firmly avoided such distractions as wildlife safaris that are a compelling part of the itinerary of most world leaders to this beautiful land.

India was the first country to sever trade relations with the apartheid government in 1946 and imposed complete diplomatic, commercial, cultural and sports sanctions on South Africa.

Relations were restored after a gap of over 40 years, with the opening of a cultural centre in Johannesburg in May 1993.

Agnivesh, Engineer share alternate Noble award

–– HYDERABAD

Social activists Asghar Ali Engineer and Swami Agnivesh will share the 2004 Right Livelihood Award, also known as alternate Noble, with three others, it was announced here Monday.

Engineer and Agnivesh have been cited for their two-decade-long efforts at promoting social justice and communal harmony, Jacob von Uexkull, founder and chairman of the Stockholm-based Right Livelihood Award Foundation said following a week-long meeting of the international jury here.

Among the other recipients are Russian organisation Memorial that documents human rights violations in Russia and surrounding countries, Nicarguan celebrity Bianca Jagger --- the former wife of singer Mick Jagger --- for her services among the exploited and disadvantaged, and scientist and activist Raul Montenegro of Argentina for his work in protecting and conserving natural resources in Latin America and elsewhere.

The will share a cash award of two million Swedish Kronor ($ 220,000 dollars)

The Right Livelihood Foundation jury met outside Europe for the first time
in its 25-year history.

The awards will be presented December 9 at a ceremony in the Swedish Parliament, a day before the Nobel Prize presentation ceremony.

India following twin-track policy on terrorism: Kalam

–– DAR ES SALAAM

India was following a twin-track policy to tackle its "unique problem" of cross-border terrorism --- reinforcing its borders while talking peace with Pakistan, visiting Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said here.

"We are reinforcing our borders with technology and are engaged in talks with the neighbour," Kalam told prominent intellectuals here on September 12 evening during his two-day visit to this east African country. The president also mooted a new world body to tackle global terrorism, whose functioning would not be predicated on economic disparities between nations.

In what appeared to be an oblique criticism of the U.S., Kalam also said the U.N. should not depend on one country's economy or veto power.

Kalam admitted it was not so simple to remove terrorism from the world. "We need a global mission."

He was responding to a question by former Tanzanian premier Salim Ahmed Salim on ways to tackle global terrorism.

"We need a new world body with three missions -- that all the younger generation learn a educational value system, that religion be transformed into spirituality and that economic disparity should be removed."

"In my view if you want to strengthen the U.N., no country should have veto power," the president said. He said as long as rich, economically powerful nations controlled the world body the fight against terror would not be effective.

However, Kalam qualified these comments by saying these were his "personal views," not the Indian government's.

In a free wheeling discussion with the group of intellectuals who were encouraged to ask any question, Kalam said no number of laws could remove corruption unless righteous behaviour was instilled from the beginning by the father, mother and teacher.

"I started this movement in my country," he told the gathering, smiling. To a question about the possible difficulties in different political parties ruling at the centre and a state, Kalam held out the opinion that different parties gave a state government more bargaining power.

"We had one party ruling for six years and another party ruling 16 states. Now the situation is more or less reversed with the Congress at the center and both rival parties ruling nearly equal number of states.

"If there is one party at the centre and another at the state, the state has more bargaining power and it is a healthy situation. At the same time, sometimes when the same party is also ruling the state, it can be ignored." But Kalam said as long as there was a multi-party system, the difference of political parties at the centre and the state had to be taken in stride.

Kalam is visiting Tanzania and South Africa during his weeklong African journey that is intended to make a statement about India's abiding interest in this continent.


Zanzibar reminds Kalam of home and childhood

–– ZANZIBAR

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was overcome by nostalgia on September 12 as he visited this "Jewel of the Indian Ocean" that reminded him of the tiny fishing village he was born in.

On a daylong visit to Zanzibar, where he arrived to a warm welcome by his counterpart, Amani Abeid Karume, and a 21-gun salute, Kalam made himself quite at home as he interacted with the citizens.

Zanzibar has a romantic, colourful history of seafarers and explorers, of riches and tragedy, and even of slavery.

As Kalam landed after a choppy flight in a special aircraft from Dar es Salaam, he was so enthralled by the percussionists that were on hand to greet him that he gave in to his musical instincts -- he plays the Veena -- and tapped on a drum, much to the delight of the locals.

And, as he concluded the day with a meeting with the Indian community, the president found himself answering questions far removed from diplomacy and India-Tanzania relations.

"I am happy to be here," Kalam told the gathering of India-born citizens. "It reminds me of Rameshwaram island where I was born. It had about 100,000 people, mostly in the fishing trade."

That feeling was enhanced when he visited the Beit el Ajaib museum, or the "House of Wonders," where the central exhibit is a giant boat. The boat, said Kalam, reminded him of the fishing boats that his own father built for ferrying people and for fishing.

The Zanzibar museum houses a selection of relics and artefacts dating to colonial times. There are sections on archaeology, early trade and ships, slavery, clove oil production and the Sultans of Zanzibar, as well as many yellowing photographs of times gone by.

Kalam was specially enamoured by the exhibit titled "Dr. Livingstone's Medicine Chest" and the diary of the renowned Scottish missionary and explorer.

At the congregation of the Indian community, the president waxed eloquent about Zanzibar's untapped potential in fishing and offered Indian partnership in the health and garment sectors.

When he opened the floor to questions, favouring those from "young minds," the very first query took the former missile scientist slightly aback.

"Cant you explain what is non-conservative field and what is the difference between conservative and non-conservative fields?" asked the youngster, obviously in school.

Kalam replied after a moment's consideration: "I cannot understand your question, but let me tell you, everything generates from orbital mechanics.... magnetic property is related to what the substance is made of."

To a question about the interlinking of major Indian rivers, he said: "Steady progress is being made to link major rivers in a few years' time. It is a must for India."

The final question was asked by a very young voice, and the president, who had already left the podium, returned to respond.

"Why is the earth big and moon small?" was the question and Kalam replied: "It is a natural formation -- you cannot help it."

Before waving goodbye, the president repeated a routine he has performed several times since taking office two years ago. He made all the children in the audience stand and asked them to repeat after him a verse that his aides and Kalam watchers know by heart.

"Learning gives creativity, creativity leads to thinking, thinking provides knowledge, knowledge makes you great!"


India deploys warships in Persian Gulf

–– NEW DELHI

India has sent some of its most powerful warships for deployment in the Persian Gulf as New Delhi steps up efforts to use its navy to project power in regional waters and to build closer defence ties with Middle Eastern countries.

A task group of six ships, a submarine and helicopters from the Indian Navy's Mumbai-based Western Fleet, the maritime force's main war-fighting arm, left for the Persian Gulf last week and will be in the region for three weeks, said navy spokesman Commander Vinay Garg.

The group includes two 6,700-tonne Delhi-class guided missile destroyers, the most advanced and largest warships built by India, and INS Talwar, the latest Russian-built stealth frigate.

"The deployment of the Indian Navy ships in the north Arabian Sea also involves visits to ports of friendly nations," Garg said, noting that the group would split into two to call at ports in Oman, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.

"The overseas deployment is also being undertaken with the aim of strengthening cooperation. The visits will provide a platform for professional interaction, help foster closer relations and enhance inter-operability with the navies of the host countries," he said.

Besides calling at ports, the Indian warships will carry out "passing exercises" or brief manoeuvres with the other navies.

India is also hoping to showcase its considerable shipbuilding capabilities by including indigenous warships in the task group.

"There could be scope for cooperation or even sales if the navies of other countries are impressed by our warships and the indigenous technology like radars and sensors used on them," said a navy officer who did not want to be named.

While the Talwar, indigenously built missile corvette Pralaya and a submarine would visit Muscat in Oman between Sep 13 and 17, the Delhi, Mumbai, fleet tanker Aditya and missile corvette Kulish would visit Bandar Abbas in Iran September 14-18.

The warships will later visit Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Port Salman in Bahrain before returning to Mumbai in early October.

In recent years, India has stepped up efforts to use its navy to project its influence in the Indian Ocean region. Indian and U.S. warships jointly patrolled the Malacca Straits for a short while last year while the Indian Navy provided security for a summit of the African Union last year following a request from the host Mozambique.

Gandhi statue for US makes Gujarati artist proud

–– AHMEDABAD

Gujarati artist Jasuben Shilpi will soon make her mark in the U.S., with an American city readying to install her statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The statue, sculpted by the city-based Shilpi, will be unveiled October 2, the birth anniversary of the father of the nation, at Skokie, Illinois. Shilpi sees the eight-foot bronze statue, weighing more than 600 kg, as her biggest achievement so far.

"A sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi on American soil will remind American citizens of the values he stood for --- peace, non-violence, love and compassion. I am thrilled to be part of this unique exchange between the two great democracies," Shilpi said.

The project was conceived last year and sponsored by the Gandhi Memorial Trust Fund of Illinois.

Shilpi spent long months researching her subject. She visited the Gandhi Ashram here, where the apostle of peace and non-violence spent many productive years. She also sought suggestions from Amrut Modi, an ashram trustee.

"We are more than satisfied with the statue Shilpi has delivered. I'm sure Skokie will happily welcome the installation of the statue," said Chandrakant Modi, an office-bearer of the Gandhi Memorial Trust Fund.

Shilpi, 55, often referred to as "The Bronze Woman of India," has set up a bronze sculpture studio here that boasts of hi-tech facilities and trained staff.

Her bronze sculptures include an 11-foot, 2,500-kg statue of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji astride his horse installed at Rajkot in Gujarat.

Maharana Pratap, another legendary warrior king, and his equally famous horse Chetak, were depicted by Shilpi in a 12-foot bronze sculpture that weighs 3,700 kg.

Her most recent work captured Laxmibai, the queen of Jhansi, in an 18-foot sculpture that used 4,500 kg of bronze. This statue was installed at a busy traffic island in Ahmedabad.

Shilpi claimed she was the world's only female sculptor who had cast 125,000 kg of bronze.

Her works, including over 150 larger-than-life statues and more than 300 half-sized ones, have been installed and displayed in India and abroad.

"I am currently working on a first-of-its-kind museum of bronze statues, on the lines of the wax museum of Madame Tussaud in London," she said. The museum is coming up at Tarapur village on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

Kalam, the teacher, impresses locals

–– DAR ES SALAAM

When 12-year-old Rohit, an India-born based in Zanzibar, is asked whether he knows what A.P.J. Abdul Kalam did before becoming president of India, he hesitates a little before replying: "He used to perform operations."

Rohit apart, most Indians here are familiar with Kalam's background, his role in the country's scientific development, particularly as a missile scientist, but is increasingly convinced that he is more of a teacher --- and a preacher of good values --- than a stiff and protocol-conscious head of state.

Wherever he has visited, Kalam has left the impression of a roving teacher taking lectures at every public function, be it an interaction with local citizens at the airport, or a civic reception.

He is no diplomat when it comes to asking his audience repeatedly: "What did I say? Say it loudly. Didn't you eat breakfast?"

When he interacted with the Indian community in the island of Zanzibar on September 12, Kalam took questions on subjects far from India-Zanzibar collaboration, sometimes textbook questions on science.

Perhaps aware of his image, Kalam began his remarks at a reception later in his honour at India House by saying: "I am not going to give a lecture, but you may have questions to ask the President of India!"

"All beings have to have a purpose in life. If the earth does not orbit around the sun, we will not have light --- so human beings have to carry out their tasks," Kalam told the Indian community gathered at the beautiful sea-facing bungalow of the Indian high commissioner.

What came next was Kalam's famous pledge, one that he makes a point to administer to the children he meets.

"Listen carefully --- when there is righteousness in mind, there is beauty in character ...," he broke off. "Are you listening? Afterwards you have to repeat it!"

The gathering chuckled nervously, but snapped to attention.

"When there is beauty in character, there is harmony in the home, when there is harmony at home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.

"How do you like it?" The audience applauded. "Now will you repeat it with me?"

They all obliged, the group of professionals, diplomats, businessmen and eminent personages who had come to meet the unusual president, all reduced to a class of obedient students for that moment.

To end the "lecture," Kalam threw the floor open to questions. The answers were familiar, but to the president these are important nuggets of learning that every Indian should keep in his heart and soul.

He concluded with his "3D model" of a "beautiful world" that he said he used to market to everyone possible, especially children. "Education with a value system anywhere in the world, transforming religion into spirituality and a world without economic disparities."


Democratise U.N., Security Council: Kalam

–– DAR ES SALAAM

Terming terrorism as the biggest challenge facing the globe on the third anniversary of 9/11, Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on September 11 said the functioning of the U.N. and the Security Council had to be democratised and expanded to reflect new realities.

Addressing a state banquet hosted in his honour by Tanzanian President Benjamin William Mkapa, Kalam said both India and Tanzania had to jointly face the challenges of the new millennium by strengthening institutions.

"There is an urgent need to democratise the functioning of the United Nations and the Security Council through its expansion to reflect new global realities," Kalam said.

"One of the biggest challenges of the new millennium is the rise of terrorism across the globe, which is being experienced by every nation. We in India are determined to fight it."

The president said terrorism had the potential to damage economies and the social harmony of "open societies like ours".

"We in India understand your concerns on this account as terrorism in your neighbourhood can have an adverse impact on your tourism industry as well."

On his second foreign tour since taking office two years ago, Kalam is visiting Tanzania before proceeding to South Africa. He also made a daylong visit to Zanzibar, an autonomous region within Tanzania, on September 12.

Expressing joy at the rousing welcome accorded to him upon arrival at the Tanzanian capital, Kalam recalled the shared history of the two countries, perhaps dating back 2,000 years.

Many Indians had settled in Tanzania and made many contributions in economic
and social development, and even participated in Tanzania's independence movement.

Turning to his pet vision of a developed India by the year 2020, Kalam told the gathering of Tanzanian ministers, officials and eminent personages India's areas of importance -- education, healthcare, agriculture and food processing, information and communication technology, infrastructure development and self-sufficiency in critical technologies.

The president noted Tanzania's stable political and economic march since independence, listing areas of cooperation between India and Tanzania ranging from power production to railways to agriculture.

"India is willing to extend help by sharing its experience in growing hybrid varieties of rice and maize, which would be suitable for your land," he said.

In turn, Kalam said, India would like to gain from the experience of Tanzania in managing its world-renowned wildlife sanctuaries.

He said India had the expertise to process and add value to minerals such as gold, diamonds and semi-precious Tanzanite found here.

"Joint ventures could be worked out in the field of power generation, where we have experience in handling large grids -- India can provide support in developing your nation's hydel power potential through induction of necessary inputs."

Kalam suggested India's cooperation in developing Tanzania's railway network. India's expertise in operating one of the largest rail networks in the world could help Tanzania in gaining connectivity to its neighbours, he felt.


Anti-terror coalition wants new partnership with India

–– WASHINGTON

The U.S.-led anti-terrorist coalition wants to update existing alliances and form new partnerships with nations such as India and Pakistan.

Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made this observation at a press conference at the National Press Club here on September 10 but did not elaborate the point.

He said that the global war on terrorism "recognises the importance of fighting the battle against terrorists where they are located and that is why there is a coalition of some 85 to 90 nations united to stem the resources that fuel extremism."

He said the coalition includes forming new partnerships with countries like India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Yemen in the battle against terrorism.

Rumsfeld said the large coalition poised against extremism had the advantage that "the great sweep of human history is for freedom. And that (powerful force) is on our side."
"Although the global coalition has done much to make the world safer from terrorists," the defence secretary also acknowledged that "it is impossible to make all people safe simultaneously from every conceivable terrorist technique or tactic."

Rumsfeld said the war on terrorism would not end like other wars: with a signing ceremony. Instead, he said, "there are some things that you just have to keep working on, continuously" because attacks are continuing, with extremists killing hundreds of innocent people in Spain, Turkey, Kenya, Indonesia, and most recently in what he described as the "ghastly terrorist attack" by Chechen rebels on civilians in Beslan in the Russian federation."

Manmohan for making science attractive career option

–– NEW DELHI

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said India is committed to creating attractive careers in science and technology for young talent while using science to make a difference in the life of the common man. "I reaffirm India's commitment to basic science, applied science and the promotion of excellence, (and a) commitment to rebuild the science base in universities," Manmohan Singh told a function to honour the winners of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prize on September 13.

"This will include creating synergy between new initiatives in science and technology and our university system."

To help him chalk out a new strategy, Manmohan Singh proposed the creation of a science advisory council to be headed by a distinguished scientist.

"The council will advise us on strategies, policies and programmes for the development and utilisation of science and technology as an essential input for all our developmental processes," he said.

Drawing attention to over 100 global companies having set up research and development centres in India, he said: "It is saddening to note that science is no longer an automatic choice for our best and brightest students.

"Even among those who do opt for the science stream at the university level, many do not pursue a career in science. We must redouble our efforts to make science an attractive career for our young people."

Manmohan Singh urged scientists to develop technologies to help the common man.

"Indian science and technology must make a greater difference to the lives of our people. This requires not just more government investment in science and technology, though it is a must, but more private investment in research, development and innovation."

Thirteen scientists aged below 45 years received the Bhatnagar prize in fields ranging from physics, biology and engineering to planetary sciences.

Conferring the first Diamond Jubilee Technology Award of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to the Tata Group, Manmohan Singh lauded the industry group's efforts in designing, developing and fabricating the Indica car.

"It is a matter of great pride for all of us today that the Indian Indica is being sold in the British market as City Rover. Tata's Indica is a tribute to Indian creativity, enterprise and team spirit, as well as to the dynamism of the Tata Group led by Ratan Tata," said the prime minister.

Referring to India's indigenously designed civilian aircraft Saras, Manmohan Singh said: "To me, Saras is not an aircraft, just as Indica is not a car. Both stand for India's determination to win in the global technology race. It is this spirit that must propel us forward."

Manmohan Singh stressed the need for India to engage other developing countries to build a base for research and development.

"There is a great opportunity for us to increase our presence, influence and future trade prospects in the developing world by strengthening science and technology linkages through cooperation and networking," he said, calling for special attention to links with countries in Africa, Central Asia and the immediate neighbourhood.


India can be film hub: Reddy

–– CHENNAI

India can emerge as a major hub for film production and the government will simplify procedures for this, Information and Broadcasting Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said here on September 10.

"The idea is to see that other countries treat India as a film producing hub," the minister said, while inaugurating a daylong conference on regional cinema.

"I am going to simplify procedures" so that the Indian film industry can enter into co-production treaties with other countries, the minister said. Many archaeological sites in India attract foreign filmmakers, he noted.

Speaking about the oft-repeated demand of the film industry to lower entertainment tax, Reddy said: "Any kind of duty that discourages film production is not good."

Noting that the tax earned brought in considerable revenue for the states, he felt that ideally, this should not exceed 20 percent. Wherever the tax was high, the evasion was greater, the minister said.

"However, we are trying for a certain kind of uniformity by arranging a state information ministers' conference," Reddy said, pointing out that in some north Indian states, entertainment tax is as high as 100 percent.

The minister also promised to try to resolve the distributors' problem with service tax and that of countervailing duty with the Finance Ministry.

The minister agreed with the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce that changes were required in laws to discourage video piracy.

"If there is a legal problem, we will attend to it. We will examine it. I can also see to it that the copyright law is amended further to combat video piracy."

The minister invited chamber members to meet him in New Delhi September 15-16 to suggest steps to prevent cable operators from showing pirated VCDs. After discussions, ministry officials will be able to look into all aspects of video piracy and attempt to make laws more stringent, he said.


India to develop new jet trainer

–– NEW DELHI

India's aviation major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plans to develop a new jet trainer that will double up as a combat aircraft by the turn of the decade.

HAL chairman N.R. Mohanty said on September 10 that his organisation, which currently makes a wide array of combat aircraft, could deliver a prototype of the Hindustan Jet Trainer within 39 months of the government clearing the project.

The new trainer, which could be re-configured to serve as a combat aircraft during emergencies, could be used to supplement the 66 Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJTs) that Britain will supply to the Indian Air Force (IAF) under a 795 million-pound deal.

"It will be a totally indigenous aircraft with twin engines and a glass cockpit. Up to 70-80 percent of the aircraft will be made up of lightweight composite materials," Mohanty told reporters here. "In emergencies, the trainer can be used as a combat aircraft."

HAL is currently working with the IAF to firm up the designs for the Hindustan Jet Trainer and the project will then be forwarded to the defence ministry for clearance.

"I can promise the prototype will be ready within 39 months of getting the clearance," Mohanty asserted.

Though several foreign aviation firms had expressed an interest in collaborating with HAL on the new jet, Mohanty said his organisation wanted to keep it a totally indigenous project to cut down reliance on components from other suppliers.

HAL's success with the Light Combat Aircraft, currently undergoing tests and expected to be inducted in the IAF by the end of the decade, would help in developing the new trainer, he said.

"We are not only looking at the IAF, but we are looking at the potential export market," Mohanty said.

HAL will build 42 of the 66 Hawk AJTs under licence from Britain's BAE Systems between 2008-10, and Mohanty he was hopeful of getting the airworthiness certification for the Hindustan Jet Trainer by 2010-11.

"There will thus be continuity between the production of the Hawks and the new trainer," he said.

The new trainer is likely to be powered by a new engine being developed for the Intermediate Jet Trainer designed by HAL, Mohanty said.