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A New Turn In Indo-Pak Commercial Ties
November 17, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, TMO
NEW DELHI: Long viewed as permanent enemies, it is going to take a while before the world is convinced about India and Pakistan being keen to "normalize" their ties. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani met recently in Maldives on sidelines of the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). They held delegation-level talks, followed by one-to-one meeting which lasted for around 45 minutes. Acknowledging that a lot still needs to be done, after their talks, both leaders expressed their desire for strengthening Indo-Pak relations on a positive note (November 10).
"We have wasted a lot of time in acrimonious debate in the past. The time has come to write a new chapter in relations between India and Pakistan," Singh said. The next round of talks "should be far more productive and result-oriented and bring the two countries closer to each other," Singh said. Similar sentiments were voiced by Gilani, who said: "We had a good meeting. I hope the next round of talks will be more constructive and open a new chapter in relations between the two countries."
The stage for opening a new chapter in Indo-Pak ties was set when the Pakistan cabinet recently declared its decision to give India status of a Most Favored Nation (MFN) for increasing trade relations between the two countries. India had accorded Pakistan this status around 15 years ago in 1996. The decision of Pakistan was preceded by visit of Pakistan's Commerce Minister Makhddoom Amin Fahim to India. This was the first visit of a Pakistani commerce minister to India in 35 years. Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma is expected to lead a trade delegation to Islamabad next February at invitation of his Pakistani counterpart Fahim. Besides, this week has been marked by two-day talks in New Delhi between commerce secretaries of the two countries, Rahul Khullar (India) and Zafar Mahmood (Pakistan).
Displaying optimism on the outcome of Indo-Pak talks, Mahmood said: "We will have interactions in the spirit of mutual cooperation and confidence so please have trust and faith in the process (as) times have changed and the world is coming closer. Through this meeting we want to create an atmosphere through which the composite dialogue can go forward."
"Our business communities, our politicians and our citizens are looking to both our delegations to deliver a substantial breakthrough — not only for full normalisation of our trade relationship, but to go beyond and lay a strong foundation for preferential trading arrangements," Khullar said.
At present, business between India and Pakistan amounts to less than $3 billion. During their talks, the two commerce ministers expressed their desire to increase this to $6 billion per year. Besides, it takes place through third countries via Dubai and Singapore. Once India is formally granted MFN status by Pakistan, it is expected to removal of many barriers and also lead to direct trade between the two countries, which would play a major role in cutting down the transportation costs.
It may take some time before Pakistan actually grants MFN status to India. The fact that Pakistan has voiced its decision to do so is by itself a major development. Not too long ago, Pakistan gave the impression of not even considering this till the two countries resolved their problems. Undeniably, India and Pakistan still seem to be a long way from reaching any agreement on certain major issues, including Kashmir. Against this backdrop, the decision of Pakistan to consider India as MFN is indeed a major development.
Once India and Pakistan reach the stage of exploiting their economic interaction "totally," according to an American think tank, the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) gravity model, the Indo-Pak trade can "expand to as much as $42 billion." One of the constraints in trade potential having not been exploited, according to PIIE, is that Pakistan has not yet granted MFN status to India. If India and Pakistan decide to pay greater attention to exploiting their trade potential, it is believed that the step would lead to lowering of tension between the countries. In this context, it may be noted that though Kashmir-issue may remains unresolved the two countries have implemented the agreement to open the controversial Line of Control (LoC) at a few points to facilitate trade and travel. They began the bus service in 2005, across the LoC between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital cities of Indian Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistani Kashmir, respectively. The Poonch-Rawalkot bus service began in 2008.
The strengthening of economic ties between India and Pakistan is also expected to play a major role in enhancing commercial interaction between members of SAARC. Indo-Pak tension has hampered economic interaction between SAARC members and has also prevented its development as an important regional organization. Critics have frequently raised the question as to why has SAARC not progressed as have other regional organizations, such as NATO and ASEAN.
Against this backdrop, India and Pakistan may perhaps never accept each other as close friends, but as latest developments suggest that now they have begun serious talks to facilitate economic interaction between them. And once Indo-Pak trade takes off, it is expected to have a major impact on South Asia as a whole and also convince the world that the two countries can no longer be viewed as permanent enemies!
Saudi-India Ties At A "New Height," Says Saudi Envoy
July 28, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, TMO
NEW DELHI: Though he has been in India as Saudi envoy for only two years, Faisal Hassan Trad returns to his country as a satisfied diplomat. Within a short period, many steps have been taken in strengthening bilateral ties between India and Saudi Arabia. In Trad's words: "My tenure in India has been a short one, two years but I am happy to have shouldered the responsibility assigned to me as ambassador of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to India."
Trad returns this month to Saudi Arabia to spend Ramadan at home, following which he will take diplomatic charge in Belgium. While India and Saudi Arabia have always entertained good relations, undeniably, the past few years have witnessed a major upswing in development of their ties. It began with the landmark visit of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz in January 2006. He was the Chief Guest of Indian Republic Day celebrations. His visit "opened a new chapter in Indo-Saudi bilateral relations." The King referred to India as his "second home." The highlight of his visit was the inking of Delhi Declaration, the first such bilateral document to be signed by a Saudi King. Saleh Mohammed Al-Ghamdi was then the Saudi envoy in India.
Since the Saudi King's India visit, Indo-Saudi ties have been only on the upswing. It has been marked by active engagement between leadership of the two countries. Another chapter was opened in their bilateral ties with the historic visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia, from February 27 to March 1 2010. The highlight of this visit was signing of Riyadh Declaration which outlines a "new era of strategic partnership" between India and Saudi Arabia.
Elaborating on Indian Prime Minister's Saudi-visit, which has taken place during his tenure, Trad said: "Saudi-India relations have now reached a level of Strategic Partnership. The roads are indeed paved for a bright future."
Reflecting on recent developments, Trad said: "During the recent period, bilateral relations have reached a new height with exchanges taking place, at all levels, practically continuously, almost on a daily basis, between industrialists, investors, political people, community leaders, pilgrims and others." Last year, while Saudi Arabia had issued 7,500 visas to business people, this year within six months only, 4,000 visas have already been issued, Trad pointed out.
Laying emphasis that Saudi-India ties are no longer confined to only oil diplomacy, Trad pointed to "complete cooperation" between the two countries in other fields, including education, science & technology, defense & security, taxation, extradition and culture, among others. Trad may also be credited for promoting people-to-people interaction between the two countries. The Saudi Embassy in association with Saudi Journalist Association invited Indian women delegation to visit the Kingdom last year in October. This was the first visit of an all-women delegation (including this scribe) to Saudi Arabia, which has been hailed as a major success.
Economic relations between India and Saudi Arabia have shown a remarkable growth with bilateral trade registering a three-fold increase during the last five years. Saudi Arabia is India's 4th largest trade partner and the bilateral trade was $18 billion in 2010-11 (April-December), according to Indian sources.
The bilateral trade is now "worth $24 billion and is poised for increase every day," Trad stated.
Saudi Arabia is India's largest supplier of crude oil, accounting for almost one-fifth of the country's needs. To meet India's growing energy needs, sources said, the two sides are working towards strategic energy partnership including long term uninterrupted supply of crude oil by Saudi Arabia to India.
Besides, the 2.2 million-strong Indian community in Saudi Arabia is the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom. The total remittance send by Indian expatriates, spread world-wide, is valued at $50 billion, of which 60 percent is from GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, with the largest share from Saudi Arabia. Taking note of this, Trad said: "The 2.2 Indians who live in the Kingdom support nearly 25 million at home (India)."
Haj diplomacy is also a major component of Indo-Saudi bilateral ties. More than 1,70,000 Indians perform Haj every year.
During Trad's tenure, a new chapter has opened in religious diplomacy too. This is marked by the visit of Dr. Sheikh Abdul Rehman Sudais, Grand Imam of Masjid-al-Haram in Mecca, earlier this year in March.
There is every reason for Trad to be satisfied and happy at his successful tenure in India. Not surprisingly, he is one of the few diplomats, in whose honor, numerous farewell parties have been hosted in the capital city. He is perhaps the first Saudi diplomat, according to Indian sources, to receive so many farewell parties. In addition to Trad being viewed as a successful diplomat, the hosting of numerous farewell parties in his honor is yet another major sign of the two countries coming closer, Indian sources said. This in itself marks expansion and strengthening of bilateral ties between India and Saudi Arabia.
Indian Envoy Conferred Top Saudi Honor
July 14, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, TMO
RIYADH/NEW DELHI: Indian envoy to Saudi Arabia Talmiz Ahmad has been conferred the King Abdulaziz Medal of First Class for his contribution to strengthening bilateral ties between India and Saudi Arabia. He is the first Indian diplomat to be conferred this honor. The medal, comprising a decorative badge and a certificate signed by King Abdullah, was presented by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal (July 10).
"This (King Abdulaziz Order of Merit – First Class) is a tribute from Saudi Arabia to Talmiz Ahmad for his contributions during both his tenures as Indian Ambassador in promoting bilateral relations between the two countries," Prince Al-Faisal said after conferring the Saudi Award of highest order to Indian envoy.
Ahmad has played a significant role in strengthening Indo-Saudi ties and promoting them on a "strategic level." On this, Ahmad said: "Indo-Saudi relations have been transformed into a strategic partnership with the signing of the Delhi Declaration during the landmark visit of King Abdullah to New Delhi in 2006, and the return visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year."
The Indian envoy, whose term in Riyadh ends shortly, is also credited for promoting relations between India and Saudi Arabia at several levels, including cultural and economic. Describing his role as "modest" in progress of bilateral ties, Ahmad said: "Mine has been a modest role in this endeavor, in which a large number of people have contributed both from India and Saudi Arabia."
Ahmad was first appointed ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia in January 2000. He has served as ambassador in several other countries, including UAE and Oman. He was appointed again as Indian envoy to Saudi Arabia last year ahead of Prime Minister Singh's visit to the Kingdom.
In addition to being a career diplomat, Ahmad has written several books and papers on politics of West Asia and energy. The Arabic translation of his book: "Children of Abraham at War: The Clash of Messianic Militarism" was released earlier this month in New Delhi. Ahmad was present on the occasion. His aim is to "promote Indo-Saudi ties in a number of areas on immediate, medium-term and long-term basis that include research and studies, energy discussions and advance guidance with regards to business imunity."
Saudi-India Ties: "A New Era of Strategic Partnership"
March 4, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS India Correspondent
India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) stands next to his wife Gursharan Kaur as he is given a King Saud University sash during a visit to the university in Riyadh March 1, 2010. REUTERS/Stringer |
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia as "very productive and fruitful" (February 27 to March 1). The highlight of his visit was inking of "Riyadh Declaration: A New Era of Strategic Partnership," by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Indian Prime Minister. The declaration signed on February 28, states that the two leaders held "in depth discussions on a wide range of issues in an atmosphere of utmost warmth, cordiality, friendship and transparency." They agreed that Saudi King's India-visit in 2006, during which the Delhi Declaration was signed (January 27, 2006), and Singh's "current" visit "heralded a new era in Saudi-India relations" "in keeping with changing realities and unfolding opportunities of the 21st century."
In addition to laying stress on strengthening of bilateral ties between India and Saudi Arabia, the declaration highlights the crucial global issues discussed by the two leaders. They "noted that tolerance, religious harmony and brotherhood, irrespective of faith or ethnic background, were part of the principles and values of both countries." Condemning terrorism, extremism and violence, they affirmed that "it is global and threatens all societies and is not linked to any race, color or belief." "The international community must," according to the declaration, "resolutely combat terrorism."
With the peace process in Middle East high on their agenda, the two leaders "expressed hope for early resumption of the peace process," "within a definite timeframe leading to establishment of a sovereign, independent, united and viable Palestinian State in accordance with the two-state solution." They "emphasized" in the declaration that "continued building of settlements by Israel constitutes a fundamental stumbling block for the peace process."
The declaration strongly signals their being against nuclear weapons while they favor peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The two leaders "emphasized the importance of regional and international efforts" directed towards making "Middle East and Gulf Region free of all nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction," according to the declaration. They "reiterated their support" to "resolve issues relating to Iran's nuclear program peacefully through dialogue and called for continuation of these efforts." They "encouraged Iran to respond" to these efforts to "remove doubts about its nuclear program, especially as these ensure the right of Iran and other countries to peaceful uses if nuclear energy" in keeping with procedures of International Atomic Energy Agency, the declaration states.
The situation in Afghanistan and Iraq also figured in their discussions. They called for "preservation of Afghanistan's sovereignty and independence." They "expressed hope" that forthcoming elections will help people of Iraq "realize their aspirations" by ensuring them security, stability, territorial integrity and national unity.
Though Indo-Pak relations are not mentioned in the Declaration, they figured prominently in discussions held between the two sides. While addressing the Saudi Parliament, Majlis-Al-Shura at Riyadh (March 1), Singh said: "India wishes to live in peace and friendship with its neighbors." "We seek cooperative relations with Pakistan. Our objective is a permanent peace because we recognize that we are bound together by a shared future. If there is cooperation between India and Pakistan, vast opportunities will open up for trade, travel and development that will create prosperity in both countries and in South Asia as a whole. But to realize this vision, Pakistan must act decisively against terrorism. If Pakistan cooperates with India, there is no problem that we cannot solve and we can walk the extra mile to open a new chapter in relations between our two countries," Singh stated.
During his interaction with media persons, to a question on whether Saudi Arabia can be "credible interlocutor" on some issues between India and Pakistan, Singh replied: "Well I know Saudi Arabia has close relations with Pakistan. I did discuss the Indo-Pak relations with His Majesty on a one-to-one basis. I explained to him the role that terrorism, aided, abetted and inspired by Pakistan is playing in our country. And I did not ask for him to do anything other than to use his good offices to persuade Pakistan to desist from this path."
While addressing the Saudi Parliament, Singh highlighted importance Islam has for India. Describing Saudi Arabia as "the cradle of Islam and the land of the revelation of the Holy Quran," Singh said: "Islam qualitatively changed the character and personality of the people in Arabia as it enriched the lives of millions of Indians who embraced this new faith." Tracing their historical ties, he said: "It is said that during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Indian pilgrims constituted the largest movement of people by sea. Indian Muslim scholars went to Mecca in order to learn Islamic theology. Arab Muslim scholars came to India to learn mathematics, science, astronomy and philosophy. These exchanges led to the widespread diffusion of knowledge in the sciences, arts, religion and philosophy."
"Today, Islam is an integral part of India's nationhood and ethos and of the rich tapestry of its culture. India has made significant contributions to all aspects of Islamic civilization. Centers of Islamic learning in India have made a seminal contribution to Islamic and Arabic studies. Our 160 million Muslims are contributing to our nation building efforts and have excelled in all walks of life. We are proud of our composite culture and of our tradition of different faiths and communities living together in harmony," Singh said.
Undeniably, the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Saudi Arabia symbolizes the two countries' desire to strengthen their ties, "upgrade the quality" of their "relationship to that of a strategic partnership," as stated by Singh. During his visit, Singh also paid special attention to highlight importance of Islam from the Indian perspective. Besides, the Riyadh declaration specifically condemns terrorism and states that it cannot be linked with any "belief." In addition to strengthening ties with Saudi Arabia, Singh's words suggest that he is hopeful of it setting the stage for improving relations with other Muslim countries; it will enhance his government's image at home among the business community eyeing for more trade opportunities with the Arab world and gain his party greater support from Indian Muslims.
Indo-Pak Cricket Diplomacy Suffers
February 4, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS India Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Indo-Pak cricket diplomacy has been put to test again with the exclusion of Pakistani cricket players from the Indian Premier League (IPL)'s third season matches. Ironically, in the past, while Indo-Pak cricket has suffered because of bilateral tension, the game has also played a major role in adding a healing touch to the strained relations between the two countries. This time, even as some confusion still prevails as to who should be blamed for ignoring Pakistani players, the Indian government has spared little time in displaying its stand against this move. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said: "I think it is disservice to cricket that some of these players (Pakistani) were not picked. I don't know why the IPL teams acted in the manner they acted. But certainly to suggest that there was a hint or nudge from the Government is completely untrue" (January 26).
Chidambaram's stand assumes importance as it suggests that the Indian government does not want to be blamed for exclusion of Pakistani players from IPL's Twenty20. It may be recalled that last year Chidambaram had warned the IPL against holding of the cricket tournament in the electoral season. His concern was providing security. The IPL boss Lalit Modi had then decided to hold the event in South Africa. The Indian government is apparently annoyed at exclusion of Pakistani players as it amounts to IPL adding tension to the already fragile Indo-Pak ties. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is understood to be upset at exclusion of Pakistani players as, in his opinion, according to sources, this amounts to closing a "window of opportunity" to normalize the tense ties. Had Chidambaram refused to comment or had even restrained from criticizing the IPL, the Indian government's stand would have carried little diplomatic or political significance. His statement that Indian government must not be blamed for IPL's move, which he has also criticized, apparently is meant to calm the Pakistani government and appease the cricket fans waiting for the Pakistani players. Describing the latter as "among the best in Twenty20," Chidambaram said: "These players were coming as individuals, it was not a Pakistani team."
But the damage has been done. Reacting against IPL's move, the Pakistani Cricket Board (PCB) withdrew the no objection certificates they had issued earlier to their players to participate in IPL. In the IPL auction held in Mumbai on January 19, 11 Pakistani players were included. None were bought by franchises leading to subsequent allegations, criticism and blame-game. Launched by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on lines of United States National Basketball League (NBA), the IPL works on a franchise-system, which were put to auction for the first time on January 24, 2008.
An attempt has been made by some franchise owners to ease the tension by saying that "security" concerns prompted them to exclude Pakistani players. Angry and hurt, legendary Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan said in Karachi: "If the IPL franchises had any concerns about security and other issues about signing on our players they should have been clear about this and not invited them to the auction in the first place. But to include them in the auction and then to snub them was appalling and our cricket board and government should lodge a strong protest with the Indian government over this" (January 31).
Bollywood superstar, Shahrukh Khan – who is co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)- team said that he would have selected a Pakistani player for IPL matches if his team had a slot. "Pakistani cricketers are champions and they should be selected for IPL. Their exclusion from IPL is an insult." In the IPL's first edition, KKR had five players from Pakistan. Referring to security concerns, he said: "If they were any issues, they should have been put on board earlier. Everything can happen respectfully." Giving emphasis to the need for India and Pakistan to have normal relations, he said: "We are great neighbors, They are good neighbors. Let us love each other." "Let me be honest. My family is from Pakistan, my father was born there and his family is from there," he said.
Shahrukh's comments have provoked protests from Shiv Sena activists. In his editorial in party's mouthpiece, Saamna, Sena chief Bal Thackeray wrote that Shahrukh deserves Pakistan's highest civilian award "Nishaan-e-Pakistan" for supporting Pakistani cricketers' inclusion in IPL. Sena activists demonstrated outside Shahrukh's bungalow "Mannat" at Bandra. Suggesting that Shahrukh should go to Pakistan, they displayed a travel ticket for him from Mumbai to Karachi. They also tore down posters of Shahrukh's new film, "My Name is Khan" and wrote to theatre owners asking them not to screen this move. Security was increased outside Shahrukh's Bandra residence and a number of protestors were arrested (January 31).
Meanwhile, the Indian government is trying its best to repeatedly assert that it is against IPL's exclusion of Pakistani players. "No one in the government wanted such a situation," a senior government official said. Another said: "We had fast-tracked the visa process and issued them multi-entry visas in December and January so that they could take part in the tournament."
Sports Minister M.S. Gill expressed the "hope that there will soon be an opportunity for these boys to play exciting cricket in India." Criticizing the present fiasco, he said: "I trust that the IPL corporate owners have also taken a small lesson from it. Everyone must realize that sport is the bedrock of people-to-people contact, which we need to promote with our neighbors." Indian government remains hopeful that Indo-Pak cricket diplomacy will be back on track soon, with the two countries' players on one pitch!
Korean President's India Visit
January 28, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS India Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Taking India's ties with Republic of Korea (ROK) to a new height, the Chief Guest at India's Republic Day celebrations (January 26) was ROK President Lee Myung-bak. Lee's India visit assumes significance as he is the first Korean President to be Chief Guest at India's Republic Day function. Besides, his is third Korean presidential visit to India in a period of less than 13 years. The discussions held and agreements reached during Lee's visit clearly signal that both countries are optimistic about further strengthening India-ROK ties in several key areas.
Lee paid a state visit at the invitation of his Indian counterpart President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, from January 24 to 27. He was accorded a ceremonial welcome on January 25 at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. This was followed by his meeting with Patil. The highlight of Lee's visit was his summit meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Welcoming Lee, in his opening remarks at the delegation level talks, Singh said: "We are delighted that a friend of India is at the helm of affairs in Korea and that together we will have the opportunity to realize your vision and our common vision of a strong and vibrant India-Korea partnership. Your State visit today reflects our mutual commitment to strengthen relations between our countries. This is a relationship that rests on our shared values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human freedoms."
Ahead of his India visit, Lee projected it as a key part of Seoul's "New Asia Diplomacy" campaign, to improve ties with Asian countries. In his message, Lee said: "I have tried to realize the vision of New Asia Diplomacy. This trip to India marks a key point of such efforts." He described India as a key player in Asia taking center on the global stage in the 21st century. "Asia is developing as a new growth engine in the world. Asia is expected to account for 35 percent of the world's GDP (gross domestic product) ten years from now," he said. "I am paying attention to India because of its potential," Lee asserted.
With both the countries eager to push forward bilateral ties, during the summit meeting, Singh and Lee discussed ways to develop them and also exchanged views on regional and international issues. The joint statement released after the summit meeting, stated that during the talks, the two leaders "expressed satisfaction on the strong development of India-ROK relations based on the 'Long-term Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity,' established in October 2004." They "welcomed the steady growth in high level exchanges and contacts between the two countries, and the expansion in various areas of bilateral relations including defense, trade, science & technology, information & communication technology, education, and culture."
Singh and Lee agreed that there was "immense scope for further enhancing bilateral relations in various areas." They "welcomed entry into force of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)" from January 1, 2010 as "bedrock of a new comprehensive partnership between India and ROK." With both countries as major economies in the region, their "partnership has the capacity to promote regional growth, and to contribute to prosperity and economic development of Asia," they stated.
To enhance bilateral relations to a "strategic partnership," Singh and Lee identified key aspects of their future relationship. These include, political & security cooperation; enhancing trade & investment flows; strengthening cooperation in field of science & technology; increase in cultural exchanges & people to people contacts; and cooperation in the international arena. Affirming "their commitment to ensure implementation of CEPA," they agreed to set a target of $30 billion for bilateral trade to be achieved by 2014. The India-ROK bilateral trade stood at $13 billion in 2008-09. Bilateral trade, which was less than $3 billion in 2001, crossed the $10 billion mark in 2007.
Singh and Lee agreed to designate 2011 as "Year of Korea" in India and "Year of India" in ROK to strengthen cultural exchanges and people to people contacts. India welcomed ROK's initiative to open a Korean Cultural Center in New Delhi in 2011, which according to the joint statement will go a long way in "promoting awareness about Korean life and culture in India."
Lee's India visit was also marked by inking of four pacts. These include: Agreement on transfer of sentenced persons; Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in information technology & services; Program of cooperation in science and technology for the period 2010-2012 and MoU for cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space.
Singh and Lee agreed "to facilitate development of a framework for bilateral civil nuclear cooperation." They shared the view that "nuclear energy can play an important role as a safe, sustainable and non-polluting source of energy." Lee is understood to have told Singh that he was "very optimistic" about progress in this area and that ROK nuclear companies were "very competitive" on this front.
Civil nuclear cooperation figured prominently in the summit meeting and the talks Lee held with Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna. After his meeting with Krishna, Lee said: "This is (civil nuclear) an area which will be very productive for both of us." A member of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), ROK had supported consensus for reopening global civil nuclear trade with India in September 2008. Lee recently succeeded in marching ahead of western contractors by securing a $20 billion contract to build four nuclear reactors in UAE. While from the Korean-angle, Lee's India-visit is a part of his New Asia Diplomacy, from the Indian it is certainly suggestive of India looking towards East more seriously than before!
Alert: India Preparing for Nuclear War?
By Zaheerul Hassan
Reliable sources stated that Pakistani authorities have decided to move her forces from Western to Eastern border. The move of forces would start soon. The decision has been taken after receiving the threat from Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor to strike Pakistan on November 22, 2009. Indian Chief warned that a limited war under a nuclear overhang is still very much a reality at least in the Indian sub-continent. On November 23, 2009 Pakistan Foreign Office Spokes man Abdul Basit asked the world community to take notice of remarks passed by the Indian Army Chief. He also said that India has set the stage and trying to impose a limited war on Pakistan. There are reports that Indian intelligence agencies have made a plan to hit some Indian nuke installation, alleging and then striking Pakistan. It is also added here that India has started purchasing lethal weapons. According to the careful survey a poor Asian country (India) has spent trillions on purchasing of Naval, Air force and nuke equipments.
Thus, Indian preparation simply dictates that she is preparing for nuke war. The Kashmir conflicts, water issue, borer dispute between China and India, American presence in Afghanistan, Maoist movements, Indian state terrorism, cold war between India and regional countries would be contributing factors towards Next third world war.
Indian Chief's statement by design came a day earlier to Manmohan Singh visit to USA. The purpose of threatening Pakistan could also be justifying future Indian attack on Pakistan. Therefore, Islamabad concern is serious in nature since any Indian misadventure will put the regional peace into stake and would lead both the country towards nuclear conflict. Islamabad probably conveyed her ally (USA) regarding danger of limited war against Pakistan; she has to cease her efforts on western border for repulsing Indian aggression on eastern border. In fact, Indian government and her army chief made a deliberate try to sabotage global war against terror. In this connection Pakistan Army Spokesman Major General Athar Abbas time and again said that India is involved in militancy against Pakistan and her consulates located in Afghanistan are being used as launching pad.
It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan has deployed more than 100,000 troops on the border with Afghanistan and is fighting a bloody war against terrorism. Her security forces are busy in elimination of foreign sponsored militancy. Thousand of soldiers have scarified their lives not only for the motherland but to bring safety to the world in general. Pakistan is a key ally in the war on terror and the threat of withdrawal would alarm the USA as it could seriously hamper NATO troops fighting in Afghanistan. Pakistan is a nuclear power too and is able to handle any type of Indian belligerence.
In this context, earlier Pakistan Army Chief of Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has categorically expressed at number of occasions that Indian attack would be responded in full strength while using all types of resources. On November 25, 2009 General Kayani stated that the nation would emerge as victorious in the on-going war against extremism. While addressing a ceremony at Police Lines he paid rich tributes to the Frontier police for their valuable sacrifices in the war against terrorism. At this occasion General Kayani revealed that Pakistan was founded in the name of Islam by our forefathers and each one of us should work for strengthening the country and should made commitment towards achieving the goal of turning the country into a true Islamic state. He also announced Rs.20 million for the Frontier Police Shuhada Fund.
In response to Indian Army Chief' statement he also put across the message that the protection and solidarity of the country are our main objectives as our coming generation owes this debt to us and resolved that any threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the country would not be tolerated. The General made it clear that Pak Army has the capability and the capacity to fight the war against terrorists and adversary too. He praised the sacrifices rendered by the security forces and high morale of the troops. Lt General Masood Aslam, Commander 11 Corps, IGFC Major General Tariq and IGP NWFP Malik Neveed Khan were also present at this historic moment.
Pakistan Army Chief visits of western border reflect his commitment to root out the foreign sponsored militancy from the area. This rooting out is directly helping global war on terror, whereas on the other hand his counter part (Indian Chief) keep on yelling and dreaming of striking Pakistan. He probably has forgotten that Pakistan is a responsible nuke power and capable to defend and strike. In 2001 and 2008 at the occasions of attacks on parliament and Mumbai, both the nations close to a nuke war, this was averted by interference from the world community India and USA. At that time too security officials have also told NATO and USA that they will not leave a single troop on the western border incase of Indian threat.
Babari Masjid: As Politicians "Clash," People Remain Calm
December 10, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS India Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Politically, the Indian public appears to be far more matured and secular than the politicians. This was marked by the 17th anniversary of demolition of Babari Masjid (December 6) being witness to primarily only political activists expressing their respective stands on the controversial issue, while the common people decided to remain away from the same. It would be erroneous to assume that the people have been unaware about politicians raking the issue again. The issue hit the headlines recently with the Liberhan Commission report being tabled in the Parliament (November 24). The commission led by retired Indian Supreme Court Judge M.S. Liberhan was formed on December 16, 1992 to investigate the demolition of the mosque on December 6, 1992 and the accompanying riots. It has taken the commission 17 years, 48 extensions, to finally submit the report to PM Manmohan Singh on June 30, 2009. A day ahead of it being tabled in the Parliament, contents of the commission's report leaked to the media leading the politicians to level charges against each other over the leak and also the demolition.
Despite the legislators raising a row over the issue in the Parliament as well as through the media, the Indian people have not allowed themselves to be provoked to a stage of any communal frenzy in any part of the country. Though the 17th anniversary was witness to demonstrations in different parts of the country, including the capital city and Ayodhya, by and large, the day passed peacefully. While several Muslim organizations observed the anniversary as "Black Day," the Hindu organizations marked it as "Victory Day." There was tight security in Delhi and other parts of the country.
Ironically, though Parliament Street saw different groups assembling to voice their demands on the issue, they confined themselves to their associates and did not clash with each other. Among groups which voiced their stands at Parliament Street were All India Babari Masjid Rebuilding Committee (AIBMRC), Popular Front of India (PFI), Shiv Sena and Hindu Mahasabha. While the Muslim groups (AIBMRC and PFI) demanded action against those responsible for the demolition, Shiv Sena and Hindu Mahasabha claimed that Liberhan Commission's report would only strengthen their movement.
"Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani and others mentioned as culprits should be arrested and tried on a fast-track basis. Legal action is necessary against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena clique because they violated the law of the land and caused great harm to the secular image of India," AIBMRC President Mohammed Younus Siddiqui said. The AIBMRC also submitted a memo to President Pratibha Patil for "time-bound and binding" decision on the Ayodhya issue by Supreme Court under Article 138-B of the Constitution.
During its demonstration at Jantar Mantar, the PFI demanded that Election Commission should cancel BJP's recognition as a political party for its role in the Babari Masjid's demolition. "The ECI should scrap BJP's political recognition. We also demand that the Congress fulfill its promise of rebuilding the mosque," PFI leader K.M. Shareef said.
Blaming the Congress-led government for playing with "sentiments of Hindu community," Pandit Nandkishore Mishra, national working president of Hindu Mahasabha said: "Our movement has become stronger in the wake of the Liberhan Commission's report being made public, which is nothing but a bundle of lies."
The week began with the Lok Sabha debating on the controversial issue (December 7) under the non-voting Rule 193. The debate had been postponed twice earlier due to non-availability of the Hindi version of Liberhan Commission's report. Before the debate began, Speaker Meira Kumar asked the members to present their views in the most "dispassionate manner," with it being a "politically sensitive" issue. Ironically, while the Lok Sabha was witness to parliamentarians going overboard to assert their stand on the issue, the people at large displayed a passive approach towards the same. The people have apparently sensed that irrespective of what the different political parties' stand is on the controversial issue, their primary aim is to exploit it politically. Thus as politicians debated strongly and passionately in the Parliament, the common Indian remained unmoved by this political drama despite it being given a new turn by Liberhan Commission's report.
Initiating the debate, Gurudas Dasgupta (Communist Party of India) wondered as to how to could a fundamentalist party lead to the demolition despite the Congress being in power at the center. When the mosque was demolished, Uttar Pradesh government was led by BJP, with Kalyan Singh (then a BJP member) as the chief minister, while P.V. Narsimha Rao (Congress) was the Prime Minister. "We were put to shame (by the demolition)," Dasgupta said. The demolition was a result of meticulous planning, he said. The nation wanted to know, he said: "Why the disaster could not be prevented? Why the criminals could not be held in jail? Why did the political system fail?"
During his speech, BJP president dismissed Liberhan Commission report as a "political document" which was "baseless, biased and prejudiced" based on assumptions and presumptions.
Congress leader Jagdambika Pal laid stress on need of taking steps to ensure that such a tragic and shameful incident does not take place again. He blamed BJP for exploiting the issue not for religious reasons but to consolidate its vote bank by provoking communal fire. "It is necessary to protect our pillars of secularism and democracy. Besides, there are bigger issues like that of unemployment, staring in the face of the nation," Pal said.
The hard-core political rivals in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had a similar stand on the issue. Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) held both the BJP and Congress responsible for the demolition. BSP leader Dara Singh Chohan went a step further, holding both BJP and Congress as responsible for the demolition and alleging that they had prepared the Liberhan Commission report jointly.
Seventeen years have passed, during which the Indian voters have matured enough not to be taken for a ride by communal passion being raised by politicians over a highly sensitive issue. Sadly, as displayed by the uproar raised in the Parliament over the Liberhan Commission report, the politicians have not yet learnt this!
Indian Diplomacy Towards Pakistan
September 3, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)
NEW DELHI: History, internal politics, regional factors as well as diplomatic pressure from other quarters play a great role in shaping India's diplomatic ties with Pakistan. Within less than two months of inking a joint statement with his Pakistani counterpart Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani in Sharm El Sheikh on July 16, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sent a totally different message to people at home. The joint statement described the two prime ministers' meeting as "cordial and constructive," during which "they considered the entire gamut of bilateral relations with a view to charting the way forward in India-Pakistan relations." While accepting that terrorism posed a serious threat, they "recognized that dialogue is the only way forward." "Action on terrorism should not be linked to the Composite Dialogue process and these should not be bracketed," according to the joint statement.
On Mumbai-terror strikes, which have had a negative impact on Indo-Pak ties, while Singh "reiterated the need to bring perpetuators of Mumbai attacks to justice," Gilani "assured that Pakistan will do everything in its power in this regard." They also agreed that, "real challenge is development and elimination of poverty." They resolved to "eliminate" such factors and "agreed to work to create an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence."
Later, expressing satisfaction on his meeting with Gilani on sidelines of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Egypt, Singh said that he had "good discussions" with him. During the meeting, "We discussed the present condition of India-Pakistan relations, its future potential, and the steps that are necessary to enable us to realize the potential," Singh said.
Within less than two months of his talks with Gilani and just ahead of another top-level Indo-Pak meeting, Singh almost ruled out possibility of improving ties with Pakistan in the near future. "Until relations between India and Pakistan don't improve and brotherhood does not increase, the atmosphere is not right for moving ahead," Singh said at a function in the border district of Barmer in Rajasthan (August 29). At the same time, expressing his desire for improvement in Indo-Pak ties, Singh said: "I want our relations to improve." "If relations between India and Pakistan improve, a lot of things can happen. I think border-states like Punjab, Rajasthan and other states will benefit if relations improve," he pointed out.
Earlier in the week, while addressing the conference of Indian heads of missions, Singh said: "India has a stake in prosperity and stability of all our South Asian neighbors. We should strive to engage our neighbors constructively and resolve differences through peaceful means and negotiations" (August 25).
Difference in the diplomatic tone used by Singh on India's approach towards Pakistan at different levels cannot be ignored. The joint statement inked in Sharm El Sheikh was certainly not confined to the Indian audience. It was released on sidelines of a multilateral summit, apparently to convince the world leaders that India and Pakistan are keen on normalizing their ties. A different message would certainly have been sent had the two prime ministers not held talks. Not only did they meet, held talks but they also released a joint statement. In other words, they exercised all diplomatic moves essential on the sidelines of another summit to assure the world that India and Pakistan are keen on improving their relations. Besides, the meeting was held a few days ahead of United States' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's India-visit. India apparently was keen to convince US about its positive approach towards Pakistan. Had Singh and Gilani not held talks on an optimistic note, there prevailed the risk of United States using diplomatic pressure during Clinton's visit for improvement in Indo-Pak ties. Thus, though the joint statement later invited strong criticism from opposition parties in India, it was framed and issued for the world leaders, including the United States. A similar diplomatic message was conveyed in Singh's address at the conference of Indian envoys in the capital city (August 25).
The change in Singh's tone stands out in the comments he made in Rajasthan, laying stress that atmosphere is not conducive for "moving ahead" with Indo-Pak talks. Similarly, while speaking at the inauguration of three-day conference of Indian envoys, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said that meaningful talks with Pakistan would only be possible after Islamabad ended cross-border terrorism. Krishna also laid stress that India was keen to resolve its differences with Pakistan through talks. "We are still to see Pakistan take effective steps to end infiltration and dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism. We have maintained that a stable Pakistan at peace with itself is a desirable goal and we wish to address our differences with Pakistan through dialogue," Krishna said (August 24). It cannot be missed that foreign ministers of the two countries are expected to meet in September in New York on sidelines of United Nations General Assembly meet.
Clearly, at one level the pause in resumption of Indo-Pak composite dialogue process gives the impression that two countries are still a long way off from normalizing their ties. Diplomatic significance of their holding top-level talks on sidelines of multilateral summits cannot, however, be ignored. They have not backtracked from their decision to normalize ties nor have restrained from making use of available diplomatic opportunities to shake hands and talk. While India is keen to let the world know about it favoring talks with Pakistan, at home, the government is apparently more concerned about convincing the people that cross-border terrorism remains a hurdle in normalizing ties with Islamabad!
India Wants "Peace" with Pakistan
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS India Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Indo-Pak talks have been on hold since Mumbai-strikes in November last year. The two sides agreed to revive talks at first top-level contact last month in Russia on sidelines of a summit. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari (June 16). On his return, while briefing media on his Russia-visit, regarding his talks with Zardari, Singh said: "We discussed India-Pakistan relations, which remain under considerable stress. The primary cause of this, as everyone knows, is terrorist attacks against India from Pakistani territory. I conveyed to President Zardari the full extent of our expectation that the Government of Pakistan take strong and effective action to prevent use of Pakistan's territory for terrorist attacks against India, act against perpetrators of past attacks and dismantle infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan. The President of Pakistan told me of Pakistan's efforts to deal with this menace and the difficulties that they face." "We agreed that our foreign secretaries will discuss what Pakistan is doing and can do to prevent terrorism from Pakistan against India and to bring those responsible for these attacks to justice including the horrendous crime of the attacks in Mumbai. They will report to us and we will take stock of the situation when we are at Sharm-el-Sheikh for the Non-aligned Summit in mid-July," Singh said.
"I have spoken before of my vision of a cooperative subcontinent, and of the vital interest that India and the people of the subcontinent have in peace. For this we must try again to make peace with Pakistan. It also requires effective and strong action against the enemies of peace. If the leaders of Pakistan have the courage, determination and statesmanship to take the high road to peace, India will meet them more than half-way," Singh said.
Undeniably, Singh's comments suggest that India and Pakistan are making most of opportunities available to discuss terrorism and revival of their stalled talks. It was with this aim that Singh held talks with Zardari, without any "structured agenda." During their talks, they also set the stage for subsequent meetings between them and at other levels. Not surprisingly, Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna met his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on sidelines of G8 Outreach Af-Pak Summit in Italy's Trieste city (June 26). It was the second high-level contact in a month. After his meeting with Qureshi, Krishna told media: "I am glad that this international conference has provided an opportunity for bilateral meeting with my counterpart from Pakistan." The two ministers reviewed current status of Indo-Pak relations, which have remained under "considerable stress" because of terrorist attacks on India by elements based in Pakistan, Krishna said. They agreed on "vast potential that exist in India-Pakistan relations." Krishna conveyed New Delhi's stand, that India is "ready to meet Pakistan more than half way to utilize and harness that potential for our mutual benefit. At the same time, we have to address centrally why our relations come under stress recurrently."
Efforts being made to bring Indo-Pak ties on track assume significance, as United States is also keen on improvement in their bilateral relations. In keeping with Af-Pak policy being pursued by President Barack Obama, United States National Security Adviser James Jones was here last week after stops in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Jones held separate talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his Indian counterpart M.K. Narayanan and other Indian leaders (June 26). Jones is first high-ranking US official to visit India following India and Pakistan's agreement to revive stalled talks and discuss steps taken by Islamabad on tackling terrorism targeting India by militants based in Pakistan. Jones' visit also assumes significance with it taking place ahead of proposed visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this month.
The key issues touched on during talks Jones held with Indian leaders were: "Pakistan and terrorism emanating from there against India." Jones is also understood to have shared his assessment of situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where operations are continuing against Taliban militants. During his talks in Islamabad and New Delhi, Jones laid stress that attacks such as Mumbai-strikes must be prevented, according to sources. He also "vowed" United States' move to help India and Pakistan improve their ties and combat militant threat.
In Washington, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Robert O. Blake told a panel of House of Representatives last week: "India and Pakistan face common challenges, and we will support continuing dialogue to find joint solutions to counter terrorism and to promote regional stability." "The timing, scope, and content of any such dialogue are strictly matters for Pakistani and Indian leaders to decide," he said.
Though India remains dissatisfied with Pakistan having not taken necessary steps against those responsible for Mumbai-strikes, there is no doubt that two countries have displayed serious interest in recent past to revive their talks. Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told a group of senior military commanders last week: "We must be vigilant about happenings on our western border, while at the same time, try to make peace with our neighbor." Asserting that India should not be viewed as a "threat" by Pakistan, Chief of Army Staff Deepak Kapoor said: "It's their own perception of threat, but India has never been a threat to Pakistan despite having superior forces" (June 27). Speaking to newsmen at the Combined Graduation Parade of the Indian Air Force cadets at the Air Force Academy at Dindigul near Hyderabad, he said: "We on our side like to live as peaceful neighbors. We will be happy if Pakistan fights terror not only on its western borders but also on the eastern border."
Kamala Surayya (1934- 2009)
June 4, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS India Correspondent
NEW DELHI: With a hypersensitive and emotional spirit, reflected in her words – written as well as spoken – Kamala Surayya always moved on, stepping into controversial zones through her creative work and also her life-style. Ironically, her being a trendsetter is also marked by the homage paid to her and the funeral services held in her memory. She is one of the few Indian celebrities, who have been accorded state-level funeral services even though at the time of their death, they did not hold any high political or any authoritative post necessitating the same. Kamala, the well-known litterateur and poet, breathed her last in Pune (May 31), in a city hospital, where she had been admitted on April 18. Her body was brought to her native region, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on Monday. The body was interred with state honors at the graveyard of Palayal Masjid, where it was laid to rest (June 2). The funeral prayers were led by chief cleric of Palayal Masjid.
Expressing grief at Kamala's demise, in his message, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that her poems "focusing on womanhood and feminism gained her recognition as one of the most noted modern Indian writers."
Kamala had decided to leave Kerala and stay in Pune around two years ago. She had said then: "Enough is enough. Kerala has become an inhospitable place. I can't live here anymore. I am getting raunchy mails and obscene calls. Everything is being criticised. Even fellow writers are not on my side. Maybe because I don't have power through politics. Maybe, because I don't have the influence." On whether, the discomfort she faced had anything to do her with her converting to Islam, Kamala replied: "No. It has nothing to do with that. The truth is Kerala can't stand 'brainy women.' They expect women to be behind closed doors. Their roles are predefined. They don't want women to explore." She converted to Islam in 1999, at the age of 65, a little after passing away of her husband. Earlier known as Kamala Das, after conversion, she started using the name Kamala Surayya.
So Kamala left Kerala, with practically no intention of ever returning back. As she then said: "I don't have anything left there. No sentiments. I am leaving everything behind- furniture and all my books. I am not taking anything. I have had enough of Kerala culture. I want to be at peace with myself." Kamala also felt sad that the state she belonged to had not given her due recognition. It is, however, claimed that practical sense prompted Kamala to move out of Kerela and live with her youngest son in Pune. She had accepted the hard reality that because of failing health she couldn't live alone anymore in her flat in Kochi. She longed to finally return to Kerala. During the last couple of months, Kerala Minister for Culture M.A. Baby visited the ailing Kamala twice. He is understood to have offered to make arrangements for a state funeral, befitting her stature, in her home state Kerala, where she really wanted to be laid to rest.
Kamala was born on March 31, 1934 in Punnayurkulam in Kerala, in a conservative Hindu family. Her father V.M. Nair, a leading executive, later became managing editor of the widely-circulated Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi. While her mother Balamaniyamma was a noted poet, her great uncle Nalapat Narayana Menon was a literary stalwart of the time. Influenced by her mother and great-uncle, Kamala took to writing from an early age. She was married at a young age (13) to Madhava Das, 15 years older than her. The couple had three sons.
Kamala began writing professionally after becoming a mother, with her kitchen table serving as her writing area after the housework was taken care of. "There was only the kitchen table where I would cut vegetables, and after all the plates and things were cleared, I would sit there and start typing. That was my work area," she said in an interview in 1996.
Among her most notable works is her autobiography, My Story (1976) which has been published in more than 15 languages. Other popular English works of Kamala include Asian Poetry Prize winner- The Sirens (1964) and Kent's Award winner – Summer in Calcutta (1965). Her last published work in English is a collection of poems- Yaa Allah (2001). Kamala's Malayayam works, for which used the penname Madhavikuttii, include short stories- Pakshiyude Manam (1964), Vayalar Award winner, novel Neermathalam Pootha Kalam (1994), poetry- Only the Soul Knows How to Sing (1996) and short stories – Nashtapetta Neelambari (1998).
She has earned laurels as well as criticism for her writings, viewed by "liberal" by some and "amoral" by others for their projection of women. In Kamala's opinion, Indian women were suppressed and exploited. She wanted them to liberate themselves from age-old prejudices, which led to their sufferings.
Kamala ventured into the political arena for a little while and also directed her creativity to painting for some time. She floated Lok Seva Party to promote social and humanitarian work. She, however, failed to win Lok Sabha in 1984. But the lady moved on, creating waves through her pen. Her achievements and life extended beyond the pen, as she said: "I wanted to fill my life with as many experiences as I can manage to garner because I do not believe that one can get born again." And so she did. Kamala Surayya is no more, but with her writings, she has joined the immortals.
India Tones Down Aggressive Stance on Mumbai
January 15, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS India Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Though India retains its stand on involvement of Pakistan-based elements in Mumbai-terror strikes, of late there has been slight change in the diplomatically aggressive stance adopted by it earlier against Pakistan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh strongly criticized Pakistan while addressing a daylong conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security (January 6). During his inaugural address, Singh referred to Pakistan at least nine times. "A holistic approach to our security concerns is definitely called for," Singh emphasized. "Our problems are compounded by the fact that we have a highly unpredictable and uncertain security environment in our immediate neighborhood," he said. Referring to Mumbai terror case, he described Pakistan's "responses" to "various demarches" from India as suggestive of it acting in an "irresponsible fashion." Describing terrorism as the most "serious threat" faced by India, Singh divided it into three categories: "terrorism, left-wing terrorism and insurgency in the northeast." "Left wing extremism is primarily indigenous and home-grown," Singh said. He blamed neighboring countries, "mainly Pakistan" for terrorism and insurgency in northeast.
"The terrorist attack in Mumbai in November last year was clearly carried out by a Pakistan-based outfit, the Lashkar-e-Taiba" with "support of some official agencies in Pakistan," Singh said. He also blamed Pakistan for "whipping up war hysteria." Giving stress to implementing the policy of "Zero tolerance of terrorism with total commitment," Singh said: "We must convince the world community that States that use terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy, must be isolated and compelled to abandon such tactics."
India apparently was (and perhaps still is) counting on securing influence of United States and other friendly countries to pressurize Pakistan in taking action on the dossier of evidence Delhi has given to Islamabad regarding the Mumbai-case. Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon handed over evidence to Pakistani envoy Shahid Malik (January 5). The Indian envoy simultaneously handed over the evidence to Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad. "We have handed over to Pakistan evidence of the links with elements in Pakistan of the terrorists who attacked Mumbai on 26th November, 2008," India External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement. Describing the Mumbai-case as "an unpardonable crime," Mukherjee stated that India is briefing all its "friendly countries" on it. "I have written to my counterparts around the world giving them details of the events in Mumbai and describing in some detail the progress that we have made in our investigations and the evidence that we have collected," he stated.
Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram was subsequently scheduled to leave for US in a few days time to convince Washington about Pakistan's role in Mumbai-strikes. The change in India's approach in building up pressure against Pakistan at the diplomatic level is suggested by postponement of Chidambaram's visit. "Balancing everything, it was decided three days ago that I stay back," Chidambaram said (January 9). The decision to cancel Chidambaram may have been partly shaped by India facing internal problem over strike in petroleum sector, by the truckers and also the Satyam-fraud case. Besides, with the White House heading for a major change, criticism was voiced in various circles on what did Chidambaram expect to gain from his Washington-trip.
The decision on Chidambaram not heading for US over Mumbai case cannot be de-linked from the subtle but definite shift in aggressive posture adopted earlier by the government. India has come out more assertively than before (since the Mumbai case) in ruling out any military strike against Pakistan over Mumbai case. Rejecting option of India taking any "Israel-type" action against Pakistan over Mumbai terror strikes, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said: "I do not agree to that. Because this is totally wrong. The situation is not at all comparable." "I have not gone and occupied any (of) Pakistan's land which Israel has done (in Palestine). So, how can the situation be comparable," he said during a television interview (January 10).
Suggesting that India is keen on exercising its diplomatic options rather than reach the war-stage, Mukherjee said: "We have not reached the end of the road." "When I say all options are open, all options are open. There is no need of picking up option a, option b, option c, option d. No need of that. I am not responding to that. What I am responding to is options are open." The options being considered by India at present are a response from Pakistan on "evidence" given by India regarding Mumbai-case. "We have given them (Pakistan). We expect them to act on it. If they do not act on it, then what follow up steps we will take and in what space of time it will take place, future course will decide," Mukherjee said.
Amid the backdrop of criticism voiced against too many verbal missiles being fired in the subcontinent over the Mumbai-issue, the change in Indian government's approach isn't surprising. The government has no option but to tone down its aggressive posture. Besides, United States seems to believe that New Delhi should give some time to Islamabad to act on the evidence given to it. This is suggested by comments made by US envoy to India David C. Mulford over the past week. Regarding Pakistan's approach towards "evidence" presented by India, he said: "You have, after all, a situation where there is a civilian government, a very strong military, a very strong intelligence agency and a media and other players. And I think you have to take a view that it is going to take little time to percolate to see what really is the outcome." On how long should India should wait for Pakistan to respond, he replied: "It is not a question of time, although time is important, because to get into a situation where so much time passes, it makes them look uncooperative." Describing it as a difficult task for Pakistan, he said: "So, frankly I think it is going to take time, it is not going to be easy, and it is not only going to take time and patience but some considerable restraint on the one hand and a continuing willingness to try to cooperate on the other."
Muslims Lose Trust In Congress Party
October 23, 2008 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS India Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Ironically, the questions raised over the role of the government, media and the police in the so-called "Batla House encounter" has pushed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh into an unenviable position. Cutting across religious differences, while Muslims have questioned his "silence," many Hindus have wondered at how the Prime Minister who had threatened to quit office over the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal has chosen to remain quiet over innocent Muslims being targeted as "suspect" terrorists. Alarmed at Muslims being disillusioned with him and his party, Singh tried assuring them last week that his government was looking into every possible way of restoring confidence of minorities (October 18). He said this in context of the Batla House encounter as well as the series of attacks on Christians in Orissa and Karnataka. Considering that he gave this assurance to a delegation of Muslim leaders from his own party, the move was apparently deliberately planned to try and convince the Muslim community at large that they should not lose hope in his government. With assembly elections due in six states in the coming weeks and less than a year left for national elections, political parties in the race are trying their best to prop up their image among the voters.
The delegation had earlier called on Congress chief, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chief Sonia Gandhi. Among others, the members included Salman Khurshid, K. Rahman Khan, Mohsina Kidwai, C.K. Jaffer Sharief, Imran Kidwai (Congress minority department chief) and Anees Durrani (minority department secretary).
"The Prime Minister expressed concern over the incidents and said that he would look seriously into every possible way to restore the confidence of the minorities and that he will take a decision soon on the issue," Khurshid said. Singh, however, did not give any commitment on whether he would pursue the demand made by several other Muslim delegations for a judicial probe into the Batla House encounter.
Despite there being limited prospects of Singh's "assurance" finding much favor among the Muslim voters, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have not refrained from blaming his party and its allies from indulging in the game of vote-bank politics. While addressing a party rally in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), senior BJP leader L.K. Advani said: "The Congress and its allies are engaged in the dirty game of vote bank politics. This has turned out to be a greater evil for the country than the issue of terrorism" (October 18). The BJP's prime ministerial candidate also said that the UPA government had no right to continue in power as it had "failed miserably" in checking terrorism. Asserting that as it is possible only for BJP to combat this menace, the country needs a government headed by it. "The country has seen enough of terror attacks. Now, it needs a party that can not only combat this, but also root out the menace," Advani said.
The Indian Muslims at large along with regional parties, with a secular bent, particularly the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP), as developments suggest, have no inclination to give either Congress or BJP a chance to assume power in 2009 polls. The Batla House encounter followed by failure of the Congress-led government to take any constructive action in response to appeals and memorandums submitted by several leaders appears to have completely disillusioned the Muslim community. While they have lost trust in the Congress, they cannot afford to turn to BJP – which has played anti-Muslim card time and again. "Our youngsters have been killed in the name of terrorism. We had been associated with the Congress for decades, but now the same party has ditched us," Akram (34), a resident of Okhla (Delhi), said. "We don't want the Congress, but we don't want the BJP either," is the common comment made by Muslims of the area.
Lashing at the government for targeting only minorities, in its anti-terrorism drive, at a meeting of Muslim leaders, clerics and heads of Muslim organizations, Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari said: "The government should proclaim the definition of terrorism. Is fake encounter not terrorism? Is it not an act of terrorism to burn alive Muslims in Gujarat," he asked. "Is it not the act of terrorism to burn villages, mosques and churches in different parts of the country? And if it is the act of terrorism, then what is the meaning of alertness of the government and its security agencies only on bomb blasts whereas it overlooks other incidents of terrorism?" (October 14).
Not surprisingly, amid this backdrop, the SP and BSP members are trying their best to cash on the opportunity and turn the Muslims in their favor. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, BSP-chief, Mayawati called an all-India convention to discuss problems faced by Muslims (Lucknow, October 13). She blamed the Congress for having failed to combat terrorism and also for not taking sufficient steps for development of Muslims. "After independence, the Congress has ruled the country for nearly 48 years. During this long span, it never implemented any of the welfare schemes it announced for Muslims or other minority communities," she said. At the gathering, Mayawati announced allocation of financial schemes to help raise educational standards of Muslims, from school to the university level. "An Arabic-Persian university will be set up in Lucknow. Several primary schools, junior high-schools and government secondary schools will be established in Muslim-dominated areas," she said.
Not to be left behind, SP leaders have kept reiterating their demand for a judicial probe into the Batla House encounter. The SP plans to reserve as many as 40 percent of its seats for Muslim candidates for Delhi assembly elections. Since the Batla House encounter, SP leader Amar Singh has visited Okhla several times and addressed gatherings there to convince the Muslim populace that they should support his party. In his opinion, "The Muslim community is realizing how depending on any other party is a suicide. Congress has only used them to come to power and during Mayawati rule Muslim youth have been arrested from her state." The latter point refers to police having made several arrests in Azamgarh, after the Batla House encounter.
NSG-Waiver: Historic Or Black Day For India!
September 11, 2008 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS
NEW DELHI: The waiver granted to India by the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for nuclear commerce with it, ending 34 years of the country's nuclear isolation definitely marks a major diplomatic victory for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (September 6). While it spells celebration for Congress and its allies, the waiver has given opposition parties and the left bloc a serious issue to strongly criticize the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Mixed reactions to India having secured the NSG waiver suggest beginning of a major political battle at home for the Congress, which is going to be a fiery one with national elections less than a year away.
Welcoming the waiver, Singh described it as "forward-looking and momentous decision." "It is a recognition of India's impeccable non-proliferation credentials and its status as a state with advanced nuclear technology. It will give an impetus to India's pursuit of environmentally sustainable economic growth," he said. Thanking United States and NSG members for "ensuring this outcome," Singh said: "We look forward to establishing a mutually beneficial partnership with friendly countries in an area, which is important for both global energy security as well as to meet the challenge of climate change."
Singh also spoke to President George Bush on telephone thanking him. Besides, "The two leaders expressed their belief that mutually beneficial relations between India and the United States were in the interest of their peoples, and were on a path of steady consolidation and multifaceted expansion, to which both leaders reiterated their commitment," official sources said.
The NSG-waiver will "enable India to resume full civil nuclear cooperation with the international community to meet its energy and development requirements," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said. "We welcome this decision," which "constitutes a major landmark in our quest for energy security," he said. It "will open a new chapter in India's cooperation with other countries in peaceful uses of nuclear energy," he pointed out.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi congratulated Singh and Mukherjee for the NSG-waiver. Describing the waiver as a historic moment, Gandhi said it "marks the culmination of enormous efforts and skilful negotiations by our diplomats and nuclear scientists. Three decades of isolation have ended." In a press statement, Gandhi congratulated the Prime Minister for his "conviction and commitment to pursue with determination India's integration with global mainstream to meet requirements of our energy security."
"This is a triumphant day for India. The NSG consensus … (is) culmination of years of hard work and cooperation between India and the US to bring India into the global nuclear mainstream," US envoy in India David C. Mulford said.
Hailing NSG waiver as "historic" and significant victory for not just the government but for all Indians, Congress party spokesman Manish Tiwari said: "It is a historic day for India. It is a red letter day."
Describing the waiver as a great victory for India, which will help in the country's development, Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary Amar Singh said: "India needs development and not nuclear bombs." He also criticized the Indo-US deals' opponents for "beating around the bush."
While the NSG-waiver has spelt "victory" for Congress party and its allies, the opposition parties and the left bloc who have opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal think otherwise. Describing the waiver as a "stage-managed show," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi blamed the PM for having "compromised on national interests." "In spite of winning the vote at the NSG meeting, the prime minister has lost the battle at home. The deal, in its present state, is going to have long-term consequences," he said.
Senior BJP leader and former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha said: "The Congress is saying that this will end India's nuclear isolation. We believe this does not hold any ground." "India has walked into a non-proliferation trap. It has lost its right to conduct nuclear tests forever. NSG guidelines are tougher than the Hyde Act," Sinha said.
"This is an injustice done to the generation next to come. The Manmohan Singh government has taken an unfortunate decision by submitting our authority before the United States," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader A. Vijayaraghavan said.
Indian politicians opposed to the deal have been further enraged on contents of a "secret" letter published in The Washington Post, just ahead of NSG meeting in Vienna. The controversial contents made public by Republican Howard L. Berman, Chairman of House Foreign Affairs committee, are viewed as at variance with the stand maintained by India so far. The 26-page letter states that the United States would help India deal only with "disruptions in supply to India that may result through no fault of its own," such as trade war or market disruptions. "The fuel supply assurances are not, however, meant to insulate India against the consequences of a nuclear explosive test or a violation of nonproliferation commitments," the letter says. The Indian government is expected to take "letter"-issue with the Bush administration, sources said.
The letter has provoked the deal's opponents to blame the government for "misleading" the Parliament, "hiding facts" and "lying" to the people over the nature of the deal. CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said: "The only option left to them (UPA) is that the Prime Minister should quit. But neither will they convene Parliament session nor will they quit. It is a shameless government." Describing the waiver as a step in direction of total surrender of country's nuclear rights, Karat said that the US orchestrated the NSG waiver as it wants the 123 Agreement to be operationalized. The waiver is in conformity with the Hyde Act. "Any new government that comes to power after next elections other than Congress should get the Indo-US nuclear deal terminated," Karat said. The left would continue its struggle in this regard, he asserted. India has now become part of the "non-proliferation regime, which we have always found to be discriminatory and resisted so far," Karat said.
"We continue to be opposed to 123 agreement. It's a surrender of all our sovereign right," Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary D. Raja said. In a statement, the CPI said that it is "not a historic day but a black day for India as far as our nuclear program is concerned. This waiver will kill our efforts to develop nuclear technology based on thorium." Another strong opponent of the Indo-US nuke deal, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, who is also Uttar Pradesh chief minister, described the development in Vienna as a "black day" for India.


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Mon, Jun 7, 10 at 11:19
I went to a great estate sale saturday and purchased an arts & crafts hand hammered picture in a flat wide heavy metal frame. The frame is all rusted. What the best way to remove the rust? I have searched online and many people have said to soak it in vinegar. Does that really work and for how long? Also, once I get the rust off is there something I put on the metal frame to clean it up or polish it? Is it possible to wax it? Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
I do not know the details of this process, but I have been told that the best way to remove rust while removing the least possible amount of metal is to blast the surface with ground walnut shells, in a process similar to sandblasting. This is how historic cast iron machinery at the Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (the birthplace of manufacturing in America) is conserved. |
- Posted by colorcrazy (My Page) on Sat, Aug 21, 10 at 19:18
Our back storm door is painted wrought iron. When a rust spot develops, I sand it a bit with the dremel. There is actually a tool you can buy to remove the rust. Sorry, I've never heard of using vinegar. |
- Posted by javaandjazz (My Page) on Sun, Aug 22, 10 at 8:10
I ended up soaking the frame in white vinegar just under 2 days and the rust just rubbed right off with a very worn scotch brite pad. I was amazed how clean the frame came out and there was no pitting in the finish. |
I know this is late and you solved your problem but I wanted to add my 2 cents. I use a commercial white vinegar to remove rust on many of the parts for my found object sculptures. When that doesn't work I use a product gunsmiths use to remove rust and bluing. You can buy it at most sporting goods stores like Cabela's. Robert Robert |
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subset: commoncrawl


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White Freightliner
Pride Gets Recognized
Lucinda Coulter
August 07, 2011
The Pride & Polish competition, now part of Overdrive's Custom Rigs, rises to a new level this year with a national championship.
Tonight on American Trucker — Gully Transportation's antique trucks
Gully Transportation will be featured on tonight's edition of the American Trucker television show. The episode will air on the Speed Channel at 10 p.m. Eastern. The program will show the production of one of the ...


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Final Thoughts
The biggest issues when it comes to overclocking the HD 7770 yourself is that some companies have opted for such large out of the box overclocks giving us little gains over other offerings currently on the market. The bigger appeal to a lower clocked out of the box card is the price.
Coming in at $159.99, the MSI HD 7770 carries the SRP that you'd expect while the XFX offering is $179.99 and the Sapphire card we looked at comes in at $169.99. Looking through our graphs today you can see that you're able to save $10 or $20 and achieve performance that would come out just ahead of these overclocked offerings.
One of the issues is that the cooler on the MSI offering doesn't exactly stand out for the best reasons. While we're of course custom overclocked here, for the most part, we can see that performance comes in only about 5% higher than what XFX is offering us. Looking at heat and noise numbers, you can see this is done with a fair bit more noise and heat as well.
We're just not that much of a fan of the HD 7770, and even taking the time to find a max overclock yourself, there's not this massive gain that you'd hope, because companies are offering us such big out of the box overclocks. Going from a default clock of 1000MHz to 1240MHz is really nice, but because XFX offer us a default clock of 1120MHz on the core and Sapphire offers us 1150MHz, we're not seeing the kind of gains you'd expect to see if more companies opted for the default clocks.
The MSI offering isn't our favorite HD 7770 we've looked at from a cooling point of view, but does come in a bit cheaper than the other models. The one thing we have to continue to mention, though, is the simple fact that for a similar price point you're able to get a HD 6800 series video card. The situation has been made even worse recently with some really aggressive rebates being seen and the XFX HD 6870 coming in at $139.99 after rebates. In the end we've got another HD 7770 that leaves us flat as AMD price themselves out of the market with the HD 6870 with continues to be the better choice.


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Microplane Herb Mill. Prepping herbs by hand with a knife can be a tedious and difficult task. Microplane's easy to use Herb Mill cuts fresh herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, sage and mint with hundreds of tiny scissors without bruising or blemishing.Removable top to easily load fresh herbsErgonomically designed to fit comfortably in your handTool Dimensions: 3 in x 3 in x 6.75 in tallMaterials: Blades made of surgical grade stainless steel, plastic bodyDishwasher safe. $50 and Under Products. Brandy ♥ Melville USA.
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Do not think that this game fell into your android from nowhere, a very well known! This is a continuation of another football game, the recognized number one in sales in more than forty countries and according to the magazine T3 has been recognized as the best football game for mobile devices.
In this case, you are encouraged to challenge your friends and millions of other players waiting for the next battle. Play match after match, and thus hone their skills that will enable you to become a strong and independent player. Just as we have said, this game relies heavily on the real football tactics, so that real-time with built-in set up under the guidance of assistant football expert Andy Gray, you can create your own game strategy and take advantage of it right on the field.
The game has received integration into the social network Facebook, so challenge anyone to a fight you there directly. But do not forget, thanks to the added tactical realism to the game to predict the outcome of the match is very difficult, so please refrain from the tender ;)
In addition to the above, it is worth noting:
Attention! All files represented on this site either were found freely distributed on the internet or by their authors' permission. If any of materials on this site violates your rights, report us
(244) 3.59★ 71.87%Rate the game:
Version: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich )
Processor: Qualcomm MSM7227A, 1Ghz)
Display: 4.00", 800x480
Dimensions: 63.1x121.5x10.5 mm
Birds from the movie RIO, bright graphics ... what is there to think again except as Angry Birds, but it is not so! This game is about football, though the air, but still very cool!
Brazil is undergoing a true world championship, Stickman and decided to make my own, so choose your favorite team and win your opponents! Great game for the fans!
Game Football Manager Handheld 2013 is not only a means of entertainment for all who are not indifferent to football, but also an excellent information base that includes all the most up to date information at the beginning of 2013. Manage teams sell players, win cups!
The game Speedball 2 Evolution is a continuation of tough and brutal game is a mixture of American football and hockey, the action takes place in the near future. Playing as these sports are quite bloody, thus it is you and enjoy ;)
Greetings to all fans of mobile gaming and readers mob-core! Today we look at the best football simulator for Android,Fifa 14. Please talk a little about the series as a whole and interesting moments. All you know is that the network there were a lot of rumors that androyd visit another part of the 13 known football simulation fans just filled letters Topeka EA Games, but they did not react as any, I even saw a super enthusiasts who are part of the 13 partially ported to the green robot but there were a lot of bugs and overall the game was neigraobilna.
Every football fan must discover exciting and interesting game for mobile platforms - Flick Kick Football Legends! The game was created based on the popular and acclaimed comic book and executed in a very original style.
Comrade Stickman is back! At this time in the game Stickman Soccer that helps you get an incredible football experience in the process, requiring lightning speed and reaction, a distinctive atmosphere, unique physics and animation of characters, easy to learn, but user-friendly controls, crazy stunts and endless replays.
Fat Ball game is a very fun arcade game that will take you to the world of battles on the ice, that's just kind of a contingent here, and each of the players has excess weight. This may seem strange, but there appears a sumo wrestler, plump ninja and giant chicken 0_o
Game Perfect Kick! Send you to the world of football, emerald lawns, goalkeepers and goals. The game is a multiplayer race in real time where you need to score from the penalty spot, thanks to a beautiful graphics and smooth controls is incredibly nice and interesting.


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Cristy48 Condiments, Sauces & Dips
(16 Recipes) Created by CRISTY48
Recipes in this Collection
The versatility of this Mexican salsa is limitless! Put it on grilled chicken or steak, add it to eggs, or serve with tortilla chips. Submitted by METALFINGER2U Carbs: 5.9g | Fat: 0.3g | Fiber: 1.6g | Protein: 0.9g | Calories: 22.5
A new twist on salsa, for using cucumbers from the garden! Submitted by SLINKY78 Carbs: 9.8g | Fat: 0.5g | Fiber: 2.5g | Protein: 2g | Calories: 44.4
This recipe has been marked private.
Very Good 4.1/5
(15 ratings)
We've updated the classic spinach dip by adding tangy feta and Carbs: 4g | Fat: 5.4g | Fiber: 0.2g | Protein: 4.8g | Calories: 82.8
Good 3.7/5
(34 ratings)
Nonfat yogurt and low-fat mayonnaise make this creamy dip a good addition to any veggie plate. Carbs: 1.4g | Fat: 1.2g | Fiber: 0.1g | Protein: 0.7g | Calories: 19.4
Cucumbers give this guacamole a refreshing flavor while also cutting the calories in each serving. Submitted by COACH_NICOLE Carbs: 4.7g | Fat: 6.7g | Fiber: 3.1g | Protein: 1g | Calories: 76.4
Good 3.5/5
(66 ratings)
Great served with our Chili Lime Tortilla Chips. Carbs: 9.5g | Fat: 0.4g | Fiber: 1.9g | Protein: 2.6g | Calories: 47.4
Tzatziki is a Greek and Turkish appetizer, also used as a sauce or dip. This recipe is perfect with Mediterranean dishes or anything else on a hot summer's day. Submitted by LOULOUB Carbs: 3.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Fiber: 0.3g | Protein: 1.8g | Calories: 20
(no ratings)
I use this as a base for pasta. rice, meat, veggie dishes, soup, chili...possibilities are endless. Adds lots of veggie vitamins! Submitted by CRISTY48 Carbs: 10.7g | Fat: 1.6g | Fiber: 2.1g | Protein: 1.7g | Calories: 61.1
My favorite Mexican restaurant serves a guacamole that's heavy on vegetables--and flavor. To slim it down even more, serve with carrots, celery and cucumber slices. Submitted by STEPFANIER Carbs: 6g | Fat: 6.7g | Fiber: 3.4g | Protein: 1.1g | Calories: 81.5
Serve this black bean salsa known as cowboy caviar at your next potluck. Submitted by JANAE55 Carbs: 9.4g | Fat: 2.8g | Fiber: 2.9g | Protein: 2.6g | Calories: 68.8
Very Good 4.5/5
(28 ratings)
This is a light, refreshing salsa that is great with baked tortillas and awesome as a topping on fish, poultry or pork! Submitted by JOLIEB76 Carbs: 20.1g | Fat: 0.6g | Fiber: 6.1g | Protein: 5.7g | Calories: 103.2
This fresh and tangy cucumber dill sauce uses non-fat plain yogurt to give it a creamy taste and texture. It can be eaten as a side dish with grilled chicken or as a topping on a gyro or pita sandwich!!!! Submitted by MISSJCISRUNNING Carbs: 3.6g | Fat: 0.1g | Fiber: 0.5g | Protein: 1.5g | Calories: 21
Very Good 4.3/5
(45 ratings)
This sauce adds a nice kick to fish, chicken, pork, eggs...almost anything. Submitted by MIJAHA1 Carbs: 2g | Fat: 2.1g | Fiber: 0g | Protein: 3.9g | Calories: 46.9
Making homemade peanut butter is easy, as long as you have a good blender or food processor. Carbs: 7.9g | Fat: 19.9g | Fiber: 2.9g | Protein: 8.6g | Calories: 229
Smoky from the cumin with a hidden serving of vegetables, this dip is equally delicious in a burrito as it is spread on tortilla chips. Submitted by STEPFANIER Carbs: 5.3g | Fat: 0.7g | Fiber: 1.7g | Protein: 1.7g | Calories: 32.9