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Friday, May 30, 2008

[chottala.com] Tagore's Paradigm Exposed in "Dalia"

Tagore's Paradigm Exposed in "Dalia" 
(A working paper on Rabindra Nath Tagore)     
Abid Bahar
 
Rabindranath Tagore died during the 40's and still being criticized as being a communal poet. Why? Unike most chauvinistic Brahmos of the Ram Mohan's Brahmo Samaj, Tagore was only a culturally religious Hindu; evident in his work "Chitrangada" where he glorified Aryan civilization and the Aryan conquest of Monipur by Arjun etc. He had the character Drupati even skillfully demonstrated. In his works however, no similar effort was made for Hindu- Muslim unity. As a poet he could have made parallel efforts to present rare example in Akbar who remained vegetarian to show respect to his Hindu wife Joda. Despite this, as will be seen later, Tagore felt Islam differently than from Ram Mohan, the latter inspired by the British Orientalists in Calcutta identified Muslims as the "invaders" of India, "foreigners," Bankim a civil servant by profession worked with xenophobic Europeans even defamed Muslims; Tagore largely remained silent on these
issues as if they were unintelligible to him, for, the paradigm of Tagore's Bharata at the time was not intended for unity between Hindus and Muslims but to create division. Tagore's time was for Hindu coperation with the British and at home  it was the Brahmo idea of a Hindu-Buddhist Aryan civilization. In this understanding of Brahmo's Swadesh, there was no place for Muslims. For this unfortunate communal serge sold as being "secular and "progressive" Tagore is not to be blamed but was his time when Swedeshi movent used this paradigm. The problem however has been the Calcutta promoters of Tagore and the Brahmo model as being universal and humanist.  In the following we will examine Tagore's Hindu- Buddhist paradigm exposed in his short story "Dalia."
 
Tagore's short story Dalia is about the story of Shah Suja's daugher Amina and the king of Arakan. Shah Suja and his family were given the promise of asylum in Arakan by the King and were also promised to be sent to Mecca. Thus, Suja began his unfortunate journey from Chittagong through the now called Shah Suja Road. As they arrived in Arakan, Suja's daughter Amina was asked to give marriage to the King. When refused, the entire family was massacred at the order of the King. All of Suja's children were brutally killed by axe.

 Bhattacharya says, "She [Amena] was forced to "eat ngapi, a strong flavored [smelly] fish paste, which she apparently did not like" (Sen, 1930, 504-505). The news of the death of the family and the subsequent "lamentation by the people of Bengal was widely spread among the rural population of present Bangladesh. The omnipresence of words like Magh and Barma and so forth in Chittagong folk poems, and indeed across entire Bengal, may be seen as another indication of the central role of Arakan in the construction of Bengali identity."
 
The consequence of the event led the Moghul determination to free Chittagong from Mogh piracy. In 1666 Shaista Khan, the Uncle of Shah Suja, defeated the Moghs in Fotee Ga,(the village where a war was won) now known as Potenga in Chittagong. Ironically, Suja's unfortunate death brought the end of Mogh lawlessness in lower Bengal. In 1784 Burma finally occupied the tiny kingdom survived on piracy and made it into a province of Burma.
 
"Tagore interpreting the usual story of Suja's murder by the Arakanese king, "into a love story of an unprecedented character remained largely incomprehensible." Bhattacharya comments "In Tagore's yet another work Mukut (Crown) the strong message of the Arakanese pride has been upheld." If we see the mind of Tagore, the Brahmo, and his paradigm, we see Tagore's devil in the detail. 
 
After reading Dhalia, I personally wondered why did a Bengali Indian poet known to be "secular", 'humanist" "nonpartisan" and "progressive" also known as a poet of "humanity" turns a brutal murderer into a lover? The King was not even an Indian for him to twist the story. The answer to the Tagore-lovers on this matter could not be hypothetical but apparent. It is all in his paradigm. It was Tagore's Indian Buddhist connection.  It is clear, Tagore as a culturally religious Brahmo, was a believer of Hindu- Buddhist civilization. Surprisingly to Tagore, it was as if the Buddhist king was a nonviolent Buddhist not a brutal murderer of the Suja family. "In reality, the King was a Theraveda Buddhist, a follower of the fundamentalist political sect of Buddhism. The ballad Suja Tanayar Vilapa - i.e. lamentations of Suja's daughter – for generations these ballads were sung in the remotest villages of Eastern Bengal."  Was Tagore a politician?
Swapna Bhattacharya (Chakraborti) says,"One of the intensions of his [Tagore's] visits to countries like Siam, Burma, Island Southeast Asia, Japan and China was to bind those countries deeper with India where Buddhism could be the torchbearer." The historical reality is that after the Buddhist Emperor Asokh's death, there was the rise of Hindu fundamentalism in India against Buddhism, and Buddhists enmass were expelled from India.  
 
Historically speaking, during the British period, we see the penetration of Hindu influence in Burma for a Hindu-Buddhist alliance against Muslims resulting "from mid 1930s there appeared to be a succinct polarization between Buddhists and Muslims of Burma, ... U Ottama, the leading Pongyi activist and friend of India who led the entire Pongyi movement during 1920s, became twice the President of Hindu Mahasabha in 1930s." Swapna says, We should however restrain ourselves to stamp out this revolutionary monk as orthodox and anti-Muslim. He demanded a"closer cooperation between Hindus and Buddhists." U Ottama was from Arakan." Here also in the pretentions of being "progressive" the Hindu fundamentalist influence is apparent. From here we can see Tagore's Brahmo paradigm is increasingly becoming intelligible. Surprisingly, Aung San Suu ki who studied in Delhi during the 60's has learned to belive in the paradigm of a Hindu-Buddhist
civilization.Today, Muslims in Burma are only 4% of the population but are considered as the #1 enemy. Could it be a result of Brahmo influence in Burma? We know that the Hindu extremist Tilok was exiled in Burma by the British. Further research should be done to find the sources of Hindu fundamentalism and the anti-Muslim influence in Burma.

In British India, in the Hindu conceptualization of a Nehru's, and Patel's Akhanda Bharata, Muslims were uneasily felt and Hindu Mohashova even didn't want not tolerate them. But many Muslim philosophers and leaders like Iqbal even sang the famous song of "Hindustan hamara..were for a  Hindu- Muslim civilization. Iqbal remained committed to the idea until the 40th's. The disillusioned poet later on became the dreamer of Pakistan. Tagore by the way wrote "Amer Sonar Bangla..." song during the early 20th century to the tune of Swadeshi's anti-partition movement. The song was adopted in the 70's as the national anthem of Bangladesh. During the 30's Tagore composed the song " Gono Mono Jona..." to be the national anthem of India. His was for a Hindu civilization. Is his paradigm any different from today's so-called "progressive minded" Bangladeshi Hindu-Buddhist- Christian Oiko Parished's that is alligned with India?

Unlike the othe chauvinistic Brahmos, fortunately Tagore felt Muslim presence in India and tolerated them. In his short story "namaj," he beautifully described the Muslim peasant praying on the boat in the Padma. The peasant was his description of the beautiful nature of the Padma River. But today's Padma River outside Tagore's Bharatio Hindu paradigm, remains dried up and in the contemporary period, many Bangladeshis are starting to see in the north Western Bangladesh, the slow extinction of Tagore's description of "Sonar Bangla."

 

REFERENCES
Tagore, Rabindranath. 1988. Dalia. In Rabindra Rachanavali , Govt. of West Bengal Publication
Tarling. Nicholas.  1992. The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press ( 2 volumes)

Swapna Bhattacharya (Chakraborti), 2006,  Islam in Arakan: An interpretation from the Indian perspective: History and the Present.     
 
 Sen, Dinesh Chandra. 1986. History of Bengali Language and Literature. Delhi: Gian Publishing House; Stuart, J. 1919. Arakan Eighty Years Ago. 1919.  Vol. 9, in Journal of Burma Research Society: 27-31
 

KHRG (Karen Human Rights group) website: in its" Background on Burma." (This site talks about Burman identification of Muslims as the enemy #1)
http://www.khrg.org/background_on_burma.html, June 23, 2007.



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[chottala.com] On use of Religion in Politics by Maulana Abdul Awal

Use of Religion in Politics
 
Maulana Abdul Awal
 

To us, who keep faith in the Gracious Creator, religion means belief in Allah, towards His incepted provision and scriptural guidance and their implementation in one's own life. However these provisions are nothing supernatural, rather constitute an well-organized form of living in manner so that people can improve themselves into true human beings. Thus they can achieve mortal prosperity and spiritual salvation. This is the prime objective or goal of the religion we believe in. Almighty Allah had sent Nabi Rasul, the Prophet for implementation of the goal.     

As religion is concerned, it is a subject of belief or disbelief, a resolution of mind. It is one's personal concern as well. Hence truth when imposed forcefully upon anybody can not be considered as truth. Essential condition of search for truth is freedom of conscience. There is no hard and fast rule in it. The holy Al-Quran says, `There is no compulsion and pressure about the Deen (the way of life)' [2: 256]

All the religions provide guidelines for human welfare. Peace, harmony, benevolence -- are the lesson of religion. On the other hand, impropriety, injustice, repression on women, theft and robbery, plundering, killing, malice, greed, violence and terrorism are condemned by all religion.

Since ancient times, founder and preacher of different religion has been preaching in favour of these provisions. Despite its profound contribution in evolvement of human civilization and the objective that it was meant for welfare, religion has been used as a tool for extortion. The ruling class has so far not been able to device nay more effective tool than it.

Freedom of conscience rises higher above all other things in religion. Subjugation of this freedom makes religion dull, customary and mechanical. The notion: religion for human turns into human for religion. Instead of people's harmony and tolerance, restlessness and violence loom large.

In ancient times religion had been imposed on general people within Christian community. If a ruler in a prefecture had been Catholic in faith, all his subjects had to be Catholic. None had dared to defy the system. Islam does not approve such sort of despotism. Here the story of the Christian slave belonged to Hazrat Omar(ra) can be cited. The slave had been put under pressure by some Sahabi to take Islam, which he had refused to do. At one stage Khalifa was consulted about it and he declared the slave had his right to do so.

Christian world witnessed a violent predicament during the seventh century. It took place after control of the religion had been vested to the statehood. Statehood was included in the definition of Church. In both extents of mortal and spiritual life Church had the decisive and ubiquitous power. During that time religious restlessness became very fierce between the catholic and the Protestant who fought a thirty-year of bloody war. At a stage the state adopted religion as a tool for extortion and politics. During that time debate or discussion on theology or religious doctrine was regularly arranged. It kept mass people busy, away from their struggle for social, economic and political right. Towards the end of Byzantine Empire, a debating assembly was arranged in Constantinaple i.e. Istanbul. Debate's topic was what Jesus had eaten before his crucifixion- Tandoori or Chapati.  Argument went on for 40 days. By that time the Muslim on a military campaign had reached the entrance of the city and the Roman did not even know about that. Thus Byzantine Empire fell apart. In medieval ages, Christian community saw a very short range of development as an effect of using religion as instrument for extortion and politics. While Muslims established observatory in Spain and carried out research, European Christians made human cultivating land instead of cattle.

During the Second World War, Adolf Hitlar gave way to the craze over religion and instructed his Nazi force to kill the Jews. About six million Jew were murdered. Now Jews are carrying out oppression on Palestine people. Hundreds of thousands of Muslim have been driven out of their homes. For over half a century this displaced people have been leading an inhuman life at refugee camps in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and other Arab countries. European renaissance cured the West of malady of using religion as a tool for politics. Nowadays despite organs named Christian Democratic Party in some of the European countries exist, they do not use religion in politics, rather try to get people's support through their social and economic development programs.

Our dearest Nabi Hazrat Mohammed (puh) advised the Muslim in his valedictory speech not to do excess with religion. He also told them that a number of races had been perished as a result of their intemperance with religion. But within three decades following demise of Hazrat Mohammed his followers started using their religion in politics. Hazrat Mayabia, the then governor of Syria, introduced such act. A war broke out between him and Khalifa the fourth, Hazrat Ali over the trial on the murder of Khalifa the third, Hazrat Osman . The battle took place on the river Forat. Hazrat Mayabia being almost sure about defeat sent his soldiers carrying the holy Quran tied up on the tip of their sword to the battlefield. The soldiers declared, 'no more war, let the conflict be solved by the Quran`. At the gesture Hazrat Ali was compelled to stop fighting. During one and half a millenium following that incident numerous Muslim emperors, monarchs, head of the states and political parties have been utilizing the holy religion. The practice remains uninterrupted.

Use of religion in politics in the Indian subcontinent dates back to ancient times. Goutam Buddha was recognized as the ninth incarnation only after the Arian had killed nine hundred thousand Buddhist.  In modern times, use of politics in religion started at the beginning of twentieth century. Muslim League was established in 1906. On the other hand, the Hindu fundamentalist formed Hindu Mahasabha. The Indian National Congress (INC), a political party involving both the Hindu and Muslim, was founded in 1885. Modern educated Muslims had been members of INC, even the learned persons called Alem or Ulema were top leaders of the party. Maolana Abul Kalam Azad was elected President of INC several times. Jamaiat-E-Olama-E-Hind was the organization for Ulemas in the region. Top Ulema like Maolana Hossain Ahmed Madani, the head Maolana of Darul Ulum Deobond Madrasa were the president of the party. The organization was a secular one. Jamaiat-E-Olama-E-Hind did not support either religion based nationalism or use of religion in politics. This organization had expressed their support for our freedom movement. At the meeting of the executive council in 1971 a resolution supporting our struggle for independence was adopted. The party held demonstration in front of American Embassy in New Delhi demanding for the release of Banga Bandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahman.

We had to pay a very crucial price as a result of exploitation of religion in politics in the subcontinent. Before and aftermath of the division of India lives of millions were sacrificed. The statistics showing exact figure of young women harassed the number of mosque, temple and guru-duara destroyed could not be made available or none has figured those out.    

After religion- based division of India, we, the people of this land constituted the majority of then Pakistan. But the people of western part deprived us of our social, economic and political right by using our holy religion as their political tool. When asked for our right they told that we were the broker of India and enemy of Islam. It was also told that Islam was endangered at our hand. But we broke the chain of two nations theory apart gradually by the virtue of our Language Movement in 1952, Six Point Program in `66, `69's Uprising of people, attainment of Awami League`s single majority in the general election 0f `70. Finally through armed struggle under the leadership of Banga Bandhu we succeeded to free Bangladesh. During those days of freedom movement Pakistani rulers and their local alliance, the sectarian circle exploited religion abominably as an instrument for mass killing of Bangladeshi people. Three million people died and three hundred thousand of women were harassed. At that time their slogan was, 'Pakistan has to be saved to salvage Islam. If Pakistan falls apart, Islam cannot be saved ` Thus they attempted to place the religion as the rival to our freedom fight. But the secular and pious people of the country did not pay heed to them. However, Islam was never endangered in our country rather it is observed and practiced at a broader level in Independent Bangladesh.

Bengali people had to pay the highest price for religion during Pakistan period. This was one of the major reasons that secularity was adopted as one of the four state principles in our constitution. After the independence, issues of undertaking program to encourage people about secularity was raised before Banga Bandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahman. He told that he had been in charge of a ruined land called Bangladesh. He assured that a widespread cultural motivational program would be adopted after meeting people's basic problems like refugee crisis, communication, food problem etc. But he was murdered along with his family members on 15 August 1975.   

Aftermath of the `75 coup d'état saw the rise of reactionary politics in Bangladesh. Military figures, sometimes in their uniform or in civil dress clutched power for nearly 15 years till 1990. They attempted to make themselves credible using religion. In this way Islam, the religion of the majority, started to be utilized in politics. `Bismillah' was added at the beginning of our constitution. Secularity was excluded as a basic principle for the state and was replaced with `Trust and belief in Allah'. In the name of multiparty democracy 66 organizations antagonistic to the spirit of independence were given approval to do politics with other parties. Late President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of BNP, initiated all these. There had been three religion-based political parties In Pakistan period. They were Muslim League, Jamaet-E-Islami and Nezam-E-Islam Party. In 1988 Islam was declared as the national religion, thanks to the eighth amendment of the constitution during the tenure of General Ershad. The fundamental groups started propagating in favour of religion-based politics on a larger scale with the help of Petro-dollar they had received from a number of middle-eastern sources. This also had an impact upon the secular democratic political parties.

This situation was exploited by the Pakistani secret service ISI. They tried to forge instability in Bangaldesh to take revenge for their lose in `71. The religious extremists became desperate after the Taliban had taken power in Afghanistan. They held meetings, organized rallies, and declared themselves as Taliban of Bangladesh, vowed to turn the country into another Afghanistan. Students were recruited from Kawmi Madrasas and sent to Pakistan in the name of higher education. They received military training there and joined to terrorist organizations such as Al- Oaeda, Lshkar-e- Taiyeba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harkat-ul-Zehad-e-Islami etc. Some of them got back to Bangladesh and gave military training to Madrasa students. These people carried out terrorist activities. During the past few years many people died or got injured in the incident of bomb blasts at different parts of Bangladesh. Quoting police source different newspapers informed that extremist terrorists were involved in those terrorist activities.                

According to some political observer, the Taliban increased cultivation of poppy in Afghanistan several times higher than earlier after their takeover of power. The poppy was brought to Pakistan, processed into illegal drug and smuggled to all over the world for billions of dollar. A portion of the money was given to the Taliban, another share was kept in Pakistan. A third portion was spent for the religious extremists active in South and Southeast Asia including Bangladesh. It is said that three-quarter of illegal drug business over the world is controlled by ISI. After the collapse of the Taliban religious extremists are supposed to acquire Less amount of money and weapons. But this is a transitory scenario.

Muslims constitutes majority in only 10% of the countries all over the world. The number of religion-based terrorist organization is higher in these countries. Names of such organizations such as Islamic Brotherhood in Egypt, Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria, Nedaul Muslimin in Tunisia, Hamas in Palestine, Hijbullah in Lebanon, Muslim Mujahedeen in Jordan, Taliban in Afghanistan, Lshkar-e- Taiyeba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Tameer-e-Ummah, Lshkar-e-Zafaria, Jamat-e-Nefaz-e-Kanun-e-Mohammadi in Pakistan, Nahdat-ul-Olama in Indonesia, Al-Arkam in Malaysia can be cited here. There are 66 such organizations in Bangladesh. Fundamentalist organizations are not only found among Muslims, other religions also boast with such organs. Such as BJP, Hindu Mahasabha, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Janasangh, Bazrang in India. Harkat-ul-Zehad and Hijbul Mujahedeen are active in India-administered Kashmir.

Organizations formed in the name of religion not only exploited the latter as a tool for politics, they exploited the same in terrorist activities also. Ironically not any singular religion lays any support for terrorism. By virtue of information technology the world has turned into a global village. People, nations and different ethnic entities craving for unadulterated peace and friendly environment. But terrorist activities by the fundamentalists are spoiling it. Referring to the mischievous the holy Quran says, ` Whenever it is said to them that do not make mischief on the earth, they only said: "We are the reformers. Beware, in fact these people are the mischief-makers but they do not have sense. '[2: 11-12]

   

Our dearest Nabi Hazrat Mohammad (puh) said: ` soon human kind will witness an age when Islam would exist only as a name and the Quran would be only the words. Mosques would be brick-built but no direction would be there. Ulema would be the wicked persons among people under the sky. Terrorism and indiscipline would be originated out of them and would return unto them. ( Sura Bokhari)

Terrorist activities being carried out in different countries, especially in Islamic ones reflect the predicted scenario of the Quotations from the Quran and Hadis. For exploitation of religion in politics, tolerance in the society is withering away. Terrorism is spreading out. Hindu extremists in India destroyed the historic Babri Mosque in Ajodhya insisting on their claim for the birthplace of Rama. Reaction of this incident dispersed in Pakistan and Bangladesh and many temple were destroyed in the two states. An extremist leader of an alliance party to the ruling BNP-Jamat coalition government told once proudly that blood should be poured at the root of the tree named Islam instead of water.

It would not be irrelevant to note here that, confusion with usage of the word `Fundamentalist` exists in our practice. A particular class claims that the pious people are hinted at by the term. This is totally a baseless claim. Each and every word has a lexicographical and a terminological meaning and can be used in either sense as necessary. Say, lexicographical meaning of Al-Badar refer to those who take part in holy war. They are the pride of Islam. But in our context Al-Badar does not refer to the Warrior of Badar. It means to those who killed Bangladeshi people during our freedom fight. Similarly those who use religion for political interest are called fundamentalist. It is not meant to hint at the pious ones. So there is no rational reason to give up using the term if not getting confused by the misinterpretation.

Terrorist attack on Twin Tower in New York, on Pentagon in Washington, the civil war between the Taliban and the Mujahedeen and post war situation, terrorist networking of Al-Qaeda all over the world, Israeli terrorist act on the Palestine people, bomb attack in different parts of Bangladesh, torture on the minority group in here, on opposition leader, activists, killings, repression on woman- all are consequences for political exploitation of religion. Mass consciousness to resist such evil activities generated at any county or any region in the world by the force against humanity need to be strengthened. Sources for their money and weapons have to be identified and concealed. All secular, democratic political parties and social, cultural and humanitarian organization and people have to take part in this attempt. With a noble view to restoring peace this is the prime responsibility and duty at present of everyone irrespective of religion, cast and creed.

Sent by: A Rahim Azad __._,_.___

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[chottala.com] Outgoin CJ Ruhul Amin: A Spoiled Brat to his Teacher, Barrister Rafiqul Hoque!!!

 
The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out." -Thomas Babington Macaulay
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[chottala.com] Nepal king 'is packing bags'

 
    
Nepal king 'is packing bags'

KATHMANDU: Nepal's King Gyanendra was yesterday said to be packing his bags, the day after a Maoist-dominated assembly voted to abolish the country's monarchy. "According to our sources, the king is packing up his personal belongings to move out of the palace," said Kishore Shrestha, editor of the weekly newspaper Jana Aastha.

In a sign that the king is likely to respect the verdict of the assembly that ended his reign, the royal flag was lowered yesterday and replaced by the triangular national flag, as the Himalayan nation celebrated the vote declaring a republic.

Celebrations tapered off with Nepalis relaxing on the second day of a three-day national holiday declared to celebrate the country's new status.

The king has yet to make any comment on a historic constitutional assembly vote that abolished his 240-year-old dynasty.

"He is said to be leaving the palace today for Nagarjun," a royal lodge on the outskirts of Kathmandu, or a private home in the capital, said Shrestha.

Hundreds of protesters demanding that Gyanendra must immediately leave his palace clashed with police, injuring more than 25 people. Stone-throwing demonstrators tried to storm the palace, prompting police to beat them back. Police have kept the area sealed off for several days now.

"Gyanendra, thief, leave the palace!" they shouted.

A Maoist spokesman said Nepal was now free of "feudal tradition," and promised "a radical social and economic transformation."

The king has been given two weeks to vacate the sprawling pink palace, with the complex to be transformed into a museum.

Many ordinary Nepalese are delighted to see the back of the unpopular king and his son, Paras - notorious for his playboy lifestyle.

A $300,000 (BD113,400) annual allowance for the royal family was also stopped, but the king is unlikely to feel any significant financial pinch. He has investments in several businesses and shares worth around $15.7 million (BD6m).

Unpopular

The vote in the 601-member assembly saw just four legislators oppose the radical change. But a leading Hindu group in Nepal threatened protests to prevent what they said would undermine the neutrality and unity of a country.

"Monarchy and Hinduism are necessary so that the country does not fragment," said the World Hindu Federation.

The US, meanwhile, has revised its policy and will meet former Maoist rebels now in top positions in the new government.

But a senior official said that the degree to which US would work with them depended on how successfully they stayed away from violence.

Gyanendra came to throne after a bizarre palace massacre in 2001. His nephew, Dipendra gunned down most of the royal family, including the king and queen, after he was prevented from marrying the woman he loved.

Gyanendra was at the centre of many conspiracy theories linking him to the killings.

  
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[chottala.com] Vote in EU poll on biofuels

Health check on European agriculture to ensure the sector can keep up with growing demand in a sustainable way.

The EU commission is proposing new rules (20 May) aimed at enabling European agriculture to respond to growing demand for food and rising prices without compromising on environmental standards.

The commission wants to clear obstacles that hinder farmers from responding to market signals by :

  • abolishing the requirement for arable farmers to keep 10% of their land fallow
  • phasing out milk quotas by 2015
  • removing the remaining links between subsidies and specific products.

To ensure that these measures do not harm the environment, aid will come with various environmental conditions attached ("cross compliance").

To coincide with this agricultural policy "health check", the commission has produced an analysis of the reasons behind the surge in food prices and its impact – especially on the poorest. It proposes a three-fold policy response.

The price increase is the result of structural factors including a rise in global demand and the increased cost of energy, but also temporary factors such as the falling  US dollar and export restrictions in some countries.

While the "health check" will counter rising food prices in the short-term by stimulating European production, long-term measures including more coordinated international cooperation and investment in agricultural research are also required.

Summing up the situation, president Barroso said, "The European Union has reacted rapidly to the sudden surge in food prices. We are dealing with a problem that has many root causes and many consequences. So we need to act on several fronts at the same time to address them."

To make sure its biofuels policy does not drive food prices higher, the EU will impose strict sustainability criteria and require new generations of biofuels to be commercially viable.

 

Syed Siful Alam Shovan
shovan1209@yahoo.com




GREENPEACE
ACTION ALERT
EU Biofuels Poll

Dear Friends,

There's a poll today on the European Commission website you might like to participate in right now: " Should the EU stick to its target to reach 10% biofuels by 2020?"

Greenpeace and the environmental movement's answer is clearly "No".

Emerging research shows that it is most probably not possible to produce 10% of the EU's transport fuel from crops in an ecologically sound way. There's a high risk that such a target (10% by 2020) will lead to enormous pressure on increasingly scarce land, and detrimental environmental and social effects, such as massive deforestation, a sharp increase in the use of GMO's and the shift from food production for the poor to car fuel production for the rich.

Furthermore, the Commission's proposal for biofuels sustainability criteria are -- put simply -- a joke. Let's send a clear "No" message now

Industry would use a "yes" result in this e-poll to say there is public support for their goals, when clearly there is not. It's only an online poll, but we've got to win it. Please vote and pass the message on, by email, IM, facebook or whatever way you can.

Many thanks,

Everyone at Greenpeace


To no longer receive these messages, please send a blank email to: unsub-kbmbklimokvlxr@email.greenpeace.org
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[chottala.com] Mr. Sabihuddin Ahmed passed away

Please let every one know that Mr.Sabihuddin Ahmed passed away at 3:35 AM in the morning.
The janaja prayer will be held at 1:30PM at the MCC.
Here is the address:
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Phone#: 301-384-3454

Thanks.
tariq


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[chottala.com] On a wrong road, turn back!

Important documents of the barge-mounted power plant graft case against former premier and seven others have been found eaten up by termites. Is the destruction of the documents deliberate or caused by negligence? No matter how far the military backed caretaker government and its associates have gone on a wrong road, turn back!
 
Gopal Sengupta
Canada
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