Banner Advertise

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

[chottala.com] India can open consulate in Lhasa: Chinese official



India can open consulate in Lhasa: Chinese official

LHASA: More than 40 years after bad blood between India and China closed down the Indian consulate in Tibetan capital Lhasa, a Chinese foreign ministry official says New Delhi can re-open it any time it wants.

"India can set up a consulate in Lhasa," said Jujian Hua, director at Tibet's Foreign Affairs Office. "That depends on India."

With the 13th round of border talks between India and China resuming in New Delhi earlier this month, Beijing is emphasizing that it wants improved relations with its southern neighbour.

"The (resumption of) cross-border talks between China and India represents a great step in the relationship between the two countries," Jujian told a visiting IANS correspondent.

"The two governments started communication several years ago in terms of trade and culture. The local government (of Tibet) has attached great importance to trade, culture and tradition (exchanges), including tourism."

According to him, tourism has greatly increased with more than 12,000 Indian pilgrims visiting Tibet this year to circumambulate Mt Kailash, the 6,638m Himalayan peak in Tibet's Nari province that is venerated by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains alike.

"Deepening the bilateral relationship really depends on India," the official said.

"Between friends, we should communicate more so that our relationship is strengthened. The central government of China and the Tibet Autonomous Region have a very positive attitude."

However, the official rued that New Delhi has several times refused visa to Chinese delegates.

"Several trade and cultural delegations (headed for India) didn't get visas," he said.

According to him, even a month ago, a trade delegation headed by the vice-governor of Tibet was refused visa by the Indian authorities.

Though officials stop short of spelling it out, the major irritant in India-China ties is the presence of the Dalai Lama and his 'government-in-exile' in India's Dharamsala town.

China officially calls the exiled former ruler of Tibet a separatist and his 'government' illegal and it is clear that exchanges between the two governments could improve remarkably if India closes down the 'government-in-exile', just as Nepal closed the office of the Dalai Lama's envoy in Kathmandu four years ago.

"The 'government-in-exile' is not in line with international laws," says Angpu Gejyuan, vice-director of the Religion and Nationalities Committee.

"No government admits such exiled governments. China and India are two ancient civilisations. We want the Indian government to do that which benefits the relationship and friendship between the two countries."

The Indian consulate in Lhasa was closed following the tumult in Tibet beginning from the 1950s after China annexed the former Buddhist kingdom and the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India following a failed uprising in 1959.

Three years later, China attacked India and the Indian consulate in
Lhasa was closed.

At present, Nepal is the only country to be allowed a consulate in Lhasa, the Forbidden City. Though there have been rapid changes in Nepal's own political scenario, its successive governments, though diverse, have upheld the same foreign policy that considers Tibet, along with Taiwan, to be an integral and inalienable part of China.

As memories of the 1962 war faded, India was allowed to open a consulate in Shanghai last year besides the embassy in Beijing, and then Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a second consulate at Guangzhou, a diplomatic concession for which India in turn gave China permission to re-open the Chinese Consulate in Kolkata that had been closed after the 1962 war.

Besides India, the US is also seeking to open a consulate in Lhasa. In May, the Foreign Affairs Committee at the US House of Representatives passed a bill authorising the Secretary of State to establish a consulate in Lhasa.

US President Barack Obama will visit China in November when he is expected to push for the new consulate.

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/china/India-can-open-consulate-in-Lhasa-Chinese-official-/articleshow/4932642.cms

 

More Stories from this section

 

India can reopen consulate in Lhasa:Chinese foreign ministry official Phayul

India has not sought to open consulate in Lhasa

Tibetan Review - ‎23 minutes ago‎
(TibetanReview.net, Aug26, 2009) China is reported to have agreed to allow India to open a Consulate in Tibet's capital Lhasa. "India can set up a consulate ...

 



__._,_.___


[* Moderator�s Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[chottala.com] China should break up India into 20-30 states:Chinese strategist



Amusing, boisterous, convivial, diverting, enjoyable, funny, and entertaining part
of the story is:
 
China can give political support to Bangladesh enabling the latter to
Bangladesh enabling the latter to encourage ethnic Bengalis in India
to get rid of Indian control and unite with Bangladesh as one Bengali
nation; if the same is not possible, creation of at least another free
Bengali nation state as a friendly neighbour of Bangladesh, would be
desirable, for the purpose of weakening India's expansion and threat
aimed at forming a 'unified South Asia'. [internet]
 
FYI: China has abandoned the POLICY OF EXPORT OF REVOLUTION 
almost 3 decades ago.The People's Republic of China is now RIPE FOR
CAPITALIST REVOLUTION from within...... More and more China is becoming
PRAGMATIC cousin of  former USSR......
Seeds of private enterprizes are everywhere.  Thousands of capitalist flowers are
blooming in China. Now MONEY TALKS in China ...... Mao's China is now on the
way back to CAPITALISM in a ZIKZAK path ... The People's Republic of China
will definately erect the banner that CAPITALIST  SYSTEM IS THE END OF
HISTORY for MANKIND.........  sooner or later thousands of Tiananmen Square
uprising will usher a Great Leap Forward towards capitalist democracy in
China.
"The ", also known as the "Statue of Liberty", was carved by students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and erected in the Square.
"The "Goddess of Democracy", also known as the "Statue of Liberty", was carved by students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and erected in the Square.
 
A multi-national state, China is composed of 56 ethnic groups:
 
File:China ethnolinguistic 83.jpg
 
 The so-called Chinese strategist must be a weirdo living in a fools paradaise. I am sure,
People's Republic of China has attained enough maturity of not to throw stones at India,
while itself living in a Glass House.
HISTORICAL PROGNOSIS:
At the end  of the day China and India will live as peaceful & friendly neighbours like
Canada and USA. [It is just a matter of time ...Remember, Beijing's unofficial Olympic
slogan: 
"One World, One Dream,"  ]
 
SA
 
Related:
 

Calls for transparency in China ethnic riot trials

Radio Australia - Zulfikar Abbany - ‎16 hours ago‎
... say, and we've seen sort of pressure here in Australia, with a visit and the appearance of the Uighur leader, Rabiya Kadeer, for instance. ...
 
Rabiya Kadeer punches
welcomes Rabiya Kadeer
leader Rabiya Kadeer
 
 
welcomes Rabiya Kadeer
 
[Click on the photos to read details]
 

Chinese Officials Deny Reports About Ethnic Rioting Trials

New York Times - Edward Wong, Jonathan Ansfield - ‎6 hours ago‎
In the days afterward, Han vigilantes armed with sticks and knives went into Uighur neighborhoods to exact revenge. Uighurs in Urumqi say the government has ...
Times Online - findingDulcinea

India can open consulate in Lhasa: Chinese official

Times of India - ‎9 hours ago‎

"India can set up a consulate in Lhasa," said Jujian Hua, director at Tibet's Foreign Affairs Office. "That depends on India." With the 13th round of border ...
On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 1:06 AM, Enayet Hossain <enayeth111@yahoo.com> wrote:
 
Breaking India is not such an easy task that Chaina can do whatever it likes. China maintains very conservative international relations with other countries/nations; whereas USA the counterpart of China provokes and threats other countries openly. China's policy is that other oppressed countries/nations should know their problems and solve themselves and they may seek help from China and it may or may not come forward with helping advocacy.
 
Bangladesh since 2009 is on the way of depreciating the defense mechanism and if it continues for 4/5 years more it may cease to resist aggression from outside. Bangladesh has a good friend to enjoy this diminishing defense line, but there is none to express sympathy for Bangladesh. In this situation China can play a vital role to strengthen the defense of Bangladesh to consolidate its border security and sovereignty. From Bangladesh side we need brave leadership to deal defense strategy with China and also with USA.
 
MH 
On 8/10/09, Salahuddin Ayubi <s_ayubi786@yahoo.com> wrote:
I think that this can be the best solution for all south asian countries incliding what is now India. My prayers and blessings are with the Chinese. Such a huge country in south asia is incompatinle with realities of the region/
                 Ayubi
--- On Mon, 8/10/09, M.B.I. Munshi <MBIMunshi@gmail.com> wrote:
From: M.B.I. Munshi <MBIMunshi@gmail.com>
Subject: China should break up India into 20-30 states: Chinese strategist

Date: Monday, August 10, 2009, 6:49 PM


 

China should break up India into 20-30 states: Chinese strategist

 

IANS – August 10, 2009

 

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) In an article likely to raise Indian hackles, a Chinese strategist contends that Beijing should break up India into 20-30 independent states with the help of 'friendly countries' like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

The publication of the article nearly coincided with the 13th round of India-China border talks that ended in New Delhi Saturday on a positive note, with Beijing emphasizing the need to build strategic trust and elevate strategic partnership to a new level to include coordination on global issues.

Written in Chinese, the article, 'If China takes a little action, the so-called Great Indian Federation can be broken up,' is published in the new edition of the website of the China International Institute for Strategic Studies (CIISS), an influential think tank that advises Beijing on global and strategic issues.

According to D.S. Rajan, director of the Chennai Centre for China Studies, Chennai, Zhan Lue, the author of the article, argues that the 'so-called' Indian nation cannot be considered as one having existed in history as it relies primarily on Hindu religion for unity.

The article says that India could only be termed a 'Hindu religious state' that is based on caste exploitation and which is coming in the way of modernisation.

The writer goes on to argue that with these caste cleavages in mind, China in its own interest and the progress of whole of Asia should join forces with 'different nationalities' like Assamese, Tamils and Kashmiris and support them in establishing independent nation states of their own.

In particular, the article asks Beijing to support the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), a militant separatist group in the Indian northeast, to it achieve independence for Assam from India .

Furthermore, the article suggests that China can give political support to Bangladesh to encourage ethnic Bengalis in India get rid of 'Indian control' and unite with Bangladesh as one Bengali nation.

If this is not possible, the creation of at least another free Bengali nation state as a friendly neighbour of Bangladesh would be desirable for the purpose of weakening India's expansion and threat aimed at forming a 'unified South Asia', the article argues.

The article recommends India's break up into 20-30 nation-states like in Europe and contends that if the consciousness of 'nationalities' in India could be aroused, social reforms in South Asia can be achieved, the caste system can be eradicated and the region can march towards prosperity.

The Chinese strategist suggests that to split India , China can seek support of friendly countries including Pakistan , Nepal and Bhutan .

China should encourage Bangladesh to give a push to the independence of West Bengal and recover the 90,000 sq km territory in Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls Southern Tibet , says Rajan who has analysed the article for the Chennai-based think tank.

'The write-up could not have been published without the permission of the Chinese authorities, but it is sure that Beijing will wash its hands out of this if the matter is taken up by New Delhi,' says Rajan.

'It has generally been seen that China is speaking in two voices - its diplomatic interlocutors have always shown understanding in their dealings with their Indian counterparts, but its media is pouring venom on India ,' says Rajan.

Which one to believe is a question confronting the public opinion and even policy makers in India, Rajan says, adding that ignoring such an article will 'prove to be costly' for India.

http://in.news. yahoo.com/ 43/20090810/ 812/tnl-china- should-break- up-india- into-20.html

 
.




__._,_.___


[* Moderator�s Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[chottala.com] Abundant Faith, Shrinking Space: Mosques Turn to Synagogues, Ballrooms to Accommodate Growing Membership



Abundant Faith, Shrinking Space: Mosques Turn to Synagogues, Ballrooms to Accommodate Growing Membership

By William Wan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 22, 2009

They stream in through the doors every Friday -- a sea of Muslims pouring into a synagogue in Reston.

The men roll out long prayer rugs on the synagogue floor. An imam stands up front and praises Allah. And as the faithful begin whispering their prayers in flowing Arabic, their landlord, a rabbi, walks by to check whether they need anything.

This unlikely arrangement between a burgeoning Muslim congregation and a suburban synagogue is what happens when you combine the region's rapidly growing Muslim population with a serious shortage of worship space.

As area mosques prepare for the start of Ramadan this weekend, many are simply bursting at the seams. Every available inch -- even in lobbies and hallways -- is being used. Parking is impossible. Traffic afterward is worse than postgame gridlock at FedEx Field.

Nobody knows how many Muslims are in America -- estimates range from 2.35 million to 7 million -- but researchers say the population is growing rapidly, driven by conversions, immigration and the tendency for Muslims to have larger families. One study by Trinity College in Connecticut shows the percentage nationwide having doubled since 1990. In the Washington area, the increase might be even sharper, local Muslim leaders say.

A building boom has brought new mosques to suburbs such as Manassas and Ellicott City, but many have been full from the moment they opened. So, desperate for room, Muslim communities have started renting hotel ballrooms, office space and, yes, even synagogues to handle the overflow.

"We say our prayers, and a few hours later they meet for Sabbath and they say their prayers," said Rizwan Jaka, a leader at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) mosque in Sterling, which added services at two synagogues last year. "People may think it's strange or odd, but we are simply grateful for the space."

The extra room will prove crucial this weekend with the beginning of Ramadan -- a month of fasting that often draws hundreds to mosques in addition to regular members. Anticipating the throngs, many mosques have hired off-duty police and rallied volunteers to handle the traffic.

"Just like you have Easter Christians, Hanukkah Jews, we have what we call Ramadan Muslims. They just come out of the woodwork on the holy days," said Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, outreach director at the Dar Al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church.

Last year at the height of Ramadan, Abdul-Malik had to turn many away to avoid violating occupancy rules, which limit his mosque to 2,000 worshipers. When asked how many he expects this year, the imam chooses his words carefully: "I'd rather not say because of the fire marshal."

Things weren't always so tight.

The ADAMS mosque -- which now rents space in two hotels and a wedding hall along with the two synagogues -- began in 1985 in a Herndon school cafeteria with a handful of Muslims. But since 2000, its numbers have swelled from 300 people to 4,000 attending services throughout Northern Virginia on Friday afternoons, a sacred time for prayer and sermons.

At first, leaders tried adding two Friday prayer times at the Sterling mosque. Then they created overflow rooms upstairs and downstairs. They designated choice parking spots "HOV-only" to encourage carpooling, expanded the parking lot and constructed a second entrance.

But none of it was enough.

As they looked for a place to expand in Reston, members of Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation learned of their plight. Although some in the congregation had reservations about leasing space for Islamic services, longtime members recalled that a Catholic church opened its doors to them years before they had built their synagogue. Their rabbi weighed in with biblical support.

"The prophet Isaiah said our houses would be houses of prayer for all people," said Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk. "Now, I don't know if Isaiah could have imagined us hosting Ramadan in the synagogue, but the basic idea is there."

It turned out to be relatively easy. Their new Muslims friends didn't need much: wide-open space, carpet to cushion the floor and a place for their shoes. The synagogue's social hall suited them perfectly.

The arrangement has led to the unexpected benefit of cultural exchange. There have been pulpit swaps, with the imam and rabbi preaching to each other's congregation and interfaith visits as well.

David Fram, 72, who sings in the synagogue's choir, was recently invited to the Sterling mosque for daily prayers. It was an amazing, if somewhat awkward, experience. "I didn't know quite what to do; there was a lot of bending and kneeling in their prayers," he said.

Standing quietly in the back of the prayer hall, Fram decided to simply bow his head in reverence. He ate lunch ("some kind of spicy meat and rice") afterward. And a few weeks later, he found himself at Barnes & Noble buying a Koran, out of curiosity.

"It's not like the U.N. here. We're not looking to draft some final settlement agreement between Israel and Palestine," Nosanchuk said. "But we're learning from each other, and we're trying to give them the space they need and make them feel at home."

ADAMS and other congregations are unlikely to solve their space problems anytime soon because of the long lag time usually required for new mosques. Because the Koran prohibits borrowing money at interest, congregations don't use bank loans for construction. Instead, they fundraise over many years and then pay in cash.

The process can be excruciating.

It took Muslims in Prince William County 10 years before they accumulated enough money for a new home. While they waited, they crammed into a one-story house off Route 234. Each week, they somehow fit 50 cars into a space meant for 20. When services got too full, people knelt outside and prayed on the grass.

Women working minimum-wage jobs donated their family's jewelry to the new-mosque fund. When construction finally began in 2004, families often drove out to the site just to watch and dream about a future of plentiful parking and prayer space.

But it wasn't meant to be.

Almost as soon as the new mosque, Dar Al-Noor, opened three years ago during Ramadan, the building was packed with 1,200 people. So this year throughout Ramadan, members will continue praying and fundraising for further expansion, said the community's president, Mohammad Mehboob.

"We are a community with many people but not so much money," Mehboob said. "But Allah has always provided for us. It's amazing we have this mosque now, and, inshallah, we will continue to build and grow."

Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report
 
 
Photos:
 
 

Mosques Turn to Synagogues, Ballrooms to Accommodate Growing ...

Washington Post - William Wan - ‎Aug 22, 2009‎
So, desperate for room, Muslim communities have started renting hotel ballrooms, office space and, yes, even synagogues to handle the overflow. ...


__._,_.___


[* Moderator�s Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___