The public airing during Hillary Clinton's recent visit to India of the differences between Obama Administration and the Indian Government on climate change has served to highlight the continued divide between developed world and the advanced developing countries like China, Brazil and India. The exchange has also resulted in greater media attention and scrutiny of India's stance on ways of combating climate change and its opposition to binding obligations on carbon emission cuts.
Jon Anderson examines (what he calls) India's paradox of going green without any carbon limits in the Boston Environmental Policy Examiner. He explains how India is opting for more investment in green renewable sources of energy rather than emission cuts as way to tackle the menace of climate change. He argues that in light of India's burgeoning energy needs, the quest for energy security is the primary drive (and a better pitch) for the shift from carbon-based energy to renewable sources of energy. The toughest challenge however for India, he warns, would be to generate sufficient funds for investment in the cleaner but expensive renewable sources.
R. Ramachandran emphasises on the utility of the Singh Convergence Principle (Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's proposal in Heiligendamm G8 Summit 2007 that India's Per Capita Emission (PCE) shall never exceed that of industrialised countries) as a potential compromise to break the current impasse over emission cuts. He argues that countries like India and China (with significant total carbon emissions) must shoulder more responsibility on the climate change front (particularly as their citizenry will inevitably bear the ecological and economic impact of climate change). However, he feels that Singh Convergence Principle would impose meaningful restraints on carbon emission (albeit contingent on emission cuts by the developed world).
He avers:
"On the one hand, it forces developed countries to cut their emissions and, on the other, takes India on a low carbon path. It automatically constrains India’s emissions if the developed countries are serious about cutting their emissions. Thus the SCP serves to deflect fingers pointing at India for not cutting down on emissions even as it demonstrates the country’s seriousness of intent. Based as it is on per capita emissions, it also reflects the national position of equal access for all to the atmospheric commons."
Jeremy Carl, on the other hand, argues in Indian Express that a cap on the emission intensity (emission per unit of GDP) may be a more realistic target. He also expresses his optimism about the prospects of jointly funded clean energy development and joint collaboration on environmental regulation and management (measures mooted by Jairam Ramesh, the Indian Environmental Minister).
The complete lack of discussion over the Singh Convergence Principle is a telling indictment of the character of debate over emission cuts. Both sides of the divide - governments of both the developed and the developing countries have been more interested in passing off the buck rather than assume responsibility. The Convergence Principle offer a way of restraining emissions in developing countries (where binding emission cuts are simply beyond the realm of political feasibility). However, the reluctance of developed countries to accept to this modest proposal betrays their own lack of sincerity and political will on emission cuts.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, September 1, 2008
Critical Irregularities by the Anti-Terrorist Squad in Lucknow
ATS resorts to terror tactics
Dr Sandeep Pandey
[From Daily South Asian]
Rajasthan Police accompanied by Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police raided the house of Shahbaz Hussain, arrested in connection with blasts in Jaipur and now on Police remand there, in Molviganj, Lucknow for search past midnight on 29 August 2008 and house and office today, 30 August 2008, in the afternoon.
Shahbaz used to stay at his father-in-law Abdul Moid's house along with his wife and three little children. The police took away all literature present in the house including newspapers, a cheque for Rs 15,000 in the name of 'Zyna Computers' given by one the students and Rs 1000 cash from the p urse of Shahbaz's wife Shadaf. Shahbaz used to run a computer training centre and a consultancy.
Today they took away a battery from the house and made Abdul Moid (father-in-law) sign on three blank papers. Upon receiving this information from Abdul Moid's son some of us rushed to the shop where the search was going on.
When we enquired from the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy SP) Sangram Singh, who had come for conducting the search operations from Rajasthan, about the purpose of getting Abdul Moid's signature on blank papers, he said they were going to draw the map of house and office on them. He didn't explain what the third paper will be used for. When we requested him to give a copy of what is written or drawn on these sheets of paper to Abdul Moid he told us to come to the ATS office after a couple of hours.
When Abdu l Moid and myself reached ATS office, the officer from Rajasthan was gone. We insisted that we would like to speak to the officer in-charge. When we communicated the purpose of our being there to this officer, who came out to see us at the reception, he particularly got mad at the charge Rs 1000 being taken away from Abdul Moid's house. He raised his voice and said we were accusing him of theft. I suggested him not to raise his voice. He could have simply denied the charge. On this he ordered his men to throw us out of the office. I protested and said that he cannot take somebody's signature on blank piece of paper.
After this we were abused and pushed out of the premises of ATS office by his men. The ATS and Rajasthan Police are obviously busy concocting evidence and using their unlimited powers arrogantly. Whether Shahbaz was involved in the Jaipur blasts or not will be decided by the investigation and the judicial process but the high handed behaviour of police and ATS makes one suspect of how they implicate people.
Contact of Abdul Moid: 9792439090
Dr Sandeep Pandey
(The author is a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee (2002) for emergent leadership, heads the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and did his PhD from University of California, Berkeley in control theory which is applicable in missile technology. He taught at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur before devoting his life to strengthening people's movements. He can be contacted at: ashaashram@yahoo.com)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Demand for UN Intervention over the Naga Question in the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
The Naga People Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) raised the issue of a just and honourable settlement of the political demands of the Naga National Movement in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and called upon the UN Special Rapporteur to visit the Naga areas.
Athili Sapriina, executive member of the NPMHR, in a statement to the 7th session of the Permanent Forum on May 2, urged agencies like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) that having a direct bearing on the people, to undertake a more participatory process "in planning, implementation and monitoring of projects, which otherwise gives primacy to the Nation States which refuses to involve Indigenous Peoples."
Athili Sapriina, executive member of the NPMHR, in a statement to the 7th session of the Permanent Forum on May 2, urged agencies like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) that having a direct bearing on the people, to undertake a more participatory process "in planning, implementation and monitoring of projects, which otherwise gives primacy to the Nation States which refuses to involve Indigenous Peoples."
Saturday, April 26, 2008
High Court Stays Proceedings against Security Personnel in Kashmir
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir stayed criminal proceedings against five army men accused of involvement in killing of a cleric in Banihal.
Non-bailable warrants had been issued by the Sessions Court, Srinagar against the accused soldiers for killing Showkat Ahmad Kataria in November 2006. Five policemen have already been arrested in connection with the killing of Kataria while the five Army personnel have not attended any hearing in the case.
Kashmir Times reports that the prosecution had pleaded that since the killing was not in the line of duty, the armed forces personnel were not entitled to immunity against prosecution available under the much maligned Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
The High Court accepted the contention of the Union Government that the Chattisinghpora Case that revolves an identical is already pending before the Supreme Court India. Therefore, the High Court should wait for a final verdict from the Apex Court before proceeding with the current case.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Demand for a National Policy on Displaced Persons in India
Human Rights Watch has urged the Indian Government to formulate a comprehensive policy on internally displaced persons, in consultation with displaced persons.
In a statement condemning the forced eviction of indigenous persons by Forest Department in Khammam and Warangal districts of Andhra Pradesh, the international rights body came down heavily on the state-sponsored counter-insurgency drive, Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh. The release noted that escalation of tensions in the state has led to forced migration of between 30, 000 to 50, 000 villagers to Andhra Pradesh.
Human Rights Watch investigations in November and December 2007 found that most villagers had fled to Andhra Pradesh because of attacks by Salwa Judum and police. Once in neighboring Andhra Pradesh, many of these displaced persons settled in reserved forest areas. Saying these settlements are illegal, the authorities have without prior notice or due process repeatedly burned down the hamlets of hundreds of displaced persons, forcibly evicting them from forest lands.
For an overview of the state of internally displaced persons in India, please check Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.
In a statement condemning the forced eviction of indigenous persons by Forest Department in Khammam and Warangal districts of Andhra Pradesh, the international rights body came down heavily on the state-sponsored counter-insurgency drive, Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh. The release noted that escalation of tensions in the state has led to forced migration of between 30, 000 to 50, 000 villagers to Andhra Pradesh.
Human Rights Watch investigations in November and December 2007 found that most villagers had fled to Andhra Pradesh because of attacks by Salwa Judum and police. Once in neighboring Andhra Pradesh, many of these displaced persons settled in reserved forest areas. Saying these settlements are illegal, the authorities have without prior notice or due process repeatedly burned down the hamlets of hundreds of displaced persons, forcibly evicting them from forest lands.
For an overview of the state of internally displaced persons in India, please check Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Unified Command: The New Face of Militarization in Chattisgarh
In spite of the widespread resentment in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam against it, the example of Unified Command is now being replicated in Chhattisgarh.
The Hindu reports:
"A Unified Command comprising officials of the Centre and the State governments will tackle the naxalite menace in Chhattisgarh, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil announced on Thursday night. It was decided to have a Unified Command, as in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, led by the Chief Minister, to have a better coordination between State and Central forces to deal with the menace, Mr. Patil told reporters at the Raj Bhawan after a meeting on the problem.
To avoid a situation of the State forces working under Central forces or vice versa, it was decided to put the command under the Chief Minister, he said. "
Setting up of a yet another Unified Command even after its strong condemnation by Justice Saikia Commission in Assam betray the scarce concern of the government for rule of law and primacy of civil administration over the armed forces.
It must be noted that Justice K.N. Saikia Commission, which probed the secret killings that rocked Assam between 1998 and 2001, had been very critical of the role of the Unified Command and the Indian armed forces in the killings. It had stated:
“The Army was ubiquitous…By Army, we mean the armed forces of the Union deployed in Assam in aid of civil power.” The report also said there was “general resentment” against the Unified Command Structure/Chief Minister and recommended that the Government must first keep in “abeyance and then gradually dismantle” the Unified Command structure of the Army, the Assam Police and the Central paramilitary forces as an immediate measure to prevent recurrence of such killings.”
The Hindu reports:
"A Unified Command comprising officials of the Centre and the State governments will tackle the naxalite menace in Chhattisgarh, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil announced on Thursday night. It was decided to have a Unified Command, as in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, led by the Chief Minister, to have a better coordination between State and Central forces to deal with the menace, Mr. Patil told reporters at the Raj Bhawan after a meeting on the problem.
To avoid a situation of the State forces working under Central forces or vice versa, it was decided to put the command under the Chief Minister, he said. "
Setting up of a yet another Unified Command even after its strong condemnation by Justice Saikia Commission in Assam betray the scarce concern of the government for rule of law and primacy of civil administration over the armed forces.
It must be noted that Justice K.N. Saikia Commission, which probed the secret killings that rocked Assam between 1998 and 2001, had been very critical of the role of the Unified Command and the Indian armed forces in the killings. It had stated:
“The Army was ubiquitous…By Army, we mean the armed forces of the Union deployed in Assam in aid of civil power.” The report also said there was “general resentment” against the Unified Command Structure/Chief Minister and recommended that the Government must first keep in “abeyance and then gradually dismantle” the Unified Command structure of the Army, the Assam Police and the Central paramilitary forces as an immediate measure to prevent recurrence of such killings.”
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