Desicritics Author: Vijay Sappani

Northern Ireland : Peace Will Prevail

Vijay Sappani — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:42:10 EDT

The recent attack on soldiers in Northern Ireland is a shameful act of terror that is motivated by sheer hatred to divide and create a rift between the Protestants and Catholics, who have learnt to put their past behind them and live in peace.

The immediate reaction of the public is an example of how societies should learn to adapt and develop learning from the past. Thousands of them have taken to the streets against the criminals and people on both sides of the fence are united in their fight against the detractors whose only goal is to break the civic harmony that now exists in N.Ireland and create havoc.

The "defiance and determination" of people to "stand up to the evil of criminal violence" is the begging of the end of those who pursue violence as a means to communicate their grievance. The resilience seen among the people of Northern Ireland to oppose the hatred feelings of a select few to return to their violent past should be an example to civilian population in Middle East, war torn Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kashmir and many other regions affected by violent conflict.

Nothing can be achieved through violence and nothing can not be achieved through peaceful negotiations. You just need to try enough and be patient. Let us not forget that the biggest hero's of the world are Gandhiji, Mandela, Martin L.King, Dalai Lama, Aung suu Kyi and not the self proclaimed leaders of groups that use violence including state leaders of Iran, Sri Lanka, Burma, N.Korea.

We can not predict the future, but if we can learn from history, then we know what has worked. Peace will prevail in N.Ireland because the people are smarter than the terrorists and they will not fall to their trap - again. Never.

CUPE Canada is Anti Peace and Pro-Hate

Vijay Sappani — Sun, 1 Mar 2009 01:28:17 EST

I am disappointed with CUPE and Sid Ryan for their anti-Semitic action against Israeli Universities. In a conflict there is always difference of opinion. There is death, destruction and havoc in the lives of millions of civilians like we see in the Israel- Palestine conflict. Many of us hope to see an end to the conflict and bring permanent peace to the region.

The crisis is geographical, religious and historical that most of them are biased towards their side, making it difficult. It is always expected that those in academia have cooler heads and the best place to preach peace are educational institutions on both sides of the border.

CUPE is attacking the very nerve that can bring peace to the region. Instead of calling for a boycott, CUPE should encourage more collaborations with Israeli and other universities in the middle east. We should encourage joint chairs in our universities with those in Israel and middle east.

CUPE should foster peace, love and learning , not hatred, war and anti-Semitism. Maybe Sid Ryan should attend one of the events at Shalom-Salaam and learn from them. If you can't help bring peace, don't at least hurt.

A Genocide Sri Lanka is Proud to Talk About on Camera

Vijay Sappani — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 07:22:50 EST

This is a Shocking Video. The Sri Lankan defence minister who in the past has attacked media personal for writing against the government human rights violations, threatened to throw out diplomats, BBC, CNN for reporting the facts about the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka has now gone on camera to say that " attacking hospitals that are in rebel area are fine and they are legitimate targets even if they full of civilians"

Now how do you expect the Tamil civilians to cross over to the Government side when the racist Sinhalese openly vow to annihilate the Tamil race on camera. How do you expect the LTTE to lay down their arms and sit down for talks with the SriLankan government, when they say it is OK to target hospitals full of injured civilians from the government shelling.

It is these very same racists who called Allan Rock a 'white Tiger' because he exposed human rights violations by the government during his trip to that country when he was with UN.

A genocide SriLanka is proud to talk about on camera from Senthu on Vimeo.

Ram and Allah Will Stand United Against This

Vijay Sappani — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 06:59:49 EST

The Taleban in Pakistan and Afghanistan have been attacking girls and girls schools in a country where even the leader of a leading political party, Benazir Bhutto was a woman and was killed for it. Worse they do all these in the name of God. God said this, God said that, God did this, God did that, what ever.

I have spent nearly half my life volunteering on education projects and lot of it with girl child development and every time I read a news piece like this, it really hurts. The literacy rate of girls in Pakistan is said to be around 12% and with the current situation it will only get worse in rural and border areas of Pakistan where Taleban and other militant group operate. If this continues to happen,Pakistan as a society will crumble with increasing inequalities between men and women , urban and rural divide. Women in Pakistan have so far enjoyed among the best status in Islamic nations and a lot of it has to do with its education system. the Taleban are not just attacking women, but the very chord that has made Pakistan a nation of relative strength in the Islamic world. These monsters need to be stopped and the hope for it lies more in the hands of the people than in the hands of corrupt politicians. The lawyers strike is a great example of a people's movement that brought change and Pakistan need another grass root movement to keep their girls in school, so that another Benazir Bhutto can come.

Now these jerks are not alone. On the other side of the border, a bunch of jerks trying to get attention(and are rightfully doing it so) attacked women in a bar in Mangalore, India. A never heard of group calling itself Ram Sena attacked women in a bar because they think it affects India's moral and cultural values. The politicians want to write this off as an odd one off incident, but the media and public did not do so. New wealth has lead to new ways for the youth to spend their money and more demand for entertainment for young people. Nearly half of India's booming IT, telecom, call centre's employees are women, giving them a new found source of financial freedom. India's economy continues to boom attracting new investors trying to win a share of the lucrative entertainment market leading to big events on valentines, friendship day, New years eve etc that has become an attractive target for right wing Hindu radicals. These kind of attacks were unheard of a decade back, bu then these kind of celebrations were barely known either. What is most ridiculous is that these monsters do it in the name of God.

Different countries, different religions, different ideologies, different intensity, but the same issue. These monsters use the name of God to justify their inferiority complex and attack women who want to be free and liberated and rightfully do so, whether that be go to a school to read or to a bar to enjoy.

Sweeping these issues under the carpet is not the solution, standing up to these jerks and forcing the politicians to crush these monsters is what we need to do and I hope will be done so.

Dining with the Terrorists - Phil Rees in Sri Lanka

Vijay Sappani — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:44:38 EST

Award winning journalist Phil Rees is popularly known for his series called dining with the terrorists. Phil has made a recent video on the situation in Sri Lanka . The video is 10 minutes long and gives a good historical perspective of how consecutive Sinhalese governments have handled rebellion by the Sinhalese and Tamils. It has an interview with the current president Mahinda Rajapaksa now and in 1988 when he is clearly seen to be sympathetic to the Sinhalese JVP rebels fighting against the then Sri Lankan government. He is also clearly anti-India, when he hails India as his best friend today.

It also has an interview with Suresh Premachandran, a Tamil MP in Sri Lanka who gave up arms decades back to choose the democratic path. He is clearly frustrated with the process and wants to give it up, which is sad.

We want to convince the Tamil rebels and the Sri Lankan government to get to the negotiation table and resolve their grievances without violence and more deaths in that island nation, but when we see people who gave up violence to choose the democratic path wanting to go back, it is very sad.

Canada can and should play a role in Sri Lanka in convincing both the warring groups to find a political solution outside the battle ground in the best interest of the civilians. Canada should appoint a special envoy and form a non partisan group of advisers on the Sri Lankan issue to work with UN, the Tokyo Co- chairs and India to bring a permanent peaceful resolution to the conflict.

What Does Slumdog Do For The Real Slumdogs In Dharavi

Vijay Sappani — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:06:53 EST

I liked it, in fact I loved it. Slumdog Millionaire is a true adaptation of reality in the slums of Dharavi, one of the biggest slums in the world, in a city that houses some of the richest billionaires in the world too. The movie won 8 Oscars, made millions in revenue and opened to the eyes of the world to reality of life in a slum. What's next ?

Here is a video of a real kid from a slum in India showing his linguistic skills and here is in his teenage years, still doing the same thing. (HT - Currybear.com). This is reality for the children and very little change comes to them.

Politicians have come forward to rehouse the two children who still live in the slum to a housing colony, but nothing has been said or done about those thousands who still languish in the slum, not complaining but cheering for the success of Slum dog.

I was in India last December working with children in slum schools, part of my decade long initiative on right to basic education through my organization Asha for Education. In my experience, I have seen movies, actors, politicians come and go, but little has changed for the lives of the children in these slums from these people. About 65 millions Indians live in slums, almost a quarter of the urban population and more than one third of Mumbai residents live in slums. Now don't get me wrong, some of these slums have electricity, running water, TV's and even a few have computer centers. That is not the norm but the exception.

Its an irony that on the day of Slumdog winning 8 Oscars, India announced its next ambitious space project to send a manned mission in 2015 at a cost of $2.5 billion, a pittance to its growing wealth. It is great that India is doing it. while it is important that India grows in stride by sending satellites to Moon and Mars, it is also important to send their children to school, give them a chance to get a decent education so that the next generation at least does not have to languish in the slums. India's growth and prosperity will not come just with technological advancements, but its abilities to use them to bring people out of poverty and improve the quality of life for the millions who still in unacceptable conditions. It is important that the Indian diaspora, that is among the wealthiest and influential in the world, should hold India accountable for and contribute towards it through non governmental agencies.

These children don't need money, they need an opportunity for education to compete in the real world. They need skills that can get them a decent job. They don't need any one's sympathy, they just need a fair chance
and I think it is fair to say, we can do it!

The Crisis in Sri Lanka: Canada's Role

Vijay Sappani — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:52:23 EST

As Sri Lankan military forces try to overrun the last remaining strongholds of the LTTE rebel group (better known as the Tamil Tigers), how should Canada respond?

Canada once had a low-profile relationship with Sri Lanka. But that changed after the country's 1983 pogrom, when thousands of Tamils and Muslims were killed. More than 250,000 Sri Lankan Tamils have come to Canada as refugees since then, making Canada home to the largest Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in the world. Meanwhile, the Tigers -- who once controlled large swathes of the island nation -- have engaged in an on-again, off-again war with the Sri Lankan government. Understanding the history of this conflict is critical if Canada is to help develop a solution for the conflict.

Following its independence from Britain in 1948 (at which time the country was still known as Ceylon), Sri Lanka's Sinhalese-dominated government introduced several laws to institutionalize discrimination against the minority Tamil population. In 1972, Buddhism was made the primary religion of the state, and discriminatory laws were passed against religious minorities (most Tamils are Hindu). Sinhalese rioters during this period attacked temples and churches, killing hundreds. That led to the formation of many small Tamil militant groups, one of which was the Tamil Tigers.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the West paid only modest attention to Sri Lanka's internal conflict. But since 9/11, the country is seen in a different light. The Tigers -- a conventional military force that has perpetrated acts of terror -- have been banned in 31 countries, including Canada.

The Tigers and the Sri Lankan government have had several rounds of peace talks, but the guns remained truly silent only for a short while. In 2002, the two sides entered into peace talks brokered by Norway, with both parties agreeing to the establishment of an autonomous Tamil region in the northern part of the country. Unfortunately, both groups violated the terms of the agreement, and Sri Lanka finally called off the talks in January, 2008.

Since then, Sri Lanka's army has scored many battlefield victories. But ultimately, there can be no military solution to the conflict: Even if the Tigers lose all their bases, Sri Lanka's government will not be able to defeat the Tigers as a guerrilla force. In the meantime, civilians continue to be caught in the crossfire between a racist government and a rebel force that is militarily outgunned and shunned internationally.

If a negotiated political solution is to come about, the Tigers must clarify their acceptance of a Tamil nation within a united Sri Lanka, and commit to disarm. For its part, the government of Sri Lanka must agree to treat the country's Tamils in a more humane and equitable fashion. The current stage of the conflict -- in which an alarming number of civilians have died at the hands of government forces -- only reinforces Tamil concerns in this regard.

The international community must convince the Sri Lankan government and Tigers alike to arrive at a permanent resolution through peaceful negotiations. Canada could play an especially important role. In fact, our federal system (which could be a model for Sri Lanka) and our large Tamil diaspora makes us a credible candidate to lead the peace talks

The question is: Do we have an appetite to see the world beyond Iraq and Afghanistan? If so, this could be Canada's moment.

My Two Cents to Jason Kenney, Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism

Vijay Sappani — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:35:11 EST

Jason, You have done some good things with Immigration, but at the wrong time. I came to Canada as a student in 1999, when this country had dinosaur-like rules that made it extremely difficult for even the brightest to stay back. I had an executive job with UPS on my one year work permit and after that, the rules said that I need to go back to India to apply for my immigration and come back. Ridiculous as it may sound, that's what many of us went through and lost some bright potential immigrants to US, including many of my own batch mates.

The change was started by Joe Volpe and has been been slowly drifting in since then. Here are my thoughts to you on your new proposal.

"Canada is looking to Asia as well as India for potential students. Universities are happy to get them, he said, because foreign students are "a source of revenue" since they pay the highest tuition fees."

Jason, India is in Asia and I don't know what you mean by "Asia as well as India". Don't just look for students with deep pockets, but those with deep knowledge. If you want the best to stay in Canada then you need to bring the best. Foreign students are the best pool of potential immigrants to Canada (like me) and you want to attract those who will be "a source of intellect" and not just "a source of revenue"

The most important thing that you need when you go fishing is not the equipment, but to know where there is fish. Is Canada putting its resources in the right places in India, China or Russia. I don't think so. The most number of education and H-1B visas given by any US consulate is Chennai, India, where Canada has two people trade office. Get your priorities right and focus on Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi for international students. Learn from the Aussies, Americans, Brits and even New Zealand.

The tuition fees for International students are two- three times more than what Canadians pay. At a time of economic downturn around the world, it will be hard for many students to pay 10K plus in tuition fees per year. Make education affordable for International students, allow unlimited work time during studying. open work permit is great and helps students after graduation. You want to give a tuition fees break for the best and brightest, so that we can not only attract them, but convince them to stay back. Foreign students should be seen as a long term investment plan, not short term revenue gain.

Allow graduate and post graduate students from US schools to apply for work permits in their broad area of study in Canada. Some of the best students from India, China, Israel go to US for post graduate education and we should make it attractive and easy for them to work and immigrate to Canada. Tap them when they are in school in US.

Our points based system is not perfect and the time is now to can our existing system and come with a new model that suits the needs of Canada and our markets. Today, a MBA from Timbuktu is treated the same as a MBA from Harvard on the points system, but the market does not treat them the same. There is a lot, I can go on and on with my own experience in this country, but my wife just reminded me that its Sunday and get off the computer! So bye for now

India to Canada: Bring Dollars Not Guns

Vijay Sappani — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:13:34 EST

India's minister of Industry and commerce, Kamal Nath has called upon Canada for greater investment and participation in India's booming economy. Canada has not benefited from India's burgeoning market so far, but the prospects are getting better by the day. Indian companies have already started to invest in Canada in natural resources, IT, energy and other industries. Several Canadian companies like Sun Life, Bombadier, Aecon and Bata have been in India for long years and others are starting to follow.

Canada also got a slight in the media connected to the terror bombing in Ludhiana, Punjab. A statement released by the Punjab Police takes a swipe at Canada, that all media groups carried.

The Quick Reaction Team, an elite force of the Chandigarh police is now tackling terrorist activities fuelled and funded by groups abroad.
The Dixie Gurudwara in Canada has been a hub of pro-Khalistan elements for over a decade now. The support often translating into monetary help for terrorists.So the whole of Punjab was taken aback when Amarinder Singh on an official visit as Chief Minister in 2005 chose to address a gathering at this gurudwara.

''The whole world knew that terrorists get shelter in that gurdwara and it's being run by terrorists. When Amarinder was delivering his speech there, the slogan Khalistan zindabad was visible in the backdrop. The slogan essentially meant Punjab should be separated from India,'' said M S Bitta, Chairman, All India Anti Terrorist Front.

Support to Sikh terrorists from Canadian groups has been widely covered by National media in both countries but there seems to be no change in attitude from certain segments. It also well known that some MP's and MPP's are known to be sympatetic to separatists groups that advocate the creation of a Sikh home land from India.

Canada allowing itself to be launching pad for separatists movement for ethnic groups and watching them hail terrorists as hero's is going to hurt Canada in the long run in the eyes of the world.

Peaceful quest for democracy in a country where that ethnic group is deprived of human rights is something we should support , like in Burma, Tibet, but turning a blind eye to violent movement for political gains is against the fundamental values of Canada. All political parties do it to get a share of ethnic votes including the Conservatives.

How Can We Resolve The Middle East Crisis?

Vijay Sappani — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 01:00:49 EST

"The best way to secure Israel's long-term survival is for a complete and permanent withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza and to cede these territories to a legitimately elected Palestinian Authority in control of an internationally recognized sovereign state living in peace, side-by-side with an Israel secure within its own borders and free of terror from its neighbours. This remains true even if you accept that there are terrorists in the Arab world who will never be content unless Israel is driven into the sea."

Michael Ignatieff

I agree with M.Ignatieff on this. Israel should take bold steps to work with the moderates and the elected government of Abbas which now works only in west Bank after been overthrown by the Hamas in Gaza. An independent Palestine state should come into existence with the support of international community and the sufferings of the people should be addressed by monetary support from Israel, G-8, WB, IMF and the organization of Islamic countries among other groups.

No geographical dispute can be resolved through armed struggle and over five decades of conflict has left a generation living and running in fear. Temporary peace might come through gun power, but sustained peace will come through strong bonding between the citizens of Israel and independent Palestine. Israel is a fast growing economy and needs skilled labour to meet its demand. Palestine has high unemployment and little scope for development after years of war.

This is an excellent example of supply and demand. Economic independence of Palestinians given by Israel will create a bonding beyond wages. It will give a chance for Palestinians to live with self esteem with the help of Israel. Israel fighting terrorists in Palestine stand a lesser chance of winning than Palestinians stopping their own brethren from attacking Israel. Terrorism in the Indian province of Punjab is a good example. There were human rights issues and when the government of India rectified it and empowered the local citizens, they turned their back on the terrorists many of whom fled to US, UK, Canada and other countries. Today, Punjab is one of the most prosperous state in India and Sikhs hold some of the highest positions in India including the Prime Minister and Chief of Army.

Canada has a history of peace keeping, but it does look like we have to live in the glory of our past. As I have said many times, Canada is uniquely placed to be the world leaders in peace advocacy and armed conflict resolution, but we have chosen not to do so. It is not to blame any political party for it, but to look into the future and create a multi partisan peace advocacy group. Canada has no political, military or major economic interest in the middle east unlike the other current power brokers like US and UK. Our successful functioning federal system is an excellent example of an efficient system for co-existence that can be model to be explored for many regions.

Canada needs a permanent peace advocacy group(Harper can score brownie points if he created a separate ministry for peace advocacy) consisting of politicians, diplomats and civilian advocates who can influence peace. Canada is blessed with people like Bob Rae, Michael Ignatieff, Alexa McDonald, Lloyd Axworthy, B.Mulroney and many other experts who will make an excellent team along with several diplomats who can put Canada back on the top as global peace makers, a honor we held decades ago and let it slide to countries like Norway, US, Japan.

I am not sure what our chances are of bringing back the Stanley cup to Canada, but It is time to bring back the Noble peace prize back to Canada and we have the right team to do it in Middle East.