Indus Treaty January 1, 2017 Kuldip Nayar
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Established 1946 1 Pages 16 Price : Rupees Five Vol. 71 No. 48 Indus Treaty January 1, 2017 Kuldip Nayar Islamabad has asked the World Treaty is an example before the world Bank to honour the Indus Water that it held the ground even when the Remembering Viswabharan Treaty executed between India and two countries went to war. Varughese George Pakistan in 1960. This is in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Modi’s off-the-cuff remark has remark that India is free to use the created consternation in Pakistan, water which flows into the sea. This forcing it to appeal to the World Bank is not correct because according to the to “fulfill its obligation” relating to A ploy to retain power by treaty India cannot use more than 20 the treaty. In a letter to World Bank confusing citizens percent of the Indus water. President Jim Yong Kim, Pakistan Sandeep Pandey Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has Rahul Pandey The World Bank spent many said the treaty did not provide for a years to persuade New Delhi and situation wherein a party can ‘pause’ Islamabad to reach an agreement. I performance of its obligations and recall that afterwards Prime Minister this attitude of the World Bank would Jawaharlal Nehru and Martial Law prejudice Pakistan’s interests and Demonetisation: yet another Administrator General Mohammad rights under the treaty. huge fraud on the people - II Ayub travelled in the same car Mian Neeraj Jain Iftakharuddin suggested if they I think that the fear of Pakistan could sign an agreement on Kashmir is exaggerated. The country does in the same spirit, both remained not want any alteration in the treaty. silent. Iftakharuddin was then the In its reaction, the World Bank has top Muslim League leader who had said that it has paused its arbitration joined it after being a Congressman in the water dispute between India Editor : for many years. and Pakistan, saying it is doing so G. G. Parikh to protect the Indus Water Treaty. According to the treaty, India could India would take no unilateral step Managing Editor : Guddi draw water from the Ravi, the Beas to stop the water going unused into and the Sutlej while Pakistan from the Arabian Sea. However, there is a D-15, Ganesh Prasad, the Indus, the Chenab and Jehlum. case where the two countries should Naushir Bharucha Marg, Even though both counties felt that sit and hammer out another treaty Mumbai - 400 007. they could utilize the water which because the old one is outdated. Then was flowing through their country, it was thought that the water given to Email : [email protected] they refrained from doing so because Rajasthan would be utilized by the of the treaty. In fact, the Indus Water rest of the country because the state, 2 JANATA, January 1, 2016 part of the desert would not be able to do so. But this has turned out to Remembering Viswabharan be wrong. The state has utilized the water allotted to it and wants more. Varughese George When Prime Minister Modi wants to have good relations with Pakistan P. Visambharan who led the Socialist Party was formally formed and has wished his counterpart socialist movement in Kerala for P. Viswambharan was appointed Nawaz Sharif on this birthday last several decades passed away at the District secretary of the party. week, Modi would not take any his ancestral home in Kovalam Meanwhile Jayaprakash Narayan th step which would harm Pakistan. in Thiruvanantapuram on 9 deputed T. S. Ramaswamy from There were enough of provocations December, 2016. He entered public Nagercoil to help socialists in from Islamabad like the attacks on activity through Travancore Students Trivandrum to organize unions Pathankot and Uri that killed many Congress that was affiliated to All in unorganized sectors. T. S. civilians to act unilaterally. Even India Students Congress. That was in Ramaswamy was a student of otherwise, it is in the interest of both mid-1940s. Though the country was Lucknow University and an activist countries that peace should prevail preparing for national independence, of All India Students Congress. in the region. Both would benefit. in Travancore the Diwan Sir C. With Ramaswamy`s help Juba P. Ramaswamy Aiyer had been Ramakrishna Pillai organized the Kashmir is the problem meditating about an independent Scavengers’ Union, S. M. Noohu which divides the two countries. Travancore insulating it from Indian formed the loading and unloading Representatives of both countries nation. The progressive forces in workers’ and P. P. Wilson and should sit across the table and sort Travancore were fighting the Diwan Subbayya mobilised the estate it out. Nawaz Sharif unnecessarily against this idea and suppression workers. Thus the social base of the harangued Kashmir on the Pakistan of civil and democratic rights was party was slowly being expanded television networks that Kashmir rampant. Travancore Students in Trivandrum District. In 1954 belonged to Pakistan and there Congress convened its first state elections to the Travancore-Cochin would be no peace in the region until conference at Trivandrum in August Legislative Assembly eight party it became part of his country. 1947 and Asoka Mehta was to have nominees including P. Viswambharan inaugurated the conference, but won from Trivandrum District that This irresponsible statement, the Diwan imposed a ban on the helped the formation of the first coming as it does from a country’s conference and clamped a black law socialist state government in the Prime Minister, has affected the country led by Pattom Thanu Pillai. forbidding assembly. But students tourist season in the valley still P. Viswambharan was elected the held the conference violating further. So much so that even Syed secretary of the legislature party. the ban at Trivandrum Railway Shah Geelani, the pro-Pakistan station premises. The President of Hurriyat leader, joined a procession In the elections to the Kerala Travancore Students Congress, K. to appeal to the tourists to return Assembly in 1960 P.Viswambharan Prabhakaran and Secretary N. D. to the valley. Both he and Yasin was elected from the Nemom Malik, who wants the valley to Jose were arrested. P. Viswambharan constituency for the second time. be independent, were part of the was the moving spirit behind the In Lok Sabha elections of 1967 procession. They were particular that conference. P.Viswambharan was elected from the message should reach New Delhi Trivandrum constituency. He was so that it takes steps to see that the At that time he was a BA also the secretary of Praja Socialist tourists return to Kashmir. student of University College, Party in the state during this period. Trivandrum. Asoka Mehta, who In September 1973 socialist Party The separatists in the valley had to wait at Madras due to the and CPI(M) began consultations do not realize that the tourists ban came to Trivandrum since then on making a joint platform to fight flocked to the valley as if they were and confabulated with the young the anti-people policies. The two visiting part of India. The demand socialists about constituting the parties decided to form united Trivandrum District committee (Contd. on Page 6) of Socialist Party. In 1948 when (Contd. on Page 11) JANATA, January 1, 2016 3 A ploy to retain power by confusing citizens Sandeep Pandey Rahul Pandey Although some people, including to most orders and there was little put a limit of Rs. 24,000 and Rs. one of the authors of this article, coordination between the ministers, 2,000 which could be withdrawn had been advocating withdrawal of including the Prime Minister, and from banks and Automatic Teller bigger denomination notes for quite the banks, including the RBI. In Machines, respectively, how did big some time, the intent was different the entire process the RBI has lost amounts make public appearance? from the one with which what the whatever autonomy it had carefully Could it have been possible without Narendra Modi government is doing built over the years. It is literally the connivance of bank officials? now. It was believed that, in spite of dancing to the tune of Prime Minister In the period since demonetization the fact that cash comprises only 6 % and FM now. was enforced we have heard about a of total black money in India, with number of people caught with lakhs banning of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 While on the one hand people and crores of rupees, part or full in notes it would become inconvenient were given freedom to deposit new currency, but we hardly came for people to hoard large amount of whatever they had including black to know about any action against black cash as well as to pay huge money with a 49.5 % tax, whenever bank or RBI officials as culprits sums as bribes. It was never the somebody came up with big amounts for the release of big amounts in suggestion to reintroduce bigger the Income Tax authorities were after new currency. No prominent big denomination notes. They were that person. People who would queue businessman or business group, supposed to be banned permanently. up in front of banks found that they especially among politically By bringing in new Rs. 500, Rs. 1000 could not withdraw even the limited influential ones who are known to and Rs. 2000 notes the government amount of their own money that the deal in black money, has been raided is creating new opportunities for government was promising them. To either. hoarding and corruption. avoid long queues people who went later to deposit old currency more So, we have a bizarre scenario. Utter mismanagement than a week before the officially Ordinary citizen is being treated The manner in which decisions declared deadline of 30th December, as a culprit in her dealings with the have been changed almost every 2016, were being questioned about banks and big offenders are not even day regarding limits and rules the source of money.