B. K. Rana: Carter, Palestine and Apartheid

Carter, Palestine and Apartheid

B. K. Rana

Email: rana1616@yahoo.com

Today, January 23, 2007, President Jimmy Carter is on a visit to Brandeis University in Waltham, a suburban campus in Boston. He is scheduled to discuss his recently published controversial book: Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. The book has drawn harsh criticism from a Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz.

Earlier, President Carter was invited to debate on the book with the professor. But the President turned down the invitation which sparked an outcry from some students and faculty. They urged President Carter should be invited to campus without conditions. The Brandeis was founded by the American Jewish community. About half of whose students are Jewish origins.

Somehow or the other, the university could convince President Carter to speak on the book saying that there will be no prior conditions. President Carter is set to speak to a closed session of the university faculty this evening. Obviously, no public would have any access to listen to his lecture. Hopefully, his lecture will be available in print media tomorrow morning ! I will read most of the materials on his lecture.

Prior to the program, President Carter was here in Harvard Cooperative Society - in short ‘Harvard Coop’- to sign the book. I had bought one sometime ago and already had a cursory look onto it. The book, by the 39th President of United States of America, appeared to me a bit different than his other books including The New York Times bestsellers ‘Our Endangered Values’.

I stood in line, waited my turn to pass through the ‘security checks’ in the first floor. Actually, it was not any ‘tight’ security. There were a number of desciplined buyers in line up the stairs to the second floor and third floor also. Of course, there were some polite security personnel in civil dress watching or directing everyone in the line. Some police were also seen standing or walking past us – the enthustic ‘book-buyers’ or Jimmy Carter fans.

In the meantime, from my shoulder behind sounded a masculine voice saying that he ‘was born in Lebanon, grew-up in Palestine and living currently in USA’. He was talking to one of his acquaitances behind. Understandably, he was a pro-Palestine fellow. I didn’t think it would be of any use to turn around to see him and say ‘Hi, I am from Nepal’ or ‘the conflict ravaged Himalayan country of Nepal as yours in the middle-east’. An avarage Nepalese like myself may not have any particular concern either over Lebanon, Palestine or Isreal, however, Nepal does send ‘Shanti Senas’ or ‘troops for peace’ in Lebanon at the call of United Nations.

I think Nepal began sending such ‘Shanti Senas’ after [or later] the signing of Camp David Accords[1] on September 17, 1978 by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. To successfully finalize these two accords, they had twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David - a presidential retreat outside the White House in Maryland. The two agreements were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by President Carter. Sadat seemed to be willing to call the accords ‘the Carter Accords’. Later Sadat was assissanated on October 6, 1981 apparently for signing the accords. Carter termed Sadat as one of the bold and couragious leraders he had ever met.

I was a student when Carter had been able to persuade Sadat and Begin to sign the accords. A ever smiling face Mr. Carter could bring peace in between Egypt and Isreal but the middle-east still remains burning. My country, Nepal is also burning now. A faint hope is that peace will prevail in the land of Buddha – the prince of peace.

I have great respect for President Carter as he spoke of human rights for peace and justice in the world. He was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development”.

The Carter Center is deeply concerned over Nepals’s socio-economic conditions and current peace processess also. In the meantime, we can hope President Carter would also speak in support of the larger mass of drisadvantaged communities across South Asia including Nepal for their basic human rights for peace and prosperity in the region.

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[1] The Camp David Accords http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/campdavid/accords.phtml

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Kantipur

Fellow Nepalis.

We have all witnessed the major unrest that has spread across the Terai for the past week and more. I am saddened at the loss of lives and property: due compensation is to be extended. I wish there had been no protests. I wish the protests had been peaceful, if they were necessary.

Our country is at a critical juncture. We are working hard to bring the decade long civil war to an end and to give the country a new constitution that it deserves, for the first time written by the people's representatives.

The protests are an expression of grievances that are not a few months, or a few years, or even a few decades old. These grievances go back centuries. That is what the constituent assembly is for, to address those grievances.

But groups like the Madhesi that have been excluded from state power for too long remain suspicious. That is also true of the Janajati, the Dalit, and the women.

This unrest in the Terai has not only been a law and order problem. This has had a political dimension to it. And it has a political solution.

And so the eight parties talked long and hard and I thank my eight party colleagues in being part of the decision. We have decided that we will, through the interim parliament, demarcate the 205 constituencies based on equal population. Of those 205 seats, 68 will be reserved for women, of those 68, two thirds will be reserved for Dalit, Madhesi and Janajati women. And there will be additional gender neutral reserved seats for the Dalit, Madhesi and Janajati. Elections will still be held in those reserved constituencies, but only members of the designated groups get to contest. If the constituent assembly is to give the country a constitution that does justice to all groups, its composition should be reflective of all groups.

The Home Minister has tendered his resignation and I have accepted it. I have appointed MP Aftab Alam as the replacement.

I have instructed the new Home Minister to not have a cap of 33 lakh on the number of citizenship papers to be distributed. Every Nepali who meets the requirements of the newly passed Citizenship Bill will be awarded the papers. At this point, we can not be certain of the exact number.

And now I call agitating organizations in the Terai to halt the protests. If there are further issues, we can discuss them further. I invite you to talks. I also invite the agitating groups in the eastern hills to the same.

Along with all of you, I await eagerly free and fair elections to the constituent assembly. And I request all inside the country as well as outside to extend their fullest support to this great experiment of democracy. I hope we have vibrant debates and discussions. If there are further protests, I hope they are peaceful and isolated. We do not need to come out into the streets for every thing. Let's use the political process more.

Thank you.

Jay Nepal.

Full text: King Gyanendra's speech

The text of Nepal's King Gyanendra address on 24 April 2006 in which he re-instated parliament, in a key concession to the opposition.

Beloved Countrymen,

Convinced that the source of state authority and sovereignty of the kingdom of Nepal is inherent in the people of Nepal and cognizant of the spirit of the ongoing people's movement as well as to resolve the ongoing violent conflict and other problems facing the country according to the road map of the agitating seven-party alliance, we, through this proclamation, reinstate the House of Representatives which was dissolved on 22 May 2002 on the advice of the then prime minister in accordance with the constitution of the kingdom of Nepal-1990.

We call upon the seven-party alliance to bear the responsibility of taking the nation on the path to national unity and prosperity, while ensuring permanent peace and safeguarding multiparty democracy.

We also summon the session of the reinstated House of Representatives at the Sansad Bhawan, Singha Durbar at 1300 (0745GMT) on Friday 28 April 2006.

We are confident that this House will contribute to the overall welfare of Nepal and the Nepalese people.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their lives in the people's movement and wish the injured speedy recovery. We are confident that the nation will forge ahead towards sustainable peace, progress, full-fledged democracy and national unity.

May Lord Pashupatinath bless us all!

Jaya Nepal!

In The News

Curfews, ethnic protests hit Nepal's plains China Post, Taiwan a cow urinated undisturbed on a deserted thoroughfare that a few days before had been packed with ethnic Madhesi people. ....... The Madhesi protests have left five people dead and dozens wounded over the past week and shocked a country ....... despite the curfew, violence was unabated on Friday. ........ "Get back in your houses, you swine," a policeman shouted at people who had gathered on roofs in a Madhesi neighborhood of Birgunj ...... Madhesi activists, many of them in their teens and carrying big bamboo canes, had damaged a small police office, throwing the food of policemen on the ground and wrecking one officer's motorcycle. ....... "That was my lunch," another police officer said, looking at the rice and vegetables strewn on the ground. ...... Barely two hundred meters away, dozens of young Madhesis burnt tires and shouted: "We will finish off the police post later." ....... Madhesi leaders say their community is under represented in the armed forces, police, judiciary and the interim parliament ...... resentment has burst into the open
India asks Nepal's warring sides to begin talks Hindustan Times Though the first clashes, looting and arson began last Friday in Lahan town in Siraha district, following a transport shutdown called by an ethnic group, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, it has spread like wildfire, engulfing key towns in three other districts. ..... Biratnagar, the home of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala lie under day-time curfew. ...... Hundreds trucks carrying essential supplies from India have been stranded on both sides of the border, triggering fears of food and fuel scarcity in Nepal. ....... A section of Nepalis also suspect the collusion of Indian parties like the BJP, VHP and RSS
Curfews in four south Nepal cities continue PeaceJournalism.com, Nepal
India calls for resolving southern Nepal unrest via talks People's Daily Online, China
Nepal urges govt to address Terai issue Kantipur Online, Nepal Nepal expressed his belief that the Terai unrest would come to a halt once the government addresses the proportional election system and federal state issues. ...... NC leader Arjun Nursingh KC said, the political parties have to be cautious because “a conspiracy is underway” to bring a rift between the seven parties and the Maoists.
Nepal royalty accused of plotting to stall poll Gulf News, United Arab Emirates Nepal's royal palace is plotting to cause religious and ethnic unrest to stall planned elections, a cabinet minister has claimed. ..... In the most eye-catching of the alleged plots, it is claimed that Hindu hardliners close to the king will lure larger than normal crowds of Indian holy men to a festival on February 16, when a confrontation with police will be contrived. ..... "They want to create a situation where the government has to react violently to discredit the government's Hindu credentials," said Hridesh Tripathi, a cabinet minister. ....... Tripathi and a different government source both named palace agents who they say have been promoting communal violence in the south of the country, where five people have been killed in protests in the past week. ...... "We have very good information," said Tripathi. "The intention is only to destabilise the two months of Falgun and Magh [January 15 to March 14]. They want to postpone the elections until after the monsoon."
Terai Crisis: Curfews Affect Millions OhmyNews International, South Korea A day after Maoists Chairman Prachanda dismissed the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) as "feudalist" and accused them of being "royalists," the forum activists have intensified the protest across the Terai belt. Prachanda noted ironically that his rebels were well aware of "how powerful the MPRF (or JTMM) are" and was not ready to buy that they are "people's force." In reaction, the MPRF have spread the protests, which was earlier limited to Lahan-Siraha in eastern Nepal only, across the Terai belt. ........ seemed virtually incapable of curbing the protesters from demonstrating in the local areas ...... a day-long curfew in Lahan municipality for the seventh consecutive day ....... the impact of the curfew has been felt more on the life of common Nepali citizens than on protesters. The tightened security has been unable to tame the protesters completely. ...... The MPRF has blocked one of the major highways--the Mahendra Highway--in several main road-intersections with tree logs. Consequently, over 1,500 passengers traveling in 200 vehicles have been stranded in the area. ........ When the protestors defied curfew orders and went ahead with their demonstration in Janakpur on Thursday, at least twelve people were injured in clashes with the police, while another 55 were injured during the demonstrations. ......reports of attack on commoners, media persons and properties have been increasingly coming. ..... Chief District officer of Morang, Modraj Dotel ...... the mob was gradually turning towards violence and arson and went on to attack common people. ....... protesters have vandalized the Rautahat residence of Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of CPN-UML --the largest leftist party in Nepal. They also burned effigies of the leaders in the area. ....... Amid the curfew, about 1,000 protestors had demonstrated violently in Biratnagar. They vandalized at least 34 trucks with Nepali number plates without harming the vehicles with Indian number plates. ...... police had to resort to firing about 100 rounds of bullets. ...... also fired several rounds of bullets against the protesters after they couldn't disperse the crowd by firing into the air. ..... despite the rebels' ignorance and indifference to the Madhese people's plights and demands, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said that the government is intiating formal process for talks with the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha and other Terai groups.

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Urgent & Emergency

Hi Paramendra,

Its urgent,

Talk to maximum people, gather international support now withing 1-2 days,

People have entered homes, and beaten women, child, people.

I have just returned from jalaeshwar/janakpur.

Police (including support from Maoist, part of maosit) are killing blindly.

around 75+ figure has been published, who are struggling for life. 3 has alredy died. 2 has to be moved to india.

"Blood & Donation" is voluntarily" raised from villages and different groups. madhesi people of any political party has released pressnote saying "we are first madhesi, then any party, and we are in movement".

Do fast, its very very critical situation. ask any person in janakpur or around, and collect latest news, make it public.

I also observed military activities pacing up, a helicpter landed in parkauli, yesterday (friday).

Act fast, call for emergency meeting of ANTA.

Bye

I will not be reachable for next 20 hour.