Posted on 08/08/2005 10:50:45 AM PDT by swarthyguy
DHAKA, Aug 7: Making it clear that India would go ahead with the fencing of the over 4000-km border with Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh today said this would help curb activities like smuggling and illegal migration and contribute to peace and tranquility for people living in these areas.
"A strong fence is useful for both sides to achieve their common objectives for mutual benefit," Singh , who is on a three-day visit here, said in an interview to Bangla daily ‘Jugantor’.
Due to the porous nature of the borders, there was considerable cross-border criminal activity which included illegal trade in arms and explosives, counterfeit currency, trafficking in narcotics and trafficking of women and children, he said, noting these problems posed a threat to the social and economic well-being of both India and Bangladesh.
"We have seen that in those areas where a fence is in place, there has been a sharp decline in illegal cross-border activities," he said.
There have been differences on the 1975 guidelines under which defensive structures within 150 yards of the borders have to be demolished.
"The border management authorities in both our countries share the common objectives of ensuring peace and tranquility and facilitating interaction between our two friendly people while doing their utmost to prevent illegal cross-border activity," Singh said.
On the proposed gas pipeline between Myanmar and India via Bangladesh, Singh said Indian experts were examining the most efficient and feasible ways of importing gas from Myanmar.
"The gas pipeline through Bangladesh is one of the options being actively considered. This is a commercial project to be implemented by an international consortium," he said.
Singh discussed the tri-nation project during talks with Bangladesh Finance Minister Saifur Rahman. Dhaka has agreed in principle to allow the 290-km pipeline through its territory but has imposed certain conditionalities.
It wants India to establish a direct road linking Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan and address the issue of trade imbalance.
Rahman said the ministries concerned would hold detailed discussions with the Indian side to make the pipeline project a reality in line with Bangladesh’s position on the issues. "We have to see mutual benefit of both the countries and that is the main point to strengthen relations further."
Asked whether the twice-deferred SAARC Summit, now slated to be held here in November, would be postponed, the Minister said the dates have already been announced.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "is eagerly looking forward to visiting Dhaka for the Summit," he said.
Singh said SAARC has a very important role to play in the comprehensive development of South Asia in this globalised economy and in fostering an atmosphere of mutual trust and harmony among the member states.
India, Singh said, would like to see SAARC evolve into an effective organisation, through which regional cooperation in social, economic, cultural, educational, scientific, technological and other agreed spheres could be facilitated and infrastructural development promoted for mutual benefit.
"SAARC countries should concentrate on the benefits of cooperation to achieve collective prosperity," he stressed.
Observing that the northeastern states of India were fast becoming an important bridgehead in its trade relations with Myanmar and China, he said the long Indo-Bangla boundary was a "border of friendship and an open door for unhindered cooperation".
The re-opening of the trade route from China to Sikkim through Nathu La pass also threw open immense trade possibilities between China and India, and beyond this, for regional cooperation, the minister said.
Contending that integration of infrastructure in South Asia was essential to generate and sustain growth levels necessary to achieve mutual prosperity, he said "we must learn from the experiences in cooperation not only in other parts of the world but also in our own. But European Union and ASEAN offer outstanding examples".
"India and Bangladesh would benefit from modernisation and improvement of our shared river, road and rail linkages," he said.
The Minister was of the view that a bilateral Free trade Agreement would lead to an expansion of trade with significant mutual benefits on the lines of a similar India-Sri Lanka FTA which has triggered exponential growth in Sri Lanka’s exports to India.
On the proposed river linking project, Singh said this was still at a conceptual stage. India’s focus was on the southern Peninsular rivers, which do not affect water flows in Bangladesh, as they originate in central and western India and then flow into the sea.
"If at any stage, we do consider any proposal affecting river flows into Bangladesh, India will consult and fully take into consideration the view of Bangladesh," he said, adding this assurance has been conveyed at the highest level by Indian leaders to their counterparts in Bangladesh.
"It is important that we avoid sensationalising the issue," he said. (PTI)
Excursion bus fired upon, 5 killed
SRINAGAR, Aug 7 : Five people, including four militants and a civilian, were killed while ultras opened fire on a school excursion bus causing injuries to a student in Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said today.
He said unidentified gunmen last evening stopped and forcibly intruded into an excursion bus of Shopian’s Shah Hamdan School near Arwani Bijbehara while returning from Kokernag.
As the teachers and students resisted, the gunmen opened fire, resulting in injuries to a student Sheikh of Largam in Shopian.
The gunmen later escaped under the cover of darkness, he said, adding the wounded student has been shifted to a hospital.
Security forces killed two militants in an encounter at Dard Haji Vilgam in the frontier district of Kupwara last night, he said, adding the encounter ensued after a security forces search party was attacked by the militants.
Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were seized from the slain militants.
In another encounter at Hokersar in Srinagar, security forces killed one militant. An AK rifle, two magazines and five rounds were seized from the encounter site, the spokesman said.
One militant and a civilian, were killed while a security official was wounded in an encounter between militants and the security forces at village Dawan Behak in Bandipora last night, he said.
The militant was identified as Abdul Rehman Khan of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the civilian was as Akhtar Ahmed. Security forces arrested four suspected militants from the sopore town in north Kashmir along with four hand grenades, he said.
Meanwhile, six people taken hostage by militants at village Bod Dardahaj in Kupwara were rescued yesterday by security forces.
Defence spokesman Lt Col V K Batra said here that 6 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) troops rescued the hostages on specific intelligence reports about the presence of militants in the village. Among thoses rescued were three women and a child, he said. (AGENCIES)
Militants being trained to cut fences on LoC
NEW DELHI, Aug 7: Facilitated by the melting of snow, several terrorist training camps along the Line of Control have been reactivated this April and "hundreds" of militants have got rigorous training in cutting and penetrating the border fence erected by India, media reports have said.
Currently, "hundreds of militants are undergoing advanced training at camps in Bagh, Rawalkot, Kotli, Gulpur, Aliabad, Halanshumali, Padhar, Halan, Kaliar, Forwag, Kahuta and Kacharban across Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir," the New York-based weekly magazine `South Asia Tribune’ run by a dissident Pakistani said in a special report.
It quoted "militant circles" as saying that "several training camps along the LoC were reactivated in April 2005, facilitated by the melting of snow".
These sources "also say that hundreds of militants had gathered at various along the LoC after rigorous training in cutting and penetrating the fence erected by India", the report said.
Despite President Pervez Musharraf’s claim to end all forms of terrorism from Pakistani soil, it said "the authenticity of his claims can be gauged from the record of his adminstration’s handling of the Jihadi kingpins as none of them has either been prosecuted on terrorism charges".
Leaders of four major groups — Lashkar-e-Toiba (Hafiz Muhammad Sayeed), Jaish-e-Mohammad (Masood Azhar), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (Fazlur Rehmand Khalil) and Hizbul Mujahedeen (Syed Salahuddin), who are wanted by CBI or the FBI, have "resurfaced and regrouped to run their networks as openly as before, though under different names", barring the LeT and HM.
Maintaining that these two outfits "have been seemingly allowed by the administration to resume training at their camps in the country", the report said as the camps reopened, "trained militants as well as aspirants are flocking to enlist for the `holy war’.
"Interestingly, a significant portion of the crowd constitutes trained militants called in for refresher courses", the `South Asia Tribune’ said.
It said a major problem in regard to its fight against terrorism was the "divided official opinion" about the role of militant groups in Kashmir militancy.
"Some groups involved in Kashmir were advised by Pakistani intelligence agencies to keep a low profile. The underlying assumption was that, if needed, these groups could be reactivated to pursue the official agenda in Kashmir".
The report said "the real problem seems to be that there is sympathy for Islamic extremists in Pakistan’s military and intelligence circles". (PTI)
4000 KM Fence.
Fencing is key to winning the WOT in every country threatened by terrorists.
It's started to work in Kashmir, with jihadis now getting training from the Paki Army on how to bypass and circumvent the fencing there. But the fence is stopping some of them, and others, being delayed by it, are being killed by Indian troops.
"But the fence is stopping some of them, and others, being delayed by it, are being killed by Indian troops. "
India just building a border fence America won't do perhaps we can get them to come here a give us a discount price on a fence here. India seems to see the fact that a real border is important..I thought they were the 3rd world how can the afford such a fence??
About 2,700 miles. How long is the US Mexico border again? We may have found one more thing to out source to India.
I thought they were the 3rd world how can the afford such a fence??
Fencing is pretty cheep. It's the open border that will cost some big $$$$$.
Fences make for good neighbors.
India's no longer third world (underdeveloped). It's not first world (developed) either but is a second world (developing) nation.
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