جیک ہورٹن، ڈینیئل پلمبو اور ٹم بولر
بی بی سی ریئلٹی چیک
امریکہ، برطانیہ اور یورپی یونین نے روسی تیل کی درآمد کو محدود کرنے کے اعلانات کیے ہیں۔
روس نے متنبہ کیا تھا کہ اگر اس کے تیل پر پابندی لگائی گئی تو وہ یورپی ممالک کو گیس کی سپلائی بند کر دے گا۔
روسی تیل اور گیس پر کیا پابندیاں عائد کی گئی ہیں؟
یوکرین نے عالمی طاقتوں سے روس پر وسیع پابندیوں کا مطالبہ کیا تھا جس کے بعد منگل کے روز امریکہ نے روسی تیل، گیس اور کوئلے کی درآمدات پر مکمل پابندی لگائی ہے۔
خیال ہے کہ برطانیہ اس سال کے اواخر تک روسی تیل کو مرحلہ وار انداز میں محدود کرے گا۔ جبکہ یورپی یونین تیل اور گیس کی اپنی درآمدات کو دو تہائی تک کم کرے گی۔
روس کے نائب وزیراعظم الیگزینڈر نوواک نے متنبہ کیا ہے کہ روسی تیل پر پابندی کے ’عالمی منڈی پر تباہ کن نتائج ہوں گے۔‘
روس کتنا تیل برآمد کرتا ہے؟
گذشتہ دنوں میں عالمی سطح پر تیل کی قیمتیں بہت زیادہ بڑھی ہیں اور ان خدشات کا اظہار کیا جا رہا ہے کہ قیمتوں میں اضافے کا رجحان جاری رہ سکتا ہے۔ اور اگر روس اپنے تیل کی دوسرے ممالک کو برآمد محدود کرتا ہے تو صورتحال مزید خراب ہو سکتی ہے۔
روس امریکہ اور سعودی عرب کے بعد دنیا میں سب سے زیادہ تیل برآمد کرنے والا ملک ہے۔
یہ روزانہ خام تیل کے قریب 50 لاکھ بیرل برآمد کرتا ہے۔ ان میں سے نصف سے زیادہ یورپ جاتے ہیں۔
امریکہ کا دیگر یورپی ممالک کی نسبت روسی تیل پر انحصار کم ہے۔ سنہ 2020 میں امریکہ نے اپنی توانائی کی ضروریات پوری کرنے کے لیے روس سے قریباً تین فیصد تیل حاصل کیا تھا۔
روسی گیس مغربی یورپ میں آنا بند ہو گئی تو کیا ہو گا؟
ایسی صورتحال میں گھروں کو گرم رکھنے کے اخراجات (یعنی ہیٹنگ) جو پہلے ہی بہت زیادہ ہے، مزید بڑھ جائے گی۔
یورپی یونین کے ممالک میں تقریباً 40 فیصد قدرتی گیس روس سے آتی ہے۔
اگر یہ سپلائی بند ہوتی ہے تو اٹلی اور جرمنی سب سے زیادہ متاثر ہوں گے۔
روس برطانیہ کو اس کی ضرورت کی قریب پانچ فیصد گیس سپلائی کرتا ہے جبکہ امریکہ روس سے گیس درآمد نہیں کرتا۔
تاہم سپلائی کی قلت کی وجہ سے اس اقدام سے برطانیہ اور امریکہ میں بھی گیس کی قیمتیں بڑھ سکتی ہیں۔
روسی گیس کے متبادل ذرائع مل سکتے ہیں؟
یہ اتنا آسان نہیں ہو گا۔
توانائی کی پالیسی کے محقق بین میک ولیمز کہتے ہیں کہ ’گیس کا متبادل ڈھونڈنا مشکل ہے کیونکہ ہمارے پاس ایسے بڑے پائپ ہیں جو روسی گیس یورپ لے جا رہے ہیں۔‘
تھنک ٹینک بروگل کی پیشگوئی ہے کہ اگر روس یورپ تک گیس کی سپلائی روکتا ہے تو ممکنہ طور پر یورپ امریکہ سے مزید مائع قدرتی گیس (ایل این جی) درآمد کر سکتا ہے۔
اور یہ توانائی کے دیگر ذرائع کا استعمال بھی بڑھا سکتا ہے۔ تاہم ایسا کرنا آسان نہیں ہو گا۔
محقق سیمون تالیاپیئترا کے مطابق ’قابل تجدید ذرائع میں وقت لگ سکتا ہے اس لیے قلیل مدت میں کوئی حل نہیں ہے۔‘
’اگلی سردیوں میں متبادل ایندھن سے فرق پڑ سکتا ہے جیسے کوئلے کے پاور پلانٹ بنانا۔ اٹلی اور جرمنی نے ہنگامی صورتحال میں اسی کا منصوبہ بنایا ہوا ہے۔‘
یورپی یونین نے سنہ 2030 سے قبل یورپ کو روسی تیل اور گیس سے نجات دلانے کا منصوبہ تجویز کیا ہے جس میں گیس سپلائی کے لیے متبادل اقدامات شامل ہیں جبکہ گھروں کو گرم رکھنے یا بجلی پیدا کرنے کے لیے گیس کا استعمال کم کیا جائے گا۔
مگر روسی تیل کا کیا؟
بین میک ولیمز کہتے ہیں کہ ’تیل کی صورت میں متبادل ذرائع ڈھونڈنا آسان ہو گا کیونکہ اس کی زیادہ پائپ لائنز نہیں ہیں۔ کچھ پائپ لائنز روس سے آتی ہیں لیکن دیگر جگہوں سے اسے شپنگ سے بھی حاصل کیا جاتا ہے۔‘
امریکہ نے سعودی عرب سے اپنی تیل کی پیداوار بڑھانے کا مطالبہ کیا ہے لیکن اس نے ماضی میں امریکہ کی جانب سے پیداوار بڑھانے اور تیل کی قیمتیں کم کرنے کے مطالبات کو رد کیا ہے۔
تیل کی پیداوار میں نمایاں ممالک کی تنظیم اوپیک پر بین الاقوامی منڈیاں خام تیل کی برآمد کے سلسلے میں 60 فیصد تک انحصار کرتی ہیں۔ اس کی وجہ یہ ہے کہ اوپیک تیل کی قیمتوں پر اثر انداز ہوتا ہے۔
روس اوپیک کا حصہ نہیں ہے تاہم یہ سنہ 2017 سے اس کے ساتھ کام کر رہا ہے تاکہ تیل کی پیداوار محدود کر سکے اور تیل پیدا کرنے والے ممالک کی آمدن مستحکم کر سکے۔
امریکہ وینیزویلا پر تیل پر عائد پابندی نرم کرنے پر بھی غور کر رہا ہے۔ یہ امریکہ کی اہم سپلائی ہوا کرتا تھا مگر حال ہی میں یہ ملک زیادہ تر تیل چین کو فروخت کر رہا ہے۔
یورپ گیس کے لیے موجودہ برآمد کنندہ جیسے قطر کی طرف جا سکتا ہے، یا الجزائر اور نائجیریا سے بات کر سکتا ہے۔ لیکن فوری طور پر پیداوار بڑھانے میں عملی رکاوٹیں ہیں۔
کیا صارفین کے تیل اور گیس کے بِل بڑھ سکتے ہیں؟
اس جنگ کی وجہ سے صارفین کو ایندھن کی مد میں بڑی قیمت ادا کرنا ہو گی۔
برطانیہ میں گھریلو صارفین کے لیے بجلی و گیس کی قیمتوں کو مستحکم رکھا گیا ہے۔
لیکن یہ بل اپریل میں 700 پاؤنڈ سے قریب 2000 پاؤنڈ تک بڑھ سکتے ہیں جب اس پرائس کیپ کو بڑھایا جائے گا۔ رواں موسم خزاں کے دوران یہ بل 3000 پاؤنڈ تک بڑھ سکتے ہیں جب ان قیمتوں کو دوبارہ بڑھایا جائے گا۔
برطانیہ میں پیٹرول اور ڈیزل کی قیمتیں بھی بڑھی ہیں اور اگر یہ جنگ جاری رہی تو فی لیٹر پیٹرول کی قیمت 175 پینس تک جا سکتی ہے۔
امریکہ میں سنہ 2008 کے بعد پیٹرول کی قیمتیں سب سے زیادہ ہو گئی ہیں۔ امریکی آٹو موبائل ایسوسی ایشن کا کہنا ہے کہ گذشتہ ہفتے کے دوران پیٹرول پمپ پر قیمتیں 11 فیصد تک بڑھی ہیں۔
میک ولیمز کہتے ہیں کہ ’مجھے لگتا ہے کہ ہم ایسی دنیا میں ہیں جہاں اگر روسی تیل اور گیس کو یورپ جانے سے روکا جاتا ہے تو ہمیں زیادہ طلب والی مصنوعات کے استعمال کو محدود کرنے کے اقدامات اٹھانے ہوں گے۔‘
’اب یہ بات چیت ہو سکتی ہے کہ ہم گھریلو صارفین سے اپنے تھرموسٹیٹ ایک ڈگری کم کرنا کا کہہ سکتے ہیں جس سے گیس کی بڑی بچت ہو گی۔‘
Lukhnow: Assembly election results 2022, proved that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is still a strong force in India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not just in Hindi heartland but also in non-Hindi regions like Goa and North-East too.
BJP had won 255 seats in Uttar Pradesh out of its 403 assembly seats, while Samajwadi Party (SP) won 111 seats. Only two people won on Congress symbol here.
Lekhimpur Kheri, where son of a Modi cabinet minister was accused off mowing down farmers, BJP won from all its eight assembly constituencies.
However, even after winning back UP, its deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya lost his seat.
Out of the 70 seats in Uttarakhand, it won 47 seats. Here Congress could only get 19. Significantly, even after getting a majority of its own, BJP’s chief minister Pushkar Dhami could not save his own seat.
The win also broke a norm – no political party has continued its second consecutive term in the state.
In Goa, BJP won 20 seats out of 40, while Congress got only 11 seats. The Ruling BJP will need only one seat to get the majority.
In Manipur, the only northeast state which went to poll among the five states, BJP won seats and was leading on 4 out of 60 assembly seats. Congress could get 5 here. Here Janta Dal-United (JDU) won more seats than Congress by securing 6, while the local National People’s Party won 5 seats.
But the major change happened in Punjab, where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 92 out of 117 seats while the incumbent Congress was reduced to mere 18 seats. Here, Congress’ CM Charanjit Singh Channi lost on both seats he contested.
AAP also won two seats in Goa and with its vote share the ruling party in Delhi now gets closure to become a national party. But, the party’s CM candidate in Goa and Uttarakhand could not win their seats.
After getting Punjab, AAP can play a major role in opposition politics in India, and for 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi will have a tough time both in and outside the party for his and party’s future politics.
In Delhi, PM Modi said after assembly election results that it is a verdict of pro poor policies of BJP ruled states. He also mentioned that with the win in four different parts of India, BJP got blessings from every corner of the country.
“The celebration of Women’s Day is indeed important. However, to make it a day only about women, in today’s day & age, defeats the purpose of equity & inclusion that are the cornerstones of empowerment. We must also include men in this celebration, particularly those who have supported, facilitated and stood by us in this long, difficult fight. The sisterhood is indeed wonderful, but we need our supportive brothers too,” says Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Senior BJP leader, Women’s equity activist, champion & mentor; Former Chair of National Commission for Women (2014-2017); Director, India Foundation, Cancer Victor, TED talk speaker.
Women ought to be respected and celebrated daily
“The force behind every job done, whether by a man, woman or child, is the strength, compassion & support of a woman. Be it a house help coming to clean your home & cook meals or a man going to work without wondering how the baby would be looked after in the cozy confines of his home or even a child merrily demanding “Kuch accha to eat”… it’s all done either by a woman herself or with the support & love of one for the other. This is not to say that men are anyway less. This is to say that women like anyone else do their part in society, as well. Every task done cannot simply be measured by the remuneration one gets in hands of an individual, but it most certainly can be measured by the remuneration earned by the entire family, because someone chose to “Hold the Fort Until You Were Gone”. Every woman need not go in for a corporate job, become a doctor, or an entrepreneur to gain respect, of having made a mark. Yes, a worthy, equal, without any prejudice, opportunity must always be given to everyone to choose their path, without calling one career lesser/better than the other. A house help chopping vegetables, allowing you to get some time off your hands to do yoga, is as respectable a person as a doctor giving you a Covaxin shot. A tattered woman on a construction site is supporting her husband to earn more, as much as the woman going to work to increase the income of the house or even the one who stays home to look after little kids and aging parents.
Each one in its way makes a mark!
It’s every day that women around us…our mothers, sisters, teachers, house helps, bankers, vegetable sellers, and so many more who aren’t even seen…make our lives run on auto-pilot, so smoothly. Let’s just take a moment to realize this, sink it in & remember that Every Day Is Women’s Day,” says Yukti Aggarwal Mahajan, Educator, Army wife, mother, feminist.
“Women are the strongest members of any family. They are far stronger than men in dealing with adversities. My mother was a supreme example. Why just one day. Every day in every walk of life is a Women’s Day,” says Vijay Lokapally, Former Deputy Editor, The Hindu, Author, Consulting Editor, Sportstar.
Women’s day is not merely about shopping vouchers or gifts
The paradox of celebrating one day as women’s day might seem absurd for some people considering the ground reality of the rise in domestic violence cases – especially during the pandemic, rape cases, trafficking of women. “Covid-19 pandemic affected the women population more than men in several areas, but at the same fighting against Covid more diversely as 70 percent of the health workforce is made up of women who are often frontline health workers. There has been a high spike in crimes against women during this pandemic, like domestic violence, sexual harassment, so there is a direct and deadly effect of a pandemic on women’s mental health,” says Syed Mujtaba, Child Rights Lawyer, Mental Health activist in Kashmir.
In day-to-day lives, women are denied their basic rights or opportunities and they are hardly respected as citizens or human beings. Though such celebrations may have symbolic appeal in raising awareness about women’s issues, merely commemorating women’s day in the fashion of distributing gifts or giving free shopping vouchers does not contribute to the elimination of patriarchal culture. Endowing gifts on a particular day neither empowers women nor draws attention to their accomplishments or does anything to reduce struggles they face in their daily lives; neither does it remind the givers of those gifts to challenge the status quo. “Women’s day is not about product discounts that are given to women to show their consumption nature rather it is a day to celebrate their powers, their duties which they administer and for all the sufferings and mental pressure they take that remains unrecognised till date,” says Dr Smita Agarwal, Assistant professor, department of Political science the University of Delhi. “I think people need to be reminded that if we are celebrating women on a particular day, it is so much more than just shopping discounts and deals among others. Substantial change is needed in society. It still needs a lot of work to be a safe space for women where they can thrive as individuals (not just someone’s mom, sister or wife) and that should always remain the focus,” says Mannat Kahai Singh, Practicing Advocate at Delhi High Court.
Another banner at Miranda House | Credit: Varalika Mishra
Gender Equality is the need of the hour
For the year 2022, the UN given theme is “Gender equality today for asustainable tomorrow”, which aims to recognise women who are working to build a more sustainable future. When people of all genders have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities, we can term that gender equality. Considering the past struggles of women and how difficult it has been for women to establish that position in society, womens’ day can be a reminder of the history of past struggles and how empowerment needs to be nurtured from all genders. Everyone is affected by gender inequality – women, men, trans and gender diverse people, children and families.
“The wait has become longer, from 99.5 Years to 135.5 years. According to the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2021, another generation of women will have to wait for gender parity. Every year on March 8th – International Women’s Day – the world reaffirms its commitment to women empowerment. Yet, there remains a stark contrast between the roles, privileges and status of men and women. Partially because we have seen this as a one-sided issue and not a problem of ‘balance.’ It is time perhaps, to consider achieving a balance where both sides work in tandem towards a shared objective. We, at IPE Global, believe in creating a more equitable and balanced world and, pride ourselves on being a woman-friendly organisation where people’s capability is not judged through a prism of gender but by virtue of their innate potential and hard work. Let us pledge for Gender Equality today for a Sustainable Tomorrow,” says Ashwajit Singh, Founder and Managing Director of IPE Global Group, a social sector consultancy firm in South Asia.
“In the 21st Century women are going to lead the way and help uplift humanity. We have many such examples of powerful women leading the way. We will continue to shine and inspire a lot. If you are a woman and have been given an opportunity that women before you weren’t given then I feel it is your responsibility to make use of that opportunity and empower other women as well. This way we will break through all the glass ceilings and make our way to manifest our greatness,” says Himani Gupta, Co-Creator of Self Series. It is a platform that enables people to manifest their greatness through tools and techniques taught in Pranic Healing- a community for all those who are looking for self-development tools.
“Women’s Day for me is a celebration of our ability to rise above every social dogma that has marginalized us to date. This day stands testament to the fact that through decades of raising our voices in demand for equity and inclusion, we have set a path for the future generations to follow as active feminists,” says Swapan Deep Kaur Assistant Professor and Co-Founder of Tatava Connect.
“I feel if women’s day is celebrated, there should be a men’s day too- which never gets enough attention. Everyone’s contributions should be counted, when we talk about equality men should be recognised too. Since in general, that doesn’t happen- I’m not too attached to women’s day. Having said that, each gender has their part to play in the society and I feel women are associated with bringing open emotions into the society in the form of giving birth to children,” says Prerna Batra, Interior Designer.
“I have always maintained that socialisation is the biggest handicap not just in Indian society but also around the globe. This year, as the International Women’s Day theme is #breakthebias, I would like to go a step further and call it ‘Breaking the Bias’, a term which in my opinion signifies the need to evolve ways and means at an individual as well as state levels to continuously break all the inherent stigmas, handicaps & biases that are a direct result of rampant socialisation prevalent even in the remotest of corners. There is a need to bring about a change in the reference points used by women in their decisions making processes starting from the grass-root level,” says Jahnvi Sharma, Advocate Supreme Court of India & Co-founder The Virtual Lawyer.
“Women’s day is a day when all women resonate with the idea that we are already “complete” as humans. We expect our counterparts, the men, to understand this and deal with us accordingly. If women wish to speak in unison, we should first integrate collectively. This requires inclusion and social cohesion as the first step. Fundamentally, it has to begin from the woman herself. Break the stereotypes and biases and liberate yourself now,” says Supriya Rajmohan, an educator, author and student counsellor by profession.
To conclude, one can say, it is important to remember the struggles that women have endured over the years to fight for their rights and opportunities and it is still a long battle. Nonetheless, women need to be appreciated, empowered, supported daily and not merely on one particular day. Gender equality needs to be established where every human being can freely live their life with dignity and respect. Equal opportunities need to be provided to every individual regardless of class, caste or gender.
There is no certainty in life other than death and no age too old to die. On the tragic Friday of March 4, the cricketing world’s beloved ‘King’ Shane Warne passed away due to a suspected cardiac arrest, sending shock and sadness through not just his wide fanbase but the entire sporting fraternity. ‘Warney’ as he was affectionately called, lived larger than life and on his terms and he left the world much the same way at the young age of 52.
An all-time great, Warne was a once-in-a-century-type cricketer whose feats and records will live on forever. But he was a wild child and not many know that even before his international debut in 1992, Shane Warne had already become controversial as he was released from the Australian Cricket Academy in 1990 for disciplinary reasons. However, the wild child in him never got in the way of his cricketing genius. Despite his unorthodox actions and lifestyle, even an outline of Warne’s exploits reflects his on-field excellence.
Beyond his showmanship and charisma, the chubby genius from Victoria in Australia was an incredibly skillful leg-spinner. His leg-spinning wizardry helped him announce himself on the global scene with a delivery dubbed as the ‘Ball of the Century’. Anyone who follows cricket can hardly forget the way Warne bamboozled Mike Gatting at Old Trafford back in the early 1990s with an unplayable delivery that pitched well outside the leg stump but ended up shattering the off-stump!!
Undoubtedly, Warne was a leg spinner par excellence. We’ve seen Anil Kumble, Abdul Qadir, Sivaramakrishna and a host of others in recent decades but none spun the ball as much and with as much guile as Warne. His repertoire included everything from a googly, a top spinner, a ripper, a slow drifter and several others of mesmerising quality. But what set him apart was his ability to think the batsman out. Playing upon the weaknesses of batsmen, Warne could serve something out of the ordinary all the time, making countless batsmen commit hara-kiri and fall into his trap.
Across his career, which started in 1992 and lasted for 15 years, Warne played 145 tests and took 708 wickets. This puts him second on the all-time list of wicket-takers, below only Sri Lankan Muralitharan and ensures that he will always be one of cricket’s most iconic figures. In limited-overs cricket, Warne played a critical role in Australia’s triumph in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999, where he won the ‘man of the match in both the semi-final and the final.
While being controversy’s favorite child, which even led to a drug ban just before the ODI World Cup in 2003, Warne’s mental strength and exquisite leg-breaks enabled him to stage a brilliant comeback in 2004 after a 12-month hiatus. Then came his splendid Ashes series in 2005 – the remarkable year that saw him create the world record of 96 Test wickets in a single year that still stands unsurpassed. Warne would ultimately end up taking 198 wickets against England and has more Ashes wickets than anyone else.
Besides his exploits on the field, Warne was known for his deep understanding of the game and his tactical brilliance. Not surprisingly, he is widely regarded as ‘the best captain Australia never had’ for the way he just willed himself and the team around him to win games from hopeless situations.
After his retirement, Warne famously led the Rajasthan Royals side to the IPL title in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008. The Aussie leader was instrumental in taking the underdogs Rajasthan Royals to victory over tournament favourites Chennai Super Kings, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In addition to his tactical excellence, Warne mentored several young cricketers during the time he played for the team and became a crowd favourite in Jaipur.
Fittingly, hours after Warne’s death, Ravindra Jadeja hit a brilliant test century in Mohali – almost as a special tribute to the Aussie Superstar who spotted his talent during his stint with the Royals side! Not surprisingly, even Rajasthan Royals paid a heartfelt tribute to their ‘first Royal’ Shane Warne’ and called him a leader who “turned underdogs into champions. A mentor who turned everything he touched into gold.”
Beyond being the world’s greatest wrist spinner and an outstanding leader of men, Warne became one of cricket’s most witty and astute observers after he retired and commentated around the world. A popular figure in the commentary box, he created a loyal audience with Sky Sports in England and Fox Sports back home over the past decade. As one of the sharpest cricketing brains, Warne was known for his predictions as a commentator and even his co-commentators would ask him to predict the outcome of particular deliveries – and more often than not, he would come up with spot-on predictions, a testimony to Warney’s incisive reading of the game at all times.
As the cricketing world mourns his demise, his memories and feats will remain an epic and endearing chapter of cricket history. Warne’s sudden departure is a cruel blow for experts and millions of fans as he still had a lot to contribute as one of the finest thinkers of the game!
اب سے ٹھیک بیس برس قبل احسان جعفری کا قتل کر دیا گیا تھا۔ یہ گجرات فسادات کی پہلی لہر تھی جس نے صوبے کے کئی شہروں کو تباہ کیا تھا۔ ان میں احسان جعفری کا شہر احمد آباد بھی شامل تھا۔جعفری نے ملک کی آزادی کی لڑائی بھی لڑی تھی۔ مزدور تحریک سے بھی منسلک رہے تھے، اور ادبی حیثیت کے بھی حامل تھے۔ ان کی پیدائش برہانپور میں ہوئی تھی، اور 1935 میں جب صرف چھ برس کی عمر تھی، وہ احمدآباد آ گئے تھے۔ ابھی آر سی ہائی اسکول کے طالب علم ہی تھے کہ ایک اردو رسالہ شائع کیا اور 1940 کی دہائی میں آزادی کی لڑائی میں شامل ہو گئے تھے۔ مزدور تحریک کے راہ نما کی حیثیت سے 1949 میں جیل میں بند کر دئے گئے تھے، کیوں کہ انہوں نے انقلاب کا نعرہ دیا تھا۔ رہا ہونے کے بعد وہ پروگریسیو ایڈیٹرس یونین کے جنرل سکریٹری منتخب یا مقرر ہو گئے، قانون کی ڈگری بھی حاصل کی اور احمدآباد کی عدالت میں وکالت کرنے لگے۔ سنہ 1969ء کے فسادات میں ان کا مکان نذر آتش کر دیا گیا اور ان کی فیملی ریلیف کیمپ میں منتقل ہو گئی۔ تقریباً اپنے پرانے مکان کے مقام پر ہی نیا مکان بنایا۔ یہ احمدآباد شہر کا صنعتی علاقہ تھا، اور بوہرا ہاؤسنگ ایسوسی ایشن، گلبرگ سوسائٹی بھی قائم کیا۔
جعفری کیلئے 1969 ایک اہم سال تھا۔ فرقہ وارانہ تشدد کے تریاق کے لئے وہ سیکولر سیاست میں سرگرم ہو گئے۔ انہوں نے اندرا کی کانگریس میں شمولیت اختیار کی اور 1972ء میں احمدآباد کانگریس کے صدر مقرر ہوئے۔ سنہ 1977ء میں وہ احمدآباد لوک سبھا حلقے کے ایم پی منتخب ہوئے۔ اندرا کی کانگریس تب خاصی غیر مقبول پارٹی تھی، گجرات کی 26 نشستوں میں صرف 10 پر کانگریس کامیاب ہوئی تھی۔ ان سے قبل اور ان کے بعد کوئی مسلمان اس صوبے سے ایم۔ پی۔ منتخب نہ ہو سکا۔ جعفری بھی دوبارہ کبھی کوئی الیکشن نہیں لڑے۔ شعروادب اور عوامی سرگرمیوں سے منسلک رہے۔
فروری 2002ء میں انہوں نے راجکوٹ اسمبلی کے ضمنی انتخاب میں نریندر مودی کی مخالفت کی۔ انتخابی مہم کی ایک عوامی تقریر میں انہوں نے لوگوں سے اپیل کی کہ آ ر ایس ایس کے نریندر مودی کو ووٹ نا دیں۔ چند ہفتے بعد ان کا قتل کر دیا گیا۔
گلبرگ سوسائٹی پر جو حملہ ہوا تھا وہ پولیس کے جارحانہ رویے کی مثال ہے۔ سیٹیزن ٹریبونل کی رپورٹ نے یہ اجاگر کیا کہ گودھرا کے بعد ہونے والے حملوں کی سیریز میں گلبرگ سوسائٹی پہلا نشانہ تھی۔ پھر اس نے ایک پیٹرن کا روپ لے لیا۔ یہاں یقینی طور سے احسان جعفری ہی اہم نشانہ تھے۔ اس علاقے میں بے بسوں کے لئے ان کا کمپاؤنڈ ہی محفوظ ترین جگہ سمجھا جا سکتا تھا۔ آخر کار وہ سابق ایم پی جو تھے اور 1985 کے فسادات میں اعلی حکام نے انہیں تحفظ عطا کیا تھا۔ لہذا تناؤ بڑھنے پر آس پاس کے مسلمان ان کے کمپاؤنڈ ہی میں پناہ گزیں ہو گئے۔ ساڑھے سات بجے صبح وہاں لگ بھگ 200 لوگ پناہ لینے آ چکے تھے۔ ساڑھے دس بجے صبح وہاں پولس کمشنر پی۔ سی ۔ پانڈے آئے اور جعفری کو یہ بھروسہ دلایا کہ پولس ان کی حفاظت کرے گی۔ پولس کمشنر کے جانے کے پانچ منٹوں کے اندر ہی ظہیر بیکری اور ایک آٹو رکشہ جلا دیا گیا۔
گلبرگ سوسائٹی پر حملہ شروع ہو گیا۔ چشم دیدوں کے مطابق احسان جعفری اور ان کے ساتھ اخیر تک رہنے والی پارسی عورت لگاتار بیقراری کے ساتھ پولس سے گھنٹوں تک ٹیلیفون پر رابطہ کرتے رہے کہ خون کی پیاسی جنونی بھیڑ (لوگوں کی) حملہ آور تھی، لیکن جعفری کے گھر کے پاس کھڑی تین پولس گاڑیاں وہیں رہ کر بھی خاموش تماش بین بنی رہیں ۔ نو گھنٹوں بعد آر اے ایف والوں نے مداخلت کی۔ تب تک بہت دیر ہو چکی تھی۔ گلبرگ سوسائٹی کے 69 لوگ مارے جا چکے تھے۔ ان مقتولوں میں احسان جعفری، ان کے تین بھائی اور دو بھتیجے بھی شامل تھے۔ بوہرا کمیونیٹی کے سربراہ سیدنا نے 2002 فسادات کے مظلوموں سے اپنی لاتعلقی اور دوری بنائے رکھی۔ احسان جعفری کے قتل کا ذکر تک کبھی نہیں کیا۔
بیس برسوں بعد ان کی موت کو یاد کیا جانا بہت اہم ہے۔ نہ صرف اس لئے کہ 2002 کے مظالم کی یادیں معدوم کی جا رہی ہیں اور تاریخ کے صفحات میں کھوتی جا رہی ہیں، بلکہ گجراتی سیاست کی جس روایت سے وہ ذاتی طور سے وابستہ تھے، اسے بھی فراموش کیا جا رہا ہے۔ جعفری کانگریس کے اس مخصوص مکتبہ فکر کا حصہ تھے جس کی داغ بیل اندو لال یاگنک نے 1920ء کی دہائی میں ڈالی تھی۔ جعفری اس روایت کے آخری امینوں میں سے تھے۔ یاگنک غریبوں سے ہمدردی رکھتے تھے۔ یہ ترغیب انہیں مہاتما گاندھی سے ملی تھی۔ لیکن یہ لوگ اب تنہا پڑ رہے تھے،کیونکہ گجرات کانگریس پر رفتہ رفتہ ہندو رجعت پسندوں کا غلبہ ہو نے لگا تھا۔ اس میں سردار پٹیل، کے ایم منشی، گلزاری لال نندا اور مرارجی ڈیسائی جیسے لوگ حاوی ہو رہے تھے۔ یاگنک تو 1920 کی دہائی میں ہی کانگریس سے الگ ہو گئے تھے۔ گاندھی جی بھی بے بس تھے اور انہیں روکنے کی کوشش تک نہیں کر سکے تھے۔ لیکن یاگنک اگلے پچاس برسوں تک گجرات میں روشن خیال سیاست کا مرکز بنے رہے۔ 1969ء کی کانگریس کی ٹوٹ کے بعد وہ اندرا کانگریس سے منسلک رہے، جب کہ ڈیسائی اور دیگر لوگ کانگریس (او )کے ساتھ رہے۔ 1957 سے 1971 تک کے الیکشنز میں احمد آباد حلقے سے یاگنک ہی منتخب ہوتے رہے۔ اسی سیٹ سے 1977ء میں جعفری منتخب ہوئے تھے۔جعفری گجرات کانگریس کے کوئی آخری ترقی پسند راہ نما نہیں تھے۔ جن لوگوں نے گجرات سیاست میں چھتریہ او بی سی، ہریجن، آدیباسی اور مسلمان کے بلاک بنائے تھے وہ لوگ اندولال یاگنک کے ہی معتقدین تھے۔ انہیں میں سے ایک مادھو سنگھ سولنکی 1980 کی دہائی میں گجرات کے وزیر اعلی بنے تھے۔سنہ 2022ء گجرات میں اسمبلی چناؤ کا سال بھی ہے۔ کیا کانگریس کا یہ مخصوص روشن خیال طبقہ اپنی واپسی درج کرا پائے گا؟ یہ دیکھنے والی بات ہوگی۔
As Europe plunges into a conventional war, the world is bracing for the First World War in Cyberspace. On 23 February 2022, as of 16:30 Kyiv time, the websites of the Ukrainian parliament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Council of Ministers (including all individual ministerial sites), and the Security Service of Ukraine, were all unreachable. Within hours, ground troop movement started as Russia attacked Ukraine in a conventional war.
‘Cyberattacks preceding tanks, aircrafts, and boots on the ground’ has now become the model template for any global conflict. European Union and NATO countries are expecting a barrage of cyberattacks on their technology infrastructure, private and government organisations. The EU has announced that a cyber rapid-response team (CRRT) was being deployed across Europe, after a call for help from Ukraine.
DDoS Attacks By Russia
Attacks had already begun on 15 and 16 February 2022, when the Ukraine government and bank websites crashed under DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. The DDoS attack is one of the most powerful weapons on the internet. When you hear about a website being “brought down by hackers,” it means that hackers have attempted to make a website or computer unavailable by flooding or crashing the website with too much traffic. Almost immediately, fingers were pointing to Russian spies. Anne Neuberger, the US deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, said, “technical information links the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) with the DDoS attack that had overloaded and brought down the Ukrainian websites.”
Independent threat researcher Snorre Fagerland, working in cooperation with Bellingcat and The Insider, has identified a web service, apparently serving as a command-and-control centre, which has played a role in past cyber-attacks linked to Russian state interests.
Might Not Be Restricted To Cyberspace
Intelligence from all major governments warns that cyberattacks could trigger a bigger war and could morph into a broader war that draws in NATO nations – including the United States. In a 2021 communique, NATO affirmed the alliance would weigh whether to trigger its Article 5 mutual defence pact over a cyberattack “on a case-by-case basis.” It said the response “need not be restricted to the cyber domain.” The collective defence clause of NATO’s founding treaty – Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – is a provision that means an attack against one member is considered an attack against all of them. This is a fundamental part of NATO and why it says it is a defensive alliance.
Spill-Over Attacks
Military and cybersecurity analysts are fearful of a scenario in which Russia deploys cyber weapons inside Ukraine that take on a life of their own and spread to NATO member states. This has happened before – most notably in 2017 when Russia’s NotPetya malware was unleashed in Ukraine. It ended up causing billions of dollars in damage to companies worldwide.
Nation-states have been stockpiling malware tools precisely for responding to situations such as what the world is facing today. Experts argue that if you unleash not one, but five, or 10, or 50, or 1,000 of them in Ukraine – chances are, they won’t stay confined within Ukrainian geographic borders. These could spread from America to the UK throughout all of Europe! But the most likely spread could be to adjacent geographic territories such as Poland – just like the toxic spread of radioactive fallout in nuclear warfare. And it suddenly gets into a similar grey area regarding strategic ethics. What would the Polish people’s reaction be? What would NATO’s reaction be? What would America’s reaction be? Although the US troops are not getting physically shot at, a malicious cyberattack could well cause them immense harm.
Fears of cyberwarfare “spill-over” are entirely reasonable since many forms of malware are designed to multiply and overwhelm targets, and continue wreaking havoc. They rarely have “off” buttons by design – and they don’t recognize international boundaries. Pushed into a corner, the Russian president could well give carte blanche to his cyber warriors to press the nuclear button of the First World-Wide Cyber War!
Washington, DC: The Indian Government has a duty under the Genocide Convention to immediately punish those who have called for a genocide of India’s Muslims at Haridwar city in December, the world’s foremost genocide expert, Dr Gregory Stanton, has said in a summit called, India On The Brink: Prevent Genocide.
“Genocide does not already have to be underway to be punishable,” Dr Stanton said delivering a plenary address at the end of a three-day global summit. “Incitement to commit genocide is covered under the Genocide Convention, Article 3. Incitement to commit genocide is exactly what was preached at the Haridwar congregation.”
Dr Stanton’s reference was to a Hindu religious gathering organized in December at the north Indian city of Haridwar where a speaker openly called for the killing of two million Muslims. The self-styled Hindu monk, Yati Narasinghanand, who organized that meeting, was bailed by a court within days of arrest. Pooja Pandey, a saffron-robed female monk who gave the call for genocide, is yet to be charged or arrested.
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide – the Genocide Convention – was conceived in response to the last century’s Holocaust in which over six million Jews were killed. India has ratified the Convention and is therefore covered under it. Article 3 covers “direct and public incitement to commit genocide.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained a silence on the calls for genocide. His government has rejected international calls to act against hate speeches. Narasinghanand and Pandey are well-known affiliates of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India’s 96-year-old Hindu supremacist movement that wants to convert India into a Hindu nation and strip Muslims and Christians of equal rights. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is an affiliate of the RSS. Modi himself is an RSS member.
While identifying “ethnocentrism” as the cause of genocide, Dr Stanton said nationalism was the “most deadly form of ethnocentrism. It is racism on steroids.” A genocide begins by portraying “as the real killers – that they will kill us if we don’t kill them first,” he said. This is “mirroring,” a “most accurate prediction of what the perpetrators intend to do themselves,” which is genocide, he added.
Dr Stanton is the founder-president of Genocide Watch, a US-based nonprofit that has issued an alert for the genocide of Muslims in India. Thirty years ago he had predicted the genocide in Rwanda.
He made his remarks bringing up the concluding day of the three-day summit, titled India On The Brink: Preventing Genocide, where over 50 panelists spoke on 17 different panels. Earlier also, acclaimed personalities like Noam Chomsky and Harsh Mander had warned about genocide like situation in India.
The founder of global Alliance Against Genocide mentioned that Genocide also involves dehumanizing a community. For example, India’s home minister Amit Shah had ‘called Muslims, termites.’ “It renders other people not human and killing them not murder. Dehumanization overcomes the normal human revulsion of committing murder. Exclusion becomes a religious doctrine ordained by God,” he said.
Dr Stanton blamed social media for making, “propaganda fast and deadly. Facebook and WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, are now the main platforms for incitement to genocide in India.”
To counter Hindu majoritarian nationalism, India “must re-center nationalism. It must take the religion out of India’s nationalism. It must be re-centered on the secular vision of India’s founders. This movement must be led by people in India that believe India must remain a secular democracy.”
Dr Stanton said the Indian diaspora can help the “movement for a secular Indian nationalism. We should organize a continuing movement to keep the defeat of Modi’s nationalism at the top of the policies around the world. We have therefore announced the launching of a campaign to counter Modi’s nationalism.”
Mumbai: India’s white-ball winter campaign concluded strongly as Sri Lanka was trounced 3-0 in the T20 series that ended in Dharamsala. With this clean sweep, India has reached the top of record books for the most consecutive T20 victories which are now 12 and counting. The recent wins over West Indies and Sri Lanka have also laid a smooth platform for India to now confidently look at the bigger picture – the T20 World Cup in Australia in October later this year. In the process, Rohit Sharma ticked all the boxes as the new captain and has made a commanding transition into the leadership role.
Before the West Indies arrived on Indian shores in early February, the Men in Blue had been soundly beaten in South Africa under KL Rahul’s captaincy while Rohit Sharma was injured. It meant that Rohit had to hit the ground running with the added pressure of building a new team for not only the T20 World Cup later this year but also keeping an eye on the 2023 ODI World Cup scheduled in India. While the media focused on his equation with ex-captain Virat Kohli, Rohit went about his job as if he had always been at the helm. His shrewd tactics were always known in IPL but now were on full display as he led excellently all through the month ultimately keeping India’s losses to zero during their entire campaign against both Windies and Lanka.
Much of the credit should also be given to the new head coach Rahul Dravid. Both Rohit and Dravid backed Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer to solve India’s long-standing middle-order conundrum. On their part, the talented duo stepped up and showed maturity to ensure victories from tricky situations. Surya was declared the Man of the Series in the T20s against West Indies and Shreyas won the Man of the Series against Sri Lanka in the same format.
But it wasn’t just the impressive batsmanship by them that became the talk of the town, it was the strike rate at which they played and kept the momentum steady throughout their stay on crease which made everyone sit up and take notice. This has been India’s Achilles Heel for the last few years- a fragile middle order and slow run-rate in the middle overs. With Surya and Shreyas succeeding in their roles, it has given a happy headache to the team management to pick their best eleven once Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul come back from their injuries.
The overall aggressive approach by Surya-Shreyas looked like a well-thought-out team plan. Previously India had been playing a rather traditional style of T20 game where the start was slow and steady and later the tempo was raised at the climax of the innings. This strategy has cost India many crucial games and was instrumental in their not winning any T20 World Cup since 2007. But after Rohit took over, it was a clear approach by all batsmen, including mainstays like Virat and Rohit himself, to bat aggressively right from the word go. The team may have lost quick wickets in the process but the strategy has paid dividends as the opposition has been taken by surprise. Moreover, the blessing in disguise in the entire situation has been the added responsibility and maturity that the middle order has shown. Earlier, the bulk of run-making was done by the top order and the middle order hardly got tested. The lack of preparation meant that in crucial games, the batting often capitulated, frustrating the loyal fans.
There is also the new dasher that India has found in the lower middle order in the form of Venkatesh Iyer. He has been a very important cog in the Indian juggernaut as he can bowl a few crucial overs too. Along with him, Prasidh Krishna with his pace was a welcome addition to the team. Although Krishna wasn’t selected for the Sri Lankan T20 matches, he was adjudged the Man of the Series in the ODIs against the Windies picking up 9 wickets.
Despite the massive positives in recent matches, there are still some chinks in the armor that need to be ironed out quickly. India’s catching has been abysmal, to say the least, with many dollies being dropped. India’s death bowling also remains a worry as many new bowlers fail to execute their plans. Even in the last T20 game against Sri Lanka, India had choked runs for most of the Lankan innings but the last 4 overs saw them leaking 56 runs – a similar story had unfolded in the previous game where 72 runs were looted in the final 4.
Such mistakes can cost India dearly playing against top sides like Australia and England. This is an area that is controllable among the many variables in the game and Rahul Dravid would be keen to ensure that such mishaps are rare rather than usual occurrences as Team India heads towards a World Cup that is critical to redeem its stature in the T20 format.
As Russia threatens the world with its nuclear weapons and proposes talks at the same time, western economic sanctions have come to bite. Its financial resources to fight the war are running out faster than anticipated. If the Ukrainians can hold on for a few more weeks, the Russian economy will be devastated.
It will be interesting to watch how its markets behave today.
Ruble Trouble
Meanwhile, its currency is dropping like a rock. Russian commercial bank Tinkoff was quoting an exchange rate on Sunday night of 164 Rubles to the Dollar for ruble sellers, and 92 for buyers — a massive spread that implies people’s savings in the Russian currency will effectively halve in value.
Google, Apple Pay Won’t Work
There are also warnings by Russian private banks that the digital payment apps Apple Pay and Google Pay no longer work, which means that people will be forced to rely on their local cards and, increasingly, on cash to meet their daily needs.
Meanwhile, retailers have reported a surge in sales of consumer electronics and durable goods as people rush to spend their savings before they are rendered worthless by inflation.
Decouple Their Economics
Russia will try to work with China to decouple their economies from the US Dollar, something the Chinese have long dreamt of. But that’s not going to be easy as China holds about US$3 trillion in US debt. Besides, the US is the largest buyer of Chinese products. Europe too buys Russian gas with dollars.
A Crypto Opportunity?
The situation could spur greater use of crypto currencies. Incidentally, Ukraine is among the world’s top three crypto mining countries in the world.
However, the biggest risk is what Putin will do when pushed into a corner with the economic sanctions. The chilling fact is that Russia enjoyed a massive advantage in low-yield nuclear weapons—the kind meant to be fired at short or intermediate range, as opposed to the huge, intercontinental missiles that raised fears of global nuclear annihilation during the Cold War. Last year, Brookings noted that Russia has some 1,900 such low-yield warheads, to the US’s 230; America’s arsenal is largely designed to be dropped from warplanes, whereas at least some of Russia’s can be mounted on shorter-range ballistic missiles۔
Kolkata: In December 2020 first major genocide call against Indian Muslims was given by right-wing Hindutva leaders and religious figures in Haridwar. While attacks on Muslims is not a new thing in India and country is witnessed it time to time especially after 2015, when Akhlaque Ahmed of Dadri was lynched in Uttar Pradesh, but after the call, now Muslims are being attacked almost every day at some or other part of the country.
On Friday also, a genocide call was given in Karnataka in response to the resistance shown by the Muslims on the anti-hijab row.
Amid all these, 20 Indian diaspora organizations around the world have planned to have three days– Global Conference: India on the Brink – Preventing Genocide, beginning from February 26, 2022.
A press communique has been issued by the organizers which stated, “The rapid escalation of human rights abuses against India’s religious minorities and marginalized communities has reached a breaking point. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anti-Muslim policies, the daily incidents of violence and hate speech against Muslims and minorities, and government apathy over open calls for genocide of Muslims have created a deeply repressive and dangerous situation for India’s 200 million Muslims.”
It further mentioned, “Experts from leading global human rights watchdogs such as Amnesty International USA, Genocide Watch and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum have said the government’s Hindutva driven agenda is pushing India further down the abyss of hate and violence and creating conditions where a genocide of Muslims and Christians has become a real possibility.”
India on the brink – Preventing Genocide
The press release pointed out why 20 organizations come together for the summit, “In this backdrop, Indian diaspora organizations around the world are partnering with globally acclaimed human rights organizations to host a three-day virtual summit titled ‘India on the brink – Preventing Genocide.’ The Summit, co-sponsored by a global coalition of over 20 organizations, is joined by leading international human rights lawyers, genocide prevention experts, faith leaders, activists, lawmakers and human right defenders from around the world.”
The goal of the summit, according to the organizers, is to bring awareness to the situation in India, to advance the discourse on the international community’s role in safeguarding lives, and to facilitate deeper conversations about a vision for India that builds on its longstanding tradition of pluralism and respect for diversity.
It also quoted Dr Gregory Stanton, who had predicted genocide earlier also and now saying the same for India, against Muslims, “The international community has a moral obligation to act now to prevent a cataclysmic turn of events in India, where millions of Muslims and other marginalized communities are already living in fear and experiencing the rapidly shrinking space for civil rights and religious freedom,” said Dr Stanton, President of Genocide Watch and a co-chair of the Summit.
The release included some more quotes, “The far-right political leadership in India has fueled the ongoing crisis with vitriol and the dehumanized representation of Indian Muslims,” said Dr Ritumbra Manuvie, Executive Director of Stichting The London Story, a Europe based human rights organization, and a co-chair of the Summit. “It will bring credible and authoritative voices from around the world to shine a light on India’s rapid descent into fascism,” added Dr Manuvie.
“This Summit is an urgent call to action to safeguard peace, pluralism and justice for all Indians,” said Rasheed Ahmed, Executive Director of the Indian American Muslim Council, and co-chair of the Summit. “We yearn for a better world where religion and spirituality are wellsprings of love, compassion and a shared ethic of the sanctity of life, and not of hate and mass violence,” added Ahmed.
