The same issue of Los Angeles Times mentions that, “ In his new role, Mitchell will once again be working with Tony Blair, who was British Prime Minister at the time of Good Friday agreement.” Why and what is the necessity when Tony, towards the end of his career became controversial and unpopular, both at home and abroad due to his part in creating the turmoil in Iraq.
On Middle East peace, Mr. Obama reiterated his administration’s support for Israel and its security but also suggested Israelis would have to make some tough choices.
“Ultimately we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what is best for them. They are going to have to make some decisions,” he said.
“But I do believe the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people. And that instead, it’s time to return to the negotiating table.”(Globalnews24.com dated January27, 2009).
The 44th US President, Barack.Hussein 0bama, in his inaugural speech mentioned that: “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe whoseek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.
To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
The depth of these words, I feel are very refreshing indeed and ushers in the “Change” from the previous 43rd President’s moral words, “Either you are for us or against us”. Congratulations Mr. President. Credit is also due for selecting Middle-East convoy, George Mitchell, who according to Los Angeles Times, is no stranger to conflicts. Mitchell received the Presidential Medal of Freedomfrom President Clinton in 1999 for his work on reaching a peace accord in Northern Ireland. (Ref: latimes.com dated 24/1/2009).
There is no doubt of the good intentions of the President. “Change” is good; deciding to make change is the easy part, getting people todo that are the difficult task. Let us analyze.
Are you a debt-ridden woman? Even if debt may not be an issue for you now, there is a good chance that it will become one in the future. Whether you are in debt now or if you are looking to prevent yourself from falling victim to it, you may want to examine budgets. Creating a budget for yourself is a simple process, but it is one that can help to keep you out of debt or even get you out of debt.
Before examining how you can go about creating a budget for yourself, it is important to understand the importance of budgets. As previously stated, budgets are a tool that can be used to make sure that debt isn’t any longer an issue for you. By creating yourself a budget you are able to track your spending, as well as ensure that all needed expenses, like your car instance or your mortgage, get paid. This also gives you the opportunity to examine how much extra money you have each month, money that you could put towards repaying your debt or put in a savings account, if you aren’t in debt right now.
When it comes to creating a budget for yourself, you should be able to find a number of budget templates online for you to use. While these free resources are nice, you may only want to use them as starting points. You can get great ideas from them, but you may want to create your own budget. This is important because not all individuals lead the same lives or have the same expenses to take care of. For instance, a budget template for those in New York City may not necessarily call for car payments or auto insurance, but if you had a vehicle, you will need these sections displayed on your budget.
It is also advised that you take the time to create a budget for each month of the year. As previously stated, a budget allows you to account for your spend in advance. If you have a birthday party in July that you need to attend, you may need to account for buying a gift. However, this is something that will likely not occur each month. Creating individual budgets for each month of the year may seem like a complicated process, but it doesn’t have to be. It may take a few extra minutes, but those few minutes are more than worth it.
Even seven years after Gujarat 2002 pogrom, 50,000 people are in relief camps, state government is sitting on its share of compensation package, 650 religious places are awaiting restoration; so situation is far away from being completely normal, says Ahmedabad resident and director of Islami Relief Committee of Gujarat in an interview with Mumtaz Alam Falahi of TwoCircles.net.
How do you recall the Gujarat 2002 pogrom today after seven years?
By just recalling what happened in the communal riots in those days in Gujarat I get frightened. I and my Gandhian friends were very anxious. We wanted to help people but were helpless. Those were horrific days of lawlessness and mayhem – a nightmare better to forget. In Juhapura area in Ahmedabad 17 Muslims were killed and about 500 houses of Muslims were put on fire. A non-Muslim was also killed in that area. Juhapura is described as a Muslim ghetto and a mini Pakistan, yet the destruction there was one-sided.
The pogrom had vertically divided the society on communal lines. How are the present relations between Hindus and Muslims?
Situation is getting normal as in some matters human beings are bound to have interaction with each other. But what should have been done for complete normalization of the situation has not yet been done. Of 1.5 lakh people uprooted during the pogrom, around two-third are still not in position to return to their homes. About 50,000 people are still living in relief camps and there has been no proper arrangement for their rehabilitation. About 650 religious places were destroyed or desecrated but the government has not done anything to restore them. The central government has given its share of the compensation package for the riot victims but the state government is silent about its share. This hostile approach of the state government towards the Muslim community is keeping the situation from getting completely normal. Had these things been done, people would have forgot their wounds.
How common Hindus and common Muslims take each other in common places like in buses or trains?
Not much hostile situation there. But fear still persists. Hindus and Muslims do not prefer to send their children in schools in each other’s areas. But Muslims have little options as they are forced to go to schools in Hindu areas. They fear while sending their girls to schools and colleges in those areas. Today the gap created between the two communities by the pogrom has got a little narrowed but the situation cannot be said completely normal.
It is said that most of those arrested in connection with Godhra train burning and POTA imposed on them are innocents but real perpetrators of the riot are still at large.
Godhra train burning incident was projected as a conspiracy and scores of Muslims were arrested only to justify the pogrom that followed the incident. Our Cell for Legal Help & Guidance, other NGOs, Human Rights Commission and Minority Commission have worked to prove that what was told by the government about Godhra train fire was not true. And we are hopeful that all the accused of the incident will be proved innocent and will be acquitted. On the other hand the policemen and politicians who were involved in the riot are being nabbed and sent to jail. But the state government is creating hurdles. First they made perpetrators as public prosecutors and helped the guilty and now when Supreme Court-appointed SIT wants to arrest some of the perpetrators the government is shielding them.
What are the Islami Relief Committee and other organizations doing for the families of Godhra train accused and others languishing in jail?
We are helping the families of Godhra train accused. We have also secured bail for 30-40 accused. We represented them in POTA Review Committee. Other groups like Action Aid are also coming up to help.
How much hopeful are you about justice?
Given the situation in India we cannot be fully sure of justice. We are making our best efforts and we have got some favorable verdicts from the Supreme Court. But even if, for example, the Godhra accused get acquittal after spending 7-8 years in jail, we cannot say they got justice. Because there is no system for the rehabilitation of those people who lost everything – families, homes and source of livelihood.