South Asia Citizens Web

Audio of the keynote lecture by Amartya Sen at the conference "A Return to Civilian Rule? The Prospects for Democracy and Rights in Burma After the Election" on 20 October 2010 at Washington DC.

The representatives of civil society organisations and the peace movement in Pakistan and India, have welcomed a decision to tone down the flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah Border.

It 
is
 64
 years
 since 
the
 Radcliffe
 line 
cut
 through 
the
 village 
of
 Wagah 
in
 Punjab,
 the
 east
 going 
to 
India 
and 
the
 west 
to
 Pakistan.
 Events 
at
 the
 Wagah
 border
 reflect
 the 
tensions 
and 
hostility 
since
 partition
 as 
well
 as 
the
 aspirations
 of
 ordinary
 people
 for 
peace
 and 
friendship.
 On 
14th
/15th 
August
 2010, 
I 
was
 at
 the
 Wagah
 border 
where 
I
 witnessed 
two
 ceremonies: 
the
 official
 Beating
 of 
the
 Retreat 
(lowering
 of
 the 
flags)
 by 
the 
Indian
 BSF 
(Border 
Security 
Force)
 and 
the
 Pakistani
 Rangers
 which 
is
 held 
everyday
 since 
1959 
and
 the 
midnight
 candle light
 vigil
 held 
every 
14/15th
 August
 by 
peace‐activists
 from 
both 
sides.




US President Obama’s visit to India carries a hidden agenda, to further the profiteering interests of the US Corporations and it is clear that Washington is pushing its ties with New Delhi even narrowly than earlier in various sectors. It is undeniable that the President’s visit is overwhelmingly tilted towards the advantage of the American Corporations and the State.

The collusion and connections between the criminal underworld and the organisations of Hindutva right wing in India