1971 in 2000

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If US think-tanks had their way, India`s most cherished dream, to emerge as a superpower, would be a reality. Harish Mehta looks at three extreme

scenarios - of Pakistan being swallowed by a US-backed Indian confederation, Sino-Indian hegemony and a win-win China - conjured up by an American study.

``The United States of America uses its B-2 bombers in the year 2012 to launch conventional air-strikes to destroy Pakistani nuclear facilities in a bid to prevent the nukes from falling into the wrong hands. The extraordinary US action follows an unsuccessful Indian conventional attack on Pakistani nukes, and a retaliatory Pakistani nuclear strike against Indian border forces. This sparks the disintegration and disappearance of Pakistan, and creation of an expanded Indian Confederation or Superstate.``

THIS is not some Nostradamus indulging in apocalyptic visions. It`s just one of the many futuristic scenarios culled out from the ``Asia 2025`` study - a 147-page opus - conducted by the US under secretary of defence(policy)...

Go to http://www.outlookindia.com/20000918/coverstory.htm

for details

Re: krashid

Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh should be brought back. And compensated for their sacrifices.

Omar 1974!

At the risk of being labelled traitor (and almost all big politicians are labelled traitor);;)

My head hangs in shame for the treatment of majority of Pakistanis (Bengalis) at the hands of minority of Pakistan (West Pakistan) from the moment of inception of Pakistan.

And while you are lamenting about Mukti Bahini, what do you think about the toilet papers of West Pakistan also known as Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh. They still think themselves as Pakistanis, but we don`t.

Those interested in this debate should read the article & posts on the piece by Jamal Hasan. Also, the Hamoodur Rehman commission report now availble at http://www.dawn.com on the front page.

AND NO Pakistan should not apologize unless the Bengalis apologize at the same time. Atrocities took place on both sides. I`m tired of the Bengali & Indian propaganda about the war about so called 3 million dead, and 200,000 Bengali womyn raped. Its a MASSIVE exaggeration. Repeating their lies for 29 years, over and over, has made them believe them themselves. Here is a reality check.

From the Book, ``The East Pakistan Tragedy`` by Prof L.Rushbrook Williams, published 1972.

`March 25-April 11 1971

At Santakar, in Bogra district, more than 15,000, non-Bengalis were rounded up and murdered, and their womenfolk paraded naked through the streets.

In the Sankipura area of Mymensingh, the men of 2,000 non-Bengali families were taken out and murdered and their womynfolk were forced to dig their graves.`

``...more information came in about the frightful atrocities committed by the Awami League hooligans upon innocent persons? no pen could do justice to their ghastly nature as shown by photographs taken ...

...Rooms splashed high with blood and carpeted with corpses; pariah dogs and crows feeding on the dead; men, women and even small children hurriedly shoveled into mass graves; bloodstained dolls and toys pathetically testifying to the fate of their baby owners-these were some of the sights which the army met when at length they overcame the obstacles of blocked roads, blown up bridges, and water transport destroyed. Of the mutineers of the East Bengal Regiment and the East Bengal Rifles, it was said they killed most of their victims cleanly; but the bestial fury of the mobs, turning upon non-Bengalis suspected of being but luke warm supporters of the League knew no restraint.

Of these massacres certain things need to be noted. First, the beginnings of them date from early March although the full fury of those who perpetrated them was not unleashed until ?D-Day? in the early hours of March 26th. Next, the evidence for them does not rest upon official records alone. In the beginning of April, a T.V team which had come to Jessore under Awami League auspices when the town was still in Rebel hands, filmed a typical example of the cold-blooded killings of Bihars, West Pakistanis, and other non-Bengali citizens. [Foreign businessmen] ? had frightful tales to tell of the massacres of their factory hands, of the burnings of property, and of mob fury?. many of them said frankly only the arrival of troops saved their lives.

It is this Campaign of genocide perpetrated by the Awamin League mobs, and not, as the time table of events shows, the action of the Army, which set in motion the flood of refugees seeking food, safety and shelter across the Indian border. ... evidence of murder, rape, and mutilation perpetrated on innocent civilians {By Awami League & Bengalis on Non-Bengalis}.

Re: Satyavadi #243

Talking about Muslim/Pakistani claims of a thousand year rule making things more difficult for Indian Muslims, how about the claim of Indian PM Indira Gandhi after the Pakistani army defeat of 1971, that India had just avenged a thousand years of defeat. What sentiments would such a statement from the PM of their country raise among Indian Muslims - some of whose near and dear ones gave their lives in the war?

Second, what about the caste system which is more racial and ethnically prejudiced than any other system in the world today and which exalts Brahmins and ensures their control, way beyond their numbers, over India? Are not the Brahmins largely Aryan, or atleast claim Aryan ancestory and symbols, while the Shudra are mainly of Dravidian stock? Is it true that the genesis of the Hindu caste system lay in the primordial desire of the invading Aryans to not intermingle with and inter-marry into the Dravidians? If not, what was the genesis of the Caste System which considers even the presence of lower castes or non-Hindus to defile food or drinking water or clothes or areas of workship? Why do these divisions still remain intact particularly in rural India?

Seek elucidation.

Dear Prof Ahmad,

Sorry for the late response.

``In contemporary India, there is a concerted effort to selectively deface a part of Indian history.``

Agreed there is a move to deface Indian Muslim history. But one must realize that the invaders cannot be glorified just because they were Muslims and a misguided segment of the population thinks of them as heroes. That will be doing injustice to history. Ghouri Ghaznavi, Babar etc deserve to be condemned as much as Akbar should be admired.

As for the Aryan invasions etc, there is no group using the Aryan bogey against another group; unlike a segment of Muslims using Muslim invasions of which many times present day Muslims were the worst sufferers, to demonstrate their supposed superority over the rest of the population. Whoever the so-called Aryans were, are all assimilated so well in India(and Pakistan) that you cannot tell who is one. Aryans cannot be considered foreigners in that sense. Whereas the Central Asians, Afghans (like Ghouri etc) were and are still foreigners.

Attempts to see those Muslim invaders shouldnot be seen as attempts to deface the history of Indian Muslims.

Pakistanis on Chowk, like rajanjua, boasting about ``they`` ruled ``us`` for a thousand years, doesnt help the cause of Indian Muslims. I guess subcontinental Muslims should shed the delusion that they were the rulers in the past. They were as much among the ruled as me or Rsaxena or anyone else.

As for foreign and local blood, I think all Indians are Indians irrespective of their faith. If I were to convert to Islam tomorrow, I would I become part foreigner instantly? No and so the issue of Indian and foreign blood doest arise. But I do think Muslims of India should stop glorifying invaders just because they were Muslims. Same applies to Pakistan too.



``Yet, you tend to justify the response of BJP and RSS supporters in terms of “the Indian Muslim leaderships obscurantism (ShahBano case for eg.) and obduracy, and the Congress, Janta Dal`s Muslim appeasing policies.” This suggest that you yourself are not convinced that the whole Babri Masjid issue revolved around the birthplace of Ram. If you don’t agree, please explain.``

I wasnt justifying the destruction of the mosque. I merely mentioned the circumstances which made it easier for the BJP/RSS to exploit he matter politically. And yes, I do agree that it wasnt just about the birth place of Ram, it was about the agendas of all BJP and RSS. And the Babri mosque was even less about the faith of Indian Muslims, it was more of a politcal struggle.

``Perhaps you are trying to suggest that the destruction of Babri Masjid was a result of the othernesses created by the supporters of Hindutva (which is/was in reaction to the historic role of the Muslims in India). Please explain your position.``

The otherness was/is created by circumstances and exploited by political forces. As for who created the otherness, I think mostly a segment of the Muslims,the ones who think and boast they ruled the Hindus, including the Muslims who supported partition, Jinnah and all the rest falling in the same league. The RSS , BJP expolited that sense of otherness to the hilt for their own agendas. Who will elimiate this sense of otherness? Mostly Indian Muslims themselves. And they are doing it.

``I reckon, you are a concerned Hindu. I empathize. ``

Since you wrote this, I must mention that I am not a Hindu by religion. I wonder why people here tend to make the same false assumption all the time.

``Please find a way to deal with your difficulties in as honest, just, and peaceful way as you can. This approach will make you a “more” decent human being.``

Thanks for the suggestion. I will try.

Regards,

Satyavadi

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

Re: Shankar #241

Just read your post #165 and appreciated the balance and willingness to self-critique.

Contemplative,

Point well taken.

Please reread my post #165

When we Indians get out of mudslinging & become ``contemplative``, I assure you, we are just like you:)

Re: Fuzair # 231 and Shankar # 237, #238

I think the sentiments of Bangladeshis regarding 1971 need to be respected and the Pakistani Government needs to apologize for atrocities committed.

However, Bangladeshis should not vent their anger against the Pakistani Army of 1971 at the Kashmiris of 2000. We have a human rights nightmare in Kashmir (similar to the one in East Pakistan three decades ago) in which tens of thousands of Kashmiris are undergoing incredible hardship.

I think all right-thinking people need to support the rights of the Kashmiri people - and cut through the self-righteous babble intermingled with jingoistic venom that comes from the Indian Government and its supporters on this issue. It does not matter if one gets egg or mud on the face or invective from an Internet Gladiator.

The HRC isnt the only revelation on India Today.

Here is an interesting article on future graduate education / research in India....Pakistan can and should try to emulate this stratergy for the benefit of South Asia. Sorry for the long post!

http://www.india-today.com/ntoday/newsarchives/100/9/3/n99.shtml

NRIs plan dream science and technology institute

for India

NEWS TODAY EXCLUSIVE

By Suman K. Chakrabarti

Calcutta, September 3: Year 2003.

If you have already planned to send

your children abroad for higher

education, hold your breath and

cancel your plans. Forget

Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, dump the Princeton University. Because, here comes

the Global Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) with each

campus on a sprawling 2,000 acres of land accommodating 20,000

students.

A group of businessmen and visionary entrepreneurs of Indian origin

have started mobilizing a private capital, initially targeted at US

$1billion, to bring a quantitative and qualitative change in India’s

higher education.

The idea for this institute was conceived by Dr Purnendu Chatterjee,

president of the New York based Chatterjee Group (TCG) and backed

by a host of former IITians including US-based tycoons, Database

millionaire Vinod Gupta (who has set up the Vinod Gupta School of

Business at his alma mater, IIT-Kharagpur); Gururaj Deshpande,

founder of Sycamore Networks which is one of theworld`s hottest new

technology companies, valued at more than $ 38 billion, along with

his wife Jayshree Deshpande; Arjun Malhotra, co-founder of the

HCLgroup and currently chairman and CEO of Techspan Inc and

Rajat Gupta, CEO of Mckinsey, the world`s leading management

consulting firm.

The idea, which was mooted during US President Bill Clinton’s

March visit to India, has received the backing of both the Indian and

US governments, according to sources in the Prime Minister`s Office

in New Delhi. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will also announce

the project officially during his upcoming visit to the US, sources

said.

Kishore Bhattacharya, a Calcutta-based consultant with the

Chatterjee Group and childhood friend of Dr Chatterjee told NEWS

TODAY “that all these former IITians have taken the responsibility of

mobilizing and providing the resources and management needed to

establish a group of world-class institutes in India with emphasis on

research in science and technology.”

According to the final proposal for the establishment of GIST, a copy

of which is in possession of NEWS TODAY, “funding commitments from

founders and other donors have already crossed the half way mark

towards the targeted $ 1 billion in endowments, sufficient for starting

six campuses in India.”

Bhattacharya told NEWS TODAY that the University of California,

Berkeley (UCB) (Dr Chatterjee`s alma mater) has agreed to grant

affiliation to the first GIST campus which will be set up in Bangalore.

The Karnataka government has already allotted land for the project.

“Though Dr Chatterjee wants to build up the second campus in

Calcutta, we might not succeed because the West Bengal

government is not willing to give land and we do not want to waste

the philanthropic fund in acquiring costly land,” Bhattacharya said.

Other campuses may be affiliated with different universities such as

Stanford and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). According

to sources, the Washington State University, Michigan State

University at Dearborn and Northwestern University has also shown

interest in the project.

Though a host of states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and

Tamil Nadu have offered free land and infrastructural facilities, the

second campus is likely to be set up in Chennai.

Indian corporate houses including Mukesh Ambani of Reliance, R.

Narayanamurthy of Infosys, and Azim Premji of Wipro have also

come up with offers of help.

Underlying the proposed establishment of GIST is the fundamental

belief that the need for scientific and technical talent will continue to

rise in India as well as globally, and India will be a major contributor

to that talent.

In the US alone there is a shortage of 300000-400000 professionals,

growing at the rate of 15-20% a year. The shortage in India is likely

to be substantial if the Nascom-McKinsey projection of India`s

potential is to be realized.

India due to the widespread use of English in the country, the size

and skill of the domestic student body and a cultural emphasis on

education is uniquely positioned to be a key provider of scientific and

technical talent.

Approximately 10 per cent of Silicon Valley start-ups between 1995

and 1998 were founded by Indians, companies created by

entrepreneurs of Indian origin have a market capitalization in excess

of $ 200 billion.

Despite these impressive statistics and the staggering potential for

Indian talent, quality technical and scientific education has been

denied to many in India.

At the IITs, out of the 250,000 students who take the entrance exam,

less than one per cent gets admission. This is significantly lower

than the acceptance rates of other leading schools worldwide (e.g.,

Stanford 15 per cent, MIT 20 per cent).

Moreover, creating and maintaining a world-class science and

technology institute is expensive and the IITs and other institutes in

India have to depend largely on government budgetary support, with

very little private funding.

Consequently, the expenditure on higher education has been very

low. The research budgets and grants of leading schools in the US

are immense, the final proposal of GIST says.

GIST PROPOSED STRUCTURE

GIST will be an autonomous, self-funded institution and will be

established as a corporate body under Section 25 A of the Indian

Companies Act. Thegoverning body will comprise of members

including major sponsors for the institute, world-renowned science

and technology researchers, academicians, practitioners and CEOs

of multi national companies.

To provide advice on future direction and priorities, an advisory

council, comprising of a broader group of academicians and business

leaders, will also be created.

Each campus will have an academic council to decide the curriculum

of the various courses offered by the institute.

The faculty will comprise of a core permanent group, supplemented

by visiting faculty from leading international schools and industry.

VISION AND OBJECTIVES

GIST is a movement intended to spawn a set of privately funded and

managed world-class modern researchinstitutes throughout India.

The objective of GIST is to build and sustain world-class research

universities that will achieve the following objectives: (i) Provide best

education to the best minds and help them stay current. Some of its

key elements are: Create an intellectual ambiance, which

encourages and fosters questioning, investigating, and creative

solutions.

Bring education and research under the same roof in close

physicalcontiguity and in deep intellectual relationship. Experience

shows that discovery; itself is the greatest form of teaching, and that

both teaching and learning may be viewed as an adventure in

discovery. The students, during their formative years, will be exposed

to the thrill of discovery in a variety of ways in the classroom, in

special seminars and by directparticipation in research.

GIST will be guided by the philosophy that education is much more

than teaching; it must include the creation of an inquiring mindset.

Design programs which are most relevant to the educational needs of

the society and not driven by departmental needs or inertia. Provide

the possibility of continuous learning and to stay abreast of the

changing world. Design and build a strong and lasting bond between

GIST and itsalumni, which could be crucial also to the

self-sustainability of the GIST ventures. The commitment of a small

share of lifelong earning in lieu of part or all of tuition fees would

reinforce this long-term university-student bond.

Complement scientific and engineering know-how with liberal

humanities education in order to prepare the graduates to join

thefellowship of an educated person and be effective in life.

(II) Develop as major, cutting edge knowledge creators. Some of its

key elements are:Induction of the best minds for research. This

would require world-class facilities, motivated and outstanding

student body, stimulating ambiance andcompetitive remuneration.

Research prioritized and driven by need for excellence, intellectual

challenges, market forces, including availability of funds (corporate,

government, institutional, etc.) and faculty interest.

GIST will continually strive to stay at the frontiers of knowledge.

Collaboration with corporate and other leading research institutions,

both locally and globally, to ensure that GIST plays critical role in

major issues and developments.

Corporate collaboration (with co-located facilities) can be taken to a

new dimension.

With a world-class setup, GIST will be in an ideal position to attract

major national, specialized scientific laboratories to become partners

in research. The marriage of the general and the specialized hasbeen

extremely widespread and of immense importance in the growth of

both the pure and applied sciences in the advanced countries.

Three verysuccessful examples of this are: Rutherford Appleton

Laboratory, Oxford University. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California

Institute of Technology and National Institute of Fusion Sciences,

Nagoya University.

Address intellectual property rights issues in a way that will promote

long-term GIST interest, and help achieve GIST objectives.

(III) Contribute to growth of India as a power house in the knowledge

of economy. Some of its key elements are: Build GIST to a scale

and scope such that numerous large industries can be

spawned.Seek collaborations with other research centers to further

leverage GIST capabilities. Support and encourage the growth of

corporate and technologicalparks around GIST locations.

(IV) Catalyze the development of a new paradigm for institutions of

higher education.

The most distinguishing criterion of our times is the accelerated

changein everything around us often caused by the remarkably rapid

innovations in science and technology. In order to convert this

challenge, GIST will deliberately build necessary flexibility in its

governance, management and programmatic structures but without

sacrificing the strengthsof more conventional set-ups. There will be a

pervasive focus on adaptability in all aspects of academic and

non-academic planning.

It will be designed not only to quickly adapt to change, but also to

become the author and pacesetter for change. Ensure that the

funding sources do not impede the ability of the researchers to

change directions as and when needed. Self-supporting research

(sometimes in collaboration), and development of long-term

relationship between GIST and its alumni, would be effective ways to

insure that.

Continuous search for new talent to gain immunity from the power of

existing paradigms to squash or obstruct the emergence of new

areas and disciplines. Take active steps to share and spread the

paradigm of flexibilitywith strength by creating a networked model for

leveraging GIST`s resources and expertise with that of existing

engineering and science & technologyinstitutions and thus help raise

overall standards of research and teaching.

GIST PROGRAMS

It will start with the establishment of one or two world-class

researchuniversities, with an initial focus on applied research later

blended with fundamental research. The details of the academic

architecture will be worked out by the faculties of the respective

campuses and will necessarily be a function of time. One will

however, begin with a faculty, which is equitably divided between

basic and applied sciences.

The basic science programs will include Mathematics, Physics,

Astronomy, Chemistry, Biology, Life Sciences, Electrical

Engineering, and Computer Sciences while applied sciences will

span Engineering, Information Technology, Material Sciences, Health

Sciences, Atmospheric andGeo-Physics, Mathematical Biology and

Ecology. The programs are expected to be individually strong and

interactive with one another.

The faculty and the research programs will not be forced into

department but rather a fluid inter/intra departmental structure will be

adopted to promote the concept of adaptability.

It is recognized that tangible and effective applied research in most

areas requires a thorough grounding in basic sciences and an

understanding of the humanities to develop a rationalbasis for

understanding the observed phenomena and predicting the future

outcome. Thus the education and research planning at GIST will take

fullcognizance of its special role of providing sound basic training for

all research, pure and applied.

At GIST, the undergraduate program is expected to follow the

Masters and Doctoral program. Shorter programs focused on specific

topics will also be offered from time to time. Students will have an

opportunity to take courses in standard as well as cross- discipline

areas. An emphasis will be placedon fundamental scientific and

technological principles and their intersection with the new economy.

Moreover, to promote adaptability, the GIST programs will be

targeted towards providing education throughout the lifetime of the

individual onthe premise that the generally followed custom of a fixed

time period for learning leads to obsolescence in a period of ongoing,

rapid, knowledge expansion.

Finally, to ingrain students with a zest for tackling unsolved

problems; research work will be an integral component of the

curriculum.

Since the philosophy behind the GIST education is to be atraining

ground for cutting-edge scientists and engineers, the educational

curricula must stress and hone those aspects of the mind which are

crucialto making innovations, inventions, and discoveries. Thus, the

development of reasoning, investigative, and critically imaginative

faculties is to be emphasized.

The general classroom instruction will be augmented by a variety of

structured as well semi-structured programs such as: assignments

to develop problem posing and solving abilities (including interactions

with the business community), group discussions between the

students and faculty, between the students themselves, and

studentseminars. There will be continual contact with the

investigations being carried out by the faculty and the graduate

students.

To encourage students to develop independent thinking and working

habits, there will be access to Internet, well-stocked libraries and

well-equipped laboratories. Moreover, for the more adventurous and

inspired students, funds should be made available for pursuing their

own research ideas. An intellectually mature student with ability and

drive could choose a totally independent line of enquiry and will have

the blessings of the faculty. In fact, the emergence of powerful,

self-propelling young minds will be the fulfillment of the GIST mission.

FACULTY STRENGTH

From a study of successful universities on which GIST could be

patterned, it is estimated that 2000 students will be taken in the

graduate and undergraduate courses combined and a faculty of

approximately 300-400 which will provide the necessary initial

strength for a sustainable experiment in excellence - in teaching,

research and liaison with industry and the world at large. Individual

GIST campuses can grow to become mega-campuses with 20000

plus student body.

The size of the faculty is the most important parameter of the entire

enterprise. Among other things, it will determine the cost of building

and maintaining GIST. The proposed low student-teacher ratio will go

a long way in ensuring that the best young minds are given intense

and personalized training so that they may have a chance of

reaching their full potential.

All GIST selections and promotions, whether for faculty, students or

staff, will be totally need- based.

FACULTY SELECTION

The acquisition of an intellectually distinguished and

pedagogicallyinclined world-class faculty convinced of the importance

and mission is the first critical and daunting task for the GIST

founders and facilitators.

The recruitment of the faculty will be done in several stages. Initially,

a group designated by the GIST board will choose a few highly

reputed and distinguished persons in each discipline. The initial

group will consist of a desirable combination of senior and

established scientists and junior researchers of demonstrated

potential. The core groups, so selected, will shoulder the primary

responsibility for the choice and selection of theirpeers. The details

and procedural matters will be worked out in due course. The

university will constantly look out for outstanding researchers from all

age groups to add to its ranks.

GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

The next rung in the research establishment is the graduate student

who combines the twin roles of a student seeking knowledge and of

a researcher creating knowledge. At the proposed strength, up to

40% or approximately 800 graduate students would be on a campus.

The primary admission criteria, the procedures, the rules, the

graduate academic programs, the structural relationships between

the graduate students and the faculty, the additional responsibilities

of the graduate students, the details of the qualifying examination

and other modes of assessment etc. will be worked out by individual

departments with some overall coordination.

Education and Research under the same roof is one of the guiding

principals of the GIST initiative. commitment to exciting, high-quality

undergraduateeducation is, therefore, the centerpiece of the

institution.

A minimum-sized GIST campus will have 1200 undergraduates

spread over four years ofstudies, requiring a selection of 300 per

year. The selection will begin with an appropriately prepared written

examination, designed to test the students`reasoning and critical

faculties.

Those who pass at a desired level will be invited for an interview.

Inthe early years, the interviews may have to be conducted mostly at

the GIST campus, but with the passage of time, the GIST network

will grow and theGIST alumni at various places in the country or

abroad could conduct the interview. The idea is not just to pick

students who are bright and capable,but those who, in addition, show

a tendency to pursue careers in science and technology and related

enterprises.

Training at GIST will be veryexpensive, and it is prudent that the

aptitudes and inclinations of the student be judged before admission.

Enrollment in GIST will be open to non-Indians also for up to a third of

the student body and this will help in creating an enriched

multi-cultural experience.

GIST OUTREACH

GIST will entertain no quotas or reservations. In order to reach the

socially or economically weaker sections of the society, more so

females, GIST will devise an active program. This will consist of

identifying more advanced students belonging to the target groups,

andproviding special and additional training for them so that they can

be better prepared to compete for admission.

Summer courses given atthe GIST campus or other suitable

locations for students in the last two or three years of high school will

be the cornerstone of this program.

GIST FUNDING

The current intent of the GIST initiative is to establish up to six

campuses across India in a phased manner so that limited resources

are fully deployedtowards the twin objectives of ensuring excellence

at every stage, and gathering sufficient experience for the better

design and development of subsequent institutes.

Each of the campuses will include both academic and residential

facilities. To realize the lofty aspirations of putting together and

supporting a world-class faculty, a world-class student body, and

world-class facilities and intellectual ambiance in several locations,

the sponsors of GIST are raising a sizeable endowment fund.

An initial target of $1 billion is expected to reach within the next 6-12

months (with over $ 500 million already available) to start work on the

first two campuses.

GIST ADDENDUM

Regulatory Framework: GIST will adopt ``IIM`` model and concentrate

on the Post-Graduate/Post Doctoral program to get GIST launched,

at least with one or two locations.

It will continue to work with the government of India and help evolve a

suitable regulatory framework for providing world-class undergraduate

education in a research university. With this approach we believe we

would not need any change in current regulation to begin operation.

Permanent Faculty recruitment: Combination of the focus on

research/ Post Graduate program and the sequenced campus

development approach that GIST wants to follow will also mean that

the quantum of faculty needed for GIST would be less than 100per

year starting from 2003. Such faculty and senior research fellows

would be sourced primarily from the pool outside the major Indian

teaching Institutes.

Currently India is producing in excess of 4400 Ph.Ds in Science and

Engineering and a substantial number of them are from outside the

major institutes is also an attractive target for GIST faculty. Once

theundergraduate program is launched GIST itself will be a source of

its faculty, in addition to the various other sources such as Indian

and non-Indian international faculty attracted through 5 year

contracts and tenure, Indian industry and research centers, etc.

GIST is open to consult with Indian government in case of faculty

recruitment from some specific teaching institutes.

Student tuition fees: Tuition can be paid in 2 forms: (i) fill cost, an

option likely to be exercise by foreign students, or (ii) nominal base

amount with share of future student income pledged to the School.

Currently it is envisaged that students would willingly pay 1% oftheir

earnings in the first 5 years, 2% in the second 5-year periods and

3% there after. However, this will be finalised after financial modeling

and at the time of introduction of undergraduate courses.

Contemplative,

I apologise for telling you to shut up. That was rude & uncalled for. I`d better go to bed.

Peace.

Contemplative,

Sigalph is NOT an Indian but a Bangladeshi! So wipe that mud off yer face & shut up!

In response to macgupta (Reply # 235)
Dear Arun:

Thank you for your clarification. I have no major difficulty with your post. Are you aware of the writings of Professor Irfan Habib? If yes, what do you think about his article ``History and Interpretation`` and his book ``Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni``?

I see existing historiography with an element of cynicism. A more balanced understanding will, I expect, develop with the development of critical historiography.

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

Dear Bilal Ahmad,

Let me try to answer some of your questions.

1. Yes, in contemporary India there is an attempt to deface part of Indian history. It works both ways -- the leftist historians try to deny that anything such as a temple demolition happened at all, and the Hindutva historians try to find every ill of Hindu society as having arisen in the last millenium because of Muslims (and to a lesser extent, Christians).

2. There are different results of invasion. Supposedly Toramana eventually rebuilt the Kashi temple that his soldiers had torn down in the first place. Then there is Babar, who did tear down somethings -- but he was also a builder. Akbar and Aurangzeb hardly count as invaders, but the contrast between their behaviors is marked. There is Mahmud of Ghazni who was a wanton destroyer. There are the British -- the Mughals might have been as rapacious as them, but the Mughals spent their money in India -- the British mostly transported it out. Moreover, the British were among the first government drug dealers in history. As far as we can tell, the Indo-Aryans did not invade, did not destroy anything, and built an assimilative culture.

3. For your information, the Ayodhya dispute has been going on for a long time. However, it was never given much publicity. It was the Rajiv Gandhi Congress government that raised it as a national issue for the first time. Thereafter, the BJP and RSS may have capitalized on it; but remember who started it all.

4. I agree whole-heartedly with you that there was no excuse for what happened at Ayodhya -- the mosque should not have been touched; whatever the Hindu claim. It should really be upto Indian Muslims to decide if they want to return the site of a defunct mosque to their Hindu neighbors or not return it to the idolators -- take your pick.

5. People love to call the BJP ``fascist``. I am not a fan of the BJP. The same intellectual class, however, says not a word about the Congress, whose many faults should be apparent. I invite you to take a look at the history of communal riots in Independent India. From afar, it looks like Congress was the great protector. Examined more closely, you will find that the modus operandi was much like that of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 -- start a problem, let it brew, ignore local leaders` plea for a clamp-down, let the violence happen, and then pose as the sole protector of minority rights -- obviously, a ``secular`` party does not start riots, it must have been the Hindu right.

Except, in the case of the Sikhs, they were found out -- it was too obvious.

The Congress promoted dynastic rule ( e.g. Indira pushing Sanjay along, how is Sonia qualified for anything ?), cult of the personality (e.g., the slogan Indira is India and India is Indira), destruction of India`s institutions, e.g., picking of cronies as President, Supreme Court justices, no inner-party democracy ( Congress simply refused to hold party elections), dictatorship and suspension of civil liberties ( the Emergency), destruction of federalism (dismissal of state governments without cause) playing up of communal divisions (see the effects all around the country -- we are still living with that), state-strangled economy, an almost endless list.

All those people who scream and tear their hair now over the BJP, have very little to say about that. ``Hindu`` is a red rag to these people`s bull in a way that nothing else was or is.

-arun gupta

In this year`s Independence day speech, Indian PM Vajpayee mentioned the amazing fact that something like 65% of the Indian population is under 35 years of age.

I imagine that Pakistani demographics are similar. Then, this two-thirds majority ought not to feel guilty about events thirty years ago in which they had no say.

The real issue for this generation is to learn from the mistakes made at that time.

-arun gupta