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Q&A: Why do people distract from the questions about Obamas National Security Credentials?

Question by Señor Answerrrrr Back from Hell: Why do people distract from the questions about Obamas National Security Credentials?
I hear about Ronald Reagan, FDR and And everyone else but not Obama. What Are OBAMAS Credentials on National Security?
Sorry buddy you’re wrong, he wasnt in the senate at the time TO vote and has since voted to fund the war 4 or 5 more times.

Best answer:

Answer by great_m0nkey
He wants to reduce all military and security for the purpose of making terrorism easier because he is a closet muslim who believes strongly in terrorism

Give your answer to this question below!

Q&A: How was the American Constitution a radical departure from the Articles of Confederation?

Question by Lovely Holic: How was the American Constitution a radical departure from the Articles of Confederation?
How did the american constitution change into the Articles of Confederation? Was it more effective that it did change for the good of America?

Best answer:

Answer by staisil
The Constitution gave a lot more power to the Federal Government. The Articles favored the individual states.

What do you think? Answer below!

UFO Disclosure May Be Imminent !! – 2 of 2

With so many other countries DECLASSIFYING and releasing their UFO files, many believe the US government will shortly follow suit and finally release to the public the reality of FLYING SAUCERS and EXTRATERRESTRIAL races visiting the Earth. Some say DISCLOSURE is imminent in the VERY NEAR FUTURE! Following this DISCLOSURE is what many in the area of Exopolitics believe will create a PARADIGM SHIFT for many, including respected scientists, which will then lead to the release and development of FREE ENERGY technologies which many WHISTLEBLOWERS at many levels of government have stated are real and have been in the hands of our government for many years. Will Obama jump on board? The Freedom of Information Act may make it easier for him to do so. Lets hope that with the right people, we can get some of these advanced technologies out to the public in a responsible and timely manner which coincides with the COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY of mankind and the further AWAKENING that is occurring on this planet. If at the very least, this will lead to the end of our DEPENDENCE on oil and that alone will FOREVER CHANGE this planet and this world for the positive. Lets see what the future holds, and hope that those claiming it to be a very positive future, are indeed correct. UPDATES: October 18th, 2010 – Texas UFO Sighting After New York www.ktsm.com October 13th, 2010 – UFO’s were spotted over Manhattan and witnessed by many dozens during the daylight hours between 9:30 am into the

Paul Joseph Watson www.infowars.com www.prisonplanet.tv www.infowars.net www.prisonplanet.com April 20, 2011 If there was a scintilla of doubt as to whether Americans are living in a predatory police state, then this story completely eviscerates it. Michigan state police have been using a handheld mobile forensics device to steal information from cell phones belonging to motorists stopped for minor traffic violations. The high-tech device works with 3000 different phone models and can bypass passwords to process “Complete extraction of existing, hidden, and deleted phone data, including call history, text messages, contacts, images, and geotags,” according to CelleBrite, the company behind the device. “The Physical Analyzer allows visualization of both existing and deleted locations on Google Earth. In addition, location information from GPS devices and image geotags can be mapped on Google Maps.” “A US Department of Justice test of the CelleBrite UFED used by Michigan police found the device could grab all of the photos and video off of an iPhone within one-and-a-half minutes,” reports TheNewspaper.com. Michigan state police have been using the device to conduct 4th amendment-violating searches of motorists’ phones who have not even been suspected of any crime. To add insult to injury, when the ACLU attempted to file a freedom of information act request to discover how police were using the devices, they were slapped with a demand for 4680 from the Michigan state

Democracy, Up Close and Personal: A Pocket Guide to the U.S. Constitution

Democracy, Up Close and Personal: A Pocket Guide to the U.S. Constitution











New York, NY (PRWEB) February 7, 2011

What does the Constitution mean? It is the cornerstone of our democracy, but many of the available portable versions don’t include the information to help us understand it. Pearson’s new A Pocket Guide to the U.S. Constitution, by Andrew B. Arnold, remedies this situation by explaining, in straightforward terms, the significance and history of each clause and amendment. In a portable format, readers are equipped with the knowledge and vocabulary necessary to pursue in more depth the topics that interest them most.

The Constitution gains much of its meaning through the ways that it has been interpreted by the Supreme Court, and A Pocket Guide lists the key opinions that give the document’s provisions the force of specific law. Focusing on how the meaning of the Constitution has changed through history in response to a changing nation, Arnold explains the Commerce Clause, the Takings Clause, the Establishment Clause, and the other named clauses that many politicians, news writers, and professors assume Americans already understand.

“The Constitution is not just a matter of scholarly or legal debate; it is part of the way Americans live, and many of the available versions leave out the names of articles, sections, and clauses,” said Arnold. “This book does not tell readers what the Constitution ought to mean, but what it has meant. It is a place to begin to understand the U.S. Constitution, and a guide to answer basic questions that arise day to day, or in a classroom, or in the course of reading more in-depth books on the subject.”

About the Author

Andrew B. Arnold teaches Constitutional History at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, as well as other courses. A specialist in U.S. labor and business history, his ongoing research focuses on the Gilded Age coal and railroad industries. Early in his career, he was asked to develop an advanced college-level course in Constitutional History. Frustrated by the lack of a basic, pocket-sized reference for his students, he wrote this book to help them gain a mastery of the Constitution as a document in itself.

About Pearson Learning Solutions

Pearson Learning Solutions is a business unit within Pearson (NYSE: PSO) the world’s leading learning company. As an education partner and consultant to higher education institutions, Pearson Learning Solutions is committed to designing total, client-driven education solutions. We are a team of world-class education experts, instructional designers, curriculum development experts, education course writers, development editors and experienced textbook publishers. We tailor solutions to each institution’s individual needs, including off-the-shelf online, in-classroom or blended courses, or fully customized curriculum development. We also provide a range of technology tools and learning platforms to help students, faculty and institutions succeed. For more information, visit http://www.pearsonlearningsolutions.com/.

Contact:

Rod Granger

Pearson

1-800-745-8489

rod.granger(at)pearson(dot)com

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Related The Constitution Press Releases

What are some countries today that dont have religious freedom? Why is freedom of religion important?

Question by bananas_rool1214: What are some countries today that dont have religious freedom? Why is freedom of religion important?
What is the history of freedom of religion in the u.s?

Best answer:

Answer by aresee
I can’t answer the first part to your question but as to the second part. I don’t know what religion you are, but whatever you are, would you like to be told you can’t follow it? Freedom of choice is one of the most important things in life. And at this time of year, we have to remember and be grateful to so many who gave their lives so that we have that freedom.

What do you think? Answer below!

Zoo Director on Event Security: “We Need To Reevaluate For The Future”

Zoo Director on Event Security: “We Need To Reevaluate For The Future”
Okay, let’s just get this out of the way: the National Zoo is a really safe place. You should definitely bring your children there. ( Please go to the Zoo. ) Now, with that said: today, the Zoo’s director, Dennis Kelly, said that the facility needs “to reevaluate for the future” when it comes to maintaining the safety of people who attend popular events where the lion cubs roam. [ more › ]
Read more on DCist

Obama gathers top aides on Afghanistan, Pakistan
US President Barack Obama Monday gathered top national security and intelligence staff for his regular review of Afghan and Pakistan strategy, amid signs of fresh tensions with Islamabad.
Read more on AFP via Yahoo! News

PSC earmarks P26.5M for national games
 BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occ. (PIA) — Commissioner Jose Luis Gomez of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) revealed that some P26.5 million has been allocated for the revival of the Philippine National Games (PNG) on May 22- 29 this year.   Gomez was in Bacolod Wednesday to discuss preparations for the staging of the national sporting event which will jointly be hosted by Silay, Talisay, Bacolod …
Read more on Manila Bulletin

Latest The Constitution News

Albemarle Supervisors to Hold Public Hearing on Redistricting
The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors is inviting public comment on its proposed redistricting plan. The Board is required by the Constitution of Virginia to redistrict every 10 years.
Read more on WCAV Charlottesville

Sideshow: Sheen’s VIP ride in D.C.
As you may have heard, cops in the fine city of Washington kindly gave Charlie Sheen a police escort from Washington’s Dulles International Airport to his show at DAR Constitution Hall last Tuesday. He was running a bit late, y’see.
Read more on The Philadelphia Inquirer

Citizen or Sovereign aka People rights

Only the Sovereign (People) as defined in the Preamble can claim the rights as described in the Bill of Rights. Citizen’s are under the jurisdiction of the United States, thus have no rights under the US constitution. The People are sovereign not the citizens. Eric Whoru explains it in this call.

Religion and devotion, a make or break

What happens when people lack luck is they switch religion and accuse their previous creed for their misfortunes. Rationalizing the time and prayers they have devoted, opportunity is still bland, questioning the Lord, “Have I not served you, why the sadness and misfortunes on me?” For those who have experienced miscarriage and death within the family, some would blame the bible for it. Such a sad story about spiritual faith, hypocrisy and treachery. Heaven is to smiles, hell is to tears.

If you don’t plant a seed would you expect a harvest out of prayers? If prayers don’t  give it to you would you blame religion or “care for a switch?” To reiterate, can you expect white out of black? Who’s to blame?

Only a few are lucky enough to be born with the silver platters. There are larger number of people at the bottom searching for gold secondary to daily bread. Some would go to the church as perennial worshipers seeking for mercy and begging for fortune all for the sake of convenience for the body.

However, this is the real world. We do not depend everything to the Lord. We need to strive in searching and earning money in order to live. The same way, we do not pray for the fruits to fall down our mouths. We do not offer ourselves to God and rely on others fortunes. Evidently, most people would do crimes and use “need” as an excuse. Afterward, they go to church and pray for forgiveness.

“Give them a finger and they’ll a swallow a hand” and worry about forgiveness later. Anon, they go back to the church and seek for forgiveness hoping and thinking that God is so great, he so love the world, he will always forgive.

What happens when they lack luck is they switch religion and accuse their existing creed for their misfortunes. Rationalizing the time and prayers they have devoted, opportunity is still bland, questioning the Lord, have I not served you? Why the sadness and misfortunes on me? For those who have experienced miscarriage and death within the family, some would blame the bible for it.

However, there is what we call responsibilities intertwined upon birth. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if we were careful enough during pregnancy as it is a meticulous stage. Life is developing.

Based on experience, love is the most powerful prayer. If you love so purely and pray for it, it will be granted to you. So, should failures be blamed to God? We are still on earth, so alive and kicking. On the other hand, if love has a consequence to face parallel to hurting others, especially due to infidelity, than it is only due to covenance. Pronto, who is to blame?

Then finally, they found security in their new religion. As their notion dictates, pray, pray, pray… but death and misgauge rule over faith. Therefore, praying becomes a standard dictated by the norm and the society; more so, it is an outer cover to applaud of being a good person and a sense of belonging.

Not to question God’s heavenly, but why is there heaven and hell? Would killing infants and strangers be forgiven and use karma as an excuse? Who dictates karma by way? 

It is harder and progress is slower if there are commandments to matter to some. Who wouldn’t switch to a religion where freedom and power are inconsiderate? If they can’t attain glory from following rules and laws, why bear when they can steal thy neighbors’.

Let me clarify that the contradictions between the bible and practicality of law toward abortion are an endless tale. So to play safe, responsibility towards actions must be taken in great consideration. I strongly believe that the reason why the bible defies abortion is because sex is not only made for pleasure, but it is the main source of life. Therefore, why does a life have to suffer out of unpreparedness. There is no such a thing as it just happened by chance. Moving on, there is what we call orphanage.

Boundary is going, going, gone…

Is it not a sin to barge in strangers life, brain, past, present and future? Play with emotions like puppeteers moving puppets? If this is so, then transparently, law is unknown.

Ah, thou shall not steal, covet thy neighbor’s wife, so on and so forth. Hindering and annoying law. What is it for anyways? What makes life?

There is a story of a former catholic member diverting to another religion. She found convenience and  security after quite a long walk. By fate or not, her live in partner happens to be a former catholic as well.

Sooner, she decided to join his religion as she saw money and influence from the members. Alongside with it, she didn’t have to worry about food, rental fee and money. She just helps in cleaning the house and she got a vacant room.

After sometime, she and her live in partner legally got married to her new religion and in the catholic church as (XXX, name of religion), with all due respect for both.

Before and after their marriage, they unite amongst families from both sides in applauding to the world the support for the wife and the husband’s brother’s relationship. While the husband is chasing the ex girlfriend of his brother, the wife and the rest of the gang sell herself to anyone 24/7. Ironically, her brother-in-law is running after his ex girlfriend. And all of them are running after the ex girlfriend to the point of lambasting to slaughtery.

Such a sad story about wrong spiritual faith, hypocrisy and treachery.

If religion is to make or break, then why is change elusive? Can you teach old dogs new tricks overtime? Or vise versa, old dogs will teach you new tricks, which is even worse, out of security and power.

Religion is meant to be spiritual and solemn for the soul and guidance in life. It isn’t a bank of resources or advertising for power to rule the world as misused by its so called worshiper.

Moving further, is there reincarnation before death?

The beauty in life is equally distributed to all. It’s all a matter of appreciation and determination to be who we are and strive for what we want to become. Sometimes, it’s better to be content with our blessings and nurture them and let God lead the way so naturally about the future.

The search will never end as long as we keep on peeking our neighbors’ and lust what we see. I respect all religion as infants have no choice but to accept and live by the religion carried on by the parents. Can you say it is due to destiny?

Heaven is to smiles, hell is to tears. Besides, it’s easier to smile then to cry. So, be thankful for the blessings.

Email me: sally.socialmedia@gmail.com

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Anderson Cooper 360, CNN, 4-16-2010 Christopher Hitchens and Tony Perkins on the US Federal District Court ruling that the “National Day of Prayer” as legislated by Congress is unconstitutional. Case was filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation: ffrf.org The court’s opinion tinyurl.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Related Freedom Of Religion Articles

Sez: the Threat to Security [1]

SEZSaonli

Singur-Nandigram: SEZ: The Threat to Security [1]

[Author: Saonli Mitra; translation: Rama Kundu; from the original Bengali article published in Dainik Statesman, Kolkata, 27 & 28 May 2007]

//1//

It is frightening. We are so frightened! Is it being foolish! Yet one cannot help remembering , a few centuries ago European merchants had set up many small colonies in this our India. Owing to the political weakness of India, they gradually began to expand in size and power. Among all these outsiders who came to India initially for trade, how the British eventually emerged the strongest and usurped the whole country is a story known to us all. Many among those who have been ruling us today had been witness to at least the last phase of the British rule. They must have known from their own first hand experience that even after the British had left, the French, Dutch, Portugese colonies still remained in India. And those regions were autonomous. Even after India had become independent those regions continued to be autonomous subject to their own laws until these were completely merged with the federal state of India. Today, arrived at the twenty-first century we know very well that we do not have the best possible political integration; then , in view of this situation, would it be good for the country if we hand over different regions of the country to foreign investors in the name of SEZ? Would it really bring ‘development’?

During the last few years the food distribution situation in West Bengal have reached a miserable condition. Furthermore, how can we claim that there is really no dearth of food? The ‘foundation’ about which the government has been making a lot of fanfare—is it really that strong foundation? People died in Amlashol for starvation. We didn’t care. Every now and then news appear on papers about the extreme poverty of Purulia. The government either disowns them or dismisses them as isolated events. Recently a similar event has taken place in Chaklatorh of the same district. This time too the administration has shamelessly distorted it. The government report records the death of one Ramprasad dan Modak of the village, but not as a case of starvation death; the report claims that as a result of taking ‘khichuri’ he has died of acute gastro-enteritis. This is the report, they say, that has been submitted by the state health department . Several features have appeared in dailt newspapers on the tea-gardens of North Bengal—how people are dying of hunger there. The administration says, the teagarden labours have a very dirty life style; so they catch infection and die of various diseases; besides they are also alcoholics, and alcohol is the cause of most of these deaths. How man can insult man, with what callousness! I personally have been to poor slums, have seen their clean kitchens. Besides, what about the children who are dying there? Are they too dying of excess alcohol consumption? What unjust abuse they can hurl and how casually, without caring to have a thought! It seems just saying something is enough; it does not matter what one says. Yet these people are suffering from tuberculosis , or severe anemia , — all caused by starvation. This suppressing the fact of death by starvation, or just simply ignoring it—doesn’t this abet to our danger? Debabrata Bandyopadhyay has expressed precisely this anxiety—if going this way we are not heading for some largescale famine. The facts are certainly fearsome. Since the events of Singur this fear has also been haunting me. In spite of being city-dwellers we can guess what price we may have to pay for ruining such a huge fertile area of multicrop farmland, for rendering it perpetually barren. Then is it possible that those who determine the policy of the government fail to recognize this simple truth? Actually they do not want to recognize. But why? Why have they been telling so many lies?

The question is not just opting either in favour of industry or against it. It is not even a question of choice between small industry or big industry. It is perhaps a question of the security of the whole country. There is enough cause for the anxiety. The most important cause is the way the government deliberately practices a lack of transparency regarding its industrial policy. The second reason is the unimaginable discrepancy in the government’s declarations, and the blatant falsehood practiced by the government. They have been telling lies even while addressing the assembly. The third cause is the strange eagerness exhibited by the government towards forcibly snatching the land from the farmers and handing over the same at cheap price to billionaires; at the same time selling false dreams to the public in support of this unholy alliance. In view of all these causes, and noticing the government’s intolerance regarding all these matters , we feel frightened. The apprehension stirs, ‘Why’? Why so much! Furthermore, even after horrifying events like genocide have taken place here, why do not the capital investors beat retreat? Certainly they have been given some such assurance which has no connection with the gain or loss, happiness or misery with the common people of this country. The level of that commercial tie certainly corresponds to some other calculation. When so many people have been saying, let them be given some other land instead of the multi-crop land like Singur, in fact that kind of land is already there close at hand, then why must they occupy that very fertile land? To serve what noble purpose? In this case it is not only the government, but the industrialist too seems to have been bent on the same fixed obsession. Is it really a ‘prestige issue’? Or is there some other more mysterious deal and conspiracy? Where the wall has been broken again and again, set afire, the work of constructing the wall has been still going on at government’s expense [?] , and the proprietors too, in spite of knowing everything, sneakingly come to visit the acquired area every now and then, and subsequently issue certificate about the satisfactory pace of work—is all this quite natural? And our experience tells us that even after acquiring land for industry, the authorities have not shown any real interest in setting up industry there. There is no provision to protect the industries that have come up; the recent devastating fire bears witness to this. Such a big area had been acquired; yet no thought was spared for the possible threats—no water reservoir had been built which could easily control the fire. Doesn’t this strike anyone as extraordinary? Is this the expression of a positive desire for development? That’s why I say, before going into the debates for –or-against development , these questions should be addressed first.

Doesn’t this strike anyone, why is it only the fertile lands which are being specially ear-marked? Don’t we know this will affect our self-sufficiency in food? Since sometime ago we were being told that the base of agriculture has been firmly established, the work is over, and now we must direct our attention to heavy industry. But the actual data tell another story. According to a report of the central government for the year 2004-2005, West Bengal is at the top of those states where families in the rural area do not get a proper meal for several months in a year. 10.6% of the total population of this state does not get a full meal throughout the year. Orissa comes next in this list. There this count is 4.8%. The difference is amazing. One feels like asking, ‘Is it true after all?’ But this is the figure given by none other than Debabrata Bandyopadhyay, who can be considered an expert in the area. He also says, subsequent to ‘operation barga’ the agricultural development that had taken place in West Bengal was ‘quite enviable’. That developmental standard was maintained for the ten years from 1983 to 1993. But since 1994-95 a decline had set in. And the position of 2004-5 becomes evident in the report. Don’t we know that once self-sufficiency in food starts declining danger can set in from many corners. The serious form that starvation deaths have already assumed in the districts, along with the reluctance of the government to take any step in this regard—how can we rest assured that as a consequence of this some disastrous famine will not explode in near future? Furthermore, if in the interest of sudden introduction of heavy industry in an agriculture-oriented country, we go ahead without appropriate consideration of all the aspects of the situation, and deliberately ruin fertile cultivable land for any more cultivation in future, it involves the danger of radical change in the very quality of the soil. Geologist Subrata Singha has explained this in quite a number of his essays. The question, therefore, is not just whether one is in favour of industrialization or against it. The question is about a far bigger damage. If we evade this question today that will be committing a great blunder. We’ll have to pay for that blunder through succeeding generations.

And it is in view of these thoughts that the extremely accelerated changes – in politics, economics, culture—lead to a deep apprehension. The sense of a kind of insecurity overwhelms us. One recalls the annuls of history, the message—that ‘history frequently repeats itself’. (1552 words)

[2]

A few days ago I came across a valuable discussion on SEZ in a little magazine. There was a hint in one of the essays which startled me. With every passing day that hint seems to be so true indeed! Modernisation of airport, floating dock, flyover, shining national highways, attempt to turn hilly paths to modern highways by ignoring all rules of safety and natural factors, night-club, health club, food park, special economic zone, retail shop—why such huge arrangements? And we should not also forget that all this had started way back in 1994, during the reign of Jyoti Basu as the chief minister.

If we just think of the geographical shape of West Bengal, we can also note how close the frontier is to the districts of North Bengal. Nepal, Bhutan, even China , — all are quite close to this region. Since the opening of the Nathula pass frontier has been more accessible. Given this situation, if thousands and thousands of acres of land are handed over to multinational or foreign capitalists, won’t it pose a threat to our national security? We know since a long time what kind of smuggling is carried on in Siliguri town itself. Everything from foreign consumer goods to drugs, and even arms are sold and bought there. Not only Siliguri, there are several other such dens in North Bengal. About these the administration never utters a word– neither the administration of the district, nor those of the state government , or centre. Year after year this has been going on. To whose hands have they been surrendering the districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri? Chandmoni has already been thrown to the wolves by being handed over to housing projects. Phulbari ids waiting in the line; there thousand acres of land have been earmarked for that particular economic zone. Who are they, coming to survey the land by helicopter? What is up their sleeves? Are we being allowed any information about these happenings? Can’t we understand, that by building so many roads upon the hills we have been inviting grave consequences generally for a large number of people? It is being propagated that the market for tea industry is not that good any more; just like the other propaganda that development cannot be achieved through agriculture. We had been to Siliguri where we met people in an expanded meeting, and we had learnt directly what a lie was being spread about the market of tea industry. And it is on this pretext that the tea-gardens are being treated with extreme apathy, thereby pushing the labourers in the tea-gardens toward disastrous death; similarly, we are afraid, the threat to our country’s security is also being ignored. Because in the proposed SEZs the laws of the country will not be operative. They will follow their own law. Consequently each zone will devise its own set of laws. The police or the law of the state will not be effective there. Is it a healthy plan? Especially when in the name of eco-tourism, private housing , etc, efforts are going on to hand over enormous stretches of land to privileged outsiders? Disturbances are daily features of the frontier area. We hear of rackets—rackets of flesh trade and trade in illegal arms – which are supposed to be so powerful in this Bengal, especially under the systematic patronage of political mafia, that it is beyond the police to nab them. Smuggling, trade in illicit liquor go on undisturbed. How many more activities go on alongside we have no idea. And cases of murder and revenge in connection with these illicit trades are part of the daily routine of this area. The goons attached to various parties get various facilities thanks to their utility value in heinous political conspiracies. Sometimes on the basis of such events some ‘stories’ get published here and there. Then eventually it subsides. The government too takes no step. If these illegal activities were stopped and an adequate superstructure for agriculture was created the common man could have been benefited so much!

Is the South Bengal very secure either? In order to come down from the north to the south, one has to cross the district of Nadia. Any reader who reads just the newspaper with an open mind can have an idea of the desperate illegal activities that are being carried on in places like Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Mayapur of this district. One needs no specialization for this. It can also be guessed from the newspaper that flesh trade,– the count in the smuggling of women—is very high in Nadia and North 24-Parganas. Recently it appears that ‘Sex Tourism’ too has come up in the agenda of our rulers as an important project. It can be seen that the Border Security Force fires shots on the occasion of stray cattle thefts, but the activities of the dark underworld go on expanding without hindrance. We know several plots of land in this area have been earmarked for acquisition. So it is in Malda, where the barbed wire of the frontier is visible everywhere. The situation of the South 24-Parganas is even more critical. In this district land is being acquired at Kulpi, Baruipur, and reportedly in some other area as well. Particularly in Kulpi it is going to be a SEZ. It is reported that a floating dock will be built at the initiative of the executives of the SEZ. Has the sea-route become so ignoble that the land at the estuary of the river has to be given away to SEZ! Won’t it affect our national security? A similar threat has been haunting the port area of Medinipore. Why must they have the ‘chemical hub’ precisely at Nandigram? And that too under the total control of foreign agencies? What is the guarantee that no serious damage will be done by using /abusing the Haldia port? Why must they install the Nuclear Power Project at Haripur, near the sea? Our apprehension and mistrust were sparked off by these very projects. Subsequently it opened our eyes to other related threats. It is common knowledge that the main purpose of installing nuclear power project is related to the production of nuclear arms. And this is going to be done under foreign supervision. We have heard that those who have been invited to set up the ‘chemical hub’ are the farm that produced the infamous napalm bomb. They too are scheduled to work on the land that’ll be gifted to the Salim group. Their work will start inside the special economic zone. And why this chemical hub? Nobody tells anything clearly about this. Both the State and the Central governments have been declaring their firm decision every now and then—chemical hub will be, must be; nuclear power project will be, must be. If not at Haripura then it will come up in some adjacent place. The Nandigram villagers are causing trouble? O. Kay ! There is Khejuri nearby. Albeit the representative of the Salim group says, they are thinking precisely of Nandigram, no other location has been mentioned in their negotiations with the government. About Haripur too it is the same situation.

Don’t we feel frightened? Because, in this case it is not only the state , but the centre too is quite eager. They decisively want the chemical hub or the nuclear project to be set up even if it affects the collection of revenue. Those who will be given land for SEZ will not have to pay either income tax or service tax, at least for the next ten years. The expenses they will incur towards setting up the infrastructure will also be totally exempted from tax. They will install their own device to meet their electricity requirement, and for that they will not have to pay anything to the government. By allowing them similar countless concessions, by forcibly uprooting and dispossessing the peasants from their land and habitation and handing over that land to foreign capitalists—is this being motivated by the thought of the ‘development’ of the country? Why this mad rush ignoring all the caution of the common people, nuclear scientists, agricultural scientists, social scientists of a democratic country? Perhaps are rulers are not too concerned on the question of security; otherwise such an annul of corruption would not have evolved around the defence ministry which is responsible for security.

I don’t know if this anxiety is unfounded. If unfounded, it is welcome for us all. But the anxiety is growing, because the facts tell us that since independence till 2000, in this our West Bengal 47 lakh acres of land has been acquired for various reasons, and that has affected 70 lakh people. Even after all this, and after having been under left rule for thirty years, recently we have been left on the threshold of this grim horror of SEZ! So we feel deeply frightened about security. We have not forgotten the danger this our country had been made to face by the Chinese aggression of 1962. [1507 words]

[Author: Saonli Mitra; translation: Rama Kundu; from the original Bengali article published in Dainik Statesman, Kolkata, 27 & 28 May 2007]

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