The New Nation - Internet Edition

Gas denial to harm growth

THE decision not to give new gas connections to industries and even households, comes as a shock to say the least. The decision has been prompted by a concern about the ability to supply gas to new users amid its dwindling availability and production. There can be no denying that the time is not far away when the gas wells would go dry if new reserves are not added and exploited. But gas depletion will occur some time around 2011 even under use at the current rate by the existing users.

Thus, the only course would be going all-out to find more gas and increase production from existing reserves till then. Hopefully, by this time the scenario would change with the finding of more gas. But what has been done now in a too scary anticipation of gas running out, is a too drastic move. In a bid to conserve gas, economic growth cannot be given a goodbye. The Bangladesh economy needs to grow at 6 to 7 per cent a year to keep problems of unemployment, income and poverty at manageable levels. Investment operations, specially in industries, make that growth possible.

But growth could come down below even the average minimum of 5 per cent experienced in the last two decades if gas supply to new industries remains prohibited. The worst would be its effect on foreign direct investments (FDIs). Foreign investors would get a very wrong signal about Bangladesh from this. FDI is an area where goodwill-- lost once-- is very difficult to regain. Thus, the decision of no gas supply and gas rationing may prove to be counterproductive. The government needs to review this very risky decision and instead take steps immediately to ensure alternative sources of energy for industrialisation and income generation.

Dhaka's water supply problem

POWER load-shedding, excessive dependence on groundwater and worn-out supply lines are the major reasons for water crisis in the capital city, according to Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) officials. City dwellers in different areas have been facing an acute crisis of water for long. The pumps and treatment plants of Dhaka WASA have been failing to supply water as per its capacity due to heavy load shedding coupled with fluctuation of voltage. Almost a half of the pumps remain inoperative every day for certain periods affecting the city's water supply as a whole.

The disruption in electric supply reduces the pressure of water in the supply lines for which people living in some areas do not get water most of the time. At many places, power outages occur frequently and it needs around five hours to get full pressure of water in supply line. To keep the water pumps operative, there are now a total of 274 generators for 471 pumps. The authority has decided to buy 40 more generators. Dhaka WASA can supply about 170 crore litres of water a day against the demand of 210 crore litres. WASA subscribers, however, get much less supply due to cracks and faults in the supply lines and illegal connections given in connivance with a corrupt section of the officials and employees of WASA.

Meanwhile, the groundwater level beneath Dhaka city has been dropping alarmingly due to over dependence on deep tubewells. There are about 2,000 deep tubewells in the capital city - 800 of them with WASA's approval. About 85 per cent of the WASA-supply water comes from underground sources and the remaining 15 per cent from surface water.

Tagore elevated Bengali Literature to new heights

Mohammad Shahidul Islam

After Pohela Boishakh, 25th Boishakh keeps occupying the Bengali with another greenish aspiration for enlivening Bengali bond among us. This especial day has been bejeweled by the arrival of one great scholar of Bengali literature for which our identity has been uplifted across the world. He is Rabindranath Tagore. Today is his 147th birth anniversary. The day is being observed among all Bengalis with special greeting and celebration.

Tagore was born into a distinguished Bengali family in Kolkata, West Bengal on 25th Boishakh [1861, 7th May]. His father's name was the Maharishi Debendranath Tagore, a well known Hindu reformer and mystic and his mother was Shrimati Sharada Devi. Tagore received his education at home. He was taught in Bengali, with English lessons in the afternoon. He read the Bengali poets since his early age and he began writing poetry himself by the age of eight. Rabindranath Tagore did have a brief spell at St Xavier's Jesuit school, but found the conventional system of education uncongenial. His father wanted him to become a barrister and he was sent to England for this reason.

In England, Tagore was highly impressed and inspired by John Bright W.E. Gladstone's "large-hearted, radical liberalism." In 1879, he enrolled at University College, at London, but was called back by his father to return to India in 1880. By l883 he was married. Tagore's family chose his bride, an almost illiterate girl of ten named Bhabatarini (renamed Mrinalini), whom he married with little ceremony. They were to have four children; the eldest was born when Mrinalini was 13. However, Mrinalini died at the age of 30.

What Rabindranath was doing in literature he also tried to do in music too. While caring for both the traditions, classical and folk, he respected the inviolable sanctity of neither and freely took from each what suited his purpose. In his mother land, however, each change of season, each aspect of Bengali's rich landscape and every undulation of human heart, in sorrow or in joy has found its voice in some song of his. They are sung in religious gatherings no less than in concert halls. Patriots have mounted the gallows with his song on their lips; and young lovers unable to express the depth of their feelings sing his songs and feel the weight of their dumbness relieved. Rabindranath had said, "Whatever fate may be in store in the judgment of the future for my poems, my stories and my plays, I know for certain that the Bengali race must need my songs, they must all sing my songs in every Bengali home, in the fields and by the riverst I feel as if music wells up from within some unconscious depth of my mind, that is why it has certain completeness."

From 1890, Tagore had undertaken the management of his family estates. In 1901 he founded the famous Shantiniketan at Bolepur. This was designed to provide a traditional ashram and Western education. He began with 5 pupils and 5 teachers (three of whom were Christian). His ideals were simplicity of living and the cultivation of beauty.

In 1912, Tagore visited Britain again and his own English translation of Gitanjali was published under William Butler Yates' auspices. A lecture tour of Britain and the USA followed.

In 1913, he was awarded the famous Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 by the Nobel Committee. The Committee pronounced "because of his profoundly sensitive fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, apart of the literature of the West." He used the prize money to improve his school at Shantiniketan.

Rabindranath Tagore's role in the innovation of educational ideas has been eclipsed by his fame as a poet. He was a pioneer in the field of education. For the last forty years of his life he was content to be a schoolmaster in humble rural surroundings, even when he had achieved fame such as no Bengali had known before. He was one of the first, in Bengali Literature, to think out for himself and put in practice principles of education which have now become commonplace of educational theory, if not yet of practice.

If Rabindranath had done nothing else, what he did at Santiniketan and Sriniketan would be sufficient to rank him as one of the subcontinent's greatest nation-builders. With the years, Rabindranath had won the world and the world in turn had won him. He sought his home everywhere in the world and would bring the world to his home. And so the little school for children at Santiniketan became a world university, Visva-Bharati, a centre for Bengali Culture, a seminary for Eastern Studies and a meeting-place of the East and West.

The poet selected for its motto an ancient Sanskrit verse, Yatra visvam bhavatieka nidam, which means, "Where the whole world meets in a single nest." In 1940 a year before he died, he put a letter in Gandhi's hand, "Visva-Bharati is like a vessel which is carrying the cargo of my life's best treasure, and I hope it may claim special care from my countrymen for its preservation."

Tagore's 'Our Golden Bengal' became the national anthem of Bangladesh. The song touches all and sundry to be great lovers of motherland: Bangladesh. We pay a due homage to his 147th birth anniversary. We wish many returns of the propitious 25th Boishakh. "When one knows thee, then alien there is none, then no door is shut. Oh, grant me my prayer that I may never lose touch of the one in the play of the many."

(From Gitanjali).

US Polls 2008: McCain, Obama or Hillary?

Dr.Abdul Ruff

Frankly, it does not matter at all. However, right from the beginning of the campaign, the fortunes have been shifting among the presidential candidates.

The US presidential elections are still far away in November. Americans are already witnessing a sort of a tug of war among the hopefuls. At the very outset it should be unambiguously stated that irrespective of who finally manages to enter the White House to succeed President George W. Bush to rule not only the America, but, as the only super power to dictate terms to both the friendly and unfriendly nations, the most of the world, the over-all premises of the new incumbent would not be essentially different and would pursue essentially the same policies of USA. Even as Republican restlessly awaiting to know the final candidate from Democratic platform, Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton clash over as to which one of two should be the most competent to be the next president.

Since all these three aspirants have common views on political issues, both domestic and foreign, they are debating economic issues probably to avoid confusion and give an impression to the world of the unipolar opinion of the one the largest democracies. The three, in collusion, therefore, argue that America needs sound economic recovery as Americans face a real recession. Issues like taxes, migration, gender, religion and race have dominated the campaign in this advanced country.

On foreign policy, the White House hopefuls do occasionally peep into a few issues. Barrack Obama wants to attack the terrorists in Pakistan without permission of the Pakistani government. Sounds like Bush to many. Not that he thinks he will actually go ahead with such an aggressive action. Barrack is the name of change. The fact Obama was a great civil rights advocate in Chicago.

While the aggressive views of McCain are familiar to the world at large, Clinton has also vowed to dispatch military to Iran to dismantle that country too, Obama is being advised by a team that included Jews, especially a former Secretary of State.

Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have gone from lows to highs and soon after winning in Pennsylvania, Clinton seems to be losing out to Obama in the next primary, with two more do-or-die primary contests set for May 06 in Indiana and North Carolina. This primary will almost certainly determine who wins the nomination at, or before, the Democratic National Convention in August.

Bill Clinton for Hillary

The two Democratic candidates are seen waging a war to outsmart each other. They are stumping even in the heart of Republican territories, and Obama sought to reach across party lines and talk about issues like plant closings that have damaged cities like Anderson. Clinton argued that Obama won't debate because he's unhappy with questions from moderators during the April 16 debate just before the Pennsylvania primary. But neither candidate has a demonstrable advantage to tout.

Hillary Clinton said emphatically that Barack Obama can win the White House this fall, undercutting her efforts to deny him the Democratic presidential nomination by suggesting he would lead the party to defeat. Electability, therefore, is an issue, and one that both Senators Obama and Clinton are likely to use to woo the super-delegates. Victory in the primaries is certainly not an indicator of how they will match up against Senator McCain. A win in the Pennsylvania primary cannot make the case that having won the entire major swing-state primary. And the real fight begins only when Democratic Party nominates its candidate.

Both her husband and daughter Chelsea have been actively canvassing for Hilary. Former president Bill Clinton is looking ahead to help his wife in Oregon's Democratic primary on May 20. The former president outlined his wife's plans for energy independence, and highlighted her vote against a Bush administration bill that gave final say over the liquefied natural gas terminals to the federal government, instead of the states.

Obama said he was attempting to say that voters feel ignored by government. Both Obama and Clinton sidestepped when asked if they would place their rival on the ticket as vice presidential running mate in the fall. "I think very highly of Senator Clinton's record, but I think it is premature at this point to talk about who the vice presidential candidates will be because we're still trying to determine who the nominee will be," Obama said. Neither rival was willing to say they would ask President Bush to serve in any capacity after he leaves office. Obama volunteered he would be "more likely to ask the advice of the current president's father. He said that as president, George H. W. Bush had presided over a "wise foreign policy" at the time the Cold War was ending.

Obama said: "I have my differences with Senator Clinton and she has her differences with me. We will be united in November and beat John McCain and the Republicans." "We know in our hearts that this country is not going down the right track. Something needs to change right now and that's what's at stake in this election." And at a news conference earlier April in California, Clinton sidestepped when asked directly whether Obama would win if he were the Democratic nominee. "We have to beat John McCain. I will do everything possible to make sure we can win and I am confident we will have a Democrat in the White House next year," she said at the time. Pressed further, she quipped, "Yes, yes, yes t Now I think I can do a better job."

Religion, Race & Economics

Bush has been open about his Christian beliefs throughout his presidency. Some recent presidential candidates, from John Kerry and Al Gore to Bob Dole, weren't comfortable talking publicly about their faith. No matter how strongly they believed, they considered religion mostly a private matter. And it's perhaps no coincidence that all three lost their bids for the White House. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama aren't so reticent. In an effort to reassure religious voters about their character and values, the Democratic presidential rivals are talking freely and frequently about their beliefs. The issue of religion in public life also was underscored when Pope Benedict XVI visited Washington, where he met with President Bush and attended other events.

Democratic rivals Obama and Hillary Clinton turned up the rhetoric in their increasingly heated primary battle as she issued a new debate challenge and he complained of a race that's largely been reduced to trivia while working families feel economic pain. Trailing in delegates and the popular vote, Clinton has been stepping up the pressure on Obama for more debates in advance of primaries on May 6 in Indiana and North Carolina.

Obama, whose name is traced to his Islamic origins, said his Christian faith encouraged his own commitment to social justice. He repeated his condemnation of the controversial sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his former pastor in Chicago, whose tirades have been considered anti-American and anti-white. But Obama said Wright has also helped many people in the community.

Obama said, "Religion is a bulwark, a foundation when other things aren't going well. That's true in my own life, through trials and tribulations. And so what I was referring to was in no way a demeaning of a faith that I myself embrace."

For the first time in its history, America is a witnessing an African-American male and a white American female as U.S. presidential candidates. Hillary Clinton is a New Yorker. Although not a native, she is a settler. She has eight years of experience on Capitol Hill as the wife of former President Clinton. Hillary said that Obama had a fundamental misunderstanding on the role of religion and faith. Hilary has openly supported her faith in the campaign. Clinton kept up her attack, arguing that Obama's comments were "elitist, out of touch, and, frankly, patronizing." She said Obama was giving the false impression that Democrats disdain churchgoers and hunters, which has hurt the party's candidates in the past. Clinton said her United Methodist faith has always been important to her and has sustained her in difficult times. In the past, she has said her religion encouraged her to do good works and commit herself to improving society. "You know, it has been a gift of grace that has, for me, been incredibly sustaining." She explained that she felt God's grace when her husband was unfaithful to her and on other occasions.

Pennsylvania with 158 delegates at stake was a must-win contest for Clinton, who led in the polls and hopes for a strong victory to propel her through the other states that vote before the primary season ends on June 3.

Despite a recent gaffe, Obama has picked up endorsements during the day from three superdelegates from a pair of states with primaries on May 6 - Reps. Andre Carson of Indiana and Mel Watt and David Price of North Carolina. Clinton is struggling to stop his drive on the nomination by appealing to party leaders who will attend the convention as superdelegates that he will preside over an electoral defeat at a moment of great opportunity after eight years of Republican rule.

If elected, Obama would be the first black president, and a survey of 1,844 adults was conducted on April 2-14, revealed an alarming scenario on racial situation in USA. The survey detected some evidence of racial discomfort in voters' minds. It found that about 8 percent of whites would be uncomfortable voting for a black for president. It produced an estimate of about 13 percent of Republicans who would feel that way. In November, about 5 percent of Democrats indicated discomfort at voting for a black person for president.

A few Democrats do feel that race is unimportant, but replacing Bush with a Democrat is vital. And lately he has concluded that Obama probably has the better chance of beating McCain. "I am leaning towards him, not because he's black - because I'm white - but because we definitely need a change," said Lovell, 50. He said the Democratic campaign has lasted too long, but there is one topic he'd like to hear more about. Lovell, who guessed that Obama is "either Christian or Muslim," said: "I don't think we're getting enough information on religion" from the candidates.

In a 90-minute debate last week, both rivals pledged not to raise taxes on individuals making less than $200,000, and said they would respond forcefully if Iran obtains nuclear weapons and uses them against Israel. "An attack on Israel would incur massive retaliation by the United States," said Clinton. Obama said, "The U.S. would take appropriate action."

While McCain's foreign policy would not be by and large different form the one being followed by the Bush regime, democrats don't differ from McCain any significantly. Hillary has already clearly stated that if elected to presidency she would order the Pentagon to invade and cripple Iran. The other Democratic aspirant, Obama, fighting a tough rhetoric war with Hillary for nomination of the Democratic Party is not favored by the US establishment for various reasons, though he has on his advisors' body a strong pro-Israeli lobby, including the former US secretary of State who is a Jew himself.

In the background of the common views expressed by the candidates for White House occupation American voters have to prefer a candidate, either a republican or a Democrat, though essentially they believe s in one and same values and ideology. But right now even among the democrats the difference is not so wide to ascertain whose premises are better.

So, as an old Vietnam veteran, McCain is just a continuation of the Bush and Cheney regime. Also, McCain is very optimistic about getting elected. He thinks he can save the country from terrorist attacks. His military connections apart, he also talks about economics. When McCain he has yet to unveil a sound plan for improving the country. But he is just selling fear like George Bush.

Despite the obvious Republican disadvantages in this election cycle at the beginning, John McCain is now matching up pretty well against Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in tests being conducted by national polls. Pew Research Center and CBS/New York Times polls show Obama and Clinton holding only modest leads over Mr. McCain, while other national surveys - notably Associated Press/Ipsos and NBC/Wall Street Journal - have McCain running about even against the Democratic candidates. However, his favorability rating over months among all voters has declined, with those ranking him as "very unfavorable" growing from 17 percent in January to 25 percent in April.

An Associated Press-Yahoo! News poll found that a clear majority of Democratic voters now say Sen. Barack Obama has a better chance of defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in November than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. While Obama and Clinton are both sustaining dents and dings from their lengthy presidential fight, the former first lady is clearly suffering more. In late January, before Obama scored 11 straight primary and caucus victories, 56 percent of Democrats saw Clinton as the stronger nominee, compared to 33 percent for Obama. Now, Obama leads on that question, 56 to 43 percent.

Despite the mischievous propaganda by US media and political circles about Obama being a Muslim, Obama's positive ratings have climbed as well, while Clinton - widely known since the early 1990s - has been less able to change people's views of her. And when those views have shifted, it has hurt her more than helped. Democratic voters no longer see Hillary as the party's strongest contender for the White House. Voters of all types have gotten a better sense of Obama, who was an obscure Illinois legislator just four years ago. More people have moved from the "I don't know him" category to "He is slightly better than her" one. Earlier, more rated Obama as inexperienced, unethical and dishonest, but now environment is favoring him. And 15 percent erroneously think he's a Muslim, thanks in part to disinformation widely spread on the Internet. Now US media predict Osama a clear winning chance.

The most encouraging sign for Obama is that many Democrats who previously saw Clinton as their party's best hope now give him that role. About one-third of them still prefer Clinton, but they have lost confidence in her electability. "I would love to vote for Hillary," said Nancy Costello of Bellevue, Ky., one of the more than 1,800 randomly selected adults whose opinions are rechecked every few months. "I'm 67, and I'll probably never get another chance to vote for a woman." But Obama now appears to be the stronger candidate, she said, and electing a Democrat in November is paramount. If McCain wins and continues many of President Bush's economic and foreign policies, Costello said, "I think I would just sit down and cry."

Meanwhile, those same voters are more likely to see Obama as strong, honest and refreshing than before. Among those Democrats who no longer consider her the more electable of the two, most now see her as less likable, decisive, strong, honest, experienced and ethical than they did in January.

On the other hand, the New York senator's ratings for being honest, likable, ethical and refreshing have fallen since January, and Obama scores higher than she does in all those categories. In January, 30 percent of Republicans rated Obama very unfavorably. That grew to 43 percent in April.

But it by no means denies any opportunity for Hilary to emerge as the ultimate survivor to face McCain. If, however, Obama wins the nomination, he will need to mend his image a bit as he battles McCain for independents and soft Republicans. Obama has new ideas about the U.S. economy and foreign policy issues. His background being from a poorer class and from black African American ethnic community, although his mother was white, will allow him to relate to and offer answers to the daily struggles of lower class Americans. Osama should revise some of his views on foreign policy by making it humane and truly democratic and on economics to push forward the economic revival. Most importantly, Obama's position makes him best suited to pursue the Mideast peace further even after the creation of the Palestine state.