৫ comments

1. 

   মাসুদ করিম - ২ এপ্রিল ২০২১ (৫:১৯ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

   https://twitter.com/ARTEen/status/1372235481887477761

2. 

   মাসুদ করিম - ৫ এপ্রিল ২০২১ (১:৪১ অপরাহ্ণ)

   Business enterprises and genocide｜Pat To Yan
   https://hk.appledaily.com/opinion/20210404/FFSEZMTID5EBNJEWKYTE66DCBI/
   The issue of Xinjiang cotton has been a hot debate in the previous weeks. One of the focuses is whether the big fashion labels take the side to abandon or adopt Xinjiang cotton. Actually, the relationship between business enterprises and tyranny is not a new thing.

   In 2001, Edwin Black, an American journalist, has published his investigation as a book titled ‘IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance between Nazi Germany and America’s Most Powerful Corporation.’ Let’s not forget, there was no computer in World War 2. Thus, to collect data of millions of Jews became a trouble to the Nazi Government. IBM offered technology of generation and tabulation of punch cards based upon national census data. It is like a Big Data solution widely used nowadays. Collecting data is something essential in every moment of history.

   In 1933, the Nazi German Government announced to conduct a national census in order to identify Jews, Gypsies and other ethnic groups. Dehomag (German Hollerith Machine Corporation), the German subsidiary of which IBM owned 90%, actively assisted the Nazi German Government. The machine-tabulated services largely expanded the estimated number of Jews in Germany by identifying Jewish individuals with only one or few Jewish ancestors. It was proved that it contributed to the genocide since the Government had mastered important demographic data. Till now, IBM has never replied directly, but rather criticized its research methodology and the conclusions. IBM claimed they didn’t know the operations of Dehomag since most of the documents were destroyed in WW2.

   There is no surprise that business enterprises have a connection with suppression and genocide. Zygmunt Bauman, a Polish sociologist, argued the Holocaust is closely connected to modernity in his most famous work ‘Holocaust and modernization’. The concentration camp was often described as a ‘factory of death’. Bauman said if there were not any tools derived from modernization like railway, procedural rationality, division of labour and the tendency to view obedience to rules as morally good, Holocaust would not work. Therefore, Bauman refused to recognize Holocaust as only an event in Jewish history or a regression to pre-modern barbarism. Business enterprises play an essential role in the process of modernization. Tyranny always demands tools of cutting-edge technology so as to suppress and control people. Once again and again, there would be business enterprises working for tyranny.

   The Reimann family is the owner of the brands including Pret A Manager and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. The younger generation of the family commissioned a historian of the University of Munich to investigate what their family did in WW2. In the end, they found evidence that their family supported Hitler enthusiastically and used Russian civilians and French prisoners as slave labourers. After then, they announced to donate 5 million Euros to support the Holocaust survivors. Those survivors are elderly now and the donation would help the survivors with food, medicine and heat. Moreover, they donated 25 million Euros for Holocaust education and promoting democratic values as against the rise of populist nationalism.

   The Reimann family is worth applauding. It is also a very good example of how a business enterprise acts morally. Most importantly, business enterprises should always act morally now.

3. 

   মাসুদ করিম - ১৩ এপ্রিল ২০২১ (৫:২৬ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

   India’s top court dismisses plea to scrap 26 verses from Quran

   India’s Supreme Court Monday dismissed a petition seeking removal of certain verses from the Muslim holy book of Quran for allegedly “preaching violence against non-believers”, reports UNB.

   The apex court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the petitioner, Syed Wasim Rizvi, a former head of the Shia Waqf Board in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, for filing the “absolutely frivolous” petition.

   “We have heard the counsel and dismiss the petition as it is absolutely frivolous,” said Justice RF Nariman, who led a three-judge bench hearing the plea. He also asked the petitioner’s counsel to deposit the fine of Rs 50,000 as court expenses.

   In his public interest litigation (PIL) plea, Rizvi, alleged that as many as 26 verses in the holy book “promote violence”, and were not part of the original Quran, but added in later revisions.

   The verses in question were: Verse 2 Surah 191, Verse 3 Surah 151, Verse 4 Surah 56, Verse 4 Surah 89, Verse 4 Surah 101, Verse 5 Surah 51, Verse 5 Surah 14, Verse 5 Surah 57, Verse 8 Surah 65, Verse 8 Surah 69, Verse 9 Surah 5 and Verse 9 Surah 14.

   Others included Verse 9 Surah 23; Verse 9 Surah 28, Verse 9 Surah 29, Verse 9 Surah 37, Verse 9 Surah 58, Verse 9 Surah 111, Verse 9 Surah 123, Verse 21 Surah 98, Verse 32 Surah 22, Verse 33 Surah 61, Verse 41 Surah 27, Verse 41 Surah 28, Verse 48 Surah 20 and Verse 66 Surah 9.

   As per the petition, Islam is based on concepts of equality and tolerance but is “drifting away from its basic tenets” due to “extreme interpretation of the said verses … and is now identified with militancy, fundamentalism, extremism and terrorism”.

   https://twitter.com/barandbench/status/1381501385594707969

4. 

   মাসুদ করিম - ১৭ এপ্রিল ২০২১ (৭:৫১ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

   Concern over Brahmaputra dams
   Bangladesh plans to raise issue in talks with China, India

   Concerned over the moves by China and India to construct dams in the upstream of the Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh is planning to raise the issue in the upcoming water talks with both the countries.

   Bangladesh is heavily dependent on external sources for water. The 1,800-km-long Brahmaputra, which enters Bangladesh from India after originating from Tibet region under China, is the largest source of external water for Bangladesh.

   If both the countries withdraw water in the upstream from the Brahmaputra, Bangladesh will be a barren land, environmentalists said.

   The total water resource of Bangladesh is estimated at 12,10,644 million cubic metres, of which 11,05,644 cubic metres come from external sources.

   According to statistics, at least 60 percent of Bangladesh’s population relies on the Brahmaputra’s catchment basin.

   A catchment or basin is an ecological system of drainage that sees rainfall or river water drained into the surrounding environment, and can be accessed through lakes, wells or small tributary rivers.

   “We will talk to India first. The Indian water resources minister will visit Dhaka soon, and we will discuss about the issue of construction of dams in the upstream of the Brahmaputra,” state minister for water resources Zahid Farook told the FE.

   “If China constructs a dam in the upstream, then definitely India will have concern. Similarly, if India and China both go ahead with such dam projects, Bangladesh will have concern. But we want to resolve the issue amicably through discussion.”

   “It is well known to all that withdrawal of water in the upstream of any common river will seriously impact the countries in the downstream. So, we consider this a matter of concern,” Mr Zahid added.

   Officials said constructing dams in the upstream means that the countries concerned will have the leverage to withdraw or release water as per their requirement.

   “We may see heavy water flow when we do not need water, and there might be no water in the dry season when we require it most,” a senior official of the Ministry of Water Resources said while presenting the worst scenario.

   China first disclosed its plan to construct a dam on the Brahmaputra (in Yarlung Zangbo), when Yan Zhiyong, chairman of the Power Construction Corp of China or POWERCHINA said China would implement its hydropower exploration plan in the downstream of the international river.

   “There is no parallel in history…it will be a historic opportunity for the Chinese hydropower industry,” Yan was quoted as saying by the Chinese media.

   The new dam is planned to produce at least 60 gigawatts (GW) of electricity. To put that into perspective, one GW is the quantity of energy captured by 3.125 million solar panels or 412 wind turbines. One GW is also enough to power 110 million LED lights, said an analyst.

   Later, in March this year, China’s parliament adopted the 14th five-year plan, which included the hydropower project on the Brahmaputra in Tibet near India’s Arunachal Pradesh.

   Chinese officials also hinted that the construction work of the dam might start this year.

   But India was apparently not appeased by the Chinese assurances in this regard, and responded with the announcement of its plan to construct another dam on the Brahmaputra in Arunachal soon after the disclosure of the Chinese plan.

   T S Mehra, a senior official in India’s federal water ministry, told media in December that they had proposed construction of a hydro-electric dam with 10-GW capacity in Arunachal to mitigate adverse impact of the Chinese dam project.

   “Our proposal is under consideration at the highest level of the government.”

   The planned dam would create a large water storage capacity in India to offset effect of the Chinese dam on water flow, he added.

   However, Dr Ainun Nishat, leading environment expert of the country, looks at the issue from a different angle.

   If China is going to produce electricity through constructing a dam on the Brahmaputra in the upstream, Bangladesh can negotiate to have a share in the project, he said.

   “We can invest partly, and have a share of the power generated from the project. India can also join us, so that the negative effect of the project can also be minimised through consultations.”

   About campaigns against construction of the proposed dams, he said dams are essential for many reasons, including flood management.

   “I am not against construction of dams, but the dams should be constructed in a manner so that these will not cause serious harm to ecology and locality.”

   “Previously dams were built according to the design of engineers, but now we suggest stakeholders’ consultation before designing a dam,” he added.

   On the other hand, Chinese officials said they would address the concern of both India and Bangladesh in this issue.

   Soon after the disclosure of the dam building plan, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying was asked about it in a media briefing in Beijing.

   She said, “Hydropower development in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River is China’s legitimate right. When it comes to use and development of cross-border rivers, China always acts responsibly.”

   China has a policy featuring development and conservation, and all projects will go through science-based planning and assessment, giving full consideration to impact downstream and accommodating interests of both the upstream and downstream regions.

   The development of the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo is in the early stages of planning and assessment, she noted.

   “There is no need to read too much into that.”

   Regarding the concerns in India and Bangladesh, she said, “For a long time, China, India and Bangladesh have had good cooperation in sharing hydrological information, flood and disaster reduction and contingency management. We will continue our communication through existing channels.”

   “There is no need for any anxiety in this matter,” she added.

   According to international law, the countries that are upstream of a river have the sovereignty to build dams on their stretch of water, even though it may impact the countries further downstream.

   However, the right is balanced by the principles of ‘reasonable use’ and ‘no harm’.

   But China is not a party to the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.

   https://twitter.com/urumurum/status/1383267684356214789

5. 

   মাসুদ করিম - ২১ এপ্রিল ২০২১ (১০:৪৬ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

   কবি শঙ্খ ঘোষের জীবনে শেষ যতিচিহ্ন

   রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর ও জীবনানন্দ দাশের পর বাংলা কবিতার তরী যারা বেয়ে নিয়েছেন আগামীর গন্তব্যের পথে, তাদের অগ্রপথিক পশ্চিমবঙ্গের কবি শঙ্খ ঘোষকে কেড়ে নিল করোনাভাইরাস।

   আনন্দবাজার জানিয়েছে, গত ১৪ এপ্রিল করোনাভাইরাসের সংক্রমণ ধরা পড়ার পর বাড়িতেই চিকিৎসা নিচ্ছিলেন ৮৯ বছর বয়সী এই কবি।

   বুধবার বেলা সাড়ে ১১টার দিকে বাড়িতেই তার মৃত্যু হয়। সেই সঙ্গে বাংলার কবিতায় একটি যুগের অবসান ঘটে।

   শঙ্খ ঘোষের পারিবারিক নাম চিত্তপ্রিয় ঘোষ। ১৯৩২ সালের ৫ ফেব্রুয়ারি অবিভক্ত বাংলার চাঁদপুরে জন্ম। আর বাংলা কাব্য সাহিত্যে তার আর্বিভাব বিশ শতকের মাঝামাঝি সময়ে।

   বাংলা কবিতায় স্বতন্ত্র ভাষাভঙ্গির খোঁজে চল্লিশের দশকের যে তরুণ কবিরা কৃত্তিবাস বা শতভিষা পত্রিকাকে কেন্দ্রকরে নতুন এক রোমান্টিক জগতের সৃষ্টি করেছিলেন, শঙ্খ ঘোষ তাদের একজন। শক্তি, সুনীল, শঙ্খ, উৎপল, বিনয় – এই পাঁচ কবিকে বলা হত জীবনানন্দ পরবর্তী বাংলা কবিতার পঞ্চপাণ্ডব।

   তিনি ছিলেন একাধারে কবি, গদ্যশিল্পী, রবীন্দ্র গবেষক, সাহিত্য সমালোচক এবং শিক্ষক। দিল্লি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, বিশ্বভারতী এবং যাদবপুর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে দীর্ঘদিন অধ্যাপনা করেছেন তিনি।