1. India: Domestic Situation
In a confrontational interview (in two parts) with Tavleen Singh (Indian Express) Pravin Togadia, general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) expressed his opinions on communalism in India. Rajiv Shukla (Indian Express) writes that Pravin Togadia has "sacrificed every sense of decency and decorum just to stay in the headlines."
"If Godhra continues, then naturally people will react"
"You call us fundamentalists, we are actually reformists"
"Why Isn't Anyone Muzzling Togadia?"
Essays by Praful Bidwai (News, Pakistan), Sukumar Muralidharan (Frontline) and Kuldip Nayar (Dawn, Pakistan) examine the impact and implications of the growing tension between various Hindu political parties.
"Vajpayee's domestic bind"
"Dissonance and dissension"
"The puppets and the puppeteers"
Anil Sharma (Asia Times) reports on India's efforts to increase armaments export. The daily Dawn reports that India and Israel have agreed to jointly market Indian-built advance light helicopters. Lietenunt General Nirmal Chand Vij is scheduled to take over as the Chief of the Army Staff on December 31, 2002.
"Indian drive to increase arms exports"
"Israel to help sell Indian helicopters"
"Vij, next Army chief"
Two alleged members of the Pakistan-based militant Lashkar-e-Taiba were shot dead by personnel of the Special Cell of Delhi police in the underground parking lot of a shopping center in Delhi. An eyewitness to the shoot-out, however, has claimed that the "two men were unarmed and were shot dead by the police.''
"Lashkar militants shot dead in Delhi shopping mall"
"Protection sought for `encounter' witness"
The daily Indian Express reports that the "admission by the United States that in 1965 it released Aedes aegypti mosquitoes on a Pacific island as part of its biological warfare test programme has, according to scientists, vindicated the Indian Government's decision to close down a similar US-sponsored mosquito project .. in the early '70s."
"India's stand vindicated as US owns up bio war tests"