Amartya Sen ticks off PM on Myanmar policy *The Times of India*
August 4, 2010: New Delhi, Friendship between Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a well-known fact. Perhaps, what is not known is that the Harvard don seldom minces words when it comes to issues that are close to his heart. With PM in the audience, Sen While delivering a lecture on Centrality of Literacy on Tuesday said he did not approve of the nation’s policy on Myanmar. “I do not agree with your policy on Burma. In a democratic country like India, I can say this to the Prime Minister,” he said. The remark came came close on the heels of New Delhi playing host to Myanmar’s military ruler Senior General Than Shwe, who was here last week. Over the years, Shew has been slammed across the world for his scant regard for democratic norms and horrifying human rights abuses. For instance, po-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been barred from contesting elections slated for later this year. Be that as it may, India has been compelled to embrace Myanmar, thanks to geo-political compulsions. The country needs to maintain cordial ties with the junta-ruled state not only to ward off China’s growing influence but also for the sake of energy security. Sen also drew a distinction between the ideals of former Chinese president Mao Zedong and Maoists’ menace back home. “Mao had promoted basic education in China that augmented the economic development of the country. But, the Maoists in India are affecting the basic education structure in states like West Bengal,” he said. Sen said India has to learn a lot from China, Japan and the UK, which pioneered reforms. “The illiterate people suffer a lot in society as they fail to make use of their rights. Democracy can be more effective if illiteracy is eliminated,” he suggested. Sen also said that health education and chapters on ill effects of smoking should be made a part of school curriculum. Speaking earlier the PM said literacy is central to social and economic development. No modern industrial nation has less than 80% literacy, he said. Singh said the goal before his government is to make India literate and reduce the gender gap in literacy. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Amartya-Sen-ticks-off-PM-on-Myanmar-policy/articleshow/6254141.cms --^^--^^-- Office Burma Centre Delhi (BCD) New Delhi, India Email: [email protected] Visit: www.burmacentredelhi.org (Under Construction) -----~~------~~~~----~ Burma Centre Delhi (BCD) is a non-profit organization formed in August 2008 with activists from India and Burma. The main aim of BCD is to work for the restoration of peace, justice, democracy and human rights in Burma, India and other parts of the world. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
