Well…the manner in which the Bush administration is turning a blind eye towards countries declaring ’emergency’ (in the present case Georgia), can we really rule out the possibility of the Americans themselves getting a taste of ’emergency’ on their home turf soon? This ’emergency’ in the US is just waiting to happen…as soon as something that can pass as ‘dramatic’ were to happen on its soil.
Meanwhile the latest reports from the Georgian capital Tbilisi sound so familiar (and compare well with the Bush administration’s approach in Pakistan). Here it goes: “The top U.S. official for the Caucasus praised Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili on Sunday for his leadership over the last 4 years, but suggested he lift a state of emergency and restore an independent media.”
Matt Bryza, US assistant secretary of state for European affairs, stated: “The President of Georgia has shown remarkable leadership…And the United States would not tell Saakashvili how to govern.”
President Saakashvili shocked his Western allies on Wednesday, ordering police to baton charge and fire tear gas at protesters calling for his resignation and then imposed a state of emergency, justifying it by accusing Russia of stirring unrest.
“NATO and European countries issued strongly worded statements condemning the police action and the emergency law — which bans independent media and meetings — but the United States has adopted a far softer tone.”
“We are not a big brother, we are a big friend,” US senior official Matt Bryza added.
“The opposition has called Saakashvili corrupt and guilty of mismanaging the economy. They also say he is using the emergency laws to give himself an unfair advantage in a January 5 presidential election he called on Thursday.” More here…
Deja vu…What???
Some tell-tale signs from the US. An agency report states: “As Congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, a top intelligence official says it is time that people in the United States changed their definition of privacy…”
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.