State terrorism 7,8

Riots 1,2,3,4,5,8,10
Caste politics 6
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Muslims in cities 4
BJP 4
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Analysis 11
Special Reports 3,13
Issues 2,11,12-13
Books 21
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International 16-18
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Speaking Out 11
Newsmakers 12
Community News 14-15
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Classifieds 22
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Indian Muslims Leading English Newspaper, published since January 2000
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THE MILLI GAZETTE
www.milligazette.com
ISSN 0972-3366
Fort ni ght l y
Rs 10 Vol. 13 No. 22 Issue Serial # 308 16-30 November 2012 24 pages
Inside MG
MANZAR MEHDI
Faizabad: Everybody is astonished at how Faizabad turned into
Gujarat on 24 October. Without Narendra Modi coming to
Faizabad, everything happened here which had taken place in
Gujarat after the Godhra episode. About 60-70 shops of Muslims
were consigned to the flames after looting them. Rioters entered
after breaking open the locks of Waqf Hasan Raza Khans Masjid
Chowk which is situated in the middle of the Chowk. Shops with-
in the mosque enclosure were also set ablaze after looting them.
The office of my newspaper Aap ki Taqat inside the mosque also
became the target of the goons wrath. They looted all that they
could and burnt and destroyed whatever they could. The city,
which was an example of peace and harmony to the world, whose
residents used to proudly say that they are living in Ram Rajya
and riots can never take place here, were made to realize by the
rioters that by burning paper-made Ravan, Ram does not
become victorious.
Like every year, this year too Durga pujas procession was
heading towards Guptaar Ghat from Government College via
Bazaza Chowk Rakab Ganj along its traditional route where idols
are immersed. Many idols had already been immersed but still a
big caravan of trucks and trollies with idols of Durga was on the
road. Groups of drunk youngmen were dancing to high pitch
music. The eyes of Ma Durga, who was being worshipped with
great devotion for four days, would have been filled with tears at
seeing all the brutalities that were being perpetrated before her
own eyes.
News of a girl being teased spread in the market. The crowd
accompanying Ma Durga procession ran to catch hold of the
accused boy who ran fast towards a Muslim mohalla. The crowd
ran after him while throwing stones at him. People living in the
Muslim mohalla thought that the other community was attacking
them, so they too started throwing stones at the crowd which
retreated hastily.
The matter could have ended there but those who had
planned in advance to indulge in rioting, left Ma Durga and began
to attack, loot and burn the shops of Muslims. The rioters fear-
lessly advanced to the Chowk from Rakaab Ganj and looted the
shops and set them on fire so violently that even the ceilings of
shops caved in. The rioters had kerosene and petrol canisters
which they were using freely and fearlessly. Their morale was
high. After the shops, they moved towards Masjid Chowk. The
Masjid was locked after Maghrib namaz. They broke open the
lock, climbed the stairs, looted and burnt the shops of the
mosque. Then they entered the mosque itself and desecrated the
holy books and other objects.
I had not gone to Gujarat nor seen the riots there with my own
eyes. Also I could not see whatever happened in Faizabad on
24 October from 5 to 9 p.m. It was a matter of coincidence that I
did not go to my office for that whole day. At 10 p.m. when I got
the news of the destruction of Faizabad, I went out. The city was
dark and whatever light was there, was of the flames arising from
shops which were set ablaze by the rioters. There were two or
three fire tenders which were unsuccessfully trying to extinguish
the fires. The fire brigade men were in a fix whether to extinguish
the fire of shops of Muslims first or those of Hindus. Those who
had set on the shops ablaze hoped and wished that only the
shops of Muslims would burn
but the fire failed to identify
which shops belonged to
Muslims and which to Hindus.
Masjid Chowk was
engulfed in smoke. Its entrance
gates, built by Nawabs of
Awadh and called Tendra,
had become decafed and ugly
because of the fire. Faces of
district officers, who were help-
less before the rioters, were
indicating that they could not
save Faizabads civilization from
destruction. The helplessness in
the eyes of Ayodhya-Faizabad
MLA, who was standing along
with the fire brigade staff, was
telling that for four hours
Faizabad had become Gujarat.
Next day, after a small inci-
dent of stone pelting, District
Magistrate Deepak Agarwal
imposed curfew which was proba-
bly necessary for bringing the situ-
ation under control. The restraint
and patience shown by Muslims
on 24 October was indeed unpar-
alleled, though after seeing the
burnt shops and desecration of
the mosque the danger of Muslims
losing patience was in any case high. During the curfew, Friday
Namaz was offered and Muslims, on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha
sacrificed their feelings also along with the animals.
Fires that had engulfed the shops were extinguished. Namaz
was offered in Masjid Chowk also. District administration defended
their inability to bring the situation under control on the pretext that
since the riots had started in Rudauli, Bhadarsa and Faizabad
simultaneously, the limited security forces could not discharge their
responsibility fully. But is someone there to answer the question as
to how and since when Ravans settled down in the city of Ram?
MANZAR MEHDI is the editor of Aap ki Taqat newspaper. His
office at Masjid Chowk too was looted and burnt by the rioters -
See more reports on pages 3,5,8
MG/Yusuf
DR ABDUL HAQ ANSARI...12
IB chief suppressed Rajivs
assassination video
New Delhi: A former CBI officer, who probed the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has claimed that
a video showing the assassin Dhanu at the public meeting at Sriperumbudur on the fateful day had
been suppressed by then IB chief M K Narayanan who later rose to become National Security
Advisor and now occupies the seat of the West Bengal Governor.
A letter written in this regard by Narayanan to then Prime Minister Chandrashekar makes a ref-
erence to the video but it was never brought to the notice of the Special Investigating Team, its then
Chief Investigating Officer K Ragothaman has said in his latest book Conspiracy to kill Rajiv Gandhi
- From CBI files. The SIT came to know of the video following a mention by the Justice Verma
Commission (constituted to probe the assassination) as it was never brought to SITs notice, he
said. The video was shot by a local videographer hired by the organisers of that fateful public meet-
ing, he said. The letter by Narayanan, published as Annexure in the book says, Barricading in the
site of the meeting (to be addressed by Gandhi) was rudimentary. Neither double nor effecting bar-
ricade was evident. It was hence possible for those in the unsterilized areas to have access to the
sterilized zone. It has not yet been possible whether the lady (assassin Dhanu) made her way into
the sterilised zone once Rajiv Gandhi approached or whether she had previously managed to stand
in line as one of those offering salutations to Rajiv Gandhi. Video pictures of this part of the meet-
ing are presently being scanned to try and identify the lady, the letter by Narayanan said as men-
tioned in Raghothamans book. It is a suicidal note from him. Had he not written it we would not
have come to know (about the video), Raghothaman said. He further alleged that the issue was
not pursued by the then chief of the Special Investigation Team D R Karthikeyan and Narayanan
was allowed to go scot-free. [See last page to order the book]
MG comment: Narayanan is the person who used to harp day and night on Islamic terror
in India, made tall claims about militants infiltrating into the Indian army and investing in the
Mumbai Stock Exchange (both denied by the respective authorities). He is the person who,
according to Wikileaks, bragged to the American ambassador (Roemer): He (Narayanan)
added that after the Prime Minister spoke in speeches of Indias shared destiny with
Pakistan, he told the PM you have a shared destiny, we dont. It is difficult to understand
how such a person is still in the governments good books and is enjoying a lavish holiday
in Kolkatas Raj Bhawan (Zafarul-Islam Khan).
y
SAIYID HAMID...21
Back from Gujarat: Faizabad fires extinguished
but wounds of hearts yet to be healed
Terrorists
A scene from Faizabad riots
S
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A
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s
ISSUES / OPINION
2 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
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MJ KHALID
Like other communities, Indian Muslims, too, have contributed
enormously to develop a liberal democratic society in the country.
The overall contribution of Muslims has made a qualitative impact
on the national scene to an extent that cannot be wiped off,
despite vindictive efforts to marginalize them. Some people,
Muslims and non-Muslims alike have taken special interest in
focused studies of Indian Muslims and their socio-economic con-
ditions in current times. The discourse has progressed from
informed and less informed speculation to diligent collection and
analysis of actual conditions based on real data.
But how long will the debate continue that Muslims in India
are not a monolithic entity? Muslims in Ladakh are by culture
entirely different from those in Pondicherry, so is the case with
Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. The differences arise due to differ-
ent demographic necessities, languages and life styles. But
Indian Muslims come together when it comes to issues of faith.
One should remember that unlike other countries, Muslims have
lived in Indias religiously plural society for a millennium and they
are not homogenous in racial or linguistic terms and bear the
impact of local cultural surroundings in terms of manners and
customs.
The story of modern development is not the same all over the
world. Despite the high rise graph of economy and living condi-
tions in the West, some African and Asian nations are still highly
under-developed. In the economic field, the sun of peace, wealth,
health and happiness does not rise equally for all even in todays
global village.
Looking at these issues from an Indian Muslim point of view,
the last three decades have been a source of constant pain. From
the Shah Bano case to Babri demolition to the pogrom in Gujarat,
we have been continuously at the receiving end. The chain of
confidence-shaking incidents continues. Some have even tried to
connect us even to West Asian disturbances just because we
share the same faith. With the passage of time, substantial
changes are taking place in the strategies and priorities of the
vicious planners who project themselves as saviours.
By and large, Muslims are a peaceful lot by nature and
choice. But it should not be forgotten that protecting ones self-
respect is a birth-right of every human being and you cannot deny
anyone this right. According to the latest report published by
Government of India, Muslims are educationally and economical-
ly backward in comparison to other communities.
The global IT revolution has energized young minds and they
are destined to move forward. At times, some nations and gener-
ations suffer due to structural faults but no power can keep them
backward for ever. But it is also a fact that, like other groups,
Muslims in India too are part and parcel of the manifold econom-
ic success story.
The agenda is clear. Muslims fundamental effort is to
strengthen their economic condition both as a community and as
individuals. According to modern theory, the economic growth of
any nation has to be multifarious and no group should be left out.
Ultimately, the goal is to achieve inclusive growth which means
opportunity to all, participation of all and development of all.
In the post-Sachar stage, though a number of specific poli-
cies and programmes have been designed to address the socio-
economic backwardness of the Muslim community but, unfortu-
nately, those who are responsible for the implementation of these
programmes do not seem to be interested. As a result, these
efforts are not leading anywhere. Ultimately, it is the duty of the
government to check the erring officials and sick political leaders
who are hand-in-glove to frustrate these efforts.
Educational and economic uplift is the agenda for Indian
Muslims today. Muslim socio-religious organizations are taking
various initiatives which is a welcome sign for the country. The
idea is to explore spheres where socio-educational organizations
can comfortably work to enhance the capacity-building, designing
educational patterns and cementing bridges between communi-
ties.
The agenda is set. Read the writing on the wall and make
others learn to read. There will certainly be no saviour if you let a
room for confusion.
As far as the political awakening is concerned, the realization
has already made a mark that as democratically equal partners,
Muslims can make their weight felt in the political decision-mak-
ing and seek a fair treatment too. The result of previous Assembly
election held in 2012 speaks volume of the correctness of this
conclusion.
The author is Chairman, Group of Alternate Thinkers,
New Delhi
An Agenda for Indian Muslims
Who betrayed the
victims of Gujarat 2002?
Who is responsible for the wastage of the sanctioned package for Gujarat
riot victims -- the Congress-led Government at the Centre or Narendra Modi
or coma-affected leadership of the Muslim community?
In 2007, the Central government had announced an additional relief
and rehabilitation package for the victims of the 2002 riots on the lines of
the package given to the anti-Sikh riots victims of 1984. Through this pack-
age, Rs 3.50 lakh were given to the families of the persons killed, Rs 1.25
lakh to the injured persons in addition to Rs 2 lakh for each displaced fam-
ily.
But in case of Gujarat, the above package covered only 1148 families
of deceased and 2569 persons who where injured during the riots.
In this way, a huge number of families of the deceased were deprived
of relief and about 80 thousand families which suffered displacement during
the riots were completely deprived of the additional help announced for
each displaced. There is a clear indication that either the central govern-
ment curtailed the package or the major portion of package has been
embezzled at some level.
We have sent many representations to the central government and
Government of Gujarat as well. But as yet we have received no response.
So now we reiterate our demand for justice and ask the Muslim community
and the nation to take the lead in this matter. We want to make it clear that
we do not believe in dharna and pardarshan or any type of similar agitation
tactics. Rather, we stress to awaken the conscience of the community and
the nation sympathetically.
IQBAL QURESHI, President, Muslim Forum for National Integration
81/107, Coolie Bazar, Kanpur Nagar 208001. Tel; 08799116394
Email: iqbalqureshi146@gmail.com
In the post-Sachar stage, though a number
of specific policies and programmes have been
designed to address the socio-economic
backwardness of the Muslim community but,
unfortunately, those who are responsible for
the implementation of these programmes do
not seem to be interested. As a result, these
efforts are not leading anywhere. Ultimately, it
is the duty of the government to check the
erring officials and sick political leaders who
are hand-in-glove to frustrate these efforts.
Educational and economic uplift is the
agenda for Indian Muslims today. Muslim
socio-religious organizations are taking
various initiatives which is a welcome sign for
the country. The idea is to explore spheres
where socio-educational organizations can
comfortably work to enhance the capacity-
building, designing educational patterns and
cementing bridges between communities.
The agenda is set. Read the writing on the
wall and make others learn to read. There will
certainly be no saviour if you let a room for
confusion.
Well, no offence is meant to South Indian singers trying to
sing ghazals, but the truth must be stated without beating
about the bush. In plain words, South Indian Hindi singers
must not sing ghazals because they massacre it. Recently I
heard Hariharan sing ghazals and almost puked with dis-
gust. Moreover, the man had the audacity to sing Ahmad
Farazs immortal Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhane by the inim-
itable Mehdi Hasan. A ghazal can be best rendered in a lan-
guage that has soft vowels and consonants, unlike the five
Dravidian languages, viz, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada,
Malyalam and also Sinhalese (of Sri Lanka), which are pho-
netically not suitable for ghazals.
Its interesting to know that though ghazal originated in
Arabia (ghazal is an Arabic word that connotes conversa-
tion between lovers), the finest ghazals can be found in
Persian, Turkish and of course Urdu. Arabic being a bit gut-
tural, one doesnt come across very many romantic ghazals
in it. Just imagine, if Arabic is not considered that perfect for
ghazals, how can South Indian languages and their speak-
ers do justice to it?
It is a fact of linguistics that a person lives with the influ-
ence of his/her mother tongue, however subtle it may be.
Mother tongue is genetically as well as neurologically
embedded. A South Indian, even if he lived his life all along
in the Hindi belt, speaks Hindi or English with the heavy
intonations and inflexions of his mother tongue that tend to
surface and bespeak his linguistic roots. Same is the case
with Bengali and Marathi speakers. Moreover, all these
South Indian singers cant speak Hindi, let alone Urdu, prop-
erly.
If ever you hear Hariharan speak Hindi, youre sure to
file PIL that this gentleman is deliberately buggering Hindi.
Its execrable, to say the least. Now tell me, how can he sing
ghazals in flawless Urdu? He cant. Yet, people with no
knowledge of Hindi-Urdu think that hes a singer who can
sing ghazals very well.
People from the southern belt just cant speak Hindi,
much like the way Bengalis can never master Hindi. Hema
Malini and Vaijyantimala spoke Hindi that sounded more of
Tamil. Vani Jayram and Kavita Krishanmurty sang with a
palpable southern accent. Even Waheeda Rahman, whose
Urdu is considered to be relatively good, gives the impres-
sion of hailing from South. Shes from Andhra. So is Zarina
Wahab, who hails from Rajamundri in coastal Andhra. Tabu
and her sister Farah still speak excruciatingly painful Hindi
as they belong to Hyderabad. They dont know Urdu.
Barring Jayraj, an actor who was hero in Razia Sultan
(1957), no south Indian could ever speak proper Hindi.
Jayraj was also from Hyderabad and spoke Urdu like an
Urdu speaker from Lucknow or Bhopal.
I heard Professor B. Sheik Alis Urdu. The mans univer-
sally regarded as the greatest authority on Tipu Sultan and
was the VC of two universities with two Phd degrees. But
his Urdu can scare an ahle-zubaan (natural Urdu speaker).
Hes from Mysore.
I may sound a bit pontificating but Im of the opinion that
only an Urdu knowing person of Urdu speaking region
should try to sing ghazals. Others shouldnt even think of
committing the sacrilege. A south Indian must confine him-
self/herself to singing todays meaningless Hindi songs
which require no expertise and can be sung by just anyone.
SUMIT S. PAUL
Ghazal Massacred By Accent
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 3
NATIONAL
A
fter a series of communal riots in Mathura (Kosi Kalan),
Ghaziabad, Bareilly, Pratapgarh, Azamgarh and other
places in about eight months of Samajwadi Partys rule,
fresh riots erupted in Faizabad and neighbouring areas
like Barabanki, Bhadarsa, Rudauli etc on the occasion of
Dussehra and Durga pooja on 24 October. On 23rd October night
a Durga pooja pandal in Faizabad had caught fire. The cause of
the fire could not be ascertained but next day (24 Oct.) commu-
nal riots erupted in Faizabad because of differences on account
of the change in the traditional route of Durga procession for
immersion of idols, on safety grounds. This led to a clash between
the two communities in which at least two persons (both Muslims)
died and at least nine, including two policemen, were injured.
Many shops at different places in the city were set ablaze. Next
morning, because of more cases of arson and tense situation, an
indefinite curfew was imposed and all schools and colleges were
ordered to remain closed for a week.
Inspite of curfew violence continued in some curfew-bound as
well as in other areas including neighbouring areas like Bhadarsa
and Rudauli etc. In first two days, as many as 35 shops were
burnt. Rioters were seen dipping rags in diesel and kerosene and
throwing them at shops with the result that a total of 60-70 shops
(almost all belonging to Muslims) were set ablaze after looting
them first, causing losses worth crores of rupees. Police at many
places, as usual, were silent spectators which encouraged the
rioters while at some other places they tried to maintain peace by
holding meetings of senior and influential people of both commu-
nities. On Sunday, 28 October, seven such meetings were held
across Faizabad.
Till 30 Oct. as many as 56 FIRs were registered in different
police stations. A magisterial enquiry was ordered by the govern-
ment. At least 83 persons were arrested, including many local
BJP/Sangh leaders. In view of curfew, Muslims were asked to
offer Friday prayers in local mosques and for Eid Al-Adha, on
27 Oct., in consultation with imams and religious leaders, Eid
namaz was allowed in 10 selected mosques but not in the Eidgah.
For their security, 84 companies of PAC and 10 companies of
RAF etc. were deployed, with 55 other companies of PAC kept as
reserve. Late on 25 Oct. night, U.P. government suspended SP
(City Faizabad) R.S. Yadav, ADM Srikant Misra, City Magistrate
Tilakdhari Yadav and Bhullan Yadav, Kotwali police station SHO
for dereliction of duty. In Bhadarsa, after a crowd went on an
attacking spree on 26 Oct. night, district administration issued
shoot at sight orders.
Faizabad riots were not sudden and were totally unprovoked.
A few days before the riots erupted, an idol from a temple was
stolen after which Gorakhpur M.P., Yogi Adityanath came and
delivered venomous speeches against Muslims.
A fact-finding committee of human rights organisation known
as Rihai Manch and consisting of Alok Agnihotri, Subrat Gupta,
Rajiv Yadav and Anuj Shukla after visiting Faizabad on Sunday,
28 October, and meeting people
there stated in its report that these
riots were directly linked to commu-
nal politics over the theft of some
idols from Devkali Temple a few
days earlier. There were widespread
rumours that the idols were stolen
by Muslims. However, the recovery
of these idols on 23 Oct. revealed
that these were stolen by Hindus
themselves. This frustrated the
communal elements. According to
the Manch members, these ele-
ments had planned to subject Faizabad to a bitter doze of com-
munal violence. The miscreants set ablaze Hasan Raza Khan
Mosque and ransacked the office of Aap ki Taqat, a newspaper
published in both Urdu and Hindi.
Meanwhile, Faizabad district administration said that an
amount of Rs. 42 lakh has been given as compensation to 99 riot
victims in Faizabad city. Compensations to riot victims in
Bhadarsa, Rudauli, Barabanki etc. will be given later.
Press Council investigates the attack on
Urdu newspaper in Faizabad riots
New Delhi: Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman, Justice
Markandey Katju has asked a PCI member, Sheetla Singh, editor
of Faizabads Hindi daily Jan Morcha, to probe the attack and
destruction of the office of a local newspaper Aap ki Taqat situat-
ed in the upper portion of Nawab Hasan Razas mosque which
too was set on fire. It may be stated that during the recent com-
munal riots in Faizabad whereas many houses, shops and com-
mercial centres were set ablaze, this
newspapers office also was ran-
sacked and set on fire as a result of
which its computer and other items
were either stolen or reduced to
ashes.
Justice Katju in a press release
stated that he got the news from
Teesta Setalvad of the Faizabad
Urdu newspaper Aap ki Taqat being
damaged by the rioters. He also
came to know that the office of this
newspaper was located in the upper
portion of Nawab Hasan Razas
mosque which too was set on fire by
the rioters. In the press release he
expressed concern that the media of
the country did not give any impor-
tance to the attack on this newspaper
and did not consider it an attack on medias freedom. Justisce
Katju asked Sheetla Singh to investigate this matter and submit
his report to PCI so that further action could be taken on this.
It may be stated in this connection that during the eight
months of chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs government, nine major
communal riots have taken place in addition to many other minor
cases of communal clashes. Morevoer, communal tension has
been reported from more than three dozen places. The biggest
failure of his government is that it failed to take any drastic action
against the mischievous elements who instigated these commu-
nal riots nor ordered any high level or judicial enquiry into the
major or minor communal riots nor took any drastic disciplinary
action against the civil or top police officers except transfers of
some officers. The planning of these riots in Faizabad city and
district areas was in fact done much earlier. An effort was made
first to put the blame for the theft of some old idols from a temple
on Muslims but police not only caught the non-Muslim thieves but
also recovered the stolen idols from them.
NA ANSARI
Communal riots in and
around Faizabad
Quote, Unquote
...to tar all Muslims in the [Assam] refugee camps as illegal immigrants and insist on their pro-
ducing land documents as proof of citizenship is grotesquely untenable. By this measure, one
wonders if half the Indians would qualify to be citizens!
RAVINDRA NARAYAN RAVI, former Intelligence Bureau special director The Statesman
Why is Iran the greatest threat to world peace, as seen in official Western discourse? The pri-
mary reason is acknowledged by U.S. military and intelligence and their Israeli counterparts:
Iran might deter the resort to force by the United States and Israel.
NOAM CHOMSKY AlterNet
Respond now if you care about your community
White Paper on Terrorism:
calling out readers & researchers
The most important and burning issue facing Indian Muslims at present is the continuing
arrests and widespread fake implication of our youth in trumped up terror cases master-
minded by saffron elements in the government, IB and Police. Now almost all Muslim
organisations are up in arms against this state terror. People are organising dharnas,
meetings, conference etc all over the country.
As a long-term solution and serious response to this problem thrust upon us, All India
Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat (AIMMM) has decided to bring out a white paper on the
Muslim-related terrorism in the country. This was discussed and passed during the
Working Committee meeting on 7 July. But since AIMMM does not have the required
funds and staff, I have undertaken the responsibility of preparing this white paper which
will be comprehensive in around 600+ large format pages covering the whole history and
genesis, communalism, vested interests in various fields, analysis of various laws like
TADA, POTA and UAPA, fake encounters, acquittals, IB & Police role, media attitude,
case studies, statewise studies, SIMI and so-called Indian Mujahidin, Hindutva terror,
individual tragedies of victims, Azamgarh, Bhatkal, Malegaon, Darbhanga modules,
some basic documents, etc.
The target is to bring it out during the next six months and release it in a big conven-
tion at Delhi as a combined effort of all Muslim organisations, and thereafter present the
white paper to politicians, media, human rights orgs, especially those abroad, in order to
enlighten public opinion as well as to build pressure on our blind and deaf government.
The estimated cost of this white paper is Rs 25 lakh divided as follows: Rs 10 lakh
cost of preparation and payments to contributors plus six months salaries to three per-
sons including an expert; Rs 10 lakh for designing and printing the document in a world-
class format; and Rs 5 lakh convention costs. The first two concern the undersigned
while the last (convention) concerns AIMMM.
To finance this effort which will be a watershed in this struggle against state terror-
ism in India, I need and solicit your full support. This may be either by direct contribution
for the effort or by buying copies in advance which could later be sent to you or to oth-
ers at your behalf. The estimated price of the white paper is Rs 2000 at least. Our well-
wishers can pay Rs 1000 only per copy as advance purchase (plus any actual postal or
courier charges which will be indicated and payable later). Payments for the copies may
be made to our publishing company (Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd, D-84 Abul Fazal
Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 - Email: books@pharosmedia.com).
Individuals and organisations ordering a minimum of 100 copies will be included as spon-
sors of the White Paper. Contribution towards the organisation of the convention may be
sent to the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, D-250 Abul Fazal Enclave, part 1,
Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025.
Experts who can contribute to this white paper may kindly write to me with
some detail about their past experience and work.
ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN, Editor, The Milli Gazette - edit@milligazette.com
Aap ki Taqat office ransacked by rioters;
Inset: Chowk Mosque
NATIONAL
4 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
Swami killing & Kandhamal
riots: Notices to 55 people
The one-man Justice A S Naidu Commission probing
into the 2008 killing of Hindu religious leader Swami
Laxmanananda Saraswati in Kandhamal and the sub-
sequent communal riots in the backward Odisha dis-
trict has sent notices to as many as 55 individuals to
appear before it and record their statements.
They, commission said, can make their appear-
ance either personally or through their lawyers.
These individuals included senior Vishwa Hindu
Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal, two former
members of Parliament - Radhakanta Nayak and Nakul
Nayak, two former Directors General of Odisha Police
- Gopal Nanda and Manmohan Praharaj, former state
home secretary Tarunkanti Mishra, a former state min-
ister and a senior leader of the ruling BJD Padmanav
Behera, state BJP vice-president Ashok Sahu as well
as two former Collectors and one former
Superintendent of Police of Kandhamal.
Besides, notices have also been sent to a few
Odisha-based Christian leaders.
The commission has summoned the individuals
under section 8-B of the Judicial Commission Act.
Justice Naidu, a former judge of the Odisha High
Court, was recently appointed by the state govern-
ment to head the commission after the demise of
Justice S C Mohapatra who was heading the commis-
sion since 2008.
Justice Mohapatra, who died in May this year due
to illness, could not complete the inquiry and failed to
submit his final report though he had given an interim
report in 2009.
The unprecedented communal riots in Kandhamal
had claimed more than 40 lives besides rendering
thousands homeless.
Many who fled the backward district during the
communal frenzy are yet to return to their homes.
The crime branch of the state police had also con-
ducted an investigation into the killing of Saraswati
and the subsequent riots separately.
The crime branch had held Maoists operating in
the district responsible for the killing which had trig-
gered the riots.
Many people were arrested in connection with the
riots on the basis of the crime branch investigation.
The trials of the riot cases are still on in two special
courts set up in Kandhamal.
Rise in suicide rates in India
The National Crime Records Bureau has come out with
its reports for 2011. The previous year saw 1.35 lakh
suicides in total, with family problems accounting for
24% of the cases and illnesses causing 19% of the
total. West Bengal reported the highest number from a
state (16,492) and Delhi (1,716) among Union
Territories. There has been a record hike of 25% from
2001 (1,08,506 cases) to 2011 (1,35,585 cases).
Women in India least empowered
Melbourne: India has been ranked at a poor 115 by a
global survey which looked into the level of economic
empowerment of women in 128 countries.
The list was topped by Australia and followed by
three Scandinavian countries, Norway, Sweden and
Finland. At the bottom of the list were Yemen,
Pakistan, Sudan and Chad.
The research done by a global consulting and
management firm Booz & Company ranked India at 115
and noted that with the second largest population in
the world, India generates 14 per cent of the global tal-
ent pool, among which are the 5.5 million women
entering Indias workforce each year, all driven to suc-
ceed. Yet Indias women whether in Mumbais confer-
ence rooms or Keralas backwaters must navigate a
familiar but daunting set of obstacles and challenges
in their search for economic empowerment and pro-
fessional success, it said adding that although the
knowledge economy has created opportunities in
India, too many women are still prevented from reach-
ing their potential by a combination of restrictions.
COMPILED BY AALIYA KHAN
YUNUS CHITALWALA
Recently two books have been published
that speak of Hindu-Muslim spatial divide
in the Indian cities including Ahmedabad.
The first is Howard Spodeks Ahmedabad:
The Shock City of Twentieth Century India
and the other is Muslims in Indian Cities:
Trajectories of Marginalisation edited by
Laurent Gayer and Christophe Jefferlot.
Both books speak of Indian Muslims ghet-
toisation, segregation and marginalisation
in the built-up spaces of Indian urban con-
glomerates.
The isolationist communal divide
spells certain socio-economic implications
for the minority community which is
hemmed in by the majoritarian gridlock.
First, the minorities feel that they are being
victimised for no fault of theirs and their
economic mobility suffers as a conse-
quence due to their religious identity.
Second, they have to aggressively cling to
their traditional ways so that their identity
as Muslims does not get contaminated.
In essence the problem boils down to
their being Muslims and they are faced
with a strange existential dilemma of being
law-abiding citizens of their country and,
on the other hand, treated as Miyan
Bhais and in that way their identity is ren-
dered suspect. The idea of a composite
culture, is unfortunately shattered on the
bedrock of religious and caste divide and
primordial prejudices. This becomes evi-
dent in the geography of Indian cities
wherein the settlement pattern is organ-
ised on caste and communal lines. Since
Muslims constitute the largest minority,
their presence is felt in the principal cities
of India, like Kolkota, Delhi, Bombay,
Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. All these
have their Muslim quarters and this gives
rise to compartmentalised living where
they occupy a marginalised and neglected
space.
This bifurcation is reflected in its most
acute form in Ahemdabad where Hindus
and Muslims live a polarised existence. In
the immediate aftermath of the 2002 riots,
the borderline between the two areas were
marked by saffron and green flags and the
Muslim part was dubbed Pakistan. The
dividing lines between the two communi-
ties were designated as borders. This is
an example of extreme segregation and
the psychological scar of this hate-charged
atmosphere can be devastating for the
minorities who are left with no sense of
belonging. They feel forsaken and forbid-
den from the common space.
Spodek writes, Ahemedabads eco-
nomic and physical developments are
among the most impressive in India, but its
level of communal violence and segrega-
tion are the most extreme. This has direct
bearing on the historical context of urban
life. The sense of composite culture gets
tattered and the hatemongers get a handle
to demonise the minorities.
Muslims coming to cities like
Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara
have to run from pillar to post looking for
an accommodation. The ghettoisation is
so acute that there is hardly any space left
for the new comer to get a house even in a
Muslim area. Juhapura (Ahmedabad),
Ramnathpura (Rajkot) and Adajan Patia
(Surat) are Muslim habitations where peo-
ple are packed like sardines. Due to this
space scarcity, the rent rates and property
prices are 20 to 25 per cent higher in the
Muslim localities compared to the Hindu
ones. Any poor Muslim chap who unwit-
tingly tries to hire a house in a Hindu local-
ity is tersely told: Not for you. Some will
say they dont believe in this Hindu-Muslim
thing but the neighbours will be up in arms.
There are even instances when a Muslim
guy with a common surname like Desai or
Patel gets an accommodation but later is
unceremoniously asked to vacate when
his burka clad wife walks in. You can get a
house for Mr. Biswas but not for Mr. Bilal in
Indian cities.
But now things are slated to change
for the better. In Ahmedabad recently a
property fair was organised for the first
time catering exclusively to Muslims and
needless to say it was a big success.
Muslim and non-Muslim builders, housing
developers, realtors, engineers and archi-
tects came together to put up the show.
There are four factors that guide a
Muslims choice for housing. The foremost
is security, followed by the location of a
mosque, a school and availability of non-
vegetarian food. The demand for houses
and flats are on the rise because of the
needs of Muslim mercantile communities
and the rising interest of Muslim NRIs to
invest back home. The prices range from
Rs. ten lakh to one crore. This shows that
the Muslim middle class has arrived look-
ing for sophisticated housing facilities.
These pockets of Muslim enterprise are
likely to turn into active supporters to
Gujarats financial life whether somebody
likes it or not. We are here to stay is the
message.
A Tale of Two Cities
At a time when the Bharatiya Janata Partys central leadership is
being accused of bowing to pressure tactics of its regional leaders,
the partys former ideologue, K.N. Govindacharya, on Tuesday said
the BJP high command does not exist.
I do not see any high command functioning in the BJP. It has
been nearly 12 years since I lost touch with the BJP. But I happened
to be in Delhi and people [from the BJP] met me. I got a vague
impression that neither there is any high command nor a cohesive
decision-making process in the party. Casualness and ad hocism in
decision-making are the features I see in the BJP, Mr.
Govindacharya said at a press conference here.
On veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani, he said: When people
meet him, he conveys his feelings to them and that gets communi-
cated to me somehow. The sum and substance of his feelings is that
nobody [in the BJP] listens to him. He feels that nobody takes advice
from him.
The BJP lacked the scientific way of managing its organisation,
including uniform parameters for judging the contribution of its work-
ers. Mr. Govindacharya, who was in-charge of BJP in southern
States for some time, felt that all parties, including the BJP, had dis-
tanced themselves from people.
Expressing concern at the increasing role of money and muscle
power in politics, he called for introducing political reforms to make
parties accountable and transparent. The Election Commission
should be given more powers, including that of deregistering a party.
Mr. Govindacharya said he had written a letter to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh urging him to recover billions of tax arrears from
social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Google, alleging that
they were earning huge revenue from their Indian operations.
BJP, Bajrang Dal activists intercept cattle trucks
Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at Janwada village near Narsingi on
22 October morning when Bajrang Dal activists intercepted trucks
carrying cattle meant for Qurbani for Bakrid. The angry protesters
damaged windshields of the trucks. As people from the other com-
munity started gathering, police resorted to lathicharge and dis-
persed the mob.
Around 6.30 am that day, a group of Bajrang Dal and BJP
activists intercepted two trucks carrying oxen and cows near
Janwada village. The mob started pelting stones at the vehicles
damaging the windshields. Police were alerted immediately about
the incident by locals. However, by the time cops arrived, people
from other community also started gathering at the spot.
Fearing the situation might go out of hand, police lathicharged
and dispersed the mob. The cattle were then shifted to a pound near
Hi-Tec city. As there were a few cows in the trucks, the Narsingi
police have booked a case under the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of
Cow Slaughter and Animal Preservation Act, 1977 and another case
against the Bajrang Dal activists for rioting under section 147 of the
Indian Penal Code (IPC). We have not arrested anyone so far,
assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Rajendranagar, A Mutyam
Reddy told TOI. (TNN, Oct 23, 2012)
Proposals invited for special centers
at Madarsas
New Delhi: Students enrolled in Delhi madrassas are being counted
among those out of school. The UEE (Universal Elementary
Education) mission, in charge of implementation of Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan (SSA) in Delhi, has sought proposals from
madrassas/maktabs registered societies or trusts for special train-
ing centres. These special centres are run for out of school children
aged between six and 14 years, including those enrolled in madras-
sas and maktabs.
The UEE mission issued a circular to this effect on November 5
on behalf of the Department of Education, Delhi government. It says
the centres will be funded by SSA which, in turn, is supported by the
HRD ministry. The last date for submission of the proposals is
November 20.
In other states such as UP and Bihar, madrasas are adminis-
tered by State Madrassa Boards, and those are considered at par
with the regular system and boards. Delhi doesnt have such a board
and all madrasas are unrecognized except the one at Fatehpuri
Masjid, which is run by the Waqf Board. For this reason, we couldnt
extend the benefit of SSA to these institutions, said a senior official
in UEE mission. The special centre, he said, is a means to encour-
age them to include general education in their system, by treating
them, in a way, like NGOs.
All the proposals received by due date will be screened on the
basis of the credibility, capability and experience of the
madrassas/maktabs in the field as well as submission of relevant
documents, said the circular.
The proposals will be screened by an executive committee and
governing body of SSA, Delhi, for approval but the joint decision of
secretary (education) and chairperson, EC-SSA will be final.
Selected madrassas/maktabs will be informed individually, the cir-
cular said.
The proposals have to be supported by a number of documents,
including a certified balance-sheet or audit report of the last three
years, a report on the educational projects completed so far, a clear
indication of the plan for out-of-school children and information on
how the madrasas/maqtabs will implement the intervention. (Times
of India, 7 Nov. 2012)
MG comment: While we welcome any government initiative to
modernise madrasas and help them introduce modern subjects
alongwith their traditional curricula, it is alarming that the Delhi
government considers madrasa students out of school which
has serious implications for both parents and madrasas under
RTE law. This also means that the erstwhile HRD minister Mr
Kapil Sibals assurances to the Muslim community were not
true. If this is the legal opinion of the government, both parents
and madrasas could be hauled up, jailed and heavily fined for
sending their wards to such institutions and operating them.
(Zafarul-Islam Khan)
BJP high command does not exist: Govindacharya
Rajani burnt alive during Kandhamal violence
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 5
NATIONAL
AKOT (Maharashtra)
Communal riots broke out in Akot (a Muslim majority town of
Akola district of Maharashtra with 15 Muslim mohallas) on
Tuesday, 23 October, during Durga immersion procession in
which four persons (75-year old Haji Muhammad Yasin and one
teen-aged Muslim boy and two others who could not be identi-
fied) died and 25 to 30 houses, all of Muslims, were set on fire.
As many as 75 persons of both communities were arrested,
majority of them being Muslims. In order to control the riots in
which stoning, arson and fighting were resorted to, police took
recourse to lathi charge, firing of tear gas shells and firing in the
air.
According to media reports, the procession was peaceful in
the beginning but when it reached Muslim localities, rumour-mon-
gers spread the news that stones were thrown at the procession
which hit Ma Durga idol in addition to some people. It may be
stated here that stoning by Muslims on the procession is the
normal excuse by mischievous elements as well as police for
attacking and arresting them, irrespective of the fact whether
stones were actually thrown or not and if at all thrown, who had
thrown them.
Police during combing operations let loose their wrath as
unsual on Muslims. According to reports, they dragged Muslims
from their houses and arrested them including a number of
Masjid imams. Jamaat-e Islami Maharashtras representatives
Abdul Qadeer, Ilyas Falahi and Akots local Ameer, however,
praised higher police authorities who, they said, acted strictly and
unbiasedly in many areas because of which riots were confined
to Akot only and did not spread to other areas. They, however,
along with some secular local leaders, demanded the arrest of
Shiv Senas mischievous MLA Sanjiv Govinde who had played a
leading role in starting and spreading the riots. On behalf of
injured persons, a report against Govinde was registered with the
police but he was not arrested.
Jamiat Ulama-e Hinds Maulana Mahmood Madni in letters
to Union home minister and Maharashtras chief minister
accused local Shiv Sena MLA for provoking and spreading riots
to avenge the defeat of his men in local body elections and victo-
ry of a Muslim on Congress ticket. Munawwar Ali Sikandar,
whose house was searched during combing operations, accused
the police of breaking open his house by force and looting Rs. 5
lakh, ornaments and his mobile phone but because of curfew he
could not register a complaint with the police.
Maharashtras Minorities Commission Chairman Munaf
Hakeem, after touring the riot-hit places and hearing peoples
grievances, told mediapersons that four days before the riots
started, the police had informed the state government that con-
spiracies were being hatched to create a riot-like situation in the
region. He said that Akot riot was the result of an organised con-
spiracy of communalists and the local police not only failed to
contain the riots but gave a free hand to the rioters. In his report
submitted to the state government, he recommended compensa-
tions of Rs. 2 lakh each to the kins of persons killed and full reha-
bilitation of those whose houses were set on fire. He also wrote
that Muslims are gripped with a sense of fear and their losses are
much more than those of Hindus.
HYDERABAD
Minor communal riots broke out in Hyderabad on 1 November
when an effort was made to quietly extend the area of Bhagya
Lakshmi mandir which is adjacent to the historical 400-year-old
Char Minar, the previous night. When Muslims came to know
about it they tried to stop it which led to stoning by both parties.
Police, however, acted promptly to prevent the situation from tak-
ing an ugly turn. It was stated by one party that there was no tem-
ple at that place before 1969-70 and all that existed there was a
stone only but slowly and gradually it began to take the shape of
a temple over the years. The opponents said that the temple
would affect the Char Minar. On that particular day, an effort was
made to further extend the temple which led to a tense situation
and stoning by people of both the communities. Police somehow
got the extension work stopped but on the morning of 1
November again work started to extend the temple. Temple sup-
porters tried to force the shopkeepers in the area to close their
shops which was resisted.
Police arrested as many as 30 persons of the majority com-
munity. A member of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen said that as per
Supreme Courts ruling, no new building can be built within a
radius of 100 metres around a historical monument but in this
case effort is being made to build a temple in violation of SC
order, hence it must be stopped forthwith. Afew days earlier there
was a clash between the two communities when many shops
were burnt.
In addition to the above riots, minor riots and clashes took
place in different places like Hapur (U.P.), Sitamarhi (Bihar),
Sahebganj, Assam (Dhubri), Phulpur (U.P.) etc. but these were
mostly minor ones or clashes between two groups of the same
community or between groups of one community and police
regarding Durga pooja mismanagement. In Dhubri (Assam), one
person of the majority community was stabbed which led to con-
fusion and clashes started. Police firmly denied that these were
communal riots.
Since most of the clashes and riots were in connection with
the immersion of Durga idols this year as well as in previous
years also at this time, some people like Surya Kant Pande,
Director of Ashfaqullah Khan Memorial Shaheed Sansthan,
Tej Narain Pande, Faizabad city MLA, Jai Shankar Pande,
Samajwadi Party district president and others, after touring the
riot-affected places and meeting the people said that religious
processions and programmes should not be allowed on govern-
ment and public places and that religious programmes should be
confined to the concerned religious places and if any untoward
incident takes place, programme convenors should be held
responsible.
LADAKH
I
n J&Ks Ladakh region also riots erupted at some places but
these were between Buddhists and Muslims. Clashes between
Buddhists and Muslims took place on 23 October in which many
government officials were also injured in addition to local
Muslims. Muslims said that in Zanskar, a Buddhist majority town,
22 persons of four families embraced Islam in September this
year. This angered Buddhists who were insisting on the convert-
ed people to reconvert to the Buddhist fold. Since Muslims had
given shelter to those people in their houses, Buddhists tried to
force them also to turn out the converts. On their refusal,
Buddhists demonstrated in front of the Muslim locality and
indulged in stone pelting which resulted in injuries to some peo-
ple.
It may be stated here that Ladakh consists of two districts
only, i.e., Leh and Kargil. Buddhists are in majority in Leh while
Muslims are in majority in Kargil. In Zanskar town, which lies in
Kargil, out of a population of 25000, Muslims total about one
thousand. Contention of Muslims is that Ladakh administration is
partial to Buddhists. A number of clashes between Muslims and
Buddhists took place in which many Muslims were injured.
According to newspaper report, J&Ks home minister Nasir Aslam
Wani declined to make any comment on the situation in Ladakh
but a police spokesman said that after clamping of curfew, the sit-
uation has returned to normal there.
NA ANSARI
As elections approach, riot erupts after riot
Symbol of Communal Harmony
in Faizabad Attacked
SANDEEP PANDEY
We remember visiting the office of Sayed Manzar Mehdi, who
was the Bureau Chief of Urdu periodical Sahafat then in
Faizabad just before the Godhra incident in 2002. He was vivid-
ly describing how Muslims in trains leaving Ayodhya for Gujarat
were being troubled by the karsewaks who had ostensibly come
to build the temple. He warned us that if nothing was done to stop
them some untoward incident might happen. Nothing happened
in Ayodhya region except for one Muslim youth being thrown out
of running train and some minor incidents. But it flared up in
Gujarat soon after.
Ten years later it was the turn of Manzar Mehdi himself. Now,
the editor of Aap ki Taqat, a daily which he has been brining out
for the last six years as publisher too, in which the left page is in
Hindi and the right one in Urdu with the slogan Hindu Muslim are
two brothers and Hindi Urdu are two sisters, Manzar Mehdi
thinks he was targetted because he runs a newspaper which is
critical of the politics of communalism. He happens to be the
President of Urdu Press Association and attracts 80% of adver-
tisements for his newspaper from establishments run by Hindus.
He also runs Guldasta Society which organises a human chain
every 26th January for promoting communal harmony. Hence,
targetting him also means that saner voices will be silenced.
On the fateful night of 24 October, 2012, some people broke
the lock of the Masjid which also led to his office. The first floor
office was completely ransacked, his laptop, camera, scanner,
inverter and other such equipment which are key to his carrying
out his journalism work were destroyed. Overall, he has suffered
a loss of about Rs. 2-3 lakhs.
Those of you who would like to express moral support to
Manzar bhai in this hour of confidence-shattering crisis in his life
may get in touch with him at Manzar Mehdi, Editor, Aap ki Taqat,
Guldasta Lane, Imambada, Faizabad, Telephone: 05278-
225881 (O), 260111 (Res), Mobile: 9415717975 or email:
sayedmanzarmehdi@gmail.com
Additionally, we would also like to raise resources for him so
that he may continue doing his journalism work as well as the
much needed communal harmony work in Faizabad. If you would
like to help please get in touch with us.
(1) Yugal Kishore Sharan Shashtri, Saryu Kunj, Durahi Kuan,
Ayodhya, Dist. Faizabad, U.P., India, Mobile: 9451730269, e-
mail: ayodhyakiawaz@yahoo.com
(2) Sandeep Pandey, A-893, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016,
U.P., India, Telephone: 0522 2347365, Mobile: 9415022772, e-
mail: ashaashram@yahoo.com
It is shameful that the CM didnt visit
Faizabad riot victims: Rihaai Manch
Lucknow-based Rihaai Manch strongly condemned the irrespon-
sible attitude of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav
towards violence in Faizabad. Even after a week of the incidents,
he did not visit the area. After visiting the victims, Rihaai Manch
members concluded that the carelessness shows the lack of
commitment of the government towards the protection of minori-
ties.
The government claims to bring the criminals to book but
fails to meet and sympathise with the victims. Instead, innocent
Muslims in Bhadarsa are being implicated in false cases. They
blame the state government of appointing a party person, Manoj
Jaiswal, a Hindu right-wing man, to investigate the riots.
The Rihaai Manch representatives said that the reason why
Yadav was not visiting Faizabad was that the role of his party
members in the incident is clear and the victims will raise ques-
tions about his partys involvement.
Rajiv Yadav of the Rihaai Manch said the riots were aimed at
communal polarization and reviving BJPs chances in the region.
Even the current DGP is a man who played an instrumental role
in the Babri demolition by giving shelter to Hindu right-wing work-
ers in Kanpur whose role was investigated by the Justice IS
Mathur commission. The findings of the report submitted by the
commission in 1998 have still not been made public by the sec-
ular SP government, let alone taking punitive action against him.
Instead, the government installed him in an important post and
the result is nine riots within a year of him taking office.
Comparing Modi and Yadavs, he said, the Yadavs were worse as
Modi did anti-Muslim activities to win elections while Yadav came
to power on the shoulders of Muslim voters.
CM Akhilesh Yadav had claimed that the riots were a con-
spiracy by the opposition parties, failing to answer why his Police
failed to clamp down on the culprits in the hours-long arson. Also,
SP minister Shailender Kumar was found guilty of the Asthan,
Pratapgarh riots wherein 45 Muslim houses were set on fire. The
activists said, his incompetence raises serious questions about
his leadership potential.
T
he investigative team of Rihaai Manch will include intellectu-
als, journalists and human-rights activists and will visit the riot
victims and come out with a report shedding light on SPs role in
the violence in Faizabad. (Aaliya Khan)
The illegal temple coming up next to Char Minar
NATIONAL
6 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
The phenomenon of caste
is deeply entrenched in
Indian society and the
struggle against it began in
the late 19th century.
Despite social movements,
initiated around the ideas
of Phule, Ambedkar,
Periyar and many other legendary figures, caste
continues to plague the Indian society like a
malignant cancer, refusing to die easily.
There are two sets of streams which are
addressing the caste, though from opposing
angles. One is through social movements and
struggles which revolve around the concept of
social justice. This struggle was an integral part
of Indias freedom movement and has been
enshrined in the Indian Constitution as a major
goal of the Indian society and state.
The other stream which addressed caste
was to retain it in a newer more subtle form.
According to this stream, caste Varna is
what has given Hindu society its stability over
centuries. Keeping in tune with changing times,
the latter ideology has modified its language
and the term social harmony, has been coined
as a new and attractive label to maintain graded
hierarchy in the Hindu society. These efforts
began with the streams which were opposing
Indian nationalism and espoused the cause of
Hindu nationalism instead.
From this stream of Hindu Nationalism
emerged Hindu Mahasabha in 1915 and later
the RSS in 1925. These streams aimed to work
towards the goal of Hindu Nation. To achieve its
goal, the RSS floated an organization called
Samajik Samrasta Manch in mid-1980s.
Recently, Narendra Modi, currently project-
ing himself as one devoted to the issue of devel-
opment, has come out with a book on Samajik
Samrasta. In this book, he poses himself to be
working for the cause of dalits and says, The
shilanyas - on 9 November, 1989 - for a grand
Ram temple was performed not by some reli-
gious head or mahant, but by a Dalit from Bihar.
It was not just for the cause of laying the foun-
dation for the Ram temple, but social harmony
itself. It was a signal for cultural revolution,
Many a dalit scholar had pointed that Babri
demolition was planned on 6 December as it
happens to be the death anniversary of
Dr. Ambedkar. They opined that the politics of
Hindu nationalism wants to coopt and subjugate
dalits at the same time, so such a planning.
The concept of Samajik Samrasta stands
for harmony between castes and not for their
abolition. Ambedkar was for the annihilation of
castes but the Samrasta programme, while
sounding for harmony, is a subtle plan to bring
about Hindu unity, retaining its inner
caste/Varna differences, and to launch its
onslaught against the minorities, Muslims and
Christians, in order to evolve a unified Hindu
community.
It was in the direction of caste annihilation
that Ambedkar initiated his agitation at Chavdar
Mandir, where he agitated for access to the pub-
lic drinking water for the dalits. It was for this
goal that he also asked for the right to temple
entry through Kalaram Mandir agitation. Parallel
to this, when he realized the obstacles to his
path that he burnt Manusmirti and declared that
since this holy book has provisions of slavery of
dalits and women, he stands to oppose it. Same
Ambedkar, as the chief architect of the Indian
Constitution, went on to ensure the incorpora-
tion of provisions for the dalits and abolition of
caste.
At the social level the movements for land
rights, the movement for economic justice was
also core to Ambedkars thought and he went to
form Independent Labour Party, to look after
their economic rights. Here the caste-class
dynamics got proper synthetic expression as
Ambedkar was clear that caste divides labour-
ers.
The RSS politics, on the other hand, stood
totally opposed to the struggle for rights, for the
issues of dalits and workers and so raked up
identity issues, Cow protection, Ram Temple,
Ram Setu and the like.
The RSS-Modi agenda is aimed at bringing
in dalits to the Hindu fold through these identity
issues. For these goals, apart from Samajik
Samrasta, they also started Vanvasi Kalyan
Ashrams which harp around the identity of
Adivasis, projecting them to be Hindus and try
to bring them into the Hindu fold.
While the agenda of Ambedkar and Phule,
based on the struggle around material-social
issues of dalits, struggle for dignity and rights,
remains incomplete, the opposing agenda of
identity has come up in the society in a serious
way. The very rise of this identity politics has
been a throwback to the process of social trans-
formation of caste and gender.
This identity politics asserted itself mainly
from 1980s, to begin with, in opposing the reser-
vations for dalits and then of the OBCs.
Simultaneously, the efforts to coopt dalits went
up leading to strengthening of the Samajik
Samrasta Manch and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.
Through these forums, the process of social
engineering has gone on and it has operated at
multiple levels. Along with this, there is also a
process of Sanskritzation where a section of
dalit-Adivais, try to emulate the upper castes.
The most ghastly part of the process has
been the Gujarat violence, where a section of
dalits and adivasis was cleverly manipulated to
attack the Muslim minority. To think that by giv-
ing the privilege of Shilanyas to a dalit, the
caste problems will be solved is an illusion.
Rather it is precisely a move contrary to their
interests. Dalit-Adivasi issues are related to
hunger, survival, education and employment. All
this requires powerful affirmative action from the
state and a mass movement of these sections
to ensure that state does it.
The delusions of Samrasta are a mecha-
nism to bypass the core issues of these
deprived sections of society, a way to further the
agenda of status quo at social and economic
levels. Dalit Adivasi struggles for land, dignity
and rights have to join other deprived sections,
whatever be their religion, to achieve their
goals. To get trapped in one or other identity is
a regressive agenda engineered by the likes of
Modi to perpetuate the graded inequality of the
society and is supplementary to the anti-minori-
ty agenda on which the likes of Modi thrive.
The difference between the Ambedkar
approach to dalit issues and that of RSS-Modi
are poles apart. Ambedkar called for the annihi-
lation of caste, RSS-Modi talk of caste harmony.
Ambedkar went on to burn Hindu holy book,
Manu Smriti, and became the architect of the
Indian Constitution. The RSS ideologue
K. Sudarshan in 2000 said that the Indian consti-
tution is based on western values, meaning the
values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity are
western, so it should be replaced by the one
based on Hindu holy books. Modis attempt is to
further what Sudarshan said, reflecting their
agenda at the social level. (Issues in Secular Politics)
Caste politics: hidden agenda of Samajik Samrasta
Pastor Abraham Koshy (31) has been the in-charge of the
Indian Pentecostal Church in Kushalnagar in Hassan District of
Karnataka during the last four years. He has a congregation of
about 55 believers and lives with his wife Jisha, and a three
year old daughter.
On Sunday, 21 October 2012, he conducted his Sunday
service as usual, which ended at about 12.30 noon, and the
believers started dispersing when two Hindu fundamentalists
came to the church and started shouting at the pastor claiming
he has been forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity in
Kushalnagar and that if he persists in his conversion work, he
would be forced to face dire consequences. They slapped the
pastor and told him that they prohibit any further worship or
prayer services in this church and they have come to warn him
about it and if he persisted in holding a worship service on next
Sunday, they would come in large numbers and forcibly stop the
prayer service, whatever the consequences.
Immediately after the incident, Pastor Abraham went to the
police station and lodged a complaint with the Kushalnagar Dy.
S. P, Paul Varma, and briefed him about the incident in the
church and the threat held out by the Hindu fundamentalists. He
also requested him to provide the necessary protection to hold
their prayer services which they have been conducting during
the last several years. The Dy S. P. assured the pastor that the
necessary protection would be provided for them and also gave
a letter in that regard to Kushalnagar Sub-Inspector
Mr. Chikkaswamy.
On delivering the letter to the Sub Inspector, instead of com-
plying with his superiors orders and assuring the pastor neces-
sary protection, he began to cross-examine him as if he was a
culprit and questioned him whether he is legally authorized to
have a church in Kushalnagar and whether he possesses a reg-
istration certificate to that effect.
NIC: 50 years on
The National Integration Council was constituted by Jawaharlal
Nehru in 1961 to foster harmony among the multi-lingual, multi-
religious, multi-community Indian society and keep communal
malaise at bay.
Countless pogroms and a few meetings later, little has been
achieved in the name of peaceful coexistence and respect for
one religion in the eyes of followers of another.
Apart from the Sikh massacre of 1984, hugely attributed to
Nehrus heirs, the 1983 Nillie massacre in Assam, Gujarat riots
of 2002, frequent violence against members of the scheduled
castes in Mirchpur, Hissar, Kaithal, Bohana, Sonepat, Jhajjar
and Maharashtra signal towards the fact that a congregation of
diplomats and politicians every few years does not have much
to show for active involvement and substantial achievement in
the nations assimilation.
A heart-breaking failure of existing laws to curb hate crime
in the country and a failure of state machinery to adopt amend-
ments to achieve concrete ends is epitomized in the fact that
when culprits with RSS and Sanghi links are caught with bombs
in areas of Muslim concentration, it is said theyre being unnec-
essarily victimized and supporters of the same group oppose
the Communal Violence Bill, claiming it to be favoring the
minorities.
India chooses to forcefully keep Kashmir but fails to extend
inclusive and hospitable treatment to the Kashmiri people, the
Central government, for the god-forsaken stability that it has,
conveniently turns a blind eye to their persecution not just in the
regions of J&K but local Sangh strongholds. Admission and jobs
are denied to these persecuted people in Hindu areas.
While government land is freely allotted for cultural, reli-
gious and social organisations with right-wing Hindu leanings,
Muslims in Churu district in Rajasthan were harassed the whole
day on Eid by the Naurangsar Panchayat and were not allowed
to say their Eid prayers. In Rohini, land already allotted for a
mosque was taken away under pressure from a local Sangh
group.
Y
ears after the Sachar report, Muslims await an inclusive
development plan for them, their representation in all sorts
of government bodies is ever-decreasing.
India takes pride in calling itself a democracy, the largest
one at that, but lacks the assimilation, integration and inclusive
development needed to keep a people together. Regardless of
all this, the NIC meetings will be held every few years and the
masses will continue to suffer. Indias bureaucracy and commu-
nalism are here to stay.
No RSS stronghold at Amarnath: Geelani
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman of the Hurriyat Conference
(G), condemned the construction underway at the Amarnath
cave and raised questions on Shri Amarnath Shrine Board
(SASB) intentions of first extending the duration of the yatra
from 15 days to two months overruling the state governments
orders and then upholding a Supreme Court ruling of providing
infrastructure to the pilgrims which led to people turning up in
greater numbers given the free food, accommodation and other
facilities offered by SASB authorities and others which led to the
death of 86 pilgrims. The separatist leader, who hasnt agreed
to a compromise on any issue until now, pointed out that the 50-
fold increase in the number of pilgrims was the root cause of the
problem. SASB is forming an RSS stronghold in the region, he
said.
A spokesperson from Hurriyat Conference (G) said, Yatra
used to be a religious affair, but in the last two years it has
become an instrument of communal and cultural aggression.
People from all across India are pushed into Kashmir to scare
the local people. The spokesman noted that the Hindu right-
wing elements consider it a victory that Hindu pilgrims are able
to travel across a Muslim majority area to a place of worship.
Syed Geelani demanded that the SASB be handed over to
Kashmiri Pandits. The J&K chief minister, instead, offered
Geelani a copter ride to the place to see the construction him-
self but ducked his question on the damage to the environment
at the site. Geelani refused the offer, with a spokesperson say-
ing the Hurriyat can make its own arrangements if the leaders
ongoing house arrest is revoked.
New Bill Banning Manual Scavenging
The earlier 1993 Act had a narrow definition of a manual scav-
enger. It also suffered from the absence of a clause on rehabil-
itation and did not see any offenders. It also saw late implemen-
tation of laws by states.
The decision to amend the 1993 Act to fill the lacunae was
foregone to avoid a lengthy amendment process and the Law
ministry does not accept any other amendments but those in
Entry 6 (that of Public Health and Sanitation).
The bill of 2012, takes a better view of manual scavenging,
a broader definition, prohibits hazardous cleaning of sewers
and septic tanks and deals with severe penalties and rehabilita-
tion. Compared to the severer 2011 draft bill by P. S. Krishnan,
the new Bill sustains, if not perpetrates, manual scavenging by
deeming the act done with protective gear on, outside the ambit
of the law. The 2011 draft proposes a pension from the previous
employers for such persons on account of unavailability of alter-
native jobs and aggravated economic necessity. The draft rec-
ommended their rehabilitation in the form of service providers
and cooks for anganwadis and mid-day schemes or as railway
staff assisting the elderly, the disabled or children. It has also
suggested various training schemes for them to help acquire
jobs.
A highlight of the 2012 bill is the unsparing penalty of
Rs. 50,000 or imprisonment upto one year or both for offenders.
COMPILED BY AALIYA KHAN
Hindu radicals attack Pastor and warn against future worship
The concept of Samajik Samrasta stands for harmony between
castes and not for their abolition. Ambedkar was for the
annihilation of castes but the Samrasta programme, while
sounding for harmony, is a subtle plan to bring about Hindu unity,
retaining its inner caste/Varna differences, and to launch its
onslaught against the minorities, Muslims and Christians, in
order to evolve a unified Hindu community.
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 7
NATIONAL
Hyderabads 38-year-old Abdul Razaq Masood commited
suicide Hyderabad on 10 October at his house in
Mehdipatnam. He was an accused in the 2002 Sai Baba tem-
ple blast and other cases and was currently on bail since
2008 but, as he told his parents he was facing continuous
harassment from the police and IB to cooperate with them
and this finally led him to take his life. Following is the Fact-
Finding Report prepared by a team of Hyderabad-based Civil
Liberties Monitoring Committee (CLMC) consisting of Lateef
Mohammed Khan, S.Q. Masood and Mohammed Ismail Khan who
visited Nizamabad, the native place of Abdul Razzaq Masood, to
ascertain the facts from his family. The team also visited Humayun
Nagar area of Hyderabad where the youth committed the alleged
suicide:
Abdul Razzaq was a native of Nizamabad. He was born and
brought up in that city. He belonged to a middle class family and was
one of the four sons of Mohammad Abdul Sattar, a well-educated eld-
erly man. This family is highly respectable and known for its gentle-
ness, religious and social activities in the city of Nizamabad. The fam-
ily is influenced by Jamaat-e Islami.
Abdul Razzaq completed his education from primary to graduation
levels at Nizamabad city. At the time of his death, he was pursuing
master's course in journalism from Maulana Azad National Urdu
University at Hyderabad. In 2002, he went to Dubai for employment
and worked as a manager in a laundry company. In 2005, for renewal
of his visa, he went to Iran where he came to know from embassy that
his passport was blacklisted. He was shocked and confused. He sur-
rendered himself to the authorities and requested them to send him
back to his country. Iran government, after the completion of formali-
ties, deported him to India on 5 August 2005. After arriving at Delhi air-
port, Abdul Razzaq Masood approached the airport authorities and
gave them his details; the airport authorities informed the Delhi police
which took him into custody. Later, Special Cell of Delhi Police claimed
that it arrested Abdul Razzaq from Zakir Nagar area of Delhi with
weapons. It also claimed that it had cracked a big conspiracy. He was
implicated in various cases and was detained during which he was tor-
tured by using third degree methods. He was forced to sign on plain
papers. After a few months, Hyderabad police took Abdul Razzaq into
its custody from Delhi Police and claimed that he was involved in Sai
Baba temple bomb blast. During police custody, he was tortured inhu-
manly in the name of investigation. Later he was lodged in Charlapalli
jail and was subjected to narco tests repeatedly. According to sources,
he was tortured even in jail many times in the name of investigation.
People who interrogated him many times were mostly foreigners. It is
believed that they belonged to CIAand Mossad. Hyderabad police had
linked him to Al-Qaeda and Taliban as well. And due to this reason,
secret agents of other countries and intelligence agencies interrogated
him using different methods by visiting him in the jail. The continuous
interrogation affected his nervous system. As a result, this youth was
sent to Erragadda mental hospital and admitted there for one week.
In 2008, he got bail. At that time, his physical and mental condi-
tion was not good. According to his father, Mr. Abdul Sattar, his son
was taken to Dr. Majeed Khan, a psychiatrist, who said that this
youth's condition is a result of dangerous torture. The youth had
many times said that officials of CIA and Mossad interrogated him
many times, tortured him and gave him various injections due to
which he felt his body was paralysed. Even after he got bail, he con-
tinuously faced harassment. He was forced to become an informer
which Abdul Razzaq did not agree. To continue the pressure on him,
government agencies implicated his name in various bomb blast
cases that took place across the country. Due to the courts orders,
cases and attendance in police stations, he had to stay at
Hyderabad. Initially, his mother stayed with him but later due to her
old age she was unable to live with him. So, this youth was living in
a small room at Humayun Nagar area for the last one year.
The father of this youth said that he was very much worried
about the future of his son...While speaking to this team, he said that
his son left for Hyderabad four days before this incident. While leav-
ing, he said to his father that next day there is attendance in the court
and also the intelligence people had called him. He further told his
father that after that he will come back and set up his business. His
father, with tears in his eyes, said that instead of returning he came
know the death, rather suicide, of his son. Mr. Abdul Sattar said that
it was not a suicide but a murder. He was hanged as part of a con-
spiracy. He would have faced all kinds of unbearable torture but
would never have opted for suicide. His faith was very strong. He
claimed his son was killed which is evient from the clothes that he
was wearing and by his face expressions. It is the handiwork of police
personnel. Post-mortem was done for name sake and he believes
that no fact will come out of this report. He also said that Abdul
Razzaq always told him that police is not allowing him to live peace-
fully, never allowed him to work at any place nor even to live at any
house constantly. His father further said that he has heard of a sui-
cide note but it has not been shown to him by the police man and the
post mortem report was also not given to him. He further stated that
he had given him good education with a belief that he would earn a
better living and live a good and happy life but he never thought that
his life would end in such a manner.
He expressed his grief that now-a-days people are becoming
selfish. Everyone is silent; we neither have any party nor any organ-
ization to support us... Mr. Abdul Sattar was very angry at the A.P.
Government and Police and said that the state is responsible for the
murder of his son. He demanded that the state should give clarifica-
tion as to why he was murdered in such a manner. He also said that
the state is targeting Muslim youths in a systematic manner. In a
chocking voice, he said that he lost his son but in future, measures
should be taken for the protection of Muslim youths against the false
charges of terrorism.
On this incident, police is tight-lipped and is not revealing any-
thing including the suicide note by stating that the matter is under
investigation. People living at the apartment where Abdul Razzaq
was living said that when they came for lunch they found a slip in the
latch of the door and the room door was also open where the body
was hanging from the ceiling fan. The youth was well-dressed and
was wearing slippers... the suicide note mentioned that he was tak-
ing this step of suicide due to the harassment of the police.
Taking all the above facts into consideration, CLMC comes to the
conclusion that the suicide theory is not acceptable. Abdul Razzaq's
death is more than suicide. This committee believes that may be
showing that Muslim youths committing suicide is easier than killing
them in encounters... it was not a suicide and the charges against the
police are serious showing how it destroys human dignity and denies
right to life.
The unfortunate end of the life of Abdul Razzaq Masood is a mat-
ter of ignominy for Indian democracy, parliament and judiciary. On the
whole, it is a matter of shame for the civil society because the youth
was a victim of Police torture, harassment and social isolation....
This committee demands:
That a high level judicial inquiry should be constituted by the
Government to probe the death of Abdul Razzaq Masood because it
is not an ordinary death. 1. Government should take serious action to
end the harassment and torture of Muslim youths. 2. The secret
agents of foreign investigating agencies should be restrained from
visiting and interrogating Muslim youths in jails. 3. The judiciary
should instruct the government to disallow any kind of interrogation of
youths while in judicial custody without the permission of courts.
4. The government should compensate the family of Abdul Razzaq
because the manner in which the death happened shows that it is a
worst form of human rights violation.
www.civillibertiesindia.org ; clmci@hotmail.com 25 Oct., 2012
Fact-finding report on Hyderabad youths suicide
JOHN DAYAL
New Delhi: When was the last time we read a joint
statement on communal harmony, a statement
signed by accepted representatives of the
Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain faiths
recognised in India as national religious minori-
ties? I recall one in 1984, after the massacre of
the Sikhs, and then in 2002 in the violence target-
ed against Muslims in Gujarat. There were no
such statements in the wake of the anti-Christian
pogrom in Kandhamal, Orissa, in 2007 and 2008.
The one time Muslim and Christian leaders
came together was in an advocacy rally for the
rights of converts to the two religions from
Hinduisms former untouchable castes -- now
called the Dalits.
In the recent riots in the northeastern state of
Assam, where over 400,000 people were dis-
placed in clashes between the Bodo ethnic com-
munity and Bengali and Assamese speaking
Muslims, several top Muslims leaders from New
Delhi asked me to urge the Catholic Church to
intervene - presuming that the Bodos were all
Christians.
The Bodos are an ethnic community, and while
some of them indeed are Christians, most of the
others profess Hinduism or their own ancient reli-
gions. Sociologists are still debating if the Assam
violence was economic, ethnic or religious in its
root causes.
Christian sociologists and activists did inter-
vene as strong voices for peace, and in helping
quell the panic large-scale movement of people
of northeastern origin from cities such as
Hyderabad and Bengaluru in southern India amid
rumours of retributive Muslim attacks on them.
The rumors were just malicious mischief by some
political groups, among them the infamous
Hindutva Parivar seeking to polarize communi-
ties.
Considering that both Muslims and Christians,
constituting perhaps no more than 13.8 percent
and 2.3 percent respectively of Indias 1.20 billion
population as religious minorities, and both vic-
tims of State harshness and violence at the
hands of Hindu fundamentalists, it would be pre-
sumed that the two communities occasionally
made common cause, or at least existed in close
camaraderie and cooperation.
In reality, both live in their own separate, indi-
vidual cocoons, mostly ignorant of the problems
of the other community, and largely unconcerned
with the crises they both find themselves in with
unfailing regularity.
I do not recall in the last forty years or so where
Church hierarchy, Protestant and Catholic, came
together with the top leadership of the Jamaat-e-
Islami, an orthodox group, the Jamiat-e Ulama-e
Islam, a more nationalist organization with roots
in Indias Independence movement and similar
groups, on any issue of concern to the people.
It is a different matter that there is little political
cohesion in Indias extremely diverse Christian
community. In Parliament, I have seen the
Muslim community come together, defying party
whips, on issues relating to the community.
However, I have not seen Christians come out
to speak when the issues concern persecution, or
during nuanced debates on the controversial
Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, the matter of
denial of Indian visas to missionaries and
activists, ban on religious conversions by some
provincial governments all of which vilify and tar-
get Christians.
To be fair, I have not seen the Christian MPs
come together as a block to speak in defence of
the Muslims, preferring the safety of the party
whip. Unlike the Christian religious leaders, who
are not part of ideological divides and political
polarities in the country, the Muslim religious
leadership is deeply political.
Muslims are active in almost every political
party, and in some states, have their own parties,
which contest elections and are even part of
coalitions in government.
There is a direct connect between the Moulvis
of the mosques and the teachers of the hundreds
of thousands of Madrasas, with the political lead-
ership. The only apparent division is in theologi-
cal loyalties between the Shia and Sunnis, and
within the Sunnis, the Barelvis, the more liberal,
and Deobandi schools of theology.
The recent Wahabi movement, financed by
Saudi Arabia, has rapidly radicalized a section of
the Muslim leadership in all provinces, and espe-
cially in Assam, Kerala and Kashmir.
The Wahabi radicalization is perhaps the sin-
gle major reason for souring whatever relation-
ship there was between the Christians and
Muslims. This is the most apparent in the Valley
of Kashmir and in Kerala - even though the two
regions differ so widely with each other in demo-
graphic and social parameters.
The argument is not that the Christian commu-
nity in India consciously follows the Wests per-
ceptions post-9/11 United States of America.
If anything, perhaps, the more pious in the
Christian community and specially the urban mid-
dle class look at the Islamic groups in India with
glasses not very much different from those worn
by the hyper nationalist members of the Hindutva
Sangh Parivar. Christians from Kashmir often
say, You may know Islam, we know the
Muslims.
On the other extreme are the purported dia-
logues that go in the name of Eid Milan after
Muslim religious festivities twice a year, and the
Catholic Bishops Conference and diocesan inter
faith dialogues in which a prayerful representa-
tive from each community is invited to a small
meeting, where a brass lamp is lit, every one
recites from their own holy books, a group photo-
graph is taken, and tea served.
Not everyone sips the tea or nibble at the
sweats and hors doeuvres. Most are in a hurry to
get back home. Some do not eat outside their
own place of worship or home. The photographs
of course serve their owners well in annual
reports and funding drives and to prove their
secular credentials.
Would it be that there is nothing in common in
the diverse situations of Indias many religious
minorities? Dont the religious minorities share
anything in Indias history, its common heritage?
Do they not suffer and bleed when hit by the
barbs, bombs and slings of the hyper nationalist
rightwing majoritarian groups? And are they real-
ly insulated from the massive political and social
developments sweeping this wonderful nation?
These are questions that beg an answer -
social, political, and in relation to the guarantees
of the Constitution, contained in the Preamble,
and Articles such as 25, 29, 30.
It was unfortunate that two years ago - before
the Arab Spring -- Muslim academics in Egypt
had suspended their dialogue with the Vatican
over Pope Benedict XVIs remarks on anti-
Christian violence in Egypt calling it as unaccept-
able interference in Egypts affairs.
Pope Benedict XVI as the leader of the
Catholic Church in his remarks condemned vio-
lence, expressed his closeness to suffering
Christians and highlighted the concern for the reli-
gious freedom of Christian minorities.
The Christians in India perhaps did not even
know that there ever was a dialogue between
Rome and the Muslim world. Its eyes were glued
to some developments in Srinagar and Kerala.
The Kashmiri militancy, with a heavy overlay of
religious fundamentalism and intolerance, has
been tragic for both the Hindu and the Christian
communities. Almost all Hindus have fled the
Kashmir valley in the face of a threat of violence.
The Christian community was perhaps as
small as 500 families in the region, and they have
been under pressure. The half a dozen Christian
schools in the valley have less than 50 Christian
students, but even they are in constant fear.
Militants have banned any proselytization among
the Muslim community. The police have arrested
people accused by the militants of being involved
in proselytization.
In Kerala, where the Christian and Muslim
communities live in broadly distinct regions, there
has been growing stress manifesting itself in
occasional violence from Islamic extremists and a
demographic and social fear among the Christian
community. Two years ago, a Christian teachers
hand was cut off for alleged blasphemy. Catholic
clergy have cautioned against the fast growing
Muslim population, and the stagnant Christian
population. One prelate went as far as to call
upon the faithful to start large families.
But the most peculiar, or hilarious depending
ones point of view, is the matter of Love jihad. It
is a fact that a large number of Christian girls in
Kerala are marrying outside the community.
There are many reasons for this, the presence
of a notorious dowry system being a major one.
But Hindu girls are also marrying non-Hindus.
Many Christian and Hindu girls are marrying
Muslim youth...
Security and development issues of the two
communities, however, demand the start of a
really serious and constructive pan-regional dia-
logue between the leaderships of the two com-
munities.
In a political environment of collective bargain-
ing, mutual collaboration and cooperation can
help getting a decent share of the national devel-
opment pie. A greater understanding can also
reduce tensions, and perhaps help a successful
social challenge to extremist groups, including
the Hindutva Sangh Parivar, who are ever so
keen to feed off religious differences and percep-
tions.
Have Islamic groups in Kashmir Valley and
Keralas love jihad fears killed Christian-Muslim
dialogue in India?
John Dayal is the gen. secy. of the All India Christian
Council and a member of National Integration Council.
Why no dialogue between Christians and Muslims?
Body of Abdul Razaq Masood (left), father Abdus Sattar
NATIONAL
8 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
ABDUL BARI MASOUD
New Delhi: While condemning the victimization of Muslim youths
in the strongest possible terms, political leaders cutting across
party lines, activists and intellectuals have demanded a slew of
measures including that the government must institute an overar-
ching inquiry by the Supreme Court into all cases of terrorism and
separatism involving Muslim youths in recent years in order to
stop the continued witch-hunt of the second largest community of
the country.
At the second National Convention held here on November
5 on Politics of Terror: Targeting Muslim Youth under the banner
of Peoples Campaign Against the Politics of Terror (PCPT), the
leaders pledged to raise the issue in the coming winter session of
Parliament in a concerted manner and force the government to
take necessary actions to rehabilitate victims of fabricated terror
cases and prosecute the guilty police personnel .They also asked
the government to repeal the draconian anti-terror law Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Addressing the convention, former Union Minister and senior
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar admitted that most of
Muslim youths in the country are being falsely implicated in terror
cases. He cautioned that If injustices dont stop, terror will con-
tinue unabated. It is the responsibility of the government to reha-
bilitate and compensate terror victims. Assuring the convention
that he would take up the matter with Prime Minister
Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Sushsil Kumar
Shinde, he said, It is our duty to stop this politics of terror. If we
cannot do this, we have no right to sit in the government.
In his inimitable style, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) superemo
and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said that saf-
fronisation of politics would not be tolerated. Expressing concern
over arrested Muslim youth from Bihar, he said that Muslims
should not approach police but those who control the police and
agencies.
After Uttar Pradeshs Azamgarh, Bihars Muslim youths are
on the hit list of police and central agenciesPolice kya karegi.
Usko pakadiye jo ploice ko control karta hai. Agli baar Ramlila
Maidan mein jama ho kar poore desh ko apni taqat
dekhaiyeYou are not aware of your power. No government can
be formed without the help of minorities, said Lalu.
Addressing the gathering, CPI-M general secretary Prakash
Karat pressed for the need to fight against UAPA as the most
cases were filed under this Act. The agencies are misusing
UAPA. Muslim youths are their soft target. Those youths are
arrested on allegations of terror (and are) very easily booked
under this law, he said adding that he does not see it as an attack
on the rights of only a particular community but as an attack on
the very idea of fundamental rights. Karat appealed to all secular
forces to be united on the issue saying they all were united in the
fight against the repeal of the previous draconian laws such as
POTA and TADA.
CPI leader and MP, D Raja said that Congress and BJP are
hand-in-glove on the issue as both parties do not want discussion
in the House. It is a bitter fact that hundreds of innocent citizens
in this country are being implicated under fabricated cases of
sedition and terrorism. This is an issue which the Government
and the larger polity cannot afford to ignore, he said. We already
had prepared to raise this issue, which I find very disturbing, in
the Parliament in the monsoon session but we could not do so
because the Parliament
could not function, he said
adding that the government
must apologize and pay
due compensation to those
youths who were acquitted
by courts.
LJP chief and former
Union minister Ram Vilas
Paswan said that there was
the need of a thorough
debate on the issue in
Parliament. He said that
during the monsoon ses-
sion time was requested for
the debate but the House
was not allowed to function
due to some conspiracy. He
assured that he would raise
the issue in the winter ses-
sion once again.
Former CPI general
secretary AB Bardhan said
that people with communal
ideas have made inroads
into police and agencies
which was a matter of con-
cern for secular forces in
the country.
The moving spirit
behind the Convention,
Mohammad Adeeb, MP,
said he toured across the
country and found that
Muslim youths were being
arrested in terror cases as
part of a deep conspiracy
against the community. He
asserted that the civil socie-
ty has no idea how many
lives have been destroyed
because of what has now
become almost the habit of
the investigative agencies to arrest Muslim youths in fabricated
cases. There is an extreme amount of anger and anguish taking
over the community which wont do well for the future of this coun-
try, he said.
National Commission for Minorities chairman Wjahat
Habibullah demanded that action should be taken against the
police officials who falsely implicate innocents in terror cases. He
said he talked with the Prime Minister on this subject and the PM
agreed on it.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board president Maulana
Rabey Hasani Nadwi, who could not attend the convention due to
ill-health, raised the question in his written message to the con-
vention saying, Constitutionally, how is it possible that a person
is announced as a terrorist or anti-national before his crime is
proven in a court of law? The duty of compensation/apology for
this falls on the shoulders of the State. He added that it was the
responsibility of the government to ensure the security of its citi-
zens and preserve their dignity. He said that it was unfortunate
that innocent Muslim youths were being targeted by government
agencies.
On this occasion, some victims and their family members
also narrated their ordeal. Ilyas Momin from Pune said that the
arrested youths are being subjected to third-degree torture. Even
the chargesheets are written in the local languages (Gujarati and
Marathi) so that the accused cannot comprehend the charges
made against them, he said.
The Convention stated in a resolution passed on the occa-
sion that the role of the government in fabricating cases of sedi-
tion and terrorism to implicate hundreds of innocents citizens has
been thoroughly exposed over the last several years as the judi-
ciary has thrown out many false cases against innocent Muslim
youths and castigated the police for framing innocent people.
Political leaders, human rights activists, lawyers, professors
and teachers of various universities participated in the convention
which was by and large ignored by the national media. Even UNI
Urdu press service did not cover it.
Anti-Terror Convention demands justice
MOHAMMAD SHAHID
Lucknow: Where next after Faizabad? This is the question peo-
ple, after witnessing on an average two riots every week in the
state since the advent of the Samajwadi government, often ask.
Faizabad was the last in the series so far where the administra-
tion slept while the town and its suburbs and adjoining villages
burnt.
A minor incident of stone-pelting during the immersion of
Durga idols escalated into a full-fledged riot engulfing not only the
Faizabad town but the nearby Rudauli and Bhadrasa. The heat
was felt in the nearby districts of Barabanki and Gorakhpur. The
trouble started in the evening and the hooligans took the town
under siege torching shops belonging to Muslims in the presence
of police in Chowk and Ghosiana areas of the city as also in
Rudauli and Bhadrasa throughout the night.
The apathy of police and fire brigade resulted in the fire turn-
ing into an inferno that could be extinguished only after the army
was called in. It was only after 12 hours when the rioters had
accomplished their mission destruction that the administration
woke up to clamp curfew in the area.
A series of communal riots ever since the Samajwadi Party
Government took reins of power in the state and the administra-
tions failure to contain them smacks of some deep-rooted con-
spiracy to ignite communal tension in the state. In all the riots,
from Kosi Kalan in Mathura, to Bareilly, Pratapgarh and Faizabad
a similar pattern is noticed -- minor arguments turn into major riots
due to criminal inaction on the part of police and preparedness on
the part of the rioters. Almost everywhere organized mobs
attacked Muslims unafraid of the administrative machinery and at
some places the police either allowed the culprits or even helped
them in attacking members of the minority community and their
properties and shops. The same happened in Faizabad also.
That is why a team of Jamiat Ulama-e Hind after visiting the riot-
hit town said that the riots were a conspiracy to destroy Muslims.
In its report, the team said that the hooligans looted and then set
afire Muslims shops in the presence of police.
The fact that riots in Faizabad as elsewhere were not spon-
taneous but preplanned is gauged from the fact that the police
intelligence and Intelligence Bureau had in their reports
expressed fear that some untoward incidents may take place on
the occasion of Durga immersion in Faizabad but the warning
was ignored by the authorities for reasons best known to them.
Again, a ban order under Section 144 was underway in Faizabad
in view of the festival season and still the rioters indulged in arson
and violence and police could not check them. This raises doubts
about the integrity of the police force.
The way the forces behind the riots act and create trouble at
will gives an impression that there is no rule of law in the state.
The Chief Minister, Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, awakens after every riot
to suspend a few district officials and warn the perpetrators of vio-
lence of stringent action. But the Chief Minister never got time to
visit any of the troubled places to console the victims and send
out a strong message to the culprits that he means what he says.
The Chief Minister says that the main objective of perpetrators is
to divert public attention from welfare schemes launched by him
and malign his government. But does that in any way lessen the
government responsibility to bring those elements to book and
prevent the recurrence of the riots? Once in a different context, a
senior IPS officer told this correspondent that a district police
chief, if he wishes so, knows where even a pin falls in his jurisdic-
tion. Applying the same yardstick, how the head of the state
armed with high level intelligence and an army of administrative
and police officials can be unaware of the forces behind these
riots that are recurring at regular intervals? What is preventing the
state government from taking action against the masterminds
behind these riots? Is it lack of will to act or attempt to shield
some high and mighty? Akhilesh says he will expose the faces
behind the conspiracy to vitiate the communal atmosphere. But
when that will happen? How many more riots will it take the Chief
Minister to expose those faces?
The time is running out for the Akhilesh government.
Questions are being raised here over the handling, rather mis-
handling, of the situation by his government. This is time for the
Chief Minister to act and see to it that communal forces do not
succeed in their design to ignite communal tension in future. To
achieve this, the government must first bring to book those
behind Faizabad and other riots, thereby giving a strong message
that it would not tolerate any communal eruption and take strin-
gent action irrespective of persons and parties involved. Officers
with clean and secular image should be posted in key positions
especially in districts, and peace committees should be revived.
The suggestion of the former DGP of UP, Prakash Singh that
anti-riot schemes need to be updated, police should refine its riot
control measures and modernize its gear may also be of some
help.
With Diwali, Muharram and Eid-e Miladun Nabi lined up one
after the other, the time ahead is crucial. Communal elements
may try to polarize the state on communal lines to gain political
mileage in view of the forthcoming Parliamentary polls. In such a
situation unless the Government ensures a harmonious peaceful
atmosphere, its credibility will be eroded which may prove inimi-
cal to its own interests in the election.
U.P. riots: time to act, Mr. Chief Minister
CAMPAIGN DEMANDS:
* The Government should institute an overarching inquiry by the Supreme Court into all cases of terrorism
and separatism prosecuted since 2001.
* the Government of India and the various state governments where terror cases are being prosecuted
ensure that speedy trials are held in all the cases so that the accused do not languish in jails for years.
* The Campaign demands that the Government give serious consideration to the option of clubbing all
cases of terrorism, sedition and separatism so that they are prosecuted together to ensure transparency
in prosecution and check endless delays.
* The Campaign demands that the Government immediately initiate the process of paying monetary com-
pensation to the hundreds of innocent citizens who have been exonerated of all charges of terrorism and
sedition by the judiciary.
* The Campaign demands that the Government immediately initiate the rehabilitation of such victims of fab-
ricated cases by providing them meaningful employment and livelihood so that they and their families can
be reintegrated into society.
* This Campaign demands that the Government immediately launch detailed inquiries into the conduct of
the police officers against whom the courts have passed strictures for deliberately framing innocent citizens
in fabricated terror cases.
* The Campaign demands that the Government prosecute such police officers in a court of law and, if they
are
convicted, be terminated from service, their pensions be withdrawn and their promotions and awards
rescinded.
* The Campaign demands that the leaders of the political parties and Members of Parliament apply their
strength to ensure that innocent citizens do not remain incarcerated in prison for years without trial, which
is a violation of their human rights.
Mani Shankar Aiyar speaking at the convention
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 9
NATIONAL
MUSHTAQUE MADNI
We Muslims, Christians, and Other Minorities,
solemnly take the oath,
1) That we believe that India is a Hindu
Rashtra and we will abide by all the rules and
regulations laid down for us by the Majority com-
munity.
2) That Babri Masjid was
actually Ramjanam Bhumi and
that Hindus have all the rights
on it even if the verdicts of the
Honble Courts happen to say
otherwise.
3) That the Taj Mahal was
actually Tejomahlaya built by
a Hindu Raja and the Moghul
King Shahjahans name is a
historical blunder.
4) That the Sabarmati
Express trains compartment S-
6 at Godhra was put to flame
by a Muslim mob and that the
outrage of Hindus that killed,
massacred, raped, burnt alive
nearly three thousand Muslims
and displaced hundreds of
thousands was fully justified.
5) That the riots in Khandhamal (Orissa) that
claimed hundreds of Christian lives and dis-
placed tens of thousands were an act of sheer
patriotism and deserve to be hugely applauded.
6) That Muslims, in their one thousand years
rule in the sub-continent committed heinous
crimes against Hindus and that they would have
to pay back for every crime, even if the history
tells otherwise.
7) That Hindus simply cant be terrorists and
all the accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case
are innocent and that all the bomb blasts that
took place in Muslim shrines and mosques were
handiwork of Muslims alone.
8) That the Indian Police, bureaucracy, and
the entire system is completely secular, impartial
and far from any prejudice against any minority
especially Muslims.
9) That Muslims must sing Vande Matram,
and only if they do, their false claim of patriotism
would be entertained.
10) That Muslims cant live in peace, that
wherever they live they seek a separate nation
for themselves as was disclosed by the then PM
Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
11) That Narendra Modi is a true saviour of
Muslims, for he didnt allow a single riot or car-
nage after Gujrat riots of 2002 which, obviously,
were instigated by
Muslims.
12) That Muslims must
learn to respect the senti-
ments of Hindus if they
want to live in Hindu
Rashtra, even if that
comes at the cost of the
honour of their faith and
women.
13) That Muslims in
Police custody must obey
the orders of the men in
khaki and they must con-
fess to whatever crimes
they are asked to confess
even if they never commit-
ted the same, for, Indian
Police is unbiased, secular
and committed to the truth
and justice.
14) That India, nay Hindu Rashtra, is fast
becoming a superpower and that is precisely
because of the Hindus, the eternal patriots.
15) That Muslims and Christians are not the
indigenous people of this country and ought to
be treated as foreigners, even if their skin hap-
pens to be as black as any real Indian.
We the People of Hindu Rashtra
Acase for Reservations
to Muslims
OBAIDULLAH NASIR
Union cabinet approved the constitution amendment bill for
reservation to SC/ST in promotions but the bill couldnt be intro-
duced in the Rajya Sabha due to stiff opposition by Samajwadi
Party so much so that even two members one belonging to the
BSP and the other to the SP presented an ugly scene in the
upper house when they came to blows. Earlier there have been
ugly scenes including snatching of the bill copy or tearing apart
papers and shouting slogans but never in the history of our par-
liamentry democracy such scene was created. Yes, UP assem-
bly has seen free for all scenes, but at least in the upper house
of Parliament such scenes were never expected.
The need to bring about the constitutional amendment to
ensure reservation in promotions to SC/ST employees arose
because the Supreme Court set aside the earlier decision of the
erstwhile Mayawati govt. of UP which had introduced this provi-
sion and implemented it in the state. The non-SC/ST employees
moved the Allahabad High Court and got the order nullified but
the then UP govt. moved the SC. However, with the change of
govt. in UP the situation changed and the moment SC too set
aside the UP govt. notification, the new CM of UP reversed all the
employees who were promoted by the previous govt. Mayavati
raised the issue in Rajya Sabha and compelled the govt. to bring
about a constitutional amendment to ensure promotion to SC/ST
employees. Because of her crucial support to the UPA govt., the
union govt. readily agreed to bring about this constitutional
amendment bill and called an all-party meeting where except
Samajvadi Party every party supported the proposed bill but
when the bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha, the above-men-
tioned ugly scene was created and the bill couldnt be introduced
as the house was adjourned sine die.
Thanks to votebank politics, no party will like to annoy SC/ST
voters and the constitutional amendment is now a foregone con-
clusion -- if it was not possible during the monsoon session, win-
ter session will ensure its passage.
All political parties supporting reservation in promotions owe
an explanation to the nation as to what sin the OBC and general
category employees have committed that they are not only
denied justice but even their fundamental right of equality is also
being brazenly violated and they are being punished for the
social crimes their forefathers committed in the form of practicing
untouchability and social discrimination. The basic law is that son
cant be punished for the crimes committed by his father but here
in this case not only sons but even great-grand sons are being
punished for the crime their ancestors committed.
Here a provision is being made that if in any office 4 clerks
are appointed and one belongs to SC/ST category and the rest
three to the general or OBC category the SC/ST clerk will retire
as secretry or additional secretary and the other three will hardly
become head clerks. This will affect not only their perks and
salaries but even their post-retirement benefits including pen-
sions will be affected. This will naturally create indiscipline in the
office and work culture will be a great causality. Thus the promot-
ed employee will never enjoy his/her own self confidence and
respect of his juniors and subordinates. Not only this, with this
discrimination, our dream of making a casteless society will
always remain a dream because those who thus benefit will
never like to abandon their caste identity and those at the receiv-
ing end will find solace in declaring their caste superiority in the
society and the caste struggle will always remain a black spot on
our social fabric.
The nation has accepted reservation in appointments and
admissions as a social obligation to the erstwhile discriminated
class of SC/ST so that they could be brought at par with other
sections of society but the new move of reservation in promotions
has become a big bone of contention and the non-SC/ST
employees have formed their association and are fighting a legal
and political battle against it.
With the solid support of Samajwadi Party and UP govt., their
mood is upbeat. With the proposed constitutional amendment bill
in doldrums, general and OBC category employees have suffi-
cient time at their hand to convince the political class in general
and the public in particular that justice is at their side, However,
political expediency not justice and fair play will be the deciding
factor in this case. And if these employees decided to extend
support to the party that will ensure justice to them, the Congress
Party will be the worst loser. The political benefit in shape of sup-
port from SC/ST will go to the BSP not to the Congress at least
in UP and losses will be credited to the Congress account.
The worst sufferers of this reservation policy are Muslims.
Twenty five percent space has already been shrunk for them in
shape of reservation to SC/ST in legislatures, appointments and
admissions while the rest has been snatched away by way of dis-
crimination on communal ground. An example of this is article
341 under which Muslim Dalits like Muslim Mochis (cobblers),
washermen, barbers and sweepers etc. are not given the benefit
of SC/ST reservation whereas the same is available to neo-
Buddhists and Sikhs etc.
Dr. Ejaz Ali, former MP, is fighting this battle since decades
and has even succeeded in getting a resolution passed from
Bihar assembly to grant reservation to Dalit Muslims and Dalit
Christians during Lalu Prasad Yadavs regime but the union govt.
has yet not taken even a single step in this direction. OBC reser-
vation as granted by Mandal Commission includes Muslim back-
ward castes, mostly artisans, which is about 85% of the total
Muslim population but they are not benefitting despite their edu-
cational and social backwardness and all benefits of 27% OBC
reservation is going to Yadavs, Kurmis and Lodhs which are com-
paratively forward castes among OBCs.
A separate quota within this 27% for OBC Muslims is an old
demand. Former PM VP Singh and late Kanshi Ram had in prin-
ciple agreed for this arrangement but VP Singh didnt get the
opportunity and Kanshi Ram failed to convince Mulayam Singh
Yadav during the first SP-BSP coalition govt. and later on
Mayawati.
The union govt. on the eve of UP assembly elections
announced a 4.5% quota for OBC Muslims within the OBC quota
but this move was badly politicised by friends and foes alike due
to the fear that Congress may benefit politically out of this deci-
sion. Finally, AP High Court was approached which nullified the
decision. Why this was challenged in the AP High Court and not
in Delhi or in
any other HC is
a big question.
Perhaps the
earlier decision
of AP High
Court regard-
ing Muslim
quota by AP
govt. was the
main factor
behind the
move.
This is high
time that the
entire quota
policy is recon-
sidered so that
it may encom-
pass all the
under - pr i v i -
leged people
including those within SC/ST who have not yet receive their due
share.
The SC/ST quota benefit is moving vertically. Efforts should
be made so that it moves horizontally. For this, the creamy layer
formula may be considered taking all the stake holders among
SC/ST into confidence. Sachar committee report should be an
eye-opener that the time has come that justice is done with the
second largest group of our population, i.e., Muslims. What
Sachar Committee has reported with proofs and documents, was
already echoed by Kanshi Ram when he had said Muslims are
the neo-Dalits of independent India whose process of Dalitisation
started with the Independence and completed within five
decades.
Manmohan Singh govt., after receiving Sachar comittee
report, appointed Rangnath Misra commission to suggest ways
and means to increase the representation of minorities particular-
ly Muslim in govt. jobs. This commission submitted it report rec-
ommending either to carve out a Muslim OBC quota from the
27% OBC quota or give 15% separate quota to minorities with
10% assured quota to Muslims. But since then much water has
flowed down our rivers but the union govt. has failed to show any
inclination in implementing Misra recommendations.
Now with the constitutional amendment bill for SC/ST reser-
vation in promotions ready for the next session of Parliament, it
will be in the fitness of things that a composite constitutional
amendment bill is introduced widening the net of reservations
from the present 50% to 75% as in Tamil Nadu. Thus 10% quota
to OBCs among religious minorities (including Kashmiri Hindus in
J&K) and 10% to the economically backwards among upper
castes irrespective of religion and 5% to ex-servicemen, desti-
tutes etc. should be provided. This move will end the sense of
injustice due to reservations not only among minorities, especial-
ly Muslims, but also among the ecomically weak upper caste
people. This will be a major step forward towards the inclusive
growth policy of UPA govt. and except BJP and Shiv Sena no
other party will oppose the same.
The author is Editor, Qaumi Khabrein, Lucknow
Why Ravana
Went Wet This
Dusshera
I refuse, yes, refuse, this Dusshera
To burn at your hands-
You who deserve the burning more
Roundly than do I.
That is why the rains came, rendering
Your self-righteous fire limp
Among the multiplying perfidies
Of the day. Come to think of it,
You do so get away, year after sinful
Year, by simply taking it out on my effigy.
Your ritual ablution done, how you return
To ungodly pillage and murders foul,
Hiding your evil under all kinds of cowl.
While I, knowledgeable envy of the gods,
Never once touched that fair lady,
Go count the rapes you commit, in city
And town, in home and workplace, field
And farmland, school and dharamshala,
On women, strangers and kin, and ages
Of every definition from infancy to
Vridh avastha.
Not a single citizen of my Lanka
Ever went hungry or ill, unlike your republic
Where your grubby hands are always in the
till
That rightfully belongs to those millions
Who keep you clean and going, while
Without the least lajja, you preach
Of Rams love of his praja.
And, I refuse, also because you who
Set me afire with glee have not an iota
Of the ngyan I have of life and death,
Heaven and earth, more than all your
Godmen and charlatans of other hue
Put together.
Thus I take a stand; I refuse;
And I advise that before the catastrophe
You breed every minute of every day
Crush you to smithereens of screaming
Sin, go feel your so repugnant hypocrisy,
And a new life of self-knowledge begin.
This easy way out of burning my effigy
Once each rapacious year is running
Its course; go among the suffering,
And their countless agonies endorse
As a first step to viewing the real ravana
That degrades your fallen eye,
Slithers across your slick faces,
And hides in your beard,
Then fall at my feet and learn
Of the truths that even the gods
Acknowledged only I discern.
BADRI RAINA
We need
Hindutva, not
secularism
We all are with you,
for you, always...
We should
change the
constitution
and build
Hindu Rashtra
NATIONAL
10 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
Curfew was imposed in Zanskar-Kargil in Ladakh division of
Jammu and Kashmir, about 400 kilometres from here, after com-
munal clashes broke out in the area. Many people were injured in
the incident, and houses were damaged. The situation took an
ugly turn, October 23 after some members from the majority com-
munity attacked members of the minority community. Over the
past few months, dozens of people had reportedly converted to a
different religion and the move hadnt gone down well with some
members of the majority community in the area.
Urging the government to provide security to the affected
population, dozens of students from Zanskar staged protests in
press colony, here. Raising slogans protestors demanded,
Restore connectivity and provide security to Muslim population
in the area, which is just a few hundred. If the government fails,
Zanskar will turn into a battle-ground and Gujarat could be
repeated. Independent legislator, Engineer Abdul Rashid, who
joined the protest, said he would not allow Kashmir to become
another Gujarat. If the government fails to provide justice to
Muslims in Zanskar, the entire valley will stand with them.
Terming it unfortunate Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali
Geelani, October 30, urged the government to protect lives and
property of Muslims in Zanskar and asked the police to act
against miscreants, who were trying to create a sectarian divide.
Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, while address-
ing the Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid here,
October 26, alleged that anti-Muslim rioters had created fear and
terror and Muslims are being forced to migrate. Those who
embraced Islam in the area have done so on their own without
any force or pressure.
JKLF spokesperson warned rulers if they fail to protect the
minority community, responsibility for the consequences will only
be theirs. "Urging state government to ensure safety and securi-
ty of people, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti October 26 said, It
is a matter of shame that the government failed to reach out to the
population of distant area in time which created panic and fear
among them.
Mufti, according to press statement, reached Kargil October
31 after her overnight stay at Padam, headquarter of Zanskar
sub-division. Accompanied by a few senior leaders, she said,
The Government has miserably failed to respond to the situation
in Zanskar till it resulted in violence against a small defenceless
group of people.
Blaming National Conference and Congress for stoking fires
of communalism in Zanskar, PDP president October 31 said the
onus of maintenance of law and order in the area and providing
protection to citizens rest with the state government.
A high level team of government comprising tourism minister,
Nawang Rigzan Jora, MoS Home Nasir Aslam Wani and DGP
Ashok Prasad visited Zanskar, October 29 and held deliberations
with representatives of both majority and minority communities.
Meanwhile, the government October 26 transferred sub-divi-
sional magistrate Zanskar, Urgain Loondup and attached him
with General Administration Department. Curfew was relaxed in
the area, October 26 and later lifted.
Convention against AFSPA and SPA
Demanding demilitarization and repeal of AFSPA and Public
Safety Act (PSA) in Jammu and Kashmir, women from different
walks of life during a day-long convention here, October 30 unan-
imously sought independent investigation into incidents of vio-
lence against women during past 23-years of the conflict.
A civil society group, Centre for Policy Analysis, organized
the convention, Peace and Justice for Kashmiri Women here at
University of Kashmir.
Weve made recommendations like immediate punishment
to security personnel and all others accused of rape and molesta-
tion, rehabilitation of widows and half-widows and compilation of
detailed records of missing persons, said Seema Mustafa, direc-
tor of Centre, adding Kashmiris need support of Indian civil-soci-
ety to highlight their sufferings and cause.
Well raise the issue of prosecution of force personnel
involved with Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defence,
said Subhashini Ali, former member parliament and president of
All India Democratic Womens Association. Farooq Sheikh,
Bollywood actor and film-maker said, Direct participation in this
cause is the need of the hour if we really want to have a concrete
effect.
Permanent facilities at Amarnath
Describing aerial the tour of a group of journalists to Amarnath
cave shrine as move to divert attention from real issue Hurriyat
(G) led by Syed Ali Geelani said that the party had conducted a
survey from Chandanwari in Pahalgam and taken pictures, which
proved construction material was being dumped in the area for
creating permanent facilities for pilgrims. We suspect in future
road may be widened in a phased-manner, said conglomerates
spokesperson, November 1, while emphasizing yatra-manage-
ment should be handed over to Kashmiri Pandits and its duration
should be curtailed.
Stressing that the government shouldnt create a state within
a state in the name of Shrine Board, the spokesperson said, It is
secondary whether the road was being macadamized or not.
What is important is that demands put forth by the amalgam four
years ago continue to remain unaddressed.
Hurriyats response came a day after the state government
took a group of journalists on an aerial survey of Baltal-Panjtarni-
Amarnath cave route to get a first-hand account of the situation.
About four helicopter sorties were undertaken to facilitate the
tour. Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had offered a helicop-
ter to Geelani to get a first-hand information of tracks, which the
latter had rejected.
IGP Kashmir S M Sahai, while interacting with media after
their return, said there is no widening or macadamization of track.
Even pictures were of pre-fabricated huts. Neither the Apex
Court nor the state high powered committee has suggested con-
struction of road to the cave.
Emphasizing the need to de-politicize the issue in the best
interests of the public, CPI (M) state secretary M Y Tarigami
November 1 said these unfounded issues later on snowball into
a political controversy.
The conglomerate had earlier threatened to launch an agita-
tion, which was later shelved and five-member committee was
announced to consult with other separatists, trade-unions, civil-
society and others over the issue, October 31. Acting suo moto
after about 82 pilgrims died during this years pilgrimage due to
weather and health reasons, Apex Court had directed the state
government to improve existing infrastructure for pilgrims.
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THE MILLI GAZETTE
First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
Riots in Zanskar over conversions
J&K HC verdict on talaq
High Courts recent verdict on divorce has not only grabbed
attention of one and all but set the ball rolling for debate and
deliberations. The court in its 23-page judgment ruled that
power to pronounce Talaq (divorce) is not absolute or unqual-
ified.Justice Hasnain Massoodi on October 29 delivered a
judgment in Mohammad Naseem Bhat versus Bilquees Akhter,
wherein the wife had initially come up with an application in the
trial court seeking maintenance. The husband had resisted
application on grounds that he had divorced her and wasnt
under any obligation to pay maintenance.
The judgment said, Though Islam visualizes a situation
where a marriage may run into rough weather for reasons
beyond the control of parties to the marriage contract, and pro-
vides for a mechanism to end or dissolve the relationship in
such a case, yet the device of divorce is to be used as a last
option when marital relations have irretrievably broken down.
The judgment calls Talaq-e-Bidat as the most despised
and discouraged form and Talaq-e-Ahsan as the most
approved form of divorce. A significant part of the judgment has
been devoted to expatiate equal status of husband and wife.
The judgment has evoked response from various religious
and political quarters. While religious organizations have react-
ed sharply, Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani,
November 3, appealed to Islamic scholars to examine the judg-
ment to prevent any confusion and come out with detailed
explanation and find out if it is in conformity with Quran and
Hadith.
Terming it as direct interference in religious-affairs that can
have serious repercussions, Jamiat Ahl-e Hadith on November
4 said, it would constitute a high-level council comprising of
ulama and lawyers to discuss the verdict and chalk out a unan-
imous strategy. The organization added that the judgment will
be resisted with all its might.
RSS behind Anna and Kejriwal
Admitting his role in the Lokpal agita-
tion for the first time, RSS ideologue
K N Govindacharya claimed on
5 November that he is the common
thread that binds Anna Hazare,
Arvind Kejriwal, Baba Ramdev and
Sri Sri Ravishankar. In a pearl neck-
lace, only the pearls are seen, not the
thread. That is why I am loathe to
make public appearances with them.
Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal can
still work in unison, said Govindacharya, according to a report in
the Indian Express on 6 November.
Govindacharyas Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan is believed
to have played a crucial role in bringing together Hazare, yoga
guru Ramdev, and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar. I
am with all anti-corruption movements that seek to rewrite the
rules of the political game, he said.
Shocking HR abuse in J&K
Srinagar: A field survey report released here on 4 October
revealed that in just two northern districts of J&K around 9000
people were brutally tortured or forced to labour and 437 were
killed by the security forces since 1989. The report is based on a
field survey of about 50 villages in Kupwara and Baramulla dis-
tricts. The survey was conducted by Citizens Council for Justice
(CCJ) with the aid of Kashmir-based human rights groups
including International Peoples Tribunal on Human Rights and
Justice in Indian-administered Kashmir (IPTK), Jammu Kashmir
Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS). The report shows that among
the male population of 67000 people in the villages around 2048
people were subjected to severe physical torture on streets or
in homes and camps by Army, Police, CRPF, BSF or the govern-
ment gunmen. The forms of physical torture, the report says,
have been extremely brutal. Besides harsh beating by sticks,
many people complained of electrocution of private parts, rolling
of wooden rollers over the legs, stretching of legs and arms, dip-
ping the head in water bucket, burning of skin by cigarette bits or
by blue lamps, denial of sleep, hanging upside down, it reads.
The report takes the lid off the institutionalised and widely
prevalent practice of forcing civilians to labour. Around 6888
men, it says, in the villages were forced to do different jobs inside
the camps. Villagers were asked to help the army in detecting
mines on the streets and sometimes people were asked to help
lead army for launching military operations inside their localities
or in jungles...Women were generally spared from forced labour,
but sometimes women too were subjected to forced labour.
Describing forced labour as another form of torture, the
report says the very huge number of victims explains the
modes of invasive and pervasive punishment inflicted by the
state actors on the people from these villages.
According to the detailed report, a total 437 people, of which
192 were civilians, 225 were militants and 12 ex-militants, were
killed and 23 were subjected to enforced disappearances while
the whereabouts of 42 people are not known. According to the
local population of these villages, the 42 people may have been
killed in encounters or arrested while infiltrating or crossing over
to the Pakistani Administered Kashmir for arms-training, it says.
The report shows the government agencies as the major
perpetrators, killing around 320 of the total number. While dif-
ferent groups have carried out the killings of these 437 people,
the government agencies seem to be the major perpetrators. Out
of 437 people killed, 320 were killed by Army, Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Jammu and
Kashmir Police and government-sponsored militants, it said.
Around 40 people were killed in custody during the period
with the youngest victim just 17 years of age, the report said.
The report gives a detailed account of the extent of militari-
sation of the villages and the damage to property and religious
places. It says 19 army camps have occupied 2047 kanals of
prime government or private land in the villages while 126
bunkers are serving as mini camps responsible for surveillance,
crackdowns, arrests, torture, killings, disappearances, custodial
killings and harassment...Thus these camps are responsible for
controlling lives and are used by the state to fragment the popu-
lations, according to the report.
Out of the 234 mosques in the villages between 1989 and
2011, the survey has found that five were destroyed at different
instances by the armed forces in the garb of anti-militancy oper-
ations. Out of the 11 Hindu temples, it says, it was found that
four temples were destroyed. One has got damaged due to rain
and snowfall and three temples were destroyed by unidentified
and unarmed persons who according to the information shared
by the villagers did not belong to their respective villages, the
report said adding that some temples have also been occupied
by the army. The report holds the security forces responsible for
damage to 700 buildings amounting to a whopping Rs 103.8
crore. The survey, however, missed out on the rapes and
molestations due to difficulties caused by the associated social
stigma.
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 11
ANALYSIS
W
hat is Congress partys plan? One is naturally
tempted to raise this question following two
recent developments. One is the reshuffle giving
a new emphasis to including more Muslims in the
cabinet. The second is projecting Rahul Gandhi as a nation-
al leader at the Congress rally held earlier this month at
Delhis Ramlila Maidan. For the first time, Rahul shared stage
with Congress High Command Sonia Gandhi and Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh at this ground and delivered a
speech. He had shared stage earlier too with the two. But
this was the first occasion when he was given the opportuni-
ty to give a speech from Ramlila Maidan sharing the stage
with senior party leaders. Within a few hours after the rally,
several senior Congress leaders started saying that Rahul
was an important leader, number two in the party, with Sonia
being number one. Clearly, the nature of reshuffle followed
by the rally and publicizing Rahuls image as an important
party leader are developments projected towards one direc-
tion. The Congress is virtually readying the political platform
for Rahul to take over the reins as the next prime minister, if
the party returns to power after the next general elections.
The Congress may appear to be totally willing to accept
Rahul as the next prime minister and is clearly working in
this direction, but it is as yet too early to speculate on the
success of this strategy. The Congress has not refrained
from using the Muslim card during the cabinet reshuffle. This
is reflected by elevation of Salman Khursheed to the covet-
ed external affairs portfolio. The Congress clearly chose to
snub activists who had recently levied charges of corrup-
tion against Khursheed. Rather than drop him from the cab-
inet, the Congress decided to give him a more important
ministry. With Indian parliamentary elections due in 2014,
Khursheed and the other new entrants cannot be expected to
achieve much in roughly a years time. Thus, it would be
more appropriate to describe this reshuffle as more of an
electoral necessity for the Congress.
The Congress has less than two dozen members in Lok
Sabha from Uttar Pradesh (UP), the state which is represent-
ed by 80 members in this House. Of these, only three are
Muslims, including Khursheed. The Congress political strat-
egy is thus double-edged. It has sent the message that cor-
ruption charges levied against its members are not going to
dictate its political strategy. Secondly, the party is hopeful
that Khursheeds elevation will be welcomed by Muslim vot-
ers in UP and they will respond by helping the Congress gain
more seats in forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Elevation of Khursheed reflects just one major card exer-
cised by the Congress to attract Muslim voters. The same is
suggested by inclusion of three new members in the union
cabinet. These include K. Rehman Khan as Union Minister
(Minority Affairs), Tariq Anwar (Minister of State, Agriculture
& Food Processing Industries) and A.H. Khan Choudhary
(Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare). Of these, Tariq
Anwar is a member of Congress ally, Nationalist Congress
Party (NCP). Their inclusion almost doubles the number of
Muslims in the cabinet. The others, included earlier, are
Ghulam Nabi Azad (Union Minister, Health & Family Welfare),
Farooq Abdullah (Union Minister, New & Renewable Energy)
and E. Ahamed (Minister of State, External Affairs). Of these,
while Abdullah belongs to a Congress ally from Jammu and
Kashmir (National Conference), Ahamed is from a regional
party in Kerala (Indian Union Muslim League).
The Congress has also exercised a carefully manipulat-
ed regional strategy in this reshuffle. This is indicated by 22
new inductions having increased the representation of their
respective states in the Union cabinet. The states which have
benefitted most are Andhra Pradesh (AP), Kerala, West
Bengal and Gujarat. The reshuffle brings the headcount of
ministers from AP to 10 and from Kerala to eight. Besides
playing regional and religious cards, the Congress has given
greater importance than before to including younger mem-
bers in this cabinet reshuffle. Nevertheless, it cannot be
ignored, overall the cabinet and even the Congress party are
still dominated by senior members.
Undoubtedly, his party members and Indian public
regard Rahul as an important Congress leader. However, so
far, except for winning from his own constituency (Amethi in
UP), Rahuls campaigns have not helped Congress gain sig-
nificantly. Acceptance of Rahul by Congress as an important
leader does not indicate that he has been accorded the sta-
tus of a major national leader by the entire country, including
Muslims. Nor does this suggest that allies of Congress in
UPA share this view. In this context, use of the Muslim-card
in the cabinet reshuffle followed by projection of Rahul as an
important leader only reflect the strategy being apparently
exercised by the Congress. Till date, this has not had much
appeal for the Indian Muslims. Success, where the Muslims
support is concerned, still eludes Rahul. Now, it is to be
watched whether he and his party workers succeed in turn-
ing the political tide in their favour or not! .
Speaki ng Out
Rahul, Only A
Congress Leader?
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
TAHIR MAHMOOD
In the legislative history of India, the sys-
tem of certification and keeping written
records of marriages was first provided for
under the Christian Marriage Act and the
Special Marriage Act, both enacted in
1872. The first of these was meant for
marriages among the Christians, while the
latter Act had made room for solemniza-
tion of non-religious civil marriages at the
option of the parties.
Certification of marriages by the officiating priests was not
prevalent in the majority Hindu community except among its pro-
gressive Brahmosamaj and Aryasamaj sections. On the other
hand, the tradition of preparation and issuance of nikah-namas by
the qazis solemnizing marriages was in vogue among the
Muslims. In the late 18th century the system of appointing official
qazis was inherited from the Mughals by the new British rulers
but, after remaining in force for about a century, was abolished by
law in 1864. Muslim religious circles resented it and demanded
restoration of the system of official qazis. Responding to the
demand, the Bengal provincial government enacted a
Mohammedan Marriage and Divorce Registration Act in 1876
providing for voluntary registration of marriages and divorces
among the Muslims with Mohammedan Registrars to be appoint-
ed by the government in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Four years
later, after Sir Syed intervened in the matter, the central legisla-
ture enacted the Kazis Act 1880 re-empowering all provincial gov-
ernments to appoint official qazis mainly for solemnizing and cer-
tifying marriages.
In 1886, the central legislature enacted a Births, Deaths and
Marriages Registration Act which provided for the establishment
of a Provincial Registry in each province to maintain separate
Registers for births, deaths and marriages. Marriage records pre-
pared and kept under the two central laws of 1872 and the Bengal
local Act of 1876, referred to above, were now required to be peri-
odically transmitted to the Provincial Registry. While no such pro-
vision was ever made under the central Kazis Act of 1880, it was
incorporated into the Assam Moslem Marriage and Divorce Act
1935 [which dittoed the Bengal law of 1876], and in the Parsi
Marriage and Divorce Act enacted by the central legislature the
following year.
This is where the laws on registration of marriages stood at
the advent of independence in 1947. The first law on marriage
registration enacted after independence was the Orissa
Mohammedan Marriage and Divorce Registration Act 1949 which
was an improved version of the old Bengal Act of 1876. In 1953,
the Bombay State Legislature enacted a general Marriage
Registration Act requiring compulsory registration of all mar-
riages, but making it clear that non-registration would not affect
the validity of any marriage. This law is now in force in
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. Similar laws have
been enacted later also in some other states.
The Special Marriage Act 1954 (which replaced the old 1872
law of the same name referred to above) provided for solemniza-
tion of civil marriages by government officials and also made
room for conversion of an existing religious marriage satisfying its
conditions into a civil marriage if both parties so want on their own
volition.
The Hindu Marriage Act, enacted next year, empowered
State Governments to facilitate registration of marriages and
make it compulsory if deemed necessary or expedient; and
Rules were soon framed for this purpose in most states.
In 1978, the old Kazis Act of 1880 was amended in
Maharshtra making it applicable also to all private qazis and
requiring them to maintain proper records of marriages solem-
nized by them. Two years later the Jammu and Kashmir legisla-
ture enacted a law for compulsory registration of all marriages
which, however, had to be withdrawn due to a public outcry
against it.
The United Nations Convention on Elimination of
Discrimination against Women 1979 (CEDAW) required all State-
Parties to enact laws for compulsory registration of marriages. India
ratified it in 1993 subject to certain reservations including one
regarding compulsory registration of marriages which in the gov-
ernments opinion was yet not feasible here. Ignoring this, in a 2006
case the Supreme Court of India directed that Rules for compulso-
ry registration of every marriage be framed and notified in all states.
Accordingly, registration of marriages governed by the Hindu
Marriage Act 1955 has been made compulsory in most states of
India. The Orissa Government has also modified its Rules under
the local Mohammedan Marriage and Divorce Act 1949 to make
compulsory registration of all Muslim marriages in the state.
Whatever be the position of registration of marriages, volun-
tary or compulsory, it must be clearly understood that registration
of marriages is a merely administrative process having nothing to
do with any substantive aspect of a marriage including its solem-
nization or legal validity. Registration does not change a religious
marriage into a civil marriage as even after registration it contin-
ues to be governed by the personal law of the parties. The excep-
tional provision of the Special Marriage Act 1954 for converting a
religious into a civil marriage by the joint decision of the parties is
an entirely different matter which must not be confused with the
ordinary registration of marriages. Marriages solemnized by reli-
gious rites are to be registered not under that Act but under the
general or community-specific laws on marriage registration
referred to above. These points regarding registration of mar-
riages may be kept in mind while taking a stand on the issue, indi-
vidually or at the community level.
The Congress may appear to be totally willing
to accept Rahul as the next prime minister and is
clearly working in this direction, but it is as yet
too early to speculate on the success of this
strategy. The Congress has not refrained from
using the Muslim card during the cabinet reshuf-
fle. This is reflected by elevation of Salman
Khursheed to the coveted external affairs portfo-
lio. The Congress clearly chose to snub
activists who had recently levied charges of
corruption against Khursheed. Rather than drop
him from the cabinet, the Congress decided to
give him a more important ministry. With Indian
parliamentary elections due in 2014, Khursheed
and the other new entrants cannot be expected to
achieve much in roughly a years time
Whatever be the position of registration of
marriages, voluntary or compulsory, it must
be clearly understood that registration of mar-
riages is a merely administrative process hav-
ing nothing to do with any substantive aspect
of a marriage including its solemnization or
legal validity. Registration does not change a
religious marriage into a civil marriage as
even after registration it continues to be gov-
erned by the personal law of the parties.
FRANKLY SPEAKING - 3
Demystifying the Dreaded Marriage Registration
SIMPLY DEPLORABLE
United not to unite
It is a fact that Muslims throughout the world have agreed on
one single point: not to unite under any circumstances. The
same is the case in Hderabad Deccan. I believe it is more in
Hyderabad. Muslims have to fight on so many fronts and this
requires joint efforts which, to be realistic, is not possible.
If we cannot be united, atleast we can do one thing. We
should not break one anothers heads in front of our ene-
mies -- just to give them an impression that there is some
unity among us.
Both Majlis Ittehadul Muslimin and their opponents are
giving an impression that they are on one anothers destruc-
tion mission. If they cannot
unite, let them at least not
ignore their opponents
good work. It is a very sad
state of affairs that three
leading dailies of
Hyderabad, viz., Etemaad,
Munsif and Siasat take pride in not at all publishing news
about their rivals.
No body can deny the services of Zahid Ali Khan, editor
of Siasat in the fields of literature and social services.
Similarly, the work and popularity of MIM in the political field
and their services to the Ummah are unforgetable.
Recently there were attacks on Muslim youth. Police
helped Hindutva activists to snatch big animals meant for
sacrifice, allowed illegal construction of a temple adjacant to
the historical Charminar and there were violent incidents as
a result. In all these matters, MIM leaders took great pains.
They even secured a stay order from the High Court. Siasat
and Munsif shamelessly either ignored everything or avoid-
ed any reference of MIM! This is journalistic dishonesty and
breach of trust with your readers. It also confirms the dis-
unity among us. If you do not mention any news about the
achievements or successes of MIM outside the state, it is not
very harmful but to ignore their action against Hindutva ele-
ments is deplorable indeed as this gives them an impression
that we are so drastically divided! Let prudency prevail over
our immatured and senseless thinking.
RASHEED ANSARI, Hyderabad
rasheedmansari@yahoo.co.in
Owaisi Zahid
MUHAMMAD MUSTAQEEM QURAISHI, chair-
man of Al Nafees Frozen Food Exports (P) Ltd.
was honoured by President Pranab Mukherji
with Niryaat Shri (Export) Gold Trophy in recog-
nition of his valuable contribution and success
in Indian exports. Al Nafees is a reputed com-
pany of world standard in the field of export of
frozen foods, meat and meat products which
exports these products in West Asian countries
(Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Yemen etc.),
African countries (Algeria, Egypt and others),
Viet Nam and CIS (Commonwealth of
Independent States) like Ukraine, Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, Kazakhstan etc. of the now defunct
USSR. This company also won awards from
Indias National Productivity Council and other
organisations.
Prof. MALIKZADA MANZOOR AHMAD,
famous poet and author and president of All
India Urdu Rabta Committee was honoured
with Avadh Ratn Award by Kaushal Research
Sansthan, a literary organisation of Ayodhya-
Faizabad in recognition of his valuable services
to Urdu language and literature. It may be stat-
ed that Malikzada Manzoor Ahmads services to
Urdu literature are spread over half a century.
Prof. (Dr.) ABDUL MALIK, former Head and
Associate Professor of AMUs Department of
Agricultural Microbiology has been honoured by
Department of Biotechnology of central govern-
ments ministry of science & technology with its
prestigious DBTCREST Award under which he
will undertake research work in Germanys
Albert Ludwig University at Freiburg for one
year on plasmid derived from fluorescent pro-
tein in soil and prepare his researched treatise.
Prof. (Dr.) BASEER AHMAD KHAN, former
Pro Vice Chancellor of IGNOU was honoured
with National Award on the occasion of a
national seminar on Sir Sayyad Ahmad Khan:
Architect of Modern Education sponsored by
Maqbool Social and Educational Society,
Aligarh. Dr. Baseer Ahmad Khan, a PhD holder
from AMU and winner of many gold medals and
University Medals held many important posts
like Dean of Faculty of Islamic Studies and
Social Sciences, Dean of Students Welfare,
Proctor and Provost etc. in Jamia Hamdard
Delhi and participated in seminars in at least
twelve important cities of Europe and Middle
East. He also held the post of joint secretary in
All India Majlis Mushawarat when persons like
Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (Ali Mian),
Dr. A. J. Faridi, Maulana Abul Lais, Jamat-e
Islami Ameer etc. were associated with it (Majlis
Mushawarat).
Ms. RASHIDA KHALIL, editor of Urdu maga-
zine Bazme-e Adab, has been honoured with
Lifetime Achievement Award by Aligarh Muslim
Universitys Old Girls Association in recognition
of her services to Urdu literature. She is also
secretary of Bazm-e Adab Khwateen for about
35 years.
AMUs Department of Public Relations held All
India Sir Sayyad Essay Writing Competition in
connection with Sir Sayyads 195th birth
anniversary in which students of colleges and
universities all over the country participated.
Topic of the essay was Are AMU Centres in
Mallapuram and Murshidabad covered under
Sir Sayyads plan of promotion of education?
Avinash Ranjan of Gaya (Bihar)s Evening
College secured maximum marks and secured
first position. Karan Tiwari of Punjab University
at Chandigarh and Shatrughun of Haryanas
Central University at Narnol stood second and
third and First, Second and Third prizes of Rs.
25,000, 15000 and 10,000 respectively along
with certificates were given to them. In addition
to essay competition at All India level, competi-
tions at states level also were held in which the
toppers i.e. (boy and girl) students who
secured first position were given Rs. 5000
each. Topper in states were: AMU student
PARVEZ ALAM from U.P., (Ms.) HENA
PARVEEN of AMU Murshidabad Centre from
West Bengal, MAHMOOD ALAM SIDDIQI of
J.N.U. from Delhi, MUHAMMAD K.P. HAARIS
of Darul Hoda Islamic University from Kerala,
S.K. JUNED JAFERY from Orissa, SHEIKH
SHADAB ALAM GULAB (Pune, Maharashtra),
(Ms.) GITASHRI S. KURUP (Chhattisgarh),
NIRPEN KUMAR NAYAN (Jharkhand), ALTAF
HUSAIN MUHAMMAD YUSUF SETH
(Gujarat), MUHAMMAD SALEH E.P.
(Karnataka), P. A. SHEIKH FARID (Tamil
Nadu), (Ms.) TABZIR YASEEN (J&K) and LAK-
SHMI PRASAD BODA of A. Pradesh were
declared winners. All the above awards (All
India and states levels) were given to the win-
ners at a function held at Aligarh on 17 October,
birthday of Sir Sayyad.
Fifteenth India Today Cup Inter-School debat-
ing competition was held at Vasant Valley
School, Vasant Kunj New Delhi followed by 2-
day debating camp for semi final and final
round on 2 and 3 November. A special feature
of this debating competition was that in addi-
tion to reputed schools from Indian cities, a 3-
student team from Pakistans Lahore College
of Arts and Sciences (LACAS) also participat-
ed for the first time in this debate. Among
Indian schools were La Martiniere from
Kolkata, Vidyashilp from Bangalore, Scindia
School from Gwalior, Vivek High School from
Chandigarh, Doon School from Dehradun,
Mayo College Girls School from Ajmer and
Cathedral and John Connon School from
Mumbai. Surprisingly the team from Lahore
won the final round. Teams HASHMI
BAJWA, a class XII student won the Best
Speaker Award and UMAR ALI won the
Second Best Speaker Award and with that
the Lahore team won the India Today Cup
also. PARTH JHAVERI of Mumbais
Cathedral and JOHN CONNON SCHOOL
won the Third Best Speaker Award. The topic
of the debate was International Olympic
Committee should ban all countries that com-
mit human rights violation from participating
in the Olympics. Pakistan team led by
Hashmi Bajwa spoke for the topic and Parth
Jhaveri spoke against the topic.
AWARDS
MAULANAABDUL KARIM SALFI, Head of Delhis Jamiat Ahl-
e Hadees, a member of Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e Hadees Majlis-e
Shoora and Trustee of many mosques died in Delhi after a pro-
longed illness on 5 November. He also founded Umm Salma
Girls Public School. He leaves behind his wife, seven sons and
two daughters.
WALAUL HASNAIN, a former Director in union ministry of elec-
tricity and power, who died on 1 November was a true sympa-
thiser with the problems of Muslims and played a great role in
arranging and providing employment to many educated Muslim
youths. He was also greately interested in literature and himself
had written many books. He leaves behind two daughters.
MARYAM JAMILA, a great intellec-
tual died of heart attack in Pakistan
on 31 October at the age of 78
years. Born as Margret Marks in a
Jewish family of America, she was
greatly influenced by the views of
Maulana Abul Aala Maudoodi about
universalism and truth of Islam and
had embraced it in 1961. She was
in frequent contact with him and ultimately migrated to Pakistan
and settled there. She wrote more than 30 books about different
aspects and topics of Islam which was translated into different
languages of the world. A condolence meeting was held in Delhi
in which Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, Vice Chairman of Delhi Urdu
Academy and others paid rich tributes to her.
Dr. ATHER FAROUQI,
noted Urdu scholar,
translator and author
who was appointed
interim general secre-
tary of Anjuman
Taraqqi Urdu-e Hind in
September this year has now been
appointed permanent general secretary
of the Anjuman. A PhD degree holder
from J.N.U. he is author of many books in
Urdu and English. As a member of Delhi
Public Schools public-private partner-
ship, he set up about a dozen schools,
three of which in Saudi Arabia. Recently
Oxford University offered him a
Fellowship but he has not yet decided
whether to accept it or not. A translated
version of his play Babar ki Aulad was
staged 30 times in a year including one
successfully staged in London last month
(October). He succeeds Kahliq Anjum.
Prof. GOPI CHAND NARANG, promi-
nent Urdu critic, researcher and former
chairman of Sahitya Academy has been
appointed by Jamia Millia Islamia as its
Professor Emeritus for Life. He had
joined Jamia as a professor and Head of
Urdu Department in 1974. Author of a
number of books in Urdu, he was con-
ferred honorary D. Litt. Degree by AMU
and honorary Doctorate degrees by many
universities including Hyderabad
University and MANUU. Recently he was
honoured by Pakistan with its high
National Award Sitara-e Imteyaz. He has
been accused of plagiarism in his owrk
on post-structuralism but he has not
responded to the criticism so far.
Prof. SHAMIM
JAI RAJPURI ,
first Vice
Chancellor of
Maulana Azad
National Urdu
U n i v e r s i t y
(MANUU) has
been appointed
a member of ministry of Environment and
Forests High Power Research
Committee by Govt. of India. A former
Director of Zoological Survey of India and
author of more than 30 books including
three in Urdu, he has also been honoured
with many national and international
awards including the first Janki Ammal
National Award for Taxanomy.
Dr. SYED ZIAUR RAHMAN, Asstt.
Professor in Pharmacology Department
of AMUs J.N. Medical College has been
elected new secretary of International
Association of Medical Colleges
(IAOMC). Presently he is doing research
work in Australias University of Western
Sydney as a medical scientist in the field
of Pharmacology. He is also a founder
Trustee of Ibn Sina Academy.
Prof. M. SAUD ALAM QASMI has been
appointed new Dean of the Department
of Sunni Theology in AMU in place of
Prof. Syed Farman Husain for a period of
two years. Another appointment in this
connection is that of Prof. Syed Ali Naqvi
who has been appointed new President
of the Department of Shia Theology in
AMU for a period of 3 years. Both these
new appointments are effective from 27
October.
NEWSMAKERS
12 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
OBITUARIES
D
r. Abdul Haq Ansari, former Ameer of Jamaat-e Islami
Hind who died of a heart attack on 3 October at Aligarh
at the age of 81, was born on September 1, 1931 at
Tamkohi, Deoaria, Uttar Pradesh. He was the Amir of
the JIH during 2003-2007. He was the member of JIHs Central
Advisory Council
He received his early education in his native place and there-
after in Gorakhpur while he received his religious education at
the JIHs Sanwi Darsgah at Rampur and at Darul Uloom
Nadwatul Ulama of Lucknow. Though belonging to a compara-
tively poor family, his thirst for higher education and knowledge
took him to Aligarh Muslim University from where he did
BA Honours in Arabic (1957), M. A. (1959) and PhD in
Philosophy (1962). He got two Masters degrees, one in
Philosophy from AMU and the other in Metaphhysics and com-
parative study of religions (MTS) from Harvard University (1972).
In addition to his academic achievements at these institutions of
higher education, he also worked as a teacher and professor at
Vishwa Bharti University/Santiniketan (West Bengal) of Arabic,
Persian and Islamic Studies, Umm Durman University (Sudan),
U.P.M. University (Malayasia), University of Riyadh and King
Fahd Universitiy of Petroleum and Minerals, Daheran (Saudi
Arabia).
His main interest was in the field of research and study of
Islamic sciences and mysticism. An author of more than a dozen
books including Farabi aur Maskawayh ki akhlaaqi talimaat,
Maqsad-e Zindagi ka Islami Tasawwur (Islamic concept of the
aim of life), Secularism, Jamaat-e Islami ki Tarjihaat (Priorities of
Jamaat-e Islami) etc. All these show his depth of thoughts and
philosophical exposition. In particular, he made two distinguished
personalities of Islamic history, i.e., Ibn Taymia and Mujaddid Alf
Saani, the topics of his research and writings.
At a condolence meeting held in Delhi to pay tributes to him
Jamaat-e Islami Ameer Maulana Jalaluddin Umri said that philos-
ophy and mysticism were special fields of Dr Abdul Haq Ansaris
research and writings and his works were appreciated both in the
East as well as in the West. Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, editor of Milli
Gazette, said that he was well-versed and equally fluent in
English and Arabic and also was a good speaker and writer in
both these languages.
After retirement from his teaching career, he returned to
Aligarh and set up a centre for comparative study of religions
where in addition to teaching, research work was also undertak-
en. He was Ameer of Jamaat-e Islami Hind from 2003 to 2007.
During his days in Delhi, he shifted his centre from Aligarh to
Delhi and named it Islamic Academy.
His days in Delhi as Ameer of Jamat-e Islami were very suc-
cessful when his personality emerged as a mature and broad-
minded intellectual who could very well feel the pulse of the com-
munity, country and the world. An important decision that he took
as Ameer of JIH was that the Jamaat, instead of keeping aloof
from politics, should directly take part in elections and become a
part of the democratic system of the country by forming a politi-
cal party of its own. It was because of this belief that Welfare
Party of India was formed with JIHs blessings. After retirement
as Ameer of Jamat-e Islami, he returned to Aligarh and died there
on 3 October at the age of 81 years. He is survived by his wife,
one son and four daughters. (NAAnsari)
DR. ABDUL HAQ ANSARI
MG CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi: Mere change of faces will not suffice because people
of India demand performance, said Nusarat Ali, Secretary General
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) commenting on the recent cabinet
reshuffle. The JIH Secretary General was speaking to mediaper-
sons during the monthly press meet at JIH headquarter here on 3
November. He was commenting on the new phase of uncontrolled
communal riots, ongoing spree of arrests of Muslim youths on the
basis of concocted charges and back-breaking inflation and price
rise.
Nusrat Ali said JIH is deeply concerned over the continuing
communal situation in many states across the country. He said
that during the recent riots in Faizabad and nearby villages like
Bhadarsa and the previous ones in Kosi Kalan Pratapgarh,
Mussori etc. in Uttar Pradesh and the October 23 riots in Aakot,
Maharashtra, precious lives were lost and large-scale loot and
arson took place. In these riots the Muslim minority had to bear
the loss of crores of rupees. The role of police and administration
as usual remained irresponsible, he said.
Commenting on the situation in Assam, he said that the reha-
bilitation of the displaced members of the minority community of
Bodoland areas is yet to take place. He stressed an early solution
to their problems.
He said that the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh
Yadav has said that riots are being waged in U.P. as a conspiracy
to defame his government. Such a statement of the chief minister
is not enough, he said adding that the need of the hour is that the
state governments as well as the Union government should take
stringent measures against communal conspirators, tighten the
law and order machinery and inflict severe punishment on the
criminals. He also demands that Rs. 20 lakh be given as compen-
sation to each of the families of those killed in the riots and the
monetary loss of the devastated should be fully paid by the state.
He repeated JIH demand to the Government to bring a strong
anti-Communal Violence Bill soon as promised.
Addressing the issue of ongoing arrests of Muslim youths on
the basis of concocted charges, Nusrat Ali said, it is satisfactory
that the apex court released on bail journalist Mohammad Ahmad
Kazmi on October 19. It is condemnable that an eminent journal-
ist had to spend eight long months of his life behind bars, deprived
of his freedom, for a crime he did not commit. The way Delhi
Police levelled false charges against him, adopted illegal ways
and subjected him to character assassination is enough to show
that the policy of arresting Muslim youths under concocted
charges in different parts of the country is part of a planned con-
spiracy to defame Muslims, tarnish their image before the mass-
es in the country and thus affect the relationship between Hindus
and Muslims, he said adding, it seems communal elements would
continue these activities to strengthen communal parties in the
upcoming elections. It appears that anti-Muslim elements having
communal mindset have infiltrated in large numbers into police
and security agencies. These facts compell Muslims to think that
keeping them under the spell of fear and defaming them is part of
State policy, he said.
Commenting on the case of Er. Fasih Mahmood, arrested at
the behest of Indian authorities in Saudi Arabia and deported on
October 22 to India where he was arrested on arrival, JIH General
Secretary said that it is reported that many other youths working
abroad are on the hit list of the agencies. Well-qualified and pro-
fessional Muslim youths go abroad in search of jobs but there too
the long arms of our so-called security agencies reach out to them
to deprive them of peace and harass them by levelling unproven
charges. He added that our Prime Minister, government authori-
ties and justice-loving citizens in the country should think how long
this atmosphere of terror against Muslims and the ongoing moves
to defame them would continue. Media persons ought to investi-
gate each and every case and convey to their readers the truth
behind police claims.
JIH General Secretary said that a delegation of Jamaat had
met the Union Home Minister and asked him to stop the false
implication and arrests of persons without sufficient evidence,
grant proper compensation to the acquitted persons and initiate
strict legal action against the police official responsible for impli-
cating them in false cases.
Commenting on the spirallying inflation, Nusrat Ali said,
Jamaat is deeply concerned over the continuous rise in the prices
of petrol, diesel, domestic gas and other items of daily use which
puts an ever-increasing burden on ordinary families. He said that
the new Union minister for railways has hinted that rail fare will
also be hiked. Back-breaking rise in prices of essential food items,
sugar, milk and things of common use is going on unchecked.
People belonging to middle and poor sections of society are bear-
ing the brunt, he said.
Nusrat Ali demanded that inflation should be contained, sup-
ply of domestic gas be retained under the previous system, and
no cuts in subsidy should be made on any essential article under
the influence of capitalists and corporates. For the construction of
a happy, prosperous society, it is necessary that the fruits of
development in the country must reach the poor sections in par-
ticular, and the gap between the rich and the poor should be nar-
rowed down, he said.
In response to a question regarding the movement against
corruption in the country, JIH General Secretary said that a strong
law and its honest implementation are certainly required. He
added that corruption cannot be completely rooted out unless
every individual has strong belief in God and has a sense of
accountability before God. Jamaat is trying to convey this mes-
sage to the Indian society through its regular activities and is plan-
ning to start a countrywide campaign against corruption on these
lines, he said.
Ejaz Aslam (JIH Media Secretary) and Mohammad Saleem
Engineer (JIH Public Relation secretary) also addressed the
media and replied to the questions of mediapersons.
SPECIAL REPORT
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 13
JIH decries arresting spree of Muslim
youths on concocted terror charges
HAMID KHAN has just been awarded a
degree of PhD in Electrical Engineering by
University Blaise Pascal in France. His topic
was Optimised Space Vector Modulation for
Variable Speed Drives. The research was
carried out on Pulse Width Modulation
(PWM) strategies for hard switched Voltage
Source Inverters (VSI) for variable speed
electric drives. This research is aimed at
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV). PWM is at
the heart of all variable speed electric drives,
It has a huge influence on the overall per-
formance of the system and may also help
eventually offer an extra degree of freedom in
the possibility to rethink the inverter design
including the re-dimensioning of the inverter
components.
The objective of the research was to
reduce the cost, volume and weight of electric
drives through innovative PWM techniques.
Results were shown to have a direct influ-
ence on these aforementioned parameters.
Hamid Khan did his B.Tech. in Electrical
Engineering in 2007 from Jamia Millia
Islamia, Delhi. He went on to do his Masters
in Technology from Polytech Clermont
Ferrand, France after which he was appoint-
ed as a Research Engineer at the reputed Oil
& Energy industry research institute IFP
Energies Nouvelles in Paris. Hamid has to his
credit many research papers which have
been published by the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
MIT innovation award for Jamia graduate
ASIF IQBAL, currently a System
Design and Management Fellow at
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology won the MIT Dr. Shoji
Annual Award for Innovation in
Information Technology this past
November.
Asif did his B.Tech. in Electronics
and Communication in 2002 from
Jamia Millia Islamia. In 2003, Asif was
awarded Bhabha Award at Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for
electronics engineering. He was a
Scientific Officer at BARC till 2005.
Then he joined Hewlett Packard as a
Design Engineer. In 2006 he joined
Freescale Semiconductor Inc and left
it as a Lead Design Engineer in 2011
to pursue further studies in MIT. Asif
has a number of patents to his credit
in Information Technology.
Jamia alumnus gets French PhD in
Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Nusrat Ali flanked by M Saleem Engineer (left) and Ejaz Aslam
COMMUNITY NEWS
14 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
Six riot-accused Muslim released on bail
Guwahati: Guwahati High Court, after hearing their application,
released on 16 October six Muslim youths on bail who were
arrested allegedly for their role in communal riots in Assam.
Jamiatul Ulamas legal cell which is working for the acquittal or
release on bail of innocent Muslims accused and arrested on the
pretext of their role in communal riots, views their release as its
success. Jamiat Ulama leader Maulana Mahmood Madni told
mediapersons in Delhi on 17 October that Jamiat Ulamas legal
cell which is working to help legally innocent Muslims who were
falsely arrested after genocidal and communal riots in Assam
achieved success, though partially when six innocent Muslims
falsely accused were released by Assam High Court on bail. He
said, referring to the president of Jamiats legal cell, advocate
Jamshed Tughlaq Dar that these six people were accused and
arrested in connection with riots in Assam. Their bail applications
were earlier rejected by a CBI court, after which their bail applica-
tions were filed in Assam High Court which, after hearing their
case, released all of them on bail. He said that all of them were
arrested by CBI near Dhubri under different sections of I.P.C. for
different crimes like riots, possessing arms, arson and loot, crim-
inal threat etc. Jamiatul Ulamas legal adviser, Neyaz Ahmad
Farooqi who is also handling legal cases in Assam said that
Jamiatul Ulama has set up a regular legal cell in Assam which
works for registering FIRs on behalf of riot-affected people
against rioters, identifying cases of murder, arson, rape, loot etc.
by rioters and taking legal action for getting them punished by
courts and also for getting falsely arrested persons acquitted or
released on bail.
Riot at M.P. town on Eid day
Khilchipur (Rajgarh): Communal clashes erupted suddenly on Eid
day forcing the police to clamp section 144. Police had to burst
tear gas shells when the mob turned violent and both groups
started pelting stones. Seven / eight shops were set ablaze. The
situation is under control. According to Dr. Asha Mathur, D.I.G.
Bhopal, situation was controlled by an alert administration avert-
ing a major crisis. Situation, though tense, is under control.
Principals of Rajkot schools arrested for opening on Eid
Rajkot: Rajkot city police arrested Nilesh Sejaria and Padmakant
Mehta, principals of Modi School in Laxminagar area and of
Bharad Vidhyalay, Indraprastha Nagar area respectively and
Mukundgiri Goswami, Administrator of Utkarsh School, Akshar
Margh in Rajkot (Gujarat) for permitting their schools to be
opened on Friday 25 October, a declared holiday on account of
Eiduz Zuha or Baqraid. On receiving information that classes in
these schools were being held, police visited these schools and
found that classes were being held inspite of Friday being
declared Eid holiday. The two principals and the administrator
were not present in the school, hence they were arrested from
their residences.
A notification banning the opening of schools on government
and other holidays was issued by the Commissioner of Rajkot
Police about a year ago when it was found that some students
had committed suicide because of burden of education and read-
ing. The notification had also banned holding of classes early in
the morning and till late in the evening. It was also reported that it
was for the first time that arrests were made for violation of police
notification, though it was in force for the past year.
Kerala conspiracy: Muslims denied passports
Mallapuram: Several young Muslims belonging to different dis-
tricts find that they are being denied passports in the wake of
some intelligence reports over petty issues. Mallapuram,
Kozikode, Vayanad, Kannoor and Kasargode are the districts suf-
fering because of the police denial. They are reported to have
participated in protest rallies. Many have been asked to surrender
their passports which would be returned to them only after
enquiries are completed (which might take 3-4 years). (AG Khan)
Vastanvi dubs Modi zalim
Ahmedabad: Maulana Ghulam Muhammad
Vastanvi in der aayad durust aayad realisa-
tion found that the so-called development
Modi has been parroting is not really true.
He finds the state lagging behind in educa-
tion and health whereas roads are being
built under central government scheme.
While addressing minority cell of congress in the presence of
union minister Tushar Chaudhari, he provided Congress great
relief, much to BJPs annoyance, at the crucial time of assembly
elections. BJP leader Purushottam Rupala described Vastanvis
comments as highly provocative and disrupting peace in the
state. He demanded a ban on his entry in Gujarat.
Dalits in Gujarat live in police fear
Ahmedabad: With increasing number of atrocities on Dalits they
live in perpetual fear of the police. Though many incidents go
unreported yet the few reported incident are enough to create
panic among them. Manjula Pradeep, executive director of
Navsarjan (an N.G.O.) accuses police of bias against the S. C.
community. Contradicting the allegation Pramod Kumar, A.D.G.
SC/ST cell, says that prompt action is taken whenever any atroc-
ity is reported. A few incidents would suffice as evidence.
Three dalits including two underage boys were killed in police
firing at Than, Surendra Nagar district. At Rajkot a lathi charge
crippled a girl. She is in hospital. Arvind Makwana, a dalit, was
paraded in knickers for daring to protest against a retired police
officer Arvind Chouhan (27) died in police custody at Pathwada
(Banaskantha dist.) Dashrath Solanki committed suicide in front
of Dholka police station. Retired director general police R. B.
Sreekumar admits that such bias does prevail.
Sarah Rizvi becomes first woman DCP of Rajkot
Rajkot: Sarah Rizvi is the first woman to assume the responsibil-
ity of D.C.P. The 30 year old lady expressed the hope that she
would try to change peoples popular perception about the police
force. Born and brought up in Mumbai I.P.S. in the state. As a pro-
bationer she served in Jamnagar and later on as S.S.P. she was
posted at Gondal where she was instrumental in solving a loot
case by a gang on bikes within 24 hours of the crime being com-
mitted. Fond of Urdu ghazal she also occasionally writes. A com-
merce graduate of M.M.K. college Mumbai, she is confident of
serving Rajkot people with utmost sincerity.
British diplomacy to woo Gujarat investors
Ahmedabad: She stoops to Conquer. Sorry we are not talking
about the literary work. However, the present visit of British High
Commissioner, James Bevan, demonstrates that Britain cannot
overlook its business interests for too long a period. Britain, keen
on welcoming Gujarati seths is willing to eat the humble pie.
Vibrant Gujarat 2013 meet at Rajkot is to be Britains first partici-
pation. Dispelling speculations that by meeting Modi Britain is
strengthening Modis election prospects, the High Commissioner
clarified: This is engagement with Gujarat and Gujarat as a whole
and not with any single figure. I dont agree with your perception
that we are rehabilitating Mr. Modi This is what is meant by the
adage - to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.
Karanj riots: innocents also arrested
Ahmedabad: The riots that broke out on 3/10 during the protest
rally against the American film led the police to nab 60-70 persons
out of which many were those returning home following the bandh
call. Video footage showed their presence though not actually
involved in any act of arson.
The mob had set a police post on fire. An immediate suspect
Zarina Khan has been nabbed who was actually involved in a
crime in the past. She is alleged to have cheated hundreds of
poor persons in 2010-2012 in a loan scam. On the basis of her
call details the proprietor of the printing press who published
posters is also under interrogation. Police is also investigating the
people whom she had contacted on that day. Police is trying to
ascertain the political persons she had contacted a day prior to
the rally. Police is also trying to identify the printers and presses
which had published those posters. In addition, the financial sup-
port extended for such printing has also come under scrutiny.
Haj Committee chairman arrested in Surat
Surat: The sadbhavna show for Muslims reached its climax with
the arrest of Gujarat state Haj Committees chairman Mehboob Ali
on charge of a provocative speech. A complaint was lodged by
local people of Olpad town alleging that he gave a provocative
speech causing bitterness among two communities. A counter
complaint by Alis driver was also lodged for damaging govern-
ment property against the locals. The police began nabbing peo-
ple from both the sides. However, Mehboob Ali was not arrested
and the locals represented the matter to higher officials range I.G.
and D.S.P.
P.I. police N. S. Chaudhari apprised that Mehboob Ali who is
also the state president of BJP minority cell made a provocative
speech on 23 September and a case against him was registered
under sections 153 (A), 505 (2), 295 (A) I.P.C. and police had
been trying to trace him. Because of election duties the police
could not make a thorough search. On receiving information
through an informer that he would be visiting village Nabipur
(Bharoch distt.) police rushed to nab him and he was arrested.
In this context it may be recalled that there was a programme
of horse racing in which speculators had betted heavily about its
outcome. Hot exchange of words resulted in a feud. Mehboob Ali
became a party when he sharply criticised such action in a pro-
gramme held in a mosque. People of the same community got
divided in two hostile groups resulting in a police case. He was
later on released on a bail of Rs. ten thousand.
Malwa region turning into I.M. hotbed
Indore: Police claims to have made a breakthrough by solving the
mystery of three bank robberies that occurred in 2008-2010. A
sum of Rs. 80 lakhs was looted in these robberies. The gang,
according to police, comprised I.M. operatives. Two of these are
in Mumbai jail in connection with Ahmedabad blasts of 2008.
Disclosing this I. G. Anuradha Shankar apprised that a gang
led by I.M. operatives Mobin alias Takkar alias Faiyyaz and
Ameen Khan alias Anees alias Raja had conducted robberies at
Bank of Maharashtra (Rs. 58 lakh) on 12 December 2008 and
later on at Oriental Bank of Commerce (Rs. 16 lakh) on 4 January
2010 followed by Rs. 6 lakh loot at Bank of Baroda (Bengali chau-
raha) (all in Indore). An informer passed on the information that
one of the accused resembled one lodged in Arthur Road jail of
Mumbai. Ateam investigated the matter and identified the person.
Mobin is believed to be assisted by Ameen (Etawa U.P.), Jaspal
(Bareli - U.P.). Two persons have been nabbed from Uttarakhand
and U. P.
N.I.A. is busy probing links of terror suspects in Pune serial
blasts to the Malwa region. Six persons were detained in Beed
(Maharashtra). Information from Abu Jundal alias Abu Hamza
provided clues about the Malwa links - Burhanpur, Khandwa and
Indore. Abu Jundals links with Indore where SIMI were active are
being probed - Md. Abrar.
N.C.M. demands separate department for minority problems
Chennai: Vice Chairman of National Commission for Minorities,
H.D. Sangliana has made an appeal to all state governments to
constitute a special and separate department exclusively for solv-
ing the problems and difficulties of minorities so that their prob-
lems could be solved quickly. While talking to journalists he said
that in the particular case of Tamil Nadu, under the existing sys-
tem there is a secretary and a commissioner who work in differ-
ent departments and cannot devote themselves fully to problems
of minorities. He said that if a separate department or agency
exclusively for solving their problems is created it can fully dedi-
cate itself for this job and the difficulties can be solved easily and
in much less time. He further said that Sikkim is the only state in
India which has a special department for the problems of minori-
ties. He said that if there is a separate department, special pro-
grammes for students belonging to minority communities can be
fully implemented. He further said that ever since AIDMK govern-
ment has been formed in the state, many posts, including that of
Chairman of State Minorities Commission, are lying vacant,
adding that these posts should be filled up at the earliest so that
the commission could work full time for the welfare of and to solve
the problems of minorities.
EU divided over Modi
New Delhi: Inspite of Britains soft corner
towards Modi, Germany, a major constituent
of EU, has not indicated any kind of normali-
sation of relations. Ambassador Michael
Steiner said that his country shall not change
its stand on Modi. Others too would like to
wait till the elections are over. British news-
paper, Financial Times, still considers. Modi
a villain for his role in the 2002 carnage. Irrespective of Modis
election prospects, even if he becomes the prime minister, the
blot shall continue on his image.
A two-day seminar on Ruju Ila al-Quran (Return to the Quran)
was organised by the Idarah Ulum al- Quran at Aligarh on 21-22
October. It started with a welcome address by Prof. Ishtiyaq
Ahmad Zilli and introductory remarks by Prof. Abdul Azim Islahi,
chairman and secretary of the
Idarah respectively. Keynote
address was delivered by the
distinguished scholar Maulana
Muhammad Yusuf Islahi while
the Presidential address was
delivered by the renowned
scholar Prof. Muhammad
Nejatullah Siddiqi.
During the inaugural session,
two new publications of the
Idarah, Qurani Maqalat, edit-
ed by Prof. Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli
and Qurani Afkar wa Talimat
aur Maujoodah daur mein un ki
manawiyat, authored by Prof.
Zafarul Islam Islahi were released. Prizes were also distributed
to the winners of the Essay Writing Competition organised by the
Idarah on some important Quranic topics.
Over five business sessions of the Seminar, 25 papers were pre-
sented on different aspects of the main theme. All business ses-
sions were well-attended and each paper presentation was fol-
lowed by lively discussions. The contributors of the papers in the
Seminar included scholars and researchers from different
departments of AMU Idarah Tahqiq-o-Tasnif-i- Islami, Aligarh,
Idarah Ilm-o- Adab, Aligarh, Dar al-Shariah, Dubai, Jamia
Darussalam Umarabad, Jamia Islamia Shantapuram, Osmania
University, Hyderabad,
Pharos Educational
Foundation, Mumbai,
Lucknow University,
Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow,
Madrasatul Islah Sarai
Mir,Jamiatul Falah
Bilaryaganj, and Tasnifi
Academy, New Delhi.
Speakers in the programme
emphasised on the fact that
in the present scenario the
need of turning to the Holy
Quran and seeking guid-
ance from this Greatest
Book is ever increasing day
by day. They also stressed the point that it is more important to
put into practice the teachings of the Quran in all walks of life
and to demonstrate its human and moral values in daily life, so
that its message may be appealing to the people in general.
Another important point focused on in the Seminar was that easy
language and simple style should be adopted for transmitting the
message of the Quran to the people.
Two-day Seminar on Quran
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 15
COMMUNITY NEWS
Behind-the-curtain talks on Babri
Ayodhya: Negotiations are believed to have reached a crucial
stage in which the two sides of local Hindus and Muslims seem
to have arrived at a solution. Closed door parleys going on for the
last two years under the supervision of Justice Palok Basu, for-
mer Judge of Allahabad High Court, have arrived at a settle-
ment in which the 1/3 portion allotted to the Muslims by the
Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court shall be developed as a
garden. Ram mandir will be constructed in the garbha griha while
a mosque will be built at a place acquired near Yusuf Ara-
machine. The proposal is to be sent to the UP state government
through the divisional commissioner. After the state governments
approval, it will be communicated to the Apex Court. However,
VHP and sants have strongly opposed this move. They claim the
two groups reaching a settlement do not have mass backing and
do not represent the two communities. Uma Bharati is reported to
have said that she would commit suicide if this kind of settlement
is finalised.
Urdu being taught to Hindi & English journos
New Delhi: With the efforts of Delhi Urdu Academy and wishes
and interest shown by the Press Club of India, arrangements
have been made for the teaching of Urdu to journalists of Hindi,
English and other languages of the country at the Press Club
premises. Urdu classes were inaugurated on 14 October
evening. Initially, 38 senior and other journalists had filled up the
admission forms. In the inaugural function journalists of different
Indian language newspapers and important T. V. channels from
all over the country and officers of the Club were present. After
the inauguration of the programme by the Clubs secretary Anil
Anand, Suhail Hashmi (probably one of the tutors) while categor-
ically contradicting the erroneous belief that Urdu is the language
of Muslims only, said that important names among the founders
of Urdu are, in fact, those of Hindus. Not only this but among the
first Urdu publishers, Munshi Naval Kishore Sharma tops the list.
Urdu Academy secretary Anees Azmi speaking on the impor-
tance and utility of the Urdu course said Urdu is working for
strengthening and promoting secularism, and if Urdu is sup-
pressed, secularism will also be weakened. Hence it is essential
to understand the importance of this language which is not only
the language of literature but also the language of mutual contact
all over the country.
New Court rep to probe illegal constructions in Jama Masjid
New Delhi: Delhi High Courts Justice Rajiv Shakdher appointed
another court commissioner, advocate Saqib on 15 October to
investigate the alleged constructions within and outside Delhis
Jama Masjid in its complex by Imam Maulana Ahmad Bukhari.
The appointment of new commissioner or representative was
necessitated because the courts representative appointed earli-
er, Delhi governments counsel Najmi (or Nazim) Waziri had
requested that he be excused from this job. He was also asked
by Justice Shakder in his order that he should visit the Jama
Masjid along with M.C.D. officials and police force and if illegal
constructions are found, these should be demolished. It was
probably because of his unwillingness to get these structures, if
any, demolished that he had requested the court to be excused.
Justice Shakdher asked Saqib to visit the Jama Masjid to verify
the complaints of unauthorised constructions and submit a status
report in two weeks. This matter will come up in the court for
hearing on 18 December. Justice Shakdher in his order said that
if he (Saqib) finds some hindrance or difficulty in his assignment
police help, if needed, will be provided.
Justice Shakdhers order for investigation is in response to a
petition filed by one Suhail Ahmad Khan who had complained
that Imam Bukhari and his brothers had built some illegal struc-
tures in March and April and also encroached on government
land adjacent to Jama Masjid. Suhail Khan had also requested in
his petition to the court that legal action should be taken against
Maulana Bukhari for building unauthorised structures and that he
should also be stopped immediately from undertaking any other
construction/s.
Present day Gujarat in no way a secular state
New Delhi: Prof. Romila Thaper, prominent historian while speak-
ing on Gujarat: from 2002 to 2012 at a seminar / workshop joint-
ly organised by Jamia Millia Islamia, N.G.O. SAHMAT and Teesta
Setalvad at M. F. Husain Art Gallery of Jamia Millia said that
whatever happened in Gujarat in 2002 is the worst example of
fascism and genocide where a particular community was target-
ted. She said that contrary to the assurances gives to the people
after Independence in 1947 that now there will be no genocides
here (in India), massacres have repeatedly taken place in India
and massacres of 1984 and 2002 will never be forgotten in India
history. She further said that in view of whatever is happening in
Gujarat for the past ten years, it would be correct to say that at
present Gujarat is not a secular state from any angle. She said
that those who have shed the blood of innocent people should be
given exemplary punishment.
Earlier, Teesta Setalvad speaking on this occasion briefly
explained the aims and objectives of this seminar and said that
whatever had happened in Gujarat cannot even be imagined.
She said that now it is our responsibility to try to ensure that not
only in Gujarat but throughout the country such incidents should
never take place. Another speaker, P. Agarwal said while speak-
ing in this seminar that the problem is not only of 2002 Gujarat
riots but of the whole country where communalism is being
spread and communal mindset is being prepared.
In this seminar many survivors of Gujarat riots had also come
who narrated their own horrible experiences. Jamias Vice
Chancellor Najeeb Jung while welcoming the guest speakers and
survivors of 2002 riots said that he salutes Teesta Setalvad and
those leaders and police officers who are fighting for justice to the
victims for the past 10 years. Others who also spoke and
expressed their views on this occasion included M. Manglik,
F. Gonsalvis, Prof. Anusha Rizvi, A. Vishwas etc. Some of those
who had somehow survived those riots said that Teesta Setalvad
has made arrangements of our security and has assured us that
no harm will come to us. After the seminar candles were lit out-
side the Art Gallery in memoriam of those killed in the 2002 riots
and their deaths were condoled.
Gujarat HC finds minority welfare schemes discriminatory
Ahmedabad: A division bench of Gujarat High Court consisting of
Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J. B. Pardiwala
in response to a PIL petition, ruled that the government cannot
give monetary benefits to a community on the basis of religion
because such a move clearly discriminates against a citizen on
religious ground. The honourable judges made this observation
in response to the petition referred to a larger bench to decide
whether central government scheme under which pre-matricula-
tion scholarships are given to minority students are in violation of
the constitution. The Bench ruled that this scheme violates the
constitutional provision of equality before the law because there
cannot be scope for giving monetary benefits based on religion.
The petitioner had stated in his petition that the central govern-
ment had introduced this scheme for the uplift of students
belonging to minority community but the Gujarat government did
not implement it on the ground that it cannot give this benefit on
the basis of religion and because of state governments attitude
minority students of Gujarat are being deprived of the benefits of
this scheme of the central government. Central government also
had supported this petition and had requested the court that state
government should be directed to implement this scheme, which
it is opposing. It may be stated that under this scheme the cen-
tral government gives 75 percent of the scholarship amounts to
pre-matric students belonging to minority communities whose
parents salaries are less than Rs. one lakh per annum and the
remaining i.e. 25% amount is given by state governments.
Ketan Tirodkar likely to become crown witness
Ahmedabad: Sadiq Jamal encounter investigation is likely to take
a new turn with Ketan Tirodkar, the journalist released on bail,
proposing to make a statement under section 164. It may be
recalled that following Ketans arrest in July Gujarat police
encounter specialist Tarun Barot was arrested and sent behind
bars. It is believed that during his remand Ketan expressed a
desire that his statement be recorded by a magistrate in
Sabarmati jail in which he disclosed facts about the fake
encounter. The special CBI court released Ketan on bail and
speculations are rife that he might become a crown witness
which will create a lot of hardships for police officers of Gujarat
and Maharashtra.
Jamia VCs advice to Deoband and Nadwa on modern edu
New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamias Vice Chancellor Najib Jung
advised Darul Uloom Deoband and Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow,
to introduce and promote modern education in their respective
institutions. He said that these two educational institutions have
failed in adopting and providing modern education to their stu-
dents. Speaking about the progress of Muslims over many cen-
turies and the progress of these institutions themselves he said
that the historical institution at Deoband in the past was well-
known for its progressive views, its students and teachers had
taken active part in the freedom movement of the country but in
subsequent years this institution failed in adopting and following
modern views and thoughts. He said that both Darul Uloom
Deoband and Lucknows Nadwatul Ulama were symbols of free-
dom and resistance against the British government but unfortu-
nately these institutions today have become simply shadows of
their past where Islamic education no doubt is being imparted to
students but very little of modern education is being provided with
the result that these institutions are not preparing their students
for the modern worlds challenges. Emphasising the great need
of modern education in these institutions, he said that with mod-
ern education the students of these institutions would be famil-
iarised with progressive ideas. He said that he will pray to God
and hope that these institutions will become modern institutions
and will lead and guide students of the present generation.
Reacting to Jungs views, Darul Uloom Deobands Rector,
Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani said that Darul Uloom is a historical
institution whose basic objective was and is imparting and pro-
moting religious knowledge. No institution and movement can
succeed after deviating from its fundamental objectives. He said
that the great scholar of Darul Uloom, Shaikhul Hind Mahmood
Hasan had set up Jamia Millia Islamia so that along with modern
education religious education too may be promoted there but
Jamia has now deviated from its primary objective and has
become a means of earning bread and livelihood only and irreli-
giousity has now become the norm there. He added that employ-
ment is not a problem for the graduates of Darul Uloom Deoband.
Not even one percent students passing out from this institution
are unemployed whereas those passing out from JMI and other
universities are unemployed and disappointed. He said that the
truth is that Darul Uloom Deoband while adhering to its basic
objectives is capable of keeping abreast of the times and moving
forward. He said that introduction and incorporation of modern
subjects and sciences in its syllabus is not difficult but the aims
and objectives of this institution cannot be ignored. He said that
the history of its glorious tradition and national and milli services
rendered by it have no comparison with any other institution. He
said that partial arrangements for modern education are found in
Darul Uloom which include computer education, English, Hindi,
journalism, arts and crafts etc.
New Delhi: K. Rahman Khan, new Union minister for minorities
affairs said while talking to mediapersons at C.G.O. Complex
after taking over his new charge that he would work 24 hours a
day and seven days a week for the welfare and progress of
minorities and that he would do every thing possible to achieve
the objectives for which this ministry was formed. He said that
he knew what the government and people expect from him and
coming up to their expections was a big challenge for me,
adding that problems of minorities (Muslims) like education,
safety and security, reservation, employment, improving their
economic condition and arrest of innocent Muslims would be
solved at the technical level. It may be stated that minority affairs
ministry was first set up in 2006 with A. R. Antulay as full time
minister but neither this ministry was given much importance nor
minister Antulay had had time for problems of minorities. After
him the charge of this ministry was given to Salman Khurshid
but he was given the charge of another ministry also. Hence he
could not devote full time for their problems.
Realising the need for a full time and dynamic minister for
looking after minorities problems the charge was given to
Dr. Rahman Khan who is very well aware of the problems which
minorities, particularly Muslims, are facing. Therefore, immedi-
ately after taking over the charge, he made it known that he
would give priority to their security, development, education,
economic empowerment, employment, reservation and so forth.
He said that there are so many problems of minorities (Muslims)
in the country that the government has now constituted a full
fledged ministry with a minister to devote full time for this. He
said it is the same government which had set up a committee
headed by Justice Rajinder Sachar to assess the true educa-
tional, economic and social condition of Muslims. This
Committee, after reviewing their true position submitted its
report along with its recommendations for improving overall con-
dition of Muslims which was his duty now to ensure its imple-
mentation.
He said that in districts which have sizeable population of
Muslims welfare and development work was being undertaken
under multi-sectoral development plan (MSDP); scholarships
also were being given for promotion of education but would
would take this scheme to the ground level and will set up edu-
cational institutions at universities level with private and public
participation. In reply to a question he said that the most impor-
tant work of his ministry was to coordinate with other ministries
and see in which ministries welfare activities and work was
being done for minorities and how these can be improved to
achieve better results. In reply to a question about communal
riots he said that the responsibility of tackling communal riots
was not of minorities affairs ministry but of central and state gov-
ernments. About prevention of communal violence bill he said
that it was under consideration of Standing Committee and they
shall try to get it passed (by Parliament) at the earliest.
Two separate delegations, one led by Tariq Siddiqi, Director
of Delhi Minorities Financial Development Corporation, and the
other led by Saif Naqvi, General Secretary of All India Minority
Welfare Society met the minister. Leader of the other delegation
Saif Naqvi told him that the problem of security of Muslims, in
view of the fact that security agencies and ATS people arrest
Muslims merely on suspicion and without any proof and keep
them in jails for years treating them mercilessly, needs to be
tackled on priority basis. He urged him to try to get a law passed
that after the honourable release of innocent Muslims by courts
good compensations should be given to them. They also drew
his attention to Art 341 which discriminates between Hindus,
Sikhs, Buddhists etc. on the one hand and Muslims and
Christians on the other hand for the purpose of reservation.
Rahman Khan told them that he was well aware of all the
problems and difficulties of Muslims and assured them that
his ministry would not do any thing that was harmful to them
or against their interests. Regarding O.B.C. reservation he
said that he plans to get a survey conducted on the pattern of
Karnataka and in the light of statistics arrived at, their stand
will be presented in the court convincingly. Regarding the
dangers faced by Muslims from security agencies and their
witch hunt, he said that he had spoken to many leaders about
the problem and would try to see that these talks are mean-
ingful. Regarding Art. 341 he said that he would talk to con-
cerned authorities so as to solve this problem at the earliest.
(NAAnsari)
Rahman Khan to work full time for the
progress of minorities
INTERNATIONAL
16 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
The roots of Muslim discontent
FB ALI
The recent protests in the Muslim world against the United States
(including many violent ones) on account of an amateur film have
once again raised the issue of the causes behind such strong
reactions, and what can be done to avoid them. While such delib-
erations are doubtless occurring behind the closed doors of poli-
cy-making chambers, comment has also proliferated in the media
and in think-tanks. The actions recommended range all the way
from acting tough to being more sensitive to the sensibilities of
other cultures. However, the first step in any sensible policy-mak-
ing or intelligent debate and comment should be to understand
the causes underlying the problem.
There are some 1.7 billion Muslims in the world. Their home-
lands stretch all the way from the Atlantic across Central and
North Africa to the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, and on
to the Indonesian islands in the Pacific. They encompass many
different races and nationalities, and speak many languages. But
beneath this vast diversity they share certain common features
that make them a single community, especially in their own view.
The first of these common features among the worlds
Muslims is their allegiance to Islam. The religion Muslims practice
in different regions often varies in details of ritual and even of
dogma, but what is common to them all is their commitment to the
ideals of Islam, as well as their avowal of the fundamental tenets
of the faith that include certain core beliefs and practices.
A second common feature is their shared cultural base. While
the culture of Muslims in different parts of the world varies based
on their historical environment and the way it has developed, all
these cultures share the same bedrock of certain traits derived
from what might be called Muslim culture. This has descended
from the earliest Muslims and is heavily tinged with their Bedouin
culture, fostering such personal traits as individualism, self-
respect bordering on touchiness, courage and fortitude,
endurance, generosity and hospitality. This basic culture also
encourages such collective values as loyalty to the group, sacri-
fice to preserve the group and its honour, and conservatism.
A third common feature is their recognition of Muslims
throughout the world as one community (the Ummah). For them
this is not just a figure of speech, or even an intellectual position,
but a deeply felt belief. Every Muslim feels himself to be part of
this community, and thus connected to each of its members, wher-
ever they may live. Good or ill fortune befalling any part of the
community is felt by other Muslims as if it had happened to them
or their family.
A fourth common feature among Muslims worldwide is their
antipathy to the West. This has nothing to do with the dictates of
their religion (as some with vested interests would like people to
believe), but is rooted in their history, specifically their feeling of
having always been at war with, or under attack by, the West.
These wars began soon after the rise of Islam with the conflict
with the Byzantine Empire that lasted from the 7th to the 11th cen-
turies. There followed the successive Crusades against the
Muslims during the 12th and 13th centuries, while the destruction
of the Muslim states in Spain in the Reconquista went on from the
8th to the 15th centuries. The 14th and 15th centuries saw the
wars between Europe and the Ottoman Empire. From the 17th
century the era of European colonialism bloomed and most of the
Muslim world was taken over and brought under Western rule,
remaining under subjugation well into the 20th century.
While the details of these earlier conflicts are known only to
the educated, they reside in the collective memory that colours the
attitudes of succeeding generations. However, several genera-
tions of Muslims now living have personally experienced the eras
of colonialism and/or post-colonialism. Those who lived through
the former not only experienced the humiliation of living under for-
eign rule but also felt their culture to be under attack. The ending
of colonial rule often exacerbated old wounds. The botched han-
dover of power by the British in the partitioned Indian subcontinent
led to horrendous killings and displacements. In Algeria about a
million Algerians died in the war to oust the French. After the
Second World War the Dutch waged war for several years against
the people of Indonesia in an attempt to re-establish their colonial
rule.
In the post-colonial era Muslim countries found themselves
caught up in the Cold War, unwilling pawns in what they saw as a
Western conflict. Their leaders were often manipulated by the
West to serve its own interests, while they neglected the welfare
of their own people. The few who tried to assert their independ-
ence were slapped down (like Nasser in Egypt and Mossadeq in
Iran). Meanwhile, Muslims were still under attack. The Israelis,
with Western backing, took over Palestinian lands, and then
thanks to blind western support defeated the Arabs in successive
wars, taking over more of their lands. The Soviet Union decimat-
ed Afghanistan (and, later, Chechnya). Then came George Bushs
Great War on Terror which destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan
(again!) with the death and displacement of hundreds of thou-
sands of innocent Muslims. In addition, the recent development of
worldwide communications has unleashed what many Muslims
regard as an assault on their culture and its values by Western
culture, a battle in which they are losing many of their young peo-
ple.
It is this sense of conflict with the West and aggression by it
against Muslims for centuries that underlies the almost universal
antipathy felt towards it by Muslims. The United States, as the cur-
rent leader of the Western world, now attracts to itself this suspi-
cion and animosity, solidified by its wars in Iraq, Afghanistan,
Yemen, Somalia and Pakistans tribal areas, and its military and
economic dominance of many Muslim lands. (Many Americans
who have had dealings with Muslims might be surprised to read
of this general sense of animosity because they have not encoun-
tered it in their personal interactions with individual Muslims. The
reason for this is that the average Muslim that Americans are like-
ly to encounter is usually discerning enough not to blame individ-
ual Americans for the policies and actions of their government,
and interacts with them mainly on the basis of their personal attrib-
utes and attitudes).
This latent hostility makes it easy for political and religious
leaders in the Muslim world, if it serves some purpose of theirs, to
arouse people against the US and the West. They can do this
using even relatively flimsy reasons, but need no excuse when
the triggering event is an attack, actual or alleged, against the
Prophet of Islam. In fact, in such cases, they have to line up
behind the aroused populace to avoid being accused of indiffer-
ence. People in the West are generally puzzled by the extreme
sensitivity displayed by Muslims on this particular issue, and it is
worth explaining.
The Prophet plays a special role in Muslim consciousness.
Since the laws and details of their religion, as well as the essen-
tials of their culture, are largely based on the Hadith (the reported
actions and sayings of the Prophet), he plays a pivotal role in their
sense of the religion, personifying it as its perfect practitioner. To
attack him is to attack the foundation of their religion.
Islam is an austere religion and so is its culture; it has no
pegs to which its followers can attach their emotions. Unlike other
religions it has no revered
saints and martyrs, no resplen-
dent popes and bishops, no
ornate churches and temples,
no elaborate rituals and servic-
es, no hymns and sacred
music, no pomp and ceremony,
nothing that can engage the
emotions of its followers. The
one exception is the Prophet.
He is the only entity in Islam
that evokes an emotional
response in all Muslims. The
uniqueness of this emotion
adds to its power. To demean
and ridicule the Prophet is to
strike at the emotional core of
being of every Muslim. It is an
attack on their sense of identity,
on who they are, on the very
basis of their existence. (The dynamics at work here are similar to
those that cause denial of the Holocaust to be such an extremely
sensitive issue for Jewish people. Both are existential issues).
The United States, as the principal power in the world, with its
global interests and reach, needs to develop a viable policy of
dealing with the Muslim world. Its policy makers (and their sup-
porting cast of numerous advisors, think-tanks specialists and
experts, and media commentators) need to first understand what
they are dealing with, how the vast majority of Muslims think and
feel, what matters to them and why. Without policies based on
such a sound understanding the US will continue to encounter the
problems and crises that have so far marked its dealings with the
Muslim world.
The author is a retired Pakistani officer now settled in Canada
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In the post-colonial era Muslim countries found themselves caught up in the Cold War,
unwilling pawns in what they saw as a Western conflict. Their leaders were often manipulated by
the West to serve its own interests, while they neglected the welfare of their own people. The
few who tried to assert their independence were slapped down (like Nasser in Egypt and
Mossadeq in Iran). Meanwhile, Muslims were still under attack. The Israelis, with Western back-
ing, took over Palestinian lands, and then thanks to blind western support defeated the Arabs in
successive wars, taking over more of their lands...
When justice is tempered with mercy
An Indonesian judge by the name of Marzuki was sitting in judgment of an old lady who pleaded
guilty of stealing some tapioca from a plantation. In her defense, she admitted to the judge that she
was indeed guilty of the crime because she was poor and her son was sick while her grandchild was
hungry.
The plantation manager insisted that she be punished as a deterrent to others. The judge going
through the documents then looked up and said to the old lady, Im sorry but I cannot make any
exception to the law and you must be punished. The old lady was fined Rp. 1 million (USD 100)
and if she could not pay the fine then she will be jailed for 2 and a half years as demanded by the
law.
She wept as she could not pay the fine. The judge then took off his hat and put in Rp. 1 million
into the hat and said In the name of justice, I fine all who are in the court Rp. 50 thousand (USD
5.50) as dwellers of this city for letting a child to starve until her grandmother has to steal to feed
her grandchild. The registrar will now collect the fines from all present. The court managed to col-
lect Rp 3.5 million (USD 200) whereby once the fine was paid off, the rest was given to the old lady
including the fine collected from the plantation manager.
Israel PM repentant as
Obama re-elected
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has moved quickly to
mend fences with the White House after President Barack
Obama was re-elected to office for another four years.
Wednesday, 7 November, was not a good morning for
Netanyahu, as one of his deputies Eli Yishai of the religious
Shas Party said, when results showed that Bibis friend Mitt
Romney had lost the presidential race.
Netanyahu had at times confronted Obama or even tried to
undermine him by making direct relations with the Republican-
dominated, Israel-friendly Congress and during the election cam-
paigning, had driven Obama into a tight corner by challenging his
positions about Irans nuclear energy program and the recent
developments in the Arab world.
On Wednesday, however, the prime minister invited the US
ambassador to Tel Aviv to his office to give his painful congratu-
lations and issued a statement describing the bond between the
US and Israel as rock solid. He also instructed his Likud Party
leaders to omit any criticism of Obama in their congratulatory
messages.
Given what Netanyahu had done these recent months, the
question is: Does our prime minister still have a friend in the
White House? I am not certain of this, and this might be very sig-
nificant to us at critical points, former PM Ehud Olmert asked.
Netanyahu faces a harsh battle at home as the snap elec-
tions slated for January 22 approach. His Minister for Military
Affairs Ehud Barak, the leader of Independence Party, in recent
months decided to side with the US over the issue of Irans
nuclear energy program after a long sharing of a bellicose stance
against Iran with the premier.
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 17
INTERNATIONAL
CHARITY ALLIANCE, with the active support of MG and like-minded people, is helping the victims of starvation in
Murshidabad since April 2005. More tasks are being undertaken in some of the most deserving areas and most backward
sections of our community. This charitable trust is channelising this long-felt effort. Almost every paisa is reaching the
deserving people as MG is providing office and administrative facilities free of cost as well as free advertising space, and
the trustees are barred by the trust deed from receiving any remuneration for their work and time.
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Following are pages from MAHDI DARIUS NAZEMROAYAs just
published book, THE GLOBALIZATION OF NATO (Clarity
Press):
...The tragic 9/11 attacks were the start of a seismic change for
the Levant. A tectonic shift began pushing the borders of the
Euro-Atlantic Zone further into the Middle East from its frontier in
the Mediterranean Sea. The first step was the creation of
Operation Active Endeavour, which saw NATO permanently
deploy itself in the Eastern Mediterranean with a naval armada
facing the Levantine coast. Iraq, to the east of the Levant, would
fall after the Anglo-American invasion in 2003 that had various
forms of NATO involvement. The Levant with NATOs Israeli out-
post as a center of influence would become the next Atlanticist
target for expansion under the guidelines of the Pentagons mili-
tary roadmap to encircle and penetrate Eurasia.
The Pentagon War Plans for Lebanon and Syria
In January 2001, eight months before 9/11, according to Daniel
Sobelman, a correspondent for Israels Haaretz, the US govern-
ment warned Lebanon that the US was planning on going after
Hezbollah. Hezbollah had just defeated the Israelis in 2000, forc-
ing Tel Aviv to end its eighteen-year occupation of the southern-
most area of Lebanon. The US threats directed at Lebanon were
made at the start of the presidential term of George W. Bush, Jr.,
eight months before the events of September 11, 2001.
The Global War on Terror was not a plan drafted after the
9/11 attacks, but had been preconceived by US officials for reign-
ing in the broader Middle East. The blueprints for the Bush Jr.
Administrations assaults were actually written under the Clinton
Administration. The fight against international terrorism was
merely a cover under which these plans were launched targeting
the central theatre of Eurasia-hence the CENTO (Central Treaty
Organization) and CENTCOM acronyms- manned by a group of
predominately Muslim and Arab state and non-state holdouts and
opponents of US influence and penetration.
After Afghanistan and Iraq the US and its allies were set on
targeting Lebanon and Syria as Wesley Clark, the former
supreme commander of NATO, has publicly admitted. In Clarks
own words he was told: Were going to take out seven countries
in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya,
Somalia, Sudan, and, finishing off, Iran.1
Another former supreme commander of NATO, Alexander
Haig, Jr., would argue for an attack on the Levant, specifically
Syria, before Iraq in 2002 and after the invasion of Taliban-con-
trolled Afghanistan.2
Also in 2002, Pentagon advisor Richard Perle would casual-
ly tell a panel of Canadian international affairs experts in a guest
appearance on TV Ontarios Diplomatic Immunity that after
Afghanistan the US was planning to go to war with Iraq, Lebanon,
Syria, and Iran.
The Pentagon began preparing for a potential invasion of
Syria in 2003 while its tanks were still rolling through Baghdad
and other Iraqi cities. The US Congress would also pass the
Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
to open the door for operations in Syria and Lebanon. The
Guardian reported on April 15, 2003:
[US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld ordered] contingency
plans for a war on Syria to be reviewed following the fall of
Baghdad.
Meanwhile, his undersecretary for policy, Doug Feith, and
William Luti, the head of the Pentagons office of special plans,
were asked to put together a briefing paper on the case for war
against Syria, outlining its role in supplying weapons to Saddam
Hussein, its links with Middle East terrorist groups and its
allegedly advanced chemical weapons programme. Mr. Feith and
Mr. Luti were both instrumental in persuading the White House to
go to war in Iraq.
Mr. Feith and other conservatives now playing important
roles in the Bush administration, advised the Israeli government
in 1996 that it could shape its strategic environment... by weak-
ening, containing and even rolling back Syria.3
The plans for Pentagon operations against the Syrians were
referred to as phase three of the Global War on Terror by the
White House, which logically meant Afghanistan was the first
phase of the war and Iraq the second.4
Let us pause to analyze the meaning of the White Houses
terminology and the clear link US officials were making between
the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on the one hand and a potential
invasion of Syria on the other. The way the White House linked
these countries is an admission that the Global War on Terror is
simply a campaign of conquest. If the actual reasons for the inva-
sions were different as seemed to be the case by the official
casus belli, how could they be phases in the same war?
Soon after the buzz about US tanks rolling into Damascus
began the Iranians would step into the arena. Iranian President
Mohammed Khatami visited Lebanon on a landmark visit in May
2003 marking Israels 2000 defeat in Lebanon, to show Tehrans
commitment to all its allies in the Levant. Iranian officials would
send repeated messages to the US that Tehran would not toler-
ate an attack on itself and its Levantine allies, which the
Pentagon took seriously. Rear-Admirial Ali Shamkhani, the
defence minister of Iran, gave an interview to Al Jazeera in
August 2004 that explained why the Pentagon was cautious
about launching an attack in the Levant. Shamkhani pointed out
that US troops occupying Irans neighbours did not give
Washington the upper hand; on the contrary US and NATO
forces would literally become Tehrans prisoners or hostages as
he put it. He also explained that insofar as Tel Aviv and
Washington were working in tandem, any attack launched from
Israel would not be viewed as an isolated act. Shamkhani warned
that Iran could regionally engage the US militarily anywhere:
America is not the only one present in the region. We are pres-
ent, from Khost to Kandahar in Afghanistan. We are present in
the Persian Gulf and we can be present in Iraq.5
In addition to Irans capabilities of intervening in Afghanistan
and Iraq, Tehrans ballistic missiles-that could reach Israel and all
the Pentagons bases in the Middle East-made Washington sus-
pend its ideas of direct attacks.
Thus the plans for attacking Syria were delayed due to a
combination of the international fallout caused by the widely
opposed invasion of Iraq, lack of credible pretexts at the time,
fears of Iranian intervention, and caution about jeopardizing
Israeli security. Iranian officials also said they could halt their oil
exports to hurt Israels NATO allies if an attack on Syria was
launched. The system of alliances that tied Beirut and Damascus
to Tehran and by extension to Beijing and Moscow did not make
an attack on either Lebanon or Syria by the Pentagon and NATO
feasible either.
Neither the US nor NATO were ready for the consequences
of a direct attack. It was felt that Israel, which all along had want-
ed the US and NATO to conduct the operations, would have to
play a role in the invasions. The Pentagon transferred responsi-
bility for Lebanon and Syria from United States European
Command (EUCOM) to United States Central Command (CENT-
COM) on March 10, 2004-leaving Israel in EUCOMs area of
responsibility (AOR) under the watch of NATOs supreme com-
mander...
The writer is an interdisciplinary sociologist, award-winning author, and
noted geopolitical analyst. He is a researcher at the Centre for Research
on Globalization in Montral, Canada
Nato and the Middle East
The Global War on Terror
was not a plan drafted after
the 9/11 attacks, but had
been preconceived by US
officials for reigning in the
broader Middle East. The
blueprints for the Bush Jr.
Administrations assaults
were actually written under
the Clinton Administration.
The fight against interna-
tional terrorism was merely
a cover under which these
plans were launched targeting the central theatre of
Eurasia-hence the CENTO (Central Treaty
Organization) and CENTCOM acronyms- manned by
a group of predominately Muslim and Arab state and
non-state holdouts and opponents of US influence
and penetration.
Israel our number one enemy: Sudan
Sudans President Omar al-Bashir on 8 Nov. called Israel the
countrys number one enemy and repeated Khartoums asser-
tion that Tel Aviv carried out an October airstrike on an arms
factory in the Sudanese capital. Israel is our enemy, our num-
ber one enemy, and we will continue calling Israel our enemy,
he said in Riyadh where he has received medical treatment. On
October 24, Sudans Minister of Information Ahmed Bilal
Osman said that four Israeli warplanes attacked the factory,
killing at least two people. Hundreds of Sudanese staged a
demonstration in Khartoum on the same day to condemn the
strike. Sudan has also asked the United Nations Security
Council to condemn Israel for violating the countrys sovereign-
ty and bombing the factory, but the 15-member council has so
far failed to take any action. The terrorist regime in Tel Aviv has
refused to comment on the incident. Israeli Minister for Military
Affairs Ehud Barak has said that there is nothing I can say
about this subject. Israel has committed dozens of such terror-
ist attacks outside it borders.
INTERNATIONAL
18 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
K_K_ghori@yahoo.com
As these lines are being written, on the
eve of the voting day, November 6,
Americans are just hours away from re-
electing Barack Obama or electing his
rival, Mitt Romney, to the most powerful
office in the world.
The American presidential election
holds a uniquely distinct place in the
annals of our contemporary world. Why
its so is no mystery. US is the most powerful country in the world,
and its policies-domestic or external-not only influence the course
of its history but also impact the course of history in the rest of the
world. The election of a president-or his re-election-therefore
becomes an event of global importance.
As the world has its eyes glued to US to see which one of the
two political combatants finally makes it to the White House, its a
moment to not only hold ones breath but also to take stock of
what the two candidates have said during a long and bitterly con-
tested campaign, and how could one draw inferences for the
impending course of US policies in the world, in the light of what
these two have said or projected in the course of their campaigns.
Political pundits are at one that this presidential election is
going to establish a new -and potentially dangerous-landmark in
terms of money spent by the two candidates to campaign and
project themselves. Conservative estimates put the amount of
money splurged on the contest at more than 2 billion dollars. Add
the money spent by those running for the Senate, the House of
Representatives and Governors, and the figure climbs up to more
than 5 billion dollars-an exorbitant sum even by American stan-
dards.
The surfeit of money has made it convenient for both candi-
dates to buy huge amounts of time on television for their projec-
tion and for lambasting the rival in what has been a free-for-all
campaign in terms of the venom injected in it to portray the other
party in most vile and vituperative colours. Both Obama and
Romney have spent more time on decrying each other than on
focusing their attention-and that of the American people-on
issues that matter, in so far as shaping American policies at home
and abroad is concerned.
The bitter and rancorous campaign-pundits agree-has
brought to surface much of that hatred and animosity which has
been working into the American minds the past 4 years of the
Obama presidency. Recent surveys, made public as the presi-
dential campaign unfolded and gathered more and more mass,
all converge on one highly disturbing point: that fault lines-of
racial prejudice, of colour distinction et al-running across the
American strata have accentuated greatly in the 4 years that
Obama has been in the White House. US, today, is a more
sharply divided country than ever before, according to public
opinion surveys and researches done on the subject.
Race seems to have become a dominant theme in the
American discourse; the raison detre of it, the so-called catalyst
of this evolving trend, is, of course, the coloured man occupying
the White House. The racial polarity-increased as it is in the past
years-could well influence the outcome of the vote, on November
6, according to many pundits and academics.
It was said, in the euphoria triggered by Barack Obamas
election to the White House, in 2008, that it was going to usher in
a post-racist era in US. That clearly hasnt happened. The out-
come of a coloured mans occupation of the Oval Office has just
been the opposite: it hasnt added to harmony but fed the para-
noia of the racist bigots against black people.
A study done by researchers at Stanford University,
University of Chicago and University of Michigan-and commis-
sioned by the Associated Press on the racial issue has just been
released and its findings make a disturbing reading. The research
found that Anti-black sentiment seems to have increased slight-
ly in America over the course of Mr. Obamas term and this sen-
timent may be shaping evaluations of (his) presidency as well as
the likelihood that individuals will vote for him in 2012.
Another recent survey, done of the Internet to gauge the sen-
timent across US on attitudes towards black people, reached the
finding that 51 % of Americans expressed explicit anti-black atti-
tudes. A similar study done in 2008, on the other hand, had found
48 % of White Americans harbouring racist attitudes against the
blacks. So Obamas 4 years in the White House have, obviously,
contributed to exacerbating racial prejudice across the country
against the blacks.
However, American racists and bigots dont just harbour anti-
black sentiments associated with Obama but also a deep hatred
of Muslims.
Obamas loud and vociferous protestations-repeated ad nau-
seam by him over the last 4 years-that he is not a Muslim but a
practising Christian have apparently had no impact on the racists.
A recent Pew Poll found that only 49 %of American voters-less
than half of the total-know that Obama is Christian, while 17 %
believe hes a Muslim, in spite of his own protestations to the con-
trary. Among those professing to be Republican, 30 % believe
Obama is a Muslim; this is double the number from 2008, accord-
ing to the Pew findings.
Bracketing Obama with Muslims-and on the basis of hat
unleashing a vitriolic campaign against him and his alleged faith
or beliefs-is part of a wider anti-Muslim hate campaign in US.
According to an up-to-date finding by the Southern Poverty Law
Centre, which tracks extremism in US, anti-Muslim hate groups
have tripled to 30 in 2012, from 10 in 2011. This should be an
eye-opener to not only American Muslims but Muslims all over the
world. It proves, beyond doubt, that anti-Muslim sentiment-given
a hefty boost since the cataclysmic 9/11-is dictating a course that
fulfils the prophecy of a clash of civilizations focused on
Muslims.
But it isnt just cerebral hatred against Muslims that seems to
be shaping the agenda of those arrayed against Obama; theres
a sinister purpose also endemic to this hate campaign. The basic
interest of bigots and racists beating their drums against Obamas
religious or faith affiliation is to force him into adopting and pursu-
ing policies categorically aimed at undermining Muslim interest,
not just in America, but throughout the world.
Whether forced into a corner by his relentless nemeses, or
dictated by his own convictions, Obama hasnt been disappoint-
ing to those doubting his credentials that he isnt Muslim or
Muslim-friendly.
The Obama years in the Oval Office, so far, have been a
saga of policies calculated to thwart any Muslim ambitions, or
hopes, that US under Obama would follow a course different than
his awkward predecessor, George W. Bush, vis--vis the Muslim
world.
Obama had started his stint with high expectations pinned on
him by Muslims, in particular. His campaign promises, of 2008, to
put an end to Bushs transparently anti-Muslim policies and inject
a healthy understanding of Islamic issues in US foreign policy had
uplifted Muslims across the globe. His forthright address to the
Muslim world, from the pulpit of the Cairo University, within
months of winning the White House, had also whetted the Muslim
appetite for a more balanced and nuanced US policy in relation to
Muslim interests and priorities.
However, Obamas track record in office has so far been one
of deep disappointment for Muslims and Muslim causes. Obama,
perhaps mindful of the backlash from his antagonists and detrac-
tors, has been giving nothing but a short-shrift to Muslims, if not
deliberately pursuing policies calculated to be hostile to Muslims.
Starting from his abysmal failure to keep an innocuous prom-
ise like closing down the notorious and ignoble Guantanamo con-
centration camp for Muslims-to which he pledged himself on his
first day in office-Obama has heaped one disappointment over
another for the world Muslims.
The most glaring failure of Obama, which stands out like a
sore thumb to the Muslims-is in the context of the Palestinian-
Israeli dispute to the resolution of which he had made a commit-
ment in the course of his bid for the White House in 2008. Four
years down the road, one only sees the debris of any peace plan
between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Obama never, really,
showed any backbone to stand up to the Zionists ruling the roost
of his policy-or lack of it-on the peace process, which soon ran
out of life under him. On the contrary, he succumbed, on more
occasions than one, to blatant Zionist pressure and, even worse,
to relentless arm-twisting by a war-mongering Benjamin
Netanyahu, the hawkish Israeli leader whose life-long agenda is
to deny statehood to the Palestinians and steal as much of their
land as possible. Obama has been complicit in Netanyahus
scheme of building more and more settlements on the Palestinian
lands.
Hostility to Muslim interests and lives is most loudly pro-
nounced in the relentless targeting of Pakistani civilians-men,
women and children-under the lethal drone attacks that have led
to thousands of casualties in the years since Obama came to
power. He takes pride in ordering, personally, targeted killings of
individuals in Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan or wherever. Little
wonder that a recent American survey found 90 % of Pakistanis
surveyed about their preference in the US election in support of
Romney over Obama for president.
But Romney, whose Mormon faith doesnt bother the
American electorate ( a Pew survey determined that 62 per cent
of Americans have no issue with Romney over his faith, while
they doubt Obamas credentials) is no improvement over Obama,
as far as Muslim causes or interests are concerned.
Romney started his presidential campaign by first going to
Israel and seek the blessings of Netanyahu and his Zionists. In
the course of his bitter and vituperative campaign, vis--vis
Obama, Romney spared no opportunity to insist that Israel was
the apple of his eye and he would go to any extent to protect
Israeli interests, including Netanyahus threat to unleash terror
against Iran.
Obama couldnt afford to be seen any less a crusader on
behalf of Israel-against Iran or any other Muslims-and repeatedly
assured his Israeli and Zionists friends that he, too, wouldnt shirk
from any initiative to safeguard Israels policy of expansionism.
Obama didnt let any opportunity go unutilised to insist that he
was the architect of what he claimed with pride as the most pun-
ishing sanctions imposed on Iran under his watch.
By the same token, Obama has been listing the killing of
Osama bin Laden as his greatest foreign policy achievement in
office. On top of it, he pulled no punches to assure his supporters
and the American people that he would chase Islamic terrorists
anywhere in the world. He has been listing the end of the Iraqi
adventure as a major plus in his achievements and insisting that
the Taliban are on the run in Afghanistan because of his policies.
Not to be left behind, Romney has been singing his own anti-
Muslim chorus and beating his chest, in every debate or discus-
sion with Obama over the rise of Islamist terror. One hasnt
heard even one phrase from him in reference to the Palestinians,
or their right to state-hood, in the plethora of campaign speeches
made by him. By contrast, he has been tilting at all and every
windmill to market and parade his unflinching commitment to
Israel and Israeli interests.
So, it shouldnt matter much to Muslims, in US, or anywhere
else in the world, who comes out on top from the contest on
November 6. US attitudes and policies in relation to Muslims and
Islamic world would remain mired in the abyss of short-sighted-
ness and myopia that was in ample display during the long and
bitterly-contested campaign for the White House. It will be busi-
ness as usual, with Muslims at the receiving end of unabashedly
hostile American policies. Anti-Muslim sentiments and prejudices
are, sadly, destined to hold sway over any occupant of the Oval
Office for the foreseeable future.
Whoever Wins the White House the
News for Muslims is not Good
Obama couldnt afford to be seen any less a crusader on behalf of Israel-against Iran or any
other Muslims-and repeatedly assured his Israeli and Zionists friends that he, too, wouldnt
shirk from any initiative to safeguard Israels policy of expansionism. Obama didnt let any
opportunity go unutilised to insist that he was the architect of what he claimed with pride
as the most punishing sanctions imposed on Iran under his watch.
Gaza will not be liveable by 2020: UN
The Gaza Strip will not be liveable by 2020 according to the
United Nations most comprehensive report on the Palestinian
territory. Infrastructure across a number of sectors - electricity,
water and sanitation, and municipal and social services - is not
keeping pace with the needs of the growing population, it said.
The UN says only a quarter of Gaza waste water is treated. The
rest, including raw sewage, goes into the Mediterranean Sea.
Even now the coastal strip, under an Israeli blockade of
varying intensity since 2006, is suffering from its worst-ever fuel
shortage and resultant power cuts, as well as from unemploy-
ment levels of around 45 per cent. The UN said the demand for
drinking water was projected to increase by 60 per cent over the
next eight years, while damage to the aquifer, the major water
source, would become irreversible without remedial action now.
It added that more than 440 additional schools, 800 hospital
beds and more than 1,000 doctors would be needed by 2020.
Israel first imposed a blockade on Gaza in June 2006. The
blockade has been eased somewhat but severe restrictions on
movement remain in place. Despite their best efforts the
Palestinians in Gaza still need help, said Maxwell Gaylard, UN
humanitarian co-ordinator. They are under blockade. They are
under occupation and they need our help both politically and
practically on the ground. (aljazeera.com)
No to Jerusalem visit under Israeli occupation: Pope
The newly elected Pope of Alexandria and
All Africa Tawadros II on 6 November reit-
erated the policy of his predecessor Pope
Shennuda that Copts must not visit
Jerusalem while it is under Israeli occupa-
tion. The Coptic Pope said, Copts will visit
Jerusalem alongwith their Muslim brethren
once it is liberated. He further said that the
Coptic Church does not fear Islamists ruling Egypt.
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The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 19
1. Respect and honour all human beings irre-
spective of their religion, colour, race, sex,
language, status, property, birth,
profession/job and so on [17:70].
2. Talk straight, to the point, without any ambi-
guity or deception [33:70].
3. Choose best words to speak and say them in
the best possible way [17:53, 2:83].
4. Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your
voice low. [31:19].
5. Always speak the truth. Shun words that are
deceitful and ostentatious [22:30].
6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2:42].
7. Say with your mouth what is in your heart
[3:167].
8. Speak in a civilized manner in a language
that is recognized by the society and is com-
monly used [4:5].
9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it
is against a relative [6:152].
10. Do not be a bragging boaster [31:18].
11. Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23:3,
28:55].
12. Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass
near a futile play, then pass by with dignity
[25:72].
13. Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewd-
ness whether surreptitious or overt [6:151].
14. If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs
by you, then correct yourself expeditiously
[3:134].
15. Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with
people [31:18].
16. Do not walk haughtily or with conceit [17:37,
31:18].
17. Be moderate in the pace [31:19].
18. Walk with humility and sedateness [25:63].
19. Keep your gazes lowered, devoid of any
lecherous leers and salacious stares [24:30-
31, 40:19].
20. If you do not have complete knowledge
about anything, better keep your mouth shut.
You might think that speaking about some-
thing without full knowledge is a trivial matter.
But it might have grave consequences
[24:15-16].
21. When you hear something malicious about
someone, keep a favourable view about
him/her until you attain full knowledge about
the matter. Consider others innocent until
they are proven guilty with solid and truthful
evidence [24:12-13].
22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you
smite someone in ignorance and afterwards
repent of what you did [49:6].
23. Do not follow blindly any information of
which you have no direct knowledge. (Using
your faculties of perception and conception)
you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of
your Lord, you will be held accountable for
your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reason-
ing [17:36].
24. Never think that you have reached the final
stage of knowledge and nobody knows more
than yourself. Remember! Above everyone
endowed with knowledge is another
endowed with more knowledge [12:76]. Even
the Prophet [pbuh] was asked to keep pray-
ing, O My Sustainer! Advance me in knowl-
edge. [20:114].
25. The believers are but a single Brotherhood.
Live like members of one family, brothers and
sisters unto one another [49:10].
26. Do not make mockery of others or ridicule
others [49:11].
27. Do not defame others [49:11].
28. Do not insult others by nicknames [49:11].
29. Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion
and guesswork might deplete your commu-
nal energy [49:12].
30. Spy not upon one another [49:12].
31. Do not backbite one another [49:12].
32. When you meet each other, offer good
wishes and blessings for safety. One who
conveys to you a message of safety and
security and also when a courteous greeting
is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still
more courteous or (at least) of equal cour-
tesy [4:86].
33. When you enter your own home or the
home of somebody else, compliment the
inmates [24:61].
34. Do not enter houses other than your own
until you have sought permission; and then
greet the inmates and wish them a life of
blessing, purity and pleasure [24:27].
35. Treat kindly -Your parents-Relatives-The
orphans-And those who have been left alone
in the society [4:36].
36. Take care of -The needy,-The disabled-
Those whose hard earned income is insuffi-
cient to meet their needs-And those whose
businesses have stalled -And those who
have lost their jobs. [4:36].
37. Treat kindly -Your related neighbours, and
unrelated neighbours-Companions by your
side in public gatherings, or public trans-
portation. [4:36].
38. Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the
homeless son of the street, and the one who
reaches you in a destitute condition [4:36].
39. Be nice to people who work under your
care. [4:36].
40. Do not follow up what you have given to
others to afflict them with reminders of your
generosity [2:262].
41. Do not expect a return for your good behav-
iour, not even thanks [76:9].
42. Cooperate with one another in good deeds
and do not cooperate with others in evil and
bad matters [5:2].
43. Do no try to impress people on account of
self-proclaimed virtues [53:32].
44. You should enjoin right conduct on others
but mend your own ways first. Actions speak
louder than words. You must first practice
good deeds yourself, then preach [2:44].
45. Correct yourself and your families first
[before trying to correct others] [66:6]
46. Pardon gracefully if anyone among you who
commits a bad deed out of ignorance, and
then repents and amends [6:54, 3:134].
47. Divert and sublimate your anger and poten-
tially virulent emotions to creative energy,
and become a source of tranquillity (a state
of peace and quiet) and comfort to people
[3:134].
48. Call people to the Way of your Lord with
wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Reason
with them most decently [16:125].
49. Leave to themselves those who do not give
any importance to the Divine code and have
adopted and consider it as mere play and
amusement [6:70].
50. Sit not in the company of those who ridicule
Divine Law unless they engage in some
other conversation [4:140].
51. Do not be jealous of those who are blessed
[4:54].
52. In your collective life, make rooms for oth-
ers [58:11].
53. When invited to dine, Go at the appointed
time. Do not arrive too early to wait for the
preparation of meal or linger after eating to
engage in bootless babble. Such things may
cause inconvenience to the host [33:53].
54. Eat and drink [what is lawful] in moderation
[7:31].
55. Do not squander your wealth senselessly
[17:26].
56. Fulfill your promises and commitments
[17:34].
57. Keep yourself clean, pure [9:108, 4:43, 5:6].
58. Dress-up in agreeable attire and adorn
yourself with exquisite character from inside
out [7:26].
59. Seek your provision only by fair endeavour
(An attempt to achieve a goal) [29:17, 2:188].
60. Do not devour the wealth and property of
others unjustly, nor bribe the officials or the
judges to deprive others of their possessions
[2:188].
Source:
http://quranicteachings.co.uk/manners-of-life.htm
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Sixty tips from the Quran
20 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 21
BOOKS
Book : Saiyid Hamid: A Relentless Reformer
Author : Mohammad Aleem
Publisher : Gloriord Publications, New Delhi
[available from Pharos Media / Milli Gazette]
Pages : 168
Price : Rs. 395
Year : 2012
ISBN : 978-81-923065-0-6
A new book on Saiyid Hamid comes as a welcome addition
to the meagre writing on the life and times of the man with
one of the most recognisable faces among the Indian
Muslims since Independence.
MOHAMMAD ZEYAUL HAQUE
Mohammad Aleem writes in English and Hindi, and has authored
plays, novels and works in other assorted genres. Here he tries
his hand at biography, the subject of which could not have been
more interesting than the one he has chosen. Saiyid Hamid epit-
omises some of the best features of Indias Persianate culture
that emphasised adab (which means both literature and good
manners), restraint, the fine art of conversation and an encyclo-
pedic sweep of knowledge. Adab was to be cultivated from child-
hood and nurtured through old age. Saiyid Hamid has worked
meticulously to cultivate and nurture it.
He is one of the last of the species the British would have
liked to call a Mohammedan gentleman. They no longer pro-
duce it, the edition has been closed. That reminds one of the
anguished remark of Caliph Abu Bakr, What happened to our
women, why dont they produce sons like Khalid (ibn al-Waleed)
any longer? What happened to our women, why dont they pro-
duce sons like Saiyid Hamid?
There could be some clues. Such people are
born at crucial points in history, and its not so much
a question of giving birth to them as of bringing
them up with great responsibility. Saiyid Hamid was
lucky to have a pair of fine parents, protective and
encouraging siblings and a fierce determination to
lead a healthy, productive life.
This project required a huge reservoir of phys-
ical and mental energy as was evident from his
ardent love for hockey in particular and sports in
general. He played well enough to lead at the state
level. This biography takes all this into account.
The love affair with hockey was so intense that he
kept his association with it well into his seventies in
some capacity or the other.
The book presents a linear, matter-of-fact nar-
rative, beginning with the obvious: Saiyid Hamid
was born in 1920 The bare facts and milestones
of his life have been recorded. The chapters
include, quite obviously: The early days and education, The
organisational link, A poet, A Scholar, A writer.
There is some mention of Saiyid Hamids scholarship and his
articles and books, which are quite often collections of his topical
writings on the Muslims situation in India. His erudite writings like
Ghalibs Persian Poetry went unnoticed. In any case, a linear
approach may not begin to reach the deeper layers of his person-
ality, much less its core.
The man is much larger than the aggregate of the roles he
played: sports lover, studious student, bureaucrat, educationist,
reformer, fine cultural specimen, observant writer (he calls such
writers and writings perceptive). That he is a poet also is not
known to many people, including this reviewer. Aleem must have
some basis to call him a poet, but he has not said what kind of
poetry he has been writing.
Saiyid Hamid is a dogged fighter. The Union government
must have kept it in mind at the time of sending him as Vice-
Chancellor to Aligarh Muslim University to straighten out affairs at
his beloved alma mater. He did accomplish what he had set out
to, except that the strict measures required to put AMU back on
the rails had some unpleasant and unintended consequences:
turmoil on the campus and the death of a student in police firing.
Sir Syeds university has been particularly unlucky in the sense
that it has always been infested with parasites, from land grab-
bers and building contractors to manipulators in admissions,
appointments and promotions. At the last count there were 40
teachers related to a single professor. The smaller clans had 25
to 10 teachers.
Such vicious inbreeding fosters ignoble campus politics,
which ultimately renders it ungovernable and disrupts academic
functioning. Such disruptions are a regular pattern at AMU. Saiyid
Hamid had intervened at a crucial moment, and for a while it had
been set right, only to fall back in the rut again. Aleem half-heart-
edly tries to evaluate Saiyid Hamids performance as AMU vice-
chancellor, but leaves it open-ended. The AMU is divided on
Saiyid Hamid: one group is for him, the other against. There is
hardly a middle ground. Tell it to him and he would chortle good-
humouredly, a quick spark lightning his eyes.
He is amused to hear (he has heard it umpteen times, of
course) that when he left the AMU at the end of his tenure, the
opposition observed Yaum-e Nijaat (Day of Deliverance), reminis-
cent of deliverance of the Israelites from the Pharaohs serfdom.
Years ago, when somebody told him that the number of people at
AMU who wanted him back had grown to form a majority, his
eyes lit up and he asked in mock-seriousness, Do they want to
observe Yaum-e Aseeri (Day of Enslavement) now? Thats one
side of the man. There are so many others, all equally fascinat-
ing.
His fortnightly journal Nation and the World also comes in for
a brief mention. For a few years this reviewer assisted him in edit-
ing it. The project never took off, but it was not because Saiyid
Hamid did not try hard enough.
One particular difficulty that a reader is likely to encounter is
that Aleem tells certain facts, but refrains from collating them and
making inferences. Had he taken the trouble to do that, readers
could have a glimpse of Saiyid Hamids mind and its functioning.
The book also mentions his by-now-familiar caravans. One would
immediately know that this man wanted Muslims to look beyond
their current troubles, created by the Sanghs Ayodhya campaign.
His educational caravan came at the height of the hate campaign
run with the help of LK Advanis rath yatra. With his own yatra,
Saiyid Hamid tried to tell Muslims not to get entrapped and waste
their energies. Such stubborn optimism, faith in God and hope for
a better future is the hallmark of great leaders.
This reviewer has a confession to make: throughout his asso-
ciation with this great man he concentrated more on learning from
him rather than assisting him in his editing. In the week following
Babri Masjid demolition and amid the worst anti-Muslim violence
in years, this reviewer asked him: What do you say to all this?
For a while his face contorted in pain. Then he said something to
the effect, This, too, will pass. That attitude marks extraordinary
grit and determination, a will to survive and prosper against all
odds.
This too will pass. How many times he must have told this to
himself and others who cared to listen over the last several
decades. The unextinguishable flicker of hope in his heart must
have whispered to him this mantra at the time of Indias inde-
pendence and Partition.
Naha ke khoon mein aayee thi fasl-e-azaadi (Drenched in
blood came the harvest of freedom), sang an Urdu poet. Saiyid
Hamid was a witness to it, grieved over the loss of human life and
humongous dislocation as a fratricidal rage shook the country.
Assured in the heart of his hearts that the storm would blow over
and tranquillity would return to the great civilisational unit called
the Indo-Pak Subcontinent, he kept his cool, did his deputy col-
lectors job, played his hockey after work, studied and wrote his
articles at night.
Not that he was not watchful, or was insensitive to what was
happening around him. Still he could not figure out why he was
being transferred from Moradabad in West UP to an eastern UP
district at the height of the murderous frenzy. This interesting
episode is mentioned in the book. The collector told
Saiyid Hamid that it was safer for Muslim officers to
be posted in east UP where the communal fever
was much weaker.
Saiyid Hamid must have grown up listening to
stories of the rout of 1857 and how Muslims were,
over the decades, able to create a new life for
themselves. 1947 must have looked like a replay of
1857. By the time 1992 came along, he was a vet-
eran of coping with typhoons and tornadoes.
Among the several books written by Saiyid Hamid
listed in the biography is Azmaish ki Ghadi (The
Hour of Trial), a collection of topical articles written
by him during the Ayodhya campaign and its after-
math.
He clearly saw it as the hour of trial for Muslims
which demanded a creative response. They had to
educate and organise themselves without getting
trapped in the violence and counter-violence cycle.
After the Babri Masjid demolition and extensive
anti-Muslim pogrom, he got worried that Muslims might get
demoralised, which would be the real victory of the oppressor.
The oppressor must be denied victory through hausle ki
baazyaabi (reclamation of the courage and will to live) by
Muslims. He wrote and spoke on the significance of this course
of action.
This is the biography of a tall man whom Aleem valiantly tries
to portray. All said, Saiyid Hamid has still to find his Boswell.
Hopefully, he/she will not take too long coming.
Portrait of a Stalwart
This reviewer has a confession to make: throughout his
association with this great man he concentrated more on
learning from him rather than assisting him in his editing. In the
week following Babri Masjid demolition and amid the worst
anti-Muslim violence in years, this reviewer asked him: What do
you say to all this? For a while his face contorted in pain. Then
he said something to the effect, This, too, will pass. That
attitude marks extraordinary grit and determination, a will to
survive and prosper against all odds.
This too will pass. How many times he must have told this to
himself and others who cared to listen over the last several
decades. The unextinguishable flicker of hope in his heart must
have whispered to him this mantra at the time of Indias
independence and Partition.
Sachar
Committee
Report
English Rs 1000
Hindi Rs 1000
Urdu Rs 1000
Ordering details on page 19
Assams Doubtful Citizens
Fact or Fiction?
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I have read "Pros and cons of AMU Centres" (MG, 16-31 Oct 2012)
carefully. I am happy to learn from the tone and tenor of the write-up
that the author has diluted his aggression against the opponents of
the AMU "Centres" which was the hallmark of his writings on the sub-
ject during the tenure of Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis as VC. I remember, in
one of his articles, the author had attributed serious but unfounded
motives to some of respected Old Boys who had been opposing the
establishment of the 'Centres'. Now, let me revert to the substance of
the article. To put the record straight, I inform for the benefit of the
readers that there is not one but two writ petitions pending disposal
before the Allahabad High Court challenging the establishment of the
AMU centres. In the writ petition other than the one received after
remand from the Supreme Court, I have been appearing for Mr SMS
Naqvi, the petitioner. The writ petitions pending before the Allahabad
HC have been filed on sound legal grounds which cannot be dis-
cussed in their entirety here for the matter is sub judice. None-the-
less, I would like to refer to the preamble of the AMU Act 1920, which
would alone be sufficient to demolish the specious arguments of
author. The Preamble says, "an Act to incorporate a teaching and
residential Muslim University at Aligarh." The intention of the legisla-
ture is crystal clear that the University has to be a residential institu-
tion and it is to be established at Aligarh. Moreover, section 12 (2)
provides the procedure for carrying out powers within territional lim-
its prescribed in section 5 (9-A) of the AMU Act. The provisions of
Section 12 (2) and section 5 (9A) are liable to be read in consonance
and not in isolation as otherwise both the provisions will appear to be
in conflict inter-se which would make one of them unworkable and
redundant and no rule of interpretation can be applied to reach this
unwarranted result. The purposive rule of interpretation can be
pressed into service only when the language of the provision is
ambiguous or uncertain. Here the language is plain, simple and does
not allow any ambiguity. The High Court will, however, pronounce its
verdict upon the correctness of rival arguments. There is another
aspect to this matter. The residential campus of the university at
Aligarh has evolved a unique character with the passage of time
which cannot be expected from the centres established over night
thousands of kilometres away from Aligarh. The author must be
aware that the Murshidabad Centre is being run in a Bidi factory.
However, I am in complete agreement with him where he concludes
with an advice full of wisdom and farsightedness that all efforts
should be made by the present VC to get the Minority Character case
disposed of by the Supreme Court before the next parliamentary
elections during the present political dispensation. This is really a sin-
cere advice on the art of author.
Syed Khurshid Anwar, Advocate, Allahabad High Court
Media nexus with scamsters exposed?
"Is media's agenda to protest scamsters" (MG, 16-30 Sept. 2012) is
proved correct within a month. Media claims they exposed scams but
no one knows what amount gulped by industrial house or business
houses from 0.76 lakh crore - CWG, 1.76 lakh crore - 2 G scam and
1.86 lac crore. But media concentrate on political wrangling to divert
people's attention from scamsters business houses. Now quid pro
quo between media and business houses exposed when business
tycoon Navin Jindal complained about Zee News of blackmailing for
not airing coalgate News demanded 100 crore and aired a tape in
which discussion of 20 cr. Contract converted into 100 cr. etc.
(25/10/12). Zee News aired its views on its channel that Jindal want-
ed to buy Zee News journalistic morality for not showing coalgate
scam news. Under glove beaty between media and business hous-
es to protect and cooperate each other rarely break. Now we are
seeing in Navin Jindal press conference and Neera radia tape was
example of using and saving each other.
S. Haque, Patna
Foreigners' issue in Assam
There is absolutely no proof of large scale Muslim infiltration from
Bangladesh into Assam. This issue is raised to drive the Indian
Muslims out of the state and to prevent Muslim political leader from
the state from becoming the chief minister of Assam in future. The
most of the Bengali Muslims live in Barak Valley and undivided
Goalpara district which were part of East Bengal (Now
Bangladesh).The British incorporated these regions to Assam. These
Bengali Muslims are indigenous to their place of settlement. They
cannot be termed as immigrants or Bangladeshi. This is highly objec-
tional. Their right to their land and other resources cannot be taken
away falsely branding them as Bangladeshi.
M. H. Rahman, Garo Hills
hasib_r12@yahoo.com
Stop exploitation of women
Woman has become a commercial commodity. Industrialists and
businessmen are using woman's semi-naked body in advertisements
for promoting their business. The commercial and cultural exploita-
tion of woman by print and electronic media and by cinema is an
oppression against woman who is mother of humanity. All forms of
oppression against woman and exploitation of woman like semi-nude
posters, hoardings and advertisements, obscene and vulgar films
and T. V. serials, fashion show, beauty contests, valentine day,
abduction, burning of brides for dowry, rapes etc. should be banned
and criminals andn oppressors be awarded deterrent punishments.
G. Hasnain Kaif, Bhandara - 441904
Child Marriage
Child Marriage could be called as a social injustice which still occurs
in many parts of the world. India is leading country to have this stig-
ma. As per 2009 Unicef report, a child marriage rate in India is 40%.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage (PCM) Act of 2006 has proven inef-
fectively in preventing the high number of child marriages in the
country. As per the experts, the ongoing child marriage scene in India
will have severe repercussions. As estimated by the experts 100 mil-
lion girls are fated to child marriage by 2014 worldwide, reported
Rashme Sehgal for Deccan Chronicle. The number is unbelievable
and demands effective remedy. Reaching in a high end age, these
figures reported by different agencies and activists sounds very
shameful. Will India ever get rid of this social injustice act called child
marriages? Mohd Ziyallah Khan, Nagpur - 440013
writeziya@gmail.com
Karnad And Naipaul
There are people who try to spit on the moon ,there are people who
applaud their action .There are number of people who deny the exis-
tence of God there are some men and women who eat the feces of
other men and women in Europe and America .There are great num-
ber of people who not only believe in oneness of God and believe all
the messengers of God .They also believe prophet Mohammad as
the last prophet of God .Mohammad not only brought a perfect code
of life and more than 100 crores now present in this world. 57 coun-
tries are ruled by them .We saw just one week before 30 lakhs
Muslims gathered in Mecca to perform Hajj which is obligatory on rich
Muslims to perform once in life period .Mecca is the place where
Prophet Abraham had constructed a house of God .His infant son
was crying for water ,God sent Gabriel to make arrangements of
water .Gabriel hit his foot beside Ismail .The water came as a jet from
the ground, Hager the wife of Abraham made a trench and called the
water ZamZam meant stop stop .The same spring is present till now
near the house of God called KABA. The water is coming out since
last 4000 years and crores of people drink and carry to their coun-
tries .It is the live miracle to the people of world No other religion can
give such lucid example .It is the proof of truthfulness of Islam The
pagans like Naipaul are not allowed to enter the house of Allah.
Though he was awarded Noble prize but he lost his own nobility and
could not appreciate the contribution of Prophet Mohammad to the
humanity. He deprived himself from pilgrimage of Mecca It is the
great misfortune of Non Muslims They will have to answer God after
death .And they will be thrown into Hell for ever Naipaul's Noble prize
will not be of any use then Jews, Christians and Brahmins are anti-
Muslims and anti-Islam .There are some Historic reasons for the
enmity of Muslims .But Brahmins oppose as they believe that they
are superior caste and they born from the head of God .This is the
false and unscientific belief behind their animosity. Islam as other reli-
gions believe that whole humanity has born from one father Adam
and one women, Eve .The Brahmins think that the faith of Islam
spread in India the fabricated superiority of Brahmins will end. Mr.
Naipaul is a Brahmin by birth has failed to study Islam with unpreju-
diced mind .he tried to spit on the moon but the spittle felled on his
mouth and he will malign the the Noble Prize awarded to him Mr.
Girish Karnad wanted to save him from getting bad name and noth-
ing else. It was his moral obligation
Dr A H Maqdoomi, Hyderabad
II
The people who gave V.S. Naipaul an award in Mumbai had the right
to give what they pleased to whom they pleased. After all, they paid
for it. Pay the piper, call the tune. They were not authorised by the
people of India to give the award: they had appointed themselves.
Thus by no stretch of the imagination can it be said that India gave
Naipaul an award. In the world of music, of which Girish Karnad
spoke, it is routine for musicians to be honoured by associations
which they themselves have formed for the purpose. Such puppets
propping themselves up are only to be smiled at if not ignored com-
pletely. Similarly, I have the absolute right to declare Karnad a saint,
and no one may look askance at that or at what I expect or get in
return. My antics do not drain their pockets, after all. On the other
hand, Karnad -- and all Indians who can think -- can and must
denounce a writer who has been honoured apparently for giving vent,
in several published works, to a blind hatred for very many Indians.
That hatred is to be opposed specially because it has the power to
reproduce itself in the weak minds of many who will then use their
muscles to act upon it. That hatred is to be opposed because it both
draws upon and feeds the malign plan that the Hindu Right has for
the destruction of all that is civilised about India and, thus, the
destruction of India itself.
Mukul Dubem, Mayur Vihar 1, Delhi 110091
uthappam@gmail.com
Venereal diseases in our country
There are more than 31/2 crores victims of venereal diseases in our
country. The dreaded disease AIDS is also spreading very fast.
Sexual anarchy and immorality are generally its main causes. When
moral and spiritual health of a society decays, the physical of its indi-
viduals deteriorates and effects the coming generation. The opening
of hospitals for this purpose is essential but what is more important
is to get rid of its main causes i. e. obscene and vulgar films, T. V.
serials, dirty books and magazines free mixing of both the sexes in
clubs, bazaars, colleges, parks etc. and mother of evils liquor drugs
etc. Mere condemnation and legal measures in this regard are not
sufficient. We must face this challenge of educational, moral and spir-
itual levels also and save our males and females, particularly youths
from the onslaught of immorality, intoxication, venereal diseases and
Aids. We must realize the role of religious and moral values in our
individual and collective life.
G. Hasnain Kaif, Bhandara - 441904
What a coincidence
Media was engaged in airing Fasih Muhammad as terror darbhanga
module and its arrest broke the backbone of terror link. Even R. K.
Singh home secretary said Saudi Arabia cooperated in handing over
terrorist. As our memory go back home ministry had tipped Ishrat
Jahan as terror module but at judicial test she was proved innocent
and encounter was fake But at the same time police caught
Parasmani s/o a police havildar belongs to Darbhanga with 7.23
lakhs of fake currencies from Mandiri Mohalla of Patna. This news
meekly aired. S. Haque, Patna
Timid Muslim leadership is real problem
Why Muslims are robbed off their dues and Muslims don't get justice
despite the Muslim votes able to change the governments. It is many
times experienced. Even then Muslims problems are not solved.
Ummah has not tried to think and visualise through this angle that
Muslim leadership are timid so Ummah voice not considered by
establishment. Just see at the gruesome killing of four innocent
Muslims killed by police in Bhajanpura (Forbesganj) minority com-
mission chairman of Bihar didn't meet the deceased relatives and
issued an statement "what happened at Forbesganj should not have
happened" after 15 day of firing and BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain
(M. P.) stated that justice would be given after one month. On the
other hand Vijay Kumar Chaudhry minister visited Umesh Singh
house when naxal killed Umesh Singh. But Muslim leaders are
champion of organising mushaira. That is why 15 months passed
and justice is kept in abeyance. S. Haque, Patna
Fasih Mahmood & media
Terror suspect arrestd. He is founder member of I. M. Some news
channel were airing news about Fasih Mahmood on 22 Oct. Other
news channels were airing Fasih Mahmoood is Lashkar terrorist. He
was arrested in Saudi Arabia and handed over to Indian authority on
22 October. Some news channel aired that Fasih Muhammad is
arrested at Delhi airport. Some news channel explained that he
belonged to zamindar family from Darbhanga etc.
S. Haque, Patna
Communal riots and terrorism
National media did not pay any attention "who killed karkare" and
other revolutionary work of Muslims is giving publicity to a book
"communal riots in India and terrorism" written by former I. A. S.
Prateep K. Lahari. Police killed many Muslim youths and arrested on
the name terrorism with the charge levelled by police that they
planned to attack or kill Modi, Advani etc. to take revenge of Gujarat
riot or Babri Masjid demolition. The book name itself endorse the
above mentioned modus operandi idea that terrorism born out of
communal riots which is unfair if it tangentially exists in the book?
And dangerous too. S. Haque, Patna
Awekening call for Ummah
English newspaper writes "The number of boozers is steadily
increasing, particularly in Forbesganjj and Arraria towns" said by Dr.
Anand Kumar superintendent excise dept. Arraria. The paper's head-
ing is "liquor worth Rs. 50 cr. consumed in Araria" and begins the
report "It sounds unbelieveable but true. Boozers of Araria have
gulped down liquor worth Rs. 50 cr. in 5 months" These area are
thickly populated Muslim zone. How come this steep increase in
liquor consumption possible? In Araria & Forbesganj police killed
innocent Muslims, seven months kids solf in 65 rupees. Where we
failed? S. Haque, Patna
Has Urdu media lost courage?
Hindi daily carried reporting of road condition and peoples opinion
about worst condition of road and highlights the pathetic condition. It
is carried for one road in a day issue. English dailies also highlights
the pathetic conditions of roads. Hindi & English dailies don't care
Muslim locality problem. It was responsibility of Urdu media to pres-
ent Muslims problem or Muslim locality problems But Urdu media has
lost courage and dumped journalistic responsibility under the weight
of government tender and advertisement. That is why Urdu media
escaped pathetic condition of Muslim locality to please political class.
S. Haque, Patna
Gujarat Elections and Minorities
Mr. Arvind Kejriwal should participate or guide the people not to vote
for congress or BJP They must vote to Kesho Bhai Patel .Muslims
should not forget the role played by Narendra Modi in the genocide
of Muslims in the year 2002 .They must not forget the barbaric
behaviour of fascists organizations who compelled the Muslim ladies
to run naked on the roads of Surat .The central government in Delhi
played hypocritical role It did not punish to the perpetrators and
became mute spectator .It is high time that a delegate of Muslim par-
ties of Delhi such as president JIH Maulana Jalaluddin ,president
Welfare Party Mujtaba Farooq president Muslim Majlis-e-
Mushawarat Mr. Zafrul Islam Khan ,Azam Khan etc should Visit
Ahmadabad and address a press conference ask the people of
Gujarat to vote Mr. Kesho Bhai Patel They must clarify the role of
Congress and BJP .They can request Kejeriwal to accompany with
the delegation It is proper time Muslim leaders should play their part
without the fear of congress and BJP stalwarts They should show
strong faith in Almighty Allah .Allah will help Them .The delegate
should not forget the sacrifices done by their predecessors. Wastanvi
has no political consciousness he can be exploited by congress. he
had praised Modi and as a fall out he is favouring Congress both of
his stances are wrong .Badruddin Ajmal is also not on the right track
.
Maqdoomi Hyderabad
Modi and media
Recently, Mr. Modi was seen making a headline in media claiming
that his Twitter fans and followers have touched one million.
However, as per the reports of TNN from Ankur Jain, more than 50%
of these Twitter followers are fake. As per one internet tool called
'Status People' Modi's account has 46% fake and 41% inactive
users. This tool using specific algorithm identifies inactive and fake
followers of any Twitter user. Modi has been using Twitter since past
4 years which was reported having around one lakh followers, how-
ever, in the last year, there was a drastic increase in this fan follow-
ing. Though Modi and his camp may not have paid the fake account
holders, yet this is merely an attempt to cover a number of blots
which this person has on his character.
Mohd Ziyaullah Khan Nagpur - 440013
writeziya@gmail.com
Ideals of Ramayana still relevant says Belamgi
The Animal Husbandry Minister, Mr Rerevu Nayik has said the life of
sage Valmiki is an example of how a person leading a wayward life
could become a Maharishi by following good ideals.. Mr. Belamgi has
also said the teachings of the Ramayana, authored by Valmiki were
still relevant. May I ask the minister then why Hindus are lagging
behind in following the principles of Ramayana .What Ramayana
says about the present system of government .Why corruption is so
rampant in the present politicians .Has Ramayana mentioned any
punishment to such politicians ? Any man who has practiced on the
principles of Ramayana be treated as a role model and people follow
his suit .We see discrimination of caste .Has Ramayana endorsed
the difference of caste .Does it say that Brahmins have produced
from the head of God ? and the Dalits have taken birth from the feet
of God .What is the position of scheduled caste ? Has Ramayana
advised ayn reservation in jobs and in educational institutions? Now
a days there are atrocities on women are more and more what is the
punishment prescribed by Ramayana ? There are gang rapes, honor
killings ,atrocities on Muslim youths ,Thousands were arrested and
sent behind the bar .Is there any direction is found in Ramayana ?
Will the honourableminister reply to the above queries and satisfy me
and himself .I don't want that his faith on Ramayana be tilted .But a
blind faith is also not advisable
Maqdoomi Gulbarga
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012 23
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24 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2012
DNA Replication within wombs revealed in Quran
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