24 pages ` 15 ISSN 0972-3366 FORTNIGHTLY Vol. 15 No.9 Issue Serial # 343 facebook.com/milligazette www.milligazette.

com 1-15 May 2014

Modi 5,7,10,11
Muslims & Elections 4,6,7
Terrorism 8,9,15
J&K 10 Analysis 11 Special Reports 3,13
Issues 2,11,13 Speaking Out 11 Books 21
Newsmakers 12 International 16-20
Community News 14-15 Islamic Perspectives 20
Our Publications 19 Classifieds 22 Letters 23
Inside
MG
Congress
ruled by
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BJP runs by
Individualism
MG/Yusuf
FIRDAUS AHMED
It is not certain if Mr. Modis grasp of physics comes across in
the comic book, Bal Narendra. That his sense of physics
informs his politics has been brought home to all pretty clearly
by Mr. Modi himself in his referring to the Godhra aftermath as
being brought on as reaction to the action at Godhra. The
sentence joins in infamy the supposed quote of Rajiv Gandhi
that when a tree falls the earth shakes. While it is plausible
that Rajiv Gandhi never quite said what is attributed to him by
motivated forces, Mr. Modis will not on that count remain
alone. It has since been joined by his inimitable expression of
his feelings on the death of a thousand Muslims on his watch
in his home state as how one feels on the death of a puppy
under the wheels of ones speeding car.
This is the authentic Mr. Modi. Through election time in
India that his phrasing has been considerably more circum-
spect owes less to his reforming himself, but due to the fact
that those in his corner have tutored him against straying too far
from what can be considered merely conservative views to the
views he may otherwise be more comfortable with, those fur-
ther to the right. Since Mr. Modi needs their ballast for now, he
is playing along and, if media is to be believed and opinion polls
given any credence, increasing his acceptability as a conserva-
tive champion in the mould of a Patel and a Vajpayee.
The answer to the critical question What will life be like
under Modi? is displacing the question Who is the real
Modi? Prospects of gains to be made under Modi make the
latter irrelevant. Middle classes that may have largely con-
tributed to his ascent can look forward to gains in a corporate
takeover of the land. Peopling the capitalist innards he promis-
es to give full play to put them squarely among the pickings.
Hindus of rightist persuasion will be looking for psychological
dividends in the form of a break out from their self-inflicted
minority complex. Those of the upper caste will have got their
champion to lay the Mayawatis and Mulayams of the lower
human clay to dust. While some hope for Indias own Thatcher-
Reagan era, others are pining for a very own Indian Dubya
Bush. Those linked to the national security establishment can
then expect their windfall years begun under Vajpayee to con-
tinue.
Since this is a relatively narrow band of voters in relation to
the number and diversity of Indias electorate, Modi and his
campaign managers have astutely taken care not to rely on
these sections alone. They have let lose Amit Shah and the
Sangh into the dust belt with a more potent opiate of the mass-
es: religion with a dash of nationalism. Thus both Indias, that of
the multiplex going classes and mufussil cinema going mass-
es, are being worked on to place Modi in 7, Race Course Road.
The resulting marriage has potential to come apart.
Sanghis on the campaign trail will want their piece of the gov-
ernance action. Some among them have been swadeshi (anti-
globalisation). These two areas will breed discord with the
upper crust buoy of Modi. This section wants second genera-
tion economic reforms. It would not like being embarrassed by
reactionary demands of the parivar on Modis government.
It is at this juncture that the question of Who is Modi real-
ly? will kick in. If he is as worldly as his selection of kurtas
(tunics) suggests, then he would allow regressive forces that
claim propriety over him only as much leeway as to keep them
distracted and contained. If it is the other way round, and Modi
is being used by these forces to gain the support of the upper
crust to take control of the state, then the reverse is liable to
happen with the befooled upper classes being shown their
place.
In either case, there is trouble ahead. In case Modi is
hijacked by the conservative classes, then the diversion of the
masses can only feed an inward frenzy against minorities in
their midst. The backlash in the form of a leftist counter to his
economic policies, that promise a freewheeling playfield for the
business class, will expand instability from its current confines
in the forests of central India into towns and cities. In case he
turns out a creature of the Sangh, then he would use his new
found state authority to keep the surprised murmurings of the
educated middle and upper classes backing him now in check,
in a manner he has already mastered over three tenures of rule
in Gujarat. In both cases, the national security argument will be
to fore.
Though the real Modi will surface after the elections white-
wash rubs off, it would be too late to find out who he is. The
answer is wrapped up in the riddle of where he was when he aban-
doned his marriage, leaving reportedly for wandering across the
land: in the Himalayas, if you please. It remains to be seen if these
early impressions then have been watered down by his later day
association with the likes of Adani.
Here the surmise is that Modi by his lights will begin well
enough: keeping the economy in his sights; talking to Pakistan
and China; following up with his feelers in Kashmir to the likes
of Geelani; getting a computer to complement the Quran among
Muslim youth; gaining a vice-like grip over national security
agencies; making both his horses, the BJP and the Sangh, fall
in line; and cornering the Gandhis, with Mr. Vadra providing a
ready opening. Its by middle of his first innings that the predict-
ed cracks will begin to show and it is into his second term that
India will begin falling apart.
How so? The hijack by the business classes will be resented
by the right wing, who will take it out on the minorities. Modis eco-
nomic measures will generate have-nots, forming a constituency
for left-wing extremists. The haves will cover behind a garrison
state. Modi for his part will emerge in his true colours, mostly saf-
fron and mostly acquired in his wanderings, to use the right against
the left at the expense of his current-day advantaged followers.
Late Khushwant Singhs wisdom in entitling a book The
End of India, will reinforce his posthumous reputation. It is then
the likes of Chetan Bhagat will regret their inability to look
beyond showing the dynasty the door to the great demoralisa-
tion a-coming.
The writer blogs at subcontinentalmusings.blogspot.in
How will life be under Modi?
More Muslims acquitted
in false terror cases
New Delhi: In the past a large number of Muslim youths falsely arrest-
ed on charges of complicity in terrorist activities or association with ter-
rorist organisations or for mere suspicion without any proof were hon-
ourably freed or released on bail after several years of incarceration in
jails because police could not produce any proof against them. During
the last few weeks many more such Muslims falsely implicated but
found innocent by courts were released.
It is estimated that on an average 99% of the Muslims falsely arrest-
ed by police and security agencies have been found innocent by courts
and released permanently or on bail.
The latest in these brutal series is Nasser Husain of Jaunpur who
was honourably released by Lucknows sessions court on 20 March
2014 in the absence of satisfactory proof. He was illegally arrested
about seven years ago on 19 June 2007 from Rishikesh by UPs
Special Task Force on the charges of terrorism and anti-national activi-
ties but police showed his arrest from Lucknows Chaar Bagh railway
station on the charge of possessing RDX and other explosive materials.
Briefly speaking, the case against him continued for seven years and he
was produced in court innumerable times and finally released hon-
ourably on 20 March in the absence of sufficient proof.
Another case is that of 14 persons (all Muslims), some of whom
were arrested from Patna and many more from Chhattisgarh including
Umar Siddiq, Dawood, Abdul Wahid, etc. They were arrested for the
bomb blasts in Patna on 27 October 2013 at a rally to be addressed by
Narendra Modi, and were accused of providing logistic support to
Indian Mujahidin members and for collecting money for SIMI. In this
blast at least six pesons had died. After spending many months in jail,
they were released on bail on 24 March 2014 by Raipurs Chief Judicial
magistrate Alok Kumar. In fact, a total of 16 persons were released on
bail but two, namely Umar Siddiq and Azharuddin, though released,
were sent to Patna jail in some other case. They were released on bail
because police had failed to file the chargesheet against them within the
stipulated 90 days.
Another such case is that of Hafiz Muhammad Nadeem who was
arrested by UP police on 15 September 2012 from Civil Lines,
Moradabad, on the charge of intention to murder, deliberately harming a
place of worship, efforts to create differences and creating bad blood
between two communities and some other charges. National Security
Act (NSA) was invoked against him. The application for his release on
bail at the instructions of Maulana Arshad Madni of Jamiatul Ulama was
filed by advocate Zaheer Ahmad Khan in Moradabads sessions court
but because of NSA, his bail was refused. Thereafter, advocate Nawab
Ahmad Khan filed his bail application in Allahabad High Court which
granted him bail and soon thereafter he came out of jail though his case
was still pending in Moradabad where after advocate Zaheer Khans
successful pleadings, judge Shiv Shankar Singh in the absence of sat-
isfactory and sufficient proof, acquitted him.
In yet another case, three Muslims, namely Dr Syed Abdul Mobeen,
Kaleem Akhtar and the Kashmiri youth Gulzar Ahmad Wani, were
released last month (April 2014) by a Lucknow courts judge
Badruddoja Naqvi in a 14-year old case. The judge said in his verdict
that these people are being released in the absence of any proof against
them.
N. A. ANSARI
THE
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DR JAVED JAMIL
The recent Supreme Court judgment on eunuchs is welcome for
two reasons. First, it recognizes the genuine human rights of
Hijras (or Kinnars) and the right to be counted as neither male
nor female but as Third Gender. They have been recognised as a
category of deprived people who need special favours like the
OBCs. Second, that the SC has taken care to separate them from
other categories of transgenders and has clarified that it does not
include endorsement of homosexuality. What is, however, miss-
ing is the recognition that the overwhelming majority of eunuchs
are created not by God but by humans. Most of them are kid-
napped in their young age and are subjected to surgical removal
of their male organs and are forced to live as eunuchs for the rest
of their lives. A study conducted on Eunuchs entitled Eunuchs
of India - Deprived of Human Rights by Shoma A. Chatterji
says:
In 1990, Dr. B.V. Subramaniam of the Surat Medical
College wrote a paper based on his research on the making of a
eunuch. The study reported that most eunuchs in India were the
result of forced castration. The method adopted for the surgery
is crude, unscientific, threatening to the health of the patient and
done in the most unhygienic conditions. The genitals of a nor-
mally born male baby are slashed off with a knife dipped in boil-
ing oil. After dressing the wound, a nail with a string attached is
tied to the waist and drilled into the stump, which would, with
medication and time, begin to look somewhat like a female
crotch.
In cases of castration, Subramaniams paper says that
breasts develop because the seat of the male hormones - testi-
cles - has been removed. When the female hormones take over,
the growth of secondary sexual characteristics, such as growth
of facial hair, is restricted. So, also the regular change in voice.
Castrated or not, eunuchs are sexually active. As they cannot
form intimate relations within the parameters of either acceptable
or aberrant behaviour due to lack of takers, they take to prostitu-
tion. Because of their indiscriminate sexual lives, Subramaniam
warns that they are possible carriers of the HIV virus. Gully No.
1 of Shuklaji Street, a notorious red light area of Mumbai, is an
almost exclusively eunuch preserve.
Not only eunuchs are artificially created, most of them join
prostitution. The report says:
In a sudden police raid on a Bhandup (a Mumbai suburb)
brothel more than 15 years ago, many of the prostitutes were
eunuchs. When rounded up and taken to the local police station,
they were found to have deep gashes, cigarettes stubbed on their
arms, scars of regular beatings and lashings. The police too, are no
less. All eunuchs must pay hafta to the police or risk being beaten
up. They are rarely employed in regular jobs, though many would
like to lead normal lives. They fight among themselves for clothes
and money when the time to share the booty comes. They have no
grudge against normal human beings because they accept their
sexual identity as destiny, which, as we all know, is not quite true.
How can castration be destiny?
How can castration be destiny? How pertinent a question!
How mind baffling! How painful! But no one - in the government
or the courts - has tried to stop the destiny of castration. While
giving hijras their human rights, opportunities for good educa-
tion, jobs and comfortable living are what the existing Hijras
deserve without bias, what needs to be ensured with greater
vehemence is that no more eunuchs are created. According to
surveys carried out by Salvation Of Oppressed Eunuchs (SOOE),
the number of eunuchs in India is around 1.9 million (Eunuch
Statistics in India - Dr. Piyush Saxena). The natural justice does
not merely demand good life for existing eunuchs but also total
and effective ban on the creation of eunuchs and rigorous pun-
ishment to those involved in the trade. Furthermore, strict action
is also to be taken against those who pose as eunuchs for
money and those who are engaged in prostitution have to be
removed from the trade and rehabilitated.
Let India take lead in not allowing castration to become des-
tiny!
Dr Javed Jamil is a thinker and writer with over a dozen
books including his latest, Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not
Enough and Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination &
Road-map. Other works include The Devil of Economic
Fundamentalism, The Essence of the Divine Verses, The
Killer Sex, Islam means Peace and Rediscovering the
Universe. He can be contacted at doctorforu123@yahoo.com
SC judgment on eunuchs is good but let
castration not become destiny!
A study reported that most eunuchs in India
were the result of forced castration. The method
adopted for the surgery is crude, unscientific,
threatening to the life and health of the vicim and
done in the most unhygienic conditions. The
genitals of a normally born male baby are slashed
off with a knife dipped in boiling oil.
Is it possible
to ignore Aam
Aadmi Party?
KALEEM KAWAJA
People who are describing Aam Aadmi Party as
dangerous, anarchic, publicity seeker, which
is unfit for the Indian democracy, are mostly
from the generation that has grown used to long
established political parties and the abuses,
corruption, communalism, dynasty politics,
authoritarianism, crony capitalism that they
inflict on the nation. These folks think that if you
want a semblance of democracy, you have to
pay this price. To them acting boldly and quick-
ly is dangerous and anarchic . The inequalities
perpetrated on the poor who live below poverty
line, the working poor who live in slums, the
tribal people who are suffering massive injustice
in the name of quick and big industrialisation,
the poor among Dalits and religious minorities,
the fourth class Indians who work as domestic
servants, laborers, drivers etc, do not bother
this establishment class.
In contrast, AAP is giving voice to the rela-
tively younger generation that refuses to accept
not only these wrongs but also believes that you
do not have to pay such a high price for democ-
racy and pluralism. At the same time they are
not leftists and believe in the free enterprise
economics.
In the last few years the older generation,
rich and poor, accepted the failure of the India
Against Corruption (IAC) movement to pass a
tough Lokpal bill in Parliament, and to do some-
thing meaningful to curb high level corruption
and crony capitalism. Some from that older
generation fell victim to BJP which tried to
exploit IAC to target Congress party while ignor-
ing the large-scale corruption and crony capital-
ism in BJP-ruled states and in BJPs national
movements. IAC workers and sympathisers like
Kiran Bedi and Ramdev have sided with BJP in
its attempt to use the movement to gain power.
It was the relatively younger generation
from IAC - Kejriwal, Yadav, Bhushan, Sisodia,
Sanjay Singh, Shazia Ilmi, and others - that
refused to accept the helplessness of the IAC
movement to address the core issues. Instead
of continuing as an NGO like many other excel-
lent social change NGOs, they rightly decided
that cleansing the political system (rajneeti) is
the only viable means to accomplish the goals
of IAC. Of-course this was a hugely difficult task
and a very high mountain to climb, and with par-
liamentary election were approaching in just a
few months!
Surely AAP was not ready for the parlia-
mentary election. Even though people all over
the country loved their bold attempt and suc-
cess in the Delhi election and wanted them to
emulate it nationwide. One of AAPs most
remarkable successes is being able to persuade
the many do-gooder social activists throughout
the country to take part in the parliamentary
election to cleanse politics itself. Win or lose in
the current election, these stars will provide
much needed juice and horsepower to the AAP
movement to go forward as a nationwide move-
ment to cleanse the political system of the
country in the future. Indeed the joint efforts and
collective voices of these diverse activists could
make this movement into a powerful national
movement, akin to Indias freedom movement.
Presently, AAP is spread extremly thin and
is suffering from acute shortages of time,
organisation throughout the country, funds,
leaders, policy formulations etc. This has
caused them to make some mistakes that the
two big parties Congress and BJP, and their
groupies, have jumped right on to malign AAP.
Because these people feel most threatened with
the meteoric rise of AAPs vision as something
that can actually be put into practice. Also being
spread thin, AAP has made a few mistakes.
For instance: Kejriwals dharna in Delhi
soon after becoming CM and backing Smonath
Bhartis impulsive actions in Khirki village; put-
ting up a large number of candidates nationwide
without required resources; AAP resigning from
Delhi government in extreme hurry without giv-
ing sufficient explanation to the public;
Kejriwals rash comment that he will jail the
errant media personnel...
AAP is an idea whose time has definitely
come and the people in the nation at large,
young, middle-aged and old alike, are defi-
nitely very enthusiastic about the AAP move-
ment. Except those who have vested interests
in money-uscle politics, exploiting the fault
lines of religion and caste, letting the robber
barons and crony capitalists exploit the
nation.
This battle is going to be intense and long
drawn. But there is no way the nation can avoid
this battle or ignore it.
Gulzar: Adabi sariqa par
Dada Sahab Phalke Award!
Sampooran Singh Kalra Gulzars selection for
Dada Sahab Phalke award should be seen as
an acknowledgement of Urdu as hes the last
surviving exponent of that culture and refine-
ment Urdu is so bound up with. Though the
connoisseurs of Urdu poetry never considered
him to be a great Urdu poet, his knowledge of
Urdu is indeed admirable. In the desert of Bollywood cinema and
its cacophonous music that reminds one of the shrieks produced
by two fighting cats, Gulzar is an oasis who brings a semblance
of meaning and substance through his humdrum lyrics and aver-
age dialogues. Years ago, one of my friends from Pakistan, who
happens to be a poet and critic, wrote in a Pakistani Urdu daily
Millat that Gulzars Urdu poetry was very much influenced by
Meena Kumaris poetry. The gentle critic didnt use the word pla-
giarism (adabi sariqa ; theres no one word for plagiarism in Urdu
but some Persian-knowing writers/speakers use the rare Persian
word Rifazat for it) anywhere in his article but it gave the idea to
a perceptive reader that most of Gulzars poetry was plagiarised
from Meena Kumaris desultory writings, who never cared for
publishing her works and had immense faith in Gulzar with whom
she was deeply in love before the rustic Dharmendra took her
away. After Meena Kumaris death, Gulzar manipulated her poet-
ry and became a poet par excellence in Bombay which didnt see
any great poet after the demise of Sahir, Majrooh and Kaifi. Yet Im
happy in the sense that Gulzars Dada Sahab Phalke is an
acknowledgement of dying Urdu.
Lastly, can we look forward to Muhammad Rafi getting Dada
Sahab Phalke award posthumously? If Prithviraj Kapoor could get
1971s Dada Sahab posthumously (he died in 1972), why cant
Rafi? Even Sahir Ludhianavi should also get it posthumously after
having penned remarkable songs for 700 odd films. Four stal-
warts should have got it when they were alive. They were, Rafi,
Sahir, S D Burman and Balraj Sahni. If a person like Bhupen
Hazarika can get Dada Sahab Phalke, why did much more deserv-
ing candidates never get it? Everyone knows that it was govern-
ments appeasement policy towards the North East as Hazarika
was an Assamese and had strong political connexions.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 3 www.milligazette.com
Police complicit in
communal riots:
Habibullah
Aligarh: The former Chairman
of the National Commission for
Minorities, Wajahat Habibullah,
expressed his concern on inci-
dents of targeted communal
violence in the country in
which the police force had
repor tedly played a dubious
role.
Delivering the four th
K. P. Singh Memorial Lecture on
Indias Emergence as a Nation:
Its Triumphs and Tragedies at
the AMU on 21 April, Habibullah
made a scathing attack on the
partiality of the police force
saying, Disturbingly, all cases of communal violence investigated by the National Commission for
Minorities followed a trend of police complicity, wherein the police had colluded not only with the domi-
nant community but also with aggressive groups to perpetrate violence.
Elaborating the shortcomings in the justice delivery system, which presently prevails as far as vic-
tims of communal riots are concerned, Habibullah, who is also a former Secretary to the Government of
India, said, Existing provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have proved inadequate in addressing tar-
geted violence in the country.
Habibullah said that in the year 1986, the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi had himself taken the ini-
tiative in investigating the role of the police in the communal violence in Hashimpura in Meerut district,
following the custodial death of 40 Muslim youth at the hands of PAC. He pointed out that despite the
then Prime Ministers intervention, this case still lingers on in the session courts and all accused police-
men continued in regular service and many of them retired with honours.
Habibullah regretted that the country lost an opportunity of containing such targeted violence when
the Communal and Targeted Violence Prevention Bill was torpedoed in the last session of Parliament.
Habibullah said, The most remarkable part of the proposed legislation was that it held public servants
accountable for their negligence or willful failure in controlling riots. This bill would have also given the
right to the victims to be heard during the procedure of trial and was more victim friendly including the
provision of victim protection.
Expressing his dismay over the manner in which this important piece of legislation was shot down
by certain vested interests, Habibullah said, The Draft Bill which failed to get approval of Parliament,
was attacked by right-wing groups for being anti-Hindu, though Hindu minorities too, were covered
under the bill in states where they form a minority population.
Habibullah lamented, The government and civil society at large overlooked the need to address the
discrimination, exclusionary practices and insecurities faced by the Muslim community on a daily basis.
The Muslim community is clueless as to how to deal with an open and certain discrimination.
Referring to the economic plight of the Muslims, despite the advent of a number of poverty-allevia-
tion programmes meant for their economic emancipation, Habibullah said, Compared to the SCs and
STs and other social and religious groups, while urban poverty in 2011 was the highest among Muslims,
rural poverty among Muslims was also higher than that of other religious groups and of Other Backward
Castes (OBCs). Besides, as will be evident from statistics, the rate of decline in poverty has also been
the slowest in the Muslim community even when compared to the SCs and STs.
Referring to a recent official report on urban literacy, Habibullah said, If we compare the rate of
increases in literacy among Muslims with other social and religious groups including the SCs, it is once
again the lowest. Quoting from the Justice Ranganath Mishra Report on Religious and Linguistic
Minorities, Habibullah said, The condition of Muslims in general is lower than Hindu OBCs who have
received the benefit of reservation. Recent attempts by the central government to introduce 4.5 reserva-
tion to Muslim OBCs within the OBC quota have met with resistance.
Quoting again from the Ranganathan Mishra Committee Report, Habibullah said, Muslims have been
denied equal participation in the development process.
Referring to the impact of the follow-up measures following the recommendations of the Justice
Sachar Committee Report, Habibullah said that there was no denying that various flagship programmes
for minority development had been initiated by the central government with the objective of alleviating the
miserable economic conditions of the Muslims. These remedial measures may have led to a limited ame-
lioration in the economic condition of the Muslims, but tardy implementation was a big hurdle in getting
the desired results. Citing the findings of a recent report based on a study by the Centre For Equity Studies
on the impact of the Sachar Committee follow up measures, Habibullah said, The study which covers
three districts in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Haryana indicates that despite focus on minority
districts, Muslim communities were not benefitting much because officials were often under orders to
avoid Muslim villages.
Habibullah said, Instead of spending funds to upgrade schools in Muslim villages, these funds were
spent on neighbouring non-Muslim villages. Referring to the political impact of this harsh reality of exclu-
sion felt by the Muslim community, Habibullah said, There is now a growing political consciousness in
the Muslim community which has made a decisive use of its franchise in election.
Respond now if you care about your
community
White Paper on Terrorism
The issue of fake terrorism charges and the unjust arrests and defamation of our community,
especially since 2001, is the biggest challenge facing the community ever since. A grand con-
spiracy hatched by the powers that be, IB, Police and media, has sullied and defamed our com-
munity. This campaign has affected our lives, peace of mind and has thwarted our efforts to
progress and educate our children to join the national mainstream.
Our efforts so far to present our case, to bring out our innocence and force the national and
state governments to listen to our grievances have mostly failed. All we have received are a few
words of solace which have no real meaning and have not changed the situation on the ground.
Our children by their thousands are still languishing in jails on the basis of fake confessions
obtained through torture and blackmail.
As a long-term solution and a serious response to this problem thrust upon us, AIMMM
decided last year to bring out a white paper on the Muslim-related terrorism in the country.
The work is going on with all seriousness and many researchers, scholars and journalists are
busy preparing writeups on various aspects of this issue, covering the history, genesis, com-
munalism, vested interests in various related fields, analysis of various laws like TADA, POTA
and UAPA, fake encounters, narco tests, torture, acquittals, IB & Police role, media attitude,
case studies, statewise surveys, SIMI, Indian Mujahidin, Hindutva terror, individual tragedies
of victims, Azamgarh, Bhatkal, Malegaon, Darbhanga modules, some basic documents, etc.,
etc.
The target is to bring out this white paper during the next few months and to release it in a
big convention at Delhi as a combined effort of major Muslim and civil rights organisations, and
thereafter present this huge document of over 600 large format pages to politicians, media,
human rights organisations, especially outside the country, in order to enlighten public opinion
at home and abroad as well as to build pressure on our blind and deaf government.
The estimated cost of this white paper is Rs 35 lakh divided as follows: Rs 15 lakh cost of
preparation and payments to contributors plus six months salaries to researchers and experts;
Rs 15 lakh for designing and printing the document in a world-class format; while the grand con-
vention at Delhi will cost at least 5 lakh. Effort will be made to release the White Paper in some
state and world capitals also.
You can help this effort in four ways,
1. To buy copies of the White Paper on Terrorism in advance to help defray part of the huge cost
of research, printing, publication and distribution of at least one thousand complimentary
copies. The estimated price of the white paper is Rs 2000 per copy in India. You may place
an advance order by paying Rs 1000 only per copy in India including postal charges).
Payments for the copies may be made to The Milli Gazette, D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, Jamia
Nagar, New Delhi 110025. Email: edit@milligazette.com. Individuals and organisations order-
ing a minimum of 100 copies in advance will be included as Sponsors of the White Paper.
2. Contribute to the cost of the grand convention to be held in Delhi. This should be payable to
the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, New
Delhi-110025. Tel.: 011-26946780 Fax: 011-26947346. Email:
mushawarat@mushawarat.com.
3. Donate your time: If you are a scholar, researcher, journalist: join our team for a few
months working in our Delhi office or from your own home to complete this project - write
to the Editor, MG now at edit@milligazette.com.
4. Contact us if you have vital information/documents about this issue.
PIYUSH BABELE AND AKHTAR ALI
New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) has banned Uttar
Pradesh Minority Affairs Minister Azam Khan from addressing any
public rally in the state following complaints that he had delivered
a communal speech during an election campaign earlier this
week.
But in an interview with these correspondents Mr Khan said
that his speech for which he had been booked, was in no way
communal and that he firmly stood by his speech.
On April 7, during his election campaign in Masoori village of
Ghaziabad Mr Khan said that Indian Muslim soldiers played a key
role in Indias defeat of Pakistani forces in the 1999 Kargil War.
Soon after, a short video clip of his speech went viral on the
YouTube as many complained that Mr Khans speech in the rally
was communal in nature.
As soon as reports of the allegedly communal speech were
published in the media, leaders from the BJP and other groups
criticised Khan for, they charged, he was dividing the Indian Army
on communal lines, and demanded action against him.
Now apart from banning the Samajwady Party leader from
addressing any public rally before the general election, the EC has
also asked Uttar Pradesh authorities to file criminal suit against
him.
However, Mr Khan told these correspondents that he had got
the information about the special role the Muslim soldiers had
played in the Kargil War from a senior Indian army officer and that
his statement in Masoori was in no way communal or wrong.
In a meeting with me, an Indian Army officer narrated how
the (Indian) Muslim soldiers posed as personnel of another wing
of the Pakistani Army to confuse their Pakistani counterparts and
it led to Indias victory in the final leg of the war. In my speech in
Masoori I said exactly what I had known from the Indian Army
officer, Mr Khan said.
In my speech for which I am being criticised now I said
nothing but how the Muslim soldiers contributed to Indias victo-
ry in the Kargil War and how they are always ready to sacrifice
their lives for the motherland.
In his speech he sought to highlight his point that Muslims
too are defending India and the minority community deserves to
be loved by the majority community, the 66-year-old political
leader said.
Although Khan refused to provide the name of the army offi-
cer, he said that he was from Bhopal.
He is a good friend now and we are in touch with each other.
I shall indeed disclose his identity at an appropriate time. I am
sure if people watch the full video of my speech in that context
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-TeNOk-6Xk) none among
them will find it communal, he said.
I am being unfairly targeted by my political rivals and a sec-
tion of the media.
The decision by the EC reflects a bias against me. I shall
urge the EC to review its decision.
Muslim soldiers were behind our victory in Kargil war
THE MILLI GAZETTE
requires
JUNIOR JOURNALISTS
write with details in the first instance to the Editor at edit@milligazette.com
Basic requirements: good command over English, interest in and knowledge
of Muslim community issues, knowledge of Urdu
Habibullah said that in a democracy, no group should feel excluded because this could only
lead to the weakening of the nation as a whole. Europe had to pay a heavy price for cleaving to
a narrow concept of nationhood and the Europeans had to ultimately undertake fitful steps
towards building a multi-nationality state. He called upon every section of Indian society to use
the Right to Information Act for ensuring accountability and transparency in governance. This Act,
he said, was among our strongest weapons for ensuring justice to all sections of the people.
In his presidential remarks on Habibullahs address, the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim
University, Zameer Uddin Shah said The major thrust of the Muslim community has to be on edu-
cation and this objective could largely be achieved by reforming and improving the quality of edu-
cation of Muslim Madrasas all over the country. Shah said that as far as discrimination was con-
cerned, Muslims do not need just riot free society but more so they need a discrimination-free
society.
4 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Shiite Muslim cleric, Kalbe Jawad, reaffirmed his praise for the Bharatiya
Janata Partys president, Rajnath Singh, by comparing him to BJPs for-
mer Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who still retains position of most
popular leader in Uttar Pradesh despite not being involved in politics any-
more.
Kalbe Jawad on 12 April, reiterated his praise for Rajnath Singh as
prime ministerial candidate while adding that Muslims were upset with
Narendra Modi after the 2002 riots in Gujarat.
Jawad also clarified that his meet should not be seen as a political
motive to garner Muslim votes. If we meet someone that does not mean
that we are their supporters. He went to meet other clerics also but that
was not raised. Leaders of other parties have been coming to meet us,
said he.
Jawad said though Rajnath might be the president of BJPs but prime
ministerial candidate Modis image is not very good amongst large num-
ber of Muslim voters in the country and the idea of a secular government
among the masses was not in the form of BJP.
We said that if BJP comes to power, then Rajnath Singh would be a
better candidate to be the prime minister because he has the reflection of
Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Muslims will accept him more than they support
Narendra Modi because Muslims are upset with Gujarat riots. So it was
interpreted as our support to Rajnath Singh, which is not true he said.
He also took swipes at the ruling Congress calling it communal in
nature that follows divisive policies and a party which will be boycotted by
all minorities in the ongoing general elections.
Our call is only to boycott Congress. It should be boycotted because
it is the most communal political party. Muslims have been harmed by the
Congress the most. They are most hypocrite because they are deceiving
the Muslims under the guard of being secular. They are wearing a mask of
loving the minorities, Jawad added. Rajnath Singh had met Muslim cler-
ics on 14 April to garner support of their community.
Meanwhile, Jawad had said after the meet that Muslims were afraid
of Modi and BJP would receive less number of seats only because of him.
Singhs meeting with Muslim clerics has triggered a political debate
as BJP had earlier pilloried Congress partys president Sonia Gandhi for
meeting a Muslim delegation led by Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed
Bukhari and had accused her of spreading communalism. (ANI)
Mushawarat criticises ECs double-standards
New Delhi: All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian
Muslim organizations, said here on 21 April that the Election Commission of
India is playing partisan politics by removing the ban on Amit Shah while
retaining the same in the case of Azam Khan. The Election Commission has
also failed to take action against umpteen BJP leaders who have crossed all
limits during the current electoral campaign, like Giriraj Singh saying that
opponents of Modi will be sent to Pakistan or Vasundra Raje saying we will
see who is cut to pieces after the election, or Nitin Gadkari saying that
casteism is in the DNAof Bihar or Parveen Togadia saying that Muslims will
be expelled to Pakistan and reminding them of Muzaffarnagar, Khokhrajhar
and Gujarat 2002, etc. etc.
Mushawarat president Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan said: since the Election
Commission has developed cold feet to tackle the BJP-RSS hate jugger-
naut, Supreme Court of India should take suo motto notice by appointing
an SIT to probe the hatemongering by Sangh Parivar people during the
current election campaign and bring the culprits to book. Mushawarat
chief has written a letter in this connection to the Chief Justice of India.
Muslim students served food last, says rights group
New Delhi: Some teachers force children from lower castes and minority
religions to clean toilets and sit separately from their classmates as part
of persistent discrimination in classrooms, a rights group said on
22 April.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said pupils from marginalised commu-
nities often drop out of school and start working as labourers rather than
face continued humiliation at the hands of teachers and principals. The
77-page study on schools was compiled through interviews with more
than 160 teachers, principals, parents and students in four states - Delhi,
Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar - which have large populations
of low-caste poor, indigenous tribals and Muslims.
Indias immense project to educate all its children risks falling victim
to deeply rooted discrimination by teachers and other school staff against
the poor and marginalised, said the reports author Jayshree Bajoria.
Instead of encouraging children from at-risk communities who are
often the first in their families to ever step inside a classroom, teachers
often neglect or even mistreat them, she said.
Children from Muslim communities were among those often made to
sit at the back of classrooms or in separate rooms. They were called
derogatory names, were denied leadership roles and were served food
last, the report said.
Some children said they were segregated and neglected because
they were considered dirty, while Muslim students said they were called
mullahs, a term for an Islamic cleric, instead of by their names.
In 2009, the parliament passed landmark legislation that guarantees
state schooling for children aged six to 14 and enrollments have reached
more than 90 percent nationally. But HRW said the law does not contain
punishments for those who discriminate in the classroom.
Most education authorities have failed to establish proper mecha-
nisms to monitor and track children, who were at risk of dropping out, and
acting to ensure they were able to remain in school, the report said.
(ndtv.com - AFP report)
Modi critics to move to Pakistan post-elections: BJP
New Delhi: A Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Bihar made a remark on
19 April that those who oppose partys prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi will have to leave India and move to Pakistan post the
general elections. Those who want to stop Narendra Modi (from becom-
ing prime minister) are looking towards Pakistan. In the coming days,
they will have no place in India. They will only have place in Pakistan,
said Giriraj Singh. He made the above comments while addressing a
gathering in Godda district of Jharkhand. Surprisingly, the comments
were made in the presence of senior party leader Nitin Gadkari. Giriraj is
BJPs candidate from Nawada in Bihar.
BJP mob instigates violence in Mallipattinam
Violent rioters damaged vehicles and shops at Mallipattinam, Tanjore dis-
trict in Tamilnadu on 14 April. This BJP-engineered riot happened when
their candidate Muruganantham came along with a mob near a Masjid
under the pretext of election campaign and shouted communally divisive
slogans there. Muslim prayer usually lasts for a few minutes only but the
timing for the BJP campaign was chosen with an ill intention in order to
disturb the prayer and this was done despite police had denied permis-
sion for this group to assemble there. Local people, disturbed by their
hate speech, opposed their loud campaign outside the mosque but they
were brutally attacked. Muslim-owned commercial establishments and
shops and cars were damaged by the BJP mob. Dehlan Baqavi,
President of SDPI, while strongly condemning the violence said,
Government could have prevented the hate speeches of Karuppu
Muruganantham in communally-sensitive areas but it failed to do so. He
urged the government to provide adequate security as mere denial of per-
mission to such groups is not sufficient. He also urged the government to
stop arresting people indiscriminately and release the innocents arrested
earlier. Baqavi condemned the BJP, a party totally rejected by the peo-
ple of Tamilnadu, which is now resorting to violence in order to grab
power through the backdoor. Baqavi urged the government to arrest
Muruganantham under appropriate sections of the criminal procedure
and ensure adequate preventive measures so that such violence does
not reoccur in any parts of Tamilnadu. (Haja Mohideen)
Shiite Muslim cleric reaffirms praise for
Rajnath Singh, calls Congress communal
More than 8000 new-borns died
in five years in Patna Medical
College
Patna: Patna Medical College is one of the
important medical colleges of the country but
during the past 5 years as many as 8343 new
born babies died in its maternity home and ICU.
Not only new born babies but 776 women also
died during delivery process during this period.
This information was furnished by the Hospitals
concerned Department in response to an RTI by
RH Bansal of Delhi who is a human rights
activist, according to which, during the period
from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013,
8843 new born babies had died and 776 women
also had died during the delivery process.
During the period form 1 January to 31 Dec,
2008, 995 new borns had died. Sadly, after this
the number of death of new born babies, instead
of falling began to increase. A new ICU for the
new borns was opened in this hospital in March
2010. During the calendar year 2010 (i.e. 1 Jan
to 31 Dec) total number of deaths of new borns
in the emergency room as well as the new ICU
(NICU) was 1244. During the calendar year
2011 as many as 1918 new borns died. During
the calendar year 2012 this number went up to
2049 and in 2013 (1.1.2013 to 31.12.2013)
their number was 2137.
As regards women in the maternity home
and ICU in the calendar year 2009, 121 women
died, in 2010, 137 died; in 2011, 155 died; in
2012, 190 died and in 2013, 173 women died,
making a total of 776 deaths in 5 years.
Progress in Gujarat: Sixty thousand
small industries closed down in 10 years
New Delhi: Narendra Modis and his supporters
claim of progress and development in Gujarat is
being exposed by Gujarats economics depart-
ment and statistics department. According to
these departments statistics, within about a
decade of his (Modis) coming to power as
many as 60,000 small industries have closed
down but his supporters, media and propagan-
dists never revealed this fact. According to an
RBI officer, from the point of view of foreign
investments, Gujarat has now come down to 5th
place and in the agricultural field, it has reached
8th place in the country. After Modis coming to
power agricultural production is less than 5 per-
cent. According to the Department of Statistics
of states agricultural ministry, total progress in
the field of agriculture during the financial years
2005-06 to 2010-11 was only 3.44 percent.
Also, in the agricultural field 5 percent VAT
(Value added tax) was levied on fertilizers which
is the highest among all Indian states. There are
26 districts and 225 blocks in Gujarat, of whom
57 blocks are considered dark zone blocks.
According to another report, about 4,55,885
electric connections are deadlocked frequently.
About 45 percent children below 5 years of age
are malnourished and of these 70 percent are
anaemic and 40 percent are underweight. In 8
districts and 3 taluqas of this state there are
2494 vacancies of teachers which are unful-
filled. According to the information obtained
through RTI, there are 978 schools in this state
where there are only one or two teachers in
each. As regards health department, according
to Human Development Repor t 2011-12,
Gujarat is a state where public health depart-
ment is badly affected and among 20 Indian
states it is the one where women too are victims
of asthma.
No Urdu-medium
schools in a
population of 3 lakh
Muslims
N
ew Delhi: Population of Muslims in
Paharganjs Nabi Kareem area is about
three lakh but since there is not a single
Urdu-medium school in this area,
Muslim children are compelled to read Hindi,
Sanskrit and Punjabi instead. Moreover, in none
of government schools in this area there is any
Urdu teacher. Children of local traders and small
businessmen, employees and servicemen,
workers etc, are totally ignorant of Urdu in the
absence of Urdu-medium schools and absence
of Urdu teachers. Residents of this locality say
that in spite of several requests and meetings
with the areas MP Kapil Sibal and MLA Haroon
Yusuf about the need for Urdu-medium schools
and appointment of Urdu teachers, and subse-
quent reminders, nothing has been done in this
respect. According to them, they met Haroon
Yusuf several times at his residence to draw his
personal attention but except assurances noth-
ing practical has come out. One of the residents
said that they face many difficulties about
admission of Muslim children in schools situat-
ed in Nabi Kareem.
In the absence of Urdu in government
schools, parents have to go to private schools
but there also, in addition to absence of Urdu,
step-motherly treatment is meted out to them.
They said that in the absence of any arrange-
ment for teaching Urdu, their children, have per-
force to read Sansckit and Punjabi, in addition to
Hindi and English.
There are only seven small and large
schools in Nabi Kareem area but none has any
Urdu teacher. A suggestion was made to Haroon
Yusuf that in the schools of the area there should
be two shifts and in the second shift arrange-
ments should be made for teaching of Urdu. In
this way the problem of shortage of schools will
be solved and arrangements for teaching of
Urdu can also be made but Sibal and Yusuf
showed no interest in this proposal. Residents
stated that most of the Muslim students are chil-
dren of labourers, small industrialists and petty
businessmen. Because of discrimination,
Muslim parents and students are facing great
difficulty.
In addition to the condition of Urdu in Nabi
Kareem schools, in Delhi schools as a whole
Urdu sections have been closed down. On one
hand, school authorities are so biased that they
do not even want to hear the name of Urdu
and, on the other hand, officers of education
department also appear to be indifferent about
education of Urdu. In many Urdu medium
schools, Urdu could not be taught for the whole
year. Under Sarva Shikshsha Abhiyan last year,
in 50 schools only 50 Urdu teachers were
appointed but after the end of their contract on
31 March no extension was given to them. Last
year government started the process of appoint-
ing Urdu teachers on a considerably large scale
but in some cases because of the compulsory
condition of CTET, and in some cases, because
of bureaucratic red tapism and because of
school management's inimical attitude towards
Urdu, nothing could be done. Subsequently, gov-
ernment announced the appointment of about
200 Urdu teachers but because of the condition
of CTET being compulsory, many candidates
could not qualify and only 50 teachers were
appointed whose contract too expired on 31
March and Urdu sections in these schools were
closed down.
Many Muslim social workers and activists of
Urdu have advised parents that at the time of
admission of their children in schools, they must
write Urdu as the third language in addition to
Hindi and English in admission forms whether
Urdu teachers are provided or not. They argue
that when there will be quite a large number of
students wanting to learn Urdu, school manage-
ments will be compelled to appoint Urdu teach-
ers. This is mentioned in a government circular
also. (N. A. Ansari)
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 5 www.milligazette.com
PROF. SHAMSUL ISLAM
notoinjustice@gmail.com
Narendra Modi, BJPs nominee for prime-
ministership, dreams of overloading Indian
polity which is constitutionally based on the
principles of democracy, secularism,
federalism, socialism and justice. However,
there is going to be a serious conflict of
interests between the above-mentioned
fundamental principles of the Indian polity and
Modis world-view which is controlled and
dictated by the RSS, the most prominent
protagonist of the politics of Hindutva.
It is a critical issue as Modi publically admits
that he is a member of RSS. And RSS hates and
denigrates all fundamental principles of the
democratic-secular India.
There are SIX important QUESTIONS which
need urgent response from Narendra Modi so
that Nation comes to know on which side of the
divide he stands.
1. Does Modi respect Tricolour, the National Flag
despite RSS denigrating it?
The RSS English organ, Organiser, just on
the eve of Independence (August 14, 1947)
used the following scornful language against the
new National Flag of India: The people who
have come to power by the kick of fate may give
in our hands the Tricolour but it never [sic] be
respected and owned by Hindus. The word three
is in itself an evil, and a flag having three colours
will certainly produce a very bad psychological
effect and is injurious to a country.
2. Does Modi believe in democracy despite RSS
opposing it?
Constitutionally, India is a Democratic
Republic. But RSS is dead opposed to it as can
be known from the following statement of Guru
Golwalkar, most prominent ideologue of the
organisation. He stated while addressing a
group of 1350 top-level cadres of the RSS in
1940, RSS inspired by one flag, one leader and
one ideology, is lighting the flame of Hindutva in
each and every corner of this great land.
It is to be noted that this decree of one flag,
one leader and one ideology was also the battle
cry of Fascist and Nazi parties of Europe in the
first half of the 20th century.
3. Does Modi have faith in
Indian federalism despite open
hatred to this idea by RSS?
The RSS is dead against
the federal structure given in
the Indian Constitution, again
a basic feature of the Indian
polity. This is clear from the
following communication of
M.S. Golwalkar to the first
session of the National
Integration Council in 1961:
Todays federal form of
government not only gives
birth but also nourishes the
feelings of separatism, in a
way refuses to recognize the fact of one nation
and destroys it. It must be completely uprooted,
constitution purified and unitary form of
government be established.
4. Does Modi uphold Indian Secular State
despite RSS demanding a Hindu State?
India is constitutionally and legally an all-
inclusive State in which people of all religions
have equal rights and status. However, RSS
always rejected the idea that Hindus, Muslims,
Sikhs, Christians and followers of other religions
constituted a nation together. Its English organ,
Organiser, on the very eve of Independence
(August 14, 1947), in an editorial titled
Whither underlined its belief that India was a
Hindu Nation. Let us no longer allow ourselves
to be influenced by false notions of nationhood.
Much of the mental confusion and the present
and future troubles can be removed by the ready
recognition of the simple fact that in Hindusthan
only the Hindus form the nation and the national
structure must be built on that safe and sound
foundationthe nation itself must be built up of
Hindus, on Hindu traditions, culture, ideas and
aspirations, it said.
5. Does Modi uphold the democratic-secular
Indian Constitution despite RSS rejecting it and
demanding promulgation of Manu Code as law
of the land? Guru Golwalkar, while rejecting the
Indian Constitution, said in his
Bunch of Thoughts, It has
absolutely nothing which can
be called our own. In fact,
RSS wanted this Constitution
to be replaced by Manusmriti
or Manu Code which is
known for its derogatory and
inhuman references to
Untouchables and women.
When the Constituent
Assembly had finalized the
Constitution of India, RSS
was not happy. Its organ,
Organiser in an editorial in its
issued of 30 November,
1949, complained,
But in our constitution there is no mention
of the unique constitutional development in
ancient Bharat. Manus Laws were written long
before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To
this day his laws as enunciated in the
Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world
and elicit spontaneous obedience and
conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that
means nothing.
6. Does Modi agree with Sardar Patel that RSS
was responsible for the murder of Gandhiji
despite RSS denial?
The first Home Minister of India, Sardar
Patel, in a letter written to Golwalkar, dated 11
September, 1948, stated: Organising the
Hindus and helping them is one thing but going
in for revenge for its sufferings on innocent and
helpless men, women and children is quite
another thingApart from this, their opposition
to the Congress, that too of such virulence,
disregarding all considerations of personality,
decency or decorum, created a kind of unrest
among the people. All their speeches were full of
communal poison. It was not necessary to
spread poison in order to enthuse the Hindus
and organise for their protection. As a final result
of the poison, the country had to suffer the
sacrifice of the invaluable life of Gandhiji. Even
an iota of the sympathy of the Government, or of
the people, no more remained for the RSS. In
fact, opposition grew. Opposition turned more
severe, when the RSS men expressed joy and
distributed sweets after Gandhijis death. Under
these conditions it became inevitable for the
Government to take action against the
RSSSince then, over six months have
elapsed. We had hoped that after this lapse of
time, with full and proper consideration, the RSS
persons would come to the right path. But from
the reports that come to me, it is evident that
attempts to put fresh life into their same old
activities are afoot.
That Hindu Mahasabha and RSS were jointly
responsible for the murder of the Father of the
Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was fur ther
corroborated by Sardar Patel in a letter to a
prominent leader of Hindu Mahasabha, Shyama
Prasad Mookerjee on 18 July, 1948 in which
Sardar wrote: As regards the RSS and the Hindu
Mahasabha, the case relating to Gandhijis
murder is sub judice and I should not like to say
anything about the participation of the two
organisations, but our reports do confirm that,
as a result of the activities of these two bodies,
particularly the former, an atmosphere was
created in the country in which such a ghastly
tragedy became possible. There is no doubt in
my mind that the extreme section of the Hindu
Mahasabha was involved in the conspiracy. The
activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to
the existence of Government and the State. Our
reports show that those activities, despite the
ban, have not died down. Indeed, as time has
marched on, the RSS circles are becoming more
defiant and are indulging in their subversive
activities in an increasing measure.
It is hoped that Modi who claims to stand for
transparent politics will respond to the above
puzzling questions.
Six Questions For Narendra Modi
Supreme court ruling compelled Modi to
acknowledge wife after four elections of denial
Evict Muslims from Hindu
areas: Pravin Togadia
Rajkot: Vishwa Hindu Parishads (VHP) president Pravin Togadia
sent temperatures soaring in Bhavnagar on 19 April evening with
a hate speech that targeted Muslims for buying properties in
Hindu areas.
At night, Togadia joined a group of VHP and Bajrang Dal
members on a street protest outside a house purchased by a
Muslim businessman near Meghani Circle. While saffron groups
have been regularly organizing Ram Dhuns and Ram Darbars
to thwart such deals, Togadia went a step further by asking the
protesters to take complete control of the house and put a
Bajrang Dal board on it.
Togadia told the gathering that there were two ways to stop such
deals. One is to pressurize the state government to bring in Disturbed
Areas Act in Bhavnagar, which prevents inter-community sale of
immovable property. The second is to take forcible possession of the
house and fight a legal battle later which will go on for years.
He gave the Muslim occupant 48 hours to vacate the house.
If he does not relent, go with stones, tyres and tomatoes to his
office. There is nothing wrong in it. Killers of Rajiv Gandhi have
not been hanged ... there is nothing to fear and the case will go
on, Togadia told the charged-up gathering.
I have done it in the past and Muslims have lost both prop-
erty and money, he said.
He also said that this election is the best time to pressurize polit-
ical parties to ensure safety of Hindus. Dont be reluctant to pres-
surize Congress or BJP for the sake of Hindus safety, he said.
After the event was over, tension was palpable and police
feared that the mob might attack the house. A team of policemen
has been stationed outside the house to avert any trouble. (time-
sofindia.indiatimes.com - 21 Apr, 2014)
MG comment: The Indian state looks the other way when it
concerns the likes of Togadia and Yogi Adityanath who spew
venom against Muslims whenever they open their mouths.
They flout every single rule in the book, openly call for violence
against Muslims, tell their followers to take the law into their
hands, but the system believes that they are slightly overzeal-
ous nationalists. Togadias name appears as a supporter of
terrorists in the Malegaon 2008 blast case but he has never
been even interrogated let alone arrested. So much so that the
Maharasthra ATS told the court that it does not know who is
this Togadia! One other reason possibly is that these ultras
gave big mobs at their command and the state is afraid to take
on them (Zafarul-Islam Khan).
New Delhi: A September 2013 Supreme Court ruling that the
returning officer can reject the nomination papers of a candidate
for non-disclosure and suppression of information has brought
justice to the 62-year-old Jashodabens door. The retired school
teacher, who never dared speak of her marriage with BJPs pow-
erful prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi until a reporter
tracked her down a couple of years ago, has spent a lifetime in
oblivion with her brother and family, while her husband has pur-
sued one political dream after another without ever confirming the
marriage.
Now BJPs prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has admit-
ted to being married to Jashodaben for the first time in his public life.
His election affidavit finally has Jashdaben written in the spouse col-
umn, that he had left blank in his affidavits for at least four Assembly
elections in the past. In fact just in February this year in one of his
grand speeches against corruption Modi had said at a rally, I have no
family ties. I am single. Who will I be corrupt for?
In one sense he was right, in that he had forgotten about the
existence of a wife who was married to him when she was just 17
years and lived with him for precisely three years before being
asked to leave after which there has been no communication from
his end to this day. She literally disappeared from Modis life for
four decades, and after the first interview she stopped meeting the
media until January this year when she spoke to the Financial
Express.
Sources said that political parties were planning to challenge
Modis affidavit this year if he had left the spouse column blank yet
again, and this could have led to an embarrassing investigation and
cancellation of his papers. Modi was left with no alternative but to
acknowledge the existence of his wife. The Congress, however,
has decided to approach the Election Commission for an investi-
gation into Modis affidavits of the past where he had not disclosed
his marital status and for filing wrong information. In his affidavit
in Vadodara Narendra Modi informed that he is married. Prior to
that none of his affidavits mentioned this. It is hence proven those
affidavits were wrong, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said after filing
a complaint with the EC.
The apex court had been very categorical that voters have the
fundamental right to know about their candidates and leaving
columns blank in the nomination papers amounts to violation of
these rights. Significantly, the advocate appearing for the NGO that
had filed this PIL was Aam Aadmis Prashant Bhushan who had
said that leaving any column blank would mean non-compliance of
the apex courts judgment that had supported the plea that a blank
column was tantamount to concealing information.
Jashodaben in her interview said that Modi would mostly talk
to her about completing her education. She revealed that all had
not been bad from the beginninginitially he took interest in talk-
ing to me and even in the affairs of the kitchen. She said they had
parted on good terms but there was no communication between
them after she left. She spoke of reading about him, watching him
on television and when asked whether she would like to go back to
him if he became the Prime Minister, she said, I dont think he will
ever call me. She wished him well though expressing the hope
that he would become the Prime Minister.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi fired the first salvo at a rally in
Jammu and Kashmir where he said, dont know how many elec-
tions he (Modi) has contested till now but he has revealed for the
first time that he is married. In Delhi he talks about the honor of
women, but his own wifes name doesnt reach the affidavit.
Attempts to control the damage were made Modis brother
Somabhai who claimed that the marriage was a social formality.
Significantly, both Modi and his former home minister Amit Shah
were in the news for snooping on a woman working in Bangalore
following a sting operation. (thecitizen3.bmobilized.com)
This photo tells it all: Modi and Yashoda were not
minors at the time of their marriage
Source: http://modiweddingphoto.blogspot.in/
(MG does not vouch for the authenticity of this picture)
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
This time around (2014) the
practitioners of sectarian poli-
tics had projected as if they
will harp only on the issues
related to development and
governance. But that surely
is for sayings sake. While
propaganda about the devel-
opment of Gujarat, strong leader and good gover-
nance is on the forefront, there is a lurking doubt
that many by now would be realising that the story
of the so-called development cannot be pushed
beyond a point as so many studies and reports
have shown the contrary facts. An authoritarian
and dictatorial leader is not a strong leader. It is
clear that a strong leader is the one who is inclu-
sive and takes others along. Hence the fundamen-
tals of communal politics, the issues related to
identity and faith are being subtly raised.
Attacking the UPA-II on 3 April for an increase
in the export of meat and beef, Narendra Modi
mocked at UPA-II by saying that cattle are being
killed for the sake of pink revolution, which hints
towards the meat business, export of meat or beef.
In our country, eating beef is a very sensitive reli-
gious issue. It emerges that now despite this being
a sensitive issue, on the ground of commerce it
comes to our notice that India has become the
biggest beef exporter in the world, beating Brazil
but beef here means buffalo meat. This is as per
the latest meat exports figures from the Ministry of
Food Processing. The data shows that India
exported 1.89 million tons of beef in 2012-2013,
which is a 50 per cent increase over five years.
Officially, the slaughter of cows is banned and
beef production is actually buffalo meat. Here too,
the slaughter is restricted to males and unproduc-
tive females, explains the Department of Animal
Husbandry official.
Beef has been a part of Indias dietary tradi-
tions. In Vedic times the sacrifice of cows in the
yagnas (rituals around fire) was a central feature.
It is with the rise of agriculture that the restrictions
were introduced on the sacrifice of cows as cattle
wealth was core to the development of agriculture.
Swami Vivekananda, while speaking to a large
gathering in USA said: You will be astonished if I
tell you that, according to old ceremonials, he is
not a good Hindu who does not eat beef. On cer-
tain occasions he must sacrifice a bull and eat it.
(Vivekananda speaking at the Shakespeare
Club, Pasadena, California, USA, 2 February
1900, on the theme of Buddhistic India, cited in
Swami Vivekananda, The Complete Works of
Swami Vivekananda, Vol. 3, Calcutta: Advaita
Ashram, 1997, p. 536).
This is corroborated by other research work
sponsored by the Ramakrishna Mission estab-
lished by Swami Vivekananda himself. One of
these reads: The Vedic Aryans, including the
Brahmanas, ate fish, meat and even beef. Adistin-
guished guest was honoured with beef served at a
meal. Although the Vedic Aryans ate beef, milch
cows were not killed. One of the words that desig-
nated cow was aghnya (what shall not be killed).
But a guest was a goghna (one for whom a cow
is killed). It is only bulls, barren cows and calves
that were killed.
(C. Kunhan Raja, Vedic Culture, cited in the
series, Suniti Kumar Chatterji and others (eds.),
The Cultural Heritage of India, vol. 1, Calcutta: The
Ramakrishna Mission, 1993), 217).
The pioneering research of historian D.N. Jha
also tells us that beef was part of Indias dietary tra-
dition. Same is corroborated by Dr. Pandurang
Waman Kane in his multi-volume Bharatiya
Dharmgranthon ka Itihas (History of Indian
Scriptures) where he quotes from Vedas, Atho
annam vya gau (Cow is veritably a food).
Cow came to become a holy animal with the
rise of agricultural society for the obvious reasons
of the need for bulls in agriculture. Slowly, it got
associated with the religious sentiments.
Contrary to the propaganda that it was Muslim
kings who brought beef eating practices to India,
the fact is that Muslim kings in deference to the
feelings of the Hindu majority went on to put curbs
on cow slaughter. Babars will to his son Humayun
(Exhibit in National Museum) points to this fact. It
says,
Son, this Nation Hindustan has different reli-
gions. Thank Allah for giving us this kingdom. We
should remove all the differences from our heart
and do justice to each community according to its
customs. Avoid cow-slaughter to win over the
hearts of the people of this land and to incorporate
the people in the matters of administration
(translated from the original in the National
Museum).
The propaganda that Muslims brought beef
eating to India has no substance at all. As a matter
of fact it was the British who systematised it and
appointed Khatiks (butchers) in their barracks for
cow slaughter to supply beef for the army.
With rise of the politics in the name of religion
due to British policy of divide and rule, cow and
pig were made instruments of instigating commu-
nal violence to polarise the communities along reli-
gious lines. Many a communal violence did break
out in the name of cow slaughter or throwing pig
into a mosque. Earlier too the demand for cow
slaughter ban has been raised and now it is
banned in most of the states barring Kerala and
West Bengal. Hence, currently there are strict
rules about cow slaughter and what is called beef
is buffalo meat.
In recent times the murder of dalits in Gohana
on the charge that they killed cow for its hide is too
fresh in our memory. The killing of dalits was legit-
imised by a VHP leader saying cow is too holy for
anything else to be considered.
As such beef has been part of Indian dietary
practices amongst many communities, especially
amongst dalits and Adivasis all over the country,
more so in Southern India. In the face of the rising
price of mutton, beef is a rich source of protein for
the poor; some do take to it for its taste. Recently,
when I was on a group tour to Eastern Europe, one
Hindu family, which was part of our group, by and
large was opting for beef as the main dish for their
lunch or dinner.
The issue now is: should we have our dietary
choices or not? The claim that UPA-II is promoting
Pink Revolution is a blatant communal use of the
issue. The BJP spokespersons on TV channels
are claiming that it is due to the promotion of this
export that our milk production and agriculture are
suffering. Whatever be other flaws of the current
policies, one thing is clear that our milk production
is on the ascendance. Agriculture is suffering but
not due to shortage of cattle. Such claimants need
to do their home-work and learn that by and large
it is the poor and low caste people who rear the
cattle and they cant bear the burden of aged ani-
mals which stop giving milk.
The natural cycle of food and economics is
dictating the present scenario, and communalising
it is unwarranted. We need to put our agricultural
economy on the wheels of progress, rearing ani-
mals is an activity very close to agricultural econo-
my, such a blatant communalising of the issue is
counterproductive to our values as a democratic
society. (pluralindia.com)
Beef, Pink Revolution and identity
6 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Muslims pray behind their imams, stand and prostrate with him.
This act of obedience to Allah is repeated five times a day. Maulvis
start thinking that these Muslims following them in the prayers are
their serfs. They start thinking that every Muslim outside the
prayers also would follow their dictates. This misunderstanding
transforms these imams into political leaders at the time of
every election. The maulvis, whose duty was to announce the
sight of Eid and Ramadan moons, start issuing appeals to
Muslims to vote for this or that party.
We all know what impact these appeals make on the Muslim
voters but the message goes loud and clear that Muslims who
unite five times a day for their prayers, do not unite for elections
held once in five years.
Parliamentary elections are progressing these days and our
maulvis instead of showing the right path for the communitys
welfare and progress, are busy scattering Muslim votes. Imam of
Delhis Jama Masjid Sayed Ahmad Bukhari, shunning BSP and SP,
has grabbed the hands of the Congress and hence declared his
support for the Congress. But his younger brother and deputy,
Yahya Bukhari, is not ready to believe in the Congress promises,
hence he is openly opposing it.
Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan was honoured by Samajwadi
Party and given the status of a state minister but he disliked the
role of the SP government in the Muzaffarnagar riots, hence he
has now appealed in favour of BSP. Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan
says that when the victims of Muzaffarnagar riot were rotting in
refugee camps, the SP government was celebrating in Saifai.
Maulana says the death of Janeshwar Mishra was sufficient to
postpone the Mahotsav but instead of shedding tears on the
destruction of Muslims, the state government found it fit to hold a
grand celebration.
Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangimahli did not announce his
support for any party, but by declaring his aversion to Modi, he
gives the message that he is not going to mellow down by Indresh
Kumars extended stay in Lucknow or by meeting Rajnath Singh.
Shia scholar Maulana Kalbe Jawad is so angry with the
Congress over Delhis Dargah Shah-e Mardan that he has openly
announced cutting off ties with the Congress. Maulana Jawad
sees in Rajnath Singh the clean image of Vajpayee. But fear of
Modi stops him form getting closer to the BJP.
Every Maulvi has his personal choice or majboori (compul-
sion). They do not agree on a single platform to call Muslims to
support someone. Instead, they effortlessly divide Muslim votes
which finally benefits the BJP. If they indeed want to help the BJP,
they should extend their hands to it, in which case the saffron
party may have felt obliged to Muslims and may have somehow
benefited them.
MANZAR MEHDI, Faizabad:
II
Some Muslim-looking leaders have appealed, particularly to the
Muslims, to come out of the votebank era and to vote for Modi.
They stated in their appeal that Muslims are very prosperous and
safe in Gujarat and that India had thousands of communal riots
and why should one remember the 2002 Gujrat riot only?
Such misleading appeals to vote for the BJP will hardly affect
a single secular-justice-loving voter. Today the voters know the
clear line of demarcation between secularism and communalism,
between Hinduism and Hindutva. They will never betray the coun-
trys ethos of communal harmony. They can analyse that the sec-
ular parties are, more or less, governed by the Constitution. But
for the communalists, Gujarat pogrom is what the Muslims
deserved. They believe that the Babri Masjid demolition was moral
and a matter of belief, that there are no democratic rights but only
majoritarianism and might, law or no law.
The BJP leadership sheds tears on how powerless Muslims
have been treated as mere a vote bank by the secular parties. But
the same party opposes implementation of Prime Ministers 15-
point-programme for the development of Muslims. Even the gov-
ernment of Gujarat challenged the legality of the Sachar
Committee report. This confirms that they have no real interest in
the welfare of Muslims.
Keeping an eye on P.M.s seat, Modi is trying to come out of
the stigma of 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom. Indeed, the scale of
killings, rapes, physical loss and property destruction was so
huge, in terms of time and geographical spread, that this could
never have occurred without the collusion of the Government
machinery over which Mr. Modi presides with an iron grip. He
never uttered a word of remorse or sympathy for the victims for
2002 nor a word of regret. This is worse than the original sin.
As for development in Gujarat, CAG reports and data on eco-
nomic and social development from various sources make it evi-
dent that the much-touted Gujarat model of development is non-
inclusive, socially divisive and highly ineffective in key areas.
Representations made to Sachar Committee reveal what issues
Muslims think are important to them. For no other state, security
was such an important issue as for the Muslims of Gujarat -- they
ranked it as their third most important issue while on an all India
level this issue was placed fifth out of nine categories. Again,
poverty incidence is placed at 34 percent for Muslims of Gujarat
residing in urban areas, which is better than many states but
almost double Gujarats own average of 18 percent.
Unfortunately, by stages, the communal extremist forces have
come to challenge the very fabric of secularism. This general
election shall be a test of the political maturity and wisdom of the
people of India. It will decide if we continue our march on the road
of secularism and inclusive development or take a sharp turn to
the fascist road.
NAUSHAD ANSARI, Patna
III
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh
that got substantial number of Muslim votes in the assembly
elections held in November last year is unlikely to get the
same suppor t from the community in the Lok Sabha election.
This is due to the projection of Narendra Modi as the prime
ministerial candidate by the saffron par ty.
Muslims across the state, still eerie by the reminiscences of
the 2002 Gujarat riots, say they will not vote for someone
who was unable to stop a massacre of innocent people in
his state.
Qazi-e Riyasat of Bhopal Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadwi, the final
authority for community decisions, though declined to comment,
saying that he would not speak on a political issue. However,
sources close to him revealed that the Qazi was siding with the
anti-Modi mood. Qazi-e Riyasats territory includes the state
capital of Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen and Berasia and his opinion
is regarded as an order for the community.
Internationally-acclaimed Urdu poet from the state capital,
Manzar Bhopali said, Unlike the Assembly elections, where a
majority of the Muslim community had voted for the BJP
owing to the secular image of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan, the Muslim votes have now been consolidated
against Modi.
Manzar Bhopali added that the BJP and the RSS sensing
that Muslim consolidation against Modi could pose much
harm to them played cleverly and divided the community on
sectarian lines. Muslim clerics who are at loggerheads with
each other over various issues of their own personal benefits
became easy tool of the saffron par ty and they issued diver-
sified appeals to the community confusing it and solving
BJPs purpose of dividing this solid vote bank, he added.
Another acclaimed Urdu poet and noted Bollywood lyri-
cist, Rahat Indori said, The Ulama (clerics) have played a
very bad role this time and have confused the community
through their diversified appeals. But one thing is for sure that
they could not persuade the community to vote in favour of
the BJP, though their appeals have indirectly benefitted the
saffron par ty.
Maqbool Ahmed, a former journalist, currently running a
hotel-cum-community kitchen christened Naaz-Langar-e-
Aam, feeding 200 homeless people daily at Nadira bus stand
in the old city of Bhopal, summarised the sentiments of the
Muslim community towards Modi.
No amount of forgiveness can absolve Modi of the crime
that was committed under his watch in Gujarat. People say
Muslims have moved on from 2002. It is true that we have
moved on, but we will never forget and forgive Modi till the
day of Qayamat, he said.
As per the 2011 census, population of Bhopal is 18 lakh, of
which Muslims constitute 4.5 lakh. During the 2009 elections,
6.5 lakh people from the city had voted, out of which 3.5 lakh
votes was polled by the BJP candidate, who defeated his
Congress rival by a margin of 60 thousand votes. Muslims have
a sizeable presence in close to seven other constituencies of the
state. Observers say that a Muslim vote consolidation may prove
to be the game changer in the state.
ZAFAR ALAM KHAN, Bhopal
Swami Vivekananda, while speaking to a large gathering in USA said:
You will be astonished if I tell you that, according to old ceremonials, he
is not a good Hindu who does not eat beef. On certain occasions he must
sacrifice a bull and eat it.
Maulvis out to scatter Muslim votes
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 7 www.milligazette.com
New political outfits fail to unite
SIDHIQUE KAPPAN
New Delhi: The new generation political parties launched by
Muslims have failed to evolve a common strategy in the
General Election. Though some efforts were made to bring
them together on a common platform and there were signs
of rapprochement between Social Democratic Party of India
(SDPI) and Welfare Party of India (WPI), nothing came
through.
The leaders of both parties had earlier expressed hopes
that they would consider seat adjustments. But SDPI is now
contesting 30 seats in states like Kerala, West Bengal,
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. When SDPI released its election
manifesto in New Delhi, its President A. Sayeed said that
the party was seriously considering electoral cooperation
with WPI. Dr SQR Ilyas, General Secretary of WPI, con-
curred with the suggestions. He said that his party would
field candidates in 20 seats in Maharashtra, West Bengal,
Andhra Pradesh etc and would cooperate with
SDPIwherever possible.
But at the end of the day SDPI and WPI are at logger-
heads in many states. In West Bengal, both have their own
candidates in Malda South, Jangipur and Murshidabad.
Observers say they could have made considerable inroads
into Muslim and dalit votes had they fought jointly. In 2012
both the parties had threatened the prospects of the
Congress (I) candidate Abhijit Mukherjee by winning around
70000 votes. He defeated CPI (M) candidate by less than
3000 votes.
In Kerala, surprisingly, WPI has refused to support SDPI
even in constituencies where the party has no candidate.
They have declared open support to the Revolutionary
Marxist Party (RMP), a breakaway group from CPI (LM), in
Vatakara constituency where a prominent SDPI leader is in
the fray. RMP represents the anti-Muslim faction among the
leftists in Kozhikode district. They supported a Dalit leader in
Attingal in South Kerala. In Ponnani, Malappuram district, a
Muslim League stronghold, they have no candidate but
worked for a weak non- entity while a youngish SDPI candi-
date is creating some headache for IUML leadership.
It is believed that the national leadership of WPI was
under tremendous pressure from Kerala not to have any
truck with SDPI. Kerala units of both Jamaat-e-Islami and
WPI are known to be rivals of SDPI.
Intriguingly Muslim Majlis-e- Mushawarat, one of the
common platforms of Muslims, has extended support to
none of these parties. Jamaat-e-Islami is the leading
organisation in MMM and its President Dr Zafarul-Islam
Khan is a top WPI leader. But Mushawarat has asked
Muslims to support Congress, AAP, JDU, BSP and such
secular parties.
In this election all parties have given the go-by to the
Muslim concerns about UAPA, racial profiling and rampant
discrimination lest they should give fuel to the communal
steam-roller driven by Modi. So in this election also Muslims
will go under-represented in the Parliament.
Legal notes
Slaughtering
Animals for Food
M.R. SHAMSHAD
Recently the Supreme Court issued direction to all the states and
the Union Territories to submit their response on the humane
method of slaughtering animals for the purpose of food by pro-
posing the mechanical stunning of animal by using Captive Bolt
Pistol (CBP) of two types, penetrating and non-penetrating. In
both the processes the pistol is positioned on the mid-brain of the
animal and fired. In the penetrating method, physical damage is
caused by the bolt to the brain and it is said that due to that injury,
the animal becomes unconscious. However, in the penetrating
method, research shows that most of the animals die instanta-
neously. In case of non-penetrating method, the bolt is fired from
gun powered by compressed air or blank cartridge at the same
position and due to a percussive blow, the animal becomes
unconscious. In both the methods, the process of bloodletting by
cutting the throat may be performed later while the animal is
unconscious.
The concern of the Supreme Court is that while slaughtering
the animal for the purpose of food, the animal be subjected to
least pain thereby causing least cruelty to the animal dying to
facilitate food for human beings. At the same time the issue of
the proper way of killing the animal should also not offend the reli-
gious beliefs of different communities which is protected by the
Central legislation of 1960 which states that ..as respects
manner of killing prescribed by religion- Nothing contained in this
Act shall render it an offence to kill any animal in a manner
required by the religion of any community. In terms thereof, the
mandate of religion of any community has been permitted while
killing the animal. In the year 2001, the slaughter house rules
were framed wherein no particular way of stunning the animal
was prescribed.
For over the last one hundred years, Islamic and Jewish
methods of killing animals have been a subject of debate and dif-
ferent arguments have been advanced. The Islamic and Jewish
methods are to slaughter by deep cutting the throat of the animal
using a sharp weapon and the said method has remained preva-
lent since the inception of the said religions. For non-Islamic and
non-Jewish communities, the traditional method of killing animals
have been through the hammer or pole-axe system till as
recently as 1904 when this system was replaced by a mechani-
cal stunning method. By hammer and pole-axe system, the ani-
mal used to be killed by hitting its head by hammer and by pierc-
ing the neck of the animal using a pole-axe. Undoubtedly, these
two processes are/were comparatively brutal and very painful.
On the other hand, the Islamic and Jewish systems have
strict mandate that while killing the animals, least cruelty should
be inflicted by deep-throat-cutting using a sharp-edged weapon.
In Islamic religious texts, instructions say that the weapon should
not be shown to the animal before they are cut and one animal
should not be cut in front of the other animal.
It has been found by scientific research that upon deep cut
throat, the main blood supply to the brain through carotid is
stopped abruptly and there is immediate disconnection with the
brain. Simultaneously, due to rapid bleeding from these arteries,
25% of blood pressure drops within the first three seconds and
due to these two effects, the animal collapses within the first ten
seconds. This itself is a very effective method of stunning the
animal for killing. The prolonged convulsion of stretching the body
parts of animal is mere reflex action of the animal which has
already collapsed. Though the said reflex action may visually
reflect to the human being that the animal is in severe pain but
the animal at that time has already collapsed. In addition to that,
the other benefit is that due to deep cut throat, invariably 50% of
blood oozes out within the first 10-15 seconds and hence the
chances of blood getting clotted in the animals flesh are least
and that minimises the microbiological infection to the meat.
On the contrary, the CBP method of stunning, which came in
1919, was not considered to be very effective and subsequently
the same was replaced by the electrical method of stunning in
which, depending upon the animal, around 75 volts of electricity
was supplied for not less than seven seconds and due to various
inherent tribulations attached thereto, another method was found,
i.e., chemical method of stunning wherein the animals used to be
stunned through chemical method. Like the electrical method,
even the chemical method could not prove to be less cruel and
these two methods also were stopped. In many countries these
methods were banned due to the high level of cruelty to the ani-
mals. Ultimately, again by and large, the non-Islamic and non-
Jewish method of stunning is back to CBP-non-penetrating
method where it is stated that the animal becomes unconscious
and thereafter the process of cutting the throat takes place to
comply the rituals of religion and also for letting out the blood.
The question would be whether this proposed method is, in
any manner, better than the ritual deep-cut-throat method. The
research by Schultze-Petzold in 1973 of Germany, while doing
the investigation, with electroencephalography (EEG), by making
comparative observation of the blood pressure and brain pres-
sure measurements, angiography, reflex studies and functional
investigation of adrenorcotis with the special emphasis on the
factor of time/pain suffered by the dying animals, had held that
the deep cut throat method, if not less cruel than the CBP, it is
also not more cruel than it. If that is the situation, the legislative
protection should prevail and any particular method, which is not
in consonance with the religious values, should not be made
mandatory.
The author is Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court of India
Cattle trader killed as a Naxal
MUDASSIR AHMAD
Shimoga (Karnataka): Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) in Malnad killed point-
blank a Mangalore-based Muslim cattle trader identified as Kabeer and
arrested another trader identified as Sarfaraz. The incident took place
late last month when a Mahindra pickup stopped at a police checkpost
at Karaykattay Tanikodo at around 3 am. Rafeeq, the conductor of the
pickup, got down to pay the usual falicitation tax or bribe for passing
through the checkpoint. He saw some ANF people at the checkpoint,
which was unusual. At the same time, three youths traveling on the
backside of the pickup got down. At this point, an ANF constable fired
point-blank at the chest of Kabeer, one of these three youth and arrest-
ed a second one identified as Faraz. The ANF people claimed that the
man they shot dead was a Naxalite although no Naxals have been seen
in the area for the last two years. Despite this, an ANF force is stationed
here and at some other nearby places and spends its time in playing
cards and rarely ventures into the jungles. They are paid fat salaries and
allowances out of the special grants received from the Centre to fight
Naxalism which does not exist in the area. They try through such mur-
ders to keep the myth alive. ANF people also use checkposts to extract
money from people.
According to Rafiq, who managed to flee from the spot and
appeared at noon in Mangalore, as soon as the vehicle stopped at the
checkpoint, ANF people ordered them to come out. When they did, one
person of the ANF team fired at the chest of Kabeer which is proof that
he was not fleeing, otherwise he would be shot in the back. Seeing this
driver Pramod, Rafeeq, Sarfaraz and Sheikh Abbas fled from the place.
Kabeers body was taken to Srinegeri hospital for post-mortem. His
family members rushed to the hospital where a crowd of Bajrang Dal
was already shouting and heaping praises on the ANF. Bajrang Dal peo-
ple were saying, in the coming days, Modi government will kill beef-
eaters in the same way. Viewing the murder as an ANF-Bajrang Dal
conspiracy, civil society organisations have asked the government to
order a CBI enquiry.
1. Agriculture productivity has declined in Gujarat compared
to the national average.
2. More than 5000 farmers committed suicide in Gujarat dur-
ing the last 10 years.
3. Four lakh farmers do NOT have electricity connection at all
in Gujarat.
4. According to the census data of 2011, over 11 lakh house-
holds in Gujarat dont have electricity.
5. 67% of rural households in Gujarat have no access to toi-
lets. Members of more than 65% households defecate in the
open.
6. Gujarat is among the worst in the country in rural educa-
tion. Only seven percent Gujarat class 5th students can read
sentences. This is way below the national average.
7. Gujarat Class 8th students cant read English or Hindi
properly.
8. Gujarat ranks 12th in literacy among the states in India.
9. Gujarat ranks 18th when it comes to success in keeping
children in schools. 59% children drop out from schools.
10. Approximately 47 per cent of children below the age of
three in Gujarat are underweight.
11. Infant mortality is high in Gujarat, which ranks 11th coun-
trywide in the rate of decline of infant mortality.
12. UNICEF has reported that Almost every second child in
Gujarat under the age of five years is undernourished and
three out of four are anemic.
13. One mother in three in Gujarat struggles with acute
under-nutrition.
14. Recently 13 lakh aspirants applied for a mere 1500
vacancies in the Government.
15. Employment rate in Gujarat has grown only at 0.4 per
cent, which is much below the national average.
16. More than 60 thousand small and medium industrial units
have shut down in Gujarat in recent years.
17. NSSO has revealed that Gujarat has nearly 4.2 lakh child
workers which is the highest in India.
18. More than one crore (10 million) people in Gujarat live
below the poverty line (BPL).
19. Gujarat purchases solar power from crony capitalists at
rupees 13 per unit without tender while MP and Karnataka
follow a proper tendering process and purchase solar power
at Rs. 7.5 per unit.
20. Gujarat is the most polluted state in the country accord-
ing to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
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20 Hard Facts about Gujarat that
#PHEKU wants to hide from you
Bullet wound in Kabirs chest
Kabirs body in hospital
MUSTAFA KHAN
The Muslim minority across the country was
hopeful that the 2014 election would pave the
way for their innocent youth to breathing fresh
air outside the dungeons after years and even
decades of wrongful imprisonment. But the elec-
tion heat and fury has dashed these hopes
because not a single party including Congress
seems to care a tuppence for the fate of the
innocents languishing in prisons. There was not
even a ripple on the surface let alone an insight
into the plight of the imprisoned. The so-called
Anti Terrorism Squads of Maharashtra and
Gujarat among others and Special Cells of
Police, especially of Delhi, have continued to
behave feloniously all through the election can-
vassing and casting of ballots with a trace of
injustice meted to Muslims and willful determi-
nation to continue framing innocents all the
same with impunity.
Mirza Himayat Baig (sentenced to death in
Pune German Bakery case of 13 February,
2010) had written to the additional session court
judge NP Dhote on 17 September, 2013 in
Pune. The judge received this letter on
19 October. Baig sent copies of the same letter
to the Chief Justice of Supreme Court as well as
the Bombay High Court and even to the NIA.
Baig had requested that Yasin Bhatkal should
not be given to the custody of the ATS of
Maharashtra as they would make Batkal impli-
cate Baig in the German Bakery attack. Bhatkal
had remarked at the time of his arrest on 28
August, 2013 that it was not Baig who was with
him in the rickshaw but Qateel Siddiqui. Siddiqui
was killed in the Yerwada jail by two extremist
Hindus.
Baigs fear has come true in the case of
Bhatkal. As is their wont and true to their invet-
erate practice of framing innocent Muslims in
bogus terror charges, the ATS got custody of
Bhatkal and has tortured him and got confes-
sion under third degree torture.
Baig had said that ATS had shown false
recovery of RDX from his possession and the
ATS had also given false evidence and had
misled the court which sentenced him to
death. He even claimed that ATS had failed to
arrest the real culprits in the German Bakery
case and had falsely implicated him instead.
Baig went on to say that Qateel Siddiqui was
thoroughly interrogated in 2011 by various
agencies in the Yerwada jail which showed that
Baig was not connected with the German
Bakery blasts. Siddiquis evidence could have
also proved Baig to be innocent but he was
killed in the jail.
Even more, Baig had requested the High
Court even before he wrote to the additional
sessions court in Pune to let NIA investigate the
case. Baig also revealed that the ATS had impli-
cated innocent people in the 7/11 Mumbai train
blasts and the Malegaon blasts of 2006.
[1]
Yasin Bhatkal and his co-accused Assdullah
Akhtar alias Haddi wrote to Delhi court on 6
April, 2014 that Maharashtra police has tortured
them and extracted bogus confession from
them. Their counsel, advocate MS Khan, has
moved an application in the court over this
issue. The judge has fixed April 29 to hear the
application. The judge heard the duo in-cham-
ber as there was production warrant against
them. The ATS had threatened them that they
too would be circumstanced in a case of com-
mitting suicide in custody as it was the case in
Shakeel Ahmad, or the case of Qateel Siddiqui.
If proof is needed, this is enough to show
that the Muslims youths are subjected to excru-
ciating and fatal third degree torture even after
fear of the same inhuman treatment is voiced
openly by no other than the prisoners and yet
the polity and the public remain passive specta-
tors to the inhuman treatment meted to them in
custody. This is as if there is no mercy left in the
country. Even opposition parties have become
deaf and blind. They should have been the con-
science keepers of the country.
The duo has appealed for a retraction of
their statements recorded during the custody of
Maharashtra police. The judge has taken this
on record. Both of them said that they were
forced to sign blank papers.
[2]
The judge also
ordered two others, Obaidul Rehman and Abu
Faisal, to be produced before him. Obaid is in
Bangalore jail and Faisal in Bhopal jail accused
in other cases. In the meantime the National
Investigation Agency wants some of them in
their search for ten Indian Mujahideen mem-
bers.
The ATS committed a very serious crime
when they made Mohammad Farooq Irfan (40)
commit perjury. They made him tell lies that
Syed Zabiuddin Ansari had addressed a gather-
ing of Muslims in the Homa Function Hall in
Beed on 17 December, 2012 to unite and fight
against the anti-Islam forces.
[3]
Zabiuddin was a police informer from Beed
and was instrumental in getting the huge arms
seizure in May 2006, notoriously known as
Aurangabad arms haul which also included a
part of it seized from Malegaon and another por-
tion from a dry well near Ankai (Manmad) on 9
May, 2006. Zabiuddin was made famous by the
nom de plume of Abu Jindal given to him by
the police.
In his letter of October 2013, Baig used the
words which even Bhatkal and Haddi repeated
five months later: if the ATS gets Bhatkals cus-
tody, it will subject him to third degree treat-
ment and force him to retract his [Bhatkals]
statement given to NIA that Baig was not with
Bhatkal in the rickshaw.
Given so much of circumstantial and even
real evidence what chance is now for Baig
under death penalty and Bhatkal and Haddi
under direct death threat by no other than ATS?
Notes
[1] Times of India, 24 October, 2013.
[2] Bhatkal: Maha cops used force Asian Age, 16 April,
2014.
[3] Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, 29 March, 2014
Innocents continue to be falsely charged in terror cases
8 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Psychologically speaking, a vegetarian has a sup-
pressed desire to eat non-veg. He/she suppresses it
because of certain religious bindings. But the desire
never dies. It manifests itself in acts of unthinkable vio-
lence, which the world witnessed in Gujarat.
Im tired of hearing a refrain. especially by vegetarian Hindus, that
Muslims are cruel because theyre incorrigible meat-eaters. First
of all, we must get rid of this engrained and inveterate misnotion
that Muslims are cruel. This is like giving dog a bad name and
hanging it. Their perceived cruelty is wrongly associated with their
meat-eating. The erroneous Hindu belief Jaisa anna, vaisa man
(loosely speaking, food determines human nature) has spread
many false beliefs about non-veg food being tamsik
(tamas=andhera, darkness or sheds of grey; teergi in
Urdu/Persian) in effect. Medical science has proven it wrong.
Buddha, the apostle of peace and the greatest embodiment of
compassion, died of having undercooked pork. Most of the Sufis
were non-vegetarians, barring Rabia Basri and Jami, the coeval of
Indias Kabir (courtesy, Coleman Barks Rumi and Swantons
now out of print Lives of Iranian mystics). But all Sufis spread the
message of love, compassion and bonhomie. Au contraire, Hitler
was a vegetarian (though he ate fish). What did he do? Hes still
seen as the Devil personified.
Following the battle of Kalinga and seeing untold bloodshed,
emperor Ashok embraced Buddhism and stopped eating meat.
But its a fact that even after turning a vegetarian, Ashok didnt
completely become compassionate. He ordered Tishyrakshita, his
young wife, to be burnt alive when he came to know that she tried
to seduce his son and Tishyrakshitas step-son, Kunal. Mother
Teresa was a non-vegetarian but she committed herself to serving
mankind, though predominantly non-Catholic Christians. Nelson
Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu are non-vegetarians. So was
Jesus. Therere instances of Jesus partaking of fish in the Bible.
Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was a non-vegetarian. And look at the
veg Guajarati Hindus and Jains, who created havoc in 2002,
massacring non-vegetarian Muslims.
Psychologically speaking, a vegetarian has a suppressed
desire to eat non-veg. He/she suppresses it because of certain
religious bindings. But the desire never dies. It manifests itself in
acts of unthinkable violence, which the world witnessed in
Gujarat.
Havelock Ellis, the Darwin of sex, wrote in his book
Psychology of sex that vegetarian men indulge in sadistic and
violent sex more than non-vegetarian men. To them (vegetarians),
womans flesh is their meat! In fact, according to a sex survey in
the US in 2005, vegetarians are more into kinky and pervert sex!
Eating veg out of religious bindings is different from opting for veg
by choice. Ive never had any faith in any religion in life. Neither
have I believed in any god, doctrine or ideology. But Im a staunch
vegetarian.
Vegetarianism stemming out of compassion towards all ani-
mals can be understood but forced religious vegetarianism caus-
es more harm than the manifest non-vegetarianism of certain
people and communities. This pigeonholing on the basis of dietary
preferences is not just wrong, it smacks of culinary snobbishness
of those whore vegetarians.
DR. SUMIT PAUL
Yasin Bhatkal and his co-accused Assdullah Akhtar alias Haddi wrote to
Delhi court on 6 April, 2014 that Maharashtra police has tortured them and
extracted bogus confession from them. Their counsel, advocate MS Khan,
has moved an application in the court over this issue. The judge has fixed
April 29 to hear the application. The judge heard the duo in-chamber as there
was production warrant against them. The ATS had threatened them that they
too would be circumstanced in a case of committing suicide in custody as it
was the case in Shakeel Ahmad, or the case of Qateel Siddiqui.
The Vegetarian Snobbery of Hindus
C. Sreetharan, Vice-President - HR, issued a
notice dated 10 April, 2014 stating that non-veg.
food is not permitted in all canteens and dining
halls of The Hindu offices. He cited complaints
from employees of The Hindu. He says All are
aware that non-veg food causes discomfort to
the majority of the employees who are vegetari-
an.
The notice reiterated that non-veg food is
strictly prohibited in the canteens and dining
halls.
It is a known and established fact that The
Hindu is a Brahmin-dominated newspaper. This
public notice reiterates the view that the majority
of the employees in The Hindu are Brahmins.
Even if there are some non-Brahmins, they have
to become vegetarian and therefore, Brahmins in
thinking.
Endorsing Brahmin food culture is nothing
but casteism in India. Veteran journalist B N
Uniyal rightly told us that the absence of Dalits
and other subordinated castes in the media is
nothing but modern untouchability (social exclu-
sion). Untouchability operates in a subtle man-
ner in modern public institutions. Demands like
reservations in the private sector and slogans
like corporate social responsibility have no
meaning in the Brahminical Hindu paper.
The public notice of The Hindu attracts sec-
tion 3 (x) of THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND THE
SCHEDULED TRIBES (PREVENTION OF ATROC-
ITIES) ACT, 1989:
(x) intentionally insults or intimidates with
intent to humiliate a member of a Scheduled
Caste or a Scheduled Tribe in any place within
public view;
The notice of The Hindu management is
nothing but insulting the Dalit-bahujans and non-
Brahmin castes and their food cultures.
A former insiders Malarvizhi Jayanth writes:
What are the implications of running a media
organisation [the Hindu] for over a century with
an overwhelming number of twice-born? What
are the implications of creating a feeder organi-
sation (ACJ) to train more twice-borns for this
work? What sort of training can an organisation
run and taught almost exclusively by the twice-
born offer? How can you maintain this obscene
proportion of twice-born employees in a state
that is a trend-setter in affirmative action?...
(roundtableindia.co.in)
Is a majority of India non-veg?
India is a land of vegetarians, right? Wrong, says a recent study by the National Institute of
Nutrition. A majority 64% of Indian households are meat-eaters. The South, at 92.2%, more than
the North, at 40.4%, another surprise.
The study on Knowledge, attitude, beliefs, practices study on food and drug safety in India,
covered over 20,000 households in 82 districts in 28 states.
The Hindu bans non-veg food in its canteen & dining halls
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 9 www.milligazette.com
Whither Community Profiling?
SUBHASH GATADE
Adam Goldman, a journalist who, with the help of his colleague
Matt Apuzzo, first broke the story about New York Police
Departments Muslim Spy Programme in a series of articles he
wrote for Associated Press must be a happy man these days.
News has come in that New York Police Department (NYPD)
has finally decided to disband its Demographic Unit which was
engaged in spying on Muslim neighbourhoods, infiltrating groups
and eavesdropping on conversations across the northeastern
United States in the years following the 9/11 attacks. It has finally
admitted that its secret Demographics Unit failed to yield a single
terrorism investigation or even a single lead. Senior police officers
of the department confirmed that the police gathered information
on people even when there was no evidence of wrongdoing, sim-
ply because of their ethnicity and native language.
It was quite a coincidence that when the world at large was
discussing how NYPD tried to stigmatise a community and ter-
rorise it, reports about the informer-cop nexus behind Islamic
fundamentalism in Tamil Nadu
(http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Informer-
Cop-Nexus-Behind-TN-Islamic-Fundamentalism/2014/04/11/arti-
cle216) were already making rounds.
What is important to note here is that a (now retired) senior
police officers confidential correspondence with higher officials
formed key evidence in this unfolding drama.
Not very many people would remember today that during Lal
Krishna Advanis tour of Tamil Nadu in the year 2011 police had
discovered a plot to cause mayhem supposedly by Islamic mil-
itants. It was told that pipe bombs were discovered on the route
which Advanis cavalcade was to follow. Police had even arrested
two terrorists identified as Syed Wahab and Ismath and had pre-
sented them before the media.
A petition before the Madras High Court which has sought a
CBI probe into the various bomb planting cases in Madurai, alleg-
ing that the real accused were not arrested, is revisiting this par-
ticular high profile case as well. Madras High Court (Madurai
bench) is expected to give its opinion on the 21st April.
The said letters, written by former Madurai SP V Balakrishnan
to the DGP and Additional DGP in March and August 2013, were
presented before the court in the second week of April.
According to Balakrishnan, police informers belonging to the
Muslim community were themselves indulging in subversive activities
by abusing the faith the police had placed in them and also due to their
alleged nexus with some corrupt intelligence sleuths.
To buttress this contention, Balakrishnan in a letter to the DGP
dated March 29, 2013 pointed to a case registered by the
Avaniyapuram police against Syed Wahab and Ismath relating to a
case of extortion. Of them, Ismath, who was an informer for the
City Intelligence unit, was involved in the Advani pipe bomb plant-
ing case. Also, Vijaya Perumal, a head constable attached to the
Madurai City Intelligence Wing, had joined hands with Wahab and
conducted kangaroo courts settling controversial real estate deal-
ings.
Balakrishnan had in another letter written to the Additional
DGP on August 23, 2013, strongly objected to the transfer of an
Inspector of the SIT who was probing cases related to bombs
planted by Islamic fundamentalists in the temple town. He feared
that the transfer of Inspector Madasamy would embolden funda-
mentalists to carry on with their subversive activities.
Definitely this could not be said to be the first investigation of
its kind where the role of the police and investigating agencies has
come under a scanner. There are a number of cases where law
and order people have badly fumbled and have received enough
opprobrium from the judiciary. Not some time ago Jamia Teachers
Solidarity Association had brought out a report titled Framed,
Damned and Acquitted which looks at the operations of the
Special Cell of the Delhi Police, the stereotypical manner in which
they conducted investigations in cases arresting Muslims for
being part of terrorist outfits and how in most of these cases the
accused were acquitted by the courts.
The developments in the Malegaon bomb blast case 2006,
where a terror module of RSS workers was finally chargesheeted,
was also a pointer to the prejudices entertained by the police and
the role of informers in helping people nab innocents.
One still remembers the bomb explosions in Malegaon on the
day of Shab-e-Barat (September 2006) and the manner in which
nine Muslim youth were apprehended and had to spend more than
five years in jail because of biased investigation. Here also the role
of one Abrar Ahmad had proved crucial. He worked for the police
and had provided evidence against these nine youth. Later, he
submitted an affidavit before the court recounting the false evi-
dence.
We have a number of such examples where the actual perpe-
trators were never caught and innocents were apprehended, tor-
tured badly and asked to confess to a crime which they had not
committed.
Or refer to the expos by Ashish Khaitan (www.gulail.com)
which has unearthed
...internal documents from more than half a dozen anti-terror
agencies that show that the State has been knowingly prosecuting
innocent Muslims for terror cases and keeping the evidence of
their innocence from the courts...
In a press conference held in Mumbai, Khaitan had presented
his investigation and had even screened a film with candid inter-
views of accused Muslim men. He has even sent a letter-petition
to the Bombay high court with nearly 400 pages of evidence in the
form of official investigation and interrogation reports of the
accused men and other documents which clearly indicate huge
discrepancies. According to him his research into the July 11,
2006, train blasts, the Malegaon 2006 blasts and the Pune
German Bakery blasts of February 2010 showed that the ATS has
deliberately created bogus evidence, extracted false confessions
by the most inhuman torture, planted explosives in the houses of
the young men and implicated innocent youth. In the name of
internal security, the ATS and other agencies were misleading the
courts. According to a report which appeared in a section of the
media
...Khetan said he wasnt out to prove anyones guilt but
expose the farcical criminal investigation which also reflected
deepset anti-Muslim prejudice. What is serious is that one of these
men, Himayat Baig, has been given the death sentence for the
Pune German Bakery blasts when clearly police had found evi-
dence of another mans involvement. The case of Qateel Siddiqui,
who died in a high security Pune prison just before he was to tes-
tify in a Delhi court, is no longer a mystery going by what Khetans
documents show. The ATS arrested Himayat Baig from Udgir and
claimed he had carried out the German Bakery blast. However, a
year later the Delhi police arrested Qatil Siddiqui and Interrogation
Reports obtained by Khetan show he is linked to the Pune blast.
These reports were not produced in the court which finally gave
Baig the death sentence. Police then tweaked reports to show
Siddiquis involvement in another case.
Presenting all the facts, Khetan has asked the high court to
order an independent commission of inquiry into the conduct of
the investigating officers, action against officers guilty of viola-
tions and relief for the victims of such operations.
(http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/from-
stenography-to-journalismashish-khetan/article4739935.ece)
It has been more than six years that Vanzara, former DIG of
Gujarat Police, is languishing in jail for his alleged role in the
encounter killings which saw 15 deaths. All these killings followed
a very similar pattern. May it be the case of Ishrat Jahan, the stu-
dent from Bombay, or Sameer Khan Pathan or for that matter Mr
Soharabuddin. All these encounters took place at night wherein
none from the police force received any injuries, despite the ter-
rorists being armed with latest automatic weapons (as was
announced after each episode) and the rationale provided for
these killings was that they had come to kill Mr Modi and his col-
leagues from the Hindutva brigade.
Last year Vanzaras ten-page resignation letter had made
headlines. Commenting on the unprecedented situation wherein
more than thirty officers working with him were now in jail - which
includes 16 officers of the IPS rank - he maintained that between
2002 and 2007, he and other officers of his ilk, simply acted and
performed their duties in compliance of the conscious policy of
this government
Yet his political bosses betrayed him. The letter targetted
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah - who handled the home portfolio
then - duo for their continuous neglect of these police officers who
were just implementing the policies formulated at the highest level
and demanded that the policy formulators should also be ques-
tioned and punished.
Vanzara wrote in his letter,
..the CBI investigation officers of all the four encounter cases of
Sohrabuddin (Sheikh), Tulasiram (Prajapati), Sadiq Jamal and
Ishrat Jahan have to arrest the policy formulators also as we,
being field officers, have simply implemented the conscious poli-
cy of this government, which was inspiring, guiding and monitor-
ing our actions from very close quarters Im of the firm opinion
that the place of this government, instead of being in
Gandhinangar, should either be at Taloja Central Prison in Navi
Mumbai or at Sabarmati Central Prison in Ahmedabad.
As an aside, it may be mentioned here that when the Ishrat
Jahan investigation was on, it was reported that the CBI has evi-
dence on tape where one of the accused police officers in this par-
ticular case claimed that Vanzara had told them that the operation
had the consent of both the Safed Dadhi (White Beard, alluding to
Modi) and Kali Dadhi (Black Beard, alluding to Amit Shah).
Coming back to NYPDs decision to shut the unit, an activist
notes the NYPD people just didnt wake up in the morning and
decide to be nice to Muslims. He adds, it need be remembered
that it took years of advocacy work, reports in the media expos-
ing the veil on the secretive programme that was being conduct-
ed without any public information, years of activism from mem-
bers of the American Muslim community and its allies. It included
courageous plaintiffs who took great risks to sue the New York
Police Department in a lawsuit, Raza vs. The City of New York, and
also included public pressure, rallies, joining coalitions with the
folks working on stop-and-frisk to show that the New York Police
Department has been conducting discriminatory police practices
against many communities of colour, including political activists.
This is perhaps a hint to everyone who is part of the democratic
movement elsewhere to persist and expose the machinations of
the police and the powers that be to stigmatise a whole commu-
nity and consider everyone of its members a suspect.
when the Ishrat Jahan investigation was on, it
was reported that the CBI has evidence on
tape where one of the accused police officers
in this particular case claimed that Vanzara
had told them that the operation had the
consent of both the Safed Dadhi (White Beard,
alluding to Modi) and Kali Dadhi (Black Beard,
alluding to Amit Shah).
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
congratulates the people of India for their partic-
ipation to elect the 16th Lok Sabha. The process
has attracted, as usual, considerable media
attention across the world. Media claims the
process to be the largest democratic exercise of
the world.
Contestants are in what may be termed as a
lobbying overdrive. Many are touting mainte-
nance of law and order as priority. None of the
contestants have, however, emphasised the
importance of the rule of law.
Law and order and the rule of law are terms
used interchangeably in India. This is because
not many citizens, and this includes academics
and social activists, know the true meaning of
the two terms. Law and order and the rule of law
are two completely different concepts.
Law and order can be established without
the rule of law. Emphasis on enforcing the law
and on maintaining order justifies draconian leg-
islations like the Armed Forces (Special Powers)
Act, 1958. It legitimises armed forces of the
Indian state being provided impunity to silence
all forms of dissent. The concept negates the
premise of equality before the law.
Emphasis on law and order nurtures dictato-
rial aspirations in seats of power. Dictators like
Hitler sold ideas of law and order to citizens to
usurp absolute power.
The concept of the rule of law, on the other
hand, demands equality before law. The rule of
law warrants supremacy of justice institutions.
The concept demands
the promulgation of just
laws, and open
processes for imple-
mentation of such
laws, wherein an inde-
pendent judiciary work-
ing within the parame-
ters of the rule of law
decides disputes.
In a rule of law
state decision-makers
have but a narrow win-
dow of discretion, and
that too within a frame-
work. This reiterates
the principle of equality before law, one that
makes no distinctions between decision-makers
and citizens.
Unfortunately a debate that delineates the
divergent implication of maintaining rule of law
and maintaining law and order is not yet rooted
in India. Political parties emphasise the arming
of police and other law enforcement agencies as
priority rather than refining such institutions of
the state into ones accountable under just law. If
the Indian states law enforcement agencies
were to be made accountable, for acts of com-
mission and omission, their need to be heavily
armed would not arise.
It is an unconditional guarantee of the rule of
law that can drive progress in India. The rule of
law negates the space for authoritarianism, a
space where the state and state representatives
take precedence over rights of the individual.
That the rule of law is not an exception, is
something that can lay the foundation for a
strong economy, where all citizens may benefit
from social and economic development, and not
just those adept at manipulating the state and
exploiting people.
Without the rule of law, and attempts to
debate and establish the same, the electoral
process in India is a ritual without substance.
Indias metamorphosis from a law and order
state to one based on principles of the rule of
law is more eagerly awaited than another ritual
exercise. (humanrights.asia -- April 10, 2014)
Election ritual in a nation lacking rule of law!
V
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a
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n
d
w
a
n
i

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)
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
Reacting sharply to Bharatiya Janta Partys (BJP) pledge to abro-
gate Article 370 of the Constitution of India, if voted to power,
both, mainstream political parties and separatists, here, have
expressed their resentment while questioning the accession of
Jammu and Kashmir to India.
Some political parties have even threatened that any such
move would be resisted. Article 370 provides special status to
Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian Constitution.
Any move aimed at destroying the special identity of Jammu
and Kashmir until a final resolution of the Kashmir dispute would
be met with great resistance and agitation, said senior leader of
Awami Itihaad Party, Zeeshan Pandith, in a statement here, April 7.
Pandith stated that the party believes in pragmatic implemen-
tation and as such wants to warn BJP that any move to abrogate
Article 370 would be met with unprecedented resistance by
masses under the partys leadership.
Significantly, the manifesto released on the opening day of 9-
phase Lok Sabha elections in New Delhi, April 7, said that BJP
reiterates its stand on the Constitutions provision and will discuss
this with all stakeholders and remains committed to the abroga-
tion of the Article 370.
Article 370 cannot be revoked without reopening the entire
question of accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India, said the
chief minister, Omar Abdullah. Let us understand that a debate on
Article 370 cant be reopened without reopening the entire ques-
tion of accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India, Omar told
media here, April 7.
Even, his father and National Conference president Dr Farooq
Abdulalh, whom Omar was accompanying during the filing of his
nomination papers for Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary con-
stituency which is going to the polls on April 30, said that his party
and Congress will stand like a rock to protect Article 370.
National Conferences alliance Congresss state chief Prof
Saifuddin Soz, who was also present at the time of Dr Abdullahs
filing of nomination papers, termed BJPs manifesto an election-
gimmick.
Meanwhile, Dr Abdullah, speaking to the media after address-
ing the partys youth rally April 17, said if BJP tampers with Article
370, states accession with India will end automatically. He
alleged that BJP and PDP have entered into an alliance to scrap
Article 370. PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, April 7 at
Rajouri-Jammu, said no force on earth has a power to revert the
states special status. Describing Article 370 as non-negotiable
and irrevocable he said those talking about its abrogation are
ignorant about the states constitutional position.
By touching upon controversial issues like Article 370 and
Ram Mandir, Modi has backtracked from his claims of following
Atal Bihari Vapayees policy, he added.
Separatists, on the other hand, stressed that it hardly makes
any difference whether the Article is revoked or not as Kashmir is
a disputed territory. Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq, had in December last year, said that the Article wasnt on
their agenda, as they strive for right to self-determination.
Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, April 8, alleged that
the importance and credibility of the Article had been destroyed,
a long time back. India should accept Kashmir as disputed terri-
tory and resolve the issue. Article 370 is not an issue for us.
Terming it as RSS agenda JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin
Malik too said that the Indian strategy has always been to engage
Kashmiri people in a time-pass dialogue. Newly formed Hurriyat
Jammu and Kashmir chairman Shabir Ahmad Shah, said that it is
an eye-opener for those who say if voted to power, BJP would
address the Kashmir issue. However, Modi, April 22, denied
sending any emissary to meet Geelani and said media-reports
have surprised him.
Geelanis claim aboaut BJP overtures
Amidst the controversy over Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah
Geelanis claim that BJPs prime ministerial candidate Narendra
Modi had sent emissaries to meet him on the Kashmir issue, the
party, April 19, demanded an apology from him.
The partys spokesperson, Ravi Shankar Prasad, in New
Delhi, while rejecting Geelanis claims as baseless and mischie-
vous said no representative of Modi has ever met Geelani. He
reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the coun-
try and the party is firmly committed to development of the state.
Geelani claimed that the two emissaries of Modi had
approached him for a meeting on March 22, while he was in Delhi
for treatment. He said he rejected the offer citing Modis RSS
background. Geelani further added that a separatist organization
was in league with Modi and accused the group of working
against the cause of Kashmiris. Without naming Hurriyat (M)
chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jamaat-e-Islami chief
Mohammad Abdullah Wani, Geelani had said, Those who said
Modis policy would be soft as prime minister, have actually met
his emissaries.
Mirwaiz had, March 21, said If Modi is elected and pursues
the outlook of Vajpayee regarding the Kashmir issue and initiates
a dialogue with Pakistan and the leadership of Kashmir, things can
move forward. Similarly, Wani had, April 1, said, If he (Modi)
wins, he has to run a country he wont be a hardliner anymore
then because as a head he has to think of everything and every-
one. Addressing the media here, April 19, Mirwaiz said Geelani is
trying to create vicious environment in Kashmir and mislead peo-
ple. We are not in league with the Indian establishment.
Mirwaiz further said, Who the hell is Geelani? He has no
copyright over Kashmir. He added Geelani has himself participat-
ed in the elections under Indian Constitution 12 times. Geelani had
hinted that two Kashmir Pandits representing Modi had met
Mirwaiz. Denying Geelanis claims that its chief had met the rep-
resentatives of Modi, Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the largest socio-
religious groups here, April 19, said no one from Modi or BJP met
him. Chipping in states Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, April 19,
said that the easiest way to find out the truth is to identify the
emissaries. Omar wanted to know who the emissaries were and
what offer they had come with as the BJPs position on Article
370 of the Constitution and AFSPA is known.
Hurriyat (G) spokesperson Ayaz Akbar, April 19, said, Let
people decide who is right and who is wrong. JKLF chairman
Mohammad Yasin Malik, April 20, appealed to both factions of
Hurriyat to exercise restraint and stop hostilities.
Govt rejects to renew lease to army
Following massive public outcry, the state government here, did-
nt extend the Tosamaidan (in central Kashmirs Budgam district)
lease to the Army. The 50-year-old lease period allowed the Army
to use the sprawling meadow for artillery exercise. The lease
ended April 18.
State Home Secretary, Suresh Kumar, April 18, has reported-
ly said that they are looking for alternate sites, since the notifica-
tion to declare Tosamaidan a firing range hasnt been issued by
the government and the Army cant use it.
Notified as a firing range in 1964, Tosamaidan, about 11200
hectares land, was re-notified by the then PDP-Congress coalition
government in 2004 for use of Army drills. The Army had asked
the state government to re-notify the meadow as a firing range till
2034.
Protests were held and widespread criticism from various
quarters forced the state government not to extend the lease.
Scores of Tosamaidan Bachao Front activists staged demonstra-
tions in the city-centre here, April 18, to press for their demand.
Scores of people have reportedly suffered casualties, injuries
and loss to property, on account of artillery exercise carried out
by the Army in the meadow.
A valley-wide shutdown was called by Hurriyat (M) chairman
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, April 12, to press for no extension of lease
to the Army. Curfew was imposed in Srinagar city on the day and
shutdown observed across the valley. Army, April 16, agreed to
explore the alternate options to relocate its firing range from
Tosamaidan. Strongly opposing the move, Mirwaiz, April 16, said
only deserts are suited for dangerous artillery drills. He howev-
er, said that he doubts the government intentions wherein it has
said that it wont extend the lease.
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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
10 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
The Giriraj Singh message is loud and
clear as far as the Indian Muslim voter is
concerned; but, it must be asked, as to
whether the message is intended also
for all those Hindu and other non-Muslim
electors who remain opposed to the
RSS-Modi agenda. This might create
something of a problem both for Giriraj
Singh and for Pakistan, since, at a rough
estimate, two- third of Indian Hindus fall
into that oppositional category.
BADRI RAINA
Finally, the cat is out of the bag. That has been
now said in so many words which the weltan-
shauung of the right-wing Hindutva election
campaign has been remorselessly leading up to,
namely that those who are inimical to a likely
Narendra Modi-led government are anti-national,
and have no place in India and should go to
Pakistan. Thus, what has been a consistently
insinuated sub-text of the Modi campaign has
found articulation as actually the main plank of
the RSS-mentored push for state power.
This ominous, but entirely anticipated, pro-
nouncement has been made ringingly by Giriraj
Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in an
election rally speech at Nawada in Jharkhand
state. The Congress Party has taken the matter
to the Election Commission, but as in all other
cases of transgression of the model code of
conduct the Commissions rather toothless
reprimands come after the horses have bolted
and intended purposes served.
For more than a relentless month now, the
Modi campaign has been pegged on a familiar
hyper-nationalism that seeks to bind three total-
itarian policy objectives into a single, unified,
and altogether forbidding injunction-that there
can be no loyalty to India without loyalty to
Hindutva, to militarist nationalism, and corporate
control of the state, all three to be understood as
loyalty to one supreme leader set to function as
the only and final arbiter of Indianness and
patriotism.
The Giriraj Singh pronouncement is clearly
thus meant to bring back into nationalist mem-
ory the Partition of India, for which, it is to be
understood, Indian Muslims, all Indian Muslims-
without discrimination and qualification, and for-
ever-were solely responsible. The loud sugges-
tion here being that opposition to Modi must
thus automatically be interpreted as the persist-
ence of an allegiance among Indian Muslims
which justly labels them enemy number one
(the title of a whole chapter in Gowalkers book,
A Bunch of Thoughts).
This rooted RSS thesis is one that thus
informs Modis oft-repeated slogan that secu-
larism to him means India first. And India
means not the Indian Constitution which guaran-
tees all our rights of citizenship, among them the
fundamental right to free speech and political,
social, cultural dissent, and, therefore, the right
also to oppose Modi and his view of things, but
Hindutva. Suddenly, before our eyes, the
Savarkar agenda of seeking to militarise
Hindudom seems beginning to occupy the
mainstream of Indian public attention, even as
that other complimentary plank of the Savarkar
thesis, namely Hinduise the Military, may also
be underway, what with so many ex-service per-
sonnel making a beeline for the BJP.
The Giriraj Singh message is loud and clear
as far as the Indian Muslim voter is concerned;
but, it must be asked, as to whether the mes-
sage is intended also for all those Hindu and
other non-Muslim electors who remain opposed
to the RSS-Modi agenda. This might create
something of a problem both for Giriraj Singh
and for Pakistan, since, at a rough estimate,
two- third of Indian Hindus fall into that opposi-
tional category. Consider that the BJP has never
polled more than some 26% of the popular vote
at any general election, and hardly many
Muslims vote for the party.
Having said that, we also understand that,
ideological moorings notwithstanding, many
BJP stalwarts even now must be uncomfortable
with the fact that Singh has actually said that
which ought only always to be insinuated.
As the hours go by, expect to hear those
aggressive but lame denials and cunningly
diverting run-arounds from spokespersons of
the BJP. But more to the grievous point, expect
also the corporate media, electronic channels
especially, indubitably hung upon a Modi
sarkar to come, to seek clever forms of
address to mitigate the unacceptable enormity
of what Giriraj Singh has said in Nawada, his
proverbial last refuge. The most tested and
tried ploy here will be to pounce on any non-BJP
participant in the prime time debates who may
question the Singh pronouncement by accusing
them of being communal themselves, when,
as proven, only the RSS-led Hindutva lobby ever
still questions the patriotic loyalty of Indian
Muslims-an ideological persuasion wildly
incomparable with quotidian cases of identity
politics.
The ominous threat from the Nawada-Singh
rally is, after all, nothing less than an invitation to
a second partition of India, one that may finally
render India a Hindu mirror state of an Islamic
Pakistan, fulfilling the long-cherished RSS vision
of Hindu Rashtra. Consider that a Harvard-bright
scion of the Hindutva rightwing is on record as
maintaining that citizenship must be taken away
from Indian Muslims until they acknowledge
their Hindu ancestory! And what a favourite he is
of Indias electronic media channels.
All patriotic Indians across communities and
denominations must therefore take a stand after
what Giriraj Singh has said. An unprecedented
con job is now underway-that makes spurious
claims on development and that furthers with-
out hesitation a political programme of sectarian
divisiveness, social tension, and anti-democrat-
ic centralisation, and, if successful, bids fair to
alter for the worst the thoughtful and tested equi-
libriums of state and polity.
There are moments in human history that
can be unforgiving and irretrievable. India may
be now faced with one such. (ZNet)
Cat Out of the Bag
All-round attack against BJP stand on Article 370
The secular aspect of India has assumed a
new importance for the countrys Christian
community. They are apprehensive about
the communal and extremist nature of
Sangh Parivars agenda against them if
Narendra Modi succeeds in becoming next
the prime minister of the country. From this
angle, these parliamentary elections may
prove to be a turning point for the socio-
political significance of Indias Christian community.
Christians constitute 2.3 percent of Indias population and
electorate. Unlike the Muslim community, whose vote is con-
sidered crucial in several parts of the country, not much
importance has till date been accorded to the Christian vote.
However, with most opinion polls predicting a victory for
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Modi as its prime ministeri-
al nominee, Christian clerics, voters and most organisations
of this community have begun feeling uneasy about such
electoral results. They fear Modis victory may spell danger
signals for their own community.
Not surprisingly, Christian gatherings at churches have
been marked with issuance of statements, appealing to peo-
ple to elect the best persons who may uphold the countrys
democratic and secular character. Similar advisories and
voters guidelines have been issued in recent past by region-
al Christian organisations. True, churches have been
indulging in such exercises since the emergence of BJP as a
major political party in the 1990s. However, it is for the first
time that they are feeling restless and uneasy about the Lok
Sabha electoral outcome.
In the opinion of Reverend Roger Gaikwad, general secre-
tary of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI),
There is fear in the minds of Christians. Some fear that diffi-
cult days are ahead. This partly explains as to why Indias
silent Christian community has become fairly active about
judging its own socio-political importance in this electoral
battle.
On its part, BJP has tried interacting with Christian cler-
ics. BJP made efforts for a meeting between Modi and
Catholic leaders earlier this year in Kerala. The Catholic
Church, however, refused. Undeniably, BJP did succeed in
arranging a meeting of two Bishops with Modi. The two
Bishops even praised Modi. This move, however, angered a
majority of Christians.
Indian Christians are naturally concerned that if Modi suc-
ceeds in heading the next government, their community may
be subject to greater violence from Hindu extremists linked
with BJP. BJP-ruled states, particularly Gujarat and Madhya
Pradesh, have been marked by violence against Christians
and implementation of Anti-Conversion bill. Besides, earlier
Modi has hurt Christian sentiments by removing Good Friday
from the public holiday list and scheduling school examina-
tions on dates clashing with Christmas and New Year celebra-
tions of Christian students. Dates of school examinations
scheduled to be held in 2003 on Good Friday and in 2001,
scheduled to be held in last week of December, were changed
at the instance of High Court. Later, Modi reintroduced Good
Friday as a holiday.
It is for the first time that Christian activists are deliberat-
ing on their own political status within India. They are sur-
prised that till date they had not given much importance to
doing research and collecting data on their own political sig-
nificance. They may have probably remained quiet on this
front even now had they not been faced with the prospect of a
Hindu extremist heading the next Indian government.
Unlike other religious minorities in India, particularly
Muslims and Sikhs, to date, Christians have not formed any
significant political party in any part of the country. To a
degree, this may be linked with low percentage of their popu-
lation and that they do not constitute a significant vote bank
in any state or region. Undeniably, Sikhs population is lower
than that of Christians in India. The former constitute only 1.9
percent of the countrys population. However, unlike
Christians, Sikhs dominate politics in Punjab and form around
60 percent of this states population. Christianity is practiced
by around 90 percent of the population in the states of
Mizoram and Nagaland, 70 percent in Meghalaya, 34 percent
in Manipur, 26.7 percent in Goa, 21.7 percent in Andaman &
Nicobar Islands, 19 percent in Kerala and 18.7 percent in
Arunachal Pradesh.
Legislators elected to Lok Sabha from these states add up
to 31, with one each from Mizoram, Nagaland and Andaman
& Nicobar Islands, two each from Arunachal Pradesh, Goa,
Manipur and Meghalaya and 20 from Kerala. The only states
where Christianity is practiced by a majority of the population
send only four legislators, less than one per cent of Lok
Sabhas strength.
Till date, the Christian community known more for its
political silence, has suddenly become more conscious and
concerned about its own future if an extremist, communal
group steps into power.
Over all, in preceding elections, a majority of Christians
favoured the Congress. But this time their vote is being guid-
ed more by anti-Modi fervour than by a pro-Congress tilt. The
community is well aware that their vote may not make much
of a difference. It may not spell any increase in the number of
Christian legislators in Lok Sabha. Nevertheless, their vote
and voice carry considerable importance in keeping Indian
secularism alive!
Speaki ng Out
Indian Christians &
2014 Polls!
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
ANALYSIS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 11 www.milligazette.com
ATUL SOOD AND KALAIYARASAN A
Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) reports and
data on economic and social development from
various sources make it evident that the much-
touted Gujarat model of development is non-
inclusive, socially divisive and highly ineffective in
key areas.
* The backdrop is ultra-nationalism and the
2002 massacre of Muslims, unbridled access of
big business across political groupings and an
ominous union of economic liberalism and Hindu
nationalism, masquerading as the grand gover-
nance model of Gujarat.
* Interestingly, while miles of footage is being
devoted to the governance style and the econom-
ic model of Gujarat, the real issues of development
are not part of the election debate.
* Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
with the supposed lead in the current contest,
have nothing much to say about their development
model, development strategy or priorities.
* Their only claim is that they will do more of
what they have done in Gujarat.
* The prime ministerial candidate has pro-
claimed so on numerous occasions.
Governance model
* Numerous initiatives that the State of
Gujarat has taken in recent years confirm the
unqualified faith of the rulers in the workings of the
market and in the capacity of the private investor
to meet the development needs of the state.
* Resultantly, governance in Gujarat has been
fashioned to meet the needs of the private investor,
with public investment taking a back seat.
* The share of investment in Gujarat is rea-
sonably high, but its ranking in employment asso-
ciated with this investment is relatively low.
* The disconnect between investment and
employment becomes clear when we look at the
sectors in which investment is flowing.
* Between 1983 and 2010, out of the total
investment, 30 per cent of the projects, 42 per
cent of the investment and 26 per cent of the
employment were in the chemical and petrochem-
ical sector alone.
* Out of the memorandums of understanding
(MoUs) signed every year, often seen as the suc-
cessful outcome of the Vibrant Gujarat Global
Investors Summit, data show that the share of
projects implemented and under implementa-
tion has continuously declined: from 73 per cent
in 2003 to 13 per cent in 2011 (numbers for 2005,
2007 and 2009 are 62, 63 and 31 respectively).
* Ministry of Commerce data suggests that
the states share in investment intentions as
reflected in industrial entrepreneurs memoran-
dums (IEMs), letters of intent (LoIs) and direct
industrial licences (DILs) has steadily declined
from about 20 per cent in 2005 to less than 10 per
cent in 2011.
* In other words, the failure rate of promised
or projected MoUs and the states share in nation-
al investments are decreasing.
* We clearly need a more realistic assess-
ment of the efficiency of the State administration
and the real strength of the investor-friendly gov-
ernance model.
* What explains the investment boom in
Gujarat is the combined effect of tax concessions,
investment subsidies, low-interest credit, cheap
cost of land and a pro-business labour policy and
not the much-touted good governance, Gujarat
style.
Labour unrest
* The essence of governance in Gujarat is dis-
cernible from one more fact. Economic Survey,
Government of India, 2011 reveals that Gujarat
witnessed the highest number of strikes and other
forms of labour unrest in recent times. However,
this has not deterred the investors interest in the
state.
* The investors faith is reinforced by the
severely compromised ability of the Labour
Department to implement labour laws and the
special favours offered to the corporate groups.
* Recent Comptroller and Auditor General
(CAG) reports indicate the Gujarat government
and the Gujarat High Court notices to several cor-
porate houses in response to a public interest liti-
gation (PIL) alleging undue favours to corporate
groups leading to massive losses to the state
exchequer.
* In Gujarat, large tracts of government land,
which were under the commons or were meant for
fishing and grazing, have been acquired for the use
of industrial operations, such as in Mundra and
Kutch, or for the Tatas Nano project.
* For projects where the state government
has tried to acquire private land, there have been
public protests. Acquisition of land for the Special
Investment Region in north Gujarat is a case in
point.
* This notification faced protests from farm-
ers, and the government had to withdraw the noti-
fication from many villages. So the claims to
unhindered project implementation have more to
do with the transfer of public land to private hands.
Decline of PDS
* What this governance model means for the
poor can also be understood in terms of how the
state has performed in implementing various wel-
fare schemes.
* While many states have shown improve-
ment in the public distribution system (PDS) over
the past five years, Gujarat is one of the worst-per-
forming states.
* The per capita PDS consumption is not only
low, but it is continuously falling and it has the
highest rate of foodgrain diversion.
* Claims of efficient governance notwith-
standing, evidence suggests that half of the poor-
est in Gujarat do not get any subsidised grain
because of poor coverage and the exclusionary
nature of targeted PDS.
* Gujarat is also the only state which shows
a decline in the per capita purchase of PDS grains.
* In terms of participation in Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (MGNREGS) in 2009-10, only 19 per
cent of the households participated for more than
60 days in a year in Gujarat, a figure far below the
national average.
* The average NREGA wage in the state is
also close to the lowest that prevails in the coun-
try.
* As per the recent National Sample Survey
Office (NSSO) Employment and Unemployment
Round 2011-12, the average real wage (including
regular and causal) in both rural and urban Gujarat
is lower than the national average. It stands at Rs.
112 (at 2004-05 prices) for rural areas and
Rs.177 for urban areas, while the corresponding
figures for all-India are Rs.144 and Rs.231
respectively.
* The performance of the Mid-Day Meal
Scheme, measured in terms of one member of the
family benefiting during the last 365 days and the
utilisation of Integrated Child Development
Services in Gujarat, is just close to the all-India
average and it does not fall amongst the group of
best-performing states (Report of the Third
National Family and Health Survey (NFHS) and
NSSO, 2004-05).
* If we look at expenditure on health, the
ranking of Gujarat has worsened in comparison to
other states between 1990-2010, and the trend is
similar in the direction of expenditure in education.
* Thus overall, the governance model of
Gujarat is all about aggressive implementation of
development on behalf of the big private investor.
* It is not a model built on the historical lega-
cy of Gandhian Trusteeship and the cooperative
movement in Gujarat. Rather, it is a model that
works for the rich and against the poor. It is not a
model which is entirely market-led, but one where
the state is working on behalf of the big private
investor.
Social development
* The Human Development Report of India,
recently released by the Institute of Applied
Manpower Research, New Delhi, places Gujarat at
the 9th rank.
* States like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra,
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have performed
much better than Gujarat.
* There has been no improvement in
Gujarats rank ever since the first human develop-
ment index (HDI) was done in 1999-2000.
* Gujarat has fared poorly in comparison with
other states, in spite of its high growth, in basic
health indicators. For instance, the maternal mor-
tality ratio (MMR) for Tamil Nadu is 97, for
Maharashtra it is 104, while it is 148 for Gujarat.
* Similarly, in measures such as the infant
mortality ratio (IMR) and the Under 5 mortality
ratio (U5MR), states like Tamil Nadu and
Maharashtra have performed better than Gujarat.
The IMR was 71 in Tamil Nadu, 56 in Maharashtra
and 86 for all India in 1992-93. It has now come
down to 22 in Tamil Nadu, 25 in Maharashtra and
44 nationally. The corresponding figures for
Gujarat are 72 and 41 respectively.
* In nourishment, or rather undernourish-
ment, the experience of Gujarat has not been
encouraging either. Fifty per cent of the children
were undernourished in Gujarat in 1992-93 and in
2005-06 even more children (51.7 per cent) were
undernourished.
* When we compare health indicators for
marginalised groups, Gujarat did not fare better
than other comparable states. For instance, in
1992-93, the IMR for Scheduled Castes in Tamil
Nadu was 90 points, which came down to 37 in
2005-06. In Gujarat, it marginally changed in this
period from 70 to 65. Similarly, the IMR for
Scheduled Tribes is no better in Gujarat. It was 86
in 2005-06 in Gujarat, while it was 62 nationally.
Disparities in education
* Literacy is the simplest indicator to get a
sense of aggregate characteristics in the field of
education. It is no surprise to note that the average
level of literacy in the state is higher than the
national average. Bu what is disturbing is the per-
formance of the state in improving literacy
between 1999-2000 and 2007-08 (NSSO 55th
and 64th rounds) in comparison with other Indian
states. During this period, Gujarats ranking, in
comparison with 15 major states of India, has
deteriorated in literacy levels, for both those above
six years and those in the age group of six to 14.
This sluggish growth in Gujarat is disconcerting
since the gains in literacy at the national level have
been much better.
* Another way to look at that states achieve-
ment in the education sector is to examine the rate
of current attendance. Here again, the rank of the
state has worsened during this period from 21 to
26, in current attendance in the age group six to
14. Not only in aggregative terms, the educational
outcomes in Gujarat across social groups further
add to the gravity of the crisis in the education sec-
tor there. The gender difference of 20 percentage
points in the state is higher than the gap in the lit-
eracy rate between men and women at the nation-
al level. The gap in literacy outcomes between
those belonging to the general category and other
marginal social groups was also greater than the
national average in 2007-08. Thus, social dispari-
ties in education in Gujarat are higher compared
with other states in educational outcomes and in
participation and access to education.
Gujarat in the light of the CAG report
Contnued on page 21
12 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 NEWSMAKERS www.milligazette.com
Prof. SHARIF HUSAIN QASMI, eminent Urdu and Persian author
and researcher has been selected for being honoured this year
with Farogh-e Urdu Adab Awart at Doha (Qatar). The jury in India
which selected him for this award consisted of Prof. G. C. Narang
(Chairman), Prof Shaafe Qidwai and Prof Ibn Kanwal. The Award
consists of a cheque of Rs 1.5 lakh, gold medal and scroll of hon-
our. Seventy-year old Prof. Sharif Husain Qasmi of Delhi is con-
sidered among the Urdu and Persian litterateur and researchers of
the first water not only in India but also in Pakistan and Iran.
Author of more than 150 research articles on different topics and
of many books in these languages, he rendered Altaf Husain
Halis Yaadgar-e Ghalib into Persian which is greately appreciat-
ed. Among his works are Deewan-e Hafiz, Printed Catalogues of
Firdausis Shah Nama, Zikr Jaame Aulia-e Dilli, etc. Recently he
has published a comprehensive catalogue of holy scriptures in
Persian which is based on more than 2.5 thousand manuscripts
on Veds, Purans Mahabharat etc. Normally names of Indian and
Pakistani men of letters selected for this Award are announced
simultaneously but according to Dohas chairman of Board of
Trustees, Muhammad Ateeq, name of Pakistani litterateur for this
Award will be announced on 3 June.
AWARDS
HAKEEM IQBAL AHMAD, founder and owner of
Delhis Hamdam Dawakhana, a famous unani
physician, Hamdard Dawakhanas chief physi-
cian died of heart attack in Delhi on 15 April. He
was a close relative of Hamdard Dawakhans
founder (late) Hakeem Abdul Hameed. He
leaves behind his wife, one son and daughter-
in-law and his younger sister
A. R. KARDAR, noted dramatist and playwright
died in Delhi after a prolonged illness on 18 April
at the age of 74 years. He was a teacher by pro-
fession and even after retirement from Jama
Masjid school he continued his teaching in differ-
ent schools. As a dramatist he was honoured with
state award, in addition to Ghalib and other
awards. He also wrote dialogues of many films.
Among his popular dramas are Maan Jaao
Begum, Ghalib ki Waapsi, Sang Taraash etc.
ATHAR SAHARANPURI, poet died in Delhi
recently. His two anthologies of poems Nau
Bahar and Ashk-e Athar have been published.
His third collection of poems Salaam-e Athar
could not be published in his life time but steps
are being taken for its publication now.
ABDUR RASHID BAWAZIR, successful busi-
nessman and respected personality of Mumbai
died there on 19 April after a prolonged illness.
He was a close relative of super star of yester-
years Dilip Kumar. Though not belonging to any
mafia or underworld groups he had a good hold
on them and was held in great respect by these
people. He leaves behind his wife and one
daughter. He used to provide financial assis-
tance to many religious madrasas every month.
MUHAMMAD KHALIQUR RAHMAN who
belongs to Andhra Pradesh has been appointed
national coordinator in All India Congress
Committees minorities department.
QARI SAJID ALI KHAN, religious scholar, an
important personality of Rampur, teacher in
Madrasa Faizul Uloom, member of Saulat
Library Majlis Mushawarat and an important
member of Jamiatul Ulama-e Hind died of heart
attack on 15 April.
Twenty-year old MUHAMMAD ISHTIAQ of
Ranchi (Jharkhand), a member of Tablighi
Jamat which was sent from Tablighi Markaz at
Nizamudidn, New Delhi to Chaandpur near
Bijnor by Suri Express for a 40-day Tablighi pro-
gramme there, met his tragic death at Hapur
railway station when he tried to board the mov-
ing train but slipped and fell down and was
crushed under the wheels. His neck was cut
and separated form his body. Other members of
the Jamaat came to know about this only at
Gajraula station. Some Jamaat members and
those of Hapur Tablighi Markaz reached the sta-
tion and after meeting GRP Incharge got his
body sent for post-mortem and after necessary
legal formalities and permission of family mem-
bers on phone he was laid to rest at Hapur. His
family members at Ranchi were informed of his
tragic and untimely death on mobile.
BEGUM FARZANA
AHMAD died in a
New Delhi hospital in
the early hours of
18 April, at the age of
97 years. She was
the widow of late
Islam Ahmad, IG
Police of Uttar
Pradesh and daugh-
ter-in-law of Justice
Iqbal Ahmad. Her
father, Deputy Abdul Ghani, was an influential
figure of his time and had served as deputy
commissioner of Lucknow before Partition. She
is survifed by her sons, ex-MP Akbar Ahmad
Dumpy, Zafar Ahmad and Qamar Ahmad
Advocate and daughters Zeenat, Rahat and
Farhat. She was buried on 18 April in the family
farm at Kiccha. Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan,
President, All India Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat, said that the departing lady was
God-fearing, truly religious and ever-ready to
help the needy and poor. She used to generous-
ly donate sums during natural calamities and for
victims of communal riots. Dr Khan said such
people no longer exist in our society.
Muhammad Rafis was one of the finest voices
in the world. Even after so many years, the
greatness of Rafi hasnt dimmed even a bit.
Right from 1941, when Rafi sang for a Punjabi
song till he died in 1980, it was Rafi all the way,
except for a lull period in the late sixties to early
seventies, when Kishore got more songs.
Many reasons are attributed to Rafis tempo-
rary decline. The foremost being the meteoric
rise of Rajesh Khanna, the first superstar, whose
voice suited Kishore.
But one aspect can never be ignored. Rajesh
Khannas first two movies "Akheri Khat" and
"Raaz" had all the songs sung by Rafi, viz., Aur
kuchh der thahar (Akheri Khat) and Akele hain
chale aaao (Raaz). Music lovers still love those
immortal songs.
Then came The Train in 1970, which again
had a song by Rafi, "Gulabi aankhein jo teri
dekheen." The song is still very popular. So,
what happened that Kishore suddenly became
Rafis voice.
Dr Parminder Singh Baweja of Lahore
University submitted his doctoral thesis at the
University of Lahore in 1981: Rafi ki aawaaz
mein anghaniyat (The tonal quality of Rafis
voice). Dr Baweja opined that contrary to the
general tenor that Rafis voice temporarily lost its
magic in the late sixties and early seventies, it
remained uniform till the end. Rajesh Khanna
actually wanted Rafi to sing for Amar Prem and
Aradhana, but there was a strong Bengali, nay,
Hindu lobby active in Bollywood at that time,
which tacitly wanted Kishore to sing. Shakti
Samant, R D Burman, all Bengalis, promoted
Kishore.
Like Hollywood, which has always been
compartmentalised into Whites, Afro-Americans
and Hispanic actors, Bollywood has also been
pretty ethnocentric.
Rafi was systematically marginalised by an
ethnocentric lobby. "Shama" (June, 1984), an
Urdu magazine and "Madhuri" (1982, last issue),
both now defunct, also seconded Bawejas the-
ory.
Rafi knew this, but an extremely gentle soul
that he was, never said anything about this step-
motherly treatment. But, he was certainly hurt
and ruefully hinted at it in one of his last inter-
views to Tabassum for Filmfare.
The rather standoffish behaviour of R D
Burman towards Rafi is still a mystery. By the
way, Muhammad Rafi continued to sing hits for
Sachin Deb Burman well into the 1970s
(Gambler, Abhimaan et al), but for some inexpli-
cable reason, S D never acknowledged Rafis
contribution to his music. Srinivas Sarang, a
Marathi music critic, wrote that R D confided in
him that his natural choice was Rafi. Rafis
"Tumne mujhe dekha" (Teesri Manzil, 1968) was
R Ds favourite composition.
Yet, Rafi remained in the shadow of Kishore,
a distinctly mediocre voice when pitted against
that of Rafi, till 1976, before bouncing back as
the Filmfare best singer for "Kya hua tera vaada"
(Hum kisi se kam nahin, 1976). And the com-
poser was RD!
Some issues are never stirred and put on the
backburner. Yet truth eventually comes out.
(The above is an excerpt from my bigger
research paper, Kya Rafi maslehatan hashiyadar
kiye gaye thay, read and carried at universities
and in Urdu journals)
Ghalib went
unnoticed on his
145th death
anniversary
February 15 was the 145th death anniversary of
Asadullah Khan "Ghalib". That morning I
browsed through nearly 100 Urdu, Hindi and
English dailies and found much to my dismay
that no English/Hindi newspaper carried any-
thing on this legend. A few Urdu broadsheets
carried perfunctory pieces on this very great
Urdu poet.
The disparaging attitude of English publica-
tions can be understood because English-orient-
ed media condescendingly treats the vernacu-
lars. But the Hindi print medias sheer apathy
was unintelligible. Ghalib doesnt belong to this
sub-continent or just Urdu language. Hes an
international poet. His universal poetry tran-
scends all geographical and linguistic barriers.
Ghalibs 235 ghazals are gems of poetry, which
depict myriad moods of humanity.
Anthology of world poets (1990) bracketed
him with Rumi, Milton, Homer, Shakespeare and
Virgil. Even the greatest scholars of Urdu poetry
have not been able to grasp the full spectrum
and scope of his sublime poetry.
Ghalib was not deliberately abstruse. He
was so ahead of his times that his poetry will still
need nearly two millennia to be completely
understood.
Such a great poet, the pride of India, goes
unnoticed in print media. But I was happy that
Pakistani Urdu and English dailies effusively
wrote on him on this occasion.
DR SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Was Muhammad Rafi marginalised by a Hindi lobby?
Mufti (Dr) MUKARRAM AHMAD, Imam of
Delhis Fatehpuri Masjid has been elected
President of All India Sunni Federation.
Shah QADIRI SYED MUSTAFA RAFAEE JILANI
NADVI of Bangalore has ben selected by the
Governing Council of the Institute for Objective
Studies (IOS) in its six-monthly meeting held on
12 April for being honoured with its Shah
Waliullah Award 2012 in recognition of his mon-
umental work on Islami Tasawwuff (Islamic
Mysticism). An author of about one-and-a-half
dozen books in the field of mysticism, he has
also worked actively in the field of dawat and tab-
ligh.
MUFTI ZULFIQAR ALI, President of Imam
Sangathan, Muzaffarnagar has been appointed a
member of Uttar Pradesh Minorities Commision
by UP government.
Dr. ZAHEER QAZI of Anjuman-e Islam has for the
third consecutive time been unanimously elected
Chairman of Anjuman-e Islam, Mumbai which is
a reputed and distinguished educational, cultural,
social institution which is running hundreds of
academic, professional and technical education-
al institution in Mumbai and some other cities of
the country where thousands of students are
imparted education and training. Not only he but
his entire team including vice chairman, hon-
orary secretary, joint secretary, treasurer etc also
have been elected unanimously in recognition of
their team work. Muslims of all sections are rep-
resented in this institution. In addition to hun-
dreds of technical and other institutions already
working, three new colleges including one phar-
macy college, have been opened during the past
couple of years by the Anjuman.
Film Actor SHAH RUKH KHAN has been made
goodwill ambassador of South Korea at a func-
tion held at Gurgaon. After receiving the letter of
South Korean government to this effect from
South Korean ambassador in Delhi, Joon-Gyu
Lee, Shah Rukh Khan said that he would love to
bring the two countries i.e. India and South Korea
closer through visits and my films. He said that
he will also try to make a film there. The ambas-
sador described Shah Rukh Khan as the most
popular celebrity and heartthrob of India.
Dr SIRAJUDDIN HASHMI, social worker and an
activist for the promotion of Urdu has been appoint-
ed vice president of Anjuman Taraqqi-e Urdu, UP.
Prof. ALI ATHAR and Prof. MAHSHAR RAZA
have been appointed heads of departments in
AMU. Whereas Prof Ali Athar has been appoint-
ed Head of the Department of History, Centre of
Advanced Studies for 3 years in place of Prof
Tariq Ahmad, Prof Mahshar Raza Dean of the
Faculty of Science has been appointed Head of
the Department of Geology till his retirement. His
appointment is in place of Prof Liaqat Ali Khan
Rao. In addition to these professors, Prof
SURENDAR KUMAR MISHRA and Prof SANJIV
KUMAR VARMA have also been appointed
Heads of their respective Departments in Dr Z. A
Dental College for three years in place of Prof
Ashok Kumar and Prof Sandhya Maheshwari
respectively.
DR MANSOOR AHMAD
AJAZI, retired joint secretary
of Bihar state, has been
apoointed as Member-
Secretary of the Bihar
Minority Commission. He
assumed his office on 25
March. He has earlier served as Secretary, Bihar
Urdu Academy, E\CEO, Bihar State Sunni Waqf
Board and Executive Officer, Bihar State Haj
Committee. He is a writer and columnist. His
articles have appeared in MG.
ASIF IQBAL of Bangalore has been appointed as
Hony. Consul of Suriname for South India with
the concurrence of the Government of India.
Iqbal is the Executive Director of the Latin
American Caribbean Federation of India and the
President of the Defense Technology
Infrastructure Society of India. The Hony. Consul
will work towards strengthening the educational,
scientific, cultural and economic ties between
the two countries. Suriname is a country in
South America with 37% Indian-origin popula-
tion.
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS OBITUARIES
Masjid Aqsa conference in Delhi
SPECIAL REPORT The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 13 www.milligazette.com
New Delhi: Calling upon the Muslim Ummah to
close its ranks for foiling the nefarious designs
of the Zionist entity, a conference on the Aqsa
Mosque, Islams first Qiblah (praying direction)
was held here on Sunday, 13 April. It asked the
Government of India to revert back its old policy
towards Palestine issue.
Addressing the Conference, organised by
the Markazi Jamiat Ulama at the India Islamic
Cultural Centre, Saleh Fheid Mohammad,
Minister at the Embassy of Palestine in India,
warned that the extremist Jews are posing a
grave threat to the Aqsa Mosque as they have
been hatching conspiracies, one after the other,
to destroy this mosque, which is one of the three
holiest shrines of Islam, and to turn into
Soloman Temple. He said that Israel is com-
mitting atrocities and excesses on the hapless
Palestinian people ever since it illegally occupied
their motherland. It is the duty of the Muslim
world and the peace-loving international com-
munity to raise its voice against Israel, he said.
In his presidential address, All India Muslim
Majlis Mushawarat president and an expert on
Middle East, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan warned that
what happened with the Babri Masjid in India can
happen with the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem as
the Zionists have been continuously conspiring
to obliterate Islamic symbols from the land of
Prophets. Coming down heavily on the Arab
rulers and the OIC, he said both failed to liberate
Palestine from the yoke of usurper Israel.
Countering Jewish claim that the land belong to
Israel, he said the Jews ruled the area for a mere
70 years during the period the prophets David
and Soloman while uninterrupted Muslim rule
over the region spanned 13 centuries. He took
the Indian government to task for shunning its
old policy towards Palestine saying that today
India has become the largest importer of Israeli
weapons which supports the Israeli economy in
a big way. By organising seminars, conferences
and protests, we should tell the world that 200
million India Muslims and many other just-loving
people are with cause of Palestine, he said.
Noted scholar from Lucknows Nadwatul
Ulama, Maulana Slaman Nadwi, dwelt upon the
Western and Zionist conspiracies at length say-
ing that some Arab rulers were also involved in
supporting Israel. He said there is a need of cre-
ating awareness about the Palestine problem
among Muslims as well as among other sec-
tions of society. He lambasted the rulers of Saudi
Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Syria and other countries for
crushing the democratic movements in the
region.
Recalling Indias policy towards Palestine,
Mufti Ataur Rehman Qasmi said Gandhiji used to
say that just like Japan is for the Japanese peo-
ple, Palestine is for the Palestinians. He asked
the Indian government to sever ties with the
Zionist state. He lamented that many Arab coun-
tries have established diplomatic contacts with
Israel.
Jamaat Islami Hind national secretary Ejaz
Ahmad Aslam dwelt upon the history behind the
creation of Israel. He said because of Western
powers backing and Arab governments criminal
silence, Israel is following expansionist polices
in the region. He deplored the Arab governments
for doing only lip service for Palestine while
Israel is committing excesses on hapless
Palestinian people. Aslam quoted right-thinking
Jews that during the long Muslim rule Jews were
always treated with respect and dignity while
they were persecuted under Christian rule in
every part of the world.
In his welcome address, Markazi Jamiat
General Secretary Maulana Firoz Akhtar Qasmi
said the conference is meant to educate the new
generation about the Zionist occupation of
Jerusalem and Palestine and the Western con-
spiracies which created the Jewish state in the
heart of the Islamic
world. He pointed
out that the Aqsa
Mosque has been
mentioned in the
Quran and
Ahadees and it was
the first Qibla of
Muslims.
Conducting the
proceedings, Mufti
Arshad Qasmi said
it is the duty of all
Muslims to come
forward to protect
this holy mosque.
The conference
was also addressed
by Maulana Anisur
Rahman Qasmi,
General Secretary of Imrat-e-Sharia Bihar &
Orissa, Maulana Junaid Ahmad Banarasi,
Dr Syed Farooq, Dr Umar Gautam, Mufti Azizur
Rehman, Prof Mohsin Usmani, Maulana
Mohammad Yaqoob Bulandshahari and others.
During the conference, Maulana Yusuf
Rampuris Urdu book on the Aqsa Mosque and a
souvenir on Palestine were also released.
The conference passed several resolutions
asking the world community to support the
cause of Palestine and use its influence in lifting
the inhuman blockade of Gaza Strip. It also
asked the Arab governments to extend all sup-
port to the resistance forces in the region which
are fighting for liberation of Palestine and the
Aqsa Mosque. The conference forcefully
demanded that those Arab governments which
declared Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas as
terrorist organisations should revise their deci-
sion.
HWF gives PG Scholarships to 200 meritorious
Muslim students of West Bengal
Kolkata: Human Welfare Foundation organized
PG scholarship distribution programme here in
collaboration with SIO WB & JIH WB. HWF offered
loan scholarships to 200 PG meritorious students
of various streams from across West Bengal.
Speakers included Mosiur Rahman, Zonal
President SIO WB, Masud Alam Regional coordi-
nator, HWF, Dr. Abdul Majeed , Director, Moulana
Azad Academy, prominent journalist Milan Dutta,
Bazlul Basit Choudhury, National Coordinator,
NMTSE, Nuruzzaman, MLA Deganga.
Documentary maker Sumitra Dostidar urged the
organisers to focus attention on Electronic Media
as well as documentary movies to reach people.
Nuruddin Shah, President JIH West Bengal,
presided over the programme. In his presidential
address, he urged the students to come forward
for social changes and reformation of society.
(For more information on HWF activities visit
www.vision2016.org.in / www.hwfnews.blogspot.com)
HWF gives scholarships in West Bengal
Hazrat Bismillah Shah Hospital
Bangalore: Hazrat Bismillah Shah Hospital (HBS) was thrown open to the public recently. It
is a noble accomplishment with very few hospitals competing it in provision of services to
the poor. Hospital authorities said that HBS is one of the few institutions in the city which
works on non-profit basis. It operates on the basic principles of honesty and transparency.
It had been a long standing dream of Anjuman-e-Khuddamul Muslimeen (AKM), a char-
itable organization based in Bangalore, to set up a hospital well-equipped with modern facil-
ities. The much awaited project took around fifteen years to complete. The following are
excerpts of a interview with Masood Abdul Khadir, president of the AKM and a businessman.
How the idea came to your mind to establish such a hospital?
It was 1992 when Babri Masjid was unfortunately demolished. This sad event affected
Bangalore also. AMK activists had camped at the Bowring Government Hospital to provide
medical assistance to the victims. At the time we had suffered poorly due to the lack of
Muslim doctors as well as ambulances and blood banks. That was the time when we felt the
need for our own hospital so that we could serve the community with special emphasis on
those who are economically backward and unable to bear the huge burden of medical
expenses.
How the land for the hospital was procured?
The land presently belongs to Wakf Board and it was endowed by Hazrat Bismillah Shah, a
pious and religious personality. There was a vacant plot of land just behind the mihrab which
we were given initially but in view of the expansion of the mosque, it was exchanged for an
empty field in front of the mosque which was under illegal occupation.
The foundation of HBS Hospital was laid in 1996 by late Hazrat Qazi Mujahid-ul-Islam
Qasmi and Maulana Abu Saood Sahib, founder of Darul-Uloom Sabilur Rashad, Bangalore.
The idea suffered a setback for lack of funds and at first a blood bank was established but
later we decided to build a large, fully-equipped modern hospital which is now a reality in
the shape of HBS Hospital.
The first phase of the agenda has been completed with the setting up of the hospital. The
more important second phase will be to see that the hospital functions according to its orig-
inal intentions. For this, an expert team of doctors will look after the daily affairs of the hos-
pital. The treatment will be provided at a minimum rate as the aim of the AMK is to run it on
a non-profit basis. Patients will be assured of accurate and safe treatment and they will not
be exploited in any way as doctors will not be allowed to benefit personally.
The construction work began in 1996 and finished in 2007. Several individuals helped
in the construction in a variety of ways because of which the costs were restricted only to
Rs. 3 crore. (Khurshid Alam, karnatakamuslims.com)
Yusuf/MG
Dais of the Masjid Aqsa Conference, Minister Saleh Fheid (left) speaking
Tablighi Jamaat under close watch!
New Delhi: According to an English-language newspaper, Tablighi
Jamat which has nothing to do with politics or political activities
and works peacefully only for the propagation of Islam and Islamic
teachings among Muslims and urges Muslims to imbibe Islamic
teachings in their daily life but even this harmless organisation is
now a suspect in the eyes of police and security agencies and its
activities are being closely monitored by these agencies. Most
of the Muslims, youth as well as elderly persons, arrested by
police on suspicion of being terrorists or being connected to ter-
rorist organisations have been honourably freed by courts in dif-
ferent parts of the county after several years of incarceration in
jails because nothing illegal or objectionable could be proved
against them but in spite of all this police and security agencies
are bent upon destroying their and their families lives.
CBSE and R. K. Mission are planning value-based education
New Delhi: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and
Rama Krishna Mission (RK Mission) have planned a new, value-
based education system known as The Awakened Citizen
Programme, a 3-year graded value education which, it would not
be wrong to say, will result in the saffronization of education,
though in a subtle way, on the pretext of imparting value-based
education. As per this programme, value-based education will be
designed in a way so as to change the mindset of students in line
with the aims and morals of Swamy Vivekanand. For this pupose
R K Mission will train teachers of schools of Delhi. According to
CBSE Chairman, Vineet Joshi, it is very important to cultivate the
techniques and understandings of value education amongst teach-
ers so that they can inculcate the same in the minds of the chil-
dren they teach. This programme is a comprehensive 3-year
graded value education for students of 7th, 8th and 9th classes
which RK Mission, New Delhi has developed. Tough it is argued by
RK Mission that the objective of this system is to empower stu-
dents in the real way so that they may become enlightened citi-
zens and be able to stand on their own feet and in this way will not
only do good for themselves but also society as a whole. It is dif-
ficult to say whether it will help in promoting secular education or
education tilted towards some particular religion, seeing that R K
Misison is promoting Hindu philosophy and thoughts, particularly
of Swamy Vivekanand. This programme consists of 48 sessions
of 45 minutes each, 16 modules for each class. The Mssion has
requested all schools to depute two teachers from each school
who will be imparted specific training which will be held in RK
Mission premises in Delhi starting from 21 April. The programme
will be run by the schools themselves. The duration of the training
will be 6 days for teachers and will be imparted by a team of train-
ers selected from persons who are engaged in value education
work at the Missions asharam.
UP govt to grant reservation to Muslims on Kerala model
Rampur: Samajwadi Partys general secretary and minister in UP
government, Azam Khan said, in addition to many other things
while talking to media persons at his residence here, that in the
Partys election manifesto it has been clearly mentioned that
reservation to Muslims will be given soon, for which it has been
decided to set up a commission. He said that UP government
wanted to give reservation to Muslims on the Andhra Pradesh
model but because of the courts intervention it was stopped
there. Hence his government has now decided to give reservation
to Muslims on the pattern of Kerala because reservation to
Muslims on the Kerala pattern has not been challenged in any
court. He said that right from the time of formation of SP govern-
ment in the state (UP) it was keen to give reservation to Muslims
and consultations with legal experts were going on in this resepect
which have now been finalised. He said that when the period of
enforcement of moral code of conduct comes to an end, notifica-
tion (for giving reservation to Muslims) will be issued.
HC directs to hear case against Hemant Karkare & team
Indore: While deciding the review petition, the High Court has
directed the lower court to hear the case against Maharashtra ATS
chief Hemant Karkare and his colleagues for illegal detention and
physical man handling. Deepak Rawal and Shakeel Haider, advo-
cates for Dharmendra Bairagi, apprised that in a private petition
their clients had filed a case against Maharashtra ATS chief and
ten of his colleagues. The application was rejected by public ser-
vants and permission could not be granted to admit the case
against them. Aggrieved Bairagi filed a review petition in the High
court. The HC after hearing the case rejected the lower courts
decision and has asked it to hear the case. Maharashtra ATS had
arrested Dharmendra Bairagi, Dilip Nahar, Shivnarayan Kalsangra
and Shyam Sahu while investigating blast cases during 12-18
October 2008. After their acquittal Dilip and Dharmendra filed pri-
vate petition against the officers for beating them and hurting their
religious feelings.
Minorities to have separate engineering test in W. Bengal
Kolkata: According to an order issued by West Bengal government
in the first week of March, the state would have a separate engi-
neering entrance test for minority students. Some other states like
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka already have such a
system, following a directive of Supreme Court that minority asso-
ciations can hold separate admission tests. In Bengal this test will
be organised by the Association for Minority Academic
Professional Institute (AMPI). WBJEE Chairman Bhaskar Gupta
said that according to a Supreme Court judgement, minority insti-
tutes have been given the option to hold their own common
entrance test. An official of WBJEE said that any one, not neces-
sarily from a minority community, can appear in the entrance test
but preference will be given to minority students in such colleges
and if seats remain vacant, these will be open for other students
also. This means that those who do not appear in WBJEE (to be
held on 17 and 18 May) can study engineering in these colleges
by appearing in the Common Entrance Exam (CEE-AMPI) on 3
May. JIS Group which runs four institutes has decided to reserve
more than 50 percent seats for minority candidates passing a
common entrance test.
Maya Kodnani administered shock therapy
Ahmedabad: Maya Kodnani, undergoing imprisonment in
Sabarmati jail has developed suicidal tendency because of
depression which remains uncontrollable despite aggressive treat-
ment. Electric shock, considered to be the last resort in such
cases, was administered to her after her bail. ECT (Electro
Convulsive Therapy) under anaesthesia was given according to
the medical superintendent of Civil Hospital, MM Prabhakar.
Blinded by love, Saira marries blind Rajendra
Indore: Love blinded Saira defied not only religious constraints but
also overlooked the visual disability of her lover Rajendra. The two
were married amidst chanting of vedic hymns. The programme
was arranged by the National Blind Associaiotn. Her parents nei-
ther objected to her love with Rajendra, a teacher in Morena dis-
trict, nor did they object to the marriage. Saira was earlier married
when she was a child to a Muslim but her husband died before she
was sent to her in laws home. She said that she would follow the
customs of both the faiths.
Police brutality renders Akram Shah handicapped
Indore: Akram Shah (36), father of six children, used to eke out a
meagre living by selling toys on the foothpath. He was brought
before the Indore bench of MP High Court on a hand cart as he
has become handicapped because of the police beating. His peti-
tion has been admitted by Justice SC Sharma and notices have
been sent to state authorities along with those who were involved
in the brutal act. He was returning home after selling toys in the
evening of 2 Jan 2014 when his push cart collided with the bike
of a policeman near Saifi Hotel. Razzaq Khan and Virendra Sinh
Tomar two policemen attached to crime branch, began beating
him up. They also called three other policemen - Govind,
Dharmendra and Deepak. They took him to the police station
where he was kept confined till 6 Jan. During this period he was
beaten by Dy S. P. Salim Khan too. He was sent to Rajendra Nagar
police station which sent him to jail on a false charge of bike theft.
He was released on bail on 17 January. The matter has been
brought to the notice of human rights commission as well as DGP
but in vain. Dy SP Salim Khan claims that Akram is a liar and he
was not beaten. The notice shall be replied in the High Court.
Advocate Sharma claims that the person has become handi-
capped as he cannot walk. Akram pleads that he can neither feed
his children nor can he send them to school.
Joint water project of UAE and Human Welfare Trust
New Delhi: Human Welfare Trust, New Delhi, in cooperation with
UAE (United Arab Emirates)s Red Crescent and Human Welfare
Trust, a social and welfare organisation of that country, has drawn
up a joint programme for the supply of clean drinking water to the
poor living in distant and drought prone areas of the country where
water, an essential requirement of mans daily life, is scarce and
people have to toil in scorching heat for bringing water from two
or more miles away almost daily. According to Asif Anwar, coor-
dinator of this project, a survey was conducted in 12 states of the
country where clean drinking water is not available within an area
of one kilometre. Under this project work is going on, and so far
953 hand pumps have been installed in 150 districts of 12 states
of the country including Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand.
He said that in the first stage, one hand pump is being installed
within the range of half a kilometre, after which its range will be
further reduced. According to him, for the time being about 50
families can benefit from one hand pump and these areas or
human habitations have been identified where the people have to
bring water from two or more kilometres. He said that the worst
situation, from the point of view of availability of water, is West
Bengal, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and hence special atten-
tion is being paid to these states. He said that since water level in
these states is very low, boring is to be carried out upto a depth
ranging from 700 ft to 1000 ft at some places. He said that in spite
of these difficulties and challenges they would install 60 more
hand pumps during the current financial year i.e. 2014-15. It may
be stated incidentally that according to a world survey, about 800
million people of the world do not get clean drinking water because
of which as many as 27000 children die every week in the world.
No fatwa issued against Shazia Ilmi: Mufti Ehsaan Qasmi
Deoband: Head Mufti of Darul Uloom (Waqf), Deoband said in a
press statement here on 3 April for the past few days discussions
are going on on TV and internet and news items have been pub-
lished in newspapers about a fatwa being issued by me regarding
AAP candidate from Ghaziabad Parliamentary constituency,
Shazia Ilmi being declared outside the fold of Islam. Contradicting
all such news and discussions he said that he had not issued any
such written or verbal fatwa against her or any other person. He
said that it was possible that some one anonymously might have
asked him a question about the permissibility or otherwise in
Islam of worshipping some one other than God; but the person
who asks such a question and puts the responsibility on a partic-
ular person was himself responsible for this. He said that on his
part he strongly denied having said so. He said that people ask
many questions on common problems and a reply is given to
them. He said that no Fatwa is issued unless some one specifical-
ly asks a question (in writing). He reiterated that he neither issued
such a fatwa nor is habituated to issue any fatwa without proper
enquiry. He said that the fatwa associated to him was totally base-
less. It may be stated in this connection that when she (Shazia
Ilmi) had started her electoral campaign as AAPs Parliamentary
candidate from Ghaziabad constituency, she had gone to a Dargah
and had gone also to a temple where she had poured milk on
Shiva Lingam. After this when her photo was published in news-
papers pouring milk, she had been facing criticisms.
Properties of Assamese Muslims burnt
Properties of Assamese Muslims of Pithakhuwa Gaon were burnt
down during day-time on 21 April 2014 by miscreants from of
Pithakhuwa and adjoining places. The properties that got burnt are
as follows:
A. Shops of 1. Md. Mridul Hoque, S/o- Lt. Ilahi Baks (Vill- Likhok
Gaon); 2. Md. Inamul Uddin, S/o- Md. Amiruddin (Vill- Komar
Chuburi); 3. Md. Abdul Mallick, S/o- Madho Ali (Vill- Likhok Gaon);
4. Md. Amzad, S/o- Md. Ilahi Baks (Vill- Likhok Gaon); 5. Md.
Sikun Ali, S/o- Shahadullah (Vill- Bhaluke Khuwa).
B. House of Md. Razaque Ali, S/o- Lt. Siddique Ali (Vill- Bhaluke
Khuwa)
C. Houses demolished of 1. Md. Aftab Ali, S/o- Lolit Ali (Vill-
Bhaluke Khuwa; 2. Md. Sayed Ali; 3. Md. Abdul Khaleque; 4. Md.
Ansar; 5. Md. Ikram Ali; 6. Md. Mridul Hoque.
D. Vehicle: Hero Honda motorcycle of Md. Muzibur Rahman, (Vill
- Likhok Gaon - burnt;
E. Shop demolished of Md. Dip Hazarika.
(Report and photo by ASIF HUSSAIN, Tezpur)
New Delhi: Fakhr-e Watan conference jointly sponsored by the
voluntary organisation Manav Ekta Educational Trust and Farid
Book Depot, well-known publication house was held in Aiwan-e
Ghalib on 22 April. Speaking in this conference Syed
Shahabuddin, former MP and former President of All India
Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, who chaired this conference said
that though all the people of India had struggled for liberating the
country from Britains slavery it was Muslims who shed the max-
imum blood for the freedom of the country. But, he said it is a
tragedy that a particular, narrow-minded mentality has been
deliberately trying to erase and ignore the services and sacrifices
of Muslim crusaders of freedom from the minds of coming gen-
erations. Shedding light on the war of independence and partition
of India he said that Maulana Azad had stated that after the for-
mation of Pakistan, India too will not remain secular. That is why
in Parliament as well as assemblies, representation of Muslim is
decreasing day by day. At the same time he (Maulana Azad) had
also stated that without reservation there would be no increase in
the representation of Muslims. He tried to prove this by giving
many examples. He also said that Maulana Azad had foretold that
after the formation of Pakistan there would be further division
there which was also proved to be true after separation of East
Pakistan and formation of Bangladesh.
He praised the initiative taken by the noted journalist Farooq
Argali and the publisher Nasir Khan for organising the conference.
At the same time, noted milli intellectual and law expert Prof Tahir
Mahmood while speaking on this occasion mentioned the unfor-
gettable services of lakhs of Muslims from the times of Bengals
Nawab Sirajuddaula, Tipu Sultan, Syed Ahmad Shaheed and
Bahadur Shah Zafar right up to the decisive war of independence
resulting in freedom of the country in 1947.
Prof Tahir Mahmood said that familiarising the young gener-
ation of Muslims with the sense of patriotism, sacrifices for inde-
pendence of our forefathers is the most important need of the
time. For this purpose he praised the steps and project being
under taken of publishing low priced and informative books in
Urdu, Hindi and English containing details of the lives, services
and achievements of freedom fighters. Senior journalist M. Afzal
suggested that books on the history of Indias independence, par-
ticularly the role of Muslim freedom fighters should be included in
the syllabus of schools and madrasas. Earlier, Farooq Argalis
book Fakhr-e Watans fourth edition was also released in this
conference. Publisher Nasir Khan said that Fakhr-e Watan (which
is in Urdu) will soon be published in Hindi and English also. Prof.
Akhtarul Wasey while speaking in this conference said that we
have forgotten our freedomfighters but we should follow in their
footsteps. He said that in addition to men, Muslim women also
had played an important role in the countrys war of independ-
ence and named Begum Hazrat Mahal, Bi Amma (mother of Ali
Brothers), Maulana Hasrat Mohanis wife Nishatunnisa Begum,
Maulana Azads wife Zulekha Begum etc. He said that Farooq
Argali was presently busy in preparing a TV serial of the title of
Fakhr-e Watan regarding the lives and achievements of about a
hundred freedom fighters. He said that it was very essential to
link Fakhr-e Watan with internet because in todays world internet
has joined the whole world, so that people all over the world may
be able to know about the freedom fighters of India. (N. A.
Ansari)
Services and sacrifices of Muslims in the
freedom movement deliberately ignored
14 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 COMMUNITY NEWS www.milligazette.com
Rahmani eye testing camp
Moonger: Rahmani Foundation, which has been organising eye
testing and operation camps free of charge for the benefit of the
poor, old and helpless people etc every year for many years,
organised a free eye testing and operation camp this year too,
when eyes of thousands of people from Moonger and neighbour-
ing areas were tested and medicines given. Patients of cataract
and other eye diseases needing operation were operated upon by
expert and professional eye specialists and surgeons and lenses
were implanted in their eyes. Famous eye specialists tested the
patients and gave medicines and performed operations wherever
necessary. Next day the patients who were operated upon and
who had lenses implanted, were given spectacles, medicines etc.
Arrangements for free stay, proper care, meals etc for all patients,
particularly those who had come from distant places were also
made by the Foundation. It may be stated that Rahmani
Foundation, whose head is Maulana Muhammad Wali Rahmani,
has been organising such free eye camps for the past so many
years. This year also three such camps have been held so far. In
the first 3-day, of the free camp 336 eye patients were operated
upon. In the second 2-day camp eyes of 134 patients were oper-
ated upon and in this third one-day eye camp 79 patients were
operated upon and lense implanted in their eyes. In this way a
total of 529 people were operated upon and lenses implanted in
their eyes so far this year. The Foundations Health Care
Department has been organising such camps since 1999 under
which, in addition to camps and operation etc, free medical serv-
ices are also available daily. Eyes are tested, using modern and
sophisticated instruments. Medical services for eye care like test-
ing, injection, operation, prophylactic measures etc are all being
rendered free by this Foundation for which people of Moonger
give their full cooperation. This is indeed a great service to the
people and nation.
Safa Trust hands over 22 houses to riot-hit families
Shamli: Safa Baitul Maal Charitable Trust has been building Safa
Colony near Jhande Waalay Peer in Kairana for the people who
were badly affected in the Muzaffarnagar riots. Twenty-two built-
up houses were handed over to 22 affected families on 15
February and keys of these houses were given to them for pos-
session of the houses. Chairman of Safa Charitable Trust,
Maulana Ghyas Rishadi and Vice Chairman Mufti Abdul Mahiman
said while speaking on this occasion that in this colony one hun-
dred houses would be built for such people. He said that of the
planned 100 houses, construction of 60 houses had been com-
pleted and the remaining houses too would be completed soon.
They also said that 40 houses have been given earlier (in addi-
tion to the 22 houses given that day i.e. 15 February). They fur-
ther said that for the religious and modern education of children
of the riot-hit people an English medium school would also be
run in this colony, this school is under construction at present.
They said while speaking separately on this occasion that it was
clearly written in 6th Para of the Holy Quran that catastrophe had
befallen some nations in the past because of disobedience to
God and because they followed the wrong path, that which was
disliked by God. Mufti Abdul Maheman said that the recent riots
of Muzaffarnagar were a lesson for all Muslims and an opportu-
nity to follow and adopt the path of righteousness. At the end
Maulana Mahfoozur Rahman said that people to whom these
houses have been given are those who had lost every thing in the
riots.
BJP-MLA, 50 others accused in Gujarat 2002 riots acquitted
Patan (Gujarat): A local cour t consisting of Additional
Sessions judge, Girish Damodar acquitted on 29 March all 51
persons, including BJP-MLA Shankar Chaudhary, accused in
2002 riots in Gujarat due to lack of evidence against them.
They were accused of complicity in Radhanpur town rioting
case in which two persons died. Justice Girish Damodar in his
order of 29 March said that he was acquitting all the accused,
including 25 Muslims, besides Shankar Chaudhari, BJP-MLA
for want of evidence against them. He also said that the two
persons for whose murder they were accused had in fact died
in police firing and not in private firing as claimed by police
and prosecution. Those killed by unknown persons on 1 March
2002 were Ghulam Nabi Sheikh and Ghulam Jilani Sheikh.
According to the prosecution the two persons were killed when
a mob attacked localities in Radhanpur town dominated by the
minority community members. The police said that the rioting
mob had looted shops and destroyed proper ties wor th about
1.5 cror rupees.
Urdu to be taught now in Assams government madrasas
New Delhi: Way has now been cleared for providing Urdu educa-
tion in Assam government madrasas; but still, this is on condition
that there should be at least 15 students, having already studied
Urdu in a madrasa. It may be mentioned that under union HRD
ministrys scheme for teaching and promotion of Urdu in elemen-
tary / primary and secondary schools launched many years ago,
the condition of teaching Urdu was that there should be at least
25% Urdu students in a school but because of this limit (of 25%)
difficulty was being faced in introducing this scheme in states like
Assam etc where the population of Urdu speaking people is not
high. Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, United Democratic Front (UDF)
MP from Assam who is also a member of All Assam Madrasa
Educated Youth Association had been trying since long to remove
or at least reduce this percentage and had been raising this
demand in Parliament on various occasions. He along with the
Associations President, Prof Nazrul Haq had met HRD minister
many times in this connection and finally met prime minister
Manmohan Singh also and sought his help for this. Finally, on
PMs intervention HRD ministry issued a notice on 19 February
for removing this limit of 25% and reducing it to 15 students. It
may also be stated that Assam government had sent a proposal
to union HRD ministry in January 2011 to grant its approval for
filling up 737 posts of teachers in lower primary and 1006 posts
of teachers in upper primary schools. Hence, after this amend-
ment (i.e. reduction of limit form 25% to only 15 students) it will
become possible to appoint teachers for teaching Urdu there.
In search of a place in Guinness Book
New Delhi: G. Sultan Mohiuddin, Kwality Groups corporate chef
is trying to ensure that his cuisine product, a giant paneer tikka
weighing 72-kg which he completed on 12 April, finds a place in
Guinness Book of World Records. This largest paneer tikka was
witnessed by a jury consisting of, among others, a magistrate, an
inspector of weights and measures and the famous chef Sudhir
Sibal of India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). Way back
in 2001 the then foreign secretary Robin Cook of Britain had
declared chicken tikka masala (CTM) as the true British national
dish. A few years later, in 2009 Pakistan-born British MP,
Muhammad Sarwar had tabled a motion in the British House of
Commons seeking protected geographical status for Glasgows
CTM. Demand for CTM may or may not have fallen now but now
the demand for paneer tikka is rising as described by Monish
Gujral of Delhis famous Moti Mahal who asys that Paneer tikka
remains the most-ordered dish in any North Indian cuisine restau-
rant these days. Chef (pronounced shef) Sultan Mohiuddin, who
has also written a thesis on the Indo-French cuisine of the court
of Tipu Sultan for his PhD Degree, prepared this largest paneer
tikka in a tandoor with a diameter of 4 feet. Commenting on
Mohiuddins feat, another famous master chef Manish Mehrotra
says that no one had ever tried to cook such a big block of paneer
and hence it deserves a place in the Guinness Book of World
Records.
More than 9 thousand appear for Rahmani 30 IIT entrance test
Patna: Entrance tests for IIT (JEE) 2016 sponsored by Rahmani
Foundation, Moonger were held on 13 April at examination cen-
tres in 11 states namely Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, MP,
Bengal, Delhi, UP, Gujarat, AP, Tamil Nadu (Chennai) and Manipur.
In these tests a total of 9732 students appeared. Studetns who
qualify in this test will be helped to prepare for the IIT competitive
examination. Results of these tests will be displayed on Rahmani
30s website www.twocircles.net/rahmani-30 and also in Urdu
newspapers. It may be noted that Rahmani-30 series were first
started in 2008 and those selected are imparted free IIT educa-
tion in Rahmani-30s centre at Patna. Along with their training for
IIT exams special attention is also paid to their religious education
and training. In addition to IIT, Muslim students are also imparted
education and training for professions like chartered accountants
(CA), lawyers, doctors and scientists for brighter future. In view
of the backwardness of Muslims in educational, economic and
other fields, steps for their progress and improvement were initi-
ated by Rahmani-30s founder and Islamic thinker and scholar
Maulana Muhammad Wali Rahmani in cooperation and assis-
tance of Police Officer Abhyanand, Director General of Police,
Bihar whose hard work and devotion have played an important
role in bringing success to Rahmani-30 students in these profes-
sional fields. In addition to Patna, such education and training
under Rahmani-30 is also provided in Hyderabad and from this
year (2014) Rahmani-30 series will be started in Mumbai also
under the auspices of Anjuman-e Islam. It may be stated in this
connection that under the auspices of Anjuman-e Islam more than
one lakh and ten thousand students are receiving education and
training in different technical and professional fields under the
overall supervision of its Chairman Dr Zaheer Qazi.
Innocent Kashmiri student under imprisonment for 7 years
Deoband: Sajjadur Rahman, a class VII Kashmiri student of Darul
Uloom Deoband, like hundreds of innocent Muslim youth falsely
arrested for involvement in terrorist and bomb blast activities or
association with terrorist organisations is rotting in Lucknow jail.
His old father Ghulam Qadir Wani of Kishtwar district of J&K met
local leaders of Kashmir, union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and
many other leaders who assured them of his sons innocence and
sought their help for his release but all in vain. Finally he went to
Deoband and met Maulana Arshad Madni and sought his help
also, assuring him that his son was totally innocent. He told a
gathering of people in Deoband that his son was arrested by UP
police on 22 December 2007, when he had come to Kashmir
from Darul Uloom Deoband in the Eid holidays, in connection with
bomb blasts in Faizabad and Lucknow on 23 November 07 and
locked up in jail. He told the people that his son was completely
innocent but could not get any help from any body. He further said
that on 14 April 2011 a Lucknow courts judge, in the hearing of
Lucknow bomb blast case, had clearly stated in his verdict that
there is no proof at all against him in the Lucknow bomb blast
case and hence he be acquitted in this case and an order is issued
that he should be acquitted provided there is no other case
against him. He (Wani) said that according to Justice Nimesh
Commissions report also he is found innocent but in spite of all
this, he is neither released nor bail is being granted to him. He said
that his son was arrested for his acquaintance with Khalid Mujahid
only otherwise he was not complicit in any other case and on the day
of the blast he was present is his class in Darul Uloom and on no
other day also he was absent from class. He said that he is also tired
of making frequent visits from his home town in Kashmir to Lucknow,
Faizabad, Allahabd etc but no way is being found for his release. Now
he is feeling the financial pinch. He made a general appeal to people
to please facilitate his sons release. He now pins some hope on
Maulana Arshad Madni who assured him that he would provide all
possible legal help for Sajjadur Rahmans release.
Some provisions of Sharia law included in British legal system
London: For the first time Britains Law Society has included
Islamic and Sharia laws regarding will and inheritance in the
British legal system and issued rules accordingly after various
requests by Muslims. After the issuance of new rules, courts will
pronounce verdicts in accordance with Sharia law in matters of
will and inheritance by virtue of which adopted as well as illegal
progenies will be deprived of inheritance. President of Law
Society Nicholas Philip said in London that documents like will
and testaments will now be accepted by courts in Britain and by
the incorporation of Islamic laws in the British legal system, some
Islamic laws will be promoted and popularised in a better way.
However, some legal experts have expressed their surprise and
disapproval of these recommendations and warned that with this
step a parallel legal system will be set in motion in Britain for the
Muslim community. After the issuance of this order and rules for
it opposition to the incorporation of these laws and some mem-
bers have expressed their plan to take up this mater with the con-
cerned ministers. It is said that these new rules were conveyed
to lawyers silently and copies of these rules were distributed
among lawyers. They have also been told to help solicitors to
whom orders have been issued to write or prepare wills and
testaments in accordance with Sharia laws and which will be
recognised and accepted under British laws. It is wor th men-
tioning in this connection that at present Sharaee laws regard-
ing will and inheritance are not recognised in Britain. It is fur-
ther stated in these rules that the person who prepares the tes-
tament can disclose his religion before writing his will. For
this, help should be sought from the local mosque so that cor-
rect and suitable words are used for confirmation of his being
a Muslim. It may also be stated incidentally that Britains Law
Society regularly issues rules which it considers better for its
members belonging to any religious group, though lawyers are
not bound to accept these.
Deoband: A meeting jointly convened by Mahadul Fikr Al Islami,
Deoband and Institute of Islamic Banking, Bangalore was held
here on 4 April on the occasion of starting an Islamic Banking
course on all India basis. Governor of Uttarakhand, Dr Aziz
Qureshi, attended this meeting as a special guest. Director of
Mahadul Fikr Al Islami (MFI), Dr Mufti Yassir Nadeemul Wajidi
said in his inaugural address that Darul Uloom Deoband enjoys
the credit for playing the role of academic leader in this country
for the past 150 years and today also it is being strongly felt that
it should play the leadership role in the field of Islamic banking
also. Dr Atif Suhail Siddiqi in his welcome address apprised the
audience with the aims and objectives of MFI.
Dr Aziz Qureshi while speaking on this occasion said that the
initiative taken by Darul Uloom Deoband in the field of Islamic
banking will prove to be a milestone in the world of Islamic bank-
ing. He regretted that today Muslims are educationally more
backward than even the otherwise backward communities and
emphasized the point that education was the only means through
which Muslims could come at par with other developed nations.
Maulana Nematullah Azmi, Hadees teacher in Darul Uloom
Deoband who chaired this meeting said in his speech that inter-
est is condemned and prohibited not only by Islam but also by all
religions of the world. He said that though principles of Islamic
business are taught in madrasa syllabi also, what is needed more
is that madrasa students be taught modern banking terms. He
also made an appeal to the government to show more liberal atti-
tude and broad mindedness and introduce Islamic banking or
interest-free banking in the country.
Rector of Chicagos MFI Branch, Maulana Qari Abdullah
Saleem suggested that instead of Islamic banking it would be
better to call it interest free banking so that non-Muslim brethren
also could support it and derive benefits from this system. On
this occasion the Chairman of Australias Centre for Islamic
Finance Elmer Collin in his video address shed light on the pos-
sibilities of Islamic banking in India and said that if the incomes
or savings of Indias middle class people are invested in busi-
ness in accordance with sharaee principles, their incomes will be
much safer. Director of Bangalores Institute of Islamic Banking,
Ilyas Pasha said in his speech delivered in English that after this
inaugural programme 50 branches of this institution are planned
to be opened all over the country.
Among those who expressed their views in this meeting
were the noted lawyer Kamran Rizvi, Maulana Abdullah Javed,
Aneesur Rahman and others. At the end of the meeting there was
question-answer session regarding Islamic banking.
(N. A. Ansari)
Deoband starts course in Islamic banking
COMMUNITY NEWS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 15 www.milligazette.com
Ghulam Qadir Wani (left), Sajjadur Rahman
ADNAN OKTAR (AKA HARUN YAHYA)
Bombed-out churches, burned-out police sta-
tions, raided pubs, students and teachers rid-
dled with bullets in schools
When you search for Boko Haram on any
news site, these are some of the results that
will appear.
Boko Haram is one of the most dangerous
terror organizations operating today. It began its activities in 2002
in Maiduguri, capital of the Nigerian state of Borno, under the
leadership of the late Muhammed Yusuf. Boko Haram means
West(ern education) is Unlawful in the language of the Hausa,
one of the tribes of Nigeria. The groups proper name is The
Congregation of the People of Tradition for Proselytism and
Jihad. As can be seen from its moniker, the organization claims
to be acting in the name of Islam.
In the view of Boko Haram, everything Western is inherently
corrupt and must be avoided by Muslims: Everything Western in
Nigeria, and particularly the educational system must, therefore,
be removed from the Islamic world. The organization, therefore,
regards teachers and the students who listen to them, Christians
going to church and people having fun in bars as legitimate tar-
gets.
Various different organizations sharing similar ideas to those
of Boko Haram are also active in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria
and Yemen.
Many experts on terrorism, politicians and sociologists in the
Western world are seeking answers to the questions Why have
such terror organizations emerged now when there were none 30
years ago? and What are the reasons behind them?
Various answers have been provided in the Western press,
universities and governments.
We may list some of these as follows: corrupt and despotic
regimes unable or unwilling to respond to their citizens political
and economic demands have given rise to such organizations;
the exceedingly interventionist policies of Europe and the US and
the losses of life and property suffered by local people on every
intervention; and finally, the failure of Arab nationalism that
claimed to protect Arabs and the Middle East against the West
and the emergence of an Arab identity that disregarded religious
values.
Although there is an element of truth in all these hypotheses,
Western countries are not particularly successful in the struggle
against these organizations. Neither the pinpoint operations car-
ried out by anti-terror teams nor the missiles rained down by
drones are enough to stop these terror organizations.
Many governments, in both Nigeria and the West, are today
gravely alarmed by the terror organizations resorting to terrorism
in the name of Islam and that concern is by no means unfound-
ed.
All those who commit and support terrorism obviously need
to be punished according to international law and the principles of
justice. More important, however, is the need for long-term strate-
gies to solve the problem.
The best measure that can be taken against these organiza-
tions that claim to be Islamic is exposing the perverse nature of
the ideology these groups have in their minds. Muslims must first
and foremost demand to undertake that task, because it is
Muslims who can best talk about Islam. So what do Muslims
need to say?
The following are the facts based on the Quran that must be
expressed instead of the weak objections or suggestions made
without any solutions:
It is a grave sin in the eyes of Islam to kill an innocent person,
and someone who kills an innocent person will encounter a ter-
rible punishment in the Hereafter (Quran, 5:32);
Islamic moral values command Muslims to behave justly at all
times, when making decisions, when speaking or at work; in
brief at every moment of their lives (Quran, 10:47);
Muslims must summon people to the moral values of Islam, not
using force and pressure, but solely by speaking gently
(Quran, 3:104);
Islam commands solidarity and mutual aid among people
(Quran, 5:2);
Islam commands goodness and forbids evil (Quran, 3:104);
Islam commands people to respond to evil with good (Quran,
41:34);
Allah commands Muslims to always be forgiving (Quran,
7:199);
Islam commands people to be pleasant-natured (Quran,
7:159);
There is complete freedom of belief in Islam (Quran, 2:256);
Islam commands not to support wickedness (Quran, 10:26-
27).
T
errorist organizations are built on impotent foundations.
Whether they emerge using the name of Islam, whether they
are Marxist or ethnic nationalist, a mass education campaign
must be mobilized against the ideological foundation of them all.
The source of terror is ignorance and fanaticism, and the
solution is education. Circles sympathetic to terrorism need to be
told that this is completely incompatible with Islam and that, on
the contrary, it can only harm Muslims and Islam, and the sup-
porters of these organizations need to be educated so they can be
purged of this inhuman barbarism.
If the Nigerian government supports a policy of education
along these lines, it very would likely yield positive results.
Genuine believers in all corners of the world can support this
work toward a solution. They can prevent ignorance and stand up
against terrorism by writing books and articles, taking part in var-
ious educational activities and providing a pleasant and tolerant
cultural atmosphere.
When the compassion, peace and well-being commanded by
God reign across the world, terror will be consigned to the waste
bin of history, never to return.
All Nigerians and the entire world must know that Islam is not
the source of terror, but rather the only solution to it.
Harun Yahya, famous Turkish, writer has written more than
300 books translated in 73 languages on politics, religion
and science. He may be followed at @Harun_Yahya
and www.harunyahya.com.
16 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Does Boko Haram advocate Islam?
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The source of terror is ignorance and fanaticism, and the solution is education.
Circles sympathetic to terrorism need to be told that this is completely incompatible
with Islam and that, on the contrary, it can only harm Muslims and Islam, and the sup-
porters of these organizations need to be educated so they can be purged of this inhu-
man barbarism.
Irans focus on defensive
weapons has paid off
Once again we see a
steady stream of evi-
dence coming out of
Iran as to how
Americas threaten-
ing foreign policy has
forced them into a
Manhattan Project
level commitment to
increase its domesti-
cally manufactured
defencive weapons
systems.
At the top of the
list has been missile
development follow-
ing the Russian
model to get the best
bang for their buck in
defeating air attacks
from planes and mis-
siles. I would suspect
that they are design-
ing modular
upgrades into all of
these so they are
upgradable wherever possible.
Irans deep scientific bench has been tasked with developing
not only state of the art defencive weapons, but even better. This
means they are working on the breakthrough fuels for speeds that
are needed to defeat standard missile defences.
With the best Russian missiles, by the time a pilot hears the
first beep that he is being tracked, he only has two to three sec-
onds to live, not even enough time to get out of the plane.
Defences against these will certainly be developed...for get-
ting them one at a time. But especially for ships, having a blizzard
of these coming at you will overwhelm its defences. Mass pro-
duction of these reasonably priced weapons will once again cre-
ate demands for more expensive platforms for our defence con-
tractors to make. But they will not really be for defence, as there
are no offensive threats out there.
US military has been morphed into an offensive one, but they
have not told that to the troops, and I doubt they will. They have
been reduced to being the muscle for the mega business
elites...mercenaries with very nice wrapping paper. They will
eventually figure this out, but many wont mind as long as the
checks dont bounce... Jim W. Dean ]
Highly mobile - easy to disperse. And with satellite targeting,
very effective
A high-ranking Iranian military commander says the Islamic
Republic is developing a new version of the powerful and high-
precision Sayyad (Hunter) missile to be mounted on indigenous
S-200 missile defence systems.
Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defence Base Brigadier
General Farzad Esmaili said on 18 April that Iranian defence
experts are working on the development of Sayyad-3 missile. He
added that the mid-range, high altitude and solid-fuel Sayyad-2
missile has proven successful in locating and hitting even small
aerial targets.
Sayyad-2 surface-to-air missile is said to have a maximum
range of between 200 and 350 kilometers. It has been designed
based on state-of-the-art technology which can destroy different
types of helicopters, drones and targets with small radar cross-
section, high speed and maneuverability within its operational
range. It was first tested in April 2011, and is currently in the
Iranian Armed Forces inventory.
In November 2010, Iran successfully test-fired its domesti-
cally designed and manufactured S-200 missile defence system.
It is a very long-range, medium-to-high altitude surface-to-air
missile (SAM) system designed to defend large areas from
bomber attacks or
other strategic air-
craft. Each battalion
has six single-rail
missile launchers
and fire control
radars. It can be
linked to other,
longer-range radar
systems.
Each missile is
launched by four
solid-fueled strap-
on rocket boosters.
Maximum ranges
are between 200
and 350 kilometers
depending on the
model.
Esmaili fur ther
noted that a new
missile has been
mounted on
Mersaad (Ambush)
missile system,
which is being used
at Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defence Base. He said the missile will
surprise the enemy on the battlefield.
The state-of-the-art technology used in Mersaad links it to
other anti-aircraft batteries and provides it with the unique ability
to combat electronic warfare.
In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its
defence sector and has attained self-sufficiency in producing
essential military equipment and systems.
Tehran has repeatedly assured other nations that its military
might poses no threat to other countries since the Islamic
Republics defence doctrine is based entirely on deterrence.
Mushawarat condemns whole-sale
death sentences in Egypt
New Delhi: All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella
body of Indian Muslim organizations, on 28 April condemned the
reckless and wholesale death sentences issued yesterday in
Egypt against another set of 683 political opponents of the
putschist regime which toppled the democratically elected
President of Egypt last July and has since continued to break one
world record after another in persecution of its political oppo-
nents. Persons sentenced to death yesterday include Dr
Muhammad Badie, head of the Egyptian mass organization,
Muslim Brotherhood. The same Egyptian judge, after a summary
trial, had earlier sent 528 political detainees to the gallows only a
month ago in a case of political protest and attack on a police sta-
tion in which one police officer was reportedly killed.
Mushawarat forcefully condemned this judicial murder in
Egypt under an illegitimate government. Mushawarat President Dr
Zafarul-Islam Khan requested human rights organisations all over
the world, especially the UN and EU human rights commissions,
to take note of the blatant violations of human rights being com-
mitted by the Egyptian putschist government and to take it to the
World Court of Justice and to boycott it internationally. The
Mushawarat head has written via email to 330 national and inter-
national human rights organizations asking them to take note of
this serious development and to pressurize the military regime in
Egypt and force it to mend its ways.
An Iranian interceptor missile fired from a mobile platform
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INTERNATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 17 www.milligazette.com
DAVID DALEY, SALON
Jimmy Carters new book, A Call to
Action, is an urgent and bold addition to
a library of some two dozen books hes
written in his post-presidency. Its subti-
tled Women, Religion, Violence and
Power, and Carter is unafraid to tackle
controversial topics: sexual assault on
campus and the military; religious lead-
ers of all faiths who use sacred texts to
justify oppression; punitive prison sen-
tences weighted against the poor and against racial minorities;
American drone wars and endless military operations. Here are
excerpts from an interview with him:
You very clearly call out the speed with which the United States
jumps into military action. You write that, more than any nation
in the world, the U.S. has been involved in armed conflict and has
used war as means of resolving disputes
Thats correct, and I list some of the wars. I listed 10 or 15 and I
could have listed about 10 or 15 more.
...At home, we talk of American exceptionalism, of this duty to
bring our great democracy to the rest of the world. Do we see
ourselves accurately and understand our own history? And how
does that square with how the rest of the world perceives us?
No. The rest of the world, almost unanimously, looks at America
as the No. 1 warmonger. That we revert to armed conflict almost
at the drop of a hat - and quite often its not only desired by the
leaders of our country, but its also supported by the people of
America. Weve also reverted back to a terrible degree of punish-
ment of our people rather than the reinstitution of them back into
life. And this means that we have 7.5 times as many people now
in prison as when I left the governors mansion. Were the only
country that has the death penalty in NATO; were the only coun-
try in this hemisphere that has the death penalty, and this is
another blight on our country as far as unwarranted, unnecessary
and counterproductive violence are concerned.
John Kerry goes on Meet the Press after the Russian
actions in Crimea and says, with a straight face, that its the 21st
century, you cant just invade another country anymore. And I
think a lot of us said, Well, wait a second. That sounds a lot like
something we did in Iraq, you know, during the 21st century. ...
What role do you think Fox News has played in exacerbating
divides across the political culture and in harming our ability to
come to consensus on these complicated issues that youve
talked about, by stoking fear or racial animosity.
Well, CNN was founded when I was president and I thought it was
the most fulfilling offering to the whole world. But I think now that
the news media are fragmented. I think Fox News goes very heav-
ily toward the Republican and conservative side, and I think
MSNBC goes very heavily to the other side - which is perfectly all
right with me. Well, now anybody can choose what they want to
watch...
The religious leaders you discuss, across all faiths, who interpret
religious texts in ways that encourage the subjugation and
oppression of women: Do you think this is a deliberate misread-
ing of the texts on their part, or that they come to these interpre-
tations honestly?
Well, they actually find these verses in the Bible. You know, I can
look through the New Testament, which I teach every Sunday, and
I can find verses that are written by Paul that tell women that they
shouldnt speak in church, they shouldnt adorn themselves and
so forth. But I also find verses from the same author, Paul, that
say all people are created equal in the eyes of God. That men and
women are the same before God; that masters and slaves are the
same and that Jews and Gentiles are the same. Theres no differ-
ence between people in the eyes of God. And I also know that
Paul wrote the 16th chapter of Romans to that church and he
pointed out about 25 people who had been heroes in the very
early church - and about half of them are women. So, you know,
you could find verses, but as far as Jesus Christ is concerned, he
was unanimously and always the champion of womens rights.
He never deviated from that standard. And in fact he was the most
prominent champion of human rights that lived in his time and I
think theres been no one more committed to that ideal than he is.
When you look across the globe and across history, at the wars
that have been fought in the name of religion, and the subjugation
and violence that continues today, but also weighing that against
the heroic human rights leaders you discuss, many of them who
were transformative religious figures - has religion been a net-
plus or a net-minus for the world? I think its been a net-plus,
because the basic religions we just mentioned, like Islam,
Christianity, Judaism and also Buddhism and Hinduism, they all
have a basic premise of peace, justice, compassion, love and so
forth. So if we stick to those basic principles, then I think religion
is going to benefit. I think its been a net-plus, because the basic
religions we just mentioned, like Islam, Christianity, Judaism and
also Buddhism and Hinduism, they all have a basic premise of
peace, justice, compassion, love and so forth. So if we stick to
those basic principles, then I think religion is going to benefit.
(readersupportednews.org)
Carter: America As the No. 1 Warmonger
The rest of the world, almost unanimously,
looks at America as the No. 1 warmonger. That
we revert to armed conflict almost at the drop
of a hat - and quite often its not only desired
by the leaders of our country, but its also sup-
ported by the people of America.
A reminder of
Palestine in Turkey
FAHMI HUWAIDI
A gathering in Turkey last week was one of the rare occasions
that Palestine was the topic of a conference rather than a margin-
al or traditional issue added to a broader conference agenda. The
organisers clearly did not intend simply to tick a box, get peace
of mind or seek political relevance. Believe it or not, participants
spent two entire days talking about the Palestinian cause. I am
referring to the International Palestinian Conference on Media and
Communication held in Istanbul on 23-24 April, which was
attended by about 300 people from across the Arab world (with
the exception of Saudi Arabia and the UAE), Europe, the United
States and Russia
I understand that there were five main factors for the confer-
ence to be organised. The first was the worlds preoccupation
with the Arab Spring, the atmosphere it has brought about and its
implications, which have distracted everyone with the internal
affairs of individual countries, causing the Palestinian issue to be
sidelined. Second is the distortion that the issue has been sub-
jected to, and which has dealt a serious blow to the Palestinian
people, from the normalisation camp, the remnants of the for-
mer Mubarak regime in Egypt, or the voices and platforms that
implicated Hamas in the hate campaign against the Muslim
Brotherhood, thus letting down the Palestinian cause and people.
The third factor is the finger pointing at the Palestinians with
accusations that they were responsible for the violence and
killings that took place during and after the Egyptian revolution in
order to clear the police and members of the security establish-
ment after the fact-finding committee proved that they fired live
ammunition at demonstrators. The media has tried to suppress
the committees report and conclusions. Number four was the
incitement campaign against the Palestinians, accusing them of
setting their sights on Sinai, an idea rejected and fought by the
Palestinians in the 1950s when it was proposed during President
Gamal Abdel Nassers rule and known as Project Sinai. The
fifth factor is that Palestinian activists have realised that the bat-
tle in the media is no less fierce than the battle on the ground and,
therefore, it is important to establish a platform for the efforts in
the media which address the falsification and distortion cam-
paigns directed against the Palestinian cause and people.
Discussions addressed a number of key areas: Palestine in
the Arab media; the impact of regional changes; the Palestinian
cause in the Western media; Palestinian creativity and media;
facing the Israeli lobby in the media; and working towards a new
Palestinian media strategy.
In addition to the main sessions with Arab and foreign
experts and specialists, there were workshops focusing on the
restoration of the centrality of the Palestinian cause in agendas
around the Arab world, not only to restore the lost rights in
Palestine but also to protect Arab national security which Israel
continues to threaten, despite the fact that it has been preoccu-
pied with other issues, such as Iran, sectarian strife and the
threat of terrorism.
I spoke in the first session, which discussed Palestines
position in the Arab world after the Arab Spring started and
grabbed most of the worlds attention over the past three years.
I warned against simplifying and reducing the understanding of
the Arab Spring; that is, defining the Arab Spring in a manner that
limits it to the scope of changes that have taken place in some
Arab regimes, when, in fact, it is much larger and greater than
that. The most important thing about the Arab Spring is the shift
that occurred within the Arab people themselves, who broke
through the fear barrier expressing a desire for change in a revolt
against political and social oppression. It is in this sense that we
should note the echoes of revolutions, not only in the four or five
countries that experienced a change or attempts at change, but
also in the voices of the masses who are still heard loud and
courageously clear on social networking sites in all Arab coun-
tries without exception, including the countries that resisted the
desire for change and suppress dissent by various means.
I also supported the view that argued that the Palestinian
cause has lost its priority due to understandable and legitimate
reasons, but I argued that this shift is only a phase and has lim-
ited impact, and that the people who have surrendered to it were
mostly from circles that are new to politics and have no back-
ground, knowledge or awareness of the realities of the conflict in
the region. However, I considered it a fleeting shift because the
Palestinian cause is deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of the
Arabs, at least in the Egyptian experience, as every Egyptian fam-
ily had a soldier or officer who fought the Israelis, or was injured
or captured by them. The media was successful in distorting
some perceptions but we cannot pretend that it sabotaged their
consciences.
It was clear from the discussions that the media in the Arab
world is tied closely to politics. In all fairness, therefore, we are
required to judge and condemn politics and politicians alongside
the media and journalists and to disapprove of most of their posi-
tions. Finally, the conference was held in Istanbul as Arab capi-
tals would not host it, which highlights the decline in terms of the
Arab worlds priorities. Which is what, appropriately, the confer-
ence set out to address and remedy. (Translated from Shorouq
newspaper, 27 April -- middleeastmonitor. com)
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
k_k_ghori@yahoo.com
Happenings and developments in India
have traditionally been a source of sen-
sitivity to the people of Pakistan. It could
be explained by sibling rivalry between
the two; its cynical explanation may
attribute it to the twain never destined to
understand each other.
Elections in India figure very high on
the list of Pakistani sensitivities; envy
could well be the epicentre of it. India
has had such a smooth ride on the road to democratic maturi-
ty, except for that little bump in the mid-70s when Indira Gandhi
tried in vain to become a dictator.
Pakistan, in contrast, has had such a bumpy and uneven
ride in its own flirtations with democracy. Its army kept throw-
ing spanners in the works at regular intervals. As a blow-back
of it Pakistani democracy looks more like a roller-coaster ride
than motoring on a highway thats Indias fortune.
However, the current general election in India-already in its
fourth or fifth stage as these lines are being written-has gar-
nered for itself a special source of interest to Pakistan and its
people. One reason for this extraordinary interest could well be
Pakistans own unhindered progress on the path of parliamen-
tary democracy in recent years. It has successfully held two
general elections in the past 6 years without any major incident,
disruption or blood-letting.
Another milestone passed in the process of reinventing its
democratic culture in Pakistan is the transfer of power, last May,
from one democratic government to its successor. Pakistans
traditional spoiler of democratic progress-its power-drunk
army-has judiciously kept a healthy distance from any interfer-
ence in this process.
Pakistan, feeling reasonably confident of striking roots in its
new-fangled democratic culture, is thus looking at the current
Indian elections from a base of self-confidence that it had
lacked before. This new democratic focus makes it all the more
exciting, if not challenging, the process of watching whats cur-
rently going on the election front in its next door bigger neigh-
bour.
The sheer scales of the ongoing electoral exercise in India
make it a daunting undertaking to keep tabs on the develop-
ments. A staggering number of 810 million eligible voters in 32
states of the Indian Union, spread over vast distances of sub-
continental India defies imagination, besides making it a mam-
moth exercise to stay in sync with its progress.
However, while the scales may be impressive and awe-
inspiring in their own right the vibes emanating from some of
the principal participants in the electoral heats arent inspiring,
at all. In fact, when evaluated on their merit, some of the pos-
tures and pronouncements from some key players of BJP and
VHP are scary and hold no reason for the Pakistanis to be
cheerful about them.
Its ironical for the Pakistanis that at this stage in their rela-
tions with India when their own incumbent government, led by
Nawaz Sharif, is so keen for a healthy new relationship the man
most expected to become Indias next PM is an arch sectarian
like Narendra Modi.
Pakistanis have very little to be optimistic or rosy about rela-
tions with India on the watch of a rabid sectarian like Modi.
Pakistanis will have to suffer from a huge bout of amnesia to be
cheerful or sanguine about Modi with his reputation of a
Muslim-basher and baiter. How could they put Modis sordid
past behind them and not be hounded by his pivotal role in the
2002 pogrom of Muslims in Modis native Gujarat. To a layman
Pakistani-leave aside political pundits troubled by their bank of
knowledge about what terrible things Modi did to his Muslim
wards in Ahmedabad and other places of Gujarat in 2002-Modi
will have a hard time to cast aside his role of a butcher who
indulged with impunity in the spree of murdering Muslims of
Gujarat wholesale.
Modis garrulous electoral rhetoric in the campaign to foist
him to the pinnacle of power in India hasnt, either, helped the
Pakistanis to make any amends in their perception of him.
Modis partisans may explain , in vain, that his rhetoric was
election posturing and should only be evaluated in that context.
But contentious posturing of a controversial man always carries
the risk of becoming his persona, and Modi is no exception to
the rule.
Even if Modi could be given the benefit of the doubt and
excused as a man fighting for the toughest challenge of his
political career, the men around him-his closest aides and con-
fidants-havent helped the cause of reinventing Modi as a man
of peace and harmony. Their campaign speeches have been
anything but conciliatory towards the Muslims of India. And
Pakistanis cant simply help being addicted to seeing Indian pol-
itics through the prism of their Indian brethren-in-faith.
Karachis DAWN, Pakistans leading newspaper, of April 22,
reported on its front page two reports that made headline news
on NDTV at the peak of the electoral campaign. One of these
reports, datelined Bhavnagar, in Modis native Gujarat, quoted
the VHP leader-hands-in-glove with Modi and a fellow-traveller
in Muslim-bashing-hectoring his Hindu aficionados to keep
Muslims away from their residential developments. Mr.
PravinTogadia, known for his fire-belching, hateful, rhetoric
against Muslims advised his Hindu audience in these words:
We should have it in us to take the law in our own hands in an
area where we are in a majority and scare them. Them in
Togadias lexicon is none other than the Muslims of India, who
remain pariahs to the likes of Togadia despite their being a
minority of more than 160 million people.
The other NDTV report focused on BJP election campaign
pamphlets freely distributed in Bhopal-the capital city of Madhya
Pradesh-extolling its followers to Free India of three crore
Muslim infiltrators from Bangladesh and Free Kashmir of trai-
tors. The not too subtle Muslim-baiting implicit in such ven-
omous tools of campaigning cant be lost on the Pakistanis
already handicapped by memories of Gujarat a dozen years
ago. What makes their misery worse-compounded is the irony
that this venom is being spread around in Bhopal, a cradle of
Muslim culture in pre-partition India.
The latest news on the communications front from India is
that Pakistanis can no longer access the website of BJP from
Pakistan. Why they are being denied access to a political partys
source of basic information hasnt been explained.
Pakistanis have other powerful reasons, too, to be appre-
hensive of their relations with an India led by Modi, with his
advisory echelons replete with hate-mongers like Pravin
Togadia. Not too long ago he was reported to have threatened
those in the Muslim community of India not voting for Modi with
forced expulsion from India into Pakistan.
But Pakistans experience with India under Manmohan
Singh hasnt exactly been edifying.
Since the return of democratic dispensation to governance
in Pakistan, in 2008, Pakistan has consistently pursued a path
of reconciliation and peace with India. The Zardari government-
which served a full five-year term in office until a year ago-
embarked on a peace offensive, which its detractors dubbed as
a charm offensive because it was led by his charming FM Hina
Rabbani Khar. Nawaz Sharif, who came to office in May last
year had made good relations with India a leading card in its
election campaign. Nawaz hasnt deviated from that charted
course in power.
The Pakistani focus in a deliberated policy of comprehen-
sive peace with India is on all-round improvement, including
political relations, trade and culture. Pakistans ace newspaper,
JANG, launched a two-year long cultural campaign. Dubbed as
Amn ki Aasha. Pakistanis also ready to give India a big lever of
advantage in bilateral trade in the guise of Most Favoured Nation
(MFN) status.
But the Indian response to all this show of magnanimity, the
Pakistanis remonstrate, has, at best, been lukewarm. The
Pakistanis feel the Indians dont simply have their hearts in it
and are reluctant to meet Pakistan half-way.
This Indian stance is surprising in the extreme to those in
Pakistan who have long been advocating greater interaction on
the cultural front between the two countries. India was always
believed to be more confident of its cultural base, as compared
to Pakistan, in the perception of those espousing a more open
and congenial cultural ambience in the sub-continent of South
Asia. However, India, for years, has blocked access to Pakistani
TV channels by Indian viewers while theres no such restriction
in Pakistan.
A more confident and self-assured Pakistan has now even
lifted the decades-old restrictions on the import and public
showing of films from Bollywood in an unmistakable sign of
self-confidence. Gone are the days in Pakistan when some of its
intellectual gurus advocated erecting, on the cultural front, a
wall of fire between the two countries.
Theres consensus of opinion among Pakistani pundits that
Manmohan didnt have enough elbow room to reciprocate
Pakistans overtures in substance. He was handicapped by his
coalition and didnt have a free hand even within the cloistered
ranks of his own Congress party, where Sonia Gandhi was
widely perceived to have the last word on major policy deci-
sions.
Many a Pakistani pundits were prepared to go out on a limb
and reason that a more resolute and sure-footed Indian leader,
not burdened the way Manmohan was all the time, would be a
welcome change at the top of India for relations with Pakistan.
But there would hardly be a pundit ready to stick his neck out
and say Modi could be that man of hoped-for decisive change;
a leopard doesnt change its spots.
What pundits and tea-leaves readers fear is that a Modi-led
Indian government would be animated by its incontinent pan-
dering to an Indian chauvinism. It would be prone to making
mountains out of mole-hills and exacerbate tension unneces-
sarily, instead of seeking possible accommodation and narrow-
ing the space for discord to grow.
In short, a BJP agenda of governance just doesnt bode well
for Pakistan-India relations in the years ahead. And this certain-
ly carries a big headache with it, at the very least.
Pakistan has been beset by a heavily debilitating home-fos-
tered cycle of terrorism that has crippled its economy and frac-
tured its national cohesiveness. Added to it is uncertainty brew-
ing across the border in Afghanistan certain to explode as NATO
and American forces get ready to extricate themselves from that
perennially war-plagued country after a fruitless occupation of
13 years.
The best hope for Pakistan would be peace and normalcy
on its eastern border with India in order to face the brewing dan-
ger on its western front with Afghanistan. The Pakistani defence
agenda has traditionally been influenced by fear of a two-front
challenge to its security. A BJP-led India under Modi could only
add to Pakistans perennial two-front threat syndrome.
And what do the Pakistanis expect their Indian brethren-in-
faith to do in the face of the BJP and VHP onslaught challeng-
ing their allegiance to, and faith in, India? Could hopes be
pinned on a fusion of Muslim ranks in India in the face of an
unremitting backlash against them?
The answer to it is, frankly, disappointing and daunting; the
room for optimism is very slim, very little and highly con-
strained.
A united Muslim platform would ideally be most desirable to
resist, if not repulse, the attack on the Muslim rampart in India.
But that ideal is highly unlikely to be met. Not because Muslims
of India are not unconscious of the provocative challenge to
their place in the Indian Union but simply because the logistics
for such a united front or one-platform are defying. Muslims
arent concentrated in a pocket or two in India. They are widely
dispersed and have other forces-linguistic, cultural et al, pulling
them away from a unified front. Commitment to the pull of reli-
gious forces doesnt serve the call of unity or unification as
amply borne out in the example of Pakistans failed religion-
based ideology.
The bottom line is that Muslims of India have little, if any,
leverage to influence the outcome of the current elections in
their country. By the same token, Pakistan has little choice other
than keep its fingers crossed and hope, against hope, that elec-
tion results would not derail whatever process of reconciliation
and normalcy between the two countries had been underway
on Manmohan Singhs watch in India.
Election India Vibes Not Cheerful for Pakistan
18 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Even if Modi could be given the benefit of the doubt and excused as a man fighting for
the toughest challenge of his political career, the men around him-his closest aides and
confidants-havent helped the cause of reinventing Modi as a man of peace and
harmony. Their campaign speeches have been anything but conciliatory towards the
Muslims of India. And Pakistanis cant simply help being addicted to seeing Indian
politics through the prism of their Indian brethren-in-faith
Europes largest
teachers union endorses
Israel boycott call
The largest teachers union in Europe has passed a resolution
backing a boycott of companies profiting from Israels illegal
settlements and occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT), which has more than
300,000 members in England and Wales, adopted the motion
on Palestine at its recent annual conference. The vote was con-
ducted by a show of hands, and passed by a clear majority.
Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT, comment-
ing on the motion, said the union call[s] on the British
Government to pursue vigorously the dismantling of the
700km-long wall which separates many Palestinians from their
schools and their land, and to suppor t the UNs call for the lift-
ing of the blockade of Gaza.
The NUT also continues to call upon the UK Government
to fulfil international obligations in relation to the treatment of
Palestinian child prisoners, said Blower.
NUT delegates head a repor t from the delegation of
Executive and non-Executive members who visited Palestine in
October of last year, and the strengthening of links between
the National Union of Teachers and the General Union of
Palestinian Teachers. Conference delegates all received a
post-trip repor t.
As well as a call for boycott, the motion singled out for crit-
icism the Israeli governments plan for the destruction of
Bedouin villages in the Negev, and called for an end to dis-
crimination in education faced by Palestinian citizens.
The motion also includes a call for the NUT to publicise the
delegation repor t, invite speakers to meetings, and in addition,
as per an adopted amendment, educate the membership
through publications, divisions and international solidarity offi-
cers of the Pinkwashing propaganda used by Israel to make
their citizens and the wider world believe that they are progres-
sive in respect of LGBT rights, while distracting attention away
from the human rights abuses they have instigated by their
occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. (Ben White - mid-
dleeastmonitor.com)
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20 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES www.milligazette.com
FIRAS AL-KHATEEB
Five Muslim Inventions that Changed the World
About 1,600,000,000 cups of coffee are consumed every day around
the world. Billions of people rely on it as part of their daily routines.
And yet, very few people are aware of the Muslim origins of this ubiq-
uitous drink.
According to the historical record, in the 1400s coffee became a
very popular drink among Muslims in Yemen, in the southern Arabian
Peninsula. Legend goes that a shepherd (some say in Yemen, some
say in Ethiopia) noticed that his goats became very energetic and
jumpy when they ate beans from a particular tree. He had the
courage to try them himself, noticing they gave him an energy boost.
Over time, the tradition of roasting the beans and immersing them in
water to create a sour yet powerful drink developed, and thus, coffee
was born.
Roasted coffee beans
Regardless of whether or not the story of the shepherd ever really
happened, coffee found its way from the highlands of Yemen to the
rest of the Ottoman Empire, the premier Muslim empire of the 15th
century. Coffee-houses specializing in the new drink began to spring
up in all the major cities of the Muslim world: Cairo, Istanbul,
Damascus, Baghdad. From the Muslim world, the drink found its way
into Europe through the great merchant city of Venice. Although it
was at first denounced as the Muslim drink by Catholic authorities,
coffee became a part of European culture. The coffee-houses of the
1600s were where philosophers met and discussed issues such as
the rights of man, the role of government, and democracy. These dis-
cussions over coffee spawned what became the Enlightenment, one
of the most powerful intellectual movements of the modern world.
From a Yemeni/Ethiopian shepherd to shaping European politi-
cal thought to over one billion cups per day, this Muslim innovation is
one of the most important inventions of human history.
The University of Qaraouine in Fes
The first formal madrasa was Al-Qaraouine, founded in 859 AD by
Fatima al-Fihri in Fes, Morocco. Her school attracted some of the
leading scholars of North Africa, as well as the lands brightest stu-
dents. At al-Qaraouine, students were taught by teachers for a num-
ber of years in a variety of subjects ranging from secular to religious
sciences. At the end of the programme, if the teachers deemed their
students qualified, they would grant them a certificate known as an
ijaza, which recognized that the student understood the material
and is now qualified to teach it.
These first degree-granting educational institutes quickly spread
throughout the Muslim world. Al-Azhar University was founded in
Cairo in 970 AD, and in the 1000s, the Seljuks established dozens of
madrasas throughout the Middle East.
The concept of institutes that grant certificates of completion
(degrees) spread into Europe through Muslim Spain, where
European students would travel to study. The Universities of Bologna
in Italy and Oxford in England were founded in the 11th and 12th cen-
turies and continued the Muslim tradition of granting degrees to stu-
dents who deserved them, and using it as a judge of a persons qual-
ifications in a particular subject.
Algebra
While many secondary school students struggling through math
classes may not particularly appreciate the importance of algebra, it
is one of the most important contributions of the Muslim Golden Age
to the modern world. It was developed by the great scientist and
mathematician, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khawarizmi, who lived from
780 to 850 in Persia and Iraq.
In his monumental book, Al-Kitab al-mukhtaar fi hisab al-jabr wa-
l-muqabala (English: The Compendious Book on Calculation by
Completion and Balancing), he set forth the basic principles of alge-
braic equations. The name of the book itself contains the word al-
jabr, meaning completion, from which the Latin word algebra is
derived. In the book, al-Khawarizmi explains how to use algebraic
equations with unknown variables to solve real-world problems such
as zakat calculation and inheritance division. A unique aspect of his
reasoning for developing algebra is the desire to make calculations
mandated by Islamic law easier to complete in a world without calcu-
lators and computers.
Al-Khawarizimis books were translated into Latin in Europe in
the 1000s and 1100s, where he was known as Algoritmi (the word
algorithm is based on his name and his mathematical works).
Without his work in developing algebra, modern practical applications
of math, such as engineering, would not be possible. His works were
used as math textbooks in European universities for hundreds of
years after his death.
Degree-Granting Universities
Speaking of universities, that is also an invention made possible by
the Muslim world. Early on in Islamic history, mosques doubled as
schools. The same people who led prayers would teach groups of
students about Islamic sciences such as Quran, fiqh (jurisprudence)
and hadith.
As the Muslim world grew, however, there needed to be formal
institutions, known as madrasas, dedicated to the education of stu-
dents.
Military Marching Bands
Many students who attended high schools and universities in the
Western world are familiar with the marching band. Made up of a
group of a few hundred musicians, a band marches onto a field dur-
ing an sporting event to entertain the audience and cheer on the play-
ers. These school marching bands developed from the use of march-
ing military bands during the Gunpowder Age in Europe that were
designed to encourage soldiers during battle. This tradition has its
origins in the Ottoman mehter bands of the 1300s that helped make
the Ottoman army one of the most powerful in the world.
As part of the elite Janissary corps of the Ottoman Empire, the
mehter bands purpose was to play loud music that would frighten
enemies and encourage allies. Using enormous drums and clashing
cymbals, the sounds created by a mehter band could stretch for
miles. During the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans throughout the
14th-16th centuries, mehter bands accompanied the fearsome
Ottoman armies, who seemed almost invincible even in the face of
huge European alliances.
Eventually, Christian Europe also caught on to the use of military
bands to frighten enemies. Legend has it that after the Ottoman siege
of Vienna in 1683, the retreating Ottoman army left behind dozens of
musical instruments, which the Austrians collected, studied, and put
to their own use. Armies all over Europe soon began implementing
marching military bands, revolutionizing the way war was fought in
Europe for centuries.
Cameras
Its hard to imagine a world without photography. Billion dollar com-
panies like Instagram and Canon are based on the idea of capturing
light from a scene, creating an image from it, and reproducing that
image. But doing so is impossible without the trailblazing work of the
11th century Muslim scientist, Ibn al-Haytham, who developed the
field of optics and described how the first cameras work.
The basic principle of a pinhole camera
Working in the imperial city of Cairo in the early 1000s, Ibn al-
Haytham was one of the greatest scientists of all time. To regulate
scientific advancements, he developed the scientific method, the
basic process by which all scientific research is conducted. When he
was put under house arrest by the Fatimid ruler al-Hakim, he had the
time and ability to study how light works. His research partially
focused on how the pinhole camera worked. Ibn al-Haytham was the
first scientist to realize that when a tiny hole is put onto the side of a
lightproof box, rays of light from the outside are projected through
that pinhole into the box and onto the back wall of it. He realized that
the smaller the pinhole (aperture), the sharper the image quality, giv-
ing him the ability to build cameras that were incredibly accurate and
sharp when capturing an image.
Ibn al-Haythams discoveries regarding cameras and how to
project and capture images led to the modern development of cam-
eras around the same concepts. Without his research into how light
travels through apertures and is projected by them, the modern
mechanisms inside everyones cameras would not exist.
(from the writers book, Lost Islamic History)
Some Less Known Events in the Islamic History
Ibn al-Haythams discoveries regarding cameras
and how to project and capture images led to the
modern development of cameras around the same
concepts. Without his research into how light trav-
els through apertures and is projected by them, the
modern mechanisms inside everyones cameras
would not exist.
BOOKS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 21 www.milligazette.com
Book: Why Science Does Not Disprove God
Author: Amir D. Aczel
Publisher: Harpercollins
Pages: 294 pp. / Price: $27.99 / Year: 2014
ISBN-13: 9780062230591
ALAN LIGHTMAN
In Einstein, God, and the Big Bang, a colourful chapter of his
new book, Amir D. Aczel maintains that Albert Einstein truly
believed in God. He points out that Einstein attended synagogue
during his year in Prague (1913). He repeats several famous
Einstein utterances mentioning the Deity: Subtle is the Lord, but
malicious he is not and I want to know Gods thoughts - the rest
are details. And he quotes from a letter the great physicist wrote
to a little girl in January 1936: Everyone who is seriously inter-
ested in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that some
spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe, one that is vastly
superior to that of man.
Aczel goes on to express strong displeasure with such people
as physicist Lawrence Krauss and evolutionary biologist Richard
Dawkins (who, in his bestseller The God Delusion, says that
Einstein didnt really mean it) when they cast Einstein as an
atheist in support of their diatribes against religious belief.
Dawkins, Krauss, with his bestseller A Universe From
Nothing; and Sam Harris, with his bestseller The End of Faith,
are prominent New Atheists, who use modern science to argue
that God is not only unnecessary but unlikely to exist at all, even
behind the curtains. Theres a certain religious fervour in all these
books. Atheists, unite.
Aczel, trained as a mathematician, currently a research fellow
in the history of science at Boston University and the author of
Fermats Last Theorem, takes aim at the New Atheists in his
intelligent and stimulating book Why Science Does Not Disprove
God. He attempts to show that the New Atheists analyses fall far
short of disproving the existence of God. In fact, he accuses these
folks of staining the scientific enterprise by bending it to their dark
mission. (The purpose of this book is to defend the integrity of
science, he writes in his introduction.) Yet Aczel has a sly mis-
sion of his own. Invoking various physical phenomena that do not
(yet) have convincing scientific explanations, he sets out not only
to debunk the arguments of the New Atheists but also to gently
suggest that the findings of science actually point to the existence
of God.
In stockpiling his arguments, Aczel quotes from his interviews
with dozens of leading scientists and theologians, and interprets
statements in a range of popular writings. The resulting book is
part science (interesting but superficial summaries of cosmology,
quantum mechanics, evolutionary biology, chaos theory), part
history of religion, part philosophy, part spirituality, and a mod-
icum of backbiting and invective. The latter applies to the writings
of the New Atheists as well.
Lets start with the origin of the universe. There is plenty of
good scientific evidence that our universe began about 14 billion
years ago, in a Big Bang of enormously high density and temper-
ature, long before planets, stars and even atoms existed. But what
came before? Krauss in his book discusses the current thinking of
physicists that our entire universe could have emerged from a jit-
ter in the amorphous haze of the subatomic world called the quan-
tum foam, in which energy and matter can materialize out of noth-
ing. (On the level of single subatomic particles, physicists have
verified in the lab that such creation from nothing can occur.)
Krausss punch line is that we do not need God to create the uni-
verse. The quantum foam can do it quite nicely all on its own.
Aczel asks the obvious question: But where did the quantum foam
come from? Where did the quantum laws come from? Hasnt
Krauss simply passed the buck? Legitimate questions. But ones
we will probably never be able to answer.
In his foray into biology, Aczel says the theory of evolution is
flawed. In particular, he points out that it does not explain altruis-
tic behaviour with no apparent survival benefit to the genes of the
do-gooder. He cites a recent example of a Mount Everest climbing
expedition in which an Israeli climber was well on his way to the
top when he discovered a fallen Turkish climber who had lost his
face mask and oxygen supply. At the cost of his own fingers and
toes to frostbite, and sacrificing the glory of reaching the summit,
the Israeli stopped and saved the life of the Turkish fellow. Why did
he do it? Human decency and goodness, Aczel writes, with the
implication that such qualities come from religion and spirituality.
(In another chapter, he explains how a code of morality devel-
oped in early religions.)
Aczel discusses the mysteries of emergent phenomena -
when a complex system exhibits a qualitative behaviour that can-
not be explained in terms of the workings of its individual parts:
for example, the emergence of self-replicating life from inanimate
molecules or the emergence of consciousness from a collection
of connected neurons. He writes, The inexplicability of such
emergent phenomena is the reason why we cannot disprove the
idea of some creative power behind everything.
The reason that science cannot disprove the existence of God,
in my opinion, is that God, as understood by all human religions,
exists outside time and space. God is not part of our physical uni-
verse (although God may choose to enter the physical universe at
times). God is not subject to experimental tests. Either you believe
or you dont believe.
Thus, no matter what scientific evidence is amassed to
explain the architecture of atoms, or the ways that neurons
exchange chemical and electrical signals to create the sensations
in our minds, or the manner in which the universe may have been
born out of the quantum foam, science cannot disprove the exis-
tence of God - any more than a fish can disprove the existence of
trees. Likewise, no matter what gaps exist in current scientific
knowledge, no matter what baffling good deeds people do, no
matter what divine and spiritual feelings people have, theology
cannot prove the existence of God. The most persuasive evidence
of God, according to the great philosopher and psychologist
William James in his landmark book The Varieties of Religious
Experience (1902), is not physical or objective or provable. It is
the highly personal transcendent experience.
There is one scientific conundrum that practically screams
out the limitations of both science and religion. And that is the
fine tuning problem. For the past 50 years or so, physicists have
become more and more aware that various fundamental parame-
ters of our universe appear to be fine-tuned to allow the emer-
gence of life - not only life as we know it but life of any kind. For
example, if the nuclear force were slightly stronger than it is, then
all of the hydrogen atoms in the infant universe would have fused
with other hydrogen atoms to make helium, and there would be no
hydrogen left. No hydrogen means no water. On the other hand, if
the nuclear force were substantially weaker than it is, then the
complex atoms needed for biology could not hold together.
In another, even more striking example, if the cosmic dark
energy discovered 15 years ago were a little denser than it actu-
ally is, our universe would have expanded so rapidly that matter
could never have pulled itself together to form stars. And if the
dark energy were a little smaller, the universe would have col-
lapsed long before stars had time to form. Atoms are made in
stars. Without stars there would be no atoms and no life.
So, the question is: Why? Why do these parameters lie in the
narrow range that allows life? There are three possibilities: First,
there might be some as-yet-unknown physics that requires these
parameters to be what they are. But this explanation is highly
questionable - why should the laws of physics care about the
emergence of life? Second possibility: God created the universe,
God wanted life (for whatever reasons), so God designed the uni-
verse so that it would allow life. Third possibility, and the one
favoured by many physicists today: Our universe is one of zillions
of different universes with a huge range of parameters, including
many different values for the strength of the nuclear force and the
density of dark energy.
Some universes have stars and planets, some do not. Some
harbour life, some do not. In this scenario, our universe is simply
an accident. If our particular universe did not have the right
parameters to allow the emergence of life, we wouldnt be here to
talk about it. In a similar way, Earth happens to be at the right dis-
tance from the sun to have liquid water, a nice oxygen atmosphere
and so on. We can ask why our planet has all these lovely prop-
erties, amenable to life. And the explanation is that there is noth-
ing special or designed about Earth. Other planets exist. But if we
lived on Mercury, where the temperature is 800 degrees, or on
Neptune, where it is 328 degrees below zero, we could not exist.
Unfortunately, it is almost certain that we cannot prove the
existence of these other universes. We must accept their existence
as a matter of faith.
And here we come to the fascinating irony of the fine-tuning
problem. Both the theological explanation and the scientific expla-
nation require faith. To be sure, there are huge differences
between science and religion. Religion knows about the transcen-
dent experience. Science knows about the structure of DNA and
the orbits of planets. Religion gathers its knowledge largely by
personal testament. Science gathers its knowledge by repeated
experiments and mathematical calculations, and has been enor-
mously successful in explaining much of the physical universe.
But, in the manner I have described, faith enters into both enter-
prises.
Several years ago, I thought that the writings and arguments
Why Science Does Not Disprove God
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...no matter what scientific
evidence is amassed to explain
the architecture of atoms, or
the ways that neurons
exchange chemical and
electrical signals to create the
sensations in our minds, or the
manner in which the universe
may have been born out of the
quantum foam, science cannot
disprove the existence of God - any more than a fish
can disprove the existence of trees.
Inequality, Poverty and Employment
In 1993-94, the proportion of people who were poor in rural Gujarat
was 43.3 per cent. This percentage came down to 21.5 per cent in
2011-12.
* Gujarat has gained 22 percentage points in poverty reduction
in the rural areas during the last two decades, while nationally the
gain is around 25 percentage points.
If we compare Gujarat with other developed states, such as Tamil
Nadu, its performance is dismal. The incidence of poverty in Tamil
Nadu was 51.2 per cent in 1993-94; it drastically came down to 15.8
per cent in 2011-12, with a gain of 34 percentage points in poverty
reduction in the rural areas during the past two decades.
It is worth mentioning here that Gujarat was better placed in the
1990s than Tamil Nadu but ended up behind the latter in 2011-2012.
The gains to the marginalised and disadvantaged social groups
in poverty reduction were also lower in Gujarat compared with the
national average and with other comparable states. Between 1993-
94 and 2011-12, the gain to SCs/STs in poverty in rural Gujarat was
20.7 percent, while nationally, poverty reduced for the marginalised
by 27.6 percent.
Urban Gujarat did no better either. In the period between 1993-
94 and 2011-12, the incidence of urban poverty came down from
28.2 per cent to 10.2 per cent in Gujarat. The corresponding figures
nationally are 31.6 and 13.6 per cent respectively. During this period,
urban poverty reduced in Tamil Nadu, for instance, by 27 percent,
compared with 18 percent for Gujarat. Likewise, the gains to the mar-
ginalised and disadvantaged social groups in urban Gujarat are very
low in comparison with other states and also compared to all-India
figures.
Stagnant employment growth
The biggest casualty of the successful growth in Gujarat (and least
discussed) is employment. The aggregate employment in Gujarat
has remained stagnant.
The stagnant employment growth in the last five years in Gujarat
is better than the decline in employment experienced at the national
level but lags far behind that of Maharashtra, for instance.
During the 17 years from 1993 to 2010, growth rates of employ-
ment for rural Gujarat and rural India were on a par, while urban
Gujarat performed slightly better compared with the all-India figure.
In the last five years, employment in rural Gujarat declined in
spite of exceptionally high growth in this sector. The loss in rural
employment occurred along with reduced participation of small
farmers in the fast-growing, high-value crops and reduced access to
cultivated land because of changes in the norms for sale and pur-
chase of land.
Whatever marginal growth has happened in employment in
Gujarat in recent years has taken place mainly in the services sector,
especially in the urban areas, and mostly this job creation has been
casual in nature.
Gujarats contribution to Indias manufacturing employment has
also remained almost stagnant over three decades, in spite of dou-
bling its share in gross value added.
Conclusion
There are three clear messages.
* First, the silence of the two major political parties on bringing
core development concerns to the forefront of the election discussion
reflects the entrenchment of the big corporate agenda across the
political spectrum. The media chorus and euphoria on Gujarat have
facilitated this by letting only growth be the focus of the debate, with-
out looking at its impact and keeping the content of governance unex-
amined.
* Secondly, the muddled and selective presentation of facts in
the mainstream media on Gujarat, which does not highlight the fail-
ure of the Gujarat government to provide basic needs and the welfare
requirements of the poor, has helped to project the Gujarat model as
an alternative for India.
* And finally, the connect between the non-inclusive growth
model and divisive social perspective has been completely ignored
by the media and has facilitated the projection of authoritarian and
pro-business administration as universally good administration.
(Source: http://www.frontline.in/cover-story/fiction-and-facts/arti-
cle5795324.ece?ref=sliderNews)
Continued from page 11
of such people as Dawkins and Aczel, attempting to disprove or
prove the existence of God, were a terrible waste of calories. I
have changed my mind. I now believe that the discussions of sci-
ence and religion, even the attempts of one side to disprove the
other, are part of the continuing and restorative conversation of
humanity with itself. In the end, all of our art, our science and our
theological beliefs are an attempt to make sense of this fabulous
and fleeting existence we find ourselves in. (washingtonpost.com)
Alan Lightman is a physicist, novelist and professor of the practice of
the humanities at MIT. His latest book is The Accidental Universe.
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Milli Bedari?
After reading my MG copy, I send it known professors, doctor, writers,
Muslim organisations, etc. Never ever I have seen positive results. Do you
find any bedari among Ummah?
S. Haque, Patna
Terror cases in India
I wonder if you have been able to develop all the information that have
received a complete list of Muslims who have been arrested or detained
and prosecuted on charges of terrorism. A very small percentage of them
have been finally acquitted, perhaps 30% and, that too, after many years
of confinement and torture and received no compensation from the cen-
tral or the state government for the loss of time, education, income and the
tension caused to the affected families. In our writings we have used the
word hundreds or thousands of number but are have no breakup state-
wise of the Muslim suspects even for the last 10 years. There is no point
in Muslim spokesman claiming that all there under suspicion are innocent
only after trial. But the facts of their being lifted suddenly, kept in confine-
ment and tortured before they are prosecuted need to be focused on
according to government statements, they are still looking for Muslim sus-
pects who are absconding. We started work out a systematic list of those
who disappear or are apprehended by the intelligence.
Syed Shahabuddin, Ex-MP, New Delhi
syedshahabuddinexmp@gmail.com
MG: The work on White Paper on Terrorism has continued for the last
6 years at least and quite rigorously since mid-2012 and a lot of ground
has been covered but not exactly as I had in mind. This is basically for
two reasons: organisations that claim to have information are reluctant
to part with it and our own financial constraints, although, I think, we
have already spent over twenty lakh rupees on this project on salaries,
travels, remuneration to researchers, editors, etc. Financial constraints
prevent us from employing better workers and even to retain those who
work with us as, having little commitment to milli causes, they easily
migrate for greener pastures. In any case, we have a list of some 350
persons who have been acquitted in terror case over the years; we
have another smaller list of people who are still facing trial or are
incarcerated in jails on terror charges. There should be a similar num-
ber of persons who have been indicted in these cases, usually on the
basis of confessions obtained by third degree torture and doubtful
recoveries. Some, like Muzammil of Malegaon, are in jail for the last
ten years without being even chargesheeted which means that only
their dead bodies will come out of the prisons even if they are acquit-
ted as trials, once they start, take some ten years or more to complete
and these persons are usually implicated in a number of cases to make
it impossible for them to come out even if they are acquitted in one or
two cases. With the exception of the Makka Masjid accused, no one has
received compensation despite acquittal. Even the Makka Masjid
accused got only Rs 30,000 per person which has no meaning today. It
is not an exaggeration that thousands have been arrested on terror
charges since around 1993 and more so since 2002 after Advani
jumped the war on terror bandwagon of Bush. We have collected a lot
of material on this matter but the same has not been properly sorted
due to lack of staff. We shall release the White Paper within the next
few months Insha Allah. Although it has been endorsed by Mushawarat,
no financial help has been received from any organisation. Some Milli
Gazette readers, though, have sent advance purchase orders. (Zafarul-
Islam Khan)
We are in a wonderful journey in this country
If we go by the media reports, it seems that we the only people will go to
heaven after the polls. Lights have been off in the houses of some contest-
ing candidates and some houses are shining day and night like marriage
functions with twinkling sounds of glasses and liquor bottles. The candi-
dates and their supporters are not gathering in roads and buildings to sup-
port the notion or people but to build their future and plan for corruption.
It is reported that more than 35% of the contesting candidates are crimi-
nals facing trials, then how the election commission allowed the criminals
like Modi, Advani to contest elections? Will the elected saviours bring back
lakhs of cores looted in deals and by leaders and stashed in Swiss banks?
M. A. Khan, Trivandrum, Kerala
Why Muslim leaders are kicked out easily?
Sabir Ali, the JD MP was kicked out of BJP on 24 March. After being
expelled, he said I did not get ticket because I am Muslim. Muslim lead-
ers when get a chance they forget that they are Muslims and avoid Muslim
causes. That is why after using them, such Muslim leaders are kicked out
so easily. S. Haque, Patna
Muslims and AAP
Muslims should not compromise AAP/Kejriwal with emotional statements
Unfortunately some Muslim media and Muslim community leaders have
made excessively emotional statements saying that Kejriwal/AAP have
adopted many Muslim practices. BJP activists are posting those state-
ments on facebook pages claiming that AAP/Kejriwal are agents of
Muslims working against the best interests of Hindus. They are doing it to
sway secular Hindus into the BJP/Modi camp. The Muslim Mirror column
of about a month ago, Kejriwal - Hindu by birth, Muslim by practice is
one such column. It has been circulated on many facebook pages and
websites by BJP people. This is very very harmful to the secular society
of India and the Muslims of India. Shazia Ilmis wrong use of the word be
communal, not so secular in Bombay recently has been widely exploited
by BJP to sway secular Hindu votes in favour of Modi/BJP. Why do we
educated Muslims indulge in such foolish and emotional practices? Let us
not compete with Imam Bukhari or Togadia or Akbar Owaisi. That is very
harmful for Muslims of India. Kaleem Kawaja
kaleemkawaja@gmail.com
II
AAP, a minnow in a vast Indian political ocean, is surrounded by boa con-
strictors (Congress-BJP) ready to swallow any party without qualms of
conscience. The most important question is about the dignified survival of
the newly born AAP under the battle-line barricades erected by the two
political giants. Surely and certainly, the survival of AAP will be the burial
of both which they wont allow to take place at any cost. This should be
resisted by Muslims as true patriots for which we as true patriots through-
out the country should come forward by playing the role of king-makers
and builders of the Nation by associating unitedly while voting for AAP to
make the party a reality on one side and to teach a lesson to Congress-
BJP on the other. Faheemuddin, Nagpur - 13
Arab Spring
The big question is what lies next. People have experienced the taste of
freedom in Egypt though for a short period and with so much impediments
from old regime remnants. One way seems possible that through contin-
ued peaceful mass protest, the army will finally succumb to popular will.
Another way is armed uprising against the military rule which may go
Algeria way with the difference that this would bring the Egyptian military
directly into confrontation with Hamas. Israel would try its best to escalate
the internal conflicts in the whole Arab region to expand its territory. Now
the Arab world is facing sectarian strife of Sunni-Shia and within Sunnis,
people versus monarchs and military supporters. If the strife continues for
a longer period, the Arab world would be forced either to adopt democrat-
ic regimes or would be forced to invite US military for protection.
Salahuddin Khan - skm20154@gmail.com (comment on MG website)
II
The military aid for guns and machines would be of no help to common
man. The EATSCO enquiry launched by Sadat, that would have revealed
the role of Mossad, GAD and CIA is stated to have proved fatal for Sadat.
Any such attempt would naturally have such consequences. But, the obe-
dience of the team of victimising their own people has no semblance in
history. They should read a leaf of BJP manifesto which invites every per-
secuted Hindu into the country.
Khan - asattarkhan@gmail.com (comment on MG website)
III
Salam and thanks for your excellent analysis. We are circulating it.
Mohideen, Penang, Malaysia - makrawter@gmail.com
Those who hinder the saffron way are terrorists
The BJP PM candidate tried to prepare a base for terrorism when he visit-
ed Kerala. He announced that Kerala was famous for tourism but terrorist
were preparing their base there. BJP actually dont have base there and
cannot win even one seat. Bihar government was pious when JD (U) was
with BJP but after the break, Bihar government became a protector of ter-
rorists. BJP senior leader V. K. Malhotra called Jamia Nagar a den of ter-
rorists. Jamia Nagar area is a Muslim-dominated area which straightfor-
wardly opposes saffron politics. AMU, Madrasas, Muslim institutions etc
are all branded as terror dens by these people. S. Haque, Patna
Modis Hindutva face
The chief minister of Gujarat and now the prime ministerial candidate is
very much busy in campaigning for himself rather than his party. During
the campaign He cried sougandh muje is mitte ki, main desh nahi mitne
dunga, main desh nahi mitne dunga, main desh nahi jhukne dunga. May
be his supporter pleased and clapping for this but the question is does he
really have concern for the country in anyway? Is he really capable to
change the future of the country, the time will prove it. But one thing is very
clear that he has concern for the country for his dream where only Hindus
are living and no other religious group will be allowed to go free in his reli-
gious off airs. Our preamble says that we are proud to be Indians and one
nation despite having diversity in various ways including religions but the
fact is that persons like Modi are to rule the country in their own ways and
linking. All the stories coming out from the mouth of Modi are nothing but
a bunch of manipulation and falsehood for the purpose misguided lot.
Bushra Tarannum Khwaja, Nagpur
II
In the recent days Narendra Modi has tried to build his image as person
caring for every section of the society. He even tried to approach Muslim
community which was allegedly targeted by his state government during
the 2002 riots. However, it must be worrying for Modi that his associates
seem to be spoiling the game plan. If he himself is cautious against using
anti-minority tone the likes of Togadia, Giriraj and Kadam unhesitatingly
and fearlessly express the anti-minority stands; which is said to be the
core unofficial agenda of the BJP and its affiliate outfits. By showing
Kadam and Giriraj the way out of the BJP Modi can send a clear message
that he has the guts to cleanse the party he represents from criminal mind-
ed persons. Similarly if the likes of RSS, VHP or Bajrang Dal persist over
their anti-minority agendas, Modi must say frankly that the BJP no longer
needs their support. Abdul Hameed Yousuf, Siddarth Nagar, UP, 272189
writerahameed12@gmail.com
Togadia
According to news published in ToI, Ahmedabad edition (21 April 2014),
VHP international working president Dr. Togadia has asked members of
Hindu community to evict Muslims from Hindu areas of Rajkot. His state-
ment is unconstitutional and highly objectionable. According to the provi-
sions of Indian constitution any Indian citizen can purchase / sell property
anywhere in India barring few states e.g. J&K & others. Mr. Togadia has
made the provocative statement just before voting. This will polarise the
voters & benefit the BJP. Farooq Abdul Gaffar Bawani, Rajkot (Gujarat)
Convert Shibli Degree College into an University
ETV Urdu / khas baat / 20/03/14 organised a programme in Shibli Degree
College, Azamgarh. College professors, scholars and party representative
participated. The participants complained that the political partiess cal-
lous attitude is responsible for not developing the area. Many Muslim
speakers and professors said that Shibli degree college is the oldest col-
lege, established just after seven years of AMU, but has not been convert-
ed or made a university. Political parties deliberately kept the Muslim-dom-
inated commissonary of Azamgarh educationally backward.
Congratulation ETV / Urdu for organising constructive programme. Let
Ummah shun the habit of depending upon government. Muslims can
establish a university themselves - why not make Shibli degree college a
university? S. Haque, Patna
Obama and Rohingya Muslims
Obama must be congratulated for speaking for the rights of the oppressed
Rohingya Muslims in Burma. It reveals his compassion for the oppressed.
Very few world leaders have spoken on this subject. Strangely Ang Sang
Sue Kyi, the much honoured Nobel Peace prize winner from Burma , is
largely silent. A true sign of greatness is to stand against the hurricane,
and speak the truth. Hussain did it in Karbala , Lincoln in Gettysburg and
Gandhi in Noakali.
J.S.Bandukwala, Vadodara
drbandukwala@yahoo.co.in
Shariah
Shariah is the only law which a Muslim has to be follow if he or she desires
to remain within the domain of Islam. Muslims are, however, permitted to
obey mundane man-made laws only if and when they do not clash with
the Shariah The latest Supreme Court judgement pertaining to mainte-
nance after divorce is against the Shariah. The judgement has to be chal-
lenged before a Full Constitutional Bench of the Apex Court.
S. M. Pasha, Periamet, Chennai
valimuhammad777@gmail.com
MG: You are right that the SC judgment is wrong and an interference in
Sharia but are Muslims themselves following Sharia? Is triple talaq in
one sitting follows the Quran and Sharia? Is throwing wife out in a fit of
rage and vindictiveness after living together for decades also part of
the Sharia and according to the spirit of Islam? Was throwing Shah
Bano after a marriage of some sixty years also part of Sharia? Has
Quran not specified an exact way and procedure for talaq -- are even
one percent of Muslim husbands shooting talaq! talaq! talaq! at their
hapless wives, following this procedure? Governments and courts,
Muslim or non-Muslim, are duty-bound to intervene and give justice to
the wronged and weak party when injustice is practiced so flagrantly
and so openly. Sorry to say, we have invited the intervention of courts
by our unjust practices. We cannot shout Islam in danger when Islam
is so flagrantly flouted by us in the first place. (Zafarul-Islam Khan)
Using European numbering system
MG The Milli Gazette newspaper claims to be World Leading Muslim
English Newspaper but uses Indian numbering system like lakh and
crores. You can use them Indian regional newspaper but not in internation-
al arena. In English the numbering system is million, billions, etc.
Pakistans English newspapers have made the change but Indian English
newspaper are still stuck with this system. The Muslim people outside of
South Asia does not understand what is lakh. This fact must be clear to
you. Arsalan Khan - -- aak_786@post.com
MG: Our masthead says Indian Muslims Leading English newspaper
since 2002. I agree with you that since our audience is international,
we should use numbers understood by people outside the Subcontinent
and we do try this but sometimes the Indian numbers sneak in because
almost all our writers are used to them. In any case, we are not shy or
apologetic about the Indian numbers. This is part of our heritage and
distinct Indian or Subcontinental identity. Lakh (Lak) after all was
being used even in Arabic during the Muslim rule over India. (Zafarul-
Islam Khan)
BJP leaders diatribe
The Bihar BJP leader Giriraj Singhs blatant diatribe that those opposing
Modi as Indias Prime Minister should go to Pakistan is a reflection of the
Hindutva ideology. Though the taunt by Giriraj has caught the media atten-
tion as it has come from a senior politician, an average Muslim is faced
with this kind of loathing since the BJP flared up the Ram Mandir - Babri
Masjid issue in the early 1990s. Once I was travelling in a train with my
family from Hyderabad to Delhi when the TTE allowed some men and
women in their bikini dress into my reserved first class coupe at the Agra
station. When I tried to convince the TTE that the women members of my
family are feeling discomfort to sit with the strangers who are in an objec-
tionable dress - the official brashly replied that in that case I shall shift my
family to Pakistan.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin, KADAPA (Andhra Pradesh)
S.SultanMohiddin@licindia.com
Shazia Ilmi Is Not Wrong
The divisive speeches made by political leaders must be differentiated on
principle and motivation but the election commission very cleverly tried to
balance between Azam Khan and Amit Shah neglecting the motivations of
the two leaders. What Azam Khan said was in the interest of the Indian
nation and the Muslim community. From the beginning our Hindu rulers did
not appoint Muslim captains, colonels, majors etc. They did all favour to
caste Hindus and Sardarjis. This injustice to a faithful community made the
army weak. The Chinese forces intruded and capturing bit by bit our land,
entered more than 300 kms in Ladakh. If Muslim officers had been post-
ed, our borders would have been safe and protected. How funny it is that
the former Army Chief Deepak Kapoor had asserted that Indian Army is
unable to fight with Chinese forces. As a result Chinese army was embold-
ened and claimed Arunachal Pradesh and started constructing ROR proj-
ects on the river Brahmaputra. The undue favours to the Sikhs made them
insurgent demanding Khalistan. Amit Shah clearly instigates Jats to take
revenge from Muslims by voting for the BJP. The state government
favoured Jats while tens of thousands of Muslims were uprooted by the
very same Jats. Instead of favouring the victims, Amit Shah wants to pour
petrol over the burning situation. The Election Commission seems in the
clutches of fanatics. Shazia Ilmi, an active and brilliant young leader of
AAP, told something about Muslims in an internal discussion but she was
accused of committing a serious crime.
Dr AH Maqdoomi, Hyderabad
Dr. Lohia and Communalism
Communalism whether Hindu or Muslim is the greatest menace to Indian
secular democracy and to Indian composite national culture, but it is most
unfortunate that Dr. Ramnohar Lohia the renowned socialist leader and the
Godfather and mentor of Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav the Samajwadi
supreme never condemned Hindu communalism as is evident from the
fact that when murtis were placed in Babri Masjid in December 49, he did
not condemn it and also did not condemn the failure of Pt. Govind Valabh
Pant the Chief Minister of U. P. for not removing the murtis form the
mosque.
Dr. M. Hashim Kidwai, ex-MP New Delhi - 110091
The Agony Trail
Feza Aazmis English / Urdu loveful book The Agony Trail colourfully and
courageously published by Pharos reminds me of Kuldip Nayyars Distant
Neighbours which I had read 43 years ago in 1972. Long Live such writ-
ers and publishers who are selflessly serving humanity.
Sultan A. Patel, Khanpur Deh - 392150
Islamic Scholars meet Indresh
This is with reference to your report Islamic Scholars shares dais with
Indresh. We are distressed and agitated to have learnt that so-called
scholars like Hashim Miyan and others have become toys in hands of hyp-
ocrites like Indresh Kumar. Indresh Kumar and the likes pose themselves
as well wishers of Muslims whereas their hidden agenda is something
else. On the other hand so called Muslim scholars are just touting for their
vested interests sharing dais with pagans and hypocrites giving false
impression of communal harmony. Aim of Indesh Kumar is totally politi-
cally and electoral on the behest of their organisation (RSS). Muslims and
their so called Muslim scholars must be aware of their game plan which
will have very adverse impact on Muslims interest in future.
Ajmal (Lko) - mmalikajmal@gmail.com
Unforgettable Sardarji
Learning geography through riots was written below a map of our coun-
try decades ago in The Illustrated Weekly of India edited by Khushwant
Singh. Today the whole world learns geography of Pakistan through daily
bomb blasts.
S. Akhtar Patel, Khanpur Deh - 392150
Bohra: an Islamic sect reduced to a cult
Yes, what is mentioned here is truth. Dawoodi Bohra preists are now com-
prising of goons and tyrants. The community members are just doing what
they say in order to stay with their loved ones, avoid hardships and getting
kicked out of business. I think Govt. of India should investigate the money
extracted by these priests as its all tax-free money.
Jamila -- fakhrimarzia@yahoo.com - (comment on MG website)
Police reality, public mentality
M. Sunil Kumar Nayak, SP of Sahersa, said, such a huge ganja business
and wide network cannot run for such a long period without tacit support
of local police. Investigation will be done by civil administration (30
March 2014). He said this after he cracked the clandestine ganja busi-
ness. But when police kills a Muslim in the name of fighting terrorists in
fake encounters. fair judicial enquiry is not allowed saying it would lower
the morale of police because then police becomes duti-bound to honour
the constitution. S. Haque, Patna
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2014 23 www.milligazette.com
The Milli Gazette, P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: letters@milligazette.com Read more letters on MG website
RNI No. DELENG/2000/930 REGISTERED DL(S)-01/3215/2012-14
LICENCED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT U (SE)-57/2012-14
PUBLISHED ON 30 APR 2014 POSTED ON 30 APR-1 MAY 2014
ADV. FORTNIGHTLY AT NDPSO-110002
The Milli Gazette
D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar,
New Delhi 110025 India Tel.: 011-26947483, 0-9818120669 Email: edit@milligazette.com
24 The Milli Gazette,1-15 May 2014
Printed, published and owned by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan and printed at Vibha Publication Pvt Ltd., D-160B, Sector-7, Noida, U.P. and published at D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, New Delhi 110025.
Editor: Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan
With best compliments from Kaleem Kawaja , Washington DC
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