THE MILLI GAZETTE

Fortnightly
Vol. 13 No. 3 Issue Serial # 289 1-15 February 2012

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Discord in Jamia Hamdard over the VC

MUHAMMAD IQBAL
Professor of Botany and an ex-acting VC, Jamia Hamdard ocated in Tughlaqabad, south Delhi, Jamia Hamdard (deemed university), is a unique institution. Its founder, late Hakim Abdul Hameed, set up the campus with the Indian Institute of Islamic Studies in 1963. Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research was added in 1970, and Hamdard College of Pharmacy emerged in 1972. The college of Unani medicine was shifted from old Delhi to this campus in 1980, and Rufaida College of Nursing came up in 1984. However, the dream of the founder came true when the Ministry of HRD recognized this complex of educational institutions as Jamia Hamdard as a deemed university in May 1989. Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, inaugurated this university in August 1989. Jamia Hamdard soon began to evolve as a university with a difference. It focused specifically on indigenous systems of medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, nursing and allied health sciences, environmental and biological sciences, information technology, management studies, and the Islamic and federal studies. It also laid due emphasis on value education and community integration. The student community of Jamia Hamdard represents not only the various states of India but over twodozen Asian and African countries. Teachers are able to tap sponsored research projects worth crores of rupees and publish hundreds of research papers every year. Quite a few of them are fellows of national science academies and on government committees. Most of the science and pharmacy departments have the distinction of being sponsored under the Special Assistance Programme (SAP) of UGC and the Funds for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST) scheme of DST. Very many students clear the national level tests of GATE and NET every year. The university has signed MoU for academic collaboration with several reputed research institutes, including those in Iran, South Africa, the UK and the USA. In the year 2002, Jamia Hamdard offered itself for assessment by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and received A Grade in ranking. This distinction continued even after the second assessment. JH was one of the few universities selected by the UGC in 2004 for promoting the Indian higher education abroad. The same year the Ministry of HRD approved its minority character, and thus made it the first minority university in India. Recently, PN Tandon Committee of UGC on the Deemed Universities (2009) put Jamia Hamdard on second place in the order of merit among the 120 deemed to be universities. Thus it stood

Jamia Hamdard VC, Dr GN Qazi

next to the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, which was on the top. According to the Scimago Institutions Ranking (SIR) World Report (2010), available at www.scimagoir.com, Jamia Hamdard occupies 22nd position among all the Indian universities, IITs, research councils and institutions of higher learning. It is a pity, however, if such an institution falls prey to bad governance and administrative malpractices for any reason. Unfortunately, Jamia Hamdard is at present faced with a chaotic situation. Dr GN Qazi, who superannuated as ViceChancellor of Jamia Hamdard on August 14, 2011, is not prepared to step down. He continues to hold reign illegally thanks to his contacts with authorities in the Hamdard National Foundation and the UGC. According to his appointment letter, issued on 22 September 2008, Dr Qazi was appointed as ViceChancellor of Jamia Hamdard for a period of five years or [when] he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. He took over the charge on October 13, 2008. Five months later, he chaired a meeting of the Executive Council of Jamia Hamdard on 14 March 2009, and approved an amendment in the age limit for Vice-Chancellors in Jamia Hamdard, extending it up to 70 years. According to UGC directions, a deemed university will have to amend its Memorandum of Association to incorporate such a change in age limit of the Vice Chancellor, before putting it to practice. This condition is not yet fulfilled in the case of Jamia Hamdard. It was also clarified that this change will not apply to the incumbent in whose regime it has been adopted. In 2010, the HRD Ministry com-

pelled Professor Abhay Maurya, the then Vice-Chancellor of the English and Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad, to leave office on his attaining 65, though the varsity had extended the age limit to 70 years. More recently, on December 9, 2011, the Delhi High Court clarified in its verdict on the petition of Javed Rahmani vs. M. Hamidullah Bhat that a new rule cannot be implemented with retrospective effect and hence shall not affect appointments made earlier. Nonetheless, Dr Qazi is so firmly stuck to the chair that despite categorical directives, he is avoiding stepping down for the last six months with an ambition to continue up to the age of 70 or till the upcoming Medical College project, involving expenditure of hundreds of crores of rupees, is completed. Teachers Association, Employees Union and some senior Professors have raised voice against this irrational attitude. An impartial inquiry into various cases of alleged financial bungling, misuse of power, excessive favouritism, and open violation of rules and regulations during his regime has also been demanded. Even the UGC has written to the university to take immediate action in this regard. However, JH administration has given a deaf ear to all these submissions, and the authorities responsible for maintaining supremacy of law, i.e., the Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, the UGC, and the Ministry of HRD, are acting as silent spectators despite being fully aware of the situation. On top of it, the UGC Chairman (Dr Ved Prakash) and the JH Chancellor (Saiyid Hamid) are still seen sharing stage in public functions with Dr Qazi acting as ViceChancellor. A widespread unrest, involving litigations and protests, seems to be in the offing. The questions that require to be answered are: Can a citizen defy rules and ignore law of the land in a sovereign democratic country like ours simply because he is well connected? Does the law apply only to those who do not have guts to flout it? Will the Govt of India and its law-enforcing agencies find time to heed to the utter failure of law and order under their nose, and take immediate steps to restore normalcy and supremacy of law in the JH campus? Jamia Hamdard is undoubtedly a pride possession of the community and the nation today. In an ominous situation, when its own custodians are bent on ruining its peace and prestige, it is incumbent upon all stakeholders and well-wishers to come forward to its rescue. MG comment: According to sources in Jamia Hamdard, the issue raised here has divided the Jamia Hamdard community but the VC Dr GN Qazi enjoys the support of the Hamdard National Foundation and the current Chancellor. The sources added that there is also an element of personal discord between the author and the current VC.

MG/Yusuf

Will p educ rovide atio n

ive Will g ion vat reser

Will these promises outlive elections?

It is a mad, mad world...

Rushdie did not come or even speak over video after all; yet he is all over the place. Earth is ruined, skies have fallen for this temerity on part of the mob as TOI front page banner headline shrieked on 25 January. No matter if a foreign national, who does not enjoy the rights and duties Indian Constitution gives to the nationals of India, mocked at the religion of one-fifth of humanity, abused their Prophet and his wives and the holy book he brought, used filthiest of language in a supposedly literary work (the F*** word has been used at least 46 times in his Satanic book). Yet, this alien is right and millions are wrong in a democracy. The same chatterati/litterati did not make noise when one of their co-nationals, the biggest of our contemporary artists, was pushed into exile to die in a land of sand dunes; they did not make noise when very recently an American researcher was sent back from Delhi airport despite having a valid visa; they did not make noise when writers and journalists like Iftikhar Gilani had to spend months and years in Indian jails for committing no crime; they made no noise when tens of thousands of farmers committed suicide; when thousands of innocent Muslim youth were incarcerated on trumped up terror charges; when five Indians die every single minute due to hunger and 230 million Indians go hungry daily; when 21% of our population is undernourished, nearly 44% of under-5 children are underweight and 7% of them die before they reach five years; when hundreds die in police custody and fake encounters every single year. True, freedom of speech is a goddess ber alles. ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN

ive ill g W s job

Will give security

2 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

ISSUES / OPINION

Rushdie affair and the Demonization of Islam

SHAD SHAHID
shad.shahid@gmail.com hen the mainstream media went to town depicting the absence of Rushdie as a loss for India's liberal traditions and democratic ethos, it was indeed a naive analysis. To properly take cognizance of this matter and deliberate on its repercussions, a dialectical inquiry is necessary to contextualize the larger historical and literary issues touching the Rushdie affair. Not only does this issue impact freedom of speech, it is also part of the overarching narrative constructed by the Western intelligentsia regarding progress and civilization. The imperative is that, despite the overwhelming noise generated by liberal activists of all hues, there was simply no alternative for Indian Muslims but to oppose the visit of an individual who indulges in reinforcing a demonization and denunciation of everything that they visualize as sacred. First and foremost, it goes without saying that there is nothing like absolute freedom of speech. Anyone who says so is at risk of fooling himself as well as others. To illustrate, no country worth its salt can tolerate disrespect to its national symbols - even in India, despite all the talk of ancient liberal ethos embedded in Indic culture, you cannot stand up and abuse the national flag or the national anthem or the Father of the Nation. Nationalism has become sacrosanct in the modern narrative, which is often used to further jingoistic tendencies in the masses by right-wing politicians. Next, in order to specify Rushdie's literary genre, we have to look back at the European tradition perfected in the Middle Ages which was bent on vilifying Islam as the Dark Other - Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was often painted in this literary tradition as the Anti-Christ and a paedophile and war-monger (may God forbid!) - Dante's Divine Comedy is a perfect example of this kind of demonization. Historians and orientalists like Margoliuth and Bernard Lewis look upon Islam as a major problem to be tackled on the intellectual level by denouncing all its traditions as pagan in origin. A concerted effort was made to prove scientifically that the (Arab) Muslims are not descendants of Abraham, that Abraham never went to the Hejaz and that the Black Stone at Makka is a pagan relic rather than established by Ibrahim and Ismail (pbut). It is another matter that sometimes these overzealous pseudo-rationalists ended up making fools of themselves like in the case of Margoliuth who denied that Jahiliya poetry even existed - when this was picked up by one of his students in Egypt, the scholars of Arabic there cried foul and the fake history of Islamic scholarship by Westerners was exposed. Malik Bennabi has done a great expos of the same in his works where he severely critiques those depicting the Prophet as either an epileptic or while being most generous, as having copied from the Jewish scriptures. It was Edward Said, the Palestinian professor who for the first time, revealed the subtle nature of Orientalism which has its hallmark in depicting the Orient as the land to be rightfully conquered and liberated (aka civilized) by the West. For one who is well-conversant with the same tradition, it is easy to locate wherefrom Rushdie has picked up his moorings - Ziauddin Sardar makes the same point in one of his writings while critiquing Rushdie.

We have to look back at the European tradition perfected in the Middle Ages which was bent on vilifying Islam as the Dark Other - Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was often painted in this literary tradition as the Anti-Christ and a paedophile and war-monger (may God forbid!) - Dante's Divine Comedy is a perfect example of this kind of demonization. Historians and orientalists like Margoliuth and Bernard Lewis look upon Islam as a major problem to be tackled on the intellectual level by denouncing all its traditions as pagan in origin. A concerted effort was made to prove scientifically that the (Arab) Muslims are not descendants of Abraham, that Abraham never went to the Hejaz and that the Black Stone at Makka is a pagan relic rather than established by Ibrahim and Ismail (pbut).
those in whose hearts is a disease, and it is these very same verses which are often used by Orientalists to emphasize their point about Islam's incompatibility with science or reason, a fact which can never sink in one's consciousness unless one approaches text with biased mindset. While Muslim armies only settled down to rule wherever they went from India to Spain, the European colonizer devalued history of the land and left the natives in an empty shell. In the words of Macaulay, the aim of European education in India was "to create Western-minded individuals who would be dark in skin but European in taste". As if the repudiation and intellectual draining of the Muslim mind was not enough, entire disciplines were constructed around the paradigm of Western supremacy - Anthropology is a perfect example of this kind of craftsmanship - the basic premise of an anthropologist rests in the assumption that Western civilization is the apex of human culture and refinement and all other cultural traditions are studied as poor imitations of the former. Thus Arab and by extension, Muslim (including South Asian) culture was at an underdeveloped tribal stage still to shed off its primitive ethos! It is only in recent times that an effort has been made by some scholars to study anthropology from a Muslim perspective. Another manifestation of the same historical criticism, in which many Muslims themselves got entangled, was the denunciation of all Hadith literature as Chinese whispers. Thus, with utter disregard to the scientific tradition developed by the Hadith scholars, the entire corpus was sought to be rejected as mere aphorisms. This despite the fact that the modern-day Biblical criticism has itself learnt a lot from Hadith criticism. The objective, of course, was to rework Muslim tradition to make it malleable to new notions of European sensibilities. The frank discussions of marital and even sexual issues in Muslim tradition are interpreted as being a proof of Eastern promiscuity which reflects a tribal sensuality - forgetting that Islam or religion as a way of life, has no need to brush away any sensitive issue under the carpet. Thus Rushdie and his ilk feel no shame at giving fictional prostitutes the names of the Prophet's wives, while critiquing Muslims for indulging in harems in the tradition of their Prophet! Faith versus Nihilism: The larger issue in this maze of liberal emancipation is that one cannot delink Rusdhie and look at him as an actor in isolation - there already exists an established tradition of degrading Islam with all its nuances and cultural manifestations. It is amazing that India's image can be affected by catering to the sentiments of some 18% of its population, but Switzerland becomes an ideal democracy while banning minarets on the basis of a majority vote. Yes, to prevent a democracy from degenerating into a mobocracy, one has to define certain red lines which cannot be impacted by group behaviour - however, the issue here is not one of freedom of expression as was falsely portrayed by the miniscule of over-the-top shouting television anchors - the issue here was an abuse and attack on the religious identity of a very large population. It goes without saying that irrespective of the post-modern

notion of the liberated individual, large sections of populations in both the East as well as the West, think of religion as the only way of life they know. The traditions of India, whether it is in the mutts in Karnataka or the Deras in Punjab or the ziyarats in Kashmir have always been a source of strength to its citizens. Even in Europe, the holiness of the Vatican and the Church has remained undisturbed. Local pastors cater to the religious needs of their localities in the US, which is the supposed liberal paradise. The liberal minority is itself most restrictive of freedom of expression by indulging in much clamour and little understanding of what shapes and defines the lives of large sections of peoples. It would not be too far to say that the majority finds religion liberating rather than restrictive, for man is at heart a spiritual and moral being whose thirst for the same can only be satiated by faith. The contextualization of Rushdie helps us understand why precisely he is lapped up by the West as a symbol of expressive emotion while denying the same right to Muslims in their midst for the uninitiated, Satanic Verses as a term is not invented by Rushdie, this term was propagated by the Orientalists as proof of the Prophet (pbuh) being overtaken by Satan while reciting the Quran and thus compromising and admitting of a multitude of gods. In stark contrast to this, the Quran has already said several centuries ago that no one can interfere with Divine revelation: "When you read the Quran, seek God's protection from Satan, the rejected one" (16:98). The nature of Revelation is such that it comes from on high, which the Quran describes as being "guarded against all rebellious devils" (37:7). At other places, the Quran affirms that everything in this universe is guarded by God, whatever we do is within His grasp - it is fine if one does not believe in God himself, yet to suggest that a Prophet receiving Revelation is getting inspired by Satan is the zenith of lunacy and blasphemy. Thus, while Revelation places a great importance on guardianship both by God as well as humans, those with a Satanic bent of mind are wont to degrade everything holy and break off the sanctity which appears to them as a yoke. The war of words witnessed here is not between Islam and any other faith, but between the God-centered view of the universe with the theory of nihilism which ends up denying one's own existence - Rushdie belongs to the same genre which insults the Virginity of Mary, whom the Quran describes as one "who guarded her chastity". It is another matter that today by and large it is only a section of Muslims who hold these values dear and are eager to articulate their point of view. The tragedy here is that due to the ridicule heaped on Islam, it becomes difficult for ordinary Muslims to make sense of striking the balance between tradition and modernity and they either become desacralized or withdraw into their shell. Where is the Loony Fringe?: Finally, it would be a safe assertion to make that most of those clamouring for the side of Rushdie have either not read the book, or not understood the tradition of which he is definitely a part. To compare him with MF Hussain is not really germane, because the latter is not part of any tradition of vilification of Hindu goddesses by Muslims. In fact, MF Hussain while not any paragon of virtue, has not strayed too far from what is already part of Hindu tradition in the artisan engravings at Khajuraho. Rushdie on his part has not only willingly become part of a well-established western tradition of abuse but is also guilty of treachery to the culture of the nation he was born into - it is no wonder that he had to run away to lead a lascivious life with unending affairs in the West. This is symptomatic of a number of ex-Muslims or born Muslims who make it their hobby to bash Islam and everything it holds sacred - whether it is Ayan Hirsi Ali or Irshad Manji or Ali Sina or Taslima Nasrin -- Islam-bashing is the fastest way to get a Western passport and all the temporary luxuries of this life! It is immaterial why Rushdie was not opposed on earlier visits or why he was opposed at the eve of elections. Irrespective of these sidetracks, the non-admission of Rushdie on Indian soil is a blessing in disguise, for people of all faiths can still hope to come to an understanding with each other about the purported secularization of tradition and demonization of Muslims, in particular. And yes, it is not just the loony fringe which demonizes Rushdie rather any believer with his entire soul would denounce the loony tradition of Islam-bashing.
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Culture of Muslim-bashing: It should be borne in mind here that the demonization of Islam started by first of all cutting it off from its Abrahamic source - by illustrating against all textual evidence, that the son of sacrifice is Isaac and not Ismail (pbut). This was important because only once a conclusive de-linkage of Islam with the Judaeo-Christian tradition had been established, it could become easy to wage war against the heathens who threatened to overrun Europe. This paved the way for demeaning everything Islamic ranging from the alleged promise of 72 houris in Paradise to the number of the Prophet's own wives - sexual deviancy was the next step in depicting Muslim culture, and one can see the manifestations of the same even in current western writings about Islam. The reverse impact this had on Muslim minds cut off from the richness of their own tradition, was in thinking of Islam itself as a monolithic culture, and not appreciating how to interact with the modern world. For instance, the Quran has already told that metaphorical verses are argued and deliberated upon only by

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The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012 3

NATIONAL

33% Indian Muslims disappointed with their future: Survey by Abu Dhabi centre
New Delhi: According to a survey conducted by Abu Dhabis Gallop Centre, one-third of Indias 14 crore Muslims, the largest minority of the country, are disappointed about their future and they suffer from insecurity. It was also revealed in this survey that one-fourth of the Hindu population also is disappointed about their future. The Director of this Centre, who is a senior analyst, said that this survey was conducted from three categories of Indian people i.e. prosperous people, those who are worried and the third category were those people who are struggling. (Truly speaking, this categorisation itself is vague and unsound, particularly people in the worried and struggling category). About 47 percent of Indian Muslims said that it is difficult for them to carry on with their present level of income and 39 percent Hindus also gave the same reply. It was also found in the survey that Muslims have bigger families; 29 percent Muslim families have more than three children. As compared to them, Hindu families with more than three children are only 17 percent. The ratio of people of other religions is only 7 percent. No light has been thrown on the economic disparity between Muslims and their compatriots but it is obvious that there is much poverty and illiteracy among Muslims. In such a case obviously there must be a feeling of disappointment about the future. Under a public survey during the past and current year a total of 9500 persons including about 1200 Muslims were interviewed. They were asked what kind of life they are living in India and how / what will be their future during the next one to 10 years. According to 2001 census during the past four decades there has been a 200 percent increase in the population of Muslims. As compared to this, population of their compatriots (Hindus) was about 134 percent. From the point of view of Muslim population, India is considered third largest country after Indonesia and Pakistan. In Sachar Report, all-round backwardness of Muslims has been revealed. This is mainly because of prejudice and discrimination against them. This is no supposition but a fact. They are subjected to bias and discrimination in all walks of life in their daily life. Whether it is buying a house or renting one, or getting their children admitted in good schools, they have to pass through all kinds of trials and tribulations. Justice Sachar himself said that Muslims cannot get loans from banks and they have perforce to spend their whole life on a meagre income. Against this, even backward class Hindus are comparatively more prosperous. Whether it is a government department or private firms and companies, very few representation is given to Muslims. According to Zakiur Rahman, Director of Jamia Millias IndoArab Cultural Centre, Muslims are suffering because of the partition of the country. The prosperous and well-to-do people migrated to Pakistan which created a great void among Indian Muslims. Had there been no partition and migration, this situation would not have arisen. Many reasons are cited for the backwardness of Muslims, most important of which is the discriminatory attitude meted out to them in this country by officialdom. (NA Ansari)

On 21 December, construction began for a memorial as an everlasting tribute to Kamala Surayya, on the land she had donated during her lifetime to the Kerala Sahitya Akademy in May 2006. Kamala Surayya popularly known as a literary genius well versed in English and Malyalam was born in Malabar in Kerala on 31 March 1934. In May 2006 she had donated 17 cents of ancestral property in Punnayurkulam in Thrissur district to the Kerala Sahitya Academy. The land and the trees of her ancestral property for her was like a kingdom of emotions that inspired and influenced her writing and added more value and fragrance to Malyalam literature. Later on, K.B. Sukumaran, who had purchased the original ancestral property from Kamala Das and her sister Sulochana Unnikrishnan, donated 10.25 cents to the Akademy. It has been estimated by the Kerala Sahitya Academi that a memorial complex would cost Rs.18 million. Apart from that the Kerala government has also sanctioned Rs. 10.2 million for the purpose. The money accumulated from various sources has been handed over to the Kerala Public Works Department by the Academy to start construction work. Kamala Surayya Trust has been formed by her well wisher with the purpose of highlighting her contribution in various capacities. The first Kamala Surayya Trust Award with a cash prize of Rs. 51,000 was given to Vaisakhan for his short story collection. The second awards were given to Dr. Punathil Kunhabdulla and Prof. K.G. Sankara Pillai. Surayyas important publication includes Madhavikutty, novel Alphabet of Lust (1977), a collection of short stories called Padmavati the Harlot and Other Stories (1992), in addition to five books of poetry, Summer in Calcutta (1965), The Descendants (1967), The Old Playhouse and Other Poems (1973), The Anamalai Poems (1985), and Only the Soul Knows How to Sing (1996), a collection of poetry with Pritish Nandy (1990), and her autobiography, My Story (1976). Some of her latest novels in Malayalam include Palayan (1990), Neypayasam (1991), and Dayarikkurippukal (1992). In December, 1999 Kamala Surayya Das converted to Islam. (Mohammad Naushad Khan)

Memorial for Kamala Surayya

Here are some more genuine encounters, Mr Chidambram

Mr. Chidambram, You say there shall be no re-visit of the Batla House encounter. You are of course absolutely right. All those agencies which conducted the encounter have already given themselves a clean chit. What further proof could be required of the genuineness of the encounter than the fact that no less than Karnail Singh, Joint Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Delhi (who by the way, was also trying to derail the probe into Ishrat Jahan encounter) wrote to the Lt Governor and the NHRC vouching for the innocence of their gallant heroes. Speaking of gallant heroes, we are sure it has been brought to your notice - or maybe it hasnt - that some of the bravehearts of the Delhi Police Special Cell have been indicted by the courts in the past couple of years for scripting and executing fake encounters. These are the very men whom you have been felicitating with gallantry awards and Presidents medals. But, Sir, rest assured, we are not asking what sort of democracies fete and glorify killers. Our kind, of course. Below we list some of our favourite genuine encounters - in case you need more ammunition (oops, pardon the pun) for your shadowboxing with Mr. Digvijay Singh: Connaught Place encounter (1997): Two businessmen were gunned down by the Special Cell, led by S. S. Rathi. Rathi and his band of nine men were found to be guilty by the lower court. They appealed, were found guilty again by High Court. They

We are sure it has been brought to your notice - or maybe it hasnt - that some of the bravehearts of the Delhi Police Special Cell have been indicted by the courts in the past couple of years for scripting and executing fake encounters. These are the very men whom you have been felicitating with gallantry awards and Presidents medals. But, Sir, rest assured, we are not asking what sort of democracies fete and glorify killers. Our kind, of course.
appealed yet again. The Supreme Court upheld their conviction in 2011. Dhaula Kuan encounter (2005): Ravinder Tyagi of Special Branch - now a leading light of the Special Cell - claimed to have apprehended four men, all Kashmiris, and allegedly members of a terrorist group, after a fierce gun battle. In 2010, the sessions court ruled that the encounter had been scripted sitting in the police station. The court ordered filing of an FIR and a departmental enquiry against Tyagi and Co. The police of course filed an appeal. Uttam Nagar encounter (2005): the Special Cell congratulated itself for averting an attack on the Indian Military by arresting four Lashkar operatives in a daring encounter. All the arrested men were released by the court in 2010 after examination of the misrepresentation and fabrications by the Special Cell. The court was

clear that the men had been set up. Sonia Vihar Encounter (2006): Heroes of the Special Cell and Crime Branch - led by Sanjiv Yadav, Addl Deputy Commissioner of Police - battled a dreaded gang from UP in May 2006 near Khajuri Khas, Northeast Delhi. Years later it has been confirmed that they were picked up from their homes in Meerut and executed in cold blood. Please note that we are not mentioning the Ansal Plaza encounter whose veracity has been questioned by an eye witness, Dr Hari Krishna. After years of battling police intimidation, Dr. Hari Krishna has been successful in getting the court to start recording his evidence. This encounter may yet prove to be genuine as well. Neither are we quibbling about the string of frameups of innocents and extortion that Special Cell officers have been implicated in. You will also not find us pointing to the fact that a number of Special Cell veterans of fake encounters and frame-ups were part of the team that raided the Batla House flat on 19th September. We are certain that its only a minor coincidence. Most sincerely, Manisha Sethi, Ahmed Sohaib, Adeel Mehdi, Sanghamitra Misra, Tanweer Fazal, Azra Razak, Anwar Alam, Farah Farooqi, Arshad Alam, Ghazi Shahnawaz, Ambarien Al Qadar, MS Bhatt and others for JTSA Released by Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association on 13th January 2011 manisha.sethy@gmail.com)

In what is being seen as a matter of grave concern that is threatening to wean away a good number of votes from the Congress in the forthcoming elections, an apex organization of Shia Muslims has written a letter to Rahul Gandhi asking him to use his influence to curb the alleged anti-community activities of certain senior Congress leaders. The issue of illegal occupation of Karbala at Delhis Shah-e-Mardan (one of the holiest shrines of the community in the region) is simmering since years, which has angered the Shia Muslims of North India as the Congress Government in Delhi has failed to take any concrete action to pacify the enraged emotions. The matters have become worse over allegations of silent patronage of some senior Congress leaders to one Moeed Khan who is directly responsible for all the anger due to his continued occupation of a big plot of land in the heart of South Delhi belonging to the holy shrine. In a letter to Rahul Gandhi written by Shia Point, the President of the organization Zaheer Zaidi claims that the community will take decision to oppose the Congress in the forthcoming elections if the matter is not resolved on or before 1st of February, the day when more than 50000 devotees are expected to congregate at the venue to pay their homage to the martyr of Karbala. Congress will not get a single Shia vote in the election, says Zaidi, claiming that Imam Husain and Karbala are subjects of intense attachment to Shia Muslims who will not desist from casting their franchise elsewhere if their rightful demand is not met. Writes Zaidi to Rahul Gandhi: Since the elections are round the corner, your Government has inducted Shri Ajit Singh in the cabinet in consideration of 1.3% Jat votes in U.P. As per my information, Mr. Singh has stronghold in about 20 seats in western U.P. On the other hand, Shia community is totally ignored despite the fact that Shias constitute more than 1.5% vote in U.P. and the community is a deciding factor in more than 20 seats in Western U.P., besides several seats in Central and Eastern U.P. Zaidi says further: 50 % of Delhis Shia Community is from U.P. and Dargah Shah-e-Mardan, situated at Jor Bagh, is not only a holy place but the Community Centre of entire Shia community. Raising the boundary wall of the shrine to protect the land from mafia is a grave issue that has remained unresolved since years. Mr. Moeed Khan, a gardener, was entrusted care of our Nursery Gulzar-eHaidri (Rajdhani Nursery). But the maali, with passage of time, has started acting as the malik of the nursery. Owing to its situation in the heart of South Delhi, it is the most expensive nursery of the nation, with annual income of 60 million. In his letter, Zaidi points an accusing finger at some senior Congress leaders for their alleged patronage of Moeed Khan: The License agreement made between Anjuman-e-Haidri, managing committee of the shrine and Mr. Moeed Khan...expired way back in 2000. This license agreement of Nursery had an arbitration clause. The arbitrator gave verdict against Mr. Moeed Khan and asked him to vacate the holy place. He is not vacating the Nursery and claims that nobody can dare touch him... Mr. Moeed Khan is misusing the names of bigwigs of the Congress party. This is creating a great resentment among Shia community. Unless the matter is resolved at the earliest, the Shias are likely to oppose Congress in forthcoming U.P. elections. It may be recalled that owing to the strategic location of the place, Shah-e-Mardan has remained in the eyes of people with vested interests since long. Mr. Jagmohan had issued verbal orders to develop a public park over this wakf land of Dargah Shah Navaz at one point of time. Since the matter was highlighted by Lucknow media prior to the general elections of 1999, and Shri AB Vajpayee was contesting the election from Lucknow, NDMC was asked to deliver the key of Choti Karbala, a part of Shahe-Mardan, so as to ensure Mr. Vajpayees win from Lucknow. (realnewslive.org)

Congress may not get one Shia Muslim vote in UP

Quote, Unquote
Salman Rushdie is a poor and substandard writer who would have remained largely unknown but for his controversial book Satanic Verses. Tthe whole problem with the so-called educated Indians of today is that they still suffer from the colonial inferiority complex. So whoever lives in London and New York must be a great writer, while writers living in India are inferior. JUSTICE MARKANDEY KATJU Chairman, Press Council of India The same neocons who persuaded George W. Bush and crew to, in Ron Pauls inimitable words, lie their way into invading Iraq in 2003, are beating the drums of war more loudly these days to attack Iran. It is remarkable how many of these war-mongers are former draft dodgers who wanted other Americans to fight the war in Vietnam. RALPH NADER

4 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

NATIONAL
Malegaon blast accused Major Ramesh Upadhyay has been asked by the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha to fight assembly elections from two seats namely Ballias Bairia and Meerut Sadar in Uttar Pradesh. Upadhyay is presently in Taloja Central Jail at Raigarh in Maharashtra. Upadhyays son Vishal claims that the special MCOCA court in Mumbai has already given permission to The following press statement was issued by a Ramesh Upadhyay to file nomination from Jail. State general sec- number of Indian Muslim organisations on 16 retary of the Hindu Mahasabha Naveen Tyagi has said that legal January 2012 in protest against the growing efforts are on to ensure that he is out on bail to campaign for elections. Upadhyay was arrested in November 2008 for his involve- India-Israel relations and the foreign ministers ment in the Malegaon blast. In that blast, six people were killed visit and statements he made in Tel Aviv: and more than 100 injured on 29 September 2008. He was accused of conspiring the blast with prime accused Lt Col Purohit. We, leaders of Indian Muslim organisations representing the large Indian Muslim community, are deeply pained and alarmed at the steadily growing Indo-Israeli relations. The latest episode Surya namaskar comes in the shape of the visit of the Honble Minister of External despite fatwa and flak Affairs to Israel during which he has talked of cooperation against Bhopal: The mega event, surya namaskar on 12 January international terrorism, raising Indo-Israeli trade to $ 15 billion (Vivekanands birth anniversary), drew a crowd of 70 lakh people from the current $ 5 billion, allowing Israel to open a consulate in to stake claim in the Guinness Book of World Records. This Bangalore, signing Extradition Treaty and announcing that soon includes 40 lakh school children, teachers, government officials a Free Trade Agreement too will be signed between the two and party workers from all over the state. Hectic preparations had countries. Reports say that a number of other Indian union minbeen made to rehearse and record the feat. Videography records isters are in the wings to visit Israel. have been made. We wish to say that while our External Affairs Minister seeks Alongwith the chief minister all state ministers participated in Israels cooperation to fight terrorism, Israel has become the the highly publicised project. The C.M. denied any intention of biggest symbol of terrorism in the world. They have continuously nursing the desire to stake claim for a world record. He emphati- executed countless terrorist operations in all parts of the world cally argued that it was for the sake of all round good health that including killing Iranian, Iraqi and Egyptian scientists. Israel has surya namaskar brings for its followers. been responsible for large-scale massacres in Sabra, Shatila, Newly appointed Qazi of Bhopal Abul Kalam Qasmi said that Jenin, Gaza, and many places of occupied Palestine. bowing to the Sun was against the tenets of Islam. If a Muslim We find it difficult to understand how India can ask Israel to does so the child and his parents would both be accountable in cooperate in security while Israel is the fountainhead of terrorism the act of felony. Muslim organisations exhorted people to boycott in the Middle East? It is the Zionists who introduced terrorism to the event. Watch committees were set up across the state. M.P. the Middle East with acts like blowing up Jerusalems King David unit of the Coordination Committee for Indian Muslims (CCIM) Hotel which housed the British Government in Palestine (1946), cited High Court Order of 2009 which forbids authorities from com- murdering the British minister Lord Moyne in Cairo (1944) and pelling any student to participate in it. The H.C. had said that no the UN mediator Count Bernadotte in Jerusalem in 1948, or student should be penalised for non-participation. attacking American diplomatic offices in Egypt in 1954 with a Isai Maha Sangh (IMS), a Christian body, declared that it view to blame the Egyptians for the same. Today it is the cause would approach the Guinness authorities to ignore the feat. State of terrorism by occupying Palestinian lands and homes, turning opposition leader, Ajay Singh, termed this as a part of the saffro- the Palestinians into a nation of refugees and continuously nibnisation of education in the state. (AG Khan) bling away even at the small chunks left of Palestine and build-

Malegoan blast accused to contest election in UP

Indian Muslim leaders urge India to scale down ties with Israel
ing illegal settlements there while treating its Palestinian residents as caged animals and keeping the other part (Gaza Strip) under a most cruel siege since June 2007. Today, Israel is the only illegitimate nuclear power in the Middle East which stockpiles close to a thousand nuclear warheads and continuously refuses to sign NPT. This very entity had earlier destroyed the nuclear facilities of Iraq and Syria and now nags the western countries to destroy for it the Iranian nuclear facilities and military power despite the fact that Iran has signed NPT, allows IAEA inspection of its nuclear facilities and reiterates officially that it will not build a nuclear device. Israel is even using Mahatma Gandhis name to hoodwink us while the fact is that the proposed memorial will be built on occupied and stolen land. This can never be a move to honour a great personality which was totally opposed to the idea of a Jewish homeland on Arab soil. We very strongly object to the current overtures of our government and say categorically that close ties with Israel are not in Indias best interests. Our security and vital secrets will not be safe if Israel becomes privy of same. We must shun racist Israel as we did oppose Apartheid South Africa. Israel is the only country in the world which has flouted hundreds of UN resolutions and yet talks of peace. We urge the Indian government to stop lip service to Palestine and revert to our age-old policy of supporting the just Palestinian cause which was so dear to the pioneers of our freedom struggle. 1. Maulana Sayyad Jalaluddin Umari, Ameer-e-Jamaat President, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. 2. Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat 3 Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani, Secretary, Jamiat Ulema-e Hind 4. Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi, General Secretary, Jamiat Ahl-e Hadees. 5. Mujtaba Farooq, President, Welfare Party of India Released 16 January 2012 http://www.milligazette.com/news/3108-indian-muslim-leadersurge-india-to-scale-down-ties-with-israel

Bhatt challenges Jadaphias statement

Ahmedabad: In a letter addressed to the Nanavati Commission of enquiry Sanjiv Bhatt, the I.P.S. officer who has been suspended, alleged that Govardhan Jadaphias statement was not true. Supporting his claim with evidence Bhatt apprised that the call details of 28 February 2002 clearly prove that Jadaphia was in Ahmedabad on that day. Hence his denial of facts that the bodies of the karsevaks were being brought to Ahmedabad or that Ehsan Jafri had sought police help were not in his knowledge was incorrect. It may be recalled that Jadaphia was interrogated by the Commission in camera for two days in which he had pleaded ignorance about these facts. Permission for Jadaphias cross examination was demanded in an application filed by Jan Sangharsh Morcha. Permission has been granted and 13 January has been fixed for the cross-examination.

How far can India go with Israel?

M K BHADRAKUMAR
To my mind, this is an even more serious goof-up than when External Affairs MInister S. M. Krishna read out his Portuguese counterparts speech in the UN Security Council last February without even comprehending what he was doing. I think the mandarins werent careful, again, and EAM has been let down for a second time11 months later. They should have marked on bold red ink what was strictly for EAMs knowledge and not to be revealed during his media appearance with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at Tel Aviv following their breakfast meeting on 10 January. The point is, EAM should never have revealed what he did, namely, that India and Israel propose to intensify their security cooperation. We will have to work out a strategy as to how we address ourselves to the scourge o international terrorism which has become the curse for the entire humanity. I think our efforts should be to checkmate and ultimately eradicate terrorists from the face of the earth. I am sure the above was what EAM was supposed to tell Bibi during their tete-e-tete - EAMs Talking Point, as South Block calls the folder for VIP visits. Our top guns in South Block wouldnt have made a goof-up, they are far too professional and endowed with first-hand experience of Israel. Look what happened. Bibi didnt say a word when EAM took off in such robust enthusiasm. Because, he knew he had just cleared the file relating to the assassination of an Iranian scientist by Mossad on the streets of Tehran. Bibi attaches the highest importance to relations with India and he didnt want to compromise EAM. He knew in his heart of hearts that no sooner than EAM left Tel Aviv, there was going to be blood on the streets of Tehran and Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, aged 32, would be no more. This is why I cautioned earlier that before undertaking this historic visit, South Block should have obtained some sort of reliable assurance about Israels conduct as a normal state abiding by international law and UN Charter. The kind of things Israel does to Iran makes it a state sponsoring terrorism - and but for the blanket American diplomatic cover, it would have been brought to book a long time ago already. Now, how can India claim to be Israels collaborator on the terrorism front? It beats my imagination. No matter the Left parties passive acquiescence with our Israel policy, I think there is still a strong case intrinsically, without putting on ideological blinkers, to streamline Indias relationship with Israel and divest it of sentimentality. Okay, if we get American military technology via Israel that US cannot hand over to us directly. It helps our militarys modernisation, after all. Okay, if we learn more about drip irrigation from Israel - we have a crisis in the agriculture sector. Okay, if we learn about animal husbandry from Israel - our cattle class needs a better deal. Let trade flourish and reach the target of 15 billion dollars. Let there be cooperation In the field of IT. Let us intensify cultural intercourse between the two ancient peoples. We will be doing a great favour already to Israel by mitigating its isolation east of Sinai. But to mix up the relationship with the romance over terrorism (read militant Islam) is asking for trouble. EAM could simply replace the Portuguese FMs speech with his own and carry on at Turtle Bay. But in this case it isnt so easy to swallow what he said on Tuesday. There is a saying, Tell me your friend, I know who you are. (blogs.rediff.com) The author is former ambassador

Welcome!

India-Israel security relations

Welcome!

Ind Isr ia and fighael to tog t terr eth er or

The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

Vote for good people in elections: Umari

New Delhi: People, especially Muslims, must support and bring to power those who are broad-minded and justice-loving and have good character, preferably Muslims. They should also try to avoid fascist and communal-minded parties or candidates, said Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari while speaking to the media here on 14 January at the JIH headquarters. Maulana Umari exhorted Muslims, especially those in UP who constitute about 20% of the state population, to use their vote power judiciously and unitedly in order to fully avail their democratic rights and to solve their problems. They should avoid voting for different candidates in any single constituency, as this results in the division of their votes. Maulana Umari declined to give call to Muslims to vote for any single party. Instead, he preferred support to Muslim parties/candidates. He referred to the thirteen-party alliance recently formed in Uttar Pradesh with the efforts of Maulana Syed Salman Husaini Nadwi as one of the preferences. Maulana Umari asked the community leaders to form common alliance and evolve consensus about the possibility of winning a constituency. The JIH Amir welcomed the steps taken by the government of Andhra Pradesh for offering compensations to about 70 Muslim youth who were falsely arrested for being involved in terror cases and were victims of torture and illegal detention by the state authorities and were later honourably acquitted by the court of law. Unfortunately, the compensation paid is quite inadequate, he said while demanding that the government should also provide other help to restore confidence among the affected youths. Maulana Umari demanded that a thorough revision of all such cases and such victims all over the country should be taken up, justice should be done to them and proper compensation should be paid to all of them. It is unfortunate that Muslim youth are continuously being arrested under false pretexts, he said. Maulana Umari demanded that the government should properly investigate any

incident of terror before indiscriminately naming organisations involved in it. In this regard, Maulana Umari referred to the former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Markande Katju who has issued a very clear statement and the Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and former Chief Justice of India Justice G. Balakrishnan who has recently ordered Delhi police to submit a report about the illegal detention of Muslim youth in Delhi, accusing them of involvement in terror activities. If Delhi Police fails to submit the report within four months, the NHRC itself will probe it. Maulana Umari demanded that the cases against SIMI should be brought into a court of law before extending ban on it. Referring to the recent increased warmth in the relationship between India and Israel, particularly in the defence sector, the JIH Amir said that it will affect the relations with other Muslim countries in the long run. Engineer Muhammad Saleem, JIH Secretary. further explained that Jamaat strongly condemns Israels anti-peace and expansionist activities and continued occupation of Palestine. Israels evil designs regarding Al-Aqsa mosque are a matter of grave concern for the entire world and especially for the Muslim Ummah, he said. In this background, Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishnas recent visit to Israel is against the traditional stand of India and ignores the sentiments of 20 crore Indian Muslims, Engr. Salim said. It is also a matter of serious concern that Israel has become the largest supplier of arms to India. Increasing relations with a terrorist country like Israel is against the larger interests of the country and would sour the good relations between India and the Muslim world. They are a source of concern to all justice-loving citizens of India especially Muslims. It is the need of the hour that our foreign policy is kept free from the influence of imperialists and Zionists and is based on firm foundations of peace and justice, Engr Saleem said.

NADIM AHMAD

The Pratirodh Bureau has released a documentary film Partition Revisited. Produced by Rajeev Yadav and Shahnawaz Alamof the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Peoples Union For Civil Liberties, it is based on the Rudrapur riot of 2nd Oct, 2011, wherein four persons were killed and thousands had fled their homes out of fear. Policemen and mobs led by leaders of the BJP, Congress and BSP had ransacked shops and settlements of Muslims in their third successful attempt within two years to stoke communal riot in the area. The riot, which took place on Gandhi Jayanti, led to a massive migration of the victimized community out of the affected area, reminding one of the days of the 1947 partition. At a time when the state was about to go to polls this riot assumed an electoral importance. Many perpetrators of this riot are candidates in the state assembly election this year. This film focuses precisely on this unnoticed phenomenon that we could trace out in this first-ever state-sponsored communal riot since the formation of Uttarakhand, engineered by RSS which has been working for a long time in this part to arouse the dormant antiMuslim sentiments among the Bengalis, Sikhs and Panjabi Hindus who came and settled here after Partition. It is worth remembering that during Partition, many refugees from Punjab were given land grants in the Terai region of Uttarakhand. However, so inflamed was the mood, that many participated in attacks on local Muslims who had been living in the region for centuries. The troubles in Rudrapur, echoed by an earlier incident in Kotdwar, must not be allowed to fester, lest this kind of negative mobilization becomes more widespread. Those responsible must be rebuked and punished. (Available on youtube.com)

Film on Rudrapur riots

Jaipur: More than a month after a fast track court here acquitted 11 persons of the charge of involvement in the May 2008 Jaipur serial blasts, the Congress-led government in Rajasthan is yet to respond to demands for compensation to the exonerated youths on the Andhra Pradesh pattern and action against police officers who had framed innocent people in concocted terror cases. With the ATS case crumbling in the court, civil rights groups here have blamed the ruling Congress for accepting without demur the claim of the previous BJP regime about having cracked the blasts case. Despite repeated calls, the state government has refused to review the probe or change the investigating team, which the activists said had adopted a predetermined line. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who had earlier given credit to the ATS for cracking the case, said after the December 9 judgment that he was willing to probe the role of police during the BJP regime. However, there has been no follow-up on his assurance during the past month. Exonerating the 11 persons, the court held that the prosecution had failed to establish their links with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and could not prove that they were involved in radical or terrorist activities or were promoting hatred and enmity between different communities. Having been denied bail, they spent the past three years and a half in the Central Jail here. After the Andhra Pradesh Government paid Rs. 54.2 lakh as compensation earlier last month to 61 Muslim youths wrongly arrested and tortured in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case, the ruling Congress here is finding it difficult to deal with the demand for similar reparations. The acquitted persons stated after their release that their life and career had been ruined and their families faced the stigma of being branded terrorists and anti-national. State Minorities Commission Chairman M. Mahir Azad said that he had recommended the State Government for payment of compensation to all the acquitted persons. The National Commission for Minorities has also written a letter to the Chief Minister in this regard. Mr. Azad said the Commission had power to summon the guilty police officers and seek their explanation for falsely implicating innocent youths: I will study the Andhra Pradesh court judgment and government notification before taking an [appropriate] action. Reacting to the State Governments continued silence in the matter, the Rajasthan Muslim Forum said the court verdict had proved that communalised officers had targeted Muslim youths and affirmed that the ends of justice would only be met when such officers are punished. Muslim Forum convenor Qari Moinuddin regretted that the ruling Congress was unwilling to take a bold secular stand on the issue and order a review of probe into the Jaipur blasts case. Despite the alleged role of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed outfits in the October 2007 Ajmer dargah blast coming to light, the State government was reluctant to have a fresh look in the Jaipur case, he said. During the incarceration of the accused here, delegations of distinguished Muslim citizens from Kota, Baran and Jodhpur met several Congress leaders - in particular the then Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal - several times, but none of them agreed to intervene in the matter. Eventually, the innocent persons were mired in a protracted legal battle before the ATS case crumbled in the court.

NATIONAL Rajasthan yet to respond to compensation demand

Symposium on primary education by AWMELA

Azamgarh: A one day symposium on Standard of Primary Education was organized by AWMELA (Association for Welfare, Educational and Legal Assistance), Azamgarh in the Conference Hall of Shibli Academy on 15th January, 10 am. On this occasion the aims and objectives and reasons for opening a school by the name of Huda Milli School was elaborated. It was emphasized that the school proposes to provide through the medium of Arabic and English an educational environment wherein with study of modern Science subjects and communication skills, students can also learn and practice the tenets of Islam, the cardinal feature is belief in monotheism and fostering of universal brotherhood and peace. After recitation of the Holy Quran by Mr. Qamar Abbasi, Dr. Fakhrul Islam, publication Incharge, Shibli Academy, pointed out the responsibilities of Parents/guardians and the role of teachers in shaping the students. He called upon wealthy Muslims to undertake the responsibility of educating at least one child other than their own children. Janab Umairus-Siddique Nadwi, Senior Scholar, Shibli Academy, spoke on the blend of religious and temporal education. He cited modern heroes of India such as Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Allama Shibli Nomani, Muhammad Zakaullah and Muhammad Husain Azad, who were all products of Madrasas. He pointed out that at a time when India was politically dismembered; Urdu provided India its cultural unity. The study of India shall remain incomplete so long as the role of Urdu is not understood in the building up of nationhood. Mr. Tareeq Ahmad Khan, Vice President, AWMELA, traced the beginning of education from the time of Prophet (SAW), the importance given to acquire knowledge and wisdom in the Holy Quran. (Salman Sultan)

Rudrapur Muslims fleeing during the riots

New Delhi, While the previous year witnessed stray incidents of arrests of a handful of operatives, 50 men drawn from different departments and with a knack for anti-terror operations busted terror modules in their entirety in 2011. Pushed into the fray as late as September this year, immediately after a blast rang through the Delhi high court, a special team scanned the length and breadth of the country to bring the Indian Mujahideen (IM) to its knees in a blitzkrieg operation. Terror operations take time. They arent like normal crime incidents where the criminals are known, Commissioner BK Gupta told HT. The teams first breakthrough came in November when seven members of an IM sleeper cell, involved in the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Pune German Bakery blasts and the Jama Masjid attack were nabbed from Chennai. While Shahrukh Bhatkal, the link between IM module based in Samastipur and tthe Bhatkal Brothers - Riyaz and Iqbal, based in Karachi, managed to slip away, an arms factory used by the module was tracked and sealed. An abandoned car full of RDX found at Ambala helped us nab three Babbar Khalsa International operatives in December, said an officer. As opposed to 18 people, a majority of whom belonged to banned outfits were nabbed in 2010, 25 full-blown terrorists were nabbed in 2011. (hindustantimes.com)

25 terrorists nabbed in 2011

6 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

Thiruvananthapuram: Tamil Nadus Noorul Islam University (NIU) will soon be rigging up its own satellite and launching it too with government help, a university official said. The Rs.100crore satellite will be used for agricultural applications and also facilitate higher education. The central government has given its go-ahead to the university to fabricate the satellite, which is planned to be launched in 2013, Noorul Islam University (NIU) pro-chancellor Faizal Khan told IANS. The NIU is located 25 km from the Kerala border into Tamil Nadu. We will make the satellite on our campus and get it ready for launch in 2013. The satellite will be used in the fields of agriculture and higher education, Faizal Khan said. The satellite fabrication, he added, would be done under the watchful guidance of 18 former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists who now work at the Noorul Islam College of Engineering. The approximate cost of the satellite would be close to Rs.100 crore. We will bring in Rs.15 crore, while the centre will chip in with the rest. This is certainly a huge achievement for our hard work and it is going to be a morale booster for all our students, Faizal Khan added. NIU was established in 1989. It started off with just 40 students and now has an annual intake of 3,500 students. It has a state-of-the-art super speciality hospital and also runs a dental college.

NATIONAL Noorul Islam University to launch satellite

Peace Party to walk the extra mile in UP

MOHAMMAD NAUSHAD KHAN
In view of the chances of a hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh the Peace Party is trying to create its own space within the political configuration before and after polls. The announcement of 4.5 percent quota for minorities by the Congress has made the task of Peace Party a little difficult as it is seen as an attempt by the Congress to woo backward Muslims. Quota of 4.5 percent for Muslims and further promise to raise it to 9 percent will play down Ayubs political clout and his grip on the Backward Muslims. Within a short span of time the Peace Party has been able to make its presence felt on the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh. On many occasions the party has attempted to make alliances with other smaller parties to fulfil its agenda of helping Muslims to arrive at a position where they can be the chief minister of the politically important state. The agenda appears to be vague because the ground reality and the mechanism to support the agenda at this juncture is complex and limited given the political scenario in the state. Peace Party may find it difficult to exert its dominance and hold over Backward Muslims when political parties like the BSP, SP and the Congress are reaching out to Muslims in their own capacity with political sops and promises. In one of his interviews president of the Peace Party Dr Ayub has said that the BSP is a natural ally. The message is clear that the Peace Party is open to any kind of post poll alliance but at the same time wants to keep the bigger players in the UP elections guessing its future course of action. The numbers for the Peace Party will decide how hard a bargain it can strike. More or less the percentage of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh is roughly 18 percent. BSP plan to divide the state would have further divided the Muslims in blocks like Pachim Pradesh, Central and East UP and Bundelkhand. In Pachim Pradesh Muslims are approximately 25 percent, In Central and Eastern UP Muslims are roughly around 16-17 percent and in Bundelkhand around 7 percent. In one sense the division could have provided an opportunity to any Muslim outfit to get hold of one block with tacit understanding and political arithmetic. In Pachim Pradesh, 25 percent Muslims could turn the tide in any ones favour. But is it all that simple as it looks on the ground? Emergence of a bunch of smaller parties, in one way or other is dividing the political strength of the community. Political might of the community has been broken down to pieces just for vested personal reason or to settle political scores with one another. In the last assembly elections 55 Muslims got elected out of a total 403 members. Of these 55 Muslim MLAs, 13 are from Central UP, two from Bundelkhand, 23 from western UP and 17 from eastern UP. There are 80 seats for which Muslims can play a decisive role and about 145 seats where Muslim voters can play crucial role. All political parties no matter how big or small, they are, concentrate in these constituencies to increase their numbers. Peace Party surprised many in political circles when its candidate for Dumariyaganj by election in 2010 finished third while those of the SP and Congress lost their deposits. In the Lakhimpur Kheri bypoll Peace Party candidate Shashidhar Mishra finished second way ahead of Congress and BJP. Peace Party claims to enjoy the support of Brahmins, Thakurs, and the most backward groups like Khatiks, Valmiki, and Dasi and so on. Presently, there are six party members in the present UP Assembly of whom three are Thakurs and three from the most backward castes. In politics, ideology and commitment to that ideology is considered far more important than other components of politics as it is in practice today in the name of winnability. Of late, Peace Party began forging alliances without giving any second thought to it. In the process Peace Party tied up with Amar Singhs Lok Manch and it failed soon enough. Next was with the Rashtriya Lok Dal and six other small parties but only for a brief period. The latest one was the alliance with 13 parties called Ettehad Front. The alliance has now expelled Peace Party on the accusation that Peace Party is allegedly involved in selling tickets for a price.

Exempt Wakf from Rent Control Act

New Delhi: A Select Committee of Parliament which examined the Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2010 introduced in Lok Sabha in May 2010 has suggested modification of some 19 clauses of the Bill. The purpose of modifications is to plug all loopholes in the enactment so as to protect and promote wakf property, said the chairman of the select committee Saifuddin Soz here. Some of the salient modification suggested by the committee included removal of power of Wakf Boards to even `mortgage any waqf property. At the same time it also empowered the board to lease waqf property for short periods at market rent in the interest of the community, said Soz. He said that the committee did not want to enact a law that would disable it to benefit from any future prospects. We can think in terms of leasing out waqf property for construction of a hospital which could provide the health facility of the standard of a good private hospital, he said. In this context he also pointed out that in tune with governments intention to make wakf properties financially viable, the Committee recommended that wakf properties be exempted from the Rent Control Act. In order to protect the wakf property from encroachers, the committee has even suggested penal provision in the proposed law. It also suggested that persons found guilty of encroachment on a Wakf property, would not be allowed to continue as a member of the Wakf Board. In addition to the existing list of disqualifications prescribed in the parent Act, for being appointed or for continuing as a member of the Board, as prescribed in the parent Act, the Committee recommends that any person who has been held guilty of encroachment on Wakf property, shall not be eligible for appointment/continuation as a Member of the Board. With regard to inefficiency in the Wakf Board, the committee noted that this happened mainly due to lack of adequate supervision by the Wakf Boards. To address this issue, the Committee recommends that the rules must provide for regular meetings of the State Wakf Boards. The time gap between two meetings of the Board should not exceed 90 days. Regarding meetings of the Central Wakf Council, the Committee noted that neither the Wakf Act 1995 nor do the Rules framed there under, stipulate the periodicity of the meetings of the Central Wakf Council (CWC). In the absence of such stipulation, the meetings of the Council have been too infrequent and spaced out, to meet its mandate effectively. The Committee, therefore, recommends that not more than 120 days should elapse between two meetings of the Central Wakf Council. The Committee also suggested modification in the proposed law to revert back the wakf property if not put in public use. The Committee recommended that if Wakf land already acquired is not put to use within one year for the public purpose for which it was acquired, than it shall revert back to the Wakf Board/Mutawali concerned. It further suggested that there should be a review of Wakf lands acquired since 1995 to ascertain whether they have been put to the use for the public purpose for which they were acquired. In case there is a default in use or if the land/property so acquired is encroached upon or put to some other use, then the lands should automatically revert back to the Wakf Board/Mutawalli concerned. However, if such reversion is not feasible, then the market value of the said property should be paid to the Wakf Board/Mutawalli concerned at present day prices after deducting the cost of acquisition already paid or land of equivalent present market value be given to the Wakf Board. If the Wakf land happens to be occupied by the government then, the Committee recommended that the Government or their agencies are to be vacated within 6 months or market rent for the same be paid to the Wakf Board/Mutawalli concerned since occupation of the said properties. This would be in keeping with the directions issued by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi vide letter of March/April 1975. (Bisheshwar Mishra theindianawaaz.com)

UP Muslims face political onslaught

HAIDER ABBAS
Lucknow: The 23 years of politics in the Hindi heartland (and elsewhere) is nothing but an off-shoot of the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, by late PM VP Singh, who despite being an Upper Caste Thakur, was the most despised political leader in the eyes of the Upper Caste Hindus, who had, until then, held an unprecedented and unchallenged monopoly of the state and its resources. The upsurge in politics and representation in the state apparatus of Other Backward Castes (low caste Hindus), perhaps changed the body-politic of the country as Kalyan Singh, Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Chandra Babu Naidu, Narender Modi, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Shankar Sinh Vaghela, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ajit Singh, Uma Bharti, Ashok Gehlot cutting across all party lines rose to make to the proverbial rise of the plebeians. The Upper Caste Hindus, ultra fascist RSS Hindus, dithered by the new reality, sought to consolidate more of their hegemony and thus created the Muslim other as only this could have been the best whipping boy. Ram temple, which had otherwise been a Congress bastion, as it was Congress and its politics which had led to the locking of Babri Masjid, on Dec 22/23, 1949, and then getting it opened on Feb 1, 1986, was otherwise snatched by BJP and thus Babri Masjid became a war cry for the Hindu right, in order to make a balance of history and also to revive the Hindu elite monopoly. The result was that the Babri Masjid lay demolished on Dec 6, 1992. The erasing of history, falsification of facts, saffronisation of education, institutionalisation of anti-Muslim apathy, discrimination against Muslims-all became an everyday fact of life. Every new day rose with a body-posturing of the-state against Muslims and this all became possible even when Muslims had helped usher in a non-BJP government in the state in 1993. Who can forget the early-morning lining of thousands of Muslims at every poll station in the UP elections of 1993. SP-BSP formed the next government which lasted until 1995, and BSP ideologue Kanshi Ram made a volte-face to form government under Mayawati with BJP. Later, Mawayati could time and again (thrice) come to BJPs rescue. Just before the Feb 2002 elections Kanpur riots (July 2001) occurred where Muslims fell to the police bullets while BJP CM Rajnath Singh held sway. Later BJP banned SIMI and as Gujarat massacre of Muslims was underway UP went to polls under BJP which was routed. No one can deny that Gujarat pogrom had its roots and reasons in Ayodhya, where Hindu Karsevaks had been gathering create momentum for the construction of Ram temple which had been deftly announced on the occasion of dharamsansad (Allahabad, Jan 2001) to whip up the required xenophobia in order to bolster the BJP prospects, yet the BJP failed to even cross a triple figure in a house of 403. This could largely happen due to the tactical voting pattern adopted by Muslims. Whosoever was winnable against BJP was the priority of Muslims. The year 2004 saw the change of guard at the centre as UPAI, led by Congress, rode to power. The UPA-II (2009) won again on the question of secularism and has to date sat comfortably on the Liberhan Commission Report which seriously indicted LK Advani on his involvement in the demolition of Babri Masjid. The conspiracy charge which had been dropped by CBI against LK Adavni in 2003, could easily have been revived but UPA-II chose to look indifferent. Congress is the B-team of BJP. Congress is spurious secularism and spurious communalism. Does the nation remember how Congress PM Narsimha Rao had announced the rebuilding of Babri Masjid on its original site? Today Congress wants to promise more-reservation to Muslims. Who will buy this promise when the 19 years have been marred by only deceptions, said Muhammed Azam Khan, general secretary of SP. He lambasted Congress for its double-speak on Salman Rushdie. The whole country had gone into a tizzy over the expected ban on Gita by Russia and why is UPA not even caring a fig bit for Muslim sentiments over Rushdie? What prompted SM Krishna to visit Israel during the poll time, if not to take some more tutorials to subjugate Muslims? It is now an either-way bonhomie between Israel-India, since Narsimha Rao in 1992. Even BJP could not promise a new Israel consulate. Only the secular Congress could do this, he added. Babri Masjid, as it was expected, again entered the electoral talk as Rahul Gandhi accused Mulayam Singh Yadav to have befriended Kalyan Singh, a convict in its demolition. But, perhaps political wisdom prevailed on Mulayam who parted from Kalyan as it had almost cost SP half of its tally in the 2009 general elections. Azam was expelled from SP on the same pretext. Today Azam has been re-inducted but what cemented his ties with Mulayam was the latters statement that after the Sep 30, 2010 judgement of the High Court, Lucknow, Muslims felt betrayed! It is another issue that Mulayam faces a contempt case against him. Ironically, Mayawati in her total estrangement wanted the order to be immediately implemented as the Courts had given twothirds of the Babri Masjid site to Hindus and one-third to Muslims. In fact on Sep 30, 2010 the Courts legitimised the demolition, for if Babri Masjid had still stood, such an order would have never occurred. Mayawati showed her total indifferent ignorance to the Muslim sentiments and UP today stands for its first election after Sep 30. Congress claims to champion secularism. What has it done to its own twice elected MLA Suleiman Khan on the issue of Enemy Property? It made parliament to circumvent the Supreme Court order restoring his properties. Congress could do nothing but bring more shame to itself, as this is how even friends of Congress are paid their dues. When is UPA-II to fulfill its yet another promise that Aligarh Muslim Universitys minority issue will be settled once and for all through parliament, asked Azam Khan. Azam was more scathing on Congress on the issue of terrorism. He called Digvijay Singhs call for a probe into Batla House fake encounter as hogwash as Home Minister has called it genuine. The Congress tradition of cementing it through Rashid Alvi came as a total laughter. Congress simply fails to change. When Indira Gandhi had sponsored the 1980 massacre of Muslims in Morabad on the Eid day, all we had heard were Muslim clerics waxing eloquent (on state radio of course) that everything was normal under the Congress rule. Should we forget that Indira Gandhi had solicited the support of Baba Deoraha, who had put his foot on her head, as the Baba had a massive following amongst the Hindus. Blatant majority card was played in 1980 and what we are reaping is its whirlwind as soon Nielle massacre (1983) of Muslims took place in Assam. She got Ram Temple movement started and had she not died in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star (1984), Babri Masjid locks would have been opened much earlier. It is only later that her son Rajiv Gandhi facilitated the same, he reminisced. Lets see if Congress preposition of 4.5% reservation to minorities would cut ice for the 37 million Muslim voters of UP or would it be just too little and too late?

MG NEWS DESK

The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

Karnataka most dangerous state for Christians?

Other incidents include demolishing or burning down churches, destroying or desecrating of Christian literature like the Bible, the Eucharist, hymnbooks, vestments, musical instruments and A nationwide report points out that in 2011, 172 incidents have furniture, and destroying vehicles used by churches. Incidents of been reported from across the country in which churches and forcibly taking over of Church properties, burial places, personal Christians have been attacked. Karnataka tops the list with 47 properties of Christians have also been reported. incidents followed by Odisha with 25 incidents. Dr George points out that in Karnataka the attacks have The spate of attacks on Christians and churches across India increased since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in the has seen an increase in the last three months. Karnataka in par- state. Various Christian-baiting Sangh Parivar outfits can now go ticular has made headlines as synchronised attacks took place in about attacking the minorities with impunity either openly or churches in Mangalore. Some covertly supported by their activists complain that these political mentors, he said. attacks were a result of forcible Since 2008, attacks conversions undertaken by on Christians have seen a some Christian missionaries. rise with 147 such inciWhile the debate on forcible dents reported in 2011. conversions continues, a report Odisha, on the other suggests that Karnataka has the hand, has witnessed three dubious reputation of topping murders last year. The the list as far as attacks on report states that there is Christians are concerned. an attempt being made to Dr Sajan George, president hush up these cases of the Global Council of Indian despite there being suffiChristians, whose team precient witnesses and evipared a nationwide report on dence to prove that innoA vandalised church in Karnataka such attacks, says that in the cent Christians were tarmidst of all great progress geted. achieved by India, the most painful is the systematic attacks on It is tragic that certain forces in the country are determined to churches and those belonging to the minority communities by fun- carry on the cycle of violence. Otherwise, how can one explain the damentalists in different parts of the country. fact that the fundamentalists in Kandhamal could go to the extent Statistics collected through complaints lodged before the var- of declaring a shutdown in the district from December 23 to ious police stations across the country reveal that in 2011 there December 27? This was to deny Christians the opportunity to celhave been 172 incidents across the country in which Christians ebrate Christmas, said Dr George. (There was a shut down in the have been attacked. Karnataka tops the list with 47 incidents fol- district on December 26). lowed by Odisha with 25 incidents. In Bengaluru, 200 fundamentalists attacked the Agape Bible The other states that have witnessed such incidents are Church on December 12. Madhya Pradesh (15), Kerala (10), Tamil Nadu, Chattisgarh, Uttar Justice M F Saldanha, who has prepared a detailed paper on Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have reported six the church attacks in Karnataka, points out that such incidents attacks each. should be treated as acts of terror. Attacks on churches are very According to the complaints lodged at various police stations, much a reality and they continue even to this day. The last three these incidents are of murder, maiming of people belonging to the months have seen an increase in the attacks on Christians and minority community, leaving victims handicapped for life, says the churches, he said. (rediff.com - 19 Jan. 2012) report. 47 incidents of attacks on Church have been reported in Karnataka last year says Rediffs VICKY NANJAPPA

Azamgarh: One Kamaluddin of Azamgarhs Devapaar village was picked up by Madhya Pradesh police on 13 June 1996 but was untraceable thereafter. In this connection four police personnel were arrested and lodged in Azamgarhs district jail. They filed their bail application but in view of the gravity of the case their applications were rejected by the civil courts Additional Session Judges court No. 1, V.P. Kandpal on 6 January 2012. Earlier, after Kamaluddin was kidnapped / picked up by M.P. police, next day i.e. on 14 June 1996 his father Abdul Waheed in an application to Gorakhpurs I.G. had complained that on 13 June 1996 morning some police personnel had come to his house in their car and forcibly picked up his elder son Kamaluddin and took him away. When asked who were they and why, these policemen did not tell him anything they did not reply but some local policemen who were also with them said that those were policemen from Indore. Abdul Waheed also had stated in his letter to I.G. that earlier on 9 April 1996 also M.P. police had taken him (Kamaluddin) and his grand-mother away but subsequently had released them after taking a bribe and had not filed any case. Gorakhpur I.G. ordered Azamgarh S.P. on 19 June 1996 to file a case and start an enquiry into this case. Accordingly, Azamgarhs police filed the case on 26 June 96. As the enquiry was going on, on 3 October 96 CBCID started its own enquiry. In its enquiry report which was completed on 13 December 1997 CBCID implicated five policemen. After that the case remained in the local civil court and legal proceedings were going on. Subsequently, four policemen surrendered themselves but the fifth policeman Arun Kumar did not surrender and absconded. Civil courts Additional Session Judge V.P. Kandpal, after hearing the arguments of the accused policemens lawyers rejected their bail application on the ground that Kamaluddin was still missing and even after 15 years could not be traced.

NATIONAL Bail applications of 4 police personnel rejected

Only 200 terrorist present in J&K

For the first time in the history of troubled Jammu and Kashmir in the past two decades the number of terrorist has fallen to a remarkably low point. From 1990 to 2000 on an average 4000 terrorist were present in the state. In the past decade the number has never fallen down to 700. But in the recent past the number has come down to a mere 200. Therefore in terms of terror acts and violence 2011 has been recorded as the most peaceful year in Jammu and Kashmir for the past two decades. The possible reasons for such decline in the number of terrorists in the state as believed by security agencies are turmoil in Pakistan and lack of peoples support to terrorists and their activities. Terrorists made all kinds of efforts to tap the anger of the youth pelting stones, but failed to do so. Successful panchayat election after 23 years indicates that the people in the state want to move forward and live in place.

M. P.: pathway to Hindu Rashtra

RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com Last month (December 2011) M. P. Governments Gau-Vansh Vadh Pratishedh (Sanshodhan) Act (Bill for Protection of Cow Progeny) got the Presidential clearance. As per this act punishment for slaughtering the cow or its progeny, transporting them to slaughter house, eating and storing beef, is punishable with a fine of R 5000 and prison term up to seven years. States like Gujarat, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh already have similar laws against cow slaughter, while Orissa and Andhra Pradesh permit the killing of cattle other than cows if the animals are not fit for any other purpose. There are minimal restrictions in other states and none in Nagaland, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Kerala. Surprisingly, beef consumption in India is double the combined consumption of meat and chicken, not only that India is also the third largest exporter of beef, as per the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization UN (FAO) report titled Livestock Information, Sector Analysis and Policy Branch which says the largest consumed meat in India is beef. The per annum consumption of beef in India is 26 lakh tons, as compared to 6 lakh tons of mutton and 14 lakh tons of pork. While the right-wing Hindutva outfits make no bones about their assertion that a total ban on cow slaughter is their aim, the Congress too has time and again played the cow protection card especially in the north. In BJP-ruled states, the legislations are tougher already, but the one in MP beats them all in its ferociousness and potential for targeting minorities and Adivasis in particular. As per this Bill anybody consuming or storing or intending to violate the law can be apprehended by a head constable upwards. The onus of proof is not on the prosecution but on the accused. It will have lot of logistical problems to prove as to how does one say that the meat being consumed is not from cow but from buffalo or other lesser animals? This draconian bill brought in the name of faith of Hindus is a direct manipulation of the food habits of large section of poor Indian population, Adivasis, Dalits and Minorities (Muslims and Christians) for whom this is an affordable source of proteins. It is an attempt, in particular, to intimidate the Muslim minorities. Through word of mouth propaganda, and the sustained campaign through literature, small pamphlets etc. , the perceptions like cow is holy for Hindus, Muslims eat it, its an insult of Hindu faith and that Muslims are violent because they eat non-vegetarian food/beef has become part of the social common sense. When BJP-led NDA came to power at the Centre for 13 days in 1996, the Government tried to pass the bill against cow slaughter. Cow has been part of the identity politics of RSS affiliates, Hindu right, Hindutva in India. Even during the freedom movement many a riot were instigated around the issue of cow slaughter. This has been a part of propaganda, and Gau Raksha Samitis (cow protection societies) are dime a dozen, which maintain Guashalas (cow sheds). This is done at social level by RSS affiliates and followers. While Ram Temple issue was the main point of onslaught on democracy, cow issue has been always on the stand-by so far. Gradually the intensity about cow protection and the myths built around cow are becoming more intense. The MP Governments Bill is yet another step in this direction. As such, MP Government has been communalizing the state by religio-cultural mechanisms. There are multiple ways to communalize the society. Identity based issues, are the major ones. Communal violence is the ghastly outcome of identity politics. In MP from last couple of years with the current BJP Government, the slow and subtle Hinduisaion of state is in progress. Even the predecessor of Shivraj Chauhan, Uma Bharati had converted her official residence in to a Gaushala for all practical purposes. Lots of things have been started around the divinity of cow. Marketing of cow urine as a medical remedy for diseases, chain of shops selling cow urine drink and other products are on the upswing in the state. In addition, one sees that the state government has introduced Hindu ritual of Surya Namaskar (worshipping the Sun God at dawn), Government has introduced Gita Sar (Essence of holy Hindu book Gita) in the schools, introducing Bhojan Mantra (Hindu meal prayer) in schools, collected information about Christians in the state, has introduced most of its welfare schemes in the name of Hindu gods-goddesses. Like Ladli Laxmi for girl child welfare and Anna Prashan for Childrens nutrition programs. Many an accused of Hindutva terror attacks were taking shelter in MP. Many a Kashmiri student were harassed in MP. The capital city of Bhopal, founded by a Mughal Nawab Dost Mohammand Khan, is intended to be changed to Bhojpal after the Hindu King Raja Bhoj. This silent communalization of state has escaped the notice of national media to some extent. Most of these steps of the Government are not in tune with the spirit of Indian Constitution, which respects the personal choices about faith and food and keeps the state policies away from the religious veneer and content. The schemes started by the BJP Government are a kind of intimidation to minorities. This government is pushing them to the status of second class citizens. In MP we are witnessing yet another pattern for marching towards the goal of Hindu Nation, the gradual and sustained intensification of anti-minority policies in the name of promoting Hindu culture. This is unlike the phenomenon in Gujarat where communalization was intensified through violence. The paradox in MP is that all these practices showing intolerance to the sentiments and needs of minorities are done while blowing the trumpet that Hinduism is the most tolerant religion
(Issues in Secular Politics)

Counter-terrorism centre to become fully operational from 2013

Home Minister P Chidambarams pet project, the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) constituted with the specific purpose of serving a nodal agency co-ordinating all for all anti terror activities finally got the governments nod on 12 January. The NCTC will be responsible for collecting information and scrutinising information on terrorism and at the same time will formulate policies that would help to counter terrorism. This agency will report to the home ministry and integrate inputs from the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies. In the coming days effectiveness of this agency will be matched with that of US NCTC established after the attack on the World Trade Centre. Chidambaram while talking to reporters in the national capital recently said that with the CCS approval the ministry will announce its Director and core team member so that it can start functioning at the earliest. On 23 December, 2009, home minister P Chidambaram while addressing the Directors General and Inspectors General of Police in the national capital had said that the Government will soon form an NCTC with plans to merge agencies like National Investigating Agency (NIA), National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and the National Security Guard (NSG). NCTC will be headed by a senior IPS officer of the rank of additional DGP, who will be entitled to report to the Intelligence Bureau director, Union home secretary and Union home minister. It is most likely that DP Sinha, Additional director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) would become the head of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). There are also reports that the new version of the NCTC will have a permanent secretariat headed by the director. The chief of the NCTC will be assisted by three joint directors. Surprisingly, it took more than three years to get approval as the proposal made slow progress because of obstacles at many points. There were also differences among the various stakeholders in terms of its power, function and its reach. In order to expedite the process and functioning of the agency the home minister has fixed 31 March as the deadline for appointing a director. He wants the agency to start working from 2013 in full swing.

MG NEWS DESK

8 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

NATIONAL

Lavatories built on Zauqs mazar

New Delhi: Recently, Dr. Khaliq Anjum, memorials of our poets and secretary of Anjuman Taraqqi-e Urdu, authors, be it Ghalib, Momin, Zauq, Delhi and Shahid Maahuli of Ghalib Daagh, Jigar Muradabadi, Akbar Institute stated in a statement that Allahabadi, Firaq, Mahinder Singh Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Bedi, Nazeer Akbarabadi, Wali demands an amount of Rs. 50,000 for Dakkini, Ali Sardar Jafari, Kaifi organising Urs of Zauq at his mazar. It Azmi or any other. Have we mainis really a great pity that not to talk of tained and preserved them in maintaining and preserving mazars and accordance with their calibre and houses of our poets, saints, leaders etc. status? Except one i.e. of Ghalib as memorials, one has to pay fees even the memorials of probably no one for a faateh. All the mazars of our poets else exist now. Do we know where are locked, though because of a PIL are the houses or graves of filed by Firoz Bakht Ahmad of the NGO, Ghalibs friend, poet Nawab Friends for Education Maulana Azads Mustafa Khan Shefta, Mir Dard, mazar was unlocked in 2005 but that of Bismil Syeedi, Faqir Muhammad Zauq is still locked since 1997. Ghalibs Goya etc? Memorial of Ghalib and mazar which used to be locked, but Zauqs mazar were saved because even then Ghalib Academy has probaof PILs filed by Firoz Bakht though Zauq mazar, Delhi bly got it unlocked. In Lucknow, on the their conditions too are not satisfacmazar of Mir Taqi Mir a railway gate has tory. Zauq been built. Construction of Zauqs mazar had and mazar are. It came to be known from his article that the Delhi Firoz Bakht further said that when we go to England we learn started when Firoz Bakht had written an article in the Hindustan Municipal Corporation has built 14 lavatories (seven for males how the British people and governments have so well maintained Times on 6 August 1996 in which he had mentioned the bad con- and seven for females) on his mazar in 1961. Sheikh Muhammad and preserved the memorials of their literary personalities be it dition of the mazars of Urdu poets. Justice Kuldeep Singh of the Ibrahim Zauq was the teacher of Moghul king Bahadur Shah Shakespeare, Wordsworth, William Delhi High Court and lawyer M.C. Mehta Zafar and was born on 15 November 1788 in Delhis muhalla Blake, Keats, Dickens, Shelley, Addison had taken note of this and thereafter Kabulidarwazah which was one of the 14 gates of Delhi and or any other. The memorials of all these repair and renovation work at least of which no longer exists. From the inscriptions on Zauqs mazar it men of letters are so well maintained Ghalib and Zauqs mazars started. is gathered that he died on 17 October 1884. In those days Akbar Shah was the king of Delhi who had no and protected and the expenses on Supreme Court appointed Firoz Bakht a their maintenance are met from the member of the committee which was to interest in poetry. Mirza Abu Zafar, his heir became king of Delhi income accrued from the sale of ticket decide the place of Zauqs mazar which and came to be known as Bahadur Shah. Being fond of poetry to tourists who want to visit them. was built soon thereafter but nearby a and himself being a poet he took up Zafar as his pseudonym or Similarly in America also the tombs and double storeyed lavatory and bathrooms Takhallus. Zauq, at the young age of 19 years only, became houses of heroes and literary figures also were built. Ghalibs mazar however, Bahadur Shah Zafars teacher and was honoured with the title of like T.S. Eliot, Emerson, Robert Frost, like his haveli is in a dilapidated condition Khaqan-e Hind. Zauq wanted his mazar to be built in Qadam George Washington, Benjaamin and is locked since 1997. He wrote many Sharif, a graveyard in Nabi Karim near Pahar Ganj in Delhi which Franklin etc. are so neat and clean and letters to the government requesting that is now surrounded by houses and buildings after the huge influx well maintained that they look like picits management may be entrusted to any of refugees from Lahore in the wake of partition. It appears from a letter dated 16 December 1950 of late nic spots for tourists and visitors. There Urdu institution like Anjuman Taraqqi-e Maulana Hifzur Rahman Sewhari, who was at that time Trustee one can not only relax and have tea and Urdu, Urdu Academy, NCPUL, Ghalib of Delhi Waqf Board that till 1950 Zauqs mazar was there (at snacks etc. in good canteens but get Academy etc. but to no avail. books and photos concerning their life, This writer would like to tell you abou Pahar Ganj). He and subsequently Maulana Azad had tried to get key chains, tea-shirts and other memothe story of Zauqs mazar. Truly speaking, his mazar repaired and renovated but because of opposition by rabilia items as well. till a few years ago nobody knew who or interested people and governments insensitivity it could not be Toilets at Zauqs mazar Now let us have a look at the what Zauq is/was and where his house repaired and rebuilt for quite a long time. (NA Ansari)

Ghalibs birth anniversary

New Delhi: Poochhte hain woh ki Ghalib kaun tha / Koee batlaye ki hum batlaayen kya That is how Ghalib, whose 214th birth anniversary was celebrated in Delhi on 27 December at a 3-day function Yaadgare Ghalib programme, expresses his dilemma in disclosing his identity, probably in a lighter vein. The celebrations started on 26 December when a mushaira was held at India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) in which many poets including, among others, Wasim Bareilvi, Manzar Bhopali, Majid Deobandi, Bekal Utsahi, Dr. Nawaz Deobandi, participated. A documentary film produced Ghalib by Uma Sharma on Ghalibs life was also shown. On 27th a candle light procession, as in previous years along the traditional route from Old Delhis Town Hall to his Haveli, a distance of hardly one kilometre, led by the famous film personality and poet Gulzar and accompanied among others by Indias ambassador to Bhutan, Pawan Verma, famous Kathak dancer (Ms.) Uma Sharma, chairman of Delhis Minorities Commission Safdar Khan and a large crowd with bands and drums marched from Chandni Chowks Ghanta Ghar chowk (named after the historical Clock Tower which had been installed in front of Town Hall till about half a century ago but which is no longer there now) via. Ballimarans narrow road to his haveli in still narrower Gali Qasim Jaan. The crowd was so large and the entire locality including Chandni Chowk being always very busy and crowded, that the procession reached there with great difficulty. Even Delhis chief minister Shiela Dikshit found it very difficult getting there which prompted her and many others to say that next time this function should be held at an open and spacious place somewhere else where people could reach easily. The chief minister inaugurated an exhibition at the haveli on this occasion which has now been turned into Ghalib Museum under the 3day Yaadgar-e Ghalib function on 27th. The haveli or museum consists of only two rooms and a small open courtyard and the exhibits include Ghalibs and his wife Umrao Begums cloaks and clothes, her make-up box, Ghalibs divans (collections of poems) in Persian and Urdu, his letters, chess board, qalamdaan (pen and inkpot holder), shamadaan (candle stand) and other things associated with his life, postage stamp issued by the Pakistani government in his honour, his and his wifes pictures and paintings etc. brought from Banaras, Rampur, Muradabad, Calcutta where he lived in different periods of his life. A digital copy of some of his letters, soundtracks of his works among many other items were also on display in the exhibition and will remain there. However, all these things are doubles i.e. replicas and nothing is original and in fact nothing belongs to him because, as Suresh Goel, Director General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), said We cannot keep the original belongings here for security reasons lest they may be stolen or vandalised. Describing Ghalib as the greatest poet of 19th century, he said that Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan was not only an outstanding poet but also the best chronicler of the most disturbing and turbulent period of our history.

Ghalibs haveli in Ballimaran, Delhi

The haveli which only a few years ago housed a coal depot was virtually a kabadkhana or junk yard was given a new lease of life with the efforts of Firoz Bakht Ahmad of Friends for Education Society and Consultant to ICCR who got it restored to its respectable status through a court order. Shortly thereafter it was acquired by Delhi government in December 1999. Ghalib Memorial Movement was spearheaded by (Ms.) Uma Sharma, famous Kathak dancer way back in 1977 who organises this event annually ever since and is supported by ICCR, Delhi government and Showcraft Productions. ICCR Director General Suresh Goel said that ICCR plans to make the museum an important destination on the heritage tourism trail of Delhi. In view of the fact that Ghalibs admirers are in foreign countries also like England, Germany, Japan, Czechoslovakia, Russia etc. who first learnt Urdu language and then translated his poetry into their native tongues, some of his

writings and couplets will be displayed in this museum in the form of tughras in Urdu, Hindi and English. There is also a statue of Ghalib in a posture in which he normally used to sit On the concluding day on 28 December a humorous drama titled Ghalib in New Delhi written and directed by Sayeed Alam and sponsored by ICCR was presented by Pierrots Troupe at India Islamic Cultural Centre. The haveli wore a festive look on this occasion, with fancy lights and the fragrance of flowers. It covers an area of about 130 sq. yards. Suggestions that there should be Urdu computer classes, a small shop selling books and also a canteen etc. so that it always hums with activity and not present a deserted look. It will be open to the public daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. A few years ago Hakeem Ajmal Khans one-time famous Hindustani Dawakhana existed just opposite the haveli but it is no longer there now. (NA Ansari)

The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

NATIONAL The custodians of death

How NHRC scripts its own undoing by its reinvestigations

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has often been questioned for its failure to effectively intervene in cases of human rights violations. Yet, in a number of cases it does intervene but is unwilling to take these interventions to a logical conclusion. The NHRCs intervention with regard to the torture-todeath of Ram Kumar Pal has been commendable but insufficient. On October 13, 2009, the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) filed a complaint with the NHRC naming the deceased, Ram Kumar Pal, who died in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh on October 7, 2009. Pals only fault was his refusal to pay a bribe of Rs 20 to sub-inspector Gyan Prakash Tiwari and constable Shiv Chander Mishra. The state government provided an illegible inquest report (IR) that stated the death was caused by shock as a result of antemortem injuries, including an abraded contusion on the back of the left elbow joint; a contusion on the back below the interior angle of the right scapula; and a contused swelling on the right lower limb extending to the upper part of the right thigh, involving the inguinal area and reaching up to the ankle joint. The autopsy further found clotted blood and musculature, and that vessel and nerves were also damaged at several places. As usually seen, the U.P. police denied responsibility. The Superintendent of Police (SP) of Hardoi stated that Ram Kumar injured himself at work and that an alleged criminal, Subhash Pal, who had a grudge against the police, incited a mob of 65 people to protest against the death of Ram Kumar Pal. Thereafter, the NHRC decided to investigate the case and concluded that there was serious lapse while handling the case by the authorities. The NHRC also gave enough evidence that the entire district administration colluded to cover up the culpability of the police. The NHRC recommended appropriate departmental actions against sub-inspector Babov Upadhyay, the Circle Officer and the SP for failing to discharge their duties to supervise fair investigations of the case in order to protect the guilty policemen. It also formed charges against Anil Kumar Srivastav and Shiv Kumar for negligence in the diagnosis and treatment of the deceased and the then District Magistrate for not ordering a magisterial enquiry despite compelling evidence of unnatural death. With regard to the prosecution of Gyan Prakash Tiwari and Chander Mishra, the NHRC recommended reinvestigation of the criminal case (No. 1356/09) by the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Division (CB-CID). This recommendation is contradictory and absolutely uncalled for. First, the NHRC, which earlier blamed the district administration for covering up the crime, now believes that the CB-CID under the same district administration would conduct a fair inquiry. Second, the requirement of another inquiry by the CB-CID implies that the NHRC has doubts about the correctness of its own investigation despite compelling evidence collected by its investigative team. Third, the NHRC fails to recognise that once an inquiry conducted by its own investigation wing is completed, it is final under the law. Section 18(a) (ii) of the Human Rights Protection Act, as amended in 2006, relating to steps during and after inquiry empowers the commission to initiate proceedings for prosecution upon completion of inquiry. Therefore, logically, the NHRC should either place its findings before the relevant trial courts by itself after seeking permission as provided under Section 12(b) of the Act, or direct the state government to do so for prosecution, rather than recommending another investigation. On November 2, 2011, the NHRC recommended that the UP government pay Rs 5,00,000 to the next of kin of Ram Kumar Pal. While compensation remains an important palliative measure, the NHRC should consider the following recommendations if deaths as a result of police torture are to be combated. First, since the entire district administration can collude to cover up the culpability of the police, a magisterial inquiry or police inquiry would only cover up further. In most cases, doctors under duress or conniving with the police would manipulate postmortem reports. The hapless victims or their relatives cannot challenge these findings. Therefore, the NHRC investigation remains indispensable. Second, the NHRC ought to realise that once it conducts an investigation, it is considered final under the Human Rights Protection Act and must be used for prosecution. There is no need to reinvestigate the cases by the CB-CID or any other State police once the NHRCs investigation wing has already investigated. It makes the NHRC subservient to the police and further makes NHRCs investigation wing inferior to the state police. The NHRC orders investigation simply because the inquiries by the police are insufficient or flawed. Third, once an investigation is completed by the NHRC, the NHRC must either direct the concerned state governments to place the records before the respective trial courts or place the records after taking permission from the court. Once the court takes cognisance, it becomes subjudice and the NHRCs role effectively ends. Fourth, the NHRC must prioritise to combat torture. It may not investigate 1,200 deaths in prison custody per year, many of which may be attributed to illness, old age, etc. But as a matter of priority, it should investigate all cases of deaths in police custody, which is close to 120 deaths per year, by its own investigative wing. Majority of the deaths in police custody take place within 48 hours of the person being taken into custody and invariably as a result of torture. If the NHRC takes these steps and informs the state governments as addition to its existing Guidelines on Custodial Deaths/Rapes, deaths in police custody can be significantly reduced over the years because the investigation by the NHRC would lead to prosecution of the guilty. But the million dollar question is whether the NHRC is serious about itself and powers and functions bestowed to it under the Human Rights Protection Act. (Asian Centre for Human
Rights)

1997 Delhi blast case: Supreme Court gives split verdict

New Delhi: A division bench of the Supreme Court on 11 January passed a split verdict on the plea of a Pakistani national challenging his conviction and death sentence in the 1997 Delhi blast case. While Justice H L Dattu was of the opinion that a fresh trial should be conducted since witnesses were not cross-examined by the accused, the other judge Justice CK Prasad did not hold the same view. In view of the split verdict, the matter has been referred to the Chief Justice. Mohammad Hussain was convicted and sentenced to death by the trial court in November 2004 for his role in the December 30, 1997 Delhi blast which left four persons dead and 24 injured. The blast took place in a Blueline bus at Rampura near Punjabi Bagh in west Delhi. The trial court had termed the case as the rarest of rare. The Delhi High Court had in August 2006 upheld the death sentence which was challenged by Hussain before the Supreme Court. Hussain, a resident of Jindrakhar village at Okara in Pakistan, was arrested on March 21, 1998. The other accused in the case, Abdul Rehman, Azhar Ahmed and Maqsood Ahmed, were discharged for want of evidence. In 1997, the city was rocked by 22 serial blasts. Mohammed Amir Khan, the person accused of causing two blasts in west Delhis Karol Bagh, was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment in one blast case and life imprisonment in the other. (ndtv.com - January 11, 2012)

Violence on minorities up by 90 pc in Karnataka: Saldanha

Mumbai: Former judge in the Bombay and Karnataka high courts, Justice Michael Saldanha has described Karnataka with having the worst communal-persecution record and a state that encourages terror on minorities. Addressing a press meet organised jointly by All India Secular Forum and CatholicChristian Secular Forum (CSF) the retired judge said that while across the country there has been a marked decrease in communal-related violence between 65 per cent to 75 per cent, In Karnataka the violence targeting minorities jumped up by 90 per cent. He warned that the current scenario is so alarming that even a minor flash point in near future may turn the state into a communal inferno... if steps to rein in parochial forces are not taken in time.

Many innocent persons set free, still deprived of compensation

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh governments ministry for minorities welfare, in the name of steps

for restoration of confidence gave cheques as compensation to 12 Muslim youths who, among many others were falsely accused and arrested for their complicity in the Makka Masjid bomb blasts and subjected to third degree torture and untold trauma and miseries heaped on them in jails and who were subsequently released honourably by the courts. In addition to these cheques they were also given good character certificates by the government while admitting its mistakes, but inspite of all this, it failed to satisfy the Muslims because names of many more persons were missing from the list of innocent persons deserving compensations. Strong popular demands were also made to take strong legal action against police personnel, even officers who falsely labelled them terrorists, wasted the best years of their lives in jails and caused severe mental and spiritual agony to their family members. Some of them even said that the biggest compensation will be to put all of them (policemen and officers) behind bars and subject them to the same third degree treatment. Compensation cheques were given to 12 such persons on 6 January 2012 in Hyderabads Jubilee Hall by the states minister for minorities welfare Muhammad Hamidullah, Akbaruddin Owaisi, MIM-MLA and Muhammad Ali Rafat, secretary in the ministry of minorities welfare. In addition to these 12, there were four others also who were not given compensation cheques because they were, as per police, involved in

some other cases also. It may be recalled that the blasts in Makka Masjid had taken place on 18 May 2007 in which nine persons were killed and many more were injured. A couple of days later five more persons were killed in police firing on persons who were demonstrating against the arrest of innocent Muslims for their alleged complicity in this bomb blast. Akbaruddin Owaisi speaking on this occasion in Jubilee Hall in the presence of police and administration officials said that till the police personnel who falsely arrested innocent persons and spoilt their life and career are not punished, the demands of justice will not be fulfilled. A few lakh rupees and certificates by police or government as compensation cannot be the alternative to the pains and sufferings they and their family members underwent. He however appreciated the gesture by the state government / police in admitting its mistake by giving them good character certificate and compensation, proving thereby that they were innocent and are respectable and law abiding citizens of the state and country. Persons who were given cheques and certificates are: Muhammad Abdul Karim Qadiri, Arshad Khan, Muhammad Abdur Raheem, Abdul Wasey, Ibrahim Ali Juned, Muhammad Fasihuddin, Muhammad Sirajuddin, Muhammad Saleem, Syed Zulfaqar Ahmad, Muhammad Manzoor, Muhammad Abu Bakar and Muhammad Ashraf. (NA Ansari)

PUCL fact-finding report on Brijpal Mauryas fake encounter at Sanjarpur in Badaun

uman Rights organisation PUCL after having known that Brijpal Maurya son of Leeladhar Maurya of Sanjarpur village in Badaun district was killed in a fake encounter while he was looking after his ploughed agricultural land during the night of 7 January, deputed a three member fact finding team to visit the place to find out the truth. The fact finding team found that the STF and police were involved in Mauryas killing. The team has also found that Brijpal was not only killed on the charge that he was a notorious dacoit but the police also tried to burn his dead body to wipe out the evidence. On 7 January, Brijpal was sleeping in a hut built near his fields to look after them when more than a dozen STF and policemen visited the place and killed him at around 12 pm midnight. People living close to the place where the incident took place panicked after so many rounds

of bullets were fired. Later on a local night watchman was called by the police to identify the body. When Sishupal, the night watchman identified the dead body as Brijpal the policemen asked him to leave the place by saying the dead body is of a dacoit named Prithvi Singh. Hurriedly the policemen, in order to destroy the evidence, set the hut on fire along with the dead body. Thereafter some policemen went to Brijpal house to search for more evidence. When the family members of Brijpal wanted to know as to why their house was searched the policemen asked the family member to follow them to identify the dead body of a dacoit. When the wife and son of Brijpal, identified the dead body as that of her husband and father the policemen drove them away. When the near and dear ones of Brijpal refused to take along Brijpals dead body then the policemen pointed the rifle on them and took away the burnt dead body along

with them. On 8 January, Chameli Devi, wife of Brijpal informed a senior police officer that some policemen had searched their house and while doing so they ransacked the house. They took us along with some people, close to the spot to identify the dead body. When we identified the dead body as Brijpal the policemen drove us away and again attempted to burn the body to destroy the evidence and took away the dead body. Chameli Devi has asked for a case to be registered against these policemen for killing her husband and destroying evidence. People of the area protested in order to get the missing dead body of Brijpal. Police have agreed to hand it over after the autopsy. There are still some questions that need to be answered: 1.If the STF and policemen killed dacoit Prithvi Singh then why was the postmortem done in a surreptitious manner. 2. If

Prithvi Singh was killed then why was the postmortem report given to the family of Brijpal. 3. Why the Panchnama was not done at the spot. 4. Why the signatures were taken from people present near the police station and not from people of the area. 5. If Prithvi was killed then why his family members and SSP Aligarh not informed about the incident. The manner in which Brijpal was killed and his dead body was burnt is a clear violation of human rights. PUCL demanded a CBI inquiry and all those found guilty of killing and destroying evidence must be punished and arrested. Kith and kin of Brijpal must be given Rs 20 lakh as compensation. Issued on 15 January 2012 by Shahnawaz Alam, Rajiv Yadav (PUCL), Sandeep Dube (Freelance journalist) - rajeev.pucl@gmail.com (Translated from Hindi)

10 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

JAMMU & KASHMIR

200 people killed in the Valley last year

AFSANA RASHID
More than 200 people were killed in Kashmir valley last year, says a report by Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a local human rights organization. It further provides a comprehensive compilation of various incidents that took place during the year. A total of 233 people have lost their lives due to violent incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2011. Out of this, 56 were civilians, 100 were alleged militants, 71 armed forces personnel and six were unidentified persons and counter insurgent renegades, said a report, adding that 11 out of 56 were students and six were women. The report said at least two persons, Susheel Raina of Aishmuqam-Anantnag and Nisar Ahmad Banday of ChechalBanihal disappeared in 2011. Government as usual has failed to initiate any conclusive investigation into these cases. It added APDP submitted a list of 1417 cases of disappearances to the chief minister. The report said that seven persons have been killed in custody and no conclusive investigation or prosecution has taken place in any of these cases. Whether it was the killing of Ashok Kumar, a mentally challenged person, who was killed in a fake encounter in Surankote-Poonch or the killing of Nazim Rashid of Sopore who succumbed to custodial torture or the custodial death of ruling National Conference party worker, Mohammad Yousuf, who died after he was handed over to the crime branch officials by chief minister, the practice of impunity is consistent. The report said no credible investigations have been carried out, thus creating space for cover- ups. It has also recorded the killing of eight political workers. This creates a culture of intolerance and chokes dissent. Somehow the government was quick in probing the death of Molvi Showkat Ahmed Shah, which is a welcome step, but investigations into the killing of seven other civilian political workers havent yielded any result. Impartial investigations would bring the perpetrators to justice and also act as a deterrent. It further stated that 15 armed forces personnel committed suicide in the state due to unknown reasons and another nine were killed in fratricidal incidents of violence. The report has also documented a case from north Kashmir in which the victim was allegedly raped in police custody in front of her husband. Fear and social stigma makes it difficult for victims to report rape or molestation cases. It further reports that eight persons lost their lives in explosions last year which were caused due to unexploded shells used during counter insurgency operations and one out of eight deaths was reported due to landmine explosion. Hundreds of boys in 2011, when there was no apparent street uprising, were detained on the pretext of being stone-pelters and subjected to torture and harassment. In some cases, people alleged that the police has been demanding ransom for releasing these boys, the report adds. It observes that SHRC has tried to assert its existence by passing some significant judgments. Prominent amongst these were about mass-graves in north Kashmir, Kunan Poshpora mass rape case and the plight of prisoners in various jails across the state. Judiciary continues to put up an abysmal performance and has failed to live up to the expectations of victims. It further observed of course assertions of peace by various quarters are relative. Enforced silence cannot be construed as peace. Despite the hype of peace, people of the state have witnessed unabated violence, human rights abuses and denial of civil and political rights, absence of mechanisms of justice, heightened militarization and surveillance. Pertinently, State Information Commission on January 18 directed state government to provide statistics to an RTI applicant about persons who went missing in the state during last 20 years. expulsion of three Christian priests from the state for their alleged involvement in conversions. It also demanded the monitoring of activities of Christian missionary schools across the valley. Reading out a decree, deputy Mufti Azam Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Muhammad Nasir-ulFr. Khanna: main accused Islam, while addressing media said, Pastor C M Khanna along with his accomplices has been involved in unethical activities. Records of their involvement are with court and their expulsion from the state is an apt judgment. Maintaining that the decree wasnt against Christians, Mufti said priests had been attracting youth for conversion through monetary allurement. The decree has been issued to preserve harmony between followers of different faiths in the valley. The court further stated that administration must ensure that these priests dont enter the state. It also asked the government to monitor the activities of local missionary schools, specially regarding the teaching of Islam which must be included in the school curriculum and a prayer written by renowned poet Dr Mohammad Iqbal should be recited at school assemblies. Denying allegations that some academicians from the valley are involved in apostasy, it said some non-governmental organizations working in the valley are luring people to apostasy in the garb of assistance. Such NGOs must be banned. A row broke out here last year after video-clips uploaded on the internet showed pastor Khanna allegedly baptizing local youth to Christianity. Following a public outcry, the pastor was arrested and later released on bail.

Sharia court seeks expulsion of missionaries

Issuing a decree the Shariah court here on January 19 sought

Modi in serious trouble over Lokayukta issue

ABDUL HAFIZ LAKHANI
Ahmedabad: What Chief Minister Narendra Modi was afraid of, finally happened. Gujarat High Court upheld the appointment of retired judge R A Mehta as the states lokayukta. This, in many ways, is a historical judgment. A government already entangled in several legal battles related to fake encounters and communal violence will now have one more front to fight on - corruption. There are serious charges of corruption and land scams running into hundreds of crores against the present government. Modi tried every possible means to derail the appointment of Justice Mehta as the lokayukta of Gujarat. He immediately moved the High Court against the appointment. Later he wrote to the prime minister that the governor be recalled. BJP ran a vicious campaign, calling Raj Bhavan as Congress bhavan. Senior party leaders stalled Parliament repeatedly over Justice Mehtas appointment. Apart from all these external pressure tactics, the chief minister also tried to amend the Lokayukta Act and remove the provision of compulsory consultation with the chief justice of the High Court. Taking serious note of these and many other attempts to derail the appointment of Justice Mehta, Justice Sahai made the following startling observations: The pranks of the Chief Minister who is the head of the council of ministers demonstrates a deconstruction of our democracy, and the questionable conduct of stone-walling the appointment of Justice (retd) RA Mehta as Lokayukta threatened the rule of law. The refusal of the Chief Minister to perform his statutory or constitutional obligations and the effort to metastasise the procedure of the appointment of Lokayukta by issuing Gujarat Lokayukta (Amendment) Ordinance 2011 to amend the Act were deprave actions. The aforesaid exceptional facts establish that deconstruction of democracy was at work. It was necessary to remove the aporia created by the action of the CM, a responsible constitutional decision was required to be taken by the governor so that democracy can thrive Exactly a week after his mega sadbhavana sabha, on September 25, 2011, Modi, before a huge gathering accused the Centre of running a parallel government through Raj Bhawan by unilaterally appointing the lokayukta. The High Court, however, today ruled that the appointment was valid and constitutional. The state government has put up a very funny proposal instead; the governor must consult a committee that includes three ministers, the leader of the opposition, and the states chief justice. This number game keeps the equation at 3:2 in the state governments favour; this means the government can have its own person of choice wholl investigate charges of corruption against the government. The governor had rejected that proposal. The core question remains: why is the chief minister afraid of lokayukta, when the lokayukta law itself is so weak. Under this law, the lokayukta has no power to prosecute and it is left to the government whether to take action on the report of the lokayukta or not. In the harshly worded judgment, the High Court said, The Constitutional mini-crisis had been sparked by the Chief Minister which compelled the Governor to exercise discretionary powers under Article 163 of the Constitution to protect democracy and rule of law and the Governor appointed Justice (Retired) R A Mehta as Lokayukta on 25.8.2011. Perhaps the point of departure comes in the person of Justice Mehta, who is well known for his integrity and honesty and cannot be manipulated at all. Perhaps the fear lies in the fact that the investigation by Justice Mehta of any case of corruption would be believed by the people at large, the very constituency the chief minister addresses himself to. Till now, by careful tailoring, the chief minister has been able to present himself in designer suits. But once Justice Mehta becomes the lokayukta, he feels hell lose the faade. What exactly is the reason for this stubborn opposition to the appointment of lokayukta? Was the chief minister resisting the appointment of Justice (retd) R A Mehta as the lokayukta or was he against the functioning of the lokayukta itself? If the opposition was restricted to the appointment of a particular person, it can not explain as to why the chief minister did not appoint a person of his own choice since November, 2003 to June, 2004, the period during which the NDA government was at the Centre and the Gujarat government had a governor of its own party. But no lokayukta was appointed and the office remained vacant for no cogent reason. In the last phase, the learned Judge Sahai in paragraph 96 of his Judgment has observed that: There was no good or cogent reason available to the chief minister for writing letter dated 18.8.2011 for not appointing Justice (Retired) R A Mehta as lokayukta, except adamantly reiterating the trite and stale allegations made earlier on 16.6.2011 which after inquiry had not been accepted by the Chief Justice. Perhaps the real reason of the antagonism is the fact that the present chief minister faces very little political opposition in Gujarat and he has no desire to create a statutory opponent. Despite the fact that the existing Gujarat Lokayukta Act, 1986 is a weak piece of legislation without any teeth, yet the mere existence of a lokayukta can be troublesome. The Act provides that any person can make a complaint against any public functionary regarding any action that is relatable to corruption or any action that lacks integrity. The definition of public functionary includes the chief minister as well as all his ministers. In view of these provisions, the Lokayukta Act has the potential of levelling allegations against the chief minister and scoring political brownies. The worst scenario of course is when a strong person with a high degree of integrity like Justice Mehta is appointed to the office of lokayukta. A situation like Karnataka may arise; what the entire opposition of Karnataka could not do, the report of Justice Hegde did. It resulted in the exit of chief minister B S Yeddyurappa! If we take the recent verdict of the court directing Essar to pay more than Rs 9000 crore as tax to the Gujarat government, one can imagine what type of concessions are being given to the rich and an inquiry into one such case by the lokayukta can set the political pot boiling. With the 2012 elections to the Gujarat assembly round the corner, it is unthinkable that the Gujarat government would risk the appointment of any person as the lokayukta let alone Justice Mehta. True, the judgment of the learned Judge Sahai is highly reasoned and erudite but the path of justice is long and arduous. The judgment is already before the apex court and no one can really predict when the legal journey would be over. Appointment of commissions to look into allegations of corruption may be a much safer bet. Delay is the best gameplan irrespective of whether the allegations are related to riot matters, encounter issues or appointment of lokayukts. The decade-long pendency of the Nanavati commission has established this point. Corruption is a congenital defect of the capitalist mode of production. Globalisation has only metastasised it in every organ of the State.

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The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012 11

ANALYSIS
Speaking Out
N I L O FA R S U H R AWA R D Y

Team Annas Political Ploy: Muslims Ignored

olitically, as Indian citizens the so-called members of Team Anna have the democratic right to raise their voice on issues concerning them. They have been doing so for several months now, drawing attention to the need of a strong Lok Pal bill and their fight against corruption. Claiming to have no association with any political party, they are engaged in campaigning actively, asking the voters to exercise their electoral right by choosing the candidates with a clean image and who would support a strong Lok Pal bill. There appears to be a severe lacuna in their campaign-drive. Either they are totally confused about what political system should prevail in the country or they are deliberately indulging in this move with a set political purpose. Considering that Indian political system is primarily based on parties, which are bound to follow the countrys Constitution, is Team Anna trying to damage this very system? Does this explain that the team has not announced the name of any party it is associated with nor it has launched any party? None of the team members are contesting assembly elections. If the team was strongly against the party-system, the members would not have praised Uttarakhand Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri (BJP), as they began their campaign from this state. Nor would

they have used the same occasion to criticize Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Howsoever hard they try in appearing politically neutral, it is now fairly well-known that the team has the support of Sangh Parivar. The primary motive of this teams electoral campaign is to ensure political gains for BJP by targeting the Congress and other rival parties in the assembly elections. In fact, it would not be wrong to state that the entire drive, over the past few months, has been planned primarily for political purposes. This includes the hunger-strike and other tactics indulged in at Delhis Ram Lila Maidan a few months ago. The manner in which the show had been managed from day one has helped in projecting Anna Hazare as a prominent leader and provided substantial publicity to all his team members. The media has helped in pushing Hazare and his team to the forefront, which is what the Sangh Parivar apparently desired. With the basic ground work, where media-publicity is concerned, taken care of, the team assumes itself to be well-prepared as it is reaching out to the public for their electoral support. Electorally speaking, how well prepared can the team really be viewed as? The team hardly gives the impression of representing even marginally any of the five states facing assembly elections. The team is totally devoid of any minority representation. Where is a Muslim and a Christian in this team? Gender-wise, the team has only one female member, which hardly matches the prominence rival parties have given to women. Congress has Sonia Gandhi in the lead and Priyanka going out to help Rahul secure gains in Uttar Pradesh. The most prominent party at present in UP (BSP) is led by a woman, Mayawati, the states Chief Minister. Why has the team not given substantial importance to including Muslims and other minorities? Interestingly,

even Dalit-factor has been ignored. So far the team has not made any effort to project its Dalit-strategy to the voters and also to the media. The explanation is simple. The minority factor and the Dalit-card bear little social and political importance for Sangh Parivar, the real self-confessed backbone of Team Anna. Their members as well as their political strategies have apparently been decided by Sangh Parivar. In other words, they are in the game for political purpose, with the principles linked with Lok Pal bill and corruption only serving as a means to gain media and publics attention. The timing of their drive only proves the last point further. Hazare is not a new entrant on the Indian socio-political stage. Members of his team are also not politically nave. Nor can they be called, age-wise, young blood enthused with a revolutionary fire to cleanse the Indian system. Were Hazare and his team members so concerned about these issues, why didnt they raise their voice earlier? They may have still remained out of the fray - as they were not too long ago - if they were not propped up for political purposes. Were crucial assembly elections scheduled for the coming year, in all probability the Ram Lila Maidan-drama would not have been staged in 2011, but would have been put up this year. This also explains the teams silence on issues concerning minorities, particularly Muslims, including the Gujarat-carnage and fake encounters. Whatever the Muslims have suffered from in these and similar cases also reflect the corrupt nature of ones who permitted the same and those who turned a blind eye towards them. Team Anna is naturally quiet on these issues as they do not serve political interests of the Sangh Parivar. They are in the electoral fray for select political motives and not for principles they claim to espouse! ed to subscribe to a code of journalistic ethics. Neither was impregnable yet both sustained their character in normal times. As a result of the new media devices available and the commercial considerations involved, the demarcation between journalism, public relations, advertising and entertainment has been eroded. Each of these impacts on the role of the editor and the code of ethics observed hitherto. The first challenge, then, is to develop methodologies of retaining the essence of these attributes in the new surroundings of the newspapers. The second is to sustain the reputation for dependability for authentic news and sober analysis that is not tainted by sensationalism so often displayed by the electronic media. A third, of eternal relevance to the profession, is Walter Lippmanns caution that more than pressures and intimidation is the sad fact media persons can be captured and captivated by the company they keep, their constant exposure to power. The problems confronting the Urdu print media include the above and in addition have many of a unique nature having disturbing dimensions. Some of these relate to readership and its areas of interest. It is a truism that every publication targets a set of people preferably in different age groups interested in acquainting themselves with authentic news and comments. This, in the case of Urdu publications, is to be on those knowing the language. The difficulty here is that despite the overall increase in population, the percentage of Urdu-speakers to total population has registered a noticeable decline. Thus the younger age group does get excluded in some parts of the country. One implication of it is the effort by the newspapers to focus on the older age groups. The development stories, of particular interest to the youth, thus tend to be downplayed; by the same logic, older and familiar grievances remain disproportionately in focus. Responsible publications can perhaps do more to mould taste and cajole the readership in the direction of contemporary issues. Other problems of Urdu media relate to resources, advertisements, news gathering methodology and adaptation of new technology. Each of these is related to size and demands of readership. A good newspaper, however, should cater both to public demand and to the need to shape this demand. Only then would it be in a position of opinion-maker. News coverage needs to move away from the purely sectional interest to what would satisfy a wider audience. At the same time, there is some silver lining: Shaam-e-gham laikin khabar daiti hai subh-e-eid ki Zulmat-e-shab main nazar aae kiran ummeed ki Technological modernization has set in. Some of the larger media groups have invested in Urdu editions. This is indicative of growth in readership. Before I conclude, I would like to pay tribute to Hyderabads past and continuing services to Urdu. Some years back a friend had given me a copy of Professor Agha Haider Hasan Mirzas dictionary of Daccani expressions. It is revealing of the capacity of the language to adapt and evolve local variants. I personally find it delightful reading. In our own times there are essayists like Mujtaba Hussain sahib whose pen-portraits of persons and places leave an indelible mark on the minds of readers. Also to be mentioned is Allama Aijaz Farrukhs work Hyderabad Shehr-e-Nigaran that sheds much light on the people who contributed to a culture that was distinctly Hyderabadi and which, regrettably, is less evident today.

Cater to public demand and shape it: Hamid Ansari

Delivering his inaugural address at World Urdu Editors Conference at Hyderabad on 30 December (see report in MG, 16-31, 2012 p. 5), the Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari said that the difficulty is that despite the overall increase in population, the percentage of Urdu-speakers to total population has registered a noticeable decline. Thus the younger age group does get excluded in some parts of the country. One implication of this is the effort by the newspapers to focus on the older age groups. The development stories, of particular interest to the youth, thus tend to be downplayed; by the same logic, older and familiar grievances remain disproportionately in focus. Responsible publications can perhaps do more to mould taste and cajole the readership in the direction of contemporary issues. Following is the text of Vice Presidents inaugural address: Todays distinguished gathering is a proclamation to the world: Saare jahan main dhoom hamari zubaan ki hai, and it gives me great pleasure to be amidst you on this occasion. This Conference testifies to Urdu being a living language, an international language, a language whose speakers are to be found from far east to far west and everywhere in between, a language so captivating and enchanting that ahl-e-Urdu propose to carry it in the life hereafter: Isi main ho gi Khuda se bhi guftagoo maikash Ke roz-e-hashr bhi hogi meri zuban Urdu Much has been written about Urdu literature, prose and poetry, about the unique capacity of the language to accommodate, adapt, synthesize, and evolve. Those having a superficial acquaintance with it know Urdu for its romantic poetry; others, more familiar with the history of our freedom struggle recall with pride the May 17, 1857 issue of Maulvi Mohammad Baqars newspaper Dehli Urdu Akhbar that came to be known as Inqilab edition. A generation later Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil wrote the famous poem whose opening lines became the battle cry of freedom fighters: Sar faroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil main hai Dekhna hai zour kitna baazu-e-qatil main hai This spirit, of questioning authority, was imbibed by Urdu journalism for about a century and brought forth the well-known couplet: Khaincho na kamanon ko, na talwar nikalo Jub tope muqabil ho to akhbar nikalo August 1947 witnessed the end to British rule. By a twist of fate, that event had an unwelcome consequence for Urdu journalism. As Gurbachan Chandan has put it, is taqseem se sawa sao saal purani Urdu sahafat ka sheeraza bikhar gaya aur yeh do hisson mai but gayee. This is not the occasion to go into details of that momentous happening: Beet gaie jo dil pe na pooch The focus of todays conclave is on the present and the future of
VP speaking in Urdu Editors Conf at Hyderabad

It is a truism that every publication targets a set of people preferably in different age groups interested in acquainting themselves with authentic news and comments. This, in the case of Urdu publications, is to be on those knowing the language...the younger age group does get excluded in some parts of the country. One implication of it is the effort by the newspapers to focus on the older age groups. The development stories, of particular interest to the youth, thus tend to be downplayed; by the same logic, older and familiar grievances remain disproportionately in focus. Responsible publications can perhaps do more to mould taste and cajole the readership in the direction of contemporary issues.
Urdu journalism in a world that has been transformed by technology and its impact on public perceptions and behavior. This is a conference of editors who know only too well the challenges confronting print journalism today. To my understanding, they fall into two categories: those of a general nature pertaining to the calling of journalism and those specific to Urdu journalism. A distinction also needs to be made between the business of publishing newspapers and the discipline and art of journalism. The media is the fourth estate in a democracy and plays a major role in informing the public. It thereby shapes perceptions and helps define a peoples political and non-political agenda. It is the watchdog of public interest. In an earlier age, this was the preserve of the print media; today, it has to be shared with other media platforms and devices emanating from the technological revolution of the past two decades and its impact on the generation, processing, dissemination and consumption of news. Two other considerations are relevant. Firstly, the traditional media was essentially editor-driven and, owner interests notwithstanding, bore the imprint of individual editors. Secondly, it tend-

12 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

NEWSMAKERS
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
RAFEEQUE AHMAD, a former chairman of Farida Group has been appointed new President of Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO) on 7 January. Earlier also Rafeeque Ahmad was president of FIEO for two years from 2002 to 2004. He has been associated with leather industry for a long time in various capacities such as president of All India Skin and Hide Tanners and Merchants Association, Chairman of Footwear Design and Development Institute, Chairman of the Council of Leather Exports etc. IMTEYAZUR RAHMAN, chief finance officer in UTI Asset Management Co. has been appointed as acting CEO of the company with immediate effect till the appointment of a new Chairman and Mg. Director (C.M.D.). The company has been working without the CMD for about a year after the exit of its former CMD, U.K. Sinha in February 2011. The new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will handle the day-to-day operations of the company in cooperation with other senior officers. U.T.I. is a government-owned financial institution. Prof. M.H. BAIG, a senior surgeon in Surgery Department of AMUs J.N. Medical College, has been appointed new Dean of the Universitys Faculty of Medicine in place of Prof. A.K. Varma for a period of two years. Prof. Baig has represented AMUs College in dozens of national and international conferences and his more than hundred research articles have been in published in national and international medical journals. Dr. MAJID Deobandi, well-known poet has been appointed a member of National Commission for Minorities Education in consideration of his contributions in the field of literature and poetry for a period of three years. According to a letter from Joint Secretary to the Govt. of India, R.P. Sisodia, Chairman of this Commission is HRD minister Kapil Sibal and other members are HRD minister of state E. Ahmad and Mrs. D. Purandeshwari, education secretary, education ministers of many Indian states, VCs of Jamia Millia University and Aligarh Muslim University, chairman of National Minorities Commission, two members each of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and so on. SALEEM DEHLWI, President of Saaem Educational Trust has been appointed a member of National Monitoring Committee for Minorities Education working under HRD ministry. HASAN CHOWGLE, NRI businessman, social worker and educationist who belongs to Ratnagiri (Maharashtra) but is based in Qatar for about 35 years, was honoured with Pravasi Bhartiya Samman by President of India Mrs. Pratibha Patil at a function held at Birla Auditorium, Jaipur on 9 January on the occasion of Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas. Hasan Chowgle is associated with a number of Indian and Qatari business, educational and cultural organisations and has been honoured with about a dozen awards and honours of India, Qatar and Mauritius. Recently his biography running into about 300 pages and titled Naqoosh-e Hayat was published in Urdu and English.

OBITUARIES
NAWAB RAHMATULLAH KHAN Sherwani, former ProChancellor of AMU died in the universitys J.N. Medical College Hospital on 10 January at the age of 83 years. He was a kind hearted man and sympathetic to poor people and because of his helping nature he was nicknamed Ibn-e Haatim in Aligarh. He was a member of University Court for about three decades. He leaves behind one son and one daughter. He was laid to rest in the Universitiys graveyard same day. The University and all its schools remained closed for one day as a mark of respect. Khwaja ABDUL KHALIQ, noted senior journalist and former Director of PIBs Urdu Unit in Information and Broadcasting ministry died of heart attack on 18 January in Delhi. He had a great role in introducing UNIs Urdu Service. He worked in different capacities in various union ministries including secretary in Indias embassy in Tanzania and in UPSC. He was 83 and is survived by wife, one son and one daughter. Sixteen years old ARFA KARIM Randhawa of Faisalabad (Pakistan), a computer genius at this young age died in a Lahore hospital on 17 January. Condolence messages from all over the world poured to her family after the news of her untimely death was announced. She was the worlds youngest Microsoft certified professional. In 2005 when she was only of nine years she rose to international fame when she became the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional, a title awarded to those who master Microsoft programmes. After this she was specially invited by Bill Gates at Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond (Washington State) and met him and other top officials, all of whom were greatly impressed with her knowledge of programming at such a young age. She was honoured with many Awards of Pakistan. In November 2006 she was invited by Microsoft for a key-note session in Tech-Ed Developers Conference in Barcelona. She died because of complications resulting from an epileptic stroke, though Bill Gates had offered to pay for her treatment. Her father Amjad Karim Randhawa while thanking Gates said that his daughter was a spark that got attention and love from everyone on the globe. Her body was taken from Lahore to her native village, Ram Dewali for burial. The death of this genius, who indeed made her country proud, representing Pakistan around the world with her incredible skill was really a great loss to her family and country. Mufti MUHAMMAD ASLAM RIZVI, a great religious scholar of Bihar, nay of the whole India died of brain haemorrhage on 6 January in a Patna hospital. He set up dozens of madrasas, mosques etc. at different places in Bihar including the famous Jamia Qadiriya at Maqsoodpur in 1968 in Muzaffar Nagar district of which he remained rector for about 45 years. He was also a learned scholar of Hadees. An idea of his fame and popularity can be had from the fact that about 2 to 3 lakh people including large number of his disciples from far and near had participated in his namaze janaza and burial. He was 86 and leaves behind his wife and four sons. AZIZUR RAHMAN, senior Congress leader and a former minister of UP died on 7 January after a long illness. He was the eldest son of late Hafiz Muhammad Ibrahim a former finance minister of UP. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. SHUJAUUDIN SAJID alias Shuja Khawar noted Urdu poet and former IPS officer died of heart attack in Delhi on 19 January after a prolonged illness at the age of 62 years. Many years ago he had an attack of paralysis from which he could not fully recover. He is survived by two sons. He was laid to rest at the graveyard behind Lok Nayak Jai Parkash Hospital.

Dr. Fareed Parbati (1961-2011)

MOHAMMAD IMTIYAZ AHMAD
Dr. Fareed Parbati, a noted Urdu poet of Kashmir, died on 14 Dec. 2011. He was a pillar of the new literary generation of Kashnir. Though he was a commerce graduate, Urdu literature, especially Ghazal and Rubayee attracted him most. Rubayee has been regarded as a tough genre of Persian and Urdu poetry because a poet has to follow all the rules and techniques of prosody at every step. Dr. Fareed emerged as a known Urdu Rubayee poet not only in Jammu and Kashmir but in India and Pakistan also. He liked rubayee because of its short and complete form. His collections of Rubayeet include Fareed Nama, Khabr-e- Tahayur and Hujoom-e Aina. He did not only write creative writings of Rubayee but also comphend and defined its art, its techniques and did a positive critical work of its main practitioners like Amjad, Anees, Hali, Josh, Firaq, Sadiqain etc and made efforts to introduce it through his books Muqaddima Sinf-e Rubayee and Tanqeed-e Rubayee. Likewise, he made a contribution to Urdu ghazal. He was fully aware of its musical techniques, tools and tunes. He was a trustworthy keeper of the tradition without any exaggeration. He describes Islamic events and stories in a beautiful poetic manner. First of all, he says Hamd to the Almighty Allah and says Naat to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and presented great tributes to the martyrs of Karbala: Samie kehna, Baseer kehna, Aleem kehna, Hakeem kehna Woh apni azmat se khud hae wakif, usay to Rab e Azeem kehna (Hazar Imkaan p. 21) Koi Patther bhee maare duain dena, yeh wahi kaam hae jo pyare Nabi kartay thay (p. 22) Dil mein basa hay Ishq-e Hasan-o Husain, Fareed Is wajah say chamakta hae maqsoom betarah (p. 23) Parbati feels proud to follow the traditional path of Urdu poetry and construct his poetic edifice upon these foundations. We can see the obvious and manifest effectiveness of Zafar, Meer, Sauda, Ghalib, Zauq, Dagh, Ameer Meenayee, Tasleem, Iqbal, Faiz, Hasrat Mohani, Nasir Kazmi etc in his poetry. For example these verses: Zafar: Na thi jab apne haal ki khabar to rahe dekhte auroon ke aeb o hunar / padi jab apne haal pe nazr to nigah mein koi bura na raha Fareed: Woh doosron ke aib kabhi gin nahi sakta / Nigah jiski hamesha ho apni khami par Ghalib: Tere waday pe jiye hum to ai jaan jhoot jaana / Ki khushi say mar na jaate agar aetebar hota This pain, sorrow and misery is not his own; he is participating and accepting them from others, especially from the people in the Valley of Paradise which has now become a place of Hell. He feels deeply the separation of a son from his parents, children from their elders, sisters from their brothers, a friend from his friends. He has himself observed burning homes, destroyed houses, killing of youngsters, kidnapping of people... All the circumstances and conditions are in front of his eyes, so comes continuously in the layers of his mind, memory, thought and imagination and moulding itself in the form of poetry. Most of examples related to these events are in his books, Hazaar Imkaan and Khabr e Tahayur. Significantly, he has dedicated one of his poems to his people -- Ahl e watan ke naam: Mitna hae un sarhadon ko ek din Is ghaat ko, damdama ko, zaad ko ek din Ghabra na jo mussalat hae ashram ki fouj Aayen gein ababeel madad ko ek din. (Khabr e tahayur, p. 338) He did not lose his attitude due to these cruelties and tortures. Rather, he encourages himself and his people to continue their struggle. He discusses the cruelties, sorrows and miseries while also showing a way out: Haari howe sarhad pe data isliye hoon mein jeete howe dushman ko kabhi maat bi hogi. (Hazaar imkaan, p. 59) Dr. Fareed Parbati has remained a symbol of homelessness also. He could never stay freely at one place. He had made a new home, but death did not allow him to stay there also. The word ghar (home or house) has more than a meaning to him. Khawab (dream) also is multi-meaning word in his poetry. Toofan (Tempest), Rait (sand), Paani (water), Sumandar (ocean), Azaab (Torture), yaad (Rememberance), Armaan (desires), Ummeed (Hope) etc, are also key concepts of his poetic diction. He was a versatile literary figure which the Kashmiri and Urdu world has lost. He was new hope for Kashmir after Hamidi Kashmiri, who was recognized and accepted by contemporary writers and critics. Yeh ek sawaal ki rag-e rawaan kay manand hae, yeh ik silsila vaham-o ghuman kay manand hae (Guftgu chand se) Har shab jala kay rakhta hoon dehleez par chiraagh Shayad ki lout aao gay, ummeed ab bhi hai (Hazaar Imkaan) The author is a research scholar in Department of Urdu, Jamia

Fareed: Mera har dukh who samajhta hae Fareed apna dukh / Yeh ek zam na karday burbaad mujhe Ghalib: Boye gul naale dil dode chiraagh-e mehfil jo teri bazm se nikla so pareshan nikla Fareed: Shikasta aarzoo, arze tamana shoq-e la haasil / teri khater to yeh sab kuch gawara kar raha hoon Parbati himself writes, I am always convinced by the mingling of old and new. I have started my poetry under that school which is called classical school of thought. Poetics is the real essence of poetry in front of me, while literal and technical shape is secondary (Hazaar Imkaan, p. 11) Dr. Fareed Parbati was peerless in his poetic way and creative expressions. He had the aesthetical insight and awareness of the poetic narrative and highest form of mystical experience, discernment of human values and traditions. Misery, pain, sorrow and melancholy are part of his creation and intuition. So we can see all the voices here which have grown out of the injured and broken hearts in the form of aah (cry of pain): Pur shor gahe zulm ke bazaar mein hoon Gah raqs kunan husn ke darbaar mein hoon Gah peeste hai waqt ki chaki mujh ko Gah tez qadm wadei pur-khar mein hoon

The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012 13

SPECIAL REPORTS

Insan School: Jaago aur Jagao

After nearly two years of preparing the ground, in the morning of November 14th, 1966, Insan School was born with two teachers and thirty six students in two humble rented huts in Kishanganj. During the November 14-20, 2011, Insan School celebrated its 45th anniversary with the theme Jaago aur Jagau Wake up & Awake Others -- Educate, Enlighten, Make a Better World. Jaago aur Jagau is one the first slogan and theme of the mission. The week-long event consisted of student-led and performed debates, essays, arts and Justice Sohail Siddiqui (centre) with Dr Syed Hasan (left) sports competitions, art and science exhibitions/models, bazaar, t was 47 years ago. After returning from America, Dr. Syed Hasan arrived at Kishanganj to start an educa- stage shows; conference and awards ceremony. These tional and humanitarian mission. He had been in programs were free of charge and open to public. Chief Guests were Justice MSA Siddiqui, Chairman Kishanganj 15 years earlier, before going to the US. He was deeply affected by the backwardness and illitera- of National Commission for Minority Education Institution, cy of the region. Unfortunately not much had changed Dr. Shabistan Gaffar, Chairperson of the Committee on since he first visited. One could still count the number of Girls Education at National Commission for Minority school in the entire Purnea region (consisting of Education Institutions and many local and outside guests Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, and Araria) laterally on fin- including Magsaysay Award recipient Dr. Sandeep Pandey of Asha. gers of the two hands, and colleges on one hands.

VC at farewell party by AMU students in Aligarh

AMU VC Prof Azis

New Delhi: On January 16, 2012, the Delhi-based Aligarh Muslim University Coordination Committee (AMUCC), bid a warm farewell to the outgoing AMU Vice Chancellor Prof. Abdul Azis at India International Centre here. AMUCC was born two and a half years ago just after the proposal of AMU Study Centre in Kishanganj came, and worked closely with the outgoing VC to make the Kishanganj Centre a reality. Besides Prof. Abdul Aziz, the highlight of the ceremony was MAA Fatmi, former Union minister of state HRD, who had conceptualized the idea of AMU Special centres outside Aligarh. Only due to sincere effort of MAA Fatmi the UPA-I decided to open the AMU centres in five states of India. Zafar Iqbal, Olympian and former Hockey Captain of India also graced the occasion, in addition to Ahmad Rashid Sherwani and many thousands of old boys of AMU and mediapersons. The farewell ceremony was jointly organized by AMUCC mentors Kamal Farooqui, former Chairman of Delhi Minority Commission and Khwaja Shahid, President of AMU Old Boys Association Delhi. The Vice Chancellor of AMU lauded the contribution of AMUCC during his speech and said the AMU Kishanganj reached the agreement day on December 30, 2011, but when the history of this centre will be written, one cant forget the AMUCCs efforts. The AMU Vice Chancellor signed off with a positive note addressing the AMU: this is not the end my dear all, our association will continue forever. The farewell ceremony ended with tears rolling out of the eyes of AMU VC and AMUCC members. The old boys of AMU including Khwaja Shahid mentioned in last 40 years history of AMU they had not witnessed such a nice person and development-pro VC. The fact is that in the recent past for a couple of decades the farewell was not given to any VC, especially in New Delhi. The AMU Vice Chancellor was highly elated and emotional, and hugged all the members of AMUCC one by one and before leaving the venue accepted the membership of AMUCC and urged to remain its part in the time to come. (Mohamamd Mudassir Alam)

bids adieu to

AMUCC

MG/Yusuf

Is Pakistan responsible for this?

So, was Indian Mujahidin responsible?

No

No, Sir

Then who was responsible

Oh, then it is an incident

Thank you, sir!
Rahul Gandhi, during his Azamgarh visit, paid a vist to Darul Musannifin Shibli Academy on 11 January. He took a stroll of the campus and saw the places connectd to the institutions services to the freedom struggle. In particular he saw places where people like Motilal and Jawahalal Nehru used to stay. He also had a look at old letters of stalwarts of the freedom struggle preserved in the institutions museum. He promised to pay a longer vist in future.

Rahul Gandhi in Darul Musannifin

Saffron terrorists, Sir!

De of molit Mo Bab ion squ ri e

14 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

COMMUNITY NEWS
Electronic Quran
Ranchi: An electronic version of the Holy Quran has become the talk of this city these days. Muhammad Ghayasuddin of Ranchi; owner of a private firm, Bharat Electronics (not the Public Sector Bharat Electronics Ltd.) during his Haj pilgrimage to Makka last year purchased this electronic Quran for 400 Saudi Riyals for his sons. On this electronic Quran one can read and hear all the six to seven thousand Ayats (verses) and 114 Suras (chapters) in different languages according to a persons requirements or preferences. It is a set of an electronic book and pen. When the pen is touched or directed to any line of the Quran, it will read the whole line with the help of the speaker which is fitted in it. A person with weak eyesight also can read the Quran without much difficulty. This Quran has arrangement for all important languages of the world. It has an electronic pen which, when pointed to any language like Urdu, English, Hindi, Arabic etc., starts reading the Ayat and Suras in that language. All the six thousand odd Ayats or 114 Suras can be heard with a touch of the pen. There is also a provision to learn Arabic language in it which also has a book of grammar for children to learn different Dua (Prayers) which may or may not be mentioned in the Quran. Every Hadees is also available in the Quran. Head phones can also be attached to this Quran for which there is a device, to personally or privately hear the Ayats or Suras of the Quran. Ghayasuddin says that he purchased this electronic Quran for his children so that they could learn and read it regularly alongwith other Duas or Prayers. Shehla murder mystery: 10 lakh reward declared New Delhi: The CBI doubled the reward (raising it to Rs. 10 lakh) for providing clues to the mysterious murder of Shehla Masood who was shot dead on August 16 last year in Bhopal. Meanwhile the CBI has quizzed three persons after obtaining some clues. The identities of these persons have not been disclosed. The team has no intention of exhuming the body. More than 400 persons have been interrogated so far. In addition to investigation team, forensic experts from AIIMS are also camping at Bhopal. Pakistani flag unfurled by Shri Ram Sene miscreants

World Urdu Editors Forum constituted in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A 2-day World Urdu Editors Conference, sponsored by Hyderabads Urdu daily Siyasat was held in this city on 30 and 31 December 2011. Before the end of this conference, a meeting of its delegates was held at which World Urdu Editors Forum as a permanent organisation was constituted. Editor of the Hyderabad daily Siyasat was unanimously elected President of World Urdu Editors Forum. It was decided in this Conference that the 2012 World Urdu Editors Conference will be held in Karachi hosted by Mahmood Shaam and the 2013 Conference will be held in Canada hosted by Dr. Taqi Aabdi. Head offices of World Urdu Editors Forum will be in Hyderabad. Allama Ejaz Farrukh, Vice President of World Urdu Editors Forum (WUEF) said that members of the Indian Chapter of WUEF will be Sarfaraz Aarzoo, Masoom Muradabadi, Shahidul Islam, Ahmad Sayeed Malihabadi and Ahmad Ibrahim Alvi whereas in Pakistan Chapter there will be Tariq Mahmood Shaam, Suhail Waraich and Ayaz Baadshah. Allama Farrukh said that in this conference it was also decided that this permanent organisation of Urdu editors will pay special attention to technical and other terms, lay emphasis on addition of more words in the vocabulary and on translation so that shortage or absence of Urdu equivalents of many technical and other words could be removed. It was also decided that meetings of office bearers of this organisation will be held twice a year and that its website will also be started so that people could offer their suggestions and problems being faced by editors of Urdu newspapers and magazines could also be highlighted and their solutions found. The Forum will also try to help and maintain economic stability of Urdu newspapers and magazines. In view of all these and other problems mentioned during the two-day conference of World Urdu Editors it was agreed that this organisation (Forum) should be a permanent entity so that it may be helpful in coordinating and liaisoning different Urdu institutions all over the world. The speakers agreed that if the lovers and speakers amendment of any kind was made in it. When asked that after the passage of the bill, how any amendment can be made in it, Owaisi said that the government has assured that suitable amendment will be made in it. Justice Fakhruddin also expressed this fear of this power or provision being misused but at the same time said that one need not be too worried about it because firstly the subscription or donation from foreign countries is quite nominal. Today the maximum subscription etc. from foreign countries is received by Christian missionaries and secondly, whatever money is received from foreign countries for the madrasas, complete details and statements thereof are with the government because no money can come in the country without the approval of the government. Under the powers of investigation vested with the Lokpal, it can only ask for what purpose the foreign money has been received and how it is being spent. He further said that under Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution rights of minorities have been protected under which they (minorities) can set up their religious and educational institutions in which there will be no interference from any body. When told that now Lokpal can interfere, Justice Fakhruddin said that for this reason only reservation is needed for minorities. Nine AMU schools to be made at par with Kendriya Vidyalas New Delhi: University Grants Commission has decided to allocate an amount of Rs. 84 crores to AMU to help it upgrade nine schools affiliated to it and bring them at par with Kendriya Vidyalas (K.V.) and meet KV parameters. Most of the 15 thousand students of these schools are Muslims. One of these nine schools; ABK High School is run by AMU Students Union ever since it was started by it in 1946. There are more than 3000 students and about 94 teachers in this school. This School (ABK High School) will now be taken over by the University administration. Taking over of this School by the University is conditional i.e. only if the existing management structure of ABK School is changed and the school teachers upgrade their skills to meet Kendriya Vidyala standards and norms. The School staff will be given time to upgrade and improve their skills. This was staed by UGCs present Chairman Ved Prakash. When the teachers of this School upgrade their skills, their salaries will be increased, he said. Very high dropout rate among Delhis Muslim children New Delhi: A shocking dropout rate of 97% among Muslim children in Delhi in the age group of 7-19 years was reported. This rate has been given by Delhi Minorities Commission headed by Safdar Husain Khan according to whose findings the dropout rate is the highest among Muslim girls at the primary and middle school levels, though the enrolment in Delhi madrasas in rather high. The Commissions data shows that almost 25% of Muslim children between 6-14 years of age either never attended schools or dropped out because of family constraints. Chairman Safdar Khan said that social and financial constraints were forcing Muslim girl children to sit at home. He said that on an average a Muslim child, specially a girl, goes to school only for about 3.5 years whereas they miss out on the main years of schooling i.e. between seven and 16 years. Leaving aside education, Chairman Safdar Khan now seems to be paying more attention to improve their financial and economic condition by opening more industrial training institutes (ITIs) in Muslim populated areas. He said one ITI for Muslim girls is already coming up in Nand Nagri, another will shortly be comof this language (Urdu) play a responsible role in the promotion and development of this language, it can never become extinct. Speakers also laid emphasis on using correct spellings of words and that Urdu newspapers, by improving their standard can play an important role in bringing the new generation closer to Urdu. They also urged the editors of all Urdu newspapers to put pressure on teachers, particularly Urdu teachers to provide standard education to their students. At the end it may be stated that some participants agreed that they are seeing such a large gathering of editors of Urdu newspapers from different countries for the first time in 65 years i.e. after independence. For this, they appreciated the initiative taken by Siyasats editor Zahid Ali Khan and congratulated him. In an interview in connection with World Urdu Editors Conference Zahid Ali Khan said that the objective of this Conference was to prepare the way for better relations between India and Pakistan and to remove mutual distrust because if some untoward incident takes place in India, ISI is blamed for this and if the same thing happens in Pakistan, they blame RAW for it. He said that our objective is to remove this mutual distrust. About the future of Urdu journalism he said that if Urdu newspapers are to survive, they should arrange for their successors or heirs. He said that newspaper owners who do not appoint their heirs during their life time, their future is doubtful. Giving his own example he said that founder of Siyasat, Abid Ali Khan appointed him (Zahid Ali Khan) his successor during his life time with the result that he brought his newspaper to its present level and he, in turn, has appointed Aamir Ali Khan his successor who will carry it forward. In reply to a question he said that because of the internet and online edition circulation of newspapers can be somewhat limited but the number of readers has increased beyond imagination so much so that in a single month hits have been obtained from 3445 cities of 180 countries. (NA Ansari) See Vice President Hamid Ansaris address, p. 11 ing up in Jaffarabad and there are plans for a third one in Okhla area. He said that these institutes will provide one to three months training. He said that for girls, courses in beauty, skin and hair care, embroidery, stitching, information technology, personality development, data operation, fashion designing etc. will be started and for boys courses in electrical equipment, mobile and automobile repairing, architecture and hospitality (hotel, restaurant etc.) among others are planned to generate employment. Fellowship for students preparing for civil services New Delhi: Zakat Foundation of India (ZFI) has announced on its website www.zakatindia.org the process of selection of promising students for ZFI fellowship 2012 with a view to training them to succeed in IAS examination. ZFI President Dr. Zafar Mahmood said while speaking to a UNI representative that applications from students will be accepted online only and that students should apply only once. He said that receipt of their applications will not be acknowledged but their applications will be registered automatically. Thereafter, hall tickets will be sent to them either towards the end of March or in the beginning of April. He said that entrance examinations will be taken in two parts. Written examination will be held on 28 April (2012) (Saturday) at 9 a.m. at Gods Grace School (North Campus), Abul Fazl Enclave, Jamia Nagar Okhla, New Delhi. Written test or examination will be in three parts. First part will be general studies, second part will be aptitude test and third part will be essays (subjects). Results will be declared the same day at 6 p.m. at the website. Interview of successful candidates will be held on 29 April at 9.00 in the morning at CISRS House, Mathura Road. Details of ZFI Fellowship will be available on the website. One more Mahmoodabad-like case in the offing Bhopal: Claims and counter claims on 5000 acres of land owned by the Bhopal Nawab family have been further complicated by the state government jumping into the fray. So, not only 35,000 families but also the state government are staking claim to the land that the Nawab family claims to be their own property. The Nawab, at the time of merger to the Union on 30 April 1948 retained certain personal assets and land to maintain family dignity. This disputed 5000 acres of land was not shown in the agreement hence the state government claims that the Nawab family do not hold any property right to it. Interestingly, even the state government itself was ignorant about this for the past 60 years. Deepesh Joshi lawyer for late Pataudis family pointed out that Sajida Begum personally owned the property It was gifted to her by her in-laws and was not a part of the Bhopal estate. Because of this reason it was not mentioned in the agreement. A writ filed by Anup Kumar Daya Ramani in the High Court in 2001 brought the anomaly to public knowledge. An application against a housing society in the court resulted in a directive to check revenue records. The revenue department unearthed a lot of irregularities. In 2007 the state took suo-motto action against the Pataudi familys claim to the land as state property. District collector complicated the matter further by suggesting that all the families residing on the land should also be made a party. Thus there are three parties now the residents on the land, the state government and the Pataudi heirs Sharmila Tagore, Saif Ali, Saliha and Saba. Meanwhile, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the state C.M., has assured the residents that nobody would be made homeless. According to the latest report the S.C. has allowed the state to be a party in a case concerning Holkar estate too. (AG Khan)

Bangalore: Unfurling of the Pakistani flag on a government building in the Bijapur district was intended to implicate Muslims of the village. It was a mischief conspired by the activists of Shri Ram Sene to create tension. Police have made a few arrests in this connection. Some people had hoisted the flag on first January on the office of Development officer at Sindgi in Bijapur district. This had caused great resentment in which Shri Ram Sene, Bajrang Dal and other extremist organisations had given a bandh call. On investigation the police found that it was an attempt to spoil the communal amity of the place and was conspired by Shri Ram Sene activists. D.S.P. DC Rajappa apprised of the arrest of Rajesh Sidharmayya (19 years) chief of local unit of student wing. Others include Arun Waghmore, Parsuram Woghmore, Sunil Madiwalappa Ishwar Navi, Mallana Gowda and Vijay Kumar Patil (all are in 18-20 age group). They are also involved in attacking women of a community on 24 January 2009. The Sene has refuted the charges. State IG police described the situation peaceful. Muslim women threat self-immolation over graveyard Amreli: Muslim womens threat of self immolation at the graveyard site if attempts to build a temple continue, has caused a sensation. They have conveyed their resolve to National Human Rights Commission New Delhi and D.I.G. Junagarh in writing. A graveyard on the road leading to Chhabhadia of Damnagar has been in existence for several years and has historical importance. Muslims have been burying their dead for several years. However, some mischief mongers have raised certain technical objections and have been vigorously campaigning to get a temple built there. If such action is undertaken, Muslim women have resolved to commit en-masse self immolation at the site. Muslims concerned over Lokpal interference in madrasas New Delhi: The Lokpal Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha with a guarantee of 50 percent reservation for minorities, there is a clause in its Article 6 under which it (Lokpal) has been given some rights or powers for investigations in which it is stated that if any society or institution, NGO or person gets more than Rs. 10 lakh in a year from a foreign country or countries in the form of donation or subscription etc., it will come under the purview of Lokpal. Every body knows that most of the madrasas in India function only with the help of foreign financial assistance so under this clause almost all madrasa will be open to investigation by the Lokpal. It is for this reason that before the passage of this bill, Asaduddin Owaisi (MIM) M.P. had demanded that section 14 of Lokpal Bills Art 6 should be amended so that Islamic Madrasas in India should not be subjected to interference by the Lokpal but no

The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012 15

COMMUNITY NEWS
Hindi Quran distributed in Aligarh jail
Aligarh: A delegation of Jamat-e Islami Hind of AMU area led by local ameer Dr. Safdar Sultan Islahi, in cooperation with a local organisation visited Aligarh jail on 18 December 2011. First of all the delegation members met jail authorities like Superintendent, jailor, doctors etc. and presented the Hindi translation of the Quran and other Islamic literature to them as gifts. Thereafter the members jointly met some selected prisoners and presented the translations and literature to them also. They also visited many parts of the jail under the guidance of jail authorities. The delegation members appreciated the general atmosphere inside the jail, cleanliness and arrangements made for sports, treatment of jail inmates, eating and drinking arrangements for prisoners and described them as satisfactory. Rs. 40 crores approved for Haj House in Bangalore Bangalore: Karnatakas chief minister Sadanand Gowda has approved Rs. 40 crores for the building of a Haj House near Hegde Nagar, a suburb of this city. Addressing the people after the land-digging function for the Haj House building, the chief minister said that the BJP government of the state has allocated an amount of Rs. 360 crores for the welfare of minorities for the current financial year. He further said that his government is promise-bound to make the Haj journey comfortable for Muslims, adding that he wants to see a Haj House in this city which is the best in the country. Educational loan to minorities, all backward classes New Delhi: Delhi government has given its approval for providing educational loans for pursuing technical and professional education to all boy and girl students belonging to minority communities as well as all backward classes. Delhi governments Development Authority Ltd. will provide educational loans to students belonging to minorities, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward clases and people in handicapped categories. Students coming to educational institutions in India for technical and professional education will be given such loans to the extent of Rs. 7 lakh and upto Rs. 15 lakh to students for acquiring such education in foreign countries. Government has laid emphasis on providing more benefits to students of Delhis historical and minority Jamia Millia Islamia University. Delhi governments approval to this effect has been communicated to Jamia Millia administration by (Delhi) Development Authority Ltd. It is said that Jamia administration has asked all its faculties and departments that in order to convey this information to all students studying in Jamia, this information should be displayed on their notice boards so that the maximum number of students of these categories could take advantage of this scheme so as to make their career and future bright. According to Jamia administration, information to this affect has already been obtained and Jamia is giving special emphasis to this scheme / plan. Under this scheme of educational loans, only the students getting professional and technical education within and outside the country and only in and from government educational institutions will get loans. The following conditions will have to be observed: Educational courses should meet the needs of modern times and employment-intensive. The institutions imparting such technical and professional education should be recognised by central or state governments and these courses must be in the process of being taught for at least the past three years. The duration of such courses should not be of more than five years. According to Delhi Development Authority Ltd. sources, for loans exceeding Rs. 50,000 interest at 6 percent and on loans above Rs. 5 lakh interest at 8 percent will be charged. Recovery of these educational loans will be made after exactly six months of completion of education or of getting a job. (Shakeel Ahmad Rahmani ) Communal tension after building of temple on govt land Deoband: Construction of a religious building for worship in violation of Supreme Court order and also without permission of local government authorities led to communal tension. People belonging to Hindu and Muslim communities assembled at that place and before the situation could take an ugly turn, police arrived at the scene and demolished the unauthorised structure and saved the situation from deteriorating. As per the information available, some religious function was going on for a couple of days near Deobands Anaaj ki Mandi at Balaji Dham which is situated on government land. Taking advantage of the dark of night, some people belonging to Balaji Dham built a chabootara at a vacant land and installed the statue of Shani god. When Muslims came to know about it, they assembled there in protest. Members of the majority community also assembled there in strength and began slogan shouting. Fearing a law and order problem, police arrived, and after stopping further work, demolished whatever had been built unauthorisedly. Subsequently, those people again tried to continue the construction work but because of police and local administrations strict action discontinued the work. Subsequently, Palika member Abdul Qadir said that all this is nuzool land i.e. government land of which the Nagar Palika has been taking care since long but illegal work was started on this land a few days ago. He further said that this work was being done in violation of the Supreme Courts order. These people were trying to mislead the local administration also. Deoband SDM also said that according to Supreme Courts order no religious building can be built without the courts permission. He further said that on the administrations instructions those people stopped further work and maintained status quo and hence no action is being taken against them.

Delhi Waqf Boards first priority is vacating of illegal occupations and increasing income
New Delhi: Chaudhari Mateen Ahmad, 4-time MLA from Seelampur constituency who was elected the new chairman of Delhi Waqf Board on 3rd January said after taking over his new assignment that his first priority would be to get illegal occupations of Waqf properties vacated and improve its financial condition by developing its properties and augmenting advertisement income etc. He said that Waqf properties mainly consist of mosques, dargahs, graveyards etc. in which there is not much scope of development nor are there possibilities of getting any income but it (income) will be generated by allowing advertisements and hoardings etc. on other Waqf properties and tenancy transfers, vacating of encroached lands. He said that last time when he was the chairman of this Board, income from these sources to the tune of about Rs. 7 crores were generated. Since the rents charged on Waqf properties are very low, Delhi government will be requested to exempt Waqf properties from Rent Control Act. Also, after tenancy transfers, higher rents will be charged from new tenants. In reply to a question about the disputed land at No. 142, Rouse Avenue (now Deen Dayal Upadhya Marg), he said that it is a graveyard land which is under Waqf Board but its ownership lies with Land and Development Board. We shall therefore demand that this land be handed over to Delhi Waqf Board which is its rightful owner. He said that we have a plan to build a multi-storeyed building on this plot where Waqf Boards own office as well as offices of Delhi Haj Committee, Urs Committee, Urdu Academy etc. could be accommodated at one place. About its expenses and welfare activities he said that previCharminars unique position Hyderabad: The famous historical building Charminar, symbol of Hyderabad city has been selected by Earth Platinum, the worlds largest atlas which has found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records even before its publication for a different reason, for inclusion in it. The photo of Charminar is the only picture from a large country like India which finds a place in this huge atlas which itself holds the record of being the largest book of the world, measuring 6 ftX9 ft and weighing 120 kgs. It is published by Millennium House, a publishing house of Sydney (Australia) and established by Gordon Cheers, the publisher. The atlas has 128 pages and for compiling it latest available technology for cartography i.e. map drawing and photography has been used. The photo of Charminar, taken by Hyderabad-based photographer D. Ravinder Reddy was selected from among thousands of photos from India for inclusion in this giant-sized atlas. Gordon cheers congratulated Ravinder Reddy for his photo of the Charminar being included in his atlas. Cheerful moms can keep nation happy: Kalam Former president Abdul Kalam while speaking at the NIE Newspapers meet 2012 organised by the Times of Indias Student Edition in the national capital on 16 January said that if my mother is happy, my home is happy. If my home is happy, society is happy. If society is happy the nation can also remain happy. The theme of the programme was Make Your Mother ous activities like assistance to the poor and widows etc. will continue but in addition to these, Waqf will provide scholarships to a large number of students for pursuing higher and technical education in the fields of computers. He said that advertisement rates on Waqf lands and properties would also be increased as many of Waqf properties are located at strategic places. New tenders will be floated to maximise income from this source. He said that encroached lands and properties will be got vacated and these will generate additional income. He said that many residential accommodations also have come up on Waqf lands and in that case we have no plans to evict them but will charge them higher rents on a mutually agreed basis. He said that one such place is Qurene in Bawana where about 500 multi-storeyed residential accommodations have been built on Waqf land. We would like these people to pay rent to the Waqf Board. He said that additional income generated by these methods will be primarily used on education and increasing avenues of employment. Scholarships will also be given to promising and meritorious students to encourage them to take up further studies in computer and other technical and advanced courses which would ensure better employment opportunities to the youth of the community. He said that Delhi Waqf Board would also propose setting up of a finance arm on the lines of Minority Finance Corporation that will help people in setting up business and industries on a small scale by providing financial help. He said that all these steps will be helpful in creating self employment to the entrepreneurs and jobs to other people. (NA Ansari) smile and speaking on the occasion Kalam urged the students to find ways and means by which they could bring a smile to the face of their mothers. Kalam said each one of us must ask the question: as to how he or she can be of help to others then only India can achieve Vision India 2020. Tragedy at Husain Tekri: 12 killed in stampede Jaora (Ratlam): Twelve persons were killed in a stampede at Husain Tekri, a Shia Muslim shrine, on the occasion of march on chool (bare foot march on glowing embers) on the occasion Chehallum of Karbala martyrs. Husain Tekri is revered equally by Sunnis as well as non-Muslims who throng there every Thursday for miracle healing. Physically handicapped, mentally disturbed and other persons in search of spiritual healing gather in their thousands on the Chehallum of Karbala martyrs. This year stampede began when the rush at Sakina gate became uncontrollable and the police had to struggle to control the crowd. While eight persons died on the spot, four others are reported to have succumbed to injuries at the district hospital at Ratlam. State authorities rushed to the site in addition to Sartaj Singh, minister incharge of Ratlam district. Top police and administration officers also arrived on the spot to supervise rescue operations while the district collector had sanctioned an exgratia relief of Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 5000 respectively to the kins of those who died and were injured. The state C.M. later on granted ex-gratia of Rs. one lakh for each deceased person. A magesterial probe has also been ordered.

Godhra still untouchable for Modi govt

The world was witness to the Nautunki of Gujarat CM Narendra Modis Sadbhavna upvaas at Ground Zero Godhra on 20 January where only a handful Muslims turned up to be counted with the Hindu posterboy. A couple of days back, a lot of excitement was created by the news that a large number of Muslims had joined the BJP and were going to accompany Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the fast venue. Embracing Muslims from Godhras Signal Falia area would indeed have been historic as they were labelled fundamentalists, anti-nationals and conspirators of the Godhra train burning incident in 2002. But no such historic event occurred when Modi fasted in the town. A few kilometres from Modis well-managed special fast venue, Signal Falia was seething with anger after the afternoon Namaaz. A handful did join but most stayed away. The majority of 50,000 strong Ghanchis are livid at being forced to live like pariahs. They were angry that all these years no one from the BJP or the state government had shown any sadbhavna by providing them with basic amenities such as supply of drinking water and a proper sewer instead of a gutter! The local people contributed Rs 2,000 per home to build their own sewage line. The municipality collects taxes from them and sends them bills but claims that their houses dont exist! . Faced with sub-human living conditions, residents of Signal Falia totally decried BJPs tall claims of integration of Muslims, their development and the idea of bringing them into the saffron fold without any discrimination. They alleged that the BJP had never reached out to them nor had it tried to include them in the Sadbhavana Mission or invited them to the fast. In fact, they allege that the earlier calm and secular fabric of coexistence with other communities was ripped apart and ghettos had come up because of Modis divisive politics, which continues, Sadbhavana mission notwithstanding. These ghettos and their residents have been systematically disconnected from the mainstream and treated like pariahs. Ashraf Chanda, an electrician who works in the area, says the BJPs claims that their workers are reaching out to Muslims are pure hogwash. They are working with people who were always inclined to the party; no one has come to Signal Falia to invite us to the Sadbhavana Fast. Three buses bearing Modis posters were reluctantly parked at Signal Falia in the morning, and some people joined of their own volition. But there has been no interaction, he said. To say that retired driver of Western Railway, Hussain Saif, is frustrated would be an understatement. Our children have grown up amidst this filth. Forget Sadbhavana and development; all we ask for is our basic human rights for clean water and gutter, he said. Several others sitting at a teastall on the crossroads of Signal Falia join Chanda in asserting this, but they do not want to be identified. At another adjoining Muslim ghetto, the scene was similar. Ismail Mainda claimed the difference between the streets of Signal Falia and other parts of Godhra was too obvious to be missed. Even sweepers and postmen are not allowed to come here. Our roads are not swept and no solid waste is collected from here. We have waited for 20 years. How much longer before we get drinking water and gutter system? he says. Maindas face is rather expressionless when he says other discriminations like unemployment continue to haunt their educated youth. There is nothing wrong with our boys, but they do not get jobs. The BJP has not come to include us in Sadbhavana Fast because they know they cannot walk on these filthy streets. They cannot face us. However, they would come unabashed seeking votes before polls, he adds. Ishaq Gheetelee, a rickshaw driver and resident of Mainda Plot, says their area has become notorious without any reason. There was never any communal hatred in Godhra before 2002. Incidents of untoward crime were never recorded from here, but after 2002, the BJP created such polarisation in the town that people started fearing us. Our businesses have also been affected. There is no hatred, but the discrimination by the establishment definitely continues. There is no inclusion from the BJP; all projections are superficial, he says. (AH Lakhani)

16 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

INTERNATIONAL

Racism, Capitalism, And Zionism Are The Worst Cancers

DR. SAWRAJ SINGH
ugo Chavez, aged 57, has hinted that America can somehow be responsible for the cancers affecting the leftist leaders in Latin America. He had colon cancer and now claims that he is free of cancer, after being treated in Cuba. Argentinas president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, aged 58, has thyroid cancer. Brazils President, Dilma Rousseff, aged 64, has lymphoma. The former President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, aged 66, had throat cancer. Paraguays President Fernando Lugo, aged 60, has lymphoma. Hugo Chavez said that the incidence of cancer in all of these people cannot be explained by the statistical probability factor. He said that may be someone (America) has developed a technology which is responsible for all of these cancers. America has strongly criticized such allegations. Victoria Nuland, spokesperson for the US State Department , strongly condemned Hugo Chavez for making such suggestions. Have the Americans or their ancestors, the English, done anything like this in the past? During the Second World War, the Americans and the English considered mixing Estrogen, the female hormone, in Hitlers food. They thought that this could reduce his aggressive tendencies. The Germans tested Hitlers food for poison, but they would not have thought that someone could mix Estrogen in his food. It clearly shows that the Americans and the English can go to any length to win a war (Brian Ford, Secret Weapons: Technology, Science And The Race To Win World War II). The Americans and the English have used doctors and the health care system to kill or weaken their enemies. For example, the British, in the Siege of Fort Pitt in 1763, under General Jeffrey Amherst, Colonel Henry Bouquet, and Captain Simeon Ecuyer, used blankets contaminated with small pox to kill the indigenous Native Americans who had captured the Fort and were putting up fierce resistance. Before the white man came to America, the Native Americans never had small pox. Therefore, they did not have immunity against small pox. The white man brought many diseases to the Native Americans besides small pox, such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and other venereal diseases. This is the true contribution of the white man to the Americas, in addition to bringing selfishness, extreme individualism, greed, and arrogance. After the Second World War, the German doctors were tried for carrying out experiments on prisoners. However, the American doctors were doing the same before and continued to do so long after the war was over. In America, things were worse because these experiments were mainly conducted on the poor and the black and Latino prisoners. There are some people who think that the AIDS epidemic did not spread from the simians (monkeys) to human beings in Africa, but was deliberately spread by human subjects in the Belgian Congo who were injected with an experimental oral polio vaccine by European scientists such as Hilary Koprowski (Edward Hooper, The River: A Journey Back to the Source of HIV and AIDS).

Bendib

Even now, the American doctors continue to discriminate against the minority patients and their minority colleagues. Besides the police and other law-enforcing agencies, the American doctors are the biggest advocates of the extreme rightist, racist, and fascist policies. They were the main supporters of the Jingoist, Chauvinist and anti-people policies of President Bush. Whether America is responsible for causing cancer in the leftist Latin American leaders can be debated. However, there can be hardly any question about America being the Mother of the cancers of racism, capitalism, and Zionism. Racism and capitalism work hand-in-glove. The European colonialists justified enslaving other nations by creating the myth of the superiority of the white race against the other races. They believed that the white race was more civilized than the other races .They tried to deceive the other people by claiming that they were conquering the other races to make them more civilized. In the mid- nineteenth century (1854), Dr. Josiah Clark Nott and George Gliddon co-authored the volume Types of Mankind, which propagated racial theories that defended the subjugation of non-white races by white people. It is pertinent to mention here that Dr. Josiah Clark Nott was a famous physician, surgeon, founder of the Medical College of Alabama, and proud owner of nine African-American slaves. However, it is the pure greed which led the European colonialists to conquer the other nations. Nothing can be further from the truth than the claim that the white race is more civilized than the other races. The most barbaric and heinous crimes were and still continue to be committed by the white race in the last two centuries under colonialism and imperialism. The American contribution to the two cancers of racism and capitalism is that it added the third cancer, the cancer of Zionism, to the other two. America has out-performed its European ancestors by becoming the most cancerous society in the world as far as Racism, Capitalism and Zionism are concerned. Why did the cancer of Zionism spread to America? The answer can be found in the American history. The American whites are different than their European ancestors. The bulk of American whites were made from the people who could not make it in Europe. They were underachievers. The other category was the criminals and undesirable people who the Europeans wanted to get rid of. Whereas Australia was an openly-declared penal colony, America, for all practical purposes, was considered a penal colony by the Europeans. The Jews were and still are able to monopolize most of the academic and intellectually demanding positions. It is very interesting to compare the percentage of Jews amongst doctors, attorneys, university professors, and scientists in America to any European country, and even to Canada. The truth is that the Jews are represented in far greater numbers in these professions than their population in America (the same is becoming true of the Indians now). The result of this situation is that America has taken an anti-Islamic, anti-Palestinian and antiArab stand, as compared to Europe or Canada. The European and the Canadian policies towards the Jews and Arabs (Muslims) have been relatively more balanced than America. The present economic crisis has shown that American hegemony and the American Era are coming to an end very soon, most likely in the second decade of the twentyfirst century. The world is finally going to be free from the cancers of Racism, Capitalism, and Zionism. Finally, we are going to enter a new phase where all people, regardless of their race, religion, caste, region, country, color, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or political orientation will be considered e q u a l .
(http://thelinkpaper.ca/?p=13153)

Iran war could end life on earth

former American official has warned that the United States wants to blame Israel for Washingtons possible war on Iran that could end life on earth. US warnings to Israel for not attacking Iran is to avoid responsibility for the war Washington has prepared, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Paul Craig Roberts wrote in an article on Global Research. If the war gets out of hand, and if Russia and China intervene or nukes start flying, Washington wants the blame to rest on Israel, and Israel seems willing to accept the blame, Craig Roberts said. Last week, The Wall Street Journal said the US has privately sought assurances from Israeli leaders that they will not take military action against Iran. But the Israeli response has been noncommittal. The US analyst also used a few examples to show that the White House has prepared for an all-out war against Iran. If Washington did not want war with Iran it would not have provided the necessary weapons to Israel. It would not have deployed thousands of US troops to Israel, he argued. Washington would not have built a missile defense system for Israel and would not be conducting joint exercises with the Israeli military to make sure it works, Craig Roberts added. He said, Washington wont prevent the war that it so fervently desires. Neither will Washingtons NATO puppets. Great Britain does as it is told, subservient and occupied Germany, bankrupt France, Italy occupied with US air bases with a government infiltrated by the CIA, bankrupt Spain and Greece will all, in hopes of an outpouring of US dollars and devoid of any dignity or honor, support the new war that could end life on earth, Craig Roberts added.

Israel to Give Obama 12 Hours Notice on Attacking Iran

Israel told visiting US Gen. Dempsey that Obama would get no more than 12 hours notice before an attack on Iran, the London Times reports.
sraeli officials told visiting USS Chief Joint of Staffs Martin Dempsey that it would give President Barack Obama no more than 12 hours notice if and when it attacks Iran, The London Times reported 22 January. The Netanyahu government also will not coordinate with the United States an attack on the Islamic Republic, according to the report, the latest in a number of suposed scenarios concerning cooperation or lack of it between Jerusalem and Washington. It is left to speculation whether the rumors are based on facts or are leaked by officials to mask the possibility of secret military coordination. The London Times said its sources explained that that Israel fears that President Obama would try to torpedo an Israel attack if more notice were given because he is concerned that Iran will respond by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a rise in the price of oil that could cripple Western economies. If the attack were to occur in the next 10 months, it would put President Obama in a tight spot on the eve of his bid for re-election. President Shimon Peres told Dempsey, I am sure that in this fight [against Iran] we will emerge victorious. It is a fight that does not belong exclusively to the United States or Israel, but a global struggle to create a safe world for all peoples. Dempsey, on his first official visit to Israel, was wined and dined by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gants, who went so far as to arrange an IDF orchestra rendition of song made famous by Frank Sinatra, one of Dempseys favorite singers. Dempsey tried to play down the postponement of what was billed as the largest-ever joint military drill between the Israeli and American armies, involving thousands of U. S. Army soldiers. Published reasons for the delay have ranged from budgetary constraints, logistical problems to a signal from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that he distrusts President Obamas commitment to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Dempsey maintained that the delay, which was announced by Israel, will give both countries more time to prepare and achieve a better outcome. The top American general left Israel on Friday, before the Sabbath began. (Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu israelnationalnews.com)

Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F. I. C. S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at sawrajsingh@hotmail.com

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The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012 17

INTERNATIONAL

Israel pushing US to attack Iran

Like in 2003, Israeli and its allied lobbies in the US are pressurising the US to attack Iran.
ussian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev has said the threat of a US military attack against Iran, heavily supported by the US Israeli lobby, is escalating. Patrushev, who served as Director of Russias Federal Security Service, the FSB from 1999 to 2008, believes the United States may get itself involved in yet another war, at least partially due to Israeli influence. There is a likelihood of a military conflict escalation, to which the Americans are being pushed by Israel, he said in an interview with Interfax. Americans who identify themselves as Jewish (but not necessarily religiously) are estimated at 6,489,000 (2.2% of the population) according to the US Census Bureau. Yet despite these modest numbers, Israel enjoys what could be described as disproportionate influence in US politics due to lobbying groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Some researchers argue that the US decision to invade Iraq, for example, was largely motivated by pressure from these proIsraeli groups. There is little doubt that Israel and the Lobby were key factors in shaping the decision for war, argue John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt in a working paper published by the London Review of Books. Without the Lobbys efforts, the United States would have been far less likely to have gone to war in March 2003. More recently, the Republican Jewish Coalition declined to invite Texas Congressman Ron Paul - a top Republican contender to run against US President Barack Obama in November

- to its presidential candidates forum, citing his misguided and extreme views. Paul is a strong advocate for auditing the Federal Reserve, as well as ending Americas preoccupation with occupying foreign countries. He has also gone on the record as saying he would not support an attack on Iran, the only Republican candidate to make such a promise. Paul told Iowa voters that he was against launching a preemptive strike on Iran because they dont threaten our national security. If some other country thought they had to go to war with (Iran), that is their business, he said, adding there is no proof Iran is building a nuclear weapon. Despite the US mainstream medias tendency to ignore Ron Paul, his bring home the troops message has found a receptive audience in the US, as many Americans are tired of watching their tax dollars fly out the window to fight foreign wars. Yet the US military juggernaut continues. Just as the Bush administrations democracy-building rhetoric got Washington deeply involved in Iraq, Patrushev says the new occupants of the White House are looking to turn Iran into a loyal partner. At the moment, the US views Iran as its main problem, he said. They are seeking to turn Tehran, their enemy, into a loyal partner, and for that purpose to change the ruling regime there by any means. Russia, China, India and a number of other countries are making efforts to resolve the Iranian problem peacefully and ami-

cably. The result of these efforts has so far been insignificant because neither the US, nor Iran, seem very keen on it, albeit for various reasons, the Security Council secretary says. Various strategies - some obvious, others not - are being employed to end the showdown without resorting to violence. Economic sanctions are being applied, as is massive support for opposition forces, which can conduct a colored revolution there, noted the Russian Security Council secretary. Unfortunately, tensions around Iran are not easing, Patrushev concluded. (rt.com)

Will The US Accept The Islamists?

Hosni Mubarak and other Arab leaders relied for decades on a straightforward mantra: Its me or the Islamists. American presidents and other Western leaders shuddered at the word Islamists and embraced their American puppets and self-serving tyrants in order to have the death hold domination and hegemony on the economy, politics and military . What could be worse than Islamists? This was an unethically selfish question posed by Washingtons Political Administration for the past 50 years or so. The events of 2011 have turned Arab politics upside down, U. S. policymakers are facing what they hate most: irrelevance. Those people in the Arab world who were so long ignored by American public diplomacy are finally gaining power, as evidenced by the successes of the Ennahda Party in Tunisia, which won 40 percent of the vote in that countrys first free elections, and the Freedom and Justice Party, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, in Egypt which will be the dominant force in Egypts new parliament. In Morocco, Libya, and elsewhere, once marginalized Islamists also find themselves in the mainstream. Those designing U. S. public diplomacy must quickly bring major changes in their attitudes and their work to better reach the newly empowered and assertive mass Islam based publics. US political administration is going to have to figure out how to deal with democratic governments that dont espouse every policy or value that the neo-cons have. The United States needs to deal with the new reality. Are Muslim nations like Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Malaysia thrown to the winds simply because these democratic countries integrate valid and appropriate Shariah law as part of their constitution? For the United States to refuse to work with Islamists would mean having no clout within the transformed Arab world. The diplomatic imperative is clear: Accept the results of democratic elections and build new relationships. Do not try to sabotage the democratic movements as you did in Iran in 1953 and Algeria in 1991 and recently in Palestine with Hamas. Did not the Americans work with the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan in the 1980s? Those in the policy community who continue to flirt with the Egyptian military and other remnants of the ancient regime cling to the idea that money will prevail over all else -- that U. S. aid will prove so alluring that Arab states will conform to American interests as they have done in the past. That outlook is going to fail. Are the Western sources going to be hostile to the new Islam based political trends in the Middle East.

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18 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan's Woes Have American Overtones

KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
Ask a Pakistani to describe the countrys mounting raft of problems in one sentence, and his answer would be: its all about a letter. The letter in reference is the one the present government in power in Islamabad is required, by the apex court of the country, to write to the courts in Switzerland to reopen the money laundering cases against Pakistans robber-baron President Asif Ali Zardari. Theres a history to this riddle of a letter. It goes back to the twilight days of General Pervez Musharraf, the disgraced former autocrat of Pakistan. In 2007, he was close to completing his 5-year stint as President of Pakistan, a stint hed virtually stolen from the people of Pakistan in a fraudulent referendum in 2002. Musharraf seized power in a bloodless military coup detat in October 1999. He then went before the then supine and obliging Supreme Court of Pakistan to get constitutional validation for his unconstitutional act. The court favoured him under an infamous tool of convenience, the so-called law of necessity. His unlawful seizure of power was validated but, for a fig-leaf, the court asked him to get the people of Pakistans verdict, too. The ambitious general saw no problem in that; he managed the states power to ensure that the people didnt inconvenience him. However, by 2007-when he needed another vote from a parliament that hed defied and openly denigrated as uncivilizedthe ground realities in Pakistan had undergone a sea-change. The parliament nearing its own end was hostile and it was uncertain that it would give him a yes vote without problem. But much more inimical to him was Pakistans newborn electronic media-entirely in the hands of the private sector-which was also rapidly shoring up the peoples vaulting discontent against Musharrafs corruption-ridden cronyism. For Musharraf, on top of everything else, the most uncertain factor standing like a colossus in the way of his re-election without trouble was the Supreme Court, which over the years had morphed itself into a robustly independent court that didnt shy away from asserting its role as the guardian of law and interpreter of the countrys constitution. In the courts context, Musharrafs biggest headache was its Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, who was too independentminded and judicious to be of any help to Musharraf if he thought of resorting to any ultra-constitutional means of staying in power. From the autocrats narrow angle it was as good as finding himself hopelessly marooned in a blind alley. But Musharraf was too addicted to power to reconcile easily to the inevitable, i.e. his imminent political demise. The commando that he was by training in the military, he tried to use his strong muscles to shoot his way out of trouble. Musharraf tried to bulldoze the apex court and fire its chief justice. But that desperate ditch attempt boomeranged against him and invited, in backlash, the wrath of the people. In the meantime, however, Musharrafs American friends and mentors had come up with another novel idea, that took its inspiration from a formula of powersharing. The other party in the Washington-engineered deal for Musharraf was Benazir Bhutto, Pakistans charismatic leader who had been in self-exile for several years and had been using her wilderness to cultivate the Americans. She had a crystal clear perception of power in the context of Pakistan and knew that the road to power led via Washington, as per the history of Pakistan. The Americans knew exactly how they wanted to ensure political tranquility in Pakistan so that their front-rank ally in the ongoing war against terror would continue to stick its neck out on their behalf. They wanted

Memo-gate, on which a good deal has already been written in these columns, is a product of Pakistani politicos unhealthy reliance on their pay-masters and mentors in Washington to bail them out of any tight spots, or unsavory situations. With nearly all of its sordid details already in the public domain, it's a case, in the layman's conventional wisdom, of a corrupt and discredited bunch of inept Pakistani rulers running to their American patrons and pay-masters for succor against their own army for its alleged plans to unseat them from power.
a loyal Musharraf to stay in his seat of power for another term byt not as its sole wielder and custodian. They had their finger on the pulse of Pakistan and knew perfectly well that their loyal vassal was no longer popular with the people and couldnt be banked upon to steer Pakistan in the direction they wanted without opposition from its masses. The power-sharing formula worked out by the Americans gave Benazir Bhutto an equal share in power with Musharraf, hoping that BBs charisma and popularity would make up for Musharrafs declining graph and keep the US fully in control of Pakistans affairs. Washington was guided by the mantra that power shared between two loyalists was a safer bet than relying on a discredited autocrat on a slippery slope. But BB demanded her own pound of flesh before signing on to the dotted lines. The price BB demanded in return for providing her crutches to a tottering dictator was a blank cheque for her notoriously infamous and avaricious spouse, Asif Ali Zardari. The thieving spouse had robbed Pakistan of billions of dollars in the two terms that his wife had been PM of Pakistan. All that loot was sitting pretty overseas-largely in Europe and USin bank lockers, investment portfolios and glitzy real estates. BB sought white paint for all that ill-begotten black money. Musharraf, in dire straits and fully focused on his one-point agenda of survival, obliged his putative partner-in-power by damning Pakistan and foisting on it the now infamous National Reconciliation Order (NRO) that has since become a bone of contention between various contenders of power and influence in Pakistan. Musharrafs unilateral and arbitrary NRO became a boon for BBs shaded spouse, Zardari, and his cabal of corrupt cronies, as it wiped the slate of corruption and moneyembezzlement cases against them squeaking clean. The notorious ordinance shelved all court cases against the gang of robbers and handed them a clean bill of health. They were, by virtue of this act, as good as newly-born, without any blemish or black spot on their resume. However, the loathed and universallyreviled (in Pakistan) NRO was struck down as illegal and unwarranted by the Supreme Court, as soon as it had been liberated and rehabilitated to its erstwhile independence after the fall of Musharraf. The apex court, in a unanimous verdict in November 2009, not only threw out the wily dictators black law but also asked the government in power to write to the Swiss authorities to ignore Musharrafs decision to suspend all money-laundering cases against the Pakistani robber-barons and reopen those cases. Its been nearly 26 months since the courts explicit order to the government to reopen the corruption cases in Switzerland but the government hasnt moved an inch on its part. Why the government of Pakistan is so reluctant to act on the courts directive is not a mystery. The cases that the apex court wants reopened have Zardari-who succeeded Musharraf as Pakistan head of state-at their centre. There are dozens of cases registered in Swiss courts against the philandering Zardari who, since ascending to the highest office of Pakistan, is no longer known as Mr. Ten Percent ( his old sobriquet) but as Mr. Cent Percent, for the wholesale loot and plunder of the countrys fortunes that has become a norm under him. Its understandable that Zardari, or his hand-picked and imbecile PM Yusuf Raza Gilani, would rather defy the directives of the apex court than commit what would be certain political death for them. It was in this background that the Supreme Court of Pakistan had summoned PM Gilani to appear before it and answer the courts query why he shouldnt be declared in contempt of the court because of unabashed defiance of its decisions and verdicts in the NRO proceedings? ilani did appear before the court on the appointed date to seek extra time for preparing his reply to the courts questions. The court didnt give him all the time he requested for but has still given his lawyer a fortnight to prepare his reply and appear before the court again on January 30. Its hard to say, at this stage, if the court would be inclined to give the power barons any more time than what it has favoured them with already with generosity. By the same stroke, it would be premature to predict the courts ultimate verdict in the contempt of court proceedings against Gilani. In the event of the court finding him in contempt, Gilani will see his political career coming to an early demise. In the meantime, the Zardari-Gilani duo has also tied itself into many loops, vis--vis the countrys powerful and highly disciplined armed forces; and that, too, has come to pass entirely because of the baneful influence of Washington over Pakistan. The so-called Memo-gate scandal, surfacing in the past three months, has quickly engulfed Pakistan like a brush-fire rapidly consuming a whole forest. Memo-gate, on which a good deal has already been written in these columns, is a product of Pakistani politicos unhealthy reliance on their pay-masters and mentors in Washington to bail them out of any tight spots, or unsavory situations. With nearly all of its sordid details already in the public domain, its a case, in the laymans conventional wisdom, of a corrupt and discredited bunch of inept Pakistani rulers running to their American patrons and pay-masters for succor against their own army for its alleged plans to unseat them from power. Sealing the fate of the Zardari-Gilani clan and their underlings at the bar of the peoples verdict-though a verdict in the countrys highest court may still take some time-is the added impact of the highly negative perception of US in popular imagination as a principal culprit and villain for much of whatever is wrong in Pakistan today. In the popular perception the list of US crimes is long and well catalogued. Musharrafs NRO was made in Washington, the peoples sense says, and so if Zardari and Gilani are making a mockery of Pakistan its all because of US. Pakistan has become a killing field and favourite hunting grounds for the murderous Pakistani Taliban-and the toll it has taken of innocent Pakistani lives runs into tens of thousands-because Pakistan has been pandering to US in its so-called war on terror. Thousands of Pakistanis have been killed in the drone attacks unleashed by Washington without mercy, and the democratic government, headed by Zardari-whos a votary of US-has added to the suffering of the people by remaining criminally mum on the issue and doing nothing to keep the US punishment of the innocent citizens at bay. US has been at the back of the ZardariGilani duos defiance of the apex court, and, lately, open hostility to the countrys armed forces, because it wants to humiliate the much-disciplined Pakistan army for its temerity of standing up for Pakistans honour, name and dignity, and the rights of its people. By the same token, the people of Pakistan have been at one in their unqualified approbation of the steps the highest judicial organ of the state, as well as the Pakistani armed forces, have taken to hold the US Quislings in the so-called democratic government accountable for their blatant pandering to Washington and disregard of the peoples will. Political pundits in Pakistan and abroad may think and argue that the people of Pakistan are too simplistic and nave in their prognosis of what bewails Pakistan. However, to the people of Pakistan what matters most is the glaring ground realities of their terrain and the conduct and performance of their rulers. And when argued on this basis, the peoples verdict that much of Pakistans woe-betide history has its provenance in Washington maes a lot of common sense, even though the pundits, hooked on their crystal balls, may think otherwise.

'Majority of Gitmo prisoners innocent'

Wednesday, 11 January 2012, was probably just another day for the inmates of Guantanamo Bay. They may not even know that people around the world are campaigning for them. But as far afield as London, demonstrations are held to demand the release of the 171 men still held without trial in the Cuban camp, some for the entire 10 years. To me, as an American, it means weve been holding men, 171 men still, for 10 years, without fair trial and without access to lawyers for a large amount of that time, a Reprieve paralegal, Cortney Busch, told RT. To me, as a human being, and as their lawyer, it means that these men dont know if, or when, theyre going to leave Guantanamo. One of those men is Shaker Aamer, who has earned the dubious distinction of being the last British resident held in Guantanamo. He was in Afghanistan on 9/11, he says doing charity work, digging wells and building a girls school in Kabul. When the US invasion began, Aamer went into hiding from an increasingly wary Northern Alliance. But his freedom did not last - Shakers supporters maintain he was sold for a bounty. He went into the hands of the Northern Alliance, who were warlords, basically, and then sold to the Americans, says Joy Hurcombe, a chair of the Save Shaker Aamer campaign. And as it happens, Shaker Aamer has lived in America, and has an American accent, and he actually thought: Oh, the Americans, thank goodness, theyll save me from the torture. Hed had months of torture by then. But no, he was transported to Guantanamo. And there he has remained, despite President Obamas original election pledge to close Guantanamo altogether, despite being cleared for release, and despite being a legal permanent resident in the UK, with a family in London, which includes one son he has never even seen. And far from moving closer to being freed, Shakers supporters see worrying developments in the USs attitude to extra-judicial detention. Obama recently signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which places domestic terror investigations into the hands of the military, and extends a ban on transferring prisoners out of Guantanamo. The proper way to deal with terrorism is under the normal criminal law and not to have this legal black hole which Guantanamo and the military commissions have represented, Baroness Ludford, MEP, told RT. And Im very sorry indeed that Obama, for reasons of lack of political will, or inability to deliver, has not lived up to that promise. And indeed, hes now proposing to put American citizens into trials in military commissions, which are very far from being fair trials with due process.

The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012 19

BOOKS

Americas endless war on terror

Book: Sitting on BAYONETS: Americas endless war on terror and the paths to peace Author: Keith Spicer Paes: 392 pages. Price: $16.99. Publishers: Createspace (available from Amazon Books).

M. AZHAR ALI KHAN

This book argues that the U.S. is hurting itself and the world by its militaristic foreign policy, particularly its war on terror. The author, a brilliant Canadian intellectual, has produced a masterly analysis that diagnoses whats wrong with the American approach and suggests ways about how the U.S. can help build a safer, and better, world for itself and others. Spicer has done extensive research and thinking, and shown courage, in analyzing todays challenges. He spares none in lashing at policies that have only produced conflicts, misery and suffering for millions of human beings. He suggests practical ways to make the world better and fairer for all. Spicers main barbs are directed at the U.S. -- in recent decades militarism has become an unchallengeable, bankrupting orthodoxy of Americas public discourse. Today it virtually defines U.S. foreign policy. But he does not shy away from lashing at the damaging policies of other countries also. Spicer recalls, for example, that in every field of the arts, literature, science, technology and even agriculture, Muslims fed and led Western thinkers for centuries ... While many Europeans were running around in animals skins, a Muslim elite in Spain -and in Baghdad -- was inventing the modern world, their Arabic works translated into several languages, including Latin and Hebrew. Compare that with the situation today: In too many Muslimmajority countries, corruption is rampant, free speech denied, torture common, poverty endemic, education stunted. Spicer says that Americans learn about the world from journalists, teachers, preachers, entertainers, intellectuals and politicians who try to convince Americans that their country is right even when its plainly wrong. Spicer criticizes the intellectual terrorism that skews Americans thinking about the world. It is close to suicidal in U.S. journalism to report that most of the world, Muslim or not, sees the brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine as an aggravating cause of Islamic terrorism throughout the world. He notes that the U.S.Israeli relationship includes a huge component of U.S. taxpayers military aid: at least half of the $106 billion of U.S. aid to Israel has gone to military use. And American military aid for 2013-2018 will amount to an average of $3.15 billion per year. He asserts that U.S. generals have started to recognize that Americans are dying in Afghanistan, as in Iraq, at least partly because of Israeli behavior in Palestine. But he does not think that the U.S. media will have the courage soon to report more fairly on Israel and Palestine. Spicer argues that the US. would have to forcefully promote a just peace in the Middle East because the only alternative would be war without end. Hundreds of millions of Muslims see America as an accomplice of brutal colonialism, because it finances and arms the Israelis unconditionally. Jihadists everywhere -- including in the cities of Europe and North America -vow vengeance not just on Israel, not just on America, but on the entire West. He hopes that the Arab Spring would make serious negotiations with the Palestinians more attractive to Israelis. The Kashmir dispute is another threat to world peace, Spicer argues, in urging the U.S. to seek to bring about a peaceful settlement that takes into consideration the interests of India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris. He recognizes that, like the Middle East, this is a complex, festering dispute. But, as in the Middle East, the only alternative to not finding a solution would be a tense peace, perhaps a disastrous war by nucleararmed countries and, in the meantime, people in both countries will suffer and precious resources will go to oiling war machines. In 2009, the world spent over $1.5 trillion on defence while education, health, jobs and basic needs of millions of people everywhere were neglected. He called this situation not just immoral but self-defeating. The U.S. is being forced to reconsider its policies, Spicer argues. China holds over $900-billion in U.S. Treasury Bills and has begun to replace America as the worlds economic master. The U.S. not only faces a recession but also annual over-trillion-dollar deficits at least as far as the next decade. Spicer does not see an easy way out. But he argues that the status quo is not sustainable. He pleads for the U.S. to push for a just settlement in the Middle East, where its huge

Spicer argues that the US. would have to forcefully promote a just peace in the Middle E a s t because the only alternative would be war without end. Hundreds of millions of Muslims see America as an accomplice of brutal colonialism, because it finances and arms the Israelis unconditionally. Jihadists everywhere -- including in the cities of Europe and North America -- vow vengeance not just on Israel, not just on America, but on the entire West. He hopes that the Arab Spring would make serious negotiations with the Palestinians more attractive to Israelis...The U.S. is being forced to reconsider its policies, Spicer argues. China holds over $900-billion in U.S. Treasury Bills and has begun to replace America as the worlds economic master. The U.S. not only faces a recession but also annual over-trillion-dollar deficits at least as far as the next decade.
aid to Israel gives it considerable clout, in Kashmir and in Afghanistan by seeking a settlement with the participation of all parties that are involved, including neighboring countries. The U.S. should base its foreign policy on respecting other countries independence, just aspirations, and culture and assist them by promoting education, human rights, including and particularly for women, freer trade that permits developing countries to export their finished products, economic development and a just social order. This will be a radical departure from the present U.S. militarism. But this is the only way, Spicer argues, to save the U.S. and the world from disaster. It is hard to disagree. Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan is a retired Canadian journalist, civil servant and refugee judge

Author: Subhash Gatade Publisher: Three Essays Collective (www. threeessays. com) Pages: pp x+478, includes index ISBN: 978-81-88789-75-7 Price: Rs 500

THE SAFFRON CONDITION Politics of Repression and Exclusion in Neoliberal India

Subhash Gatade focuses on the right wing thrust in Indian polity during the first decade of the 21st century. His writings show that the ultra-right and Hindu nationalist political formations may have temporarily lost out in the race to retain governmental power at the Centre and may appear in disarray, but the agenda of the RSS sponsored Hindutva project for the Hindu rashtra is very much in the reckoning and enjoys widespread State complicity. The impact of neo-liberalism and majoritarianism and their consequences for democracy and human rights are meticulously documented. Above all, he shows what happens when dreams are deferred. No concerned citizen or student of contemporary India can afford to miss reading this book. The essays in this book are organized in three sections: 1. Saffronization and the Neoliberal State 2. Logic of Caste in New India 3. State and Human Rights Subhash Gatade is a well-known journalist, left-wing thinker and human rights activist. He edits Sandhan, a Hindi journal, and is author of Pahad Se Uncha Admi, a book on Dasrath Majhi for children, and Godses Children: Hindutva Terror in India (Pharos).

Sitaaron se Aagey
By Naseema Hurzuk
The incredible story of Naseema who, at age 16, became wheelchair-bound and spent days crying and thinking of suicide, but Alhamdulillah, today she runs one of the countrys largest organisations for the physically challenged and has helped thousands of handicapped stand on their feet.
Pages: 272 / Price: Rs 150 Language: Urdu Binding: PB ISBN: 817221054X Publishers: Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd Ordering details on page 20

Correction
Book details of the book review on this page in MG 1-15 January 2012 should be as follows: Book: Shivaji na hote to (Hindi) Author: Narsinh Joshi Publisher: Archana prakashan, Bhopal Year: 2008 Price: 35 Pages: 112 The error is regretted (Editor)

20 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

Books from Pharos Media, publishers of MG

ENGLISH
M.A. Roshash Islamic Company Law (Rule of companies in Islamic fiqh - a comparative fiqhi study 302 pages Rs 600/d20 Russian Military Intelligence (GRU) daily reports on the Iraq war (Compiled by Zafarul-Islam Khan) 112pp, Rs 75/d 10 Shamsul Islam, Golwalkars We or our nationhood defined: A critique with the full text of the book, 200pp, Rs 150/d 15 Islamic economics, banking and finance (Special issue of MAP), 200pp., Rs 175/d 15 Irfan, Punchline (cartoons), 112 pp., Rs 50/d4 Zafarul-Islam Khan (ed.), Palestine Documents 1897-1998 894 pp. (HB), (Out of print) Ram Puniyani, Terrorism: Facts Vs Myths Kamaluddin Ahmed Assams Doubtful Citizens : Fact or Fiction? 62 pages Rs 60/d 5 Zafarul-Islam Khan, Hijrah in Islam 96 pp (Out of print) 398 pp (Out of print) Zafarul-Islam Khan, At the threshold of a new millennium 32 pp., Rs 20/d3 IK Shukla Hindutva: Treason & Terrorism 184 pages Rs 130/d10 Subhash Gatade Godses Children: Hindutva Terror in India 400 pages Rs 360/d 15

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ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Islam and Economic Justice

ASGHAR ALI ENGINEER
ustice is one of the central Islamic values and any economic system which is not based on justice cannot be acceptable to Islam. The Quran greatly emphasizes distributive justice and expresses its full and unqualified support for weaker sections of society which the Quran calls Mustadafun and condemns arrogant ruling classes (called Mustakbirun) who suppress the weaker sections. I was inspired to write this piece by the movement launched in America which has spread to other parts of the world, especially Europe. This movement raised an interesting slogan we are ninety nine per cent since, leaders of this movement maintain, one percent Americans have cornered all the wealth, depriving 99% people of America of their just rights. Hundreds of people wearing badges we are 99% and carrying placards with similar slogans gathered in Wall Street which is the financial hub of America and also occupied other strategic places. In America, which is the fortress of capitalism, profit is the only sacred word and distributive justice almost a dirty word. In America, freedom is considered a very fundamental right and value but this freedom was hardly inclusive of freedom to be socialist, much less communist. It is from this same America that a movement has started which is supporting socialism and distributive justice and is opposing concentration of wealth and such heavy concentration that one percent Americans have amassed almost the entire wealth of the American people. It would be very interesting to compare what was happening in Mecca before the rise of Islam. Mecca was a centre of international trade and finance and various tribal chiefs had formed inter-tribal corporation to monopolise this trade and were accumulating wealth and neglecting the tribal morality to look after weaker sec-

tions. In other words, like in our own times, globalization and liberalization of economy allowed few people to accumulate wealth in Mecca too, before the rise of Islam, polarization between the rich and poor had greatly increased leading to social tensions. Social tensions had become very explosive and has been very vividly described in Surah no.104 of the Quran. This Surah says man accumulates wealth and counts it again and again and thinks that this wealth will make him eternal. But surely he will be thrown into Hutumah. What is Hutumah? It is burning fire which will engulf his heartYet in another Meccan surah the Quran says, Dont you see the man who belies Deen. It is this man who pushes away the orphans and does not exhort people to feed the poor and deprives people of their small needs. (Surah 107). Before the rise of Islam, Mecca had become the centre of world trade and finance as most of the international caravans laden with luxury goods passed through that town and tribal chiefs, who first acted as guides for crossing the vast desert between Mecca and the border of Roman Empire, slowly became expert traders themselves and they became greedy for more wealth and kept on reinvesting their resources in trade to make yet more profit. This dynamics of trade and profit kept them so engaged that in Surah 102, the Quran says that your riches have made you quite negligent of your duties till you visit your graves. While this dominant section of Meccan tribal chiefs were becoming super-rich, the poor, the orphans, widows and slaves were being totally neglected and exploited to accumulate more riches. They were leading lives of poverty and deprivation. Nothing moved the rich whereas there was earlier no concept of poor in a tribal society. It was in this background that such verses were revealed in the Quran. Justice is so central in Quranic ethics that Allahs name is Adil (Just). The Quran says, Do Justice, it is closest to piety (5:8).

Thus there was complete absence of distributive justice on one hand, and concentration of wealth, on the other. Compare this with what is happening in America now. Wealth has got so concentrated in the hands of 1% that 99% people are feeling the heat, losing jobs and homes, and living a life of starvation in a country where in the midst of plenty people had forgotten what a life of poverty is. It is under these circumstances that this movement was started and thousands of people are demonstrating on Wall street or at many other strategic places. Of course the media is not interested in such movements which expose the weaknesses of the capitalist system and hence does not report much. Only occasionally it is compelled to write about it without making it very prominent in print as well as the electronic media. I need not say much about who controls the media. In those days in Mecca there was neither democracy, nor awareness about ones rights, nor any democratic movements and so only way to make people aware of their rights was divine revelation and hence the Quran, an instrument of divine revelation through Muhammad (pbuh) these verses were revealed condemning concentration of wealth and deprivation of people. These verses created awareness among the faithful about distributive justice. It is also important to note that the Quran is in favour of needbased life and opposes the concept of greed-based or luxurious life. It clearly says give away what is left with you after fulfilling your needs (what is called by the Quran (Afw). However, Muslims, except a few followers of the Prophet (pbuh) during his life and for a few years thereafter, never practiced it. In fact, many companions of the Prophet (pbuh) considered it sinful to drink water in gold or silver vessels. But this was short-lived. If Muslims had taken these verses seriously and put them into practice, they would have been the role model to the world of distributive justice and a conflict-free world, a world without wars and bloodshed, a peaceful world where everyone would have felt secure and peaceful, a real paradise on earth. But America, in order to make the lives of its own people a life of plenty made the whole earth a hell. spread on the Subcontinent, I gather one very important aspect out of the whole thing: The prevalent situation of the then Subcontinent. With utmost respect to Hinduism, I must say that thered not been a definite binding faith on the Subcontinent for a very long time. There was a loose spiritual atmosphere prevalent in that era. Islam integrated that loose religious vein and gave a concrete form to believe in with its innate adaptability. - Sir Hamilton Gibb, The Greatness Of Islam, first published in The Readers Digest, 1949 After going through the above-mentioned views of non-Muslim scholars, ones bound to believe that very many prevalent misnotions about Islams spread and influence on the subcontinent are fallacious. I, too, as an advanced student of comparative religions, have been influenced by its simplicity. That I didnt embrace Islam is inconsequential as Ive no faith in any organised faith, including Islam. But if I were to choose one of the existing faiths, Id certainly have opted for Islam. What do readers have to say? DR SUMIT S PAUL, Poona

Spread of Islam: views of non-Muslim scholars

Theres a general tenor, especially among Hindus, that Islam was spread on the Subcontinent with the help of the sword and coercion. The truth is something else. Ive painstakingly collected non-Muslim scholars opinions regarding the spread of Islam in the Subcontinent and pieced them together. We must take into consideration the fact that a large number of devout Muslims on the Subcontinent cannot be a herd of public, converted by the invaders who came from Persia and Arab Peninsula. It was the all-embracing and simple philosophy of Islam that endeared them to it (Islam) and the people from the Subcontinent wholeheartedly embraced this great faith. - Rabindranath Tagore in a letter to French indologist Romain Rolland, 1928, courtesy: Desh magazine, July 1965 Ive never been so emphatically influenced by any other religion that has so much simplicity like the clarity of Islam. Its the religion that has the potential to appeal to the very core of every individual. No wonder, the Subcontinent accepted it so warmly. - Historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Jugantar (sister concern of now defunct Amrita Bazar Patrika) Of all the three Semitic faiths, its Islam that has appealed to me the most and when I consider myself to be a simple individual, I believe that others may also have looked at it with same love, fervour and passion. Islam made its presence felt on the Subcontinent because of its greatness and the love of Sufis. - Dr Ramvilas Sharma, Hindi critic and former professor of English at Agra University, Dharmyug, 1972 What could be more irritating than harping on a false notion that Islam was spread on the Subcontinent by the invaders who threatened the people of the Subcontinent to embrace Islam or else face the music. I can never buy this baseless theory. Its an attempt to calumnise a great faith like Islam. - The late Gulabdas Broker, famous Gujarati short-story writer, Navneet, 1982 The confused populace of the Subcontinent found in Islam the elusive spiritual anchorage. They accepted it and proved the

utility of the Ockhams Razor: you always opt for the simplest and the easiest and theres no faith simpler and easier than Islam. - Dharmveer Bharti, Hindi poet and novelist Why didnt British rule influence more people from the Subcontinent to embrace Christianity? Britishers also ruled for more than two hundred years. There must have been something so specific about Islam that so many from the Subcontinent accepted it. - Tushar Kanti Ghosh, The founder and editor of now defunct Amrita Bazar Patrika, 1951 The most striking thing that has happened on the Subcontinent is the spread of Islam in a peaceful manner without any coercion and cajoling. A faith like Islam needs no unfair tactics to make inroads into the hearts of people. - Acharya Kshitimohan Sen, Desh, Bangla Islam came into the Subcontinent with Sufis and mystics, not with the wielders of swords. It became a faith in the broadest sense of the word because it has the elements of 3 Ts: Truth, Transparency and Tenacity. - V V Giri, former President of India, Caravan, 1970 When I study the phenomenon of Islams

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REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS
After reading MG, I send it to others because what I like I want the same for others. This may lead to reach more and more persons. S. Haque, Patna II I read your newspaper. You are playing a great role to bring awareness among Muslims. Md. Asif Reyaz, The Sunday Indian (Urdu), Noida (U.P) asif343@gmail.com Hijab This is in reference to the article published in Milli Gazette, 16-31 December, Five Suggestion for the Islamic World-ii by Asghar Ali Engineer he has mentioned that in "Hijab is purely cultural and has not even mention in Quran let alone been made obligatory." I would like to draw your attention on Quranic Ayah of Surah Al-A'raf,7 Ayah 26, Surah Al Ahzaab 33 Ayah 59, Surah Noor 24 Ayah 31 which clearly state about the Hijab or Purdah. The above Quranic Ayah is sufficient to refute the statement that even Quran not mention. Maulana Hamiduddin Farahi's stated in his tafseer that in Surah AlAhzaab Chapter 33 Ayah 59 deals about Hijab or Purdah outside the home and in Surah Noor Chapter 24 Ayah 31 deals about the Hijab in home. Quran speaks about complete Hijab inside and outside the home. You can read more Quranic commentary by renowned scholars that can draw more light on this subject. Quran & Islam actually upgrade the women by Hijab and Muslims should be proud to be like as Quran and tradition of prophet has stated. Mohd. Danish Fazal, Lucknow danishfazal@gmail.com Congress flip-flop on Batla encounter General Secretary of the Congress party Digvijay Singh told the media in Azamgarh recently that I had demanded a judicial inquiry for the Batla House fake encounter but the prime minister and the home minister thought that it was a genuine encounter, so there is no need for any inquiry. Similarly, Modi government also used sing in the same tune of Mr Chidambarum that all encounters in Gujarat are genuine, but after intervening of Supreme Court by constituting a SIT to probe some encounters carried out in Gujarat under its own supervision. By knowing the investigation report everyone was astonished, because most of the encounters (e.g. Sohrabuddin, Prajapati, Kauser Bi and Ishrat Jahan) proved to be fake encounters. After all if the government is so confident that Batla House encounter was genuine then why the govt. is hesitating to carry out a thorough inquiry for this particular encounter to honour the sentiments of millions of Muslims and secular citizens of the country. Atiq Khan, Mumbra atiqkhalil@gmail.com II Even after Union Home Minister P Chidambram holding Delhis Batla House encounter genuine, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh has again stressed on his earlier stand of taking the said encounter fake. But at the same time Digvijay Singh has said that in view of statement of Union Home Minister, he will not stress on a probe in the matter. Whole episode proves vote-bank pseudosecular politics played by Digvijay Singh aimed to deliberately provoke members of minority community. If Union Home Ministry really considers encounter as genuine, it should file a criminal case under various clauses of Indian Penal Code against Digvijay Singh also for provoking people against police-force and national security. Subhash Chandra Agrawal, Delhi-6 subhashmadhu@sify.com Another fake encounter in Gujarat After Sorabuddin, Kausar Bi, Ishrat Jahan and three others now it is the turn for the inquiry of Sameer Khan Pathan. A new name of Sameer Khan Pathan would be added in the fake encounter list of the Muslim in Gujarat. Ahmedabad City Crime branch had gunned down Samir Khan on 22 October 2002, saying that he was Lashkare-Toiba operative who was on a mission to kill Modi. Sameer Khan son of Sarfaraz Khan Pathan was a Muslim boy who was from poor family background, lived at Saudagarni in Jamalpur. He was the eldest amongst five siblings; Sameer had two brothers and three sisters. He was merely 24 years old when he was killed in an encounter by the communal and prejudice police. His father Sarfaraz Khan was employed as a bus driver the AMTS. He dropped his studies after class 7 and did odd jobs. The same fabricated encounter theory cooked by then D.C.P. and culprit and criminal D.G. Vanzara. According to mastermind culprit DG Vanzara Sameer Khan had received terrorist training with the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pakistan and was on the mission to kill the chief minister Modi, L.K. Advani and Pravin Togadia. Police officers are taking the advantage of their post and chair, arms and power. They are killing innocent Muslims in the name of terrorism. Police are killing Muslims with communal mentality which is an anti constitutional act by the police. This is not the case only in Gujarat but all over India. Zuber Ahmad Khan, Navi Mumbai Contact.z@rediffmail.com Rushdie not allowed in India The government must ensure Rushdie does not visit India in the near future. It should respect the sentiments of the Muslim community. Rushdie, in the name of freedom of speech has been disturbing communal harmony. Alas, there are many so-called liberals who take his side. No one can be granted unlimited freedom of speech as it is against both the logic and the constitution of India. The freedom must be restricted somewhere. We cannot abuse anyone we want or pass on offensive remarks against them using freedom of speech. Likewise it is punishable under the Constitution to use freedom of speech for inciting public to mob violence or defame any person. Secularism promotes peaceful co-existence. So, it must not be misused to disturb social harmony in whatsoever manner. A Hameed Yousuf, Bangalore-08 II In reference to Kashmir's Jamaat Islamis opposition to and fury over Salman Rushdie's visit to Jaipur and its criticism of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullahs statement is certainly praiseworthy act. The blasphemous writer Salman Rushdie' though winning the Sir title for his shameless art in the West but here he deserves exile and hatred from every believer irrespective of sect, faith, affiliation or religious organization. His visit to his home country though is a different issue but public rage against him is simply the protest against his remorseless encounters against Islam and owing to his heinous and simply unpardonable insult of Islam and the glorious Prophet (sallalahu alyhi wasallam).The point is in this secular country not only

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those should be barred to roam free or left unpunished who hurt only Muslim sentiments but all those who hurt any religion, any faith and writers should not justify blasphemous jottings, ridicule must never be treated merely as the piece of art or what so ever. Also criticism cannot be intermingled with challenging the very institution of religion or blasphemy cannot be confused with perspectives or perception diversity. Not only Jamaat Islami but all religious organisations should condemn Rushdie and people should not give space to vested interests to politicise it. It must be purely a religious faith issue. Syed Adfar Rashid Shah, JMI, New Delhi adfer.syed@gmail.com III Shame on Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot who is on his knees cajoling the organizers of the Jaipur Literary Festival to step forward to ensure that things don't come to such a pass where there is a law and order situation. This is a disgraceful way of asking them to stop Salman Rushdie from coming. The Chief Ministers inability or absence of political will to deal with the threatened law and order situation stands exposed. He, as the head of the state, should be encouraging the organizers of the festival, an event he calls a matter of pride, to go ahead with their agenda without worrying about any disruption of their proceedings and the safety of their guests. Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Mumbai 400054 drmookhi@hotmail.com IV The Hindu, which was hitherto a secular national daily, has morphed into an prejudiced outfit in recent years, especially after Praveen Swami started writing its editorials. The editorial Stand up for Salman Rushdie published on 19th January has concluded with the words: It is an insult to the intelligence and good sense of India's 160 million-strong Muslim community to make out that it wants a prodigiously gifted writer, born in a Muslim family, to be treated as persona non grata in the land of his birth. Should the 160-million strong Muslim communities in the country be proud of Salman Rushdie, just because he was born in a Muslim family? Any Indian cannot be considered a true patriot, if he derides the constitution and makes fun of the Supreme Court. For Muslims, the holy Quran is more sacrosanct than the countrys constitution as it is the book revealed by Almighty Allah. Salman Rushdie may be one of the world's great novelists, but he should not have exercised his freedom of expression to hurt the religious feelings of an entire community. Moreover, as though to make mountain out of a molehill, the editorial has castigated the appeal by the Darul Uloom Deoband to the Union government not to allow Salman Rushdie as a fatwa. One hopes, good sense would prevail upon the sagacious editor of the The Hindu Mr. N.Ram, before the prestigious daily slips into the hands of the communal forces! Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa (A.P) sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in V Union law minister Salman Khurshid had ruled out putting any restriction on condemned author Salman Rushdie from visiting India in the wake of demand by Muslims to cancel his visa. On the publication of Rushdies blasphemous book the satanic verses which contain most insulting and derogatory portions about Quranic Verses, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) etc., and Muslims had demanded a ban on this book and prosecution of Salman Rushdie. The central government had banned the book upholding the principles of morality and justice. Such a ban was not a new thing in India. Before and after partition several blasphemous books which had injured the feelings of Hindu brethren were banned. The books were Maxwylies Hindu Heaven, Catherine Mayos Mother India, and Arthur Miles The Land of Lingam. Muslims did not oppose these bans as is going on in support of Rushdie and his blasphemous book in the name of freedom of expression. Recently on the demand of Hindus, central govt. has officially strongly opposed the demand of ban on Bhagwat Geeta in Russia. The satanic verses has gravely hurt the religious feelings of Muslims all over the world. Their demand that the book be banned and Rushdie be prosecuted and punished is quite justified. G. Hasnain Kaif, Bhandara, Maharashtra Ban on cow slaughter This is with reference to the editorial of Deccan Herald on 10 January 2012. The editor has taken into consideration various effects of law of banning cow slaughter. He has written about the legislation enacted by the BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh is too stringent to be a normal law in any part of the country. In this connection we should think about the queries raised about the holiness of cows and the ban on their slaughter. The God is one. He is present since beginning and will remain till ever. He is omnipresent and omnipotent. Man rationally has to worship Him only. It is dishonour of God as well as man to worship the other creatures like cows, sun, moon, stars, animals like serpent, mountains, rivers, even men and women. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan a renowned Islamic scholar long back had collected data. On the Pakistan border of Gujarat cows are smuggled to butchers at a pittance. The Pakistanis sell the skins at rate of Rupees 50 to Indian businessmen. Did Modi look this unlawful business of Gujaratis? Dr. A. H. Maqdoomi Hyderabad email: drmaqdoomi@yahoo.com Fake delegation of Muslim Imams and clerics to Israel The reason why avowedly Zionist country wants to take hired Indian beards onboard is for creating the impression that Indian Muslims are not averse to Israel.Muslims constitute almost 15 per cent of the total population in India and play an important role in the formation of government in New Delhi.Tel Aviv wants a pliant Indian government so that it toes its distruptive policies in the Middle East. So far the UPA has adopted a nuanced policy towards Israel which does not put it on the wrong foot while supporting the Palestinian cause.The Zionists are increasingly becoming isolated and have lost even a durable friend like Turkey, the only Muslim country that maintained close contacts with Israel.To filll that void, it wants to showcase Indian Muslims as its supporters.This sham show can hardly last as all Muslims dispise Israel without exception.But Indian rightists and Muslim baiters seem to be on Israel's rollcall as they keep visiting that country on a regular basis apparently to learn about dry irrigation and horticulture. However, India is a big country which will soon play a majore role in West Asia and that is likely to dwarf Israel paricularly when Uncle Sam's influence is on the wane. So the tiny country with a huge baggage of violence against Muslim countries wants to enlist Indian mullahs. How ridiculous and naive?Indian Muslim better beware of Zionist intrigues. Yunus Chitalwla, Dhoraji, Gujarat

Malnutrition a national shame The recent (Hunger and Malnutrition) report which says that 42 per cent of Indian children under-five are malnourished, and 59 per cent of them suffer from moderate to severe stunting has made the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to call the findings a national shame. But, the findings of the Nandi Foundation which has prepared the report should not surprise us, given the callous attitude of the UPA government to tackle the problem. In October 2008, Dr. Singh had set up the Prime Minister's National Council on Nutrition Challenges to guide him on addressing malnutrition. Far from treating malnutrition as a challenge, the Prime Minister's Office had reduced it as an issue of least priority. The high- profile council had met only once in the past three years in November 2010. One of the most important decisions taken was to strengthen and restructure the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) which is in operation for 36 years but utterly in a ramshackle condition due to paltry fund allocations. However, what surprised many, was the recommendation made by the Nandi Foundation that biscuits are a good way to provide nutrition to malnourished children in the country. The foundation had partnered in the past with the leading biscuit company Britannia, to promote its Tiger biscuits and other processed foods as part of the mid-day meal schemes. Syed Sultan Mohiddin,Kadapa, AP sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in Terrorism issue: beware of nefarious designs It is ludicrous that the print and electronic media which never tired to carryout non-stop harangue of Indian Mujahideen plot behind any terror activity in the country has hardly focused on the recent Hindutva plot to hoist a Pakistani flag to trigger communal strife. But for the alertness of the Karnataka police who smelt the rat and nabbed the culprits, the incident of hoisting of a Pakistani flag at the Tahsildar office at Singadi, might have ignited yet another wave of communal violence. That an elected representative of BJP was behind this heinous crime has exposed as how our politicians are prepared to polarize the voters, at the cost of vitiating the communal harmony and ruining the secular fabric of our nation. This incident should also make the BJP leader LK Advani who had said, All Muslims are not terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims to revoke his jargon. Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa (A.P) sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in Sarkari Musalman and paid news Thanks MG for exposing Sarkari Musalmans. Muslims suffers due to the Sarkari Musalman. I want to add another chapter to this squeal. For this establishing of AMU campus at Kishanganj, the central govt. requested Bihar govt. to allot land to establish AMU campus at Kishanganj on 26 Nov. 2008. Since three yrs. politics played but on 12 October 2011, revolutionary people of Kishanganj, Arraria etc. staged peaceful protest and bandh in the leadership of Maulana Asrarul Haque (M.P.) Akhtarul Imam Naushad Alam, Md. Javed (all MLAs from RJD, LJP). The protest and bundh was historical. Then within a months government arranged 224.02 acre of land in one plot. On 19 December, Md. Arifuddin Ahmad (Dy. Registar Legal, AMU) visited the site. All leaders were present but amazingly Md. Taslimuddin former M.P. / former cabinet minister JD (U) senior leader was also present. HT (20 December 11) wrote JD (U) leader Md. Taslimuddin who had earlier kept a distance from the campaign for establishment of AMU centre was present on 19 December 2011 and expressed hope, that the session would start soon. On 30 December 2011, MoU had been signed by V.C., AMU and D.M. Kishanganj as nominee of Bihar govt. Then paid news published (2 January 2012) in all Urdu dailies with caption JD (U) leaders are very happy after getting land for AMU and they congratulated C.M. of Bihar No Sarkari Musalmaan spoke for AMU before this date. Sarkari Musalman banks on paid news and they become leader by khoon laga kar shaheed kehlaate hain. S. Haque, Patna Palestinian rights more important than business with Israel Israels anti-peace activities and its continued occupation of Palestine need to be strongly condemned. Specially, its dangerous drawings regarding the Al-Aqsa mosque fall under a matter of grave concern not only for Muslims but also for the entire world community. Despite this tragic picture, it is disheartening to see that our external affairs minister SM Krishna visited Israel turning a blind eye to the sentiments of 20 crore Indian Muslims. It is also a matter of serious concern that Israel has become the largest supplier of arms to India. Increasing relations between Israel and India would also sour ties between India and the Muslim world. Our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speech at the UN General Assembly in September can never be forgotten in which he made a strong pitch for granting Palestinian UN membership in the face of hostile opposition from the United States and its Western allies. Keeping in mind the historical traditions of Indian policies, it is better to uphold the principle of the Palestinian rights and make serious efforts to give it practical shape than do some business with a terrorist country like Israel. Ghulam Rasool Dehlavi, N. Delhi-45 grdehlavi@gmail.com Inhuman act by US marines Recent pictures of US marines who are urinating on corpses of dead Afghans clearly show that how US is trying to win hearts and minds of Afghan people. People are still in shock to see this type of inhuman act. Pentagon identifies all four soldiers and confirmed that video is genuine. At the time when US authorities are trying hard to bring Afghan resistance forces on negotiation table this video will provide worst impact on negotiations. This is the main reason that despite decade of war and presence of world most advance technology things are going bad to worse for US forces and resistance is growing everywhere. Only year ago some US soldiers were showing body parts of dead Afghans as winning trophies. Despite several requests of US puppet Karzai night time raids and air strikes are still continue in several parts of Afghanistan. Last year record numbers of civilians lost their lives due to US and Nato air strikes. Despite serious violations of human rights by US and Nato forces no responsible is still brought for justice and its seems true that US administration is using inhuman torture techniques as weapon of war. Water boarding, illegal detentions, keeping detainees in inhuman condition, ten years of Guantanamo has become worst chapter of violations of human rights in US war history. Stories which are also came from under US administration Bagram, Abu ghraib and Guntanamo are enough to open eyes of so called champions of human rights. Khawaja Umer Farooq ofarooq@emailsrvc.com

Read more letters on MG website

24 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 February 2012

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DNA Replication within wombs revealed in Quran

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Expat Ride a book on Gulf NRIs released

ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY, ALIGARH

TENDER CANCELLATION NOTICE

A meeting of Space Allotment Committee was held on 07.01.2012 at 04:30 p.m. regarding the matter of tenders received in the office upto 24.12.2011 pursuant to the notification dated 11th and 12th December 2011 for opening STD/PCO/Canteen/Drug Shop etc. for following establishment and decided to cancel the same at this stage due to some unavoidable circumstances. It will be advertised later on. Therefore, Office of the Properties & Waqfs has returned herewith original sealed tenders. 1. Drug Shop No. 1, J.N. Medical College & Hospital, 2. Drug Shop No. 2, J.N. Medical College & Hospital, 3. Cafeteria, Z.H. College of Engg. & Tech., 4. Cafeteria, Maulana Azad Library, 5. Cafeteria, J.N. Medical College & Hospital, 6. Cafeteria, Staff Club, 7. Cafeteria, Indra Gandhi Hall, 8. Cafeteria, Sr. Sec. School Boys, 9. Kiosk, Sr. Sec. School (Girls), 10. Canteen, S.N. Hall, 11. Tea Shop, Maulana Azad Library, 12. Canteen, Abdullah Hall. Finance Officer Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Sachar Committee Report

English | Hindi | Urdu
The Rajinder Sachar Committee, appointed in 2005 by the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was commissioned to prepare a report on the latest social, economic and educational condition of the Muslim community of India. The committee was headed by the former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar, including other six members. The committee prepared a report of 403 pages, and presented in the lower house (Lok Sabha) of the Indian Parliament on 30 November 2006.

We intend to reproduce the Sachar Committe Report in English, Hindi, Urdu. You may book a your copy in the language of your choice.
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ormer A.P. Minister for NRI Affairs, Mohammed Ali Shabbir stressed the necessity to attract small investors from Indian residents in the Gulf region to invest in India. Concerned with the fact that government mainly tries to attract huge investments from NRIs of western countries, Shabbir suggested evolving schemes to attract group investments from low salaried Indian workers in Gulf. Shabbir was talking to mediapersons after releasing the book Expat Ride in Hyderabad. It is authored by Riyadh-based journalist Mohammed Saifuddin and published by www.yahind.com. Expat Ride covers diverse issues and problems being faced by the Indian expatriates in Gulf countries. Mohammed Ali Shabbir said the problems of the Indian workers in the Gulf countries are different from NRIs living in other countries. They should be dealt with separately. He appreciated the team of Yahind.com for publishing a book on the important subject, which is commonly missed by the Indian media. The event was attended by prominent NRIs from Riyadh Mr. Nadeem Tareen, Chairman Delhi Public School Riyadh, Mr. Viren Joshi (Australian Embassy, Riyadh) and Mr. Mir Himayat Ali (Managing Director, Levtech Consulting, Riyadh). Prominent literary figures and journalists from Hyderabad Dr. Abid Moiz, Mr. Syed Fazil Hussain Parvez, and Mr. Abdul Rasheed Junaid attended. Reviewing the book, recipient of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, Dr. Majid Kazi wrote It is a very

informative, innovative, inquisitive & solution-focused book. Moving, appealing analysis of every tick and beat of NRI hearts will avoid Band-Aid approaches. Editor of Yahind.com Javid Hassan said, How information gap on the rules and regulations in those countries could prove costly in Gulf aspirants job hunt is the theme of the book. According to International Editor, Saudi Gazette Daily, Mrs. Sameera Aziz, Expat Ride provides good food of thought, knowledge and practical advice to those who nervously enter in Saudi society. The book helps ease the cultural shock. It also relates the dual face of the expats dream, which is as bright and shining as it is dark and treacherous. According to Yahind.com CEO Syed Ziaur Rahman, this is a small beginning and his team is looking after the opportunities to climb many new heights. The Expat Rides author Mohammed Saifuddin is an experienced bilingual journalist with equal command on English and Urdu languages. He worked for Hyderabad-based Urdu daily Munsif and Awam Urdu daily. After shifting to Saudi Arabia, he contributed many articles to Saudi Gazette and other English and Urdu newspapers.

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