FIRDAUS AHMEDMr. Modi has thrown his hat in the ring. His opponent, the Congress scion, nowhere to be seen, it is apparent that NaMo will be seen as a credible prime ministerial candidate. The BJP had to discard its geriatric mascot and get another in his image, another pretender to the title of Sardar Patel II. However, Nitish Kumar’s early rebuff has unmistakably brought home that NaMo’s ascendance to 7, Race Course Road is not quite certain. The effect of this will be in an energised campaign by Modi, that can be expected to witness subterfuge and outright lies. The ends being taken by his lobby as justifying the means, low blows will be par for the course. Therefore, suffering through a Modi era must be prepared for, howsoever distasteful the prospects of such miscarriage of democracy. What can such an era entail? Firstly, getting Modi into the chair would require some manoeuvring by the right wing combine. The propaganda machinery will be in full swing and will draw on the work of unsus- pecting conservative-realist strategists. Modi will have access to corporate coffers and middle class talent, in the hope that his reign will unleash the long-awaited second phase of eco- nomic reforms seen as necessary to put India into the China league. However, to unite the majority as a vote bank, Modi will emulate his predecessor in reviv- ing the Ayodhya campaign, perhaps with a promise to build the temple at the site of the demolished mosque. Modi will project himself as the “strong man” who can rout the Maoists at the gates. A contrived linkage will be drawn between the Maoists and Muslim radicals, con- veying the imminence of a threat where none exists. The unsubtle scape-goating of the minor- ity for bomb blasts will come into high gear. Instance of Hubli, Dilsukhnagar and Malleswaram will be oftener. The Pakistan front will see some rhetorical fireworks in order to try and project the minority as a fifth column. The draw-down of the US from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban will be shown as a looming ‘Muslim fundamentalist’ threat to India. Clearly, these gimmicks to get Modi to office will outlive his getting there. They will form the agenda of his regime. Not only will the business classes prosper but will do so at the expense of the voting public. In order that the elite are not distanced from the masses and the latter do not devour the former through a left-ward lurch, elite-mass integration will take place by project- ing the problems that will arise on the ‘Other’. The ‘Other’ in the form of the Muslim minority has been assiduously manufactured by the right wing over the past three decades. The public, however, will be fed the toxic cocktail of religion and nationalism, with the minority as an internal bogeyman that is externally abetted. Thus, Modi will inject insecurity into society in order to reap stability in a “rally round the flag” strategy. Projecting himself as the messiah to deliver the much-put-upon majority from a thousand years of eclipse, he will seek to perpetuate his regime. Modi’s support infrastructure in the Sangh Parivar will use the opportunity for ideo- logical expansion with the intent of celebrating the coming centenary of the RSS in style. In other words, Modi will not be a one-term wonder, but will spend his first term creating the conditions for the next since his ideological benefactors need that much time to reset India. This scenario and its prospects suggest that it is not merely an election that is ahead but an era. There is no guarantee of this, after all the majority community is not imbecile. With five thousand years of civilisation behind it, assum- ing that they will be taken in by Modi’s campaign is to disrespect their good sense, intellect and culture. Besides India’s poor, who form India’s voting public, are not likely to be overwhelmed in numbers by the Chetan Bhagat reading middle classes so enamoured of NaMo. Modi’s supposed developmental miracle in Gujarat has an underside that will directly affect them: that the rate of poverty reduction has been below India’s average even if the growth rate has been higher. The former is what will swing the electoral verdict. Besides, his challenger, Mr. Gandhi, may yet have an ace up his sleeve, being cooked up and delivered by his think tank in Jawahar Bhawan. Congress has a way to woo masses, the latest being the idea of undercutting middlemen by delivering social security cheques variously named right into bank accounts of prospective voters. With right minded politicians as Nitish Kumar willing to stand up to the com- munal tide, pessimism is unwarranted. However, the paradox is that these chal- lenges will prompt the saffron dirty tricks department to work overtime. They will attempt to create conditions in which common sense is rudely pushed aside. The theme will be a Bush- like: “if you are not with us, you are against us”. Identity politics shamefacedly practiced can prove fatal to secular exercise of votes. Also, Modi’s is a considered move. He is not growing any younger. Waiting for longer will make him lose out to his younger opponent. He is clearly not playing to lose. Gujarat can no longer con- tain his ambitions. He has to move. So Delhi it is. Being divisive and authoritarian, he can hardly be expected to forge coalitions àla Vajpayee. He has, therefore, to fight to win. This means his campaign will be ruthless and designed to showcase him as a winner out to gain a place in the sun for the greater glory of Hinduism rather than a secular democratic India. This suggests that while it may be prema- ture to be pessimistic, it would be realistic to prepare for a Modi victory. Once in office, Modi will have the state machinery feeding from his hands; as he has had in Gujarat. As in the Emergency, state minions will compromise with governance, obeying RSS and VHP hatchet-men elevated to state power as ministers and legisla- tors. The minority having been pushed to a cor- ner will have to will itself to survive and outlast the dark times. How it does so will be a test not only of its moral strength but also that of the good sense of the majority community. To be sure, there will be challenges posed to the rulers. This will be from the secular-liberal spec- trum, but it is liable to be easily ignored and, if required, crushed. The more substantial backlash to corporate- led growth will likely be from the Maoists, expanding their influence due to the fallout on the common man of economic policies serving sec- tional interests. Increased violence and retribu- tion may be witnessed. Given this environment and one in which the minority is directly victim, what must guide its response? There is no doubt that whatever suggestions there may be in this column, there would be minority extremists mirroring majority extrem- ists. Their dialogue of violence cannot but con- tinue since being hotheads they are predisposed to such action. This may be inescapable in order to dampen the ardour of the majority extremists for any notion of a “final solution”. In any case, self-defence is a birthright. However, for the common people abjuring social violence will be necessary lest any association with violence lead to justifying the stereotype and mass retri- bution. Instead, using the opportunities that are available for concentrating on bettering ones’ condition may be one way out. Forging regional, social and class unity will help with building bonds to sustain. Plumbing the wellsprings of religion and culture for resources for resilience may be required. False leaders will have to be run out of town. Collaborators will need to be educated and weaned away. Where incorrigible due to economic or power incentives, they must be forced away from contaminating social spaces. Building social transparency and ties with neighbours of the majority community will act as propaganda by deed to dispel the false propaganda that will fill prime time. These ties built will over time help eject the regime and the reject its ideology. India will then emerge cleansed into democratic light. This is a scenario that might not come to a pass. Awareness of it can energise the bulwark against the NaMo campaign beginning to unfold. It can have a sobering effect on otherwise intel- ligent and graceful people liable to be deluded into believing that they need a saviour through manufactured insecurity. In case the great Indian democratic project is usurped, then outlasting Hindutva may require prior creation of the reserves and imagination in a valiant democrat- ic counter over the coming year. The author blogs at subcontinentalmusings.blogspot.in 24 pages ` 15 ISSN 0972-3366 Fortnightly Vol. 14 No. 13 Issue Serial # 323 facebook.com/milligazette www.milligazette.com 1-15 July 2013 Noose close to Modi 5, 11 Intelligence Bureau 8-9 Two conventions 7 J&K 10 | Analysis 11 | Special Reports 3,13 | Issues 2,11,13 Books 21 | Speaking Out 11 | Newsmakers 12 Community News 14-15 | Islamic Perspectives 20 Our Publications 19 | Classifieds 22 | Letters 23 Inside » MG What if Modi made it to Race Course Road? THE MILLI GAZETTE INDIAN MUSLIMS’ LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER SINCE 2000 RIHAI MANCH...13 FROM “TERRORIST” TO HERO...12 You don’t worry, we will handle him M G / Y u s u f Modi will not be a one-term wonder, but will spend his first term creating the conditions for the next since his ideological benefactors need that much time to reset India. This scenario and its prospects suggest that it is not merely an election that is ahead but an era. The unsubtle scape-goating of the minority for bomb blasts will come into high gear. Instance of Hubli, Dilsukhnagar and Malleswaram will be oftener. The Pakistan front will see some rhetorical fireworks in order to try and project the minority as a fifth column. The draw-down of the US from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban will be shown as a looming ‘Muslim fundamentalist’ threat to India. 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Asfaq Hussain 9733522436 Kolkata Islamic Bookstore 09331001823 Central News Agency, New Delhi INDIAN MUSLIMS’ LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER THE MILLI GAZETTE REGISTERED NEWSPAPER CHIEF EDITOR: ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN EDITORIAL TEAM: HABIBAAZIM, NAANSARI, NADIM AHMAD, AALIYA KHAN D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 India Tel.: 2694 7483, 26952825 Email:
[email protected] Website: milligazette.com; Group: pharosmedia.com Media database support: Orient Press International Subscription rates: p. 20 Advertisements rates: p. 22 “Associating a calamity with imagined ‘divine wrath’ has been the habit of man since the beginning of human civilization because by doing that, he absolves himself from taking any responsibility and further strengthens his super- stitious self,” wisely observed Sir Carveth Reid in his magnum Opus “Man and his supersti- tions”. The massive calamity that befell Uttarakhand has furthered Hindus’ superstitious beliefs at a large scale and have assumed the form of collective irrationality. One of the Shankaracharyas is saying that since people have relegated Uttarakhand as a honeymoon spot, god has taught them a severe lesson. One Pandit sees goddess Kali’s ire in this catastro- phe as her husband Mahadav received a raw deal from the pilgrims in the last few years! He says that it’s the combined revengeful anger of Kali and Mahadev! Instead of looking at the ground realities and reasons that have nothing to do with any divinity whatsoever, Hindus are erroneously thinking that it’s god’s unprece- dented anger that has caused this massive depredation. Narendra Modi’s ‘rescue act’ Narendra Modi ’s exaggerated cl ai m to rescue 15,000 marooned Guj arat i s i n Ut t arakhand-debacl e gi ves ampl e evi - dence t hat he’ s an out ri ght par t i san l eader who cannot thi nk beyond hi s state Guj arat and Guj arati Hi ndus. Even at thi s hour of acute cri si s, thi s rank oppor- t uni st i s t r yi ng t o t ake advant age of affected peopl e’s pl i ght. How can thi s man be a nati onal l eader, who thi nks so ethni cal l y and tri es to mi l k such grave mi shaps? SUMIT PAUL Poona Irrationality of Hindu Mind www.milligazette.com Z,dt>&ZdZh^d kĞŐŝƐƚĞƌĞĚ ƵŶĚĞƌ ƚŚĞ 8ŽŵďĂLJ ÞƵďůŝĐ 1ƌƵƐƚ͛Ɛ AĐƚ͕ ϭϵϱϬ͘ kĞŐŶ͘ NŽ L ϭϯϰϯϱ kĞŐŝƐƚĞƌĞĚ ƵŶĚĞƌ I͘ C͘ k͘ A͘ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ MŝŶŝƐƚƌLJ ŽĨ HŽŵĞ AĨĨĂŝƌƐ͕ GŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ IŶĚŝĂ͘ kĞŐĚ͘ OĨĨŝĐĞ͗ UŶŝƚ ϴ͕ lŝďĞƌƚLJ SŚŽƉƉŝŶŐ CĞŶƚƌĞ͕ Hŝůů kŽĂĚ ͕ 8ĂŶĚƌĂ ;WĞƐƚͿ͕ MƵŵďĂŝ ϰϬϬϬϱϬ͘ MĂŚĂƌĂƐŚƚƌĂ͘ INDIA͘ AĚŵŶ͘ OĨĨŝĐĞ͗ kŽǁ HŽƵƐĞ ϱ A͕ AƐŵŝƚĂ Hŝůů VŝĞǁ CHS͕͘ SƌŝŬĂŶƚŚ DŚĂĚǁĂLJ MĂƌŐ͕ VIÞ AƌĞĂ͕ MŝƌĂ kŽĂĚ ϰϬϭϭϬϳ͘ MĂŚĂƌĂƐŚƚƌĂ͘ INDIA dĞů͗͘нϵϭϵϬϮϮϰϭϭϳϴϲĂŶĚϵϴϵϮϯϬϵϳϴϱŵĂŝů͗ƌĂŚĂƚϳϴϲΛŚŽƚŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵǁǁǁ͘ƌĂŚĂƚǁĞůĨĂƌĞƚƌƵƐƚ͘ŽƌŐ Stories Continued……… Behrampada, Bandra East, Mumbai. What can you say about a girl who is just 21 years old and works eight hours a day to support her family of seven members! Rizwana stays in the in the Behramnagar slums, in Bandra East,studied in an Urdu Medium School, got her Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Media, working part-time to support her own studies and her family. What we can say? Well-done!!! And stand up and applaud. Rizwana is a typical shining star of Rahat…. Nala Sopara, Extended Suburbs, Mumbai. Asif has just moved to his ownership flat in Nala Sopara, with his wife and three year son… Asif is an Insurance Advisor.. and has done well for himself.. When we first met Asif.. he was about to be rusticated from his English Medium School in Bandra East. He was then studying in the 9 th standard. We intervened. In fact this was one of our first affirmative action. For a boy from one of the sleaziest slums of Mumbai to have reached standard 9 th was a miracle by itself. A first generation learner, with illiterate parents, we saw a spark in that boy. And Asif did not let us down.. He passed that 9 th standard exams… and did not fail even once on his way to obtaining his B. Com Degree. He worked hard, supported his family and became an insurance advisor on his own. Asif now does Rahat’s field work and is proud to do so. A classic Rahat Scholar!! Juhu Gullu, Andheri. 1992. Rahat had just started its work, when a young girl, with a big dream approached Rahat through a neighbor, she said, “I want to become a doctor”. Zarina had just passed her 12 th science exams and had scored 84% marks in her PCB, the then criteria for admission to an MBBS Degree College. Zarina underwent a tortuous period involving her admission process.. and one day her seat to a private, but recognized, MBBS college was confirmed. Rahat was involved in facilitating this process all the way. It was indeed a fine day when we handed over the draft to the Secretary of the College. Dr Zarina in the meanwhile got married, is a mother, has worked abroad, and one day visited our Working Centre at Bharat Nagar, Bandra East.. and wrote out a cheque of Rs 90,000/-. Today she has a thriving medical practice in Mumbai, has bought her ownership flat and is a regular Donor of Rahat!!!! Bharat Nagar, Bandra East, 2002. “Hello, my name is Zainab. I have just appeared for my final year B A Exams. In 2002 my parents died. I was in the 7 th standard in a Municipal school. I was admitted to Shaheen Urdu High School in the 8 th standard…. Obviously my financial condition was very bad. It was hand-to-mouth struggle for survival. We are a family of seven and we were not sure whether there would be food for us….. every day. At Shaheen, Rahat adopted me under TESS, guided me, encouraged me. And from 8 th to 15 th it was Rahat all the way. Rahat not only supported me in my studies, it supported everyone in my family. Thank you, Rahat”. {Zainab got married this year … and we were there to congratulate her and her siblings. She had also done a part-time job to support her family and her studies). Rahat is currently helping over One Thousand students, enabling them to take care of themselves and to live a life of Dignity and Self Respect. These are the role models who have shown that a better world is possible. These are the shining stars who have enriched our efforts and have given an abiding meaning to our work. And we say this with great responsibility: only Rahat would have picked up these Rahat children, majority of whom are orphans, whose stories we have narrated. All names have been changed to protect the identity and dignity of the students involved. ZAKAT COLLECTION. Rahat activities are funded mainly through the Zakat collection in Ramzan every year. And Rahat does need funds on a consistent and larger level if it is to help more children like Zainab and Dr. Zarina and…. The list is endless. . . We therefore request you to send Rahat a part of your Zakat this Ramzan. (Donations are also welcome). No amount is too small not to be of help. Please ask at least two other persons to do the same. Zakat/Donations may be sent by a personal cheque in favor of Rahat Welfare Trust to our Administrative office address at: Row House 5 A, Asmita Hill View CHS Ltd, Shrikanth Dhadway Marg, VIP Area, Mira Road East 401107. Maharashtra. INDIA. Donations of Zakat to Rahat are entitled to Exemptions under Section 80 G of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Donors in Mumbai may contact us on 9022411786 or 9892309785, we will collect the Zakat from their home, office or shop. Thank You. Irfan Merchant President Every name has a story to tell Zakat purifies your wealth ZĞĂĚ͘ZĞĨůĞĐƚ͘ZĞƐƉŽŶĚ͘^ĞŶĚ͘ NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 3 Respond now if you care about your community White Paper on Terrorism The issue of fake terrorism charges and the unjust arrests and defamation of our community, especially since 2001, is the biggest challenge facing the community ever since. A grand conspiracy hatched by the powers that be, IB, Police and media, has sullied and defamed our community. This campaign has affected our lives, peace of mind and has thwarted our efforts to progress and educate our children to join the nation- al mainstream. Our efforts so far to present our case, to bring out our inno- cence and force the national and state governments to listen to our grievances have mostly failed. All we have received are a few words of solace which have no real meaning and have not changed the situation on the ground. Our children by their thou- sands are still languishing in jails on the basis of fake confes- sions obtained through torture and blackmail. As a long-term solution and a serious response to this problem thrust upon us, AIMMM decided last year to bring out a white paper on the Muslim-related “terrorism” in the country. The work is going on with all seriousness and many researchers, scholars and journalists are busy preparing write- ups on various aspects of this issue, covering the history, gen- esis, communalism, vested interests in various related fields, analysis of various laws like TADA, POTA and UAPA, fake encounters, narco tests, torture, acquittals, IB & Police role, media attitude, case studies, statewise surveys, SIMI, “Indian Mujahidin”, Hindutva terror, individual tragedies of victims, Azamgarh, Bhatkal, Malegaon, Darbhanga “modules”, some basic documents, etc., etc. The target is to bring out this white paper during the next seven months and to release it in a big convention at Delhi as a combined effort of major Muslim and civil rights organisa- tions, and thereafter present this huge document of over 600 large format pages to politicians, media, human rights organi- sations, especially outside the country, in order to enlighten public opinion at home and abroad as well as to build pressure on our blind and deaf government. The estimated cost of this white paper is Rs 35 lakh divid- ed as follows: Rs 15 lakh cost of preparation and payments to contributors plus six months’ salaries to researchers and experts; Rs 15 lakh for designing and printing the document in a world-class format; while the grand convention at Delhi will cost at least 5 lakh. Effort will be made to release the White Paper in some state and world capitals also. You can help this effort in four ways, 1. To buy copies of the White Paper on Terrorism in advance to help defray part of the huge cost of research, print- ing, publication and distribution of at least one thousand com- plimentary copies. The estimated price of the white paper is Rs 2000 per copy in India. You may place an advance order by paying Rs 1000 only per copy in India including postal charges). Payments for the copies may be made to The Milli Gazette, D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025. Email:
[email protected]. Individuals and organi- sations ordering a minimum of 100 copies in advance will be included as Sponsors of the White Paper. 2. Contribute to the cost of the grand convention to be held at Delhi towards the end of 2013. This should be payable to the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025. Tel.: 011-26946780 Fax: 011-26947346. Email:
[email protected]. 3. Donate your time: If you are a scholar, researcher, journalist: join our team for a few months working in our Delhi office or from your own home to complete this project - write to the Editor, MG now at
[email protected]. 4. Contact us if you have vital information/documents about this issue. www.milligazette.com THE MILLI GAZETTE requires EXECUTIVE EDITOR JUNIOR JOURNALISTS write with details in the first instance to the Editor at
[email protected] Basic requirements: good command over English, interest in and knowledge of Muslim community issues, knowledge of Urdu ZAKAT APPEAL MODERN EDUCATIONAL SOCIAL & CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (1968 – 2013) – 45 YEARS ZAKAT — A SOURCE TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY AND HUMAN SUFFERINGS A Registered Charitable Public Trust since last 45 years submits its humble appeal & solicits your generous donations of Zakat in the cause of service to humanity under relentless and sustained efforts in pursuit of its mission statement “HELPING PEOPLE LIVE A BETTER TOMORROW” under three basic and meaningful objectives EDUCATION AID, MEDICAL AID & RELIEF OF POVERTY, and you will have accomplished the third obligatory tenets of Islam as ordained by ALLAH (S.W.T) through the revelations in the Holy Quran more than 80 times in combination with “SALAH” (NAMAAZ). Zakat signifies in abundance our basic and moral obligation to be delivered by the rich to the underprivileged poor Muslim brethren as just and equitable distribution of wealth to alleviate poverty and human sufferings. MESCO utilizes Zakat Funds in compliance with Shariat Laws, by maintaining separate Zakat Accounts and spends Zakat on well defined budgetary allocations. The budget for 2013 – 2014 provides for the following beneficiaries: EDUCATION AID: Students from School, College & Technical Education to be assisted through Zakat Funds - 2802 Students to be assisted for their Education under Non Zakat Funds - 651 Total Number of Students to be Assisted 3453 MEDICAL: To be Assisted Through Zakat Funds Patients under HCMA for Major Surgeries - 84 Patients under GMA for Minor Surgeries - 156 Patients under Dialysis Treatment - 50 Total Number of Patients - 290 To be Assisted Through Non - Zakat Funds Patients under HCMA for Major Surgeries - 36 Patients under GMA for Minor Surgeries - 36 Patients under Dialysis Treatment - 17 Total Number of Patients - 89 RELIEF OF POVERTY: Families to be supported under Monthly Ration Scheme - 300 Families to be provided for Iftaar Packets before Ramzan - 350 Disaster Relief provision of Rs. 1,50,000/- Zakat and General Donations are used to service above stated objectives which benefitted a large no. of Zakat and Non Zakat deserving families. We submit this humble appeal to send your Zakat, Fitra, Sadqa or General Donations to serve the cause of Humanity and seek blessings for eternal happiness in Jannah. Your Zakat / Donations are exempted from income tax u/s. 80-G. We accept overseas Zakat / Donations in foreign currency under FCRA Registration. Overseas donors are requested to send details of their remittance with identity. CONTACT US MESCOMODERN EDUCATIONAL SOCIAL & CULTURAL ORGANIZATION, Natalwala Building, 110, V.S. Marg, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400 016. OR G - 2, Ground Floor, New Udyog Mandir - 2, Mogul Lane, Behind Johnson & Johnson, Mahim (W), Mumbai, India - 400 016. Tel: 24441442 / 24466218 / 24474356. E- Mail:
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[email protected] Ramadan Mubarak 4 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com N ew Delhi: The Press Council of India (PCI) has issued intimation to ten newspapers to appear before the inquiry committee for hearing on 16 July in response to the complaints filed by Popular Front of India (PFI), said O.M.A. Salam, General Secretary of the organization. PFI had approached the PCI, the regulatory body over press, in April last year against ten news papers, viz., Dainik Jagran Hindi Daily (Meerut), Dainik Jagran Hindi Daily (Delhi), Hindustan Times English Daily (Lucknow), The Asian Age English Daily (Delhi), Deccan Chronicle English Daily (Ernakulam, Kerala), Nav Bharat Times Hindi Daily (Delhi), The Inquilab Urdu Daily (Delhi), The New Indian Express English Daily (Calicut, Kerala), The Sunday Guardian English Weekly (Delhi) and The Pioneer (Delhi) for publishing defamatory news against the organisation with malicious intention to lower and damage its rep- utation. Subsequently, the complaints were taken on the file and show-cause notices were issued to the newspapers. The PCI has now issued intimation to the said newspapers to appear before the inquiry committee for hearing on 16 July. Advocates Bahar U. Barqi, Maroof Ahmed and A. Mohamed Yusuff will represent PFI during the hearing. Karnataka panel to review attacks on churches “As the Justice Somashekhara Commission’s report on church attacks was not submitted before the Cabinet sub-committee, we need to discuss the report first by setting up a fresh sub-committee,” said Karnataka Home Minister K J George. At a press meet on 19 June, he said that the previous BJP govern- ment had not submitted the report before the Cabinet sub-committee. “We will take further action only after discussing the report,” he added. The Karnataka Home Minister also directed police to take stringent action against the drug mafia, illegal activities, moral policing and others, keeping the future of the society in mind. “I will meet the demands of the Police Department with regard to filling up vacant posts and upgrading weapons after consulting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,” he said. On the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), George said the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) was a temporary one while ATS would be permanent. ATS personnel will receive training in jungle warfare, on combing forests and others. He clarified that the launch of ATS does not mean ANF would lose its focus on anti-Naxal operations. “We will take all measures to ensure the security of minorities and resi- dents of the state,” he said. Muslim League delegation meets Madani in prison The delegation of Indian Union Muslim League led by Siraj Ebrahim Sait, National Secretary, IUML, and Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Tangal visited Abdul Nassar Madani at Parapana Agrahara Jail in Bangalore and spent with him 30 minutes. Later the delegation met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and discussed with him many issues relating to Minorities of the state of Karnataka. In the meeting, which lasted for 20 minutes, home Minister K.J. George and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy were also present. KMCC General Secretary M.K. Naushad, Advocate Muneer Ahmed General Secretary, Bangalore District IUML, Mohammed Ilyas Vice President Bangalore District IUML and Ibrahim Secretary Karnataka State IUML were also present. The delegation said in its written memorandum, “We wish to bring to your kind notice the plight of the youths who are languishing in jails in different parts of Karnataka state without even being chargesheeted and those who are in ille- gal custody should be set free with immediate effect. We also wish to highlight the plight of the politician from Kerala Mr Abdul Nasser Madani and request you to speed up the judicial process enabling all citizens to obtain fair play and jus- tice.” PCI to hear PFI case against ten newspapers Islamic Centre Vellore 19/4, Madar Sahib Street, R. N. Palayam, Vellore - 632001 (Tamil Nadu India) Ph: 0416-2223825, 2221825 Email:
[email protected] Islamic Centre Vellore has established 25 Masajids which serve as social centres in Neo-Muslim villages in five districts of Southern TamilNadu viz Madurai, Ramnad,Virdhunagar, Tanjore and Theni. ICV main- tains them and caters to their needs. Besides it has appointed energetic youth as Imams of these Masajid. ICV conducts Maktabs (morning, evening) to teach the tiny tots of the resident neo-Muslim society. Besides ICV provides school and college fees to youngsters for their higher studies and tehnical studies. ICV maintains a Student Hostel for the benefit of young aspiring techies and students. ICV has engaged six dayees and dayias to disseminate the message of Islam among those souls (in 23 districts of TamilNadu) who have got acquainted the message of Islam and those who are on the verge of embracing truth. These dayees establish personal rapport with them. ICV has earmarked a plan to inculcate the basic teach- ings of Deen-e-Haneef among Neo-Muslims. These basic teachings include Basic beliefs, Ibadah, Taharah, Duas, memorization of small surahs etc. Besides ICV runs a fullfledged coaching centre fully equipped with separate boarding, lodging facilities for men and women in Vellor. A two / four month Islamic Orientation Course to impart Islamic values among Neo-Muslims is given to the students. They are provid- ed with travelling expenses too. ICV has established Dawah Colleges imparting Higher Islamic studies to Neo-Muslims viz Kulliyatul M’arif for girls and Kulliyatus Salam for boys fully equipped with boarding and lodging facilities. ICV runs a postal library through Islamic Academy in Chennai. A set of 20 introductory books on Islam in Tamil and English is provided to the readers. With 16 Imams and Khateebs serving in Neo-Muslim villages, 6 fulltime dayees, 6 professors teaching in Kulliyatus Salam and Kulliyatul Maarif, 6 Teachers attached with Islamic Orientation Course, 2 Wardens for supervision of the Student Hostel, 4 staff in canteen and 10 administerial staff including Watchman ICV continues to serve for the cause of Islam and exclusive- ly for the welfare of Neo-Muslims and Neo-Muslim fam- ilies for many decades. ICV have always been in the forefront in handling del- egate task of finding suitable spouses for the Neo- Muslim brothers and particularly Neo-Muslim sisters. It also handles the issue of providing higher education, solving social issues and above all helping them to lead a harmonious life fully imbibed with the fragrance of Islamic values. The beneficiaries of the silent service of ICV belong to all of the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu. Besides the benefi- ciaries have also been from the entire India, particular- ly from Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Puducherry, Maharashtra and West Bengal. Premier centre for Islamic Dawah and for the education of neo-Muslims in Tamil Nadu The following is a glimpse of the multifarious services being rendered by Islamic Centre Vellore A Shabbir Ahmed President C Tufail Ahmed General Secretary Aid may also be sent online through Union Bank of India - A/c No. 333001010019006 IFSC Code: UBIN0533301, Vellore Branch All the above services are being carried out with the active co-operation of brothers and sisters with golden heart. It is hereby appealed to all to send their donations and zakah for this mission. Money Orders and drafts may please be drawn in favour of the ISLAMIC CENTRE VELLORE and may please be sent to the address given above. India is intolerant Swedish economists have stated that India, Jordan and Bangladesh are among the least tolerant countries in the world, while Britain is among the most accepting. The World Values Survey asked respondents in more than 80 different countries to state the type of people they did not want as neighbours. Over 40 per cent of respondents in India, Jordan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong said they would not want a neighbour of a different race. In India, 43.5 per cent said they did not want someone of a different race as their neighbour. In Jordan it was 51.4 per cent, while in Hong Kong and Bangladesh, over 70 per cent said someone of a different race was their biggest concern in a neighbour. Blast accused told to pay Rs.10,000 to visit ailing mother Mumbai: The Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on 17 June rejected the interim bail application of Mohammed Sajid Marghoob Ansari, one of the accused in the July 2006 Mumbai train blast stating that there was no provision of bail under the anti terror law. Sajid Ansari’s mother is in a hos- pital in Mumbai suburbs due to seri- ous illness. The court, though rejected Sajid’s bail application, allowed him to visit his ailing mother for six hours with escort if he so wishes after depositing Rs.10, 000 as fees. “Sajid Ansari had applied for ‘Interim Bail’ for four weeks to meet his aged ailing mother who is on the verge of death. He also promised to surrender to the custody and face fur- ther proceeding, and bound to comply with each and every condition decided by the court. However, MCOCA court Special Judge Y D Shinde rejected the application”, Advocate Shahid Nadeem Ansari, the Defence Counsel said while talking to ummid.com. “Sajid Ansari is languishing in Jail since more than six years without committing, abetting or participating in any crime, in any manner knowingly and unknowingly”, he added. Incidentally, Sajid Ansari’s sister had died in 2010 and he could not attend her funeral despite the court order as the escort party had reached late at prison. Modi aide convicted Ahmedabad: Babu Bokhariya, a senior minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet in Gujarat, was convicted for illegal mining on 15 June. He has been taken into custody. Mr Bokhariya, who is Gujarat’s water resource minister, along with three others, has been sen- tenced to three years of imprisonment by a sessions court. The three others convicted in the case are former MP Bharat Odedara, Bhima Dula and Laxman Dula. They all were accused of illegal mining of limestone from the land where Saurashtra Chemicals Limited holds mining rights. India has 50 lakh child labourers New Delhi: Fifty lakh children eke out a livelihood in the country, of whom 17.5 lakh are in Uttarakhand, accord- ing to the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). The second- largest share of child labourers comes from West Bengal (5.5 lakh), Rajasthan (4.05 lakh) and Gujarat (3.9 lakh), the NSSO estimated on the eve of the World Day against Child Labour on 11 June. “Immediate enforcement of the provisions of Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and all other related acts need to be imple- mented to prevent the employment of children in bidi rolling or other haz- ardous occupations,” said Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director, Voluntary Health Association of India. Child labour in India is governed by the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, to which an amendment was also proposed. NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 5 www.milligazette.com MUSTAFA KHAN The trial court may take some time to hear the case of Ishrat Jahan even if the Central Bureau of Investigation submits its report by 4 July, 2013. However, what is clear as of 21 June, 2013 is that Modi was involved and his mastermind as in the Godhra incident was again IB officer Rajendra Kumar. Kumar met Ishrat Jahan before she was killed in captivity with three others. The guns used in the killing also came from the SBI of IB’s Gujarat unit. Kumar was in-charge of this unit. Thus it proves the mother of Ishrat, Shamima, true that Modi was hundred percent involved. What for was Kumar in touch with Modi the whole day of the fake encounter? Is there any court in India, including the Supreme Court, that can take cognizance of the emerging facts suo motto and try Modi before he may become the Prime Minister and escapes justice? Even so the facts lead to the most startling denouement of the whole decade. Genocide of Muslims took place with the input of Rajendra Kumar, then joint director of the IB. He it was who changed the fire accident in coach S6 of Sabarmati Express on 27 February, 2002 at Godhra into a sabotage of ISI allowing Modi to call a strike and let Hindus take revenge on Muslims. By watching the mass atrocities on Muslims during the pogroms, they got embold- ened to venture into fake encounters. Modi and Kumar/Amit Shah behaved like the King and the Duke in Mark Twain’s masterpiece “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. Their cheatings led them to perform a show they advertised for the gullible public as Royal Nonesuch! Amit Shah was the junior home minister to the home minister and chief minister Modi. Thus Modi knew and approved what Shah and Kumar were doing. Kumar and Shah ordered the fake encounter. Shah had also ordered the kidnapping of Sohrabuddin and his wife Kauser-bi and friend Tulsiram Prajapati from the bus intercepted at Sangli, Maharashtra, on the way from Hyderabad. This allegation is made by GL Singhal, an IPS officer who shot and killed the four including Ishrat. That Kumar was also in the illegal detention centre room, where Ishrat was tortured and then killed, must have been known to PP Pandey and Kaushik. Pande is still absconding and may have told this to CBI or Kaushik. These must have fig- ured in the talks with Modi who was in constant touch with Kumar having 37 phone conversa- tions with him on 15 June, 2004... As the Home Minister of the state, Modi is constitutionally bound to have known the pre- meditated murders his deputy Amit Shah was ordering in connivance with the IB in-charge of his state. The CBI questioned Kumar on 18 June, 2013. Since then Modi, now in-charge of the election campaign of his Hindu party BJP, and his deputy again Amit Shah as secretary of the party, have shown a subtle shift in their public appear- ances. Modi dropped his idea of going to Ayodhya not because he was afraid of the polar- ization of the voters but because he was a real time avenger and knew what the intelligence set up and the inquiry agencies were up to. They stand naked as the King and the Duke in Royal Nonesuch. It would not be long when the public would flock to their rallies but they would have enough rotten eggs and stones in their hands. For the rogues deserve what the King and Duke deserved. In the meantime the plot thickens. Two days before the encounter, there were two phone calls from a public booth, one to the Ahmadabad SIB and another to Shaikh Ghulam Javed (Pranesh Pillai) within an hour of the same caller speaking to SIB Ahmadabad. Rajendra Kumar was the mastermind as far as the fake encounter of the four is concerned. He generated three fake inputs and was physical- ly present when Ishrat was brought to Ahmadabad and shot dead with the others. He present even at the site of the fake encounter. That Amit Shah told GL Singhal and the oth- ers to execute his order makes him the clinch pin in this case also as he was in the case of Sohrabuddin, Kauser and Prajapati. Singhal not only killed the four with the weapons supplied by the Gujarat unit of IB but also planted them on the dead bodies showing them to be terrorists on the way to kill Modi, Advani and Togadia. Fearing that the higher ups would escape and leave him in the doledrums in case of exposure, Singhal chose to be the Albratross hanging around the neck of Modi. He made an audio recording on 20 November, 2011. In this new evidence the then state home minister Praful Patel is discussing with Advocate General Kamal Trivedi, Additional Advocate General Tushar Mehta, Additional Principal Secretary GC Murmu, another lawyer and Singhal how best to cover up the fake encounter and sabotage the case in the trial court from within in order to save the officers involved. This Patel must have undertaken this exercise at the behest of none other than Modi. This surely reminds you of how Modi had also tried to sabotage the PIL filed by Malika Sarabhai in the pogroms at Naroda Patia where 800 Muslims were brutally burnt alive and their bod- ies were thrown into a well. He had ordered RB Sreekumar, boss of SIB, to hand over to his deputy Sanjiv Bhatt ten lakh rupees for the task. Cases are piling up one after another like that of Sadiq Mahtar, etc. Had Modi been in the house kept by Joshnaben, he would not have time to kill Shamima’s daughter. India’s second independence, now from the yoke of Narendra Modi They stand naked as the King and the Duke in Royal Nonesuch. It would not be long when the public would flock to their rallies but they would have enough rotten eggs and stones in their hands. For the rogues deserve what the King and Duke deserved... Kumar and Shah ordered the fake encounter. Shah had also ordered the kidnapping of Sohrabuddin and his wife Kauser-bi and friend Tulsiram Prajapati... My daughter Ishrat Jahan was abducted, illegally confined and killed in cold blood by officers and men of the Gujarat police, in June 2004. She was killed as part of a larger conspiracy which had a political agenda. Ishrat’s murder was projected as an “encounter” and justified by branding her a “ter- rorist” who had come with three other men to attack the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. This was not the first fake encounter in Gujarat, other Muslims too had been executed in similar staged encounters, committed in the name of protecting the Chief Minster of Gujarat. Some of these other fake encounters, which are nothing but premeditated extra-judicial killings, are already under investigation and prosecution. My young college-going daughter, Ishrat, was studying and working to earn and support her brothers and sisters, after the death of her father. Since the day of her murder, I have been stating that my daughter was innocent and had no links whatsoever with any terrorist or criminal activity. The same was categorically asserted by me in the writ petition filed by me in August 2004, before the Gujarat High Court, seeking a CBI enquiry to establish the innocence of my daughter and jus- tice through punishment of her killers. For nine long years, the Gujarat state has abused its power to obstruct, delay and derail the investigation, so that the hands and masterminds behind this heinous crime are shielded from legal accountability. The state of Gujarat and its senior IPS officers have filed frivolous and vexatious petitions in the Supreme Court, coerced witnesses, and deployed many other unlawful tactics. My lawyers have res- olutely met each challenge and worked to uncov- er the truth. The report of the judicial enquiry by the Magistrate Shri S.P. Tamang, in September 2009, concluded that my daughter was innocent and had been murdered by Gujarat police officers and men. The SIT appointed by the Gujarat High Court, under the chairmanship of Shri R.R. Verma, too concluded in 2011, that the encounter was fake and not genuine and that Ishrat Jahan had been killed in prior custody. Under directions of the Gujarat High Court the investigation was transferred to the CBI and an FIR for murder and other grave crimes lodged in 2011. The CBI is investigating the murder of my daughter and three others. This investigation is being monitored by the Gujarat High Court and a status report of the investigation is regularly filed before the High Court. I have always placed my faith in the Court and pray that the Hon’ble High Court will ensure that my struggle for justice is not in vain. The CBI investigation has already led to the arrest of many senior Gujarat police officers and men. The CBI investigation has revealed that those complicit in the staged fake encounter of Ishrat and three others in 2004 were not only police officers of Gujarat, but others as well. The evidence collected by the CBI, as expressed to the High Court on the last date of hear- ing i.e., 14 June 2013, points to a larger conspiracy. The conspiracy appears to include Mr. Rajendra Kumar, a senior officer of the Intelligence Bureau. The CBI counsel stated before the High Court on 14 June, 2013 that their investigation shows that IB offi- cer Mr. Rajendra Kumar not only knew about the ille- gal detention of my daughter Ishrat but was directing the operations. I am astonished and distressed to hear that attempts are being made to protect Mr. Rajendra Kumar from arrest and custodial interrogation by the CBI. I am also surprised that the media is project- ing the CBI investigation as an attack on the insti- tution of IB. To my mind, what is worrying, if not dangerous, for the security of India, is if high rank- ing officers in institutions such as the IB, abuse their position and fabricate information to advance a communal and politically motivated agenda, it is in the interest of the country if such people are weeded out of the IB and the security of all the people of India protected. Clearly, the investigation of the CBI is moving in the right direction and to thwart it a very crude and motivated move was orchestrated by planting some audio-tapes with a private media channel viz. “Headlines Today”. There is not a whisper of allegation against my daughter Ishrat Jahan in these so-called IB audio recordings. Significantly the timing of the broadcast of these tapes, on 13 June 2013, by a compliant private TV channel, the night before the hearing by the High Court, not only makes them highly suspect, but in fact betrays that they are desperate to shield the guilty. I would like to state here that my lawyers will be sending a legal notice and will initiate appropri- ate legal action against Headlines Today TV chan- nel for the false, scandalous and defamatory state- ments made against my deceased daughter Ishrat Jahan. When the next day the Additional Advocate General of Gujarat brandished these planted and concocted CDs before the High Court on 14 June, 2013 and made specious arguments for them to be taken on record, the nefarious design and pur- pose was clear to all. The Gujarat High Court not only rejected this fallacious plea of the state of Gujarat, but also sternly reminded it of its constitu- tional duty to protect its citizens and admonished it for continually obstructing the investigation into the staged encounter. I strongly reject and denounce each and every allegation and statement that refers to my deceased daughter Ishrat Jahan as being a terror- ist or having any links with any terrorist activity or group. In the past too attempts have been made to taint the name of deceased Ishrat by planting false, concocted and baseless news reports. What is significant is that the judicial enquiry and impar- tial and professional investigation have always upheld the innocence of Ishrat. The state of Gujarat has on each hearing before the High Court argued strenuously to dis- rupt and disturb the CBI team that is investigating the killing of Ishrat and others. As I observe the progress of this investigation, I ask the following questions: Why is the state of Gujarat so keen, almost desperate, to remove Mr. Satish Verma, IPS, from this investigation? What does the state of Gujarat fear this diligent and honest investiga- tion will reveal? Who are the persons the state of Gujarat is trying to protect? I have a right to know the complete truth - who killed my daughter Ishrat Jahan, who mastermind- ed her murder, who stood to gain from the cold blooded killing of a young Muslim girl. I have a right to complete justice, and for that it is neces- sary that the entire conspiracy is unearthed and all those responsible for eliminating my innocent daughter are indicted, charged prosecuted and punished. Issued on 18th June, 2013 Hindu Yuva Vahini’s terror in Kushi Nagar New Delhi: If Naxalism rules the roost in some parts of the country, in areas around Gorakhpur, Hindu communalists rule and Yogi Adityanath’s Hindu Yuva Vahini has unleashed a reign of ter- ror here. Their latest target is Kushinagar. Here, first, Muslim girls are kidnapped, then they are employed in houses as maid servants and sub- jected to rape and forced to conver t to Hinduism and marry Hindus. Helpless parents register complaints in police stations. Instead of getting any help from the police, they get threats from communal forces. These facts were brought to the notice of Jamiat Ulama-e Hind’s central leadership by a delegation of Jamiat led by Maulana Hayatullah Qasmi which, after tour- ing Kushinagar’s villages Haat, Malukahi, Dharampur etc reported the situation to the central leadership in Delhi. What the delegation learnt there is a matter for grave concern. In a nutshell, lives of Muslims in the area, their honour and properties are no longer safe. This situation has been going on in these areas for months together and many young Muslim girls have been kidnapped. When information was sought about them, it was found that these girls are living at the houses of a certain person as prisoners. The delegation toured Malukahi village of Kushi Nagar district where there are about 500 houses of the majority community and only 80 houses of Muslims. In this village, a member of Hindu Yuva Vahini had crushed and injured a Muslim by his tractor. When Muslims lodged a complaint with the police, they were thrashed mercilessly. When the dispute took a serious turn, police arrested some persons of both communities but the goons of Hindu Yuva Vahini were soon released. These goons wel- comed the release of the persons of their com- munity with garlands. They took them around in a procession and gave an ultimatum to the Muslims to vacate the village. According to the Jamiat delegation, now there are only five or six Muslim boys in the vil- lage and all other young men and women have gone into hiding. The delegation members also toured Dharampur Basti where Hindu Yuva Vahini goons, after attacking Muslims and insulting and humiliat- ing their women set their houses on fire in which ten Muslims received burn injuries, out of whom the condition of three persons is serious. The delegation members met Muhammad Siddiq, Owais Ahmad, Mubin Ahmad and Shukra who are being treated in Padrona district hospital. The delegation entrusted the responsibility of these victims’ better treatment to the Gorakhpur Jamiat leaders Bhai Asadullah and Maulana Matiur Rahman and asked them to get them treated in Gorakhpur hospital if their condition demanded. The Jamiat delegation asked local Muslims to have patience and maintain peace. In addition to Maulana Hayatullah Qasmi, the delegation included Maulana Inayatullah Qasmi, Mufti Matiur Rahman of Gorakhpur etc. (N. A. Ansari) Statement by Shamima Kausar, mother of deceased Ishrat Jahan RAM PUNIYANI
[email protected] Rihai Manch, a forum for ensuring justice to the false- ly implicated youths in the cases of acts of terror start- ed a ongoing dharna in June to demand the arrest of police and IB officials responsible for the death of Maulana Khalid Mujahid, to implement the R.D. Nimesh Commission report and to release the innocent Muslim youths implicated in acts of terror. This campaign is getting broader support from human rights groups and the affected com- munity. This is a major effort by a civic society group to democratically protest against the insensitive and biased state machinery, to pres- surise it to come to the path of justice. The Samajvadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav-led government in UP had earlier claimed to be the major champion of the cause of Muslims to the extent that the main leader of this party Mulayam Singh Yadav was derogatorily called “Maulana Mulayam”. But as he came to power last time also many a communal episode of violence took place under the very nose of the government during his regime. Currently also, Akhilesh Yadav’s regime is marked by over 27 episodes of major riots in the state. On the top of that, the Samajwadi Party in its election promise had said that the innocents implicated in the acts of terror will be released. On the contrary, the death of Maulana Khalid Mujahid in police custody has raised sufficient doubts about the intentions of the Government. Even R.D. Nimesh Commission report was kept in the cold storage for close to one year, and now when it has been released finally, the government is refraining from taking action, hiding behind the argument that it will be discussed in the future Assembly session before action is taken on the report. As such, U.P. gov- ernment has full prerogative to take action at cabinet level. People fear that this commission report may also face the same fate as the other commission reports, which are generally put on the backburner or in the cold storage. Ashish Khaitan, one of the journalists with dogged determination, sensitivity and honesty, has floated a portal, Gulail (slingshot) to high- light the investigative reports related to the fram- ing of innocents by authorities. Many an officer have falsely implicated innocents, despite know- ing the truth, to enhance their own career prospects or due to the biases which have gripped the large sections of the law enforce- ment agencies. These agencies regard that only youth from one particular religious community are responsible for the acts of terror. Khiatan believes that putting forward the truth of such cases is also not of much use as in such cases reports of honest investigations are overshadowed by the biased reporting and opinions in the print, T.V. and social media. He is pinning his hopes on judiciary and the people’s campaigns for getting justice. The ongoing dharna in Lucknow is drawing the attention of social groups and is being sus- tained for over a month now by social activists and the pained and anguished community whose young ones are being incarcerated and have to suffer not only their future career prospects but have also to get the blame which ostracises in social life. Various efforts have been undertaken in the past in this direction but after temporary response and restraint, the investigation agen- cies lapse back into their usual prejudiced actions. Not only can this be seen in the case of UP, but overall one sees the wide gulf between the promises and actual actions of the so-called ‘secular parties’. While in Maharashtra, the Congress-led coalition came to power with the promise of implementing Shrikrishna Commission report on 1992-93 riots, after com- ing to power on this promise it put forward the usual excuses and the guilty police officers and political leadership continued to be in their posi- tions of power despite sufficient proof of their involvement in instigating and participating in the riots. As far as justice to the victims and action against the guilty is concerned, Samajvadi Party seems to be no different. The R.D. Nimesh Commission has given the full truth based on which it can proceed to punish the guilty police officers but that’s what is being avoided. The credentials of the so-called secular par- ties are more or less similar. Be it the Congress or the Samajvadi Party, they have very oppor- tunistic attitude as far as the justice to minorities is concerned. While communal parties are out to do away with the rights of minorities and deny them jus- tice through and through, these so-called secu- lar parties have a dual character. They promise but are unable to deliver as their calculations are built around the vote bank politics. This is due to multiple factors. One is that these supposedly secular parties are also being trapped by considerations other than the values of secularism. So, controlling of communal vio- lence, which is possible if there is adequate determination to do so, is not being done effec- tively. The second reason is the communalized state machinery, the investigating agencies, police and bureaucracy. How to investigate the cases, how to frame the innocents is an easy enough job, which the authorities do and their khaki uniform enables them to do it with ease. It is precisely due to this that the fate of inquiry commission reports have not been helpful to curb such phenomenon. Star ting from the Madon Commission of inquiry into Bhiwandi riots, to Shrikrishna Commission and Liberhan Commission reports, the outcome, taking action based on the reports, is close to nil as the imple- menting authorities, political leadership, is opportunist and lacks the strength to stick to principles. So where do we go from here? While the communal forces are out to proactively brow- beat the religious minorities, the secular forma- tions do not have the spine to ensure justice and equity. Its here, that social activism which has prominently come up during the last two decades in particular, needs to be strengthened. The activist groups have taken up these issues seriously and the initiatives by social activists are a major landmark in this direction. One wonders, why are the left parties which should be principally secular to the core, are shunning these efforts. Their joining these efforts to ensure equity and justice to the minori- ties will put pressure on parties like Congress and Samajwadi to be sincere in their efforts. The intensification of efforts through judici- ary and popular protests has to be strengthened. The rot set in our democratic polity due to the infiltration of communalism through different mechanisms has been a very dangerous one to the values of our Constitution. It is time that we as a nation introspect and get over the biases and prejudiced behaviours towards weaker sec- tions of our society. The path to social progress is paved through amity and justice. Professional attitude in investigation of acts of violence, communal amity and justice for all are prerequisites of social progress, progress of society in the real sense. (pluralindia.com) Whither Justice: fabricated cases and State 6 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com Many an officer have falsely implicated innocents, despite knowing the truth, to enhance their own career prospects or due to the biases which have gripped the large sections of the law enforcement agencies. These agencies regard that only youth from one particular religious community are responsible for the acts of terror. The rot set in our democratic polity due to the infiltration of communalism through different mechanisms has been a very dangerous one to the values of our Constitution. KANEEZ FATHIMA The architect of Indian constitution Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar with farsight had framed the document in such a way that no person is denied of his/her rights irrespective of caste, class, creed, reli- gion, region, race and sex. But these guarantees have been rele- gated to paper. Keeping in mind Dalits, Adivasis and minorities, Dr. Ambedkar had suggested that small states should be formed so that with the decentralization of power, governance and law enforcement would become easy and the citizens will enjoy their rights in a better manner. Ambedkar with his foresight, supported small states for the betterment of the nation. But national parties oppose the idea of small states because it goes against their benefits and gains. Communal parties, on the other hand, sup- port small states where it will be easier for them to spread com- munalism and hatred. Selfish politicians who are only after power and money are busy changing parties and stands. We are wit- ness to these political changes in Telangana region since the movement started. Nagam Janardhan Reddy’s jump into BJP has shocked com- mon people, especially Muslims and dalits because people believed that he was devoted to the Telangana people. Nagam always criticized KCR before joining BJP. Now after joining BJP will he be able to retain his voice or will he be influenced by the BJP. From the time BJP hijacked this movement, it has never crit- icized TRS or its leaders. All these changes are taking place for their selfish gains as the 2014 elections are nearing. They are making themselves ready to cash all issues. In fact, these people have no love or pain for Telangana and its people. Ever since the Telangana movement started, every now and then KCR declared that achievement of Telangana is near. By saying this, he deceived the common man many times. It was due to TRS, polit- ical JAC and TNGOs that the Sakala Janula Samme failed and then suddenly TRS chief declared that now Telangana will not come in this manner; we will have to fight and gain more seats in the elections and then only we will be able to achieve Telangana. People understood his tricks that as soon as Telangana is achieved he and his family will have to close their shops and get merged in some party and then they will lose power. So, in the name of Telangana, he wants to gain more seats, power, money and fame. Therefore, he is preparing for 2014 elections. Common people have now understood that TRS can never achieve Telangana. Till now it was said that TRS will fight inde- pendently but now suddenly they have changed their stand and are saying that they do not have any problem with any party including BJP. With this stand they are giving clear indication that if negotiations do not work out with Congress, they will go for BJP. Due to this reason, TRS has never criticized BJP and their com- munal politics. Even now, when Nagam Janardhan Reddy has gone into BJP, the TRS and its leaders are criticizing Janardhan Reddy but not BJP. Such is the deceit of these politicians. Till now Muslims felt that Congress and BJP are two sides of the same coin. But, now it is clear that TRS is also one of the faces of this coin. Sometimes we can see TRS on this side of the coin and sometimes on the other side. Taking for granted the movement and the innocence of the people, the communal BJP is steadily coming forward and prom- ising that only they can bring Telangana. The small and big lead- ers, politicians of different parties, are jumping and joining this party, as a result. But people have not forgotten that from the time the Hindutva party hijacked this movement, this movement has collapsed and communalism and communal attacks spread to every corner of Telangana. We are witness to the attacks on Muslims in Bhainsa, Karimnagar, Siddipet, Nizamabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Mahboobnagar, Nalgonda, Kamareddy, Adoni and to continuous violence in different parts of Hyderabad city since the start of the movement in 2009. Telangana move- ment has never condemned these attacks. Even KCR, who prom- ises deputy CM post to Muslims, visits Nizam’s grave to appease Muslims but he has never condemned the attacks on Muslims or the Hindutva terrorism. Every now and then when Muslim youth are picked up and detained in the name of terrorism, no leader says this is injustice and discrimination against the community. But Muslims even then supported BJP in Nizamabad due to their honesty towards Telangana. However, TRS, Political JAC and BJP joined hands with each other and defeated the Muslim candidate at Mahboobnagar. All the time these parties want only upper caste candidates to win elections. This is the reason why at the instructions of Congress MLA T. Jayaprakash Reddy, Muslims were attacked by the Hindutva people continuously for two days at Sangareddy and the livelihood of poor Muslims was destroyed by burning their shops and business establishments. No TRS leader tried to stop these attacks. After everything was destroyed, Kodandram Reddy, Rama Melkote and others went to Sangareddy and met people who were involved in the attacks instead of the victims. Since the last two years people are observing that civil and human rights defenders and intellectuals are exposed by support- ing the communal party in the name of Telangana. On the other hand, people are also getting surprises each day when many small and big leaders, intellectuals, writers and activists are changing their colours. These people include SC, ST and BC groups including Manda Krishna Madiga. They have forgotten their aim in their quest for money and power. MRPS (Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti) never spoke for Muslims. It has never condemned Hindutva attacks on Muslims during this period of Telangana movement. Once MRPS had formed a party called Mahajana Sangharshana Committee along with other leaders to work for SC, ST, BC and Minorities. Where has this party gone? Why is MRPS silent on the communal attacks on Muslims? The straight answer is that it is working in tandem with the BJP. It is very strange that a few Dalit leaders and activists who are in MRPS also work for the communal BJP. What is the aim of these Dalit leaders and activists? Is it to work for the betterment of their community or for the benefit of Hindutva party? On the one hand, Muslim intellectuals and political parties are planning to work and unite with Dalits and on the other, dalits are working for the communal party. Not only this, the BJP is recruiting SCs, STs and BCs in the name of Telangana movement and increasing their cadre, giving training to them and sending them to other states to spread hatred and communalism. People are being cheated in the name of Telangana. Telangana movement activists who claim that this movement is the model for social movements have never condemned attacks on Muslims by Hindutva forces and Dalits by upper caste people. Telangana leaders and activists claim that Andhra people are communal but not Telangana people. This time Telangana move- ment has proved that Telangana leaders and activists are more communal than Andhra leaders and they have made the people of this region communal too. The leaders of this region are respon- sible for the current situation in Telangana. It is high time for the people to think deeply, understand the realities, remember what happened from November 2009 to this day. This way they will get clarity and will arrive at proper conclusion. Kaneez Fatima is associated with the Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, Hyderabad Politicians’ selfish interests in the name of Telangana Since the last two years people are observing that civil and human rights defenders and intellectuals are exposed by supporting the communal party in the name of Telangana. On the other hand, people are also getting surprises each day when many small and big leaders, intellectuals, writers and activists are changing their colours. These people include SC, ST and BC groups including Manda Krishna Madiga. They have forgotten their aim in their quest for money and power. NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 7 www.milligazette.com IRFAN ENGINEER In May and June 2013, I attended two conventions organized by organizations in which Muslims lead and whose raison d’etre was to address issues of Muslims. I am deliberately avoiding calling them Muslim organizations as Hindus too are associated with both these organizations. One was a convention organized by Maulana Azad Vichar Manch on 29-30 May, while the other was a convention organized by Tanzim-e Insaaf on 15-16 June. There were some similarities in the issues the two organisa- tions wanted to address and there were major differences as well in the strategies they want to adopt. Let me first briefly recall the conventions as I witnessed them. Maulana Azad Vichar Manch organized a convention on Muslim education in Mumbai. It was inaugurated by the Vice-President of India Hamid Ansari. The convention was also addressed by Minister of Minority Affairs K. Rahman Khan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithvi Raj Chavan, and a few other Central as well Maharashtra state Ministers. About 4,000 people attended the inaugural session and the valedictory address. The attendance otherwise varied. Maulana Azad Vichar Manch is led by Hussain Dalwai, a member of Parliament. Dalwai might have felt the need to mobilise his natural base - Muslims - as he works incessantly to address their basic problems. Though Dalwai serves all individ- uals who approach him irrespective of their religion, caste or class, and participates on varied platforms that address issues of other sections of the society like the Dalits, he channelizes his ini- tiatives in addressing problems of the Muslim community. Members of the executive committee of his Vichar Manch are drawn from various districts of Maharashtra, but mostly from the backward classes of Muslim biradaries (social groups). Dalwai’s team includes Hindus who help him organise the programmes and undertake various duties. His major objective is uplifting the back- ward classes of Muslims and his vision seems to be inclusive and equitable growth. His strategy to achieve these objectives is to serve as a catalyst in getting various schemes for the minorities to the Muslim community and increase the number of beneficiar- ies from the community. His strategy also includes critically reviewing the schemes as to policy gaps and pointing out inade- quacy of the funds allocated for the minority schemes and bureau- cratic obstructions in implementation. Serving these objectives, the Muslim education conference was organised with dual objectives - to make the community aware of the need for education and to educate the members of the community about the available scholarship and other schemes formulated by the Govt. The second objective was to give a criti- cal feedback to the political leaders of his party of corrections necessary in the policies and to increase the funds allocated for the existing schemes. For the first objective, the Ministers in the Central and state Govt. addressed the gathering from the dais and screamed about the existing schemes and quantum of funds allo- cated and that the best that could be done was more or less already done. The claims of the dais were strongly contested by the floor, albeit through murmurs into each other’s ears of experi- ences with stiff bureaucracy and wrong policies that resulted in failure to benefit from the schemes. This writer was present on the floor hearing those murmurs of protest. Urdu media covered the convention extensively while the English media more or less ignored the event. They might have felt that the convention was some internal affair of the Muslim com- munity not important for the life of the nation and not worth reporting, even if Vice-President of the republic, who also hap- pens to be a Muslim, inaugurated the convention. A columnist in one of the Urdu newspapers commented that Muslim community had “now” learnt to lobby within the democratic framework with- out the use of violence. The second objective of the convention - to give a critical feedback to the policy-makers - was partly achieved by calling intellectuals like Abu Saleh Sharif, former member-secretary of Sachar Committee, who was the lone voice from the dais telling the sundry ministers that the Govt. had travelled some distance in formulating policies and schemes for development of the minori- ties, and indeed all the socio-religious categories (SRCs), but the policies did not go far enough and were at best cosmetic. Sharif pointed out that child labour was high in the community and the schemes did not factor in such problems. The schemes did not lead to what he called inter-generational transfer of assets - what one generation hands over to the next should not be poverty but assets like skills, capital or education that improves the situation of each subsequent generation. Rather than forming special schemes for minorities, for which allocation is a tiny portion of budget, Sharif said the Govt. should be inclusive in all the welfare schemes and ensure equal opportunity for all SRCs. Later, when the media attention was less, Govt. functionaries had left and audience attendance was thin, some more critical inputs poured in from the dais by Teesta Setalvad, Farida Lambay, Shama Dalwai, Sandhya Mhatre and others. The Vichar Manch convention was designed to be more or less silent on other issues of the community, including the target- ing of its youth by intelligence agencies, staged encounters, com- munal violence and the rest. Tanzim-e Insaf The Tanzim-e Insaf convention organized in Nanded, Maharashtra, on the other hand, was organized to precisely address the issues related to the security of the community. The leadership of TEI is largely drawn from the Communist Party of India. The convention was part of the campaign initiated by CPI leaders and is called “People’s Campaign against Politics of Terror” (PCPT). How a reli- gious community-based initiative fits into CPI’s scheme of things is for them to figure out. A B Bardhan inaugurated the Convention and other promi- nent leaders associated with PCPT are its CC member Atul Anjan and National Convenor Mohammed Adeeb (MP). Raza Murad, cine actor, was an added attraction and landed his principled support for the work of communal harmony and democracy. T he first convention of PCPT was held in Hyderabad, where large numbers of inno- cent Muslim youths were arrested following Mecca Masjid blast that was allegedly carried by terrorists motivated by Hindutva ideology. The National Convenor of TEI - Aziz Pasha (ex-MP) is from Hyderabad. Tanzim is now active in about 12 states. About 1200-strong audience in a small town like Nanded was some achievement of sorts for the motivated activists of TEI. The speeches from the dais attacked the demonization of Muslims by intelligence agencies in particular and by the State in general in matter of livelihood, education, loans and State contracts, leading to the marginalization of the community. There was simultaneous emphasis on syncretic cultural traditions and diversity within the community. That the cultural ethos of people was secular and it was only the communal forces that worked overtime to spread hatred against Islam and Muslims. Islamophobia also suited the US imperialism. The Remedies The leadership analysed the problem but did not seem to provide any solutions. The good thing about the convention was that silence in the “mainstream” parties regarding targeting of inno- cent Muslim youths by intelligence agencies and branding them as “terrorists,” seems to have been broken. Speaker after speak- er problematized the unanimity among the mainstream parties, intelligence agencies and social common sense which popular- izes the doctrine that every Muslim may not be a terrorist but every terrorist is a Muslim. Journalist Ashish Khaitan being invited to speak on the issue was therefore significant. Public discourse putting the intelligence agencies in the dock itself would apply some brake on such a popular belief. The Vichar Manch Convention judiciously avoided the dis- course though every person in the Convention implicitly ques- tioned such wisdom pushed by the Hindu communal forces. The Congress Party or any other mainstream parties for that matter have not countered such a stupid conventional wisdom and in fact implicitly believed it. It is left to the Muslims to speak up even at the risk of those critiquing such a proposition themselves being targeted as a ter- rorist sympathiser or a terrorist herself/himself. Other than countering the discourse and the conventional wis- dom on terrorism, there was very little solution that was offered by the TEI/PCPT as a way ahead to achieve equality and reverse the trend of marginalization of the Muslim community. The Vichar Manch at least seemed to implicitly suggest that the community should be silent on being targeted by the intelli- gence agencies and fight the unfair terror accusations individual- ly. There was also an implicit suggestion on getting educated, util- ising the schemes for minorities set up by the Congress Govt., which somehow would go towards mitigating the plight of the community. The implicit solution offered by the Vichar Manch was also to re-elect the Congress Govt. so that the schemes for the Minorities are not disturbed and implemented earnestly (this is not to say that any open appeals were made to vote for Congress). The critical wisdom by some speakers from the Vichar Manch dais of course called for tweaking the schemes here and there but did not question the schemes or provide any alternative route to arrest the marginalizaton of the community. Even if the schemes were implemented in all earnestness and honesty and every paisa allocated was utilised and easily accessible to the members of the community, were these schemes capable of educating, housing, clothing and providing decent livelihood with dignity and equality to the 150 million Muslims? Nobody asked such questions. The Tanzim, too, on the second day of its convention during the delegates session provided no clear way ahead. Implementation of the schemes seemed to be the only pivot around which the community was to be mobilized, albeit also con- testing the terrorist tag on the entire community. Conclusion The plight of Muslim women mattered little in both the conven- tions and there was no critical evaluation as to how the schemes impacted on women and whether the schemes were inclusive enough in their outreach to women. The patriarchal structure of the community was a no-go in both the conventions. There were less than 10 women in the Tanzim convention with about 1200 people attending the open session. To critique the patriarchal structures (which in my humble opinion are also un-Islamic) would tantamount to sort of threatening the existence of the com- munity itself. The Vichar Manch Convention had many women - about 25 percent roughly and problems of girl education was dis- cussed as a special topic but without questioning the patriarchy within the community. The critique of the Indian State too was absent from both the conventions. Though critique of the Indian state was not expected from the Vichar Manch dais, its absence was rather a strange coincidence from the Tanzim Convention. The State discriminates not only against the minorities, but against all the marginalized sections, including the dalits, the adi- vasis, women, workers, marginalized ethnicities in the North and North-East. Organising people on religion-based platforms is not strange as far as the ideology of Congress is concerned, and in fact necessary to mobilise votes of different sections of society. However, how does it fit into the scheme of things for leaders of a communist party is a telling story of the changing times. The implicit corollary is that if minorities are victims of majority com- munalism and discrimination, then the responsibility to struggle against it is on the doors of the victim minority community. May be I am reading too much and may be that after all the commu- nist parties might be addressing the problem through other secu- lar platforms as well. But the impact of the convention was not lowering the Hindu-Muslim divide, even by talking of syncretic tra- ditions, but constructing an opaque communal wall wherein speaker after speaker felt more emboldened to criticise majority communal forces as they were preaching to the converted. If Muslims are expected to fight Hindutva ideology and com- munal forces, they feel tempted to and easier to do so by con- structing their own community boundaries and communal-funda- mentalist ideologies and have a sense of belonging, even if it is false - the opium of fundamentalism. Sachar Committee recom- mendations and minority schemes were the tool exploited by the organizers of both the conventions albeit for different ends. However, if the crumbs of minority schemes are taken away, how long the marriage will last, is to be seen. One hopes it lasts longer as Communists are also consistent force that has always opposed communal forces in this country. (Secular Perspective) Two conventions on Muslim issues It is left to the Muslims to speak up even at the risk of those critiquing such a proposition themselves being targeted as a terrorist sympathiser or a terrorist herself/himself... The State discriminates not only against the minorities, but against all the marginalized sections, including the dalits, the adivasis, women, workers, marginalized ethnicities in the North and North-East. Muslim women seek ban on oral talaq Voices for a complete ban on oral talaq (divorce) have begun to assume high pitch as more and more Muslim women are coming to the fore demanding codification of Muslim family laws to put an end to the practice of unilateral divorce that pushes hapless women into a state of abject misery. Muslim women on 12 June took out a bike and bicycle rally in Cuttack as part of a nationwide movement launched by the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) to mobilise public opinion on the issue. They handed out a book “Stories of triple talaq and Indian Muslim women,” released by BMMA, to the peo- ple. The book depicts heart-rending stories of the victims of the practice. The oral triple talaq, which has been the bane of the women in the community, has assumed alarming proportions in the present age of technology. Men are now using skype, face- book, sms, email and mobile phones to divorce their wives. The divorced women are not entitled to any alimony or maintenance and thus driven to a pitiful existence after separation. “In spite of repeated demands to declare this practice illegal, the State refuses to acknowledge the problem. The BMMA, while spearheading the campaign, has also been in the process of drafting a Qur’an-complied codified Muslim family law to end the arbitrariness in decisions pertaining to divorce, polygamy, mehr, maintenance, custody of children, etc. If the community has a codified law like the Hindus, Christians and other religions, then the ills can be eliminated,” state convenor of BMMA Farhat Amin said. The BMMA had earlier conducted a survey on the issue, which had revealed that more than 83 per cent Muslim women were against the unilateral divorce and called for its abolition. 8 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com R.B. SREEKUMAR Strangely, the blatantly illegal act of Union Home Secretary convening a meeting of the Director of the Central Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Director of the CBI report- edly for influencing CBI from doing anything affecting “image and morale” of IB personnel in the inves- tigation of fake encounter cases in Gujarat, did not evoke adequate discussion in the media. The Parliament enacted law, Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC), provides authority only to the CBI to investigate criminal cases, under the supervision of the judiciary, which can only intervene to give directions to the Investigating Officer (IO). The Union Home Secretary has only administrative authority/ powers over CBI. The administrative regulations empowering MHA to summon CBI cannot and will not supersede the efficacy and superiority of CRPC. So, per se, the act of Secretary, MHA is an offence under section 186 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) - “obstructing public servant in the discharge of his public function”. In case the CBI Director had altered the course of investigation or restrained the IO from taking any action, in compliance with MHA directives, he is culpable u/s 217 IPC - “public servant disobeying the direction of law with intent to save person from punishment”. As per CRPC, the IO of a case should probe basing on the principle of his sub- jective satisfaction and judicious appreciation of evidence. Chapter XII of CRPC delineating the power of police officers to investigate offences pro- vides adequate authority and even semi-judicial status (to issue summons, etc.) to police and so the IO is only accountable to the jurisdictional judicial authority. Under section 36 of the CRPC, the authority to supervise the work of the IO is given only to “Police officers superior in the rank of an officer in charge of a police station”, who takes cognizance of an offence u/s 154 of the CRPC. High ranking functionaries of political and civil bureaucracy have no legal powers to med- dle in the affairs of the investigation. But their such deviant actions are tolerated, allowed or ignored by police officers due to their own self- promoting careerist interests. Never theless, none can blame if police officers allow them- selves to be influenced by unauthorized persons. State Home Department officials and minis- ters often make boastful, but intrinsically illegal statements about their plans of arresting or releasing somebody in India. These acts are contemptuously ridiculous. The hue and cry made out by Director, IB and resource persons, friends of intelligence agency in media and intellectual circles, aims at practically providing an armour of immunity from arrest and impunity from prosecution to IB personnel accused for allegedly planning and execution of the fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan and three others in Gujarat, in collaboration with Gujarat Police. This posture of the Director of the IB is illegal, unethical and simply against the foundational principles of the Constitution of India and canons of the Rule of Law. The protagonists of blanket protection to IB people from legal action for their malicious acts argue about the dangers of erosion of morale and adverse ambience under which IB men have to perform their functions for the internal securi- ty of our mother land. These friends of intelli- gence agencies, had conveniently ignored the denial of right to life and other fundamental rights to citizens who were victims of atrocities by Gujarat Police and IB staff. They, perhaps, want IB men to be given privileges provided by law to the President of India and Governors - protection from arrest and prosecution. They are not willing to wait for judicial scrutiny of the chargesheet and trial through due process of law. Many citizens may not be aware that our intelligence agencies - IB, RAW, etc. - irrespec- tive of controversies regarding the professional merit of their output, enjoy total freedom from any auditing, monitoring and supervision from any agency outside their hierarchical over-view- ing elite. Such a system was put into operation by the British for creating a set of blue-eyed boys to spy on freedom fighters, without any apprehension over scrutiny of their work by independent agencies and accountability. As on today, in nearly 75 democratic nations in the world, like UK, USA, France, Canada, Malaysia and so on, intelligence agencies do work under specific laws and their charter of duties and powers are streamlined. To illustrate, intelligence agencies are given full authority to register cases, search premises, arrest and prosecute persons accused in cases relating to counter- intelligence and counter-espionage functions to block hostile designs of foreign countries. Strangely, recently IB willingly took up policing of immigration procedure in major airports, though their entry did not, reportedly, make any notable reduction in human trafficking, ex-filtration, infil- tration and other fraudulent acts. These factors must have prompted our Vice-President, Hamid Ansari, to propose for subjecting all Indian Intelligence agencies under legislative control and system of accountability (Jan. 2010). Any well-meaning citizen would feel that there is no merit or credit in insulating just the intelligence segment of governmental functions from well- oiled and structured monitoring mechanism even after 65 years of Indian independence. Though IB has been working in most haz- ardous areas of terrorism, and militancy, like Jammu and Kashmir, North Eastern States, and left-wing extremism-affected areas, it had never faced so much criticism for its acts of commis- sion and omission as in Gujarat from the days of 2002 communal riots. Plenty are the alleged instances of misuse and abuse of the Central IB unit in Gujarat by Gujarat State Government for implementation of the covert political agenda of the ruling party at the Centre and state - BJP - in those days. Media repor ted that the Joint Director, IB in Gujarat from 2001 to 2005, who is accused of active blamable role in conspiring to eliminate Ishrat Jahan and others through extra- judicial killings, became friendly to Narendra Modi earlier, when the latter was in-charge of Hariyana and Punjab states as General Secretary of BJP and the former was supervising IB work in similar areas. Evidence before the Justice Nanavati Commission enquiring into Gujarat riots has a lot of inputs about acts, allegedly intentional omis- sion and commission by this IB officer. This evi- dence is in public domain. These include failure of IB to report about misdeeds of the Gujarat contingent of karsevaks on their onward and return journey from Gujarat to Ayodhya, not informing in advance about a possible attack on Hindus in Godhra railway station (after the train fire incident IB had pressurized Gujarat state Director General of Police on 27 Feb., 2002 forenoon to investigate the train fire incident as an international conspiracy against Hindus hatched in Pakistan), refusal to provide informa- tion received by IB from its agents who were moving along with karasevaks and had wit- nessed the actual process of train fire incident, failure to give advance intelligence about areas likely to be attacked by anti-Muslim Hindu mili- tants on the bandh day on 28 Feb., 2002, failure to report about the unabashed and visible sub- version of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) by Gujarat Police and public prosecutors (Gujarat State Intelligence had reported this matter) after the riots, which had delayed and denied justice delivery to riot victim survivors, and so on. Significantly, though many fake encounters were carried out by Gujarat Police, particularly Ahmedabad City Police Crime branch, headed by DIG Vanjara on IB’s intelligence reports, IB did not come out with any collateral information on the so-called Jihadi militants killed by police, par ticularly on their associates, shelters, finances, communication system, weaponry and so on. Normally, even in case of a thief arrested or killed in police action intelligence agencies and police do trace out all facts and data related to him so that future security/police schemes can be designed suitably. But none of this plethora of delinquent acts by IB personnel can be established for want of supervision of IB work by outside agencies in the Central Government. CBI probe in Ishrat Jahan case alone had uncovered IB’s alleged criminal role. Media reports about assertion by Director, CBI on possession of substantial evidence about reprehensible guilt of IB officers in crimes of fake encounters. To counter this claim by CBI, IB and MHA spoke about terrorist links of those killed in encounters. Refreshingly, Gujarat High Court on 14 June, 2002 had categorically directed the CBI to concentrate its probe on the background, course and aftermath of the encounter killings and not on the criminal or even anti-national character of victims of fake encounters. Did IB forget that even a person imposed with death penalty could not be killed through extra-judicial methods by police or Government? Let us hope that saner wisdom will prevail upon the Government and its executive authori- ties to give CBI a free hand in the investigation of fake encounter cases and leave judgment on culpability of accused persons to judiciary. Already considerable sections of riot victim sur- vivors and relations of those killed in fake encounters are highly disillusioned about the repor ted lukewarm approach of Central Government towards 2002 riot cases and extra- judicial killings. Though, there is total protection to all wit- nesses giving evidence to Judicial Commissions u/s 6 of the Commission of Enquiry Act, IB had avoided filing affidavit on 2002 Gujarat riots. But for saving its officers IB had filed an affidavit in the High Court of Gujarat through MHA in Ishrat Jahan case. Similarly, IB had given evidence before the Commissions which probed into Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi assassinations. Refusal to give evidence on Gujarat riots amounts to opportunistic irresponsibility by IB. IB’s failure to report on the rise of Hindu militancy due to indoctrination of misguided Hindu youths by Sangh Parivar about Government’s so-called soft approach to Jehadis and demonization of the Muslim com- munity had resulted in state Police units victim- izing Muslim youths in cases of explosions in Malegon, Nanded (Mahashtra), Modasa (Gujarat), Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad), Ajmer Sharif (Rajasthan), and Samajhauta Express train (Indo-Pak border). Spreading of disaffec- tion among personnel in Defence forces had led to Army officers arranging explosives for Hindu extremists to bomb Islamic shrines. This trend had escaped the IB radar, so no preventive action was taken by the local police. The coun- try had witnessed a ping-pong of hurling of blame between IB and RAW soon after 26/11 Mumbai attack, regarding supply of advance intelligence. None can deny that except general alert notice about Pakistan planning guerilla attack through sea route in Mumbai, there was no pin-pointed real time, preventive advance intelligence and hence police could not secure targeted areas purposefully. Even while conced- ing for argument sake about claims of IB and RAW about supply of prior information of intelli- gence on 26/11 attack, the fact remains that they failed to report about the inadequate and near-nil follow up action by police on intelligence warnings. Mere sending an alert report and thereafter going on a state of slumber is not the profile of any professional intelligence body. The cover of secrecy is often serving as a carpet of immunity from penal action, accounta- bility, professional acts of omission and com- mission and misuse of resources for tracking the political opponents of ruling parties, at the expense of the tax payer’s money. In mature democracies like UK and USA, political intelli- gence in the form of reporting on legitimate overt activities, is not in the charter of intelli- gence agencies. American president Richard Nixon had to resign for spying on Democratic Party Convention, through private intelligence, and not by CIA or FBI. The need of the hour is to place Indian intelligence agencies also under the structured monitory system applicable to all other Government departments by incorporating spe- cial safeguards in the relevant context of nation- al security. Firstly, the charter of agencies be legalized through a legislation. This would enable the monitory mechanisms to evaluate the output of agencies, without even delving into the sensitive details like economics of intelli- gence collection, technology applied, persons deployed, agents maintained and so on. It is quite far-fetched to think that an assessment of intelligence by the agencies about VIP security, major riots, terrorist acts and so on and the quantum of advance actionable real time infor- mation therein would be exploited by nations’ enemies within and outside, because the tools and human resources of agencies are not being scrutinized by supervisory mechanism. On the other hand, such a periodical exercise would throw a lot of food for thought and wisdom for better future performance. The illusion of internal corrective system of agencies, taking care of detractors and non-per- formers is suicidal and counterproductive. Strangely, except one case of compulsory retirement of an Addl. Director (ADGP) ranking officer in IB, by the erstwhile Gujaral Government in 1990s for his closeness to Western interests, none has been found to have deviated from the straight and narrow path of IB since independence. Should we believe that for- eign intelligence agencies are idle or have total- ly failed to get any “talent” spotted for serving their objectives in IB so far? The traditional leadership in the agencies, notwithstanding their eminence and brilliance, nurture a self-righteous narcissistic infallibility syndrome, inhibiting them from detecting detractors and defaulters in the departments and recommending action against them to the Government, lest this will affect the organiza- tions’ longstanding “good image”. A periodical institutionalized control system through legislative or specially constituted forum can only liberate the agencies from their eternal euphoria of immunity, being the sacred cows of the powers that be. Will India’s political elite muster sagacity and exhibit farsightedness to professionalize intelligence agencies by freeing them from collection of political intelligence and streamlining an effective supervisory system, in the spirit of the Apex Court observations for restoring efficiency and integrity of Indian police in the famous case of Prakash Singh vs. Union of India? Status quoism by preserving the vestiges of colonial feudalism will never take India to the deserving heights of a modern nation. If no cur- ative measures are taken, unscrupulous self- serving officers will continue to indulge in mis- adventures as witnessed in case of fake encoun- ters in Gujarat. Unlike intelligence agencies of modern democratic countries, IB holds on to the obscu- rantist medievalism by refusing to declassify its records of even pre-independence days. Why should we be irritated about exposure of the mis- deeds of our colonial masters? There should be a public outcry to fix up a period of 25 or 30 years for preservation of IB reports and older documents should be revealed to the citizens. The compendium of ancient Tamil wis- dom - Tirukkural by Saint Tiruvalluvar (1st century AD) deemed that “Verily the two eyes of a Ruler are espionage and celebrated code of laws” - kural No. 581, chapter 59, “on spy- ing”. India is lacking that eye - law for disci- plining spies. Let us design these urgently. (countercurrents.org) Intelligence Bureau or Immunized Bureau Many citizens may not be aware that our intelligence agencies - IB, RAW, etc. - irrespective of controversies regarding the professional merit of their output, enjoy total freedom from any auditing, monitoring and supervision from any agency outside their hierarchical over- viewing elite. Such a system was put into operation by the British for creating a set of blue-eyed boys to spy on freedom fighters, without any apprehension over scrutiny of their work by independent agencies and accountability... IB’s failure to report on the rise of Hindu militancy due to indoctrination of misguided Hindu youths by Sangh Parivar about Government’s so-called soft approach to Jehadis and demonization of the Muslim community had resulted in state Police units victimizing Muslim youths in cases of explosions in Malegon, Nanded (Mahashtra), Modasa (Gujarat), Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad), Ajmer Sharif (Rajasthan), and Samajhauta Express train (Indo-Pak border). Spreading of disaffection among personnel in Defence forces had led to Army officers arranging explosives for Hindu extremists to bomb Islamic shrines. This trend had escaped the IB radar, so no preventive action was taken by the local police. NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 9 www.milligazette.com S.R.DARAPURI, I.P.S. (RETD) IB (Intelligence Bureau) is very much in the news these dsays. The context is the involve- ment of Mr. Rajinder Kumar, its SpecialSpecial Director in Gujarat, in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. At present, CBI is investigating this case and has found sufficient evidence about the involvement of Rajinder Kumar in this conspiracy. According to the available evidence, Rajinder Kumar has been found respon- sible for giving a false input to Gujarat police that Ishrat Jahan along with Javed Sheikh alias Parnesh Pillai and two alleged Pakistani nationals were coming to Gujarat to kill Narender Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat. Not only resting with it, he has also been found to be involved in hatching a conspiracy to kill them and he is also alleged to have supplied one AK-47 rifle which has been shown as a “recovery” from the so-called terrorists. He also visited the spot of encounter immediately after its execution by Gujarat police offi- cers. Armed with this evidence, CBI had asked Rajinder Kumar to appear before the investigation team to answer questions relating to his role in this conspiracy. He avoided it for a long time and appeared before it only when he was threatened with arrest. In the meantime, IB tried its level best to ward off his interrogation by the CBI. They put forth the plea that his role was limited to giving the intelligence input only and he did not motivate Gujarat police to kill the alleged terrorists who are said to be members of Lashkar-e Toiba, a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation. Director IB aslo claimed that if Rajinder Kumar is arrested or questioned it is bound to demoralise the officers of IB who are responsible for monitoring terrorist activities and informing state police organisa- tions about the developments thereof. IB also played a dirty trick by getting broadcast a so-called audio CD, without any authentic- ity thereof, in which Ishrat Jahan is alleged to be in conversation with Lashkar-e Toiba operataves. They also put forth the plea that Headley, a terrorist based in America and who masterminded 26/11 attack on Bombay, had also said that Ishrat Jahan was a member of Lashkar-e Toiba. It is surprising that Central Government which filed an affidavit in Gujarat High Court has not mentioned anything about Ishrat Jahan being a member of Lashkar-e Toiba. It clearly shows that all these are fake pleas to shield the wrong doings of Rajinder Kumar. His involvement in this murder conspiracy has been testified before the court by Mr. Singhal, a Gujrat police officer who was directly involved in this fake encounter. This evidence clearly establishes beyond any doubt the involvement of Rajinder Kumar in the fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan and three others. Now the question arises as to what is the sanctity of being an officer of IB and claiming immunity in the name of national secu- rity and the alleged demoralisation of IB officers if they are prose- cuted for their criminal acts. Our law of the land lays down the dic- tum of equality before, and the due process of, law. In the present case, can Rajinder Kumar claim to be above the law of the land? I think he cannot. He is involved in an offence and he should be investigated and prosecuted. As regards the bogey of IB officers getting demoralised, it is a usual plea taken by all police agencies which when caught on the wrong foot seek protection from their masters. On the contrary, I think it will give a boost to the morale of all those officers who work as per law and rules. The wrong-doers get a walk-over against the right-doers as they are able to impress their seniors and political bosses with their machinations, fabrications and manipulations. This phenomenon actually demoralises the right- doers. People also lose faith in police and, as at present, police has totally lost its credibility. The police can restore it only by working according to the dictates of law in an impartial and just manner. As regards Ishrat Jahan being a Lashkar-e Toiba operative, so far no conclusive evidence has come forward to establish this fact. IB is floating various stories about the same in an effort to forestall the prosecution of its officer. Even if it is taken as true, does it give a licence to kill Ishrat Jahan? I think the answer can be “no” only. Actually, it is the communal mindset of the IB offi- cers which is responsible for the victimization of Muslim youths. It is alleged that some communally-minded IB officers like Rajinder Kumar, in collaboration with state Police, indulged in witch hunting of promising Muslim youths. They located such youths and targetted them. They gave false and fabricated intelli- gence reports of such youths being members of terror outfits and got them bumped off or booked in various terror cases. The result is that a large number of innocent youths are languishing in jails in terror cases. A similar role has been played by IB officers in U.P. also. In three terror cases of Court bomb blasts in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad in 2007, it is mentioned in the FIRs that as per the report of Intelligence agencies these persons are members of HuJI or Indian Mujahidin and they have been booked for the same. In two cases of Faizabad and Lucknow, Nimesh Commission found two persons Tariq and Khalid as wrongly arrested. In a letter-writ petition filed by Ashish Khetan, a journalist, in Allahabad High Court against the arrest and implication of innocent Muslim youths in seven terror cases of U.P., he has demanded rein- vestigation of all these cases. In three cases, the input was given by IB. Mr. Khetan has produced the interrogation reports of the persons later on arrested by police alleged to belong to Indian Mujahidin who have confessed their involvement in the cases wherein innocent persons alleged to belong to HuJI hade already been booked but this fact has not been disclosed before the court. Now if the High Court accepts this petition and orders reinvestigation of these cases, the whole falsehood of IB and U.P.Police will be exposed. As we know, IB has been playing a very dubious role in our country. Firstly it is an organisation without any statutory sanction and not answerable to anybody except Union Home Minister and Prime Minister. Its duties and responsibilities have not been defined anywhere. Its budget is not discussed in the Parliament. A retired IB officer has filed a writ in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the very existence of such an organisation without any statutory sanction. The writ is still pending in the Court. IB has been functioning very pleasurely so far. But now having been cor- nered in Ishrat Jahan case its officers have started asking for defining of its duties and responsibilities. The primary work of IB is said to collect intelligence covertly about threats to internal security but it is used by the ruling party, whosoever it may be, to spy over its opponents. Before election it is used to collect intelligence about the election prospects of the ruling party and those of its opponents. Many times IB is used to carry out secret operations for frustrating the election prospects of opposition parties. IB gets a lot of funds to carry out these operations and enroll paid agents. As such IB serves as a faithful servant of its master and public funds are misused for the benefit of the ruling party. In Ishrat Jahan case, IB is claiming immunity in the name of being a secret organisation and the possibility of its officers get- ting demoralised if punished for their involvement in criminal activ- ities as in the case of Ishart Jahan and some other cases likely to come up. The law of the land stands for equality before law and due process of law. IB cannot be treated above law. Hence the claim of IB of being a sacred cow cannot be accepted in the eyes of criminal justice system and the culprits have to face the conse- quences of their illegal deeds. At the same time it is necessary that IB must be made to work under a statutory authority and be made accountable to the Parliament. Is Intelligence Bureau a holy cow? Actually, it is the communal mindset of the IB officers which is responsible for the victimization of Muslim youths. It is alleged that some communally-minded IB officers like Rajinder Kumar, in collaboration with state Police, indulged in witch hunting of promising Muslim youths. They located such youths and targetted them. They gave false and fabricated intelligence reports of such youths being members of terror outfits and got them bumped off or booked in various terror cases. The result is that a large number of innocent youths are languishing in jails in terror cases... IB has been playing a very dubious role in our country. Firstly it is an organisation without any statutory sanction and not answerable to anybody except Union Home Minister and Prime Minister. Its duties and responsibilities have not been defined anywhere. Its budget is not discussed in the Parliament. A retired IB officer has filed a writ in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the very existence of such an organisation without any statutory sanction. The writ is still pending in the Court. IB has been functioning very pleasurely so far. But now having been cornered in Ishrat Jahan case its officers have started asking for defining of its duties and responsibilities. JAVED JAMIL The recent Madras High Court judgment is bad though it has a positive element too. The judgment seeks to ensure the rights of women and their chil- dren born out of live-in rela- tionships. But in the process, it makes the live-in relationship not only legitimate but also socially acceptable. This is despite the clarification given by the Court that it did not intend to undermine the institution of marriage. Not only the Court did not say anything about the undesirability of live-in relationships but also sought to equate it with marriage. The judgment has sparked an intense debate but, as is always the case, in the wake of this judgment, the impact of the New World Order on relation- ships will be sought to be institutionalized in the country. The media will seek to normalize these relationships. The corporate-funded NGOs will find in it another opportunity to dilute the institu- tion of marriage. There are people who justify live-in relation- ships as “as good as marriages”. They are unable to realize the huge differences between the two. In a marriage, sex is preceded by a commitment to develop a family life in accor- dance with the declared and undeclared rules of marriage in different communities. In civil mar- riage, the State-appointed authorities authenti- cate the desire of such a bond. In a live-in rela- tionship, more often than not sex precedes the commitment. If at all there is a commitment before physical intimacy, it has no legal or social sanctity. The difference between the two is the same as between a statement made under oath and one made without oath. Live-in relation- ships normally develop after a certain period of time. Like a smoker or drinker, the “partners” too have the first encounter. The first puff or sip does not necessarily lead to long lasting habits. Not all sexual encounters develop into live-in relationships and not all live-in relationships end into marriages. If live-in is equal to marriage, then why not marry? They do not marry simply because their commitment level is low at the beginning of the relationship. The laws and social pressures that make marriage difficult and divorcing still more diffi- cult entice the partners to first test each other before making a commitment under oath. The Western recognition of the rights of their chil- dren has made women feel comfortable with such relationships. The same will happen in India if live-in relationship is normalized and rec- ognized as a socially acceptable institution. However, apart from religious morality, which would always remain a key factor in the eyes of the faithful, there are several other rea- sons, medical and social, that would be enough grounds for a full-fledged campaign against such relationships. First, such relationships tend to dilute the marriage-based family system, which is the healthiest method of having a sex- ual life and safest method of safeguarding the interests of wives, would-be mothers, and their children. The amount of security and peace, which goes along with a marriage can never be attained in live-in relationships. Second, the chances of abortions are much higher in live-in than in marriage. Third, live-in relationships delay the child bearing, and so the parents have much lesser life span to live with their children. Fourth, the children born out of these relation- ships have bigger chances of living in single parent families. As they grow, they do not feel psychologically as satisfied as the children born out of formal marriages. Fifth, men and women living in live-in relationships have greater chances of succumbing to promiscuousness, with all the attendant medical and social hazards that go along with promiscuity. Promiscuity has the biggest depressing effect on life expectancy, as it has been the major cause of HIV/AIDS and induced abortions. More than 1 billion human lives have been aborted before birth during the last two decades and promiscuity remains the single most lethal factor in this huge loss of lives. More than 40 million have died due to AIDS so far, and it will kill another 40 million in the next 10-15 years. The rate of violence as well as suicides is also on the higher side in live- in and casual relationships. Live-in is usually a relationship limited to two individuals. Marriage is an extended bond between two families. Strengthening of the fam- ily system is important if we want to reduce crimes, suicides, abortions and psychiatric ill- nesses. Comprehensive peace in society is unimag- inable without a strong and peaceful family sys- tem. While there is a need to run a global cam- paign against all forms of sexual relationships outside formal marriage between a male and a female, this cannot be tolerated in a country like India where the overwhelming majority of the people are believers in one or the other religion. They want to have the blessings of their deities and good wishes of their relatives in all their decisions. All religions must, therefore, unite against this onslaught on moral and family val- ues in India. This alone will preserve the family system, which is surely one of the most lovable features of Indian society. We have to tell the world that religious morality is surely much bet- ter than the commercial morality promoted by the forces of economic fundamentalism that seek to convert human beings into commercial beings. Dr Javed Jamil is a thinker and writer with over a dozen books including his latest, Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not Enough and Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination & Road-map. Save Family from live-in relationships Live-in is usually a relationship limited to two individuals. Marriage is an extended bond between two families. Strengthening of the family system is important if we want to reduce crimes, suicides, abortions and psychiatric illnesses. AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR For the first time, after more than 22 years, Kunan Poshpora rape victims here June 22 shared their ordeals while addressing a pub- lic meeting organized by Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), local human rights group. The victims, while resolving to seek justice, felt that everybody has failed them all these years. The programme ‘Kunan Poshpora mass rape and torture: Case reopening and future struggle for justice’ was held in the backdrop of a recent order of a local court in Kupwara, June 18, to reinvestigate the case. A protest petition was filed by noted human rights lawyer and patron JKCCS, Parvez Imroz on behalf of the survivors of the inci- dent against closure report of police, before Judicial Magistrate, Kupwara on June 10. At least 30 women were allegedly gang- raped by security forces on the intervening night of February 23/24 in 1991. Recommending reinvestigation in the case, State Human Rights Commission, in 2011, had asked for constitution of Special Investigation Team headed by an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police. Victims had approached the Commission in 2004. An FIR under section 376, 452 and 342 has been lodged at police station Trehgam against the Army, after the incident. A del- egation of Indian civil society and parliamentarians, June 14, vis- ited the village and demanded the case to be reopened and the guilty be punished. Demand to re-investigate Mattoo murder Human rights watch-dog Amnesty International has asked the state government to reopen investigation into killing of Tufail Mattoo allegedly by police in 2010. “Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have an obligation under national and international law to conduct prompt and thorough investigations into the deaths,” said Amnesty’s statement, June 17, adding “Delayed, partial or incom- plete investigations violate rights of victims’ families to an effec- tive remedy and accountability and contribute to the prevailing cli- mate of impunity in state.” Resident of Saida Kadal and 12th standard student, Tufail, 18, was killed, June 11, after police teargas shell allegedly hit him near Gandhi Memorial College when he was returning home from tuition. His killing triggered unrest in Kashmir that claimed more than 120 lives. Amnesty International India urges authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to promptly bring those suspected of crimi- nal responsibility in deaths of those killed in firing by security forces in 2010 to trial in fair proceedings, said the statement. It added Amnesty has noticed many killings caused by “use of force in 2010, haven’t yet been investigated.” Tufail’s father, Mohammad Ashraf, addressing media here on third anniversary of his son’s death, June 11, the said state gov- ernment approached him many times to withdraw the case. But, he said, the family is steadfast to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. He said that the family was also threatened to hold back and not proceed further in the case. “All we want is jus- tice; nothing else.” Special Investigation Team of police in November 2012 submitted a case closure report to trial court stating “all possibility of collecting evidence” in the case was explored, but failed to find any conclusive evidence. The family challenged it in the High Court which asked the police to produce before it all evidence evaluated during investigation. Hearing in the case will resume in July. Concern over youth joining militancy Expressing concern over highly qualified youth in Kashmir joining militant ranks, chief minister Omar Abdullah said that the govern- ment will have to look into the reasons and motivation for these youth taking to militancy. “Militants killed in recent encounters were qualified and most of them were products of University of Kashmir and Islamic University of Science and Technology,” said the chief minister, on the sidelines of a police function here, June 12. He added some had professional degrees and there is a need to analyse and understand the reasons for this. These included Saifullah Ahangar, 20, a diploma holder in civil engineering and Masiullah Khan, a degree holder in mechanical engineering, they were killed in May this year and in 2011, respec- tively. Sajad Yousuf, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant had post-gradu- ate degree in Islamic Studies and Omar Ahsan was pursuing a post-graduation in Physics. He hurriedly added there was nothing new in qualified youth joining militancy. “Recruitment of militants at local level is negligi- ble and this is a big thing. Number of youth joining militancy, in the past, was so large that it was almost impossible to focus on indi- vidual cases. Today each case is being focused upon.” Lt General Om Prakash, who left Kashmir after finishing his tenure as GOC 15 Corps, told media here, June 13, “It is matter of concern that highly educated youth have been, of late, seen join- ing militancy.” Militants have changed their strategy and around 325 of them are active in Kashmir, he said, adding that the ratio of local to for- eign militants is 60: 40 in north Kashmir and vice-versa in south Kashmir. Denial of free political space, failure to administer justice to families of victims of violence and complacency due to fleeting calm are some important aspects that demand an introspection at all levels in country before finding out reasons behind the emerg- ing tendency of educated youth joining militant ranks in the state, said CPI (M) State Secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, while addressing a Round Table meeting organized by Centre for Policy Analysis, here, June 15. Denial of opportunity to join peaceful political movement by New Delhi and state government was forcing highly qualified youth to join militant ranks, said Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in a statement, here, June 13. “It is the stubborn approach and denial of political space that youth are left with no option other than taking to arms.” Buddhist violence against Muslims in Zanskar Terming alleged Buddhist aggression on Muslims in Padam- Zanskar as “indirect conspiracy hatched by Congress and National Conference” Dukhtaran-e-Milat chief Syeda Aasiya Andrabi said that Muslims in the area are facing social boycott. “It is a warning to Zanskar Buddhist Association and Ladakh Hill Council to stop aggression on Muslims,” said Andrabi, address- ing media here, June 17, adding “they must think what will hap- pen if Buddhists in Kashmir meet the same fate.” She proposed constitution of a politico-religious group to assess the ground situation in Padam and asked Ulemas to come forward. Demanding adequate security for Muslims in the area, Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani said, “Muslims are suffer- ing and face social boycott. State administration has failed to pro- vide relief or create a sense of security among them,” he said in a statement, June 1. Geelani added Muslims might be forced to opt for mass- migration. He warned of dire consequences if authorities fail to take serious note of the situation. Media reports suggest Muslims in the area live under con- stant fear, since they were attacked by majority community mem- bers, September 23, last year. Muslim population in the area is reportedly 700 in comparison to 15,000 belonging to majority community. 7 out of 10 subscriptions are through WORD OF MOUTH You know we dont have the resources to advertise & promote ourselves, so please ask your friends to get their copy now THE MILLI GAZETTE First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000 Konan Poshpura victims speak up for the first time 10 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com SHUJAAT BUKHARI Nehru-Gandhi family heir-apparent and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has cred- ited the UPA government’s two terms with the “change in mood” in Kashmir. He has also dis- missed Pakistan as a stakeholder in Kashmir, saying that whatever change has to be brought must come from within. By all means Rahul Gandhi must be a well-informed political leader on Kashmir. Not only that, his party leaders, the govern- ment at the Centre, have access to all the infor- mation and analysis dished out by various agen- cies in the establishment but also for the fact that it is part of the coalition in Jammu and Kashmir and Rahul does not seem to have lost touch with his cadre in the state. There is no harm in taking credit for some- thing good done by any government. But in the case of Kashmir, credit comes with a huge price and whenever a political leader from Delhi visits Kashmir (in peace time) he gets swayed with a particular shade of interpretation of “normalcy”. Kashmir has surely seen semblance of nor- malcy after three years of unrest that claimed nearly 200 innocent young lives. But should it be declared as change in the mood and cele- brated the way Rahul Gandhi prefers to? Here it seems that either the “future Prime Minister” of Congress is ill-informed or he is trying to ignore the ground realities. For all practical purposes, this “change in the mood” is a relative term and depends on how one sees it. If he believes that a handful of people brought to listen to him at a function aimed at attracting youth for job opportunities, then he is grossly mistaken. People’s participa- tion in public meetings (of mainstream) parties is no measuring stick for gauging the public mood. If it would have been the case, the elect- ed MLAs would not have faced the wrath of peo- ple in 2010 agitation. No doubt employment opportunities and economic development are an important area which people do not want to abandon and that is perhaps the reason why people have realized their stakes in peace. In 2011 and 2012, peace or the “change in the mood”, as referred to by Rahul, was only possible because people want- ed it but that did not alter their sentiments about the political resolution. While talking about the “mood”, Rahul missed an important point. He did not credit the people with that change, if at all he felt it. In this context, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is better placed. When he visited Kashmir last year and drove through Lal Chowk, he too was happy to see this “change” but he credited the people for the change, though it can be a misplaced feeling as well. Unfortunately, Rahul’s UPA has nothing to take credit of if we look at the mess they have created both on political as well as governance front in Jammu and Kashmir. Soon after the political unrest showed a decline in 2010, the UPA government appointed three interlocutors to reach out to the people. Much before they would embark on their “mis- sion”, those who challenge the Indian rule in Kashmir rejected them. And the mainstream too did not give much credence to them, though they had a compulsion to show obedience to their “masters” in Delhi. Even as Kashmiris had no hopes with the group, they proved those correct who had no expectations with that exercise. Not only did the group of interlocutors show highest level of con- tempt towards the political aspirations of the peo- ple by reducing it to the problem of “competitive victimhood” between the regions, the UPA gov- ernment itself threw the report into the dustbin. This was the only exercise the UPA government initiated to address the problem. How come it could be credited with any such “change”. Moreover, Rahul talked about devolution of powers and strengthening the institutions. Doesn’t he know that Jammu and Kashmir is neck deep in corruption while his party is part of the coalition. There are more allegations of cor- ruption against his party’s ministers than to those belonging to the National Conference. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is on record to have said that compulsion of coalition does not allow him to take on corruption. He was appar- ently referring to Congress ministers and his helplessness for not being able to take action. One of his ministers is currently in the dock for ordering a reshuffle of engineers in his department and there are many whose practices are very much known to the public. His party has failed to address the political problem and has “gifted” the state with a most corrupt regime. Rahul also dismissed Pakistan as a stake- holder. “The way I look at it is that the real change has to come from within India. We can- not be dependent on what is going on in the rest of the world,” Rahul told reporters in Budgam when asked about the impact of elections in Pakistan. Here too he brushes aside an impor- tant factor that has always put Kashmir on a burner. If he believes that Pakistan situation has nothing to do with Kashmir, then why does Government of India blame Pakistan for all the trouble and why so many summits and dia- logues? He talks about the real change within but there is no will here to act. One can under- stand that he does not have much role to address the larger political problem of Jammu and Kashmir but to save the institutions from demolition is very much within his domain. Corruption has demolished the institutions in the state and his party is playing a dirty role in this. If he is really connected with the ground, he should take a call on the issue of governance and not give hollow statements about a change which doesn’t exist on ground. People here are living with hopelessness as accountability in the system is absent. When his ministers can stall the transfers of district Superintendents of Police at least four times in the cabinet, as they do not get the officers of their choice, how can merit be upheld on the ground. I had a chance to interact with Rahul as part of a civil society delegation last May. When he talked about institution-building, my colleagues and I highlighted the issue of corruption which has badly hit these institutions. He agreed with us and indicated that he was well aware about what his ministers were doing and that empow- erment of people at the grassroots was being thwarted by vested interests. We expected that he would be instrumental in bringing a “new change” but he unfortunate- ly went with the “obsolete” one that is helping the political establishment to reap its harvest. Meanwhile, people continue to suffer. Mr Gandhi, there is no real change. It can only come when you understand the aspirations of people. The author is Editor, Rising Kashmir We need real change in J&K, Mr Gandhi It is difficult, virtually impossible, to be led by several BJP leaders’ comments regard- ing their concern for the welfare of the Indian Muslims. If it was not election time, the same leaders would have probably remained silent about this issue or were busy talking about UPA’s Muslim appease- ment. But with Delhi assembly elections to be held later this year and the parliamentary polls scheduled in less than a year’s time, BJP apparently has no option but to try and win over Muslim voters’ confidence. It is not without rea- son that BJP’s minority cell in Delhi has adopted a new slogan, according to which, “The ones who work for progress of Muslims will rule the country.” BJP president Rajnath Singh has gone a step further by asserting at a function in Jaipur (Rajasthan) that he wants to win over “the confidence” of Muslims. Referring indirectly to Gujarat-carnage (2002), he said that the country witnessed 13,000 communal riots before 2002. Suggesting that Muslims should “forget or ignore” the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat (2002), Singh asserted that (now) Muslims did not face any dis- crimination in any of the BJP-ruled states. If they did, Singh asked them to approach him and he will try and solve their prob- lem. It is indeed ironical that, on one hand, BJP is hopeful of per- forming well in the parliamentary polls with the elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the party’s campaign manager. On the other, the BJP appears fairly apprehensive that Modi’s political rise in the party may turn the Muslim vot- ers totally against the party. What else could have prompted BJP’s Delhi cell leaders to suddenly give a new importance to their concern for development of Muslims? The party, which has the background of promoting anti-Muslim communal prop- aganda, now seems to be indulging in “secular” politics to win over Muslim-vote. The apparent change in BJP’s political strategy may be critically examined from several angles. There is a possibility that BJP leaders are deliberately using this strategy to con- vince media about its non-communal, “secular” image. There is no denying that the elevation of Modi within the party has made secular and Muslim Indians suspicious about the BJP’s “secular” credentials. Superficially, the BJP is keen to shed its communal mask. If the party was serious about adopting the same strategy, Modi’s political reach would at best have remained confined to Gujarat. He would not have been brought to centre-stage as the BJP’s national campaign manager. Modi’s elevation compels one to deliberate on the degree to which the BJP is serious about the progress of Indian Muslims. As mentioned earlier, the BJP is apparently indulging in this strategy to cleanse its image and project itself as a “sec- ular” party. There is no knowing whether the BJP is indulging in the same strategy at the grass-roots among its own extremist associates linked with the saffron-brigade. Probably, the party is least likely to reveal the strategy it is exercising in these sec- tions. The BJP is hopeful that Modi’s communal image will help it attract Hindu votes, particularly of those with extremist and anti-Muslim leanings. But the BJP is least likely to expose this card to the media and to secular as well as Muslim voters. It may be noted, BJP has tried attracting the attention of media and Muslims by drawing their attention to its concern for the progress of this community. The party has made hardly any noise about whether it has tried convincing its own extremist, anti-Muslim associates that they must change their communal and discriminatory approach towards Muslims. If Muslims still remain subject to discrimination, it is largely due to communal cards used by anti-Muslim extremists linked with the saffron brigade. So, from this angle, howsoever loudly BJP pronounces its pro-Muslim stance, this is likely to remain confined to rhet- oric till Muslims and media are appraised of the same. In essence, till the communal card played by the saffron brigade activists is discarded, it is difficult to expect any change in the discriminatory attitude Muslims face. The BJP is also apprehensive that Modi’s elevation may prove politically damaging for it. To a degree, this has already been marked by Janata Dal-United (JD-U) walking out of the NDA-coalition in protest against Modi’s elevation. What is apparently more worrying for the BJP is the prospect of the Congress gaining primarily because of Modi’s communal image. Undeniably, the elevation of Modi as the BJP’s national campaign manager has made the Congress feel politically comfortable about its performance in the parliamentary polls. The Congress is apparently con- fident that the anti-BJP vote will help it gain a lead in the national elections. Rather than project this speculation as a result of an anti-BJP wave, with Modi as the national cam- paign manager, the Congress has already begun crediting Rahul Gandhi for the party’s possible success in the parlia- mentary polls. This can be read in comments made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the leadership qualities of Rahul. Singh has described Rahul as a “natural leader” of the Congress, who is “fit enough” to head the country as the next prime minister. Alarmed by its own political-card proving beneficial for the Congress, the BJP is trying to reverse such prospects by pre- senting its secular mask before Muslims and media! Speaki ng Out BJP’s Muslim-Card NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY MUSTAFA KHAN C alling IB as Intelligence Bureau of rogues and thugs and Modi playing in their hands may not go down well with the upstarts chanting NaMo for the post of the prime minister because he is worse than Pol Pot. The chief minister of Gujarat was a pal of Rajendra Kumar of IB whose brief he accepted and ordered the police to let Hindus take revenge on Muslims in 2002 and again got Ishrat Jahan killed in fake encounter in 2004. Haren Pandya’s murder would now be laid at the door of the chief minister. Under the ruse of democracy and ‘India First’ rather than avowal of secularism enshrined in the Constitution he ruled the state as the enemy of the Constitution. What is the difference between him sworn to uphold the Constitution of India and Lt Col Prasad Purohit sworn to uphold the same and yet secretly plan- ning to abolish the Constitution? Purohit’s secret alliance with the Israelis and the then Nepali monarch and Modi’s subscription to Apco makes them birds of the same feather. I have often called Modi as a real time avenger. He was in touch with Rajendra Kumar, now a special director of IB but then a joint director in 2004. During the real time fake encounter on 15 June, 2004 Modi had called and talked 40 times with Kumar. If the job of the IB is just to pass information which they had done a month ago, why was Kumar constantly in touch with the Chief Minister’s office [on the day of the fake encounter]? What surely threatens to tighten the noose around Modi’s neck is that there are witnesses to prove that he [Kumar] was with officers like DG Vanzara just few days before the encounter. Vanzara was the closest senior police officer to the Home Minister Modi. Remember Kumar as the one who had cajoled RB Sreekumar, then DGP Gujarat in-charge of intelligence, to accept the conspiracy theory that the accidental fire in Sabarmati Express was the work of ISI of Pakistan. IB’s intrusion in the administra- tion of Gujarat was like the tail wagging the dog. We know physical motor action where a stimulus in the brain leads to an action like the hand lifting or fingers picking up some- thing. The phone of the main public prosecutor was connected with the home department of the state government of Gujarat. The Home Minister of Gujarat is and was no other than the Chief Minister Narendra Modi. This was the case in the night of 14 June, 2004 when Ishrat Jahan was killed. Her dead body with those of the three others would be dumped at the fake encounter spot sev- eral hours later in the wee hours of 15 June. As if this was not enough, the phone of the main public prosecutor Sudhir Brahmbhatt had been in direct line of communication with the home ministry for days together. This single instance of crime against humanity emanated from the home ministry of the state of Gujarat. The Crime Branch and the main public prosecutor were also in league. During the pendency of the case the branch wanted the case to be closed in unseemly hurry but the prosecution was lingering it with the excuse that the absconders in the case who helped Ishrat Jahan were not traceable. How could they when they were incarcerated in a Jammu and Kashmir jail? The police officers making investigation into the fake encounter were DySPs Narendra Amin, Tarun Barot, J G Parmar and police inspector Bharat Patel. They did not bother to take into custody the abscon- ders who were very much available for prosecution in the jail in J&K. Furthermore, the four were also not arraigned as accused. This is quid pro quo in which the consent of the highest police offi- cers like Commissioner of Police Kaushik and Modi was inevitable. Modi may be too sharp to go on record but then this give-and-take in such a serious matter cannot be done without his consent. If the arrangement was done through Amit Shah, junior minister in the home department, then Modi’s confidence in him speaks of close connectivity of Modi in the crime. The spy network of Shivaji helped Modi to know instantly what was happening around. He flaunted how he could see from his chair an octroi peon collecting toll. This watch may deter the peon but watching Haren Pandya was the last straw on the camel’s back. He must have been counselled by Rajendra Kumar to have Pandya liquidated. The widow of Pandya, Jagruty, had not so far openly blamed Modi and used the means of her par ty BJP and its patriarch Advani to give jus- tice to her. However, her saying that Kumar had also generat- ed false intelligence repor t that led to the killing of her husband confirms her father-in-law’s strong belief that it was after all a political murder. There can be no other rival as fatal as Modi. Modi did not spare Ahsan Jafri, so would he spare Pandya? Ishrat Jahan led to this new angle. Shooting through the testicle of Pandya could have been done by a sharp shooter and that could have been Tulsiram Prajapati. To wipe out Tulsiram, the arrangement was made at the highest level between Amit Shah and Modi. So at long last it would be Modi on the line to get the rarest of the rare punishment. This syllogism holds on the basis of the twists of events so far. That may not be just an individual affair of the ruler because several officers of IB too are involved and hence the agency will have a new sobriquet of apparatus of rogues and thugs presided over by Modi. Even then there is a catch: directly involved police officers alone will again shield their political bosses. So the need to vet: We have got CDRs (call data records) of cellphones of some of the police officers to show that they were involved in the plot until the last minute, although they may not have been physically present at the site of the fake encounter. Modi was not present at the site but such an operation could not have been under tak- en without his knowledge. If he is exempted so will have to be the Commissioner of Police Kaushik who knew in advance that the fake encounter was going to take place. GL Singhal was to shoot Ishrat Jahan using an AK 47 supplied by IB and Modi was to shield him. ANALYSIS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 11 www.milligazette.com Finally it is out: Modi was behind Ishrat’s encounter Indian Muslim leaders condemn the Israeli President’s statement New Delhi: Press Trust of India reported on 18 June that the Israeli President Shimon Peres has asked India to shed its “carefulness” in ties with Israel. He said “New Delhi should overcome its ‘cau- tious’ approach which is due to a large Muslim population and further strengthen the relationship with the Jewish state.” He underlined that a number of Muslim countries like Egypt and Jordan have ties with Israel and India should also not be hesitant in bolstering relationship with it. Indian Muslim leaders have reacted sharply against this unwar- ranted statement. The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations and eminent per- sonalities, on 19 June issued a joint statement of Indian Muslim leaders against the Israeli President’s statement which is as fol- lows: “We condemn, most forcefully and unreservedly, the Israeli President’s suggestion to the Indian government to disregard the Indian Muslim community in developing and strengthening rela- tions with the Zionist state. “First of all, this is an unacceptable interference in the inter- nal affairs of a sovereign and free state. Moreover, it is a blatant disregard of the democratic principles which take public opinion into consideration while formulating national and international policies. Tiny but highly arrogant Israel should realize that it is committing a mockery of democratic principles by suggesting policies to a country which is 200 times its population. Even the Indian Muslim community Israel wants to be disregarded is 30 times bigger than Israel’s Jewish population. “We advise Israel to make peace with its neighbours, give Palestinians their inalienable rights, return the occupied lands and stop its criminal siege of Gaza Strip and equally illegal settlements in the West Bank. Israel should stop day-dreaming that it can con- tinue to overlord the Middle East thinking that it can forever rely on the blind American support. Middle East’s sand is shifting fast and even Israel’s American allies are now saying that a decade from now Israel may not exist. “We advise the Israeli President to advise the Jewish settlers in occupied Palestine to return to their original homelands while those remaining in Palestine will have to live as loyal citizens of a free and democratic Palestine. “We also advise the Israeli President to stop thinking about India where a vast majority of people of all communities know the reality of Israel and how it was built by violence and deceit on stolen land with blind European and American support. Here in India, we know that Israel is the only remaining apartheid regime in the world, which is destined to disappear from the map of the world sooner or later like the erstwhile apartheid regime in South Africa. Issued by Dr.Zafarul-Islam Khan, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat Mujtaba Farooq, President, Welfare Party of India Muhammad Ahmad, Political Secretary, Jamaat-e Islami Hind Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani, National Secretary, Jamiat Ulam-e Hind Maulana Abdul Wahab Khilji, President, Islahi Movement of India Dr Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, Member, Working Committee, Muslim Personal Law Board Dr Taslim Rahmani, President, Muslim Political Council of India Prof. M.H. Jawahirullah, MLA, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi Mualana Ataur Rahman Qasmi, Chairman, Shah Waliullah Institute Lateef Mohammad Khan, Gen Secretary, Civil Liber ties Monitoring Committee, Hyderabad. So at long last it would be Modi on the line to get the rarest of the rare punishment. This syllogism holds on the basis of the twists of events so far. That may not be just an individual affair of the ruler because several officers of IB too are involved and hence the agency will have a new sobriquet of apparatus of rogues and thugs presided over by Modi. Even then there is a catch: directly involved police officers alone will again shield their political bosses... MAULANA SYED MU H A MMA D HUSAINI, noted religious scholar and Chancellor of India’s old semi- nary, Madrasa Imania, Benaras died in a Banaras hospital on 11 June after a prolonged illness. Maulana Husaini had re-start- ed the process of teaching in Madrasa Imania in 1983 which was discontinued for about 40 years. HAKEEM TARIQ AMROHVI, noted social worker, Unani Hakeem and promoter of Urdu died of hear t attack on 18 June in Delhi at the age of 53 years. In addition to being the President of Ghalib Educational Society, he was also associated with many other social, educational and Tibbi organisations and associations like Urdu Development Organisation, United Muslim of India, All India Unani Tibbi Congress etc. Though he belonged to Amroha, he had been liv- ing in Delhi for many years. MUHAMMAD OBAIDULLAH SHARIF, editor of Pasbaan, an Urdu daily was unanimously elected President of Ajmer Sharif Dargah Committee. Maulana Abdul Wadood of Rai Bareilli was elected Vice President of the Dargah Committee. A meeting of the newly constituted 8-member committee was held at India Islamic Cultural Centre on 11 June when these people were elected President and Vice President of the Dargah Committee. It may be stat- ed that the Dargah Committee works under the union ministry of minorities affairs. Dr F. R. SHARAR MISBAHI was unanimously re- elected chairman of Central Unani Tibbi Board in the meeting of Central Unani Tibbi Board held in New Delhi on 11 June. Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad Siddiqi was elected General Secretary of this Board. CAPTAIN HAMEED ALI, Chief Operating Officer of Jet Airways, has taken over as interim Chief Executive Officer of this airline (which is headed by Naresh Goel) after the resignation of Nikos Kardassis as CEO. It is reported that resignation of Kardassis as CEO of Jet Airways is on the demand of Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways, with whom Jet Airways had entered into a deal in April this year (2013) under which Jet agreed to sell 24% share for Rs 2042 crores to Etihad, that the management of Jet Air should be changed. ZAHEEN AKHTAR NADWI, a research scholar of Jamia Millia Islamia was con- ferred PhD Degree by JMI University’s Depar tment of Islamic Studies for his research treatise on ‘Qazi Mujahidul Islam Qasmi: Hayat wa Ufkaar- e Mutala’ wa Tajzia’ which he completed under the supervision of Prof Akhtarul Wasey. Another researcher, SHUAIB AHMAD was also conferred PhD Degree for his research treatise Shauqi Zaif aur Unki Tanqidi Khidmaat” which he completed under the supervision of Prof Syed Khalid Ali Haamidi. Bollywood film actress and social worker SHA- BANA AZMI was conferred yet another Doctorate Degree, this time by Simone Frazer University of Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) on 12 June. She has already been conferred Doctorate Degrees by Jadhavpur University in 2003, Leeds Metropolitian University, Yorkshire (UK) in 2007 and by Jamia Millia Islamia University in 2008. All these Degrees are honorary degrees (Honoris Causa). AMU Court’s annual meeting chaired by VC Lt Gen (Retd) Zamiruddin Shah was held in AMU on 12 June when as many as 42 persons from different categories and groups were elected members of the Court. Among the new members were AIMPL Board’s President MAULANA RABEY HASANI NADWI, Prof GOPI CHAND NARANG, Justice MARKANDEY KATJU, famous Islamic scholar Dr ZAKIR NAYEK, famous hockey player Padma Shri ZAFAR IQBAL, film actor FAROOQ SHEIKH, film producer and director MUZAFFAR ALI, MAULANA KALBE SADIQ, Dr MERAJUDDIN AHMAD, former UP’s minister (elected 5th time), Chairmen of Delhi Waqf Board, U P Sunni Central Waqf Board, Bihar Waqf Board, Rajasthan Waqf Board CHOWDHARY MATEEN AHMAD, ZAFAR FAROOQI, IRSHADUL- LAH, LIAQAT ALI KHAN respectively and many oth- ers. JAWED IQBAL KHAN, popular social, milli and political leader who is also general secretary of Rashtriya Lok Dal (Chaudhary Ajit Singh’s Party)’s Delhi unit has been appointed by govern- ment of India a member of Airports Advisory Committee, Luckow. He is also a member of AMU Old Boys Association, Delhi’s Executive Committee. SABA PARVEEN, a student of class XII of Jafarabad’s Zeenat Mahal S K Viddyalay, New Delhi who topped in her School with an aggregate 93.6 percent marks in CBSE’s 12th class examination is one of the 200 toppers of the country to whom Indian government will be giving Rs one lakh as award for good per- formance in the examination. Her father is an employee in a small hotel who sometimes faced dif- ficulties in paying her school fees. MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS OBITUARIES 12 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 NEWSMAKERS www.milligazette.com Asloob Ansari gets Bahadur Shah Zafar Award Aligarh: Delhi Urdu Academy has given its pres- tigious Bahadur Shah Zafar Award to eminent scholar, critic and educationist, Prof. Asloob Ahmad Ansari, a retired professor of English, AMU. The award was given to him by Nawab Ibne Saeed of Chhatari and Padma Shri Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, Vice President of Delhi Urdu Academy. Addressing the felicitation pro- gramme organized on 26 May at the UGC Academic Staff College, AMU, Prof. Akhtarul Wasey said that Prof. Asloob Ansari has been selected for the prestigious award for his life- time contribution to the development of literary criticism in Urdu and English. He said that Prof. Ansari has served academics without any lust for name or recognition and the award was a small tribute to his academic dexterity and criti- cal approach. He said Prof. Ansari is an author- ity on Allama Iqbal. Mr. Anees Azmi, Secretary of the Delhi Urdu Academy said that Prof. Asloob Ansari deserved the award and it was a proud moment for the Academy to express its indebtedness to the tall literary figure whose works will keep illuminat- ing minds of scholars and critics in Urdu. He said that AMU has given the largest number of great literary personalities to the Urdu language and they have also received highest awards and recognitions. Padma Shri Prof. Hakeem Syed Zillur Rahman said that Prof. Ansari was Aligarh’s pride and Aligarh was recognized around the world as the home city of Prof. Ansari. Prof. A. R. Kidwai, Director, UGC Academic Staff College highlighted many facets of Prof. Ansari’s life and pre- sented a sketch of his life as a teacher and his academic pursuits. Prof. Asloob Ansari has pub- lished 33 books in Urdu and English. He has received Pakistan President’s award for his work on Allama Iqbal and an hon- orary D. Lit. from Gorakhpur University. AWARDS President Award Goes Hamstrung Lucknow: In what has turned out to be a case of tragedy of errors, is the way the President Award for the outstanding services in the field of literature, has come out in the open. Professor Khan Muhammed Atif of the Persian Department, Lucknow University, was nominat- ed for the award in 2012 and this was duly announced on 15 August, 2012. The news was received with jubilation here and the Professor received dozens of congratulatory messages and letters but soon the cheers turned into gloom. The award, apart from being given by President Pranab Mukherjee, was also to be accompanied with some cash, a commendable gesture for learned scholars and intellectuals. The story began when a letter from the office of the President came to Professor Atif as a nominee for the ‘Certificate of Honour’ award 2012. The letter also announced that apart from the award, an amount of Rs five lakh would accompany the award. Bureaucracy came into play with the first dispatch of a cheque for Rs 50,000, and then, on March 31, 2013, another cheque for Rs 4,50,000 arrived. But all merri- ment was short-lived. Only two days later, a phone call from the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, brought a chill down the Professor’s spine, as an anonymous caller asked him to desist from submitting the cheque to the bank, for the amount to be given stands suspended. The Professor thought it a prank, as there was no written communication about the same. But, ironically, the caller turned out to be real. The cheque had been refused to be encashed. Courtesy: the government of India. The issue involved is that prior to 2012 the government policy was to send Rs 50,000 an year for the recipient's whole life. Later it was decided that a consolidated one-time amount of Rs 500,000 would be more appropriate. An offi- cial letter from the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan on March 28, 2013 confirmed that Human Resource Ministry has decided that scholars of Arabic, Persian and Pali/Prakrit would also get one-time award money of Rs 500,000 as par the amount given to Sanskrit scholars receiving Cer tificates of Honour for the year 2012. Accordingly, Professor Atif too received his cheque. But soon the government changed its mind and withdrew the cheques already issued. This has made the award a joke and it is humiliating that the government has indulged in such a cheap gimmick, that too with the most learned section of society. Said Professor Atif, “We are living in hard times. A one-time amount could have helped in these times of growing consumerism.” He added that he felt so disenchanted that he wants to return to the government even the Rs 50,000. Such behaviour of the bureaucracy forces an honest writer, intellectual and littérateur to think about the very utility of his or her existence,” rued Professor Atif who is credited with a num- ber of books on Persian literature. However, what merits a particular mention is that the whole policy of the government on this award mechanism is flawed to the core, as there is no provision of any continuation of any fund to the widow of the recipient, and if in a given situation, the recipient passes away after the announcement of award and before the arrival of the cheque of Rs 50,000, the amount stands cancelled. Tragically, this has actually happened in the case of Professor Shams Tabrez Khan of the Arabic Depar tment of Lucknow University who passed away on Jan 19 this year. (Haider Abbas) New Delhi: For the Guru Nanak College ground in Chennai, an spectacular performance was coming from a youth who had a close shave of being implicated in a terror case three years ago. The all-rounder Parvez Rasool of Kashmir was giving his career’s best performance for Board President’s XI against the visiting Australian team -- 28 overs, 45 runs and 7 wickets. His off-spinning skills resulting in the incredible figures of 7/45 hogged the limelight. In the three spells he delivered, he helped Board President’s XI bowl out the visiting side for a modest 241 in 88.3 overs. In November 2009, Parvez Rasool hit the national headlines for all the wrong reasons. But when on Jan. 6, 2013, India ‘A’ squad for the one-day game against England, was announced Rasool was one of the proud members. But in 2009 - when Rasool was under-22 cricketer representing the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) junior team, he was living on the premis- es of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Some low intensity serial blasts outside the sta- dium took place and Rasool was among those who were detained, allegedly after traces of explosive material were found in his kit bag. However, a few days later, forensic reports cleared him, and Rasool tried to get back to life and cricket. But it wasn’t easy. “It was the toughest period of my life being detained by police in Bangalore. I was very dis- turbed, but my cricketing progress is because of my family’s support. ‘Whatever has happened, has happened. Now, give it your all on the field,’ they told me. I am heeding their advice and it has helped me recover from the trauma,” Parvez told Mid-Day. In seven matches, last season, the 23-year- old all-rounder, who hails from Bijbehara district in southern Kashmir, has scored 594 runs at an average of 54.00 and taken 33 wickets at an average of 18.09. But his proudest moment came in December 2012, when he was declared man of the match for leading J&K to their first Ranji Trophy win in over three years. In an interview with The Indian Express, Rasool gave former India skipper and J&K coach Bishan Singh Bedi a lot of credit. “He called me the best spinner in J&K and has taught me many things, especially the ability to flight the ball. But bowling the doosra is disallowed. His mandate is simple.” (muslimmirror.com) Once a terror suspect, Rasool is now shining star of Indian Cricket AFMI to hold next convention at Guwahati SPECIAL REPORT The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 13 www.milligazette.com Human Chain’s symposium on education New Delhi: Over the last few decades civil society groups and organisations have played pivotal role on a range of issues from fighting for justice, civil liberties and equality to working at grass- roots level to bring positive change in people’s lives. Civil soci- ety’s exponential growth led to concepts like withering away of borders and demise of State. These developments have produced a great literature on the role of civil society and impact of global- ization on both the internal and external affairs of societies. A major focus area of civil society has been the advocacy of educational opportunities for all. It was specially with this per- spective that the Human Chain, a Delhi-based NGO working for social uplift and mobility, convened a symposium on “The Role of Civil Society in Promoting Education” on 20 June at the head- quarters of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat here. Speakers emphasized on the need for action rather than rhet- oric. Speaking on this occasion, Sirajuddin Qureshi, president of India Islamic Cultural Centre, asked people to contribute towards society whichever way was possible for them. He said that con- tribution did not mean merely giving financial support. Sparing time and offering suggestions are also great contributions. He said that relying only on government schemes would not help. Muslims need to find their own ways to better their educational and economic condition. Terming sincerity as a precondition for desired results, he lamented that Muslims talked a lot about prob- lems but not about solutions. Prof. Akhtarul Wasey of the Jamia Millia Islamia said that a Muslim should not be told about the importance of education as it was a Qur’anic injunction for him to acquire knowledge. He said that the reason for Muslims’ backwardness is their loss of aca- demic leadership. There is no need to blame the government for the sorry status of Muslims that has been shown in the Sachar report. He added that before the Committee’s report it was com- mon to blame the government that it was indulging in minority appeasement. When the report came, it silenced those voices. Prof. Wasey, who is also patron of the Human Chain, asked the members of the society to work and not to blame others for the pitiable status of Muslims. He rued the fact that education and health were being handed over to market forces. In his keynote address, Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor of University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, stressed on the need for establishing good schools along with universities. He said that Muslims did not have their share in the policy making institutions because of which they were deprived of the benefits of many schemes. He appealed to Muslims to work in a planned way with some 10- year future proj- ect. KSA-based Asif Rameez Daudi, President of the Overseas chapter of Human Chain, laid stress on social awakening as a solution to academic deprivation among Muslims. Chairman of Human Chain, Engineer Mohammad Aslam Alig, presented a brief review of socio-economic and educational status of Muslims and said Muslims were no less responsible than government for their backwardness. Journalist and founding member of Banat Education & Welfare Society, Bhopal, Manzar Imam elaborated on the signifi- cance of civil society and its role in the development of the poten- tial of an individual and its recurring advantage to society at large. Journalists Abid Anwar and Mudassir Alam, members of Human Chain, Dr. Khalid Mubashshir, Minnat Rahmani, Tarique Sufyan also shared their views. Certificates of Excellence were given by Human Chain to columnist Abid Anwar, Tariq Sufyan, Mujahid Akhtar and Salam Anwar. MANZAR IMAM MG/Yusuf Guwahati: The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) will hold its 22nd International Convention on Education and Gala Award Programme on 28-29 December, 2013 in Guwahati in association with Markazul Ma’arif and Ajmal Foundation. A press conference was held at the Guwahati Press Club on 22 June. It was addressed by key office bearers of AFMI – Dr. A. R. Nakadar, AFMI USA trustee, Ayub Khan, AFMI Canada President and Shaikh Mohammed Quraishi, AFMI USA trustee. Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi (Director of Markazul Ma’arif Education & Research Center, Mumbai), Mr. Khasrul Islam (Manager Ajmal Foundation) and Mr. Shamsul Haque Chaudhury (Vice President, Markazul Ma’arif) also addressed the press and welcomed AFMI to Guwahati - the gateway to seven northeastern states of India. AFMI is a philanthropic, service-based and issue-orientated organisation formed by Muslim Americans of Indian origin in 1989. It strives to work towards the educational and economic uplift of Indian Muslims by seeking cooperation among American and Indian relief and educa- tional organizations. AFMI strives to achieve 100% literacy among Indian Muslims. Towards this goal, AFMI has built schools in many Indian villages and has adopted many schools, with students numbering in thousands. For motivation to excel in educa- tion AFMI has awarded over 2,000 gold, silver, bronze medals and certificates to meritorious students of Standards X and XII of each state of India. It also provides scholarship to needy and deserving students. Towards the social empow- erment, AFMI has built hospitals, conducted medical camps, provided relief and rehabilitation either due to epidemics or due to man-made dis- asters or natural disasters. For the last 22 years, AFMI has been holding these gala award programmes for Muslim top- pers of X and XII standard board exams in vari- ous cities of India. The programme has been so successful that it is now being replicated by sev- eral other organizations at various levels. This is the first time that AFMI will hold its educational convention in Guwahati. Muslim toppers from each Indian state will be honoured at the convention and will receive their medals from prominent dignitaries. In addition, the convention will also feature sessions on various aspects of education and these will be addressed by experts in the field. A special session will be dedicated on the chal- lenges and prospects facing Muslim education in the North East. Another session will focus on educating the girl child. Rihai Manch is a phenomenon in political protest Lucknow: Rihai Manch (Release Platform) is unique gathering of left- ist, socialist, Muslim, human rights and other groups and individuals who are fighting for inno- cent Muslims imprisoned in the name of terrorism in the country. They came together last year under the leadership of Mohammad Shoaib Advocate and UP PUCL’s Rajiv Yadav and Shahnawaz Alam. Basically the Manch started agitating to demand the release of the Nimesh Commission report which was presented to the state government on 31 August last year but a government which had come to power on the promise of setting free the innocent Muslim youth unjustly imprisoned in various jails of the state but even after the submission of the Nimesh report it preferred to sit on it untill it was leaked and it became clear that it has exonerated Tariq Qasmi and Khalid Mujahid and has heavily indicted the police and security agencies which framed a fake case against them and others. The Rihai Manch has been sitting on an indefinite dharna since 22 May this year for several relat- ed issues: to protest against the wrongful arrests made by the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on false stories made up by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), to press for the release of innocent youths imprisoned and for the arrest of responsible police officers and actual offenders. The dharna was spurred by the cold blooded murder in custody of Khalid Mujahid by UP Police. The Nimesh Commission report has found him innocent but the Police preferred to silence him- for ever before he could be released. Rihai Manch has been demanding action by the Samjwadi Party government on the basis of the Nimesh report. Various political and religious leaders and human rights activists from across the county have come to Lucknow and joined the protest from time to time which is held daily in the protest area in front of the UP Assembly in Lucknow. MG NEWS DESK Rihai Manch organisers may be contacted at 09415012666, 09415254919, 09552800752, 08090696449, 09044797848 or by email at
[email protected] Lecture on Syria and Turkey MG Editor Zafarul-Islam Khan deliverd a lecture on the situ- ation in Syria and Turkey at the Jamaat-e Islami Hind headquarters in Delhi on 15 June. He explained the deli- cate situation in both the countries saying that an anti- people regime in Syria is fac- ing the wrath of its people while in Turkey a western- ised, secular miniscule minorty is fighting agaisnt a popular government. L-R: Aslam Alig, Sirajuddin Qureshi, Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, Asif Rameez & Mahbubul Hoque Women activists and relatives’ relatives at the dharna on 25 June The govt is too bad, they dont care about the cleanliness of Muslim areas AFMI’s Nakadar (centre) and Ayub Khan (extreme right) at the press conference Dr Khan making a point during the lecture Raid on Katihar Medical College Dir Patna: Ahmad Ashfaq Karim, Chief Managing Director of Katihar Medical College was arrested after a police raid on his residence on the night of 15 June. Commenting on this Maulana Wali Rahmani, Sajjada Nashin of Khanqah Rahmani, Moonger said that this action of the police team was a conspiracy to weaken Katihar Medical College, and to prevent and discourage Muslims from acquiring higher and professional education to build a bright future. He said that every year 50-60 Muslim youths become doc- tors after passing out from this medical college, which gives them a bright future and also render good service to patients. He said that people who do not want Muslims to progress are indulging in such conspiracies to destroy Muslim institutions in order to pre- vent Muslims from moving ahead in life. He said that the govern- ment’s attitude is also partial and biased. He said that in addition to Katihar Medical College there are many other medical colleges in this state and in these colleges set up in the name of minorities, non-minority professors and heads are occupying important posts but the government pays no attention to such colleges but wher- ever there are Muslim institutions and Muslim heads, some peo- ple belonging to a particular community begin to feel nervous and worried. He said that even the government does not want Muslim institutions to progress and build new Muslim institutions. He said that educated people, particularly Muslims should pay special attention to Katihar Medical College and the action taken against its chief, Ahmad Ashfaq Karim. He said that in recent months Karim Saheb had started a campaign ‘Kosi Bachaao Morcha’ which was to affect 8 districts. He said that this step which was for the good of people may not have been to the liking of the Bihar government for which Ashfaq Karim had to pay the price. He said that his sympathies were with this College. Uzma Bari, a social worker and Congress leader said that the police raid on the residence of Ashfaq Karim, Chief Mg Director of Katihar Medical College is part of a conspiracy by the government to project Muslim educational institutions in a bad light and to harass Muslims and their institutions. He said that the existence of two or 2.5 crores of rupees in such a big educational institution or at the residence of its Chief Mg Director or Chairman is nothing surprising or a big deal because the presence of such amounts at the residence or office of big educational institutions or their heads is quite normal but targetting such a big educational institution of professional education is a conspiracy. He asked why such police raids were not conducted on the residences or offices of non- Muslim educational institutions or on the residences of Directors or Chairmen of these institutions and why only a Muslim institu- tion or its chief was targeted? He said that in addition to Muslims, non-Muslim students or youths also benefit from Muslim educa- tional institutions but since the conspiracy was to project only Muslims and their educational institutions in a bad light, this raid was conducted simply to defame them. He also said that there are many non-Muslim educational institutions where education is imparted and promoted as a business to earn huge amounts of money but no such raids have ever been conducted on these insti- tutions or on the residence of their heads. It may be stated here that though no reason is given why the police raid was conducted on the residence of Ashfaq Karim, from the statements of people mentioned above it appears that police might have been informed by some one secretly that a large amount of money was kept at the residence of Ashfaq Karim, police raided it considering it unaccounted money. No proper representation of Muslims in UP police force Faizabad: Irrespective of the tall claims made by the UP govern- ment and responsible police authorities about proper representa- tion of Muslims in the state police force, the ground reality is that all such claims are on paper only. The common thinking among Muslims about the UP police is that the state police adopts double standard as regards employment of Muslims in the police depart- ment. According to Muhammad Athar Shamsi, RTI activist, and advocate, the UP government had issued two orders, one on 18 July 2007 and the other on 8 August 2011 for the appointment of Thana Incharges in police Department. According to these orders the principles or rules of reservation should have been implement- ed and persons belonging to scheduled castes and backward classes, which included Muslims also, should have been appoint- ed for the posts of Thana Incharges, but the actual position is quite different. In this connection when the list of Thana Incharges appointed in Faizabad Zone was sought from the DIG office of Faiabad Zone under RTI on 25 April 2013, it was found that in Faizabad District’s 18 Thanas, only one Muslim is the Thana Incharge, and that too in the Mahila (Lady’s) Thana where (Ms) Aasima Majid was posted in Faizabad City’s Mahila Thana. As regards Scheduled caste’s Thana Incharge or Thanedaar, there are only two out of 18 thanas whereas on the basis of reservation there should have been 4 instead of only 2. The same condition is found in Faizabad Zone’s Sultanpur district where out of 17 Thanas only one Muslim is Thana Incharge or Thanedaar and only one Thana Incharge belongs to the scheduled caste. In case of Ambedkar Nagar dis- trict where also information was sought under RTI, the police department did not furnish any reply. In Barabanki district’s 22 thanas, three thana incharges are Muslims and only one thana Incharge belongs to scheduled caste. Muhammad Athar Shamsi has made a demand to UP’s chief minister that in order to rectify and prevent the biased attitude prevalent in the UP police with regard to Muslims, it is very essen- tial that for all posts in UP police department, representation of Muslims shouldl be in proportion to their population and suitable steps should be taken to achieve this. Nasreen’s sensational rock wall climbing Indore: Newly recruited police cop Nasreen stirred up a sensation when she climbed a 45 feet rock wall and surprised everyone by her skill. CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan and state home minister Uma Shankar Gupta were among the dignitaries who witnessed Nasreen’s adventure at the PTC grounds. Impressed by her progress, after a mere two day practice, the CM announced a reward of Rs 25000 for her. (A.G. Khan) He spent all his savings to set up a hospital for poor people Ahmedabad: Momin Husain of Tilao village in Ahmedabad district left his village when he was only 20, in order to earn a living to bring up his family. He reached Gandhi Nagar and after learning motor repairing work started his own business there on a small scale. He worked very hard from the very beginning and after working there for 16 years he returned to his native village with a saving of about Rs 7 lakh, after having met the expenses of his family and household members. His ambition was to build a hos- pital in his village for poor people. After returning to his village he continued his motor repairing work. As his business prospered, he tried to fulfill his ambition and started building a hospital on his ancestral plot of land of about 1200 sq yards. This land was situ- ated at a prime location, and some people were prepared to pay upto even Rs 10 crores but instead of selling it and leading a com- fortable life he preferred to fulfill his life’s ambition of building the hospital. He was no doubt a self-made man. This unlettered mechanic got in touch with Dr Kartik Shukla, a well-known orthopaedic sur- geon of Ahmedabad and confided in him, his ambition of building a hospital. Dr Shukla not only willingly agreed to render his serv- ices in the hospital but also helped him in setting up the structure etc of the hospital. Along with him some other doctors also, when they came to know about Momin Husain’s life’s ambition, agreed to render their services in the proposed hospital gratuitously at least for a few hours daily. Two years ago the hospital was com- pleted and started functioning. Now there are more than a dozen expert doctors in different disciplines and departments of medical sciences. In the beginning Momin Husain wanted that no fee should be charged from the patients but ultimately had to agree to charging a nominal amount, in order to meet the expenses of running the hospital but no fixed fee or charges were to be demanded. It is a unique multi-speciality hospital in the sense that patients are asked to pay whatever they can easily afford for the treatment. Momin also aptly named this hospital as Adarsh Hospital i.e. ideal hospital. PG Degree Course in Islamic banking Lucknow: Graduate Degree Course in Islamic Banking has been started in MONAD University with effect from the current academ- ic year. President of Jamiatul Ulama-e Hind Maulana Arshad Madni inaugurated the Department of Islamic Banking, Finance & Insurance in this University. Speaking on this occasion he said that because of increasing number of engineering and MBA pass stu- dents there will be lesser or reduced chances of employment for youths, which is a matter of concern. Under such circumstances introduction of Islamic Banking, Finance and Insurance Course by Monad University at international level for strengthening econom- ic system augurs well. Vice Chancellor of Monad University, Dr Mian Jaan said that this course would be very easy and useful for students who pass from Darul Uloom Deoband. Mazahirul Uloom, Saharanpur, Nadwatul Ulama, Luckonw etc. Another death in police custody: 8 policemen suspended Ghaziabad: One Shakeel (42) of Ghaziabad district’s Dasna village was arrested by the police for questioning after the theft of an auto in Ghaziabad. According to Shakil’s father Khalil, on the morning of 13 June Incharge of Kavinagar Thana, Sudhir Tyagi and 7 or 8 police personnel reached his residence and took his son Shakil to the police station for questioning. According to police, at that time Rs 61,000 and two mobile phones were found in his pocket which Khalil described as a completely false accusation. Next day when he along with some other people reached the police station of Kavinagar they found that Shakeel was being beaten mercilessly. The police version is that as he was being taken to Farrukhabad in connection with the recovery of the stolen auto, his condition began to worsen and he was got admitted to Sarvoday Hospital but finding that his condition was deteriorating he was referred to GTB Hospital in Delhi but before reaching the hospital Shakeel died. Khalil (Shakeel’s father) lodged a complaint against the police for his son Shakeel’s death because of the merciless beat- ing and torture. His family members reached the Kavinagar police station and indulged in slogan shouting against the police. Khalil also wrote in the complaint that when they had reached the police station and found that Shakeel was being mercilessly beaten, he (Shakeel) asked them to somehow save him otherwise he would die. When Khalil beseeched the police to release him as he was innocent, they demanded Rs 80 thousand for releasing him. Khalil then said that he could only manage Rs 10 thousand and not 80 thousand because he was not in that position. Police then asked him to come again at night for this but before that Shakeel died. After the agitation and anti-police slogan shouting by the fam- ily members at the Kavinagar Police Station. Kavinagar Thana Incharge Sudhir Tayagi and seven other police personnel were suspended and FIR filed against them. Samajwadi Party Supremo Mulayam Singh was informed about Shakeel’s death in police custody and agitation by his family members by Dasna Town Area Chairman over the phone after which Mulayam Singh Yadav directed District Magistrate Ranga Rao to take strong action against the guilty police personnel. The Task of enquiry in this mat- ter was entrusted to Circle Officer Rajesh Kumar Pande and the task of departmental enquiry was given to S P (village) Jagdish Sharma. CBI to chargesheet IB officer in Ishrat case New Delhi: The CBI has issued summons to IB officer Rajendra Kumar, to interrogate him in the Ishrat fake encounter case. Though he has already been grilled, the agency is not satisfied with the info he provided. This time he has been summoned as an accused. Rajendra Kumar was posted in Guarat in 2004 when the encounter was staged. It was his report that provided details about a possible Lashar-e-Taiba attempt on CM Narendra Modi’s life, which prompted the Gujarat police to undertake the encounter. His grilling has generated political protest. Not only has Arun Jatly opposed the move even N. Modi strongly criticised the move. In the recent meeting of state chief ministers he urged the P M to target him instead of playing game with agencies. New Delhi: Communal riots erupted in Shamli after the gangrape of a girl by some bad elements in which goons of the Hindu organisations like BJP, VHP, Shiv Sena, Bajrant Dal etc indulged in clashes, looting and burning of shops and other disruptive activ- ities against Muslims because of which Muslims suffered loss of crores of rupees. After large scale looting and burning of shops, vehicles and other movable and immovable properties the unso- cial elements, among whom, were some BJP MLAs and other responsible persons like Babu Hukum Singh, MLAs Suresh Rana and Pankaj Malik etc sat on Dharna in Shamli Kotwali, demand- ing the arrest of guilty persons. Mischievous and anti social ele- ments of these organisations indulged in fighting and beating up any Muslim they came across on the road or other places. It is alleged that a couple reached Shamli late at night on 15 June (Saturday) and was looking for a hotel to spend the night. Some youths, alleged to be Muslims, came forward to help them but tried to misbehave with them. Suspecting some trouble by these so-called helpers, the boy fled from the place, leaving the girl at the mercy of the youths who allegedly gang raped her. At about 2 after midnight she was released by them after which she reached Kotwali and lodged a complaint. She told the policemen at the Kotwali, that after a fight with her family members at a vil- lage in Roorki she came to Shamli along with her friend on their way to Jind in Haryana but because she had reached Shamli late at night, they decided to stay in Shamli and while looking for a hotel they came across some people who misguided them and raped her. She further said that she belongs to Balmiki communi- ty. Next day when the news spread that a Balmiki girl was raped allegedly by some Muslims, the Balmiki fraternity rose up in revolt and indulged in disruptive activities like looting and burning of shops and houses of Muslims, vehicles etc and mercilessly beat up Muslims wherever they found them. Hindu organisations men- tioned above, though not Balmiki (people of lower castes like sweepers etc) but in their effort to fish in troubled waters, also indulged in these subversive activities. BJP leaders and MLAs mentioned above sat on dharna in the Kotwali demanding imme- diate arrest of the guilty persons. Looting and burning of shops and other properties of Muslims and thrashing of Muslims took place on a large scale in the presence of the police but on the whole they (police) remained silent spectators. Top police offi- cers reached the place and tried to control the situation. Police, no doubt at some places resorted to lathi charge on the rioters after the arrival of top officers but on the whole their role was pas- sive. Some Muslims alleged that the girl herself appeared to be of doubtful character because both she and her companion wanted to go to Amber Hotel which is notorious for being a centre of ille- gal and immoral activities and she appeared to be a call girl. As she herself stated above, she had a fight with her family members after which she wanted to go to Jind in Haryana via Shamli. Muslim leaders also accuse BJP and VHP etc leaders of being responsible for starting and escalating riots in order to harm and frighten Muslims. The riots continued for two or three days intermittently and after initial promulgation of section 144, curfew was declared at many places when the situation took a serious turn. The position is still not clear, how many persons were injured, how many were arrested and how much loss was incurred as a result of looting and arson. No loss of life was however repor ted. And in Rajasthan New Delhi: Communal riot and tension took place between two groups of people belonging to different communities on the night of 15 June. In order prevent deterioration of the situation section 144 was declared in the affected areas. Next day i.e. Sunday 16 June also the rioters set a car and some shops on fire. After police lathi charge there was a stampede in which some people were injured. It is said that after heated arguments between two persons one of them fired a shot. No one was killed in this riot but clashes between Hindus and Muslims took place in different localities in spite of deployment of police called from different neighbouring thanas. Police patrol continued in the affected and neighbouring areas and the situation was brought under control. (N. A. Ansari) Communal riots in Shamli 14 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 COMMUNITY NEWS www.milligazette.com Ishrat Encounter: FIR drafted prior to encounter? Ahmedabad: The CBI suspects that FIR lodged in the police was drafted prior to the actual encounter. In this contest it has grilled public prosecutor Sudhir Brahmbhatta thrice. The last interroga- tion lasted six hours. Since Brahmbhatta was in the good books of all the police officials, including D G Vanzaara, he had drafted the FIR and then G L Singhal formally lodged it at the police sta- tion. There are two theories. According to one, G L Singhal has spilled the beans and named Sudhir Brahmbhatta’s role in the affair. According to another theory CBI suspects that Sudhir knew that the four persons had already been taken into custody and the fact is supported by call details at the time of encounter accord- ing to which Sudhir G L Singhal and a prominent politician had been in touch with one another. The pertinent question is who asked Sudhir to draft the FIR. It is believed that Nizamuddin, retired police constable, who was a witness to Sadiq Jamal encounter as well as Ishrat encounter ultimately, after his arrest, has spilled the beans. The possibility of his becoming crown witness cannot be ruled out. It is interesting to note that Sudhir is a regular visitor to the crime branch ever since he assumed office. He pays at least, one visit every day while leaving for home in the evening at the crime branch office. (A. G. Khan) HC orders to continue construction of mosque in Meerut Allahabad: A 2-member bench of Allahabad High Court consist- ing of Justice Anil Ambwani and Justice Bharat Bhushan, after hearing detailed arguments of senior advocate M. A. Qadeer that under the Constitution every citizen has a right to follow any reli- gion of his choice and to build a place of religious worship, ruled that under Articles 45,46 and 48 the petitioner has a fundamental right to build a place of worship. It may be stated in this connec- tion that in Kalina village of Meerut district some Muslims had jointly purchased plot No. 490 from Opender Singh and started building a mosque on this plot. As the construction of the mosque was in progress, the village Pradhan and some others, with the help of police not only stopped the construction work but also filed a case in court against the construction of the mosque. The population of this village is about 5 thousand and the population of Muslim in this village is about 500. There is not a single mosque in this village because of which they (Muslims) had to go to another village, which is many kilometres away, for offering namaz. When the village Pradhan and others filed the case in the court, advocate M A Qadeer pleaded on behalf of Muslims of the village and submitted the arguments as mentioned above (in para1). He also said that in view of this, police has no right or authority to stop construction of the mosque. After hearing the arguments of advocate M A Qadeer the bench of Justices Anil Ambwani and Bharat Bhushan ruled (as stated above) that construction of the mosque is a fundamental right of the other party. In support of their verdict the honourable judges referred to many verdicts of high courts and Supreme Court in favour of the arguments of Muslims advocate Qadeer. They directed the police and other authorities not to place any hur- dles in the construction of the mosque. Commenting on this ver- dict, advocate M A Qadeer hoped that wherever and whenever such problems arise, this verdict would be helpful. More than 24 lakh students receive education in madrasas New Delhi: It is found in consequence of surveys conducted in the country during the past ten years that Islamic madrasas are play- ing an important role in spreading education among Muslims. According to a report of the HRD ministry, prepared on the basis of statistics collected by District Information System for Education (DISE), more than 24 lakh (24, 75, 550 to be exact) boy and girl students receive education in recognised (or approved) and unrecognised madrasas of the country. Further, according to DISE survey there were 5797 recognised and 2392 unrecognised madrasas in the country last year. On this basis the ratio of boy and girl students receiving education in Islamic madrasas is 9.7 percent. According to this report there are 430 districts in the country and the number of districts where 25 per- cent Muslim children read in madrasas is 68. In other words, there are 68 districts in the country where 25 percent Muslim stu- dents study in madrasas. Union HRD ministry’s 21-member Standing Committee of its National Monitoring Committee for Minorities Education in its report recently submitted to this min- istry has recommended that under the central government’s Scheme to Provide Quality Education in Madrasas (SPQ, EM), more facilities should be provided in those districts of the country where greater number of Muslim students join madrasas to study. An important feature of madrasas, most of which provide only religious education, is that there is not much gender inequal- ity i e there is not a wide difference in the number of boy and girl students. Though there is no co-education in madrasas and there are separate madrasas for boys and girls, the number of boy and girls students in madrasas is almost the same, rather in some cases the number of girl students is more than boys. This is evi- dent from the figures given above, i.e. the total number of boy stu- dents in both recognised and recognised madrasas is 12,10,882, and that of girl students in recognised and unrecognised madrasas is 12,64,667. Singhal gets bail Ahmedabad: It was being whispered that IPS officer G L Singhal might turn approver. The CBI did not file any chargesheet against him within the stipulated period of 90 days. This enabled his advocate to seek bail for him which the CBI court granted on a surety of Rs. 1,00,000. He will have to report at the police station every month and surrender his passport It is being guessed that by allowing Singhal to turn approver the CBI is trying to implicate Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. Farmers vow to oppose Modi’s project Ahmedabad: Narendra Modi’s dream project at Dhalera, Special Investment Area, has met with strong resistance from the farm- ers. Villageres of 44villages have vowed that they would not part with their land even if it meant laying down their lives. They even threatened to gherao Gandhinagar if the project is not cancelled. Villagers and women belonging to Bahuchraji Mandal, Detroj and Patdi have strongly opposed the government scheme of acquiring farmers’ land. Are Muslims being fooled in the name of minority universities New Delhi: Union minister for minorities affairs K. Rahman Khan has time and again declared that the central government (his min- istry) will set up five minority universities in the country. He named Mallapuram (Kerala), Murshidabad (W. Bengal) Kishan Ganj (Bihar), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Rai Barelli (U P) and a place in Karnataka as the places where the minority universities will be set up. It may be stated in this connection that AMU’s centres or uni- versities at Malappuram and Murshidabad had already been set up and functioning mainly with and due to the efforts of AMU’s former VC, Prof P. K. Abdul Azis, much before Rahman Khan became minorities affairs minister. Till the time of P K Abdul Azis’s departure from AMU, though Kishan Ganj was being mooted as the place for the third centre of AMU there was uncertainty about it because of Bihar government’s uncertain attitude about provid- ing land for this centre and Hindutva outfits agitation and opposi- tion to setting up AMU’s centre there. When AMU centres, or uni- versities have already been set up at Mallapuram and Murshidabad after HRD ministry’s approval and are also function- ing, there is no point in including them among 5 new minority uni- versities, even if further building and construction work may be going on or will be undertaken there in future. The Thorat Committee appointed by Rahman Khan last year to prepare the feasibility report about setting up minority universi- ties and to suggest ways for removing legal and constitutional hurdles, difficulties in the way of setting up these universities and also to suggest suitable locations for these proposed universities had clearly stated that the constitution does not allow setting up universities exclusively for particular religious communities (Muslims) with the public or tax payers money and hence Parliament cannot enact any such law for setting up universities exclusively for Muslims with public or tax payers money. Instead, it (Thorat Committee) had suggested setting up central universi- ties in which, like JNU, preferential treatment, like concessions, privileges or grace marks in entrance examinations for admission of Muslim students in universities or other educational institutions can be given. After these suggestions by the Thorat Committee, how can Mr Rahman Khan openly say that 5 minority universities will be set up. Moreover, the locations being mentioned for these universities in addition to Mallapuram, Murshidabad and Kishan Ganj are Ajmer, Rae Bareilli (in U P) and the Tipu Sultan University in Karnataka. This makes six universities, instead of five. So, how many more minority universities are planned instead of five? Chairman of NCMEI, Justice Suhail Siddiqi and Vice Chairman of Urdu Academy, Delhi Prof Akhtarul Wasey, however said that the intentions of Mr Rahman Khan are quite sincere and he cer- tainly does not intend to mislead Muslims. They suggested that the government should amend the relevant law and for this Rahman Khan should press the government so that there is no legal or constitutional hurdle in setting up minority universities. Maharashtra government is anti-minority Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party’s president and state MLA Abu Asim Azmi while accusing the Maharashtra government of being anti-Muslim said that in the next assembly election Muslims of the state will unitedly by remove the present Congress - NCP government from power. He said that right from the Babri Masjid’s demolition till date the atrocities and oppressions heaped on Muslims by the Congress-led state government are indescrib- able. He said that the time has now come for them to unite and throw this cruel and anti-Muslim government out of power. Addressing ‘Insaaf Chahiyye Abhiyan’ meeting at Nagpada junction here on 8 June he said that at the time of par tition of the country crores of Muslims had decided of their own free will to live in this country and the sacrifices rendered by their forefathers for the country are totally forgotten and ignored. In spite of the assurance given to Muslims at that time that there will be uniform laws and equal treatment for every body and every community the unending series of discrimination and maltreatment against Muslims in every matter has not been stopped. Speaking about the bomb blasts in 2008 in the powerloom city of Malegaon he said that in these bomb blasts 32 Muslims were killed but in spite of this Muslims themselves had become suspects in the eyes of police and educated Muslim youths of Malegaon were arrested because, in the eyes of (a communal minded) police and administration every Muslim is a terrorist and whenever and wherever bomb blasts take place, only Muslim youth are arrested. Taking the state government and its anti-ter- rorist squad strongly to task he said that after the confession by Swamy Aseemanand, the culprits in the Samjhauta Express bomb blasts, those associated with saffron organisations were arrested for Malegaon bomb blasts and they were also charge sheeted two times, but the state government till date did not file any appeal in the court in order to honourably free the innocent Muslim youths, arrested for these bomb blasts. Malegaon 2006 blast: no charge against Pragya / Purohit Mumbai: The NIA filed charge sheets against four accused - Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh, Manohar Singh and Rajendra Choudhari. Ramji Kalsangra has been declared an absconder. The agency filed a five volume charge sheet in the court of MCOCA special judge Prathvi Raj Chavan. What is surprising is the point that Abhinav Bharat activists responsible for the 2008 blast at Malegaon ie Pragya Thakur, Lt Col Shri Kant Purohit and Swami Aseemanand do not figure in this chargesheet. It is believed that a supplementary chargesheet is likely to be filed in which Pragya’s name is likely to be included. Other absconders are Sandip Dange and Amit Halka. Manohar’s involvement was ascertained on the basis of Chaudhari’s grilling. Shehla could have embarrassed govt Indore: Shehla had obtained information from the CVC which could have embarrassed the state government. The information was pertaining to Advani, which she had threatened to make pub- lic at a rally at the boat club Bhopal on 16 August 2011 but she was killed before she could reach the meeting. The state govern- ment was trying to persuade her, was even pressurising her through politicians to refrain from making this disclosure, Saba Farouqui’s pleader argued in the court. Dhruv’s friend Sanjay Gupta was grilled for the first time for three hours. The government had accused Shehla along with Mahira Salimuddin, Bhopal corporator, of being ISI agents. Anil Dave became his sworn enemy. In a startling revelation Saba’s advo- cate Sunil Shrivastav, wanted to ascertain whether RTI activist had married Shehala adopting the name of Akram and had planned to settle in Delhi. Shehla has even been accused of deal- ing in fake currency notes. Ayodhya / Faizabad: Supreme Court by its orders in various cases has forbidden any kind of religious activity by unautho- rised persons at the disputed place in Ayodhya where a make- shift Ram mandir has been built. In its orders of 24 October in connection with Ismail Farooqi case, in Bhoray case of 3 March 2002 and in Hafiz Siddiq case of 9 May 2011 the apex court has clearly stated that only the court-appointed pujari can worship in the temporary structure of the sanctum sanctorum. By the court’s order every week or every 15 days inspection of the dis- puted place is undertaken in the presence of Faizabad’s Commissioner also, who is also the Court-appointed Receiver, when honourable judges, all the parties to the dispute, their lawyers or nominees are also supposed to be present to see to it that the Supreme Court’s orders are followed and no violation of any kind takes place. But this order of the Supreme Court was violated on 9 June (Sunday) when Shankaracharya Swamy Saroopanand’s advocate, who is also a senior advocate of the High Court, Ranjana Agnihotri, advocate M M Pande, Triloki Nath Pande etc went to the make-shift temple and participated in the worship and aarti that was going on there. This was clearly in violation of the Court’s orders. It was reported that this was not an exceptional case but very often people who had participated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in broad day light, in clear violation of Supreme Court’s order indulge in such activities. Probably they want to show that they are above the law and that the court cannot do any thing against them. A few years ago Ashok Singhal, former president of VHP, had gone upto the disputed and forbidden place along with his com- mandos. No action was taken against him but the SDM and some policemen who were posted there to ensure that the Supreme Court’s order is implemented had to pay the price and they were suspended for not preventing Singhal from going there. On that particular day i e 9 June 2013 Ranjana Agnihotri who had gone there along with an ASI team for inspection of the disputed place left the ASI team and joined the Ram Lalla wor- ship and aarti. This action of her’s was frowned upon by Justices T. M. Khan and S. K. Singh. Haji Mahboob representing the Muslim party, and lawyer Ranjeet Lal Verma and Swamy Hardayal Shastri, representing the Hindu party also disapproved of her (Ranjana’s) attitude. When Haji Mahboob, Babri Masjid’s litigant, objected to this act of Ranjana Agnihotri’s, VHP leader Tirloki Nath Pande tried to defend Ranjana by saying that this is a matter of our aastha (faith). At this Haji Mahboob retorted by saying that if Muslims too do some thing in the name of their faith, conditions will take a serious turn. Seeing the strained atmosphere, Commissioner Sanjay Prasad, who is also the court-appointed Receiver direct- ed Ranjana to move away from the aarti. Justices T M Khan and S K Singh also sternly directed all persons to strictly maintain status quo and see to it that the Supreme Court’s orders are not violated in any way. When tempers cooled down and the situation became nor- mal, some people were heard saying that Ranjana Agnihotri is fond of hogging in media headlines and that is why she indulges in such acts. MANZAR MEHDI Pooja at make-shift temple in Ayodhya in violation of Supreme Court’s order COMMUNITY NEWS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 15 www.milligazette.com FRANKLIN LAMB Beirut: Many Lebanese and Syrian supporters of the region’s Resistance culture, increasingly led by Hezbollah, are chastising, for a number of reasons, their former Islamist ally Hamas. Pillorying them with accusations that the latter are ingrates who are creating a host of problems for Hezbollah and its support for the Syrian regime, during the continuing crisis. Unnecessary problems, it is frequently asserted, that inure to the benefit of their mutual arch enemies, the Zionist colonizers of Palestine and their American and Arab enablers. An outsider living near the center of the Hezbollah security zone in Dahiyeh, South Beirut, as does this observer, hears from friends and neighbors both sides of this rancorous domestic argument. Having respect for, and being a supporter of both, one feels a bit awkward-- rather like a good friend of a married cou- ple, who are engaged in an increasingly acrimonious marital spat. While sympathetic to each friend’s seemingly legitimate com- plaints with the other, one does not want to take sides for, among other reasons, the risk of appearing disloyal to mutual friends and alienating perhaps both while being labeled a weak, “friend betrayer.” Yet one cannot disagree with the Palestinian community in both Syria and Lebanon who repeatedly assert that they want to stay neutral in the Syrian crisis which appears unlikely to end any- time soon. Palestinian refugees, in Palestine as well as in Syria and Lebanon, want to stay out of internecine conflicts and focus on trying to survive and confronting their real enemies, those who stole and are still living on their land. Some supporters of Hezbollah and the Palestine Resistance seek to avoid exhibiting dirty laundry to public view, but given the voracious craving of media outlets linked to various local parties as well as foreign sponsors, there is much pressure and opportu- nity to condemn each side for, some real but many illusory, Hezbollah-Palestinian cross-border conflicts. This mutually destructive phenomenon appears to be spreading. Hezbollah’s local Palestinian problem started to form in the spring of 2011 as the Syrian crisis quickly gained momentum. Some Palestinians joined the rebels and nearly 28 months into the maelstrom, continue fighting the Assad government. The num- bers appear to this observer to be a tiny fraction of the unem- ployed, discouraged Palestinian youth. Some have succumbed to the allure of $200 per month, free cigarettes, and an AK-47 and have joined one or the other of literally hundreds of jihadist mili- tias operating in Syria, some currently scoping out Lebanon. Some point out that those Palestinian refugees in Syria should not be seen as betraying those who have helped them most. The undeniable fact is that Palestinian refugees in Syria have for more than six decades been granted by the government rights to edu- cation, medical care, housing, employment, and in many instances, preferential treatment. In addition, Syria has granted them identity and travel documents, to an extent that no other Arab League country has. This despite decades of Arab poten- tates blathering interminably about supporting the “bloodstream and sacred cause of Palestine.” So there is festering resentment when certain media blare that Palestinian groups such as Hamas are with the rebels and are insisting that Hezbollah fighters not enter Syria under any pretext. Hamas stands accused of closing their Damascus offices, accepting a $400 million grant from Syria’s nemesis Qatar and of joining the US-Israel axis by harm- ing their own people as well as undermining the resistance to the Zionist regime in the process. Certain other Palestinians in camps such as Yarmouk in Syria and Shatila in Lebanon tacitly accuse Hamas of abandoning the Palestinian cause and misguidedly sparking sectarian strife with Hezbollah. Others argue just the opposite and blame Hezbollah. Some Palestinians are also said to be carrying guns for the Saida-based, Lebanese Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir, the imam of Saida’s Bilal bin Rabah Mosque, while supporting his anti-Hezbollah-Assad regime which is trying to unite Sunnis who make up roughly 85% of the world’s Muslim population, to elimi- nate all Shia Muslims. Syrian government forces claim that Hamas has even trained Syrian rebels in the manufacture and use of home-made rockets. Some Hezbollah fighters complain that they taught Hamas many of their battlefield skills which they turned around and used against Hezbollah forces in al-Qusayr and are preparing to do the same, with larger numbers, in the coming battle for Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. Many supporters of Hezbollah believe Hamas and some other Palestinian factions were being needlessly provocative when a few officials issued an unusual admonishment of Hezbollah on June 13, demanding it direct its firepower at Israel and withdraw from involvement in the Syrian conflict. “We demand of Hezbollah to withdraw its forces from Syria and call on it to leave its weapons directed only at the Zionist enemy,” read a statement allegedly from Hamas, posted on the Facebook page of its deputy political leader Moussa Abu Marzouq. Despite its withdrawal from Syria in early 2012, Hamas, as an Islamic organization, has been wary of publicly criticizing Hezbollah for its military support of the Assad regime. On June 13, the London-based daily Al-Quds Al-Araby reported that a schism existed within Hamas regarding its attitude toward Hezbollah. Hamas’s military wing, the Izz Ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, reportedly endorsed the alliance with the Syria- Hezbollah axis, while its political leadership opposed it. Some have questioned the accuracy of this report. Other more petty accusations have been made by some Hezbollah supporters, for example that some Palestinian camp residents in Ein el Helwe camp near Saida and Jalil camp near Baalbek, were encouraged by Hamas to burn refugee aid pack- ages provided by Hezbollah for Syrians and Palestinians forced to flee Syria. The reasons cited by the Palestinians for this odd act were that they felt they could not, given moral Islamic values, accept “blood” gifts, even of much needed food. This observer met with some Palestinian leaders from differ- ent factions and is satisfied by their explanations that this was not the case. Hezbollah has given emergency aid to all the Palestinian camps. What happened with the symbolic burning of a few parcels was entirely politically motivated and organized by certain Salafists in Saida and a few troublemakers from the pro-Saudi/US factions, including rump elements from the pro-western March 14 alliance. That issue has now been resolved by Palestinian pop- ular committees and the Hezbollah donors. Hopefully it will not recur. Some Hezbollah partisans complain that certain Palestinian factions have circulated rumors in the media accusing Hezbollah of wrongdoing and thereby are in effect collaborating with the US and Israel to divide and weaken the National Lebanese Resistance. Yet additional criticism of certain Palestinian factions, specif- ically Hamas, relates to the nature of the movement’s relationship with the state of Qatar which is accused of essentially appointed itself godfather of all the Islamist and Muslim Brotherhood move- ments in the region. According to some, this has caused Hamas to lose the credibility and popularity that it once enjoyed from diaspora Palestinians. The Palestinians’ Hezbollah problem Revisiting the “marital spat” analogy, some of the accusations against certain Palestinian groups mirror those made against Hezbollah. Some Lebanese analysts and some camp Palestinians have warned that Hezbollah’s foray into Syria is fueling a Sunni- Shiite polarization that threatens to feed extremism on both sides and catapult the conflict to the wider region. Syrian opposition groups reported on May 30 that Hezbollah had ordered Hamas’s representative in Beirut, Ali Baraka, to leave the country immedi- ately because of Hamas’s public support for Syrian rebels fight- ing Assad. Baraka denied the report, telling Lebanese media (and his neighbors) that there was no change in the relationship between the two organizations. As of today, this observer’s kitchen balcony overlooks the Hamas office in central Haret Hreik and it is clear that it is still functioning. The Hamas disagreement with Hezbollah still stands but both parties have agreed to discuss it by holding a series of meetings. In response to a question on this subject, former Foreign Ministry undersecretary in the ousted government in Gaza Ahmad Youssef, pointed out that Hamas needs and very much wants the support of all the powers and sides in the region to face the colonial Zionist implantation, what some refer to as “the 9th Crusade.” Youssef explained: “We needed and still need Iran and Hezbollah. However, the movement’s position is that this behavior had dam- aged the relations which we wanted to be close and strong with the party.” Next month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has his own problems with Hamas, will reportedly visit Lebanon to meet with Palestinians who fled Syria and is expected to attempt a Hamas-Hezbollah musalaha (reconciliation). The resistance to the Zionist colony has multiple pillars, two of which are Hezbollah and the Palestine National Movement. Both of these as well as a growing number of others, including hundreds of militia now fighting in Syria, share one principle objective, to liberate occupied Palestine and ensure the Palestinian’s right-of-return to the 531 villages that were ethnical- ly cleansed 65 years ago, by whatever means required. Neither Hezbollah or those Palestinians now fighting each other in Syria, and, God-forbid, soon in Lebanon if the US-Israeli is successful in achieving it’s divisive project, need 2-cents worth of advice from this foreign observer. But surely, most from each camp will agree that this is not the time for Hezbollah and the Palestinians to use their scant resources to battle each other over perceived wrongs. There will be time enough to discuss these, if either group is still feeling wronged, after Palestine is freed from its racist colonial yoke. Franklin Lamb is doing research in Syria and Lebanon and can be reached c/o
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[email protected] Become a fan of MG on Facebook visit: facebook.com/milligazette Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/milligazette 16 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com Hezbollah’s Palestinian problem…and vice versa Former French Foreign Minister: The War against Syria was Planned Two years before “The Arab Spring” GEARÓID Ó COLMÁIN In an interview with the French TV station LCP, former French minister for Foreign Affairs Roland Dumas said: ‘ I’m going to tell you something. I was in England two years before the violence in Syria on other business. I met with top British officials, who confessed to me that they were preparing something in Syria. This was in Britain not in America. Britain was organizing an invasion of rebels into Syria. They even asked me, although I was no longer minister for foreign affairs, if I would like to par- ticipate. Naturally, I refused, I said I’m French, that doesn’t inter- est me.’’ Dumas went on to give the audience a quick lesson on the real reason for the war that has now claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. ‘’This operation goes way back. It was pre- pared, preconceived and planned… in the region it is important to know that this Syrian regime has a very anti-Israeli stance. Consequently, everything that moves in the region - and I have this from the former Israeli prime minister who told me ‘we’ll try to get on with our neighbours but those who don’t agree with us will be destroyed. It’s a type of politics, a view of histo- ry, why not after all. But one should know about it.’’ Dumas is a retired French foreign minister who is obliged to use discretion when revealing secrets which could affect French foreign policy. That is why he made the statement ‘I am French, that doesn’t interest me’. He could not reveal France’s role in the British plan as he would be exposing himself to prosecution for revealing state secrets. There have been many disinformation agents in the British and French press, many of them well known ‘leftist’ war correspondents and commentators, who have tried to pretend that Israel secretly supports Assad. Those who make such arguments are either stupid, ignorant or deliberate disinfor- mation agents of NATO and Israel. Israel’s support for Al Qaeda militants in Syria has even been admitted by the mainstream press. For example, Germany’s Die Welt newspaper published a report on June 12th on Israel’s medical treatment of the Al Qaeda fighters. Israel planned this war of annihilation years ago in accordance with the Yinon Plan, which advocates balkanization of all states that pose a threat to Israel. The Zionist entity is using Britain and France to goad the reluctant Obama administration into sending more American troops to their death in Syria on behalf of Tel Aviv. Of all the aggressor states against Syria, Israel has been the quietest from the start. That is because Laurent Fabius, Francois Holland, William Hague and David Cameron are doing their bid- ding by attempting to drag Israel’s American Leviathan into another ruinous war so that Israel can get control of the Middle East’s energy reserves, eventually replacing the United States as the ruling state in the world. It has also been necessary for Tel Aviv to remain silent so as not to expose their role in the ‘revo- lutions’, given the fact that the Jihadist fanatics don’t realize they are fighting for Israel. This is the ideology of Zionism which cares no more for Jews than it does for its perceived enemies. The Jewish colony is determined to become a ruling state in the Middle East in the insane delusion that this will enable it to replace the United States as a global hegemon, once the US collaps- es fighting Israel’s wars. To read the full text of this important article, visit: http://www.informa- tionclearinghouse.info/article35312.htm An outsider living near the center of the Hezbollah security zone in Dahiyeh, South Beirut, as does this observer, hears from friends and neighbors both sides of this ran- corous domestic argument. Having respect for, and being a supporter of both, one feels a bit awkward-- rather like a good friend of a married couple, who are engaged in an increasingly acrimonious marital spat. While sympathetic to each friend’s seemingly legitimate complaints with the other, one does not want to take sides for, among other reasons, the risk of appearing disloyal to mutual friends and alienating perhaps both while being labeled a weak, “friend betrayer.” [I too face the same problem, being a friend of both Hamas and Hizbullah, it is difficult to me blame anyone of them - both are wrong at present; one by siding with the fascist Assad regime and the other by opting for Qatar whose role in the Arab world is dubious to say the least - Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette] CHARITY ALLIANCE, with the active support of MG and like-minded people, is helping the victims of starvation in Murshidabad since April 2005. More tasks are being undertaken in some of the most deserving areas and most backward sections of our community. This charitable trust is channelising this long-felt effort. Almost every paisa is reaching the deserving people as MG is providing office and administrative facilities free of cost as well as free advertising space, and the trustees are barred by the trust deed from receiving any remuneration for their work and time. CHARITY ALLIANCE D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 India Tel.: (+91-11) 2694 7483, 2695 2825 How to make payments: We prefer cheques to bank drafts. Cheques/Drafts should be crossed / marked account payee and payable to “Charity Alliance”. Individuals are welcome to pay cash in our office or send M.O. In some cities we may be able to arrange to col- lect cash from your doorstep. If you want to contribute through credit card or internet-banking visit www.charityalliance.in for secure online payment. List of donors may be seen on Charilty Alliance website (www.charityalliance.in). Zakat, Sadaqat and bank interest accepted See www.charityalliance.in for detailed reports on our work. CHARITY ALLIANCE Registered trust Donations to Charity Alliance are eligible for tax liability deduction in India under Section 80G “Invest” and save tax! INTERNATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 17 www.milligazette.com YAMIN ZAKARIA London: In times of conflict, religious, ethnic, linguistic traits are accentuated and the sectarian dimension is no exception. With the direct involvement of Hezbollah, Iran's proxy, the Syrian conflict accelerates towards becoming a sectarian one and small skirmish- es along the sectarian line have already occurred across the bor- der in Lebanon. The Shia axis of Iran, Hezbollah, and the Alawite regime is balanced by the Sunni-dominated rebels, supported by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and the Gulf states. Assad is no more an Alawite Shia as was Saddam Hussein a devout Sunni, both sub- scribed to the doctrine of socialist-orientated Arab nationalism, devoid of Islam. A dubious ideology when you consider that Arab civilisation began with the birth of Islam. The US intervention in Iraq and the subsequent altering of the balance of power has resulted in the Shia-Sunni tensions; a dom- inant Shia-led regime emerged replacing the Sunni denominated Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein bringing a long line of Sunni rule to an end. The end result is seen through the tit for tat bomb- ings between Shia and Sunni killing many innocent civilians. Across the border, Iran has been building up its military capability to its credit, increasingly asserting itself as a regional power. The US stance has shifted from a pro-Sunni position during the heyday of Ayatollah Khomeini, when Shias were the extremists, to a more pro-Shia stance in Iraq, against the militant Sunni- inspired Al-Qaeda type movements of the post 9/11 era. It is rem- iniscent of a former British Prime Minister's remark - no nation has permanent friends or enemies but only its interests. The Sunnis in Saudi Arabia have also suppressed the large Shia population located in the lucrative region of the eastern part where the oil fields are. During the oil embargo in the 1970s, the US even entertained the idea of dividing Saudi Arabia along sectar- ian lines, which also reflects division of resources in line with US oil interests. It also gives credence to the recent conspiracy theo- ry of an emerging Shia crescent that encompasses Iran, eastern Iraq, Bahrain, Eastern Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. This is unlikely to be the work of Israeli-dominated US foreign policy, since a strong Sunni or Shia state does not serve Israeli hegemony. In that light, one has to ask: is there an impending conflict brewing that threatens to engulf the entire region? "Divide and rule" worked well for the British empire; thus, ignit- ing and prolonging the war along sectarian lines would serve the Israeli-US policy best - the only caveat being, the oil fields and its protectorates (the wealthy Sheikhs) are not to be touched. We all witnessed the US resolve to protect the Kuwaiti elites back in 1991. Despite the motive, one cannot just blame foreign powers manufacturing a wider sectarian conflict; the roots of this schism go back to the early period of the Islamic Caliphate. The Shia argued the line of succession should go through the Prophet's fam- ily, whereas the Sunnis argued that leadership should be based on consultation and merit. I may be accused of being biased as a Sunni, but any neutral observer will see that hereditary rule has no place in any monotheistic religion, because nepotism is one of the sources of corruption. Even Imam Ali, revered by the Shia as the legitimate divine successor to the Prophet, obeyed the first two Caliphs and participated in the election, but he lost to the third Caliph and continued to obey him as a ruler according to both Shia and Sunni sources. In subsequent years, the political differences combined with theological differences have led to the gap between the Shia and the Sunni becoming wider. Historically, Shia-Sunni conflict zones have been confined to Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and in recent times, this has been seen in Afghanistan (Hazara Shias vs. Taliban) and in Pakistan which has a significant Shia community who are suffering from indiscriminate Sunni bombings. Over the centuries the balance of power has altered in various ways. The Shia rule over Egypt and North Africa during the Fatimid era was brought to an end by the Sunnis during the Crusade era. In contrast, Iran, Iraq and Bahrain became Shia dominated states post-1500. Iran became the first Shia-dominated state of our time, despite the glar- ing contradiction with Shia theology which states only the divinely inspired Imam can rule. The more Orthodox Ayatollahs argued against Ayatollah Khomeini for taking up political leadership as they believed they should wait for Imam Mehdi to arrive. From a position of minority, the Shia had been working to gain Sunni converts, Iran has always suppressed its Sunni minority despite all the rhetoric of unity, and its media channels are always propagating the Shia point of view, and attack the Salafi- orientat- ed movements supported by Saudi-Gulf petro dollars, concealing a subtle wider attack on the Sunni world. In recent times, Shia mis- sionaries have been targeting the large Sunni Muslim population in Africa; Nigeria has a nascent Shia community now. If gaining polit- ical unity is the real issue then why spend so much time, effort and money on theological and historical differences. The rhetoric of Saudi being an American puppet is no more than Ayatollah Sistani in Iraq siding with the US through his infamous fatwa of not resist- ing the US forces during the US-led invasion of 2003. Iran also cooperated with the US over the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. With the passing of time, the notion of unity at any level in the Muslim world vanishes. A sectarian conflict - regardless of its ori- gin would be another nail in the coffin of the One Ummah. Is there a Shia-Sunni conflict brewing in the Middle East? Understanding The Latest Leaks Is Understanding The Rise Of A New Fascism JOHN PILGER In his book, Propaganda, published in 1928, Edward Bernays wrote: "The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in dem- ocratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country." The American nephew of Sigmund Freud, Bernays invented the term "public relations" as a euphemism for state propaganda. He warned that an enduring threat to the invisible government was the truth-teller and an enlightened public. In 1971, whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg leaked US government files known as The Pentagon Papers, revealing that the invasion of Vietnam was based on systematic lying. Four years later, Frank Church conducted sensational hearings in the US Senate: one of the last flickers of American democracy. These laid bare the full extent of the invisible government: the domestic spying and subversion and warmongering by intelligence and "security" agencies and the backing they received from big business and the media, both con- servative and liberal. Speaking about the National Security Agency (NSA), Senator Church said: "I know that the capacity that there is to make tyranny in America, and we must see to it that this agency and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law … so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return." On 11 June, following the revelations in the Guardian by NSA contractor Edward Snowden, Daniel Ellsberg wrote that the US had now "that abyss". Snowden's revelation that Washington has used Google, Facebook, Apple and other giants of consumer technology to spy on almost everyone, is further evidence of modern form of fascism - that is the "abyss". Having nurtured old-fashioned fascists around the world - from Latin America to Africa and Indonesia - the genie has risen at home. Understanding this is as important as under- standing the criminal abuse of technology. Fred Branfman, who exposed the "secret" destruction of tiny Laos by the US Air Force in the 1960s and 70s, provides an answer to those who still wonder how a liberal African-American president, a professor of constitutional law, can command such lawlessness. "Under Mr. Obama," he wrote, "no president has done more to cre- ate the infrastructure for a possible future police state." Why? Because Obama, like George W Bush, understands that his role is not to indulge those who voted for him but to expand "the most powerful institution in the history of the world, one that has killed, wounded or made homeless well over 20 million human beings, mostly civilians, since 1962." In the new American cyber-power, only the revolving doors have changed. The director of Google Ideas, Jared Cohen, was adviser to Condoleezza Rice, the former secretary of state in the Bush administration who lied that Saddam Hussein could attack the US with nuclear weapons. Cohen and Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt - they met in the ruins of Iraq - have co-authored a book, The New Digital Age, endorsed as visionary by the former CIA director Michael Hayden and the war criminals Henry Kissinger and Tony Blair. The authors make no mention of the Prism spying pro- gram, revealed by Edward Snowden, that provides the NSA access to all of us who use Google. Control and dominance are the two words that make sense of this. These are exercised by political, economic and military designs, of which mass surveillance is an essential part, but also by insinuating propaganda in the public consciousness. This was Edward Bernays's point. His two most successful PR campaigns were convincing Americans they should go to war in 1917 and per- suading women to smoke in public; cigarettes were "torches of freedom" that would hasten women's liberation. It is in popular culture that the fraudulent "ideal" of America as morally superior, a "leader of the free world", has been most effec- tive. Yet, even during Hollywood's most jingoistic periods there were exceptional films, like those of the exile Stanley Kubrick, and adventurous European films would have US distributors. These days, there is no Kubrick, no Strangelove, and the US market is almost closed to foreign films. When I showed my own film, The War on Democracy, to a major, liberally-minded US distributor, I was handed a laundry list of changes required, to "ensure the movie is acceptable". His memo- rable sop to me was: "OK, maybe we could drop in Sean Penn as narrator. Would that satisfy you?" Lately, Katherine Bigelow's tor- ture-apologizing Zero Dark Thirty and Alex Gibney's We Steal Secrets, a cinematic hatchet job on Julian Assange, were made with generous backing by Universal Studios, whose parent compa- ny until recently was General Electric. GE manufactures weapons, components for fighter aircraft and advance surveillance technolo- gy. The company also has lucrative interests in "liberated" Iraq. The power of truth-tellers like Bradley Manning, Julian Assange, and Edward Snowden is that they dispel a whole mythol- ogy carefully constructed by the corporate cinema, the corporate academy and the corporate media. WikiLeaks is especially danger- ous because it provides truth-tellers with a means to get the truth out. This was achieved by Collateral Damage, the cockpit video of an US Apache helicopter allegedly leaked by Bradley Manning. The impact of this one video marked Manning and Assange for state vengeance. Here were US airmen murdering journalists and maim- ing children in a Baghdad street, clearly enjoying it, and describing their atrocity as "nice". Yet, in one vital sense, they did not get away with it; we are witnesses now, and the rest is up to us. (countercur- rents.org) John Pilger is an Australian journalist and documentary maker, based in London. He has twice won Britain's Journalist of the Year Award, and his documentaries have received academy awards in Britain and the US KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI Making a mountain out of a molehill is a centuries-old adage. But anyone looking for its full meaning in ample display need only look at the western media’s cover- age of the recent demonstrations in some major cities of Turkey, staged by people unhappy with the Turkish government’s decision to undertake some construction work at Istanbul’s GeziPark-an area adja- cent to the historic Taksim Square. The demonstrations, initially trig- gered by bands of Istanbul’s youths unhappy at the proposed changes around Gezi Park, were latched on to by the western news media as a manifestation of alleged seething discontent against the policies and style of governance of PM Recip Tayyip Erdogan, who has been at the helm of Turkey for the past ten years. The western media-as if electrified by angry demonstrations of a very small segment of the Turkish population-went instantly to town to paint a largely localised expression of unhappiness at the re-modelling of an iconic landmark of Istanbul as the begin- ning of Turkey’s Arab Spring. Reams of stories appeared regular- ly in both print and electronic media across the Atlantic likening Taksim Square with Cairo’s Tehrir Square which was in the van- guard of the Egyptian people’s uprising against the regime of Hosni Mubarak. However, using that analogy-equating the minuscule Taksim Square flare up with the massive revolt of Tehrir Square-also gave out the mal-intent of the western media’s agenda and game plan against the popular government of Turkey, led by a charismatic leader like Erdogan. It was sheer non-sense to hold a parallel between the situa- tions in Egypt and Turkey; it spoke volumes of the malicious intent of the media campaign’s perpetrators in the west. The Hosni Mubarak regime was repressive, autocratic and cruel. It was guilty of suborning the interests of the Egyptian peo- ple to the dictates of Mubarak’s western imperialist paymasters. Mubarak was never a popularly elected leader and didn’t rule with the consent or approbation of his people. The AK (Justice and Development) Party’s government in Turkey represents the majority will of its people. First elected in 2002 with a 34 per cent of popular vote, it raised its popularity stock to 47 per cent in the 2007 elections, and subsequently to 50 per cent in 2011. PM Erdogan is a dynamic leader who has done an admirable work in elevating Turkey to a level where its achievements of the past decade are admired by friends and foes alike. Turkey had an struggling economy in 2002, with a massive and crushing burden of debt owed to western lending institutions. It suffered, in 2002, from rampant inflation and degradation of its currency, the Turkish Lira. In ten years of unstinted miracle performance Erdogan has changed all that. Turkey, today, is free from any burden of debt. Its currency has gained in value and its hard currency holdings, today, are more than 134 billion dollars, up from around 25 billion in 2002 when Erdogan had stepped in. Turkish economy, in ten years, has grown by leaps and bounds, so much so that its, today, the second most robust economy in Europe, just behind Germany. Yesteryears’ ‘sick man of Europe’ (which was the denigrating moniker of Turkey in western propaganda) is now the most dynamic and robust man of Europe with an economic health that puts many in the European Union to shame. But Erdogan’s wonder is not only confined to Turkey’s eco- nomic miracle. His biggest achievement, so far, is in laying to rest the western myth that Islam is incompatible with modern western democracy and an open society based on the rule of law. Erdogan’s Turkey is an open society run on the western prin- ciples and practices of democracy while reinforcing the tradition- al, Islam-based cultural identity of the Turkish people. US, in par- ticular, has regularly held out the Turkish example as a unique blend of Islamic moorings and western democratic ethos. At the height of the Arab people’s latest revolt-the so-called Arab Spring- the Turkish example was cited, ad nauseam, as something that should inspire the Arabs as a model worthy of emulation for their own reformist schemes. Washington hailed Turkey as a bridge between the west and the Islamic world that could serve the inter- ests of both by bringing them together on a workable platform. Erdogan has laid solid foundations for the continuity of an Islamic democratic dispensation in Turkey by clipping the wings of the Turkish generals who had been the biggest obstacle to the evolution of a grass-roots democratic system of governance in the country. The Turkish military-revelling in its self-granted role of preserving Kemal Ataturk’s putative secularism-had made it a habit to intervene in the political process at will and hold it to ran- som. Three martial laws were witness to their arrogance of power. It was the Turkish military brass that had driven from office Turkey’s first genuinely Islamist PM, Necmeddin Erbakan, in the mid-1990s. However, they couldn’t do it to Erbakan’s spiritual protégée, Erdogan, because of his massive support in the heart- land of Turkish Anatolia. So Erdogan has enemies in spades inside Turkey itself, espe- cially among the old Turkish elitist establishment dominated by the military brass and the defanged Republican Party arrogating to itself the title of standard bearer of the Kemalist values and tradi- tions of secularism. The Republican Party had been hand-in-glove with the power- hungry Turkish generals in subverting Erbakan and his Islamist followers. These two anti-Islamic forces also unquestioningly served the interests of western imperialist agenda at the expense of those of the Turkish people. As such, the rise of AKP and its leadership role of the Turkish people has been a thorn as much in the side of a discredited Republican party as the arrogant gener- als cut to size by Erdogan’s massive popularity. It was the Republican Party that saw an opportunity to corner Erdogan in the brush fire lit at Taksim Square. They stoked its ambers and were gleefully joined in by western propagandists with their own axes to grind against Erdogan. The western news sources eulogised the bands of disgruntled youth resisting ‘Erdogan’s autocratic style.’ They talked of ‘Erdogan the dictator’ who was more of a pharaoh than Hosni Mubarak ever ways. They stooped low to decry Erdogan as a ‘neo-Sultan’ of Turkey. All rubbish, all hogwash. So what is it, really, that raises the hackles in the western world-its news media, in particular-against Erdogan? What has he done, if anything, to invite the wrath of the western media gurus and pundits? The main casus belli against Erdogan for a western news media in hog to the well-oiled Zionist propaganda and dis-infor- mation campaign is that he is a fearless defender and promoter of the Palestinian people’s rights and freedoms. Erdogan became public enemy number one to the Zionists and their cohorts and camp-followers the day he publicly took on and berated the Israeli President, Shimon Peres, in Davos, Switzerland, for the reign of terror let loose upon the hapless Palestinians living under the Israeli occupation for the past 4 decades. The Zionists and their western minions-who don’t believe that Israel can do any wrong-were stunned at the outspoken and courageous Erdogan’s temerity in calling a spade a spade. They were used to undemocratic and repressive Arab rulers always ready to kowtow to them and ready to short-change the Palestinians. But there was this elegant Turk looking them straight in the eye and telling them, to their face, that the day was over for their unchallenged repression of the Palestinians. In 2010, the arrogant Netanyahu clique in Israel attacked a Turkish mercy ship, Mavi Marmara, in international waters and killed 9 Turkish human rights activists on a mission of mercy to carry relief goods for the incarcerated and besieged people of Gaza. To Netanyahu and his unquestioning and uncouth western backers that act of piracy and murder on the high seas may have been a routine display of Israeli muscle power and its habitual dis- regard of norms of international law and jurisprudence. But to Erdogan-and all other peace-loving and law-abiding people of the free world beyond the west-it was an outrage and affront to the dignity of an oppressed people that couldn’t be allowed to go unchallenged. Erdogan’s riposte was swift and meaningful. He immediately suspended diplomatic relations with Israel and demanded an unconditional apology for the outrage on the high seas against innocent people. Netanyahu has only recently tendered that apol- ogy-three years too late. But Erdogan’s bold and forthright stand and his steadfast refusal to buckle under any pressure from Israel’s western supporters and mend fences with Israel without an apology from Netanyahu has paid off the political and diplomat- ic dividends he had set out to achieve. Turkey’s principled oppo- sition of Israeli repression of the Palestinians has won the day for Erdogan and the government he leads. It may be true that the police in Istanbul has been guilty of using disproportionate and excessive force in trying to quell the demonstrations at Taksim Square. Which may be one reason why the situation worsened and the agitation gathered more weight and following than anybody, including its perpetrators, may have ini- tially imagined. Erdogan, too, seems to have erred in taking inordinately too long to get to its root-cause. His decision to hold a referendum on the issue of proposed changes on the site of the historic Gezi Park, after a thorough review by a technical committee, is belated recognition that the protesters at least needed to be heard. It may be hard to deny that, of late, some arrogance has crept into Erdogan’s style of governance and demeanour. But it isn’t entirely unusual for successful leaders whose services to their people are not only quantifiable but also visible and admired to become narcissistic and self-centred. Success has the habit of spoiling those in whom it resides, and Erdogan doesn’t seem to be an exception to this convoluted rule. Those conscious of his massive contribution in the cause of transforming Turkey and changing its fortunes, so dramatically, maybe pained to see Erdogan going down the slide that has con- sumed many before him in the pantheon of iconic leaders and rulers. Yet, those same well-wishers and admirers of him may also wish that this unsavory brush with reality should help bring him down to earth and cut him down to the size that suits his sta- tion in life and his place in Turkey’s history. Erdogan’s mission is by no means fully accomplished. Turkey still has a long way to go. Its long quest to enter the closed Christian club that EU really is still remains elusive, although Erdogan’s accomplishments - in both economic performance and Turkey’s democratic transformation - has rendered nonsensical and inane the long held European objections to Turkish member- ship. There is, then, the thorny question of the Syrian people’s uprising against their repressive and autocratic regime, next door in Syria, which is still going nowhere after more than two years of a bloody confrontation. Erdogan has been at the forefront of those advocating a regime change in Syria, which doesn’t help the Syrian people’s cause, much, but plays right into the hands of the Zionist and western enemies of Syria. Friends of Erdogan have long been apprehensive that his inor- dinate involvement in the Syrian crisis-on the side of those eager to oust the Assad regime-is threatening to land him into unchart- ed terrain. A report in the Los Angeles Times of June 21 has revealed that CIA has been providing operational training, for months, to Syrian rebels in Turkey and Jordan. That means Erdogan is becoming overtly partisan with the Zionists and impe- rialists in an agenda that may ultimately work against Turkey’s regional interests in the long run. That’s something out of sync with Erdogan’s circumspection. The Turkish people-especially in the heartland of Anatolia which is also the font and bastion of Erdogan’s and AKP’s sup- port-themselves don’t seem to have much enthusiasm for their leader’s stand on this ticklish problem and have been demanding change in it. One should hope that Erdogan has learned his lesson in the Taksim Square bush-fire. It should chasten him and inject more humility in his style of governance. At the same time, one would also expect him -sobered by the Taksim experience-to have a fresh and hard look at where he has steered Turkey in relation to the Syrian crisis and make the necessary amends in it warranted by the latest developments. Blatant and insensitive use of force was counter-productive in the Taksim Square fracas; it could be just as unproductive in com- ing to grips with the Syrian imbroglio. Great leaders have been known in history as much for their timely course-correction in the face of adversity as for their achievements at the crest of power. What Problem has West with Turkey of Erdogan? Friends of Erdogan have long been apprehensive that his inordinate involvement in the Syrian crisis-on the side of those eager to oust the Assad regime-is threatening to land him into uncharted terrain. A report in the Los Angeles Times of June 21 has revealed that CIA has been providing operational training, for months, to Syrian rebels in Turkey and Jordan. That means Erdogan is becoming overtly partisan with the Zionists and imperialists in an agenda that may ultimately work against Turkey’s regional interests in the long run. That’s something out of sync with Erdogan’s circumspection. 18 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com 100-Year-Old Israeli General: We Razed Arab Villages, So What? Brig. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Pundak is celebrating his hundredth birthday. Pundak was the commander of the 53rd Battalion of the Givati Brigade in the War of Independence and went on to supervise the establishment of the Armored Corps. He was also Ambassador in Tanzania and a founder of Arad. In an interview on IDF Radio, Pundak confirmed that forces under his command razed Arab villages in 1948. “My con- science is at ease with that, because if we hadn’t done so, then there would be no state by now. There would be a million more Arabs,” he said. Asked why he still finds it so important to lecture to soldiers, at his advanced age, he explained: “Just like in 1948, the coun- try is in a state of danger - and if the Jews do not fight as we did in the War of Independence, the state is in danger.” He predict- ed that if a war breaks out again, Jews will be capable of the same kind of self-sacrifice as in 1948. “When there is a war, people unite,” he explained. “Afterward, they form parties and become divided.” He spoke with pain of the 145 soldiers who were killed under his command over the years, and said that if they woke up miraculously and saw the divided country of today, “they would run back to their graves.” And yet, when asked if he feels proud of his country, he said that his pride runs “as high as the rooftop.” Pundak, who was the governor of Gaza in the early 1970s, said that the credit that is usually given to Ariel Sharon for stop- ping Arab terror in Gaza in 1971 is mistaken. He said that Sharon was an unnecessarily cruel commander who once said at a meeting with officers that he would offer champagne to whoev- er killed an enemy fighter - and whoever brings him a wounded enemy “will drink soda.” He said: “I told him, ‘You are not my commander, I am not coming to your meetings.’” (Gil Ronen, Arutz Sheva -- informa- tionclearinghouse.info - 14 June 2013) ENGLISH K. P. 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Visit www.milligazette.com to pay by Credit / Debit Itz Cash Cards Net banking PLEASE PHOTOCOPY OR CUT THIS FORM OR SEND THE REQUIRED DETAILS ON A PLAIN PAPER ALONG WITH YOUR PAYMENT 20 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES www.milligazette.com SHAHNAAZ BEMATH Thinking positive can work miracles. You may have been told to “guard your thoughts”, but felt the advice to be pointless. After all, your thoughts are private. How can they possibly affect someone else? The fact is, thoughts do seem to boomerang in some mys- terious ways. Science has not found a way to measure them as they have invisible sound waves. In order to understand how positive thinking works, and how to use it efficiently, it is important to understand the power of neg- ative thinking. “Negative thoughts and tensions are like birds. We cannot stop them from flying near us but, we can certainly stop them from making a nest in our mind.” The mind can be directed towards positive thinking or nega- tive thinking. The power of thought is neutral. The way one thinks determines whether the results are positive and beneficial or neg- ative and harmful. It is the same about energy acting in different ways. Persistent inner work can change habits of thoughts. You must be willing to put energy and time to avoid negative thinking and pursue positive thinking, in order to change your mental atti- tude. Think of those things which are true, honest, just, pure, love- ly -- in other words, fill your mind with noble, good thoughts, leav- ing no room for negative ones to take root. Always think good about others. The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) reported that Allah, The Most Wise, said: “I treat my servant as he thinks of Me” (Bukhari/Muslim). In other words, Allah Ta’ala treats His servant in the way he thinks of Allah, what he hopes from Him and how he sets his hopes on Him. So, those who come positive with a great hope to the door of Mercy of the Almighty Creator will, Insha Allah, not return empty-handed. The most powerful weapon you have at your disposal is du’a (supplication). Use it most often. The basis of supplication is to lift ourselves and our situations to Almighty Allah. It is an inner act of visualisation. A further step is to contemplate on the beautiful teachings of Islam. This involves controlling and directing our thoughts. A simple way to think of this is to imagine your mind to be like a garden. That garden can be spoilt and overrun by nega- tive and destructive thoughts (weeds), or it can become an abode of peace and harmony by the cultivation of flowers (uplifting thoughts). “Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers. Or you can grow weeds.” Are you prone to depression? Do you see your life as a hope- less mess... Do you consider yourself a failure? If you do, then you will close your mind, see no opportunities, will behave and react in such ways as to repel people and opportunities. You will let the power of negative thinking rule your life. Try replacing such negative thoughts with positive ones. Talk to your beloved Allah. Allah did not create a lock without a key, and ALLAH didn’t give you problems without solutions. Trust Him! While recognising these problems, picture yourself as master- ing each one. Visualise yourself handling each situation creative- ly, being a success; gradually allowing your given potential to blossom. The beloved Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) advised us: if you look forward to good things, it will happen in sha Allah. Thinking positive is a very important in Islam. Always think that Allah has a plan for you. If something goes wrong, it will lead you to something good. He is working things out for you, teach- ing you, guiding you, even if you don’t feel it. Have faith and be ever-thankful. Where faith and hope grows, miracles blossom. At first, this kind of thought control may seem like an inner game -- but you’ll be surprised at how, slowly but surely, your outer circumstances begin to change. For thought precedes action, and the right thoughts precede a chain of good actions. Destructive thoughts, on the other hand, act as poisoning agents. They embitter and limit the thinker, preventing him or her from developing good relationships, because others sense the wrong thoughts telepathically, and shy away from such persons instinc- tively. Conversely, if you greet people with the thought that they’ll probably be nice to know, such a positive thought will affect their response. If you’re afraid of someone, replace that fear with a thought which recognises that the person’s given potential “core” is probably hidden under layers of unhappiness and negative thinking. Silently bless and pray for that person, and ask that his or her true self be given a chance to manifest. A friend was once terribly upset because someone was spreading false rumours about her. She could not deny the rumour publicly. All she could do was pray for the woman, try to think about her charitably and visualise her acting differently. She did this consistently for some weeks. One day, unexpectedly, the woman phoned her to apologise and say she’d been mistaken. Subhaan ALLAH! It seemed like a miracle! But right thinking can work miracles... Life has many different chapters for us. One bad chapter doesn’t mean the end of the book. Be positive and keep your faith in Allah. Once we function in harmony with Allah’s beau- tiful laws of love, compassion and forgiveness -- and this includes spreading good, true and beautiful thoughts and forgiving people -- our lives will flower as they were meant to. “Think positive, Think different. Don’t waste your precious energy on negative thoughts.” Decide that from today, from this very moment, you are leav- ing negative thinking behind, and starting on the way towards positive thinking and behaviour. It is never too late. Soon your life will turn into a fascinating, wonderful journey. Wake up every morning with the thought that something beautiful is about to hap- pen. Let’s welcome each day with a smile and bid it farewell with a smile. We thank Allah for His blessings. Take advantage of our positive energy and employ them in doing well in this life and pre- pare for the next life which is eternal. Let’s learn, read and after that, we will find the entire universe will extend to us it’s heart and the whole world will hug us with its beauty... Subhaan Allah! There is something beautiful in life. You just have to discover it....be positive and it will find you! Please send feedback or any constructive comments to:
[email protected] The Miracle of Positive Thinking Always think that Allah has a plan for you. If something goes wrong, it will lead you to something good. He is working things out for you, teaching you, guiding you, even if you don’t feel it. Have faith and be ever-thankful. Where faith and hope grows, miracles blossom. Decide that from today, from this very moment, you are leaving negative thinking behind, and starting on the way towards positive thinking and behaviour. It is never too late. Soon your life will turn into a fascinating, wonderful journey. Wake up every morning with the thought that something beautiful is about to happen. For the first time after 18 years of marriage, she prepared the worst dinner for her husband, the vegetables were over cooked, meat was burned and salad was too salty. At the dinner table, her hus- band kept silent while he was eating. After that, when she was in kitchen washing dishes he came to her, smiled at her and kissed her on her forehead “why is this kiss for?” she asked him not believing what he did. “Tonight your cooking reminded me of your cooking in the first days of our marriage! It reminded me of your cook- ing as a new bride, so I want- ed to treat you as if you are a new bride” This is the good righteous husband who turned the mis- takes of his wife to positive sides in their life together, because the best Muslim man is the one who is best to his wife and should make her feel that she is so special to him. Narrated Abu Hurairah that Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who have the best disposition and the best of you are those who are best to their wives.” [Tirmidhi] A touching message BOOKS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 21 www.milligazette.com Book: Khuda Ki Basti Mey: Safarnama Lahore wa Islamabad (In the Land of God: A travelogue of Lahore and Islamabad) Author: Dr Obaidullah Fahd Falahi Publisher: Al Qalam Publications, Baramulla, Kashmir. Year of Publication: 2012 Pages: 232 Price: Rs 125 MUSHTAQ UL HAQ AHMAD SIKANDER P akistan and India were parts of the same united subconti- nent before 1947. In 1947, the subcontinent got parti- tioned and Pakistan was created. Since then enmity is prevalent among these two nations. These countries have also fought four wars against each other and the Kashmir issue besides other issues still remains a bone of contention between them. Travelling to Pakistan still remains a contentious and difficult task for most Indians, particularly Muslims. This travelogue under review by a scholar is not a diatribe against the difficulties faced in getting a visa to Pakistan, neither does it deal with the political bickering between the two nations. This travelogue by a seasoned academic who is a researcher in Political Islam and Islamic Revivalist Movements, deals with his travel to Lahore and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on two dif- ferent occasions. While dealing with his Lahore travels, the author takes us back to 1988 when he was a research student and had gone to Lahore to hunt for material and books related to his topic. He relates his stay with Islami Jamiat Taulba cadres at Lahore who also helped him out during his stay. He also talks about visiting the injured mujahedin of Afghan Jihad who were fighting against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan and were being hospitalized in Lahore. He feels the impact of Ziaul Haq’s Islamisation in Lahore. He feels that the loud-speakers of mosques at the Friday congre- gational prayers rebuff the faithful away from the mosques. Dr Obiadullah also laments the fact that Indian film stars and movies are quite popular in Pakistan and their influence can be witnessed on the Pakistani movies and life too. He also relates that one of his books was published in Pakistan without his consent or permission and the publisher wasn’t ashamed or remorseful. He is critical of the fact and time and again that Pakistan betrays its meaning of La Ilalaha Illallah (There is no God but Allah) and it is a fact that West has conquered it culturally. He also relates his meeting with the then President of Pakistan, General Ziaul Haq. He both criticises and praises his policies. He relates a painful experience he encountered on his return at Wagah border, where most of his books were confiscated by the Indian army personnel who labelled them as “dangerous and harmful” for the interests of India. Such intellectual enmity and suffocation is really condemnable. The second part of the travelogue deals with his recent jour- ney to Islamabad for a seminar on the Seerah writings (Biographies of the Prophet) in present times. It was organized by the International Islamic University of Islamabad (IIUI) during 26- 28 March, 2011. He relates that women writing on Seerah is more popular in Pakistan than in India. In other fields too, women’s par- ticipation is quite good. Dr Obiadullah talks about the Muhajirs (those who migrated from India to Pakistan) who were relating their plight. He advised them that they should stop complaining and must adopt fundamentals of Islamic fraternity and teachings. Asking victims to inculcate these qualities would be adding insult to injury, because dominant groups like Punjabis should have accepted them with open arms in the first place. Muhajirs were the people who sacrificed for the sake of Pakistan, but later on they found that this land of the pure wasn’t so pure and inclusive so as to integrate and assimilate them too. Dr Obaidullah criticizes Musharraf’s policy of moderation. It is a fact that the Pakistani dictator was rightly called “Busharraf” by activists and writers of Pakistan. He was responsible for giving a fillip to the clash between army and non-State actors that brought Pakistan to the brink of disaster. He also records the debate about the Blasphemy Law as promulgated and enforced by Ziaul Haq regime and how the talk about its amendment led to the assassi- nation of Governor Salman Taseer. He also talks about the media war that is going on between India and Pakistan and how news- papers and electronic media of both countries are involved in a continuous propaganda war against each other. The Indian media portrays Pakistan as a dangerous country that would fall apart soon. Similarly, Pakistan media paints a bleak picture of India and Indian Muslims. This kind of yellow journalism and biased report- ing reinforces the hate among the people of these two nations that diminishes the chances of any permanent peace. Dr Obaidullah writes about his meetings with various person- alities belonging to diverse fields of life in Pakistan, particularly Islamic scholars like Dr Israr Ahmad, Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, Zafar Ishaq Ansari, Dr Anees Ahmad, Maulana Gauhar Rahman, Dr Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi and Prof Khursheed Ahmad, besides the famous novelist Naseem Hijazi. This book doesn’t read as a travelogue but as a diary and it deals less with events and what author witnessed during his trav- els, but more about the Islamic personalities and books. The book is an important source to know about books which have been cited throughout the book particularly on the Political Thought of Islam, given the author’s background in this field. The author could have made a comparison between his latest visit with the previous one two decades earlier, but he fails on this count. This book is related more with Islamic ideology, views of scholars, Muslim Political Thought, proceedings of the seminar and names of various books, that certainly doesn’t make it a very readable travelogue, but it can act as a reference book on various aspects of Muslim Political and Religious Thought. The book is well written, but more seriousness and less aca- demic style would certainly have made it a good read. Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir and can be reached at
[email protected] We supply any book published from Delhi.* *Contact details on page 19 Pakistan with the eyes of an Indian Muslim Travelling to Pakistan still remains a contentious and difficult task for most Indians, particularly Muslims. This travelogue under review by a scholar is not a diatribe against the difficulties faced in getting a visa to Pakistan, neither does it deal with the political bickering between the two nations.... The Indian media portrays Pakistan as a dangerous country that would fall apart soon. Similarly, Pakistan media paints a bleak picture of India and Indian Muslims. This kind of yellow journalism and biased reporting reinforces the hate among the people of these two nations that diminishes the chances of any permanent peace. Indian Plants of Commercial Value Book: Indian Plants of Commercial Value Author: Dr. M.I.H. Farooqi, ISBN - 978-81-923414-3-9 Pages, 272 Year: 2013 (First Edition) Price: Rs. 300 Publishers: Sidrah Publishers, Lucknow -
[email protected] C - 3 / 2, Shahid Apartments, Chakarvarti Road, Golaganj, Lucknow - 226 018, India Tel.: 0522-2610683, Mobile: +919839901066 Email :
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[email protected] DR S.K. JAIN The title of the present book by Dr. M.I.H. Farooqi takes my thoughts back to over a centu- ry ago, when in 1908 the mon- umental work ‘Commercial Products of India’ by Sir George Watt was published. That book was in many ways an abridged version of Watt’s own earlier (1889-93) six vol- ume work Dictionary of Economic Products of India (DEP). Soon after independence, the Government of India very rightly decided to get Watt’s DEP not only updated to incorporate developments during previous six decades, but also to enlarge the scope of the work from merely plants to all natural resources (such as animals and mineral) under the wider title ‘Wealth of India’ (1948-76, vols. 1-11). Though this voluminous and useful work has undergone some revision yet its price and bulk limit its market among individuals. Dr. Farooqi’s present book provides a good solution and con- tains all that is needed by a grower, trader, exporter, importer and also a scholar/student, particularly from Ayurvedic or Unani col- leges. The book has 12 chapters namely, Spices, Medicinal Plants, Fatty Oils, Aromatic Oils, Vegetables, Fruits, Dyes, Gums and Resins, Timbers, Fibres, Starches, and Cereals. In all, the book covers over 500 plants or plant products. The plants under each category are arranged alphabetically by internationally accepted scientific names of the plants. Popular names in English, Hindustani as well as trade names are given followed by names in major world languages/countries. The chemical constituents, commercial use, trade, brief botanical description and availability in India (natural or planted) are given. To facilitate access to required plant, a consolidated index to scientific, trade and more common vernacular names is provided. A very useful aspect of the book is that it also offers the latest accepted botanical names of the plants. The sequence of chapters starting from an apparently less important group of spices, and ending with the most important group in our staple diet, the Cereals, may surprise some. The good justification is the criterion of commercial value and volume in export / import trade. Considering the mine of information in the book. the price of the book is very tempting. The Author Dr. M.I.H. Farooqi has very well utilized the resources of libraries, Internet as also his own long research experience on economic plants. He deserves congratulations. Undoubtedly, the book will soon find place in many libraries as also in personal collections of hundreds of people. It is important to note that Dr Farooqi is the author of some internationally acclaimed books like Plants of the Qur’an, Medicinal Plants in the Traditions of Prophet, and Dictionary of Indian Gums & Resins The reviewer, Dr S.K. Jain, is Director (Retd.), Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata and INSA Hon. Scientist Book on Kashmir history released Srinagar: Flash Back-Kashmir Story since 1846 by noted jour- nalist and human right activist, Zahir-ud-Din was released here, June 2. A compilation of 100 selected stories, the book, the author hopes shall give readers a feel of people’s version of Kashmir’s history. Introducing the book, the author said Kashmir’s history has been doctored and distorted by vested interests. He stated that he has relied on eyewitness accounts, personal diaries of polit- ical workers and unpublished biographies. “Most of the stories in the book shall go as foot notes in main book on Kashmir his- tory I am working on.”The book was released by a group of stu- dents. (Afsana Rashid) REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE READERSHIP: International – India, Gulf, North America and Western Europe, especially among Indian Muslims and NRIs of Indian Muslim origin.Your ad will also appear on the newspaper’s website www.milligazette.com until the next issue. Banners with links to your websites may also be placed on MG website with prior arrangement. ADVERTISEMENT RATES: THE MILLI GAZETTE B/W Full page (24.4 x 37) cm Rs 31,000 B/W Half page (12 x 36.6 cm) Rs 18,000 B/W Half page (24.4 x 18.5 cm) Rs 16,000 B/W Qtr page (12.2 x 18.5 cm or 225 cm 2 area) Rs 8,500 B/W Custom size (per sq. cm space) (B/W) Rs 40 Colour Custom size (per sq. cm space) Rs 80 Classifieds (minimum 20 words) Rs 25 / word Any right page: 20% extra; or details email to
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[email protected] “’Let 99 Muslims be hanged to death…” I read the letter written by Mr. Rahul Raj with the title “let 99 Muslims be hanged to death rather than...” in your edition of 1-15 th June. Many of my non-Muslim friends question me and express doubts about Islaam the way it is misunderstood by Mr. Raj. I really appreci- ate your efforts for answering him in a convincing manner. I would also like to humbly request Mr. Raj through your newspaper to read and learn more about Islaam from authentic sources so that he would get a wholesome image of this religion. Rehana Shabbar Hussain, Indore (via email) Dr. Engineer I will also never forget that despite his huge engagements, Dr Asghar Ali Engineer used to reply my letters in whichever language I wrote: English, Urdu, Gujarati. S. Akhtar, Khanpur Deh – 392150 Wrath of Almighty In this hour of gloom and woe we should give heed toward the catas- trophes occurred in Uttar Akhand, UP and Behar specially the religious places as Kedar Nath and Badri Nath have been in the floods.Thousands of houses broken and flown out like match boxes.The rebellious water streams giving as if thousands of lions and tigers collectively sent by God.Thousands of men and women are missing probably died in the gusts of water and took the grave of water. They will not come back to their houses. Even if some men will come back they will not find their houses where they were standing. We cannot imagine the plight of such people. The whole country should feel the agony of the sufferers. But alas we do not see any worry or sorrow in our country men. They are busy in their daily activ- ities ,Thousands are viewing cricket matches, dancing and singing in theatres ,clubs and gardens The NGOs are just spell bound Only the Prime minister and Soniaji flew in copter to see the woes of the affect- ed areas. The Pm has declared the aid of 1000 crores. This is noth- ing but what more he could do. Now the most important question arise why such calamities, catastrophes and disasters come across. Though this phenomenon is not new but so far the scientists,philoso- phers,intellectuals etc are still in dilemma. They are not in a position to reply satisfactorily. They can reply it is by chance and no any valid reason for this destruction. The holy Quran gives definite reasons for such incidence. The almighty becomes angry when people worship other than God ,or they worship several Gods along with one real God. They reject the teachings of God sent through His messengers.There are other sins ,murders ,rapes, gang rapes, drinking of wines, Justice by the government is delayed or denied. apprehension of innocent youths and putting them in jails for years together. The sins commit- ted by the people and the government is responsible to enrage Almighty. If the government is targeting a particular community or reli- gion and the rest of the communities do not raise objection they face the wrath of God. Now north Indians are more criminal therefore they were hit by God.The only remedy is to take forgiveness of Allah and stop the worship of false deities. Stop the oppression and injustice towards Muslims. Dr AH Maqdoomi Hyderabad Statement of Indian Muslim leaders against the Israeli President Al-Hamdulillah! Allah (s.w.t.) is the best of planners. Let these cancer- ous, arrogant and self-centred President and his stooges in India, who are very few in numbers, learn and understand from history the fate of such people/regime. Muslims, on the other hand, should contem- plate and try to understand, as to why this Zionist, cancerous, arro- gant and self-centred President/regime is being permitted by Allah (s.w.t.) to openly utter such hate-mongering words, that too advising an independent nation like India, which is 200 times bigger in popula- tion. It is nothing but the result of our failure to fulfil our commitments to Allah (s.w.t.), which is giving rise to discord, intimidation, division and corruption within our Ummah. Then such creatures start barking and the weak lions start running, not knowing its ability. O Muslims on the upper deck! Please keep in mind that the ship will sink with you too, if you fail to help in stopping the water gushing in from the holes at the bottom of the ship. Let all of us be together, try to mend the holes created by these hate-mongers of Islam and Allah’s help will surely come. We all should learn lessons from true Islamic history. Pray Allah (s.w.t.) grant us all His forgiveness for our sins and guide us to understand Islam in its true essence/sense, keep us united and to overcome such hurdles with peace and progress. Amin. Maldar S.A.
[email protected] JDU & BJP It took seventeen long years for Mr. Nitish Kumar to realise that BJP is a bad party. As a matter of fact, two things have started haunting him. One is that the presence of Narendra Modi at the top level, will cut drastically his own chances of becoming Prime Minister and second- ly he will be losing a big vote bank of Muslims for the same reason. Even now, Mr. Nitish praises Atal-Advani duo. Does he mean to say that Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani were good samaritans. Is it not a fact that these two people were the chief architects of modern day com- munalism and they only projected and protected Modi after Gujarat carnage? Nitish could also have resigned from the union Railway min- istry immediately after the Gujarat riots, if he really meant secularism. Now the big question is , whether Mr. Nitish is going to offer only his opposition to Modi as a sop to the Mulim vote-bank In other words, will the Muslims of Bihar would remain content and placated by the Modi factor alone and will they look forward to their development in the fields of education and economics. K. Malikul Azeez, Perambur High Road, Chennai
[email protected] Big change in Bihar Urdu dailies character There was anti-Muslim riot news on the first page on 5th June and the news of the blocking of Masjid construction appeared on page 1 of Bihar Urdu daily on 6 June. Hindus prevented Masjid construction at Gaya and at Bhal Patti Darbhanga Hindus prevented Muslims from calling Azaan in the Masjid on mike. Hindus attacked Muslims after Maghrib. Earlier such news had been covered on the inner pages but in recent days a vital change in the Urdu dailies character is seen because “Inquilab” now without any government ads started in the last week of May. S. Haque, Patna Modi Modi faithfully played the fascist tune, spiced with Gujarati ‘sub- nationalism’, the common man’s desire for economic development and enjoyed the support of the business elite and the Gujarati diaspo- ra in the West. But India will not prosper if it is dotted with forts and fortress in constant conflict with each other. To save India, a reaffir- mation of the basic values of our freedom movement and of our Constitution, is needed. The creation of a truly secular state, estab- lishment of a non-partisan administrative machinery and non-interfer- ence into judiciary system are pre-requisite for India’s becoming super power. Gujarat riot of 2002 is a test of our human sensitivity. The brutal and power-hungry killed innocent persons, exterminated properties and used the body of women as the foremost battle ground to wage their ‘holy-war’,….. and still there is no sign of regret or remorse. With no love for democracy, with no belief in the rule of law, with no respect for human rights Modi remains true to his convictions and unapologetic to his deeds. This is worse than the ‘original sin’. But the History shall record that in moment of trial, though belatedly, Nitish Kumar, jeopardising his fate, disassociated it’s party from Modi led BJP. Hats off to Nitish Kumar! Naushad Ansari, Patna - 800 002
[email protected] Ishrat Jahan murder The Gujarat High Court’s direction to the CBI, to ascertain the gen- uineness of Ishrat Jahan’s encounter instead of focusing on the inputs given by Intelligence Bureau (IB) is heartening. But what is depress- ing was the telecast of a conspiracy story by a news channel - Headlines Today, about a plot to kill Narendra Modi, at a time when the CBI was closing in on Rajendra Kumar, a top IB officer for his role in the alleged fake encounter. It is quite obvious that the IB has chosen to distract the attention of the people by planting a story through a media house, which boasted the concocted story as the result of “investigative journalism”. Even in these tapes, Ishrat Jahan was nei- ther a caller nor was she referred by the callers! Yet, the channel had the audacity to shamelessly declare the telephone tapes as “Ishrat Jahan terror tapes”. Doesn’t ethical journalism entail a TV channel to refrain from character assassination of an innocent person? Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa (A.P)
[email protected] Sangh Parivar In the “family” called the Sangh Parivar, the operative principle is pri- mogeniture. Thus it is that observers have shown sympathy for Lal Kishenchand Advani, born 1927, being pushed out by Narendra Damodardas Modi, born 1950. All know that Modi was to a large degree created by Advani, so thoughts of parricide cannot be distant. Primogeniture does not seem to apply in relations between the RSS and the BJP. Advani promptly withdrew his resignation(s) following a phone call from Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat, the RSS Fuhrer. Bhagwat, a former Akhil Bharatiya Sharirik Pramukh who now declares that women “should restrict themselves to doing household chores”, was also born in 1950. A friend remarked yesterday that one of the “brats”, Bhagwat, is eminently qualified to handle the other, Modi, by virtue of having studied veterinary science. This may not amuse Advani, though. Mukul Dube, Mayur Vihar 1, Delhi 110091
[email protected] Is it a Muslim appeasement or oppression? English print media is playing a crucial role in favouring the govern- ment policy of oppression towards the Muslim youths. Caste Hindus which are rulers of this country are scared that Muslims may rise and succeed gaining their share of power in India. Islam is slowly pro- gressing in the most lower caste communities and highly educated Hindu elites, The opponents can’t ideological defeat Muslims. Islam is spreading throughout the world. Even in America and Europe it is talk of the day. Thousands of mosques are being constructed in Europe and America. Proper timings, call of Azan on particular timings give a sense of spiritual satisfaction to Muslims and even to non-Muslims. Thousands of mosque have been constructed in cities and villages. The non-Muslims also contributed for the construction of mosques. But this state of affair is intolerable to the caste Hindus who are in full control over the government and have caused thousands of anti- Muslim riots killing lakhs of Muslims, gutting their shops and houses, raping their ladies and killing them. The Gujarat genocide was moni- tored by Narendra Modi.The Muslim youths especially practicing Islam were targeted. The police have been given free hand to appre- hend Muslim youths in the false charges of terrorism. Thousands of them are in jails. The police can put some RDX rods and level the charge of terrorism. After 5 to 10 years of jail, they are freed. This gory game is being played by the rulers. They think that they have adopted a successful strategy toward Muslims of India and Islam. They do not have perfect parameter to assess whether they have gained or what they have lost. They have forgotten that there is a Supreme Power above them. He will do justice one day. Dr AH Maqdoomi Hyderabad Mazharul Haque university set aside Bihar NDA government has been announcing “development with jus- tice” and Mazharul Haque university has been kicked from one flat to another and now it is imparting education in the Haj Bhavan but in this year, two medical colleges - one at Madhepura, the other at Bettiah - are going to start. Both UPA & NDA had a common plan to corner Muslims by thwarting Muslims initiatives. S. Haque, Patna Burma Nuslims After the Human Rights Watch report on the genocide of Rohingya Muslims at the hands of Buddhist terrorists in Myanmar, the apathy of international community has once again, highlighted the fact about its claims on the human rights issue that these are just empty and dead. Human Rights Watch has confirmed in its report that massacre of Muslims in Myanmar is not just a result of communal riots, but also it is genocide of Rohingya Muslims. The most dangerous aspect of this report is that Human Rights Watch has also held Myanmar President Thein Sein responsible for the genocide that he has failed to take any- one into account who was responsible for the riots. When the Human Rights watch report came to light, it was the duty of the international community to check with Myanmar about crimes against humanity, but on the contrary the European Union has acted as if it has present- ed a gift to Myanmar for this massacre. It may be mentioned that the European Union has announced to permanently lift the ban imposed on Myanmar. The announcement came on the very next day of release of the Human Rights Watch report. The European Union had tem- porarily lifted the ban on Myanmar in 2012, and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi expressed her consent that reforms were being car- ried out on merit, so the ban should be lifted permanently. Although Human Rights Watch has warned the EU that lifting ban from Myanmar government will be premature because the Myanmar gov- ernment is involved in the massacre of Muslims and in crimes against humanity, but the self-proclaimed pioneer of human rights, Europe, did not consider the Human Rights Watch warning worthy of practice and by lifting g the ban from Myanmar, it has sort of directly support- ed the genocide of Muslims taking place in this country. However, now when the detestable face of Myanmar government and police have been exposed to the world, the United States, West, Arab coun- tries, and the Indian government, which presented the resolution in the United Nations against war crimes in Sri Lanka, must take strong notice of it and pull all sorts of pressure on the Myanmar government to ensure the protection of life and property of Rohingya Muslims and give them all their rights. The European Union should also review the decision of lifting ban on Myanmar; it should rather impose further sanctions to stop massacre of Muslims in that country. Abdul Haque Khan, Azad Gandhi Inter College, Kasganj-UP Advani Mr. Advani was the architect of the Babri Masjid issue. Now, the BJP is well aware of the fact that this issue is no longer working. So they wanted to get rid of Advani. The entire drama was being played out to sideline Advani in order to bring Mr. Modi to frontline. It would be dif- ficult for the BJP to project Narendra Modi as a prime ministerial can- didate in 2014 Lok Sabha election in the presence of the founder of the party. It should also be kept in mind that for the BJP, Rahul vs Modi game appears to be stronger than Rahul vs Advani. But, perhaps the BJP is taking it too lightly by projecting a controversial figure to its national politics. They should not forget that the ghost of Gujrat riot still haunts Mr. Modi. It is no hidden a fact that he has yet to clean his hands from the Gujrat carnage. There is no doubt that the develop- ment in Gujrat has been phenomenal but it doesn’t exonerate him. He is responsible for the killing of more than 1200 people. The alienation of Advani may bring further crisis for the BJP, the result of which may be disastrous in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. Salman Ghani, Patna BJP feels pain at exposure of fake input of I B. Whole BJP started screaming as news came that CBI was going to quiz about input of Ishrat Jahan innocent to Let operative. RAW or IB or CBI, SIT, police etc are not holy cow and have they immunity to hide facts? If they are just Let them explain the facts because at last human lives are precious. But media plays trick in hiding facts as NDTV aired a programme on “CBI quizzing IB about their input”. In the panel 3 retired IB, RAW top boss one cong. MP, and BJP leader Ms Lekhi had duet. This debate was worthless because in panel no fake encounter victim was included like CP fake encounter relative, Khawaja Unus fake encounter victims etc. Such victim in panel would have exposed security agencies conspiracy. But media wouldn’t listen such fare voice barring few media groups. S. Haque, Patna Modi as BJP supremo By declaring the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as chairman of its Election Campaign Committee for the 2014 polls, a move consid- ered just short of making him the prime ministerial candidate, the Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), has unfolded its real face. The 2002 Gujarat genocide wherein more than 2000 Muslims were massacred in the state under Narendra Modi’s rule is a big blot on him which can never be washed away. The so called aura of development in Gujarat is nothing but fallacious and attempt by Modi and his supporters to reshape his image as a champion of development from being a mass murderer. The fact, in Gujarat the rural poverty of the state is still 51% and there is no real development found in Gujarat, however, Modi and his team keep on singing the same tune which is nothing but an attempt to paint a rosy picture of the state to befool people. However, a number of contrary vital statics about Gujarat speak otherwise as the living standards of the common people, which is still abysmal. Child malnutrition at 48 per cent in Gujarat, which is higher than the national average, in fact, much higher than the poorest of poor nations at African like Somalia and Ethiopia with 33%. The infant mortality rate in Gujarat is 48 per thousand, which is the 10th worst in India, Education, health and income levels in Gujarat is placed after 8 other Indian states. However, Modi was no doubt successful in projecting an image of ‘Gujarat Shining’ under his leadership; however, the truth is just the opposite. Though Modi has given huge concessions to big industrial houses, giving them cheap electricity, land, etc. and has built roads, etc. But the standard of living of the masses is still at stake. If you look at the recent figures about Gujarat, they seem to be very much dismaying. It is a sad day for one of the oldest civilization in the world that India is seeing the elevation of person accused of supporting a large scale massacre in 2002. He is so arrogant that he has not even bothered to acknowledge the brutality and sufferings. His arrogance is derogatory to the growth of our great nation. History will never forgive the supporters of this man who does not even have a family of his own and he seeks to rule the Great Indian family of a 100 billion. His speeches are taunting and far from being civilised. Does this man love anyone other than himself? Do we really have no one better than him, well if yes then it is a rather dark prediction for this nation. The coming 2014 Lok Sabha elections people like Modi and his party would give a befitting reply and stop Modi in his tracks before he could unleash his destructive policies at the national level to bring miseries to millions of people of this great country called “Bharat”. Mohd Ziyaullah Khan, Nagpur - 440013
[email protected] Punishment to Advani What a pity that a senior most party leader who served the party more than 50 years was dishonoured and his house was gheraod by mis- creants. Advani had the greatest honour of demolishing the Babri Mosque. The reward from the party was debar him from the chair- manship of the parliamentary party board ..He served as deputy prime minister and was aspiring to become the primeminister. He was a fit- ting candidate for the assignment. The only drawback was that he did not belong to the highest caste ie Brahmin ..It was a great injustice done to him. The other point of view is that he committed a greatest sin was the demolition ob Babri Mosque. Being a sheer politician he could not understand the importance of Mosque in Islam ,what is the spiritual impact on Muslims. What is the basic deference between a temple and a Mosque ..Why Muslims gather 5 times to offer Namaz collectively. He might have thought that if he demolish the he could construct a grand Ram temple and Hindus make him a Hero. and finally he will become the Prime Minister of India. But Allah who is God of All false Gods failed Advani in all planning’s. He was debarred from his post. the Plan of construction of temple was not accepted by Lord Ram Himself the motivation behind the demolition Mosque was pure- ly political. The only way out the present plight is take forgiveness of Allah and analogize Muslims of the world and advise the government to construct the Moqsue on its previous place. Lest the country shall break like BabriMosque. Non-Muslims of India are not aware of the secret powers of Almighty Allah. Dr AH Maqdoomi Hyderabad
[email protected] REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 23 www.milligazette.com The Milli Gazette, P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email:
[email protected] Read more letters on MG website RNI No. DELENG/2000/930 REGISTERED DL(S)-01/3215/2012-14 LICENCED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT U (SE)-57/2012-14 PUBLISHED ON 26 JUNE 2013 POSTED ON 26-27 JUNE 2013 ADV. FORTNIGHTLY AT NDPSO-110002 The Milli Gazette D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 India Tel.: 011-26947483 Email:
[email protected] 24 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 July 2013 Printed, published and owned by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan and printed at Vibha Publication Pvt Ltd., D-160B, Sector-7, Noida, U.P. and published at D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, New Delhi 110025. Editor: Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan With best compliments from Kaleem Kawaja , Washington DC LET’S FIGHT TERRORISM TURN TO PAGE 3 INSIDE Help the victims of floods in Uttarkhand A great tragedy has occurred in the flood- and cloudburst-hit Uttarakhand over the past few days. As of June 25, 822 bodies have been recovered but the state's Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said the final death toll could be in thousands as many bodies are feared buried under the debris. About 34,000 stranded people have been evacuated till now while about 60,000 persons are still stranded in parts of the hilly state where infrastructure including roads has been washed off. The only to reach and rescue the stranded people is by helicopter and planes. More rains are expected from Monday which means the misery will continue and evacuation operations will be hampered. It is estimated that rescue oper- ations will continued for the next two weeks. Thousands are still not accounted for. Urgent relief is required to those stranded as well as to the natives of those areas and to rebuild life and infrastructure there. All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat has called upon milli organizations to come forward and offer whatever help is possible to the hapless victims of the natural calamity. Charity Alliance too is part of this effort and it will offer all possible help. We appeal to you to urgently donate (see page 17 inside) whatever is possible to help our brothers and sisters in their hour of need and to boost the government's efforts to rebuild the devastated areas. Whatever help comes, will be offered along- with the milli organizations' donations to the Prime Minister's relief fund as direct relief work is not possible for ordinary persons in the present circumstances where roads have been washed off. According to the state CM, normal life will not be possible in the area for a long time to come. Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan Chairman, Charity Alliance President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat To help CHARITY ALLIANCEgo to page 17 inside. Donations, Zakat, Sadaqat, Charity and bank interest. accepted by cheque / online Internet Banking transfers or credit card payments / Money Order / By Cash*. In April 2013 when two Murshidabad villages (West Bengal) were gutted by fire, 214 families homeless, we sought your help and asked for donations for distributing corrugated sheets to them. And this is what your donations can achieve, alhamdulillah Zakat Appeal 2013 Before After T he genesis of Charity Alliance in early 2005 was out of the necessity to do something urgently about the starva- tion deaths in the Jalangi area of Murshidabad, West Bengal. Since then our work in that particular area of Murshidabad continues without any break with the sup- port of people like you, alhamdulillah. After having distributed ration every week for years in the area and offering medical aid to them as well now alhamdulillah the people there are in a must better situation. We continue to run a Vocational Training Centre there teaching tailoring and zari embroidery. And Alliance School near Jalangi in Murshidabad was started in 2009. The school currently has bamboo rooms and needs pucca classrooms to pass recognition requirements. Donations to building fund are most welcome. Apar t from Murshidabad, which remains our main focus, we also offer financial help on a smaller scale to poor students and individuals for education and medical help in Delhi. Visit www.charityalliance.in for more details or call 0-9818120669 Documents Similar To mg323--allSkip carouselcarousel previouscarousel nextZakat Pa Ja05Challenge of Poverty and Islamic Economics.pdfWhat the Next Four Years Hold for ModiCriminal Procedure Act 25 of 2004Zakat CalculatorVirtues of OppositesJanuary 2015CrimProBedaReviewer1 2Government of Hongkong VNovember 01 2013.pdfGuha on CMsThe Telegraph Article--26th July, 2013Mrunal - Newspaper ReadRamadan Activity Book_EN (2)United States v. Vernon Cooper, United States of America v. Vernon Cooper, 827 F.2d 991, 4th Cir. 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