24 pages ` 15 ISSN 0972-3366 FORTNIGHTLY Vol. 15 No. 2 Issue Serial # 336 facebook.com/milligazette www.milligazette.

com 16-31 January 2014

Muzaffarnagar 3,6,9,10
Narendra Modi 2,8,11
Terrorism 7
J&K 10 Analysis 11 Special Reports 3,13
Issues 2,11,13 Speaking Out 11 Books 21
Newsmakers 12 International 16-20
Community News 14-15 Islamic Perspectives 20
Our Publications 19 Classifieds 22 Letters 23
Inside
MG
Heres how the 26/11 probe was scuttled?
THE
MILLI
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& Author of WHO KILLED KARKARE?
DVD CONTAINING FOOTAGES OF
IMPORTANT INCIDENTS ENCLOSED
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26/11 PRO
BE
WHY JUDICIARY ALSO FAILED?
By S.M. MUSHRIF
FROM THE BACK COVER OF THE BOOK
There was quite a flutter in the country, especially in the
camps of the IB and right-wing groups, when the author
of this book, S.M. Mushrif, in his first book, Who Killed
Karkare?, smashed the IB and Police theory of the 26/11
Mumbai terror attack case and offered a more convincing
alternative theory.
In this new book, he comes back to narrate as to how
the IB, in order to prove its false theory, not only
interfered in the investigations of the case at every stage,
but also employed its tremendous clout and, with the help
of a section of the media and the Police, successfully
pulled it through the corridors of the courts and
ultimately kicked it to its final destination, i.e., the gallows.
The book also describes the shrewd moves on the part of
the IB to scuttle all attempts to get the case reinvestigated.
The author has expressed his serious concern over the
unbridled powers being enjoyed by the IB, an extra-
constitutional authority, to the extent of influencing
almost all our constitutional institutions. However, he has
ended the book on an optimistic note - pinning his hopes
on the judiciary.
PUBLISHERS: Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd
ISBN-13: 978-81-7221-062-5
218 pages (Paperback) + DVD containing footages of
important incidents supporting the authors theory.
Price Rs 275 (India)
TURN TO PAGE 19 FOR
ORDERING DETAILS.
TO ORDER ONLINE SCAN THIS QR CODE TO
DIRECTLY REACH OUR WEBSITE.
JU
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2 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 ISSUES / OPINION
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DR JAVED JAMIL
It is becoming increasingly likely that India may soon witness fas-
cism take the drivers seat in Indian politics. At least, this is what
the media is trying to make the nation believe. Thanks to the cor-
porate-controlled media, BJPs fascism is being kept hidden
under the carpet of Development. What is worrying, however, is
that Congress seems to have either given up or it is still in a state
of denial. Congress senior leaders do not have the charisma that
can match the Modi onslaught.
The unfortunate part is that the so-called Modi onslaught is
nothing but a theatrical melodrama to appease the baser instincts
of the people with very little substance in the content. With every
speech, his speeches are becoming cheaper, unworthy of a prime
ministerial aspirant. Still, the Congress leaders have shown their
unwillingness to take him head-on.
Congress has become embedded in such a bureaucratic
mindset in the last decade that they have forgotten politicking.
Bureaucrats are chosen by the state institutions and their role
is to maintain the system. They are therefore answerable only to
the system. Politicians are chosen by the people and are answer-
able to the people. Politicians are supposed to always maintain a
direct and of course cordial relationship with the people. If the
people are angry, it spells doom for the system as well as the
politicians. But even if they are not angry, their lack of belonging-
ness to the politicians or the political parties they represent is sure
to have a negative impact. If we judge the UPA government on this
yardstick, they have certainly not cleared the exams with distinc-
tion.
The performance of UPA has not been bad from normal stan-
dards. They have taken many revolutionary steps: RTI, RTE, Food
Security Bill, Land Acquisition Act, to name a few. Several other
welfare schemes have been announced. The growth, with all the
ups and downs, has mainly been on the higher side. There has
been relative peace in the country compared to 1990s. There have
been no dissentions in the main political party that runs it.
Congress has been as solidly united as no other party in
recent decades. Then what is the reason that the perception of the
people, at least in some areas of the country, has become so poor
about this government?
It can be argued that a smear campaign against it by the
Opposition and the media has caused this slide in the perception.
But if the opposition has succeeded on this front, there have to be
reasons for this. Propaganda succeeds only when the counter-
propaganda is weak.
What seems to have been failing the UPA government has
been its failure to act politically. At best, UPA government, right
from the Prime Minister to ministers, has acted in a bureaucratic
mould. They do not seem to care for the support or the percep-
tion of the people. They do not try to reach the people. This is true
for the Prime Minister, ministers, and members of Parliament of
the ruling coalition belonging to any community or caste or region.
This in my view is the major reason why people are casting
doubts about their emerging victorious in the coming elections.
The only person who appeared to change the scenario is
Rahul Gandhi. Ever since he took over as Vice President of the
party, he has tried to sound political. His speeches stressed the
need of engaging with the masses, particularly the deprived and
marginalised sections of society. His bold stand on Ordinance was
the first truly political move made by a Congress leader in last
many years. It produced the desirable impact. It was followed by
some aggressive speeches in UP and Rajasthan. But Congress
senior leaders have been so entrenched in bureaucratic mould that
his politicking seemed to unnerve them.
First, the statements from the top leadership appeared to sug-
gest that Rahuls way of attack on the ordinance was wrong even
if his intention was right. And once he made the ISI remark,
Congress went into tizzy. Instead of seizing the opportunity and
coming up with a clarification that would convince the nation that
he sympathised with Muslims who are the biggest losers in riots
and that the resulting anger gives the enemies of the country an
opportunity to fish in the troubled waters, and if such an attempt
is made, the fascist forces of Hindutva were solely responsible for
this, Congress rank and file went on defensive.
The media and BJP who had started feeling unnerved by the
newly-found aggressiveness in Rahul Gandhis style of functioning,
got the opportunity to dampen his spirits. Since then, Rahul Gandhi
seems to have given up his aggressiveness. The result is that Modi is
again on the rise. He feels he has won the war. Now the markets have
started behaving as if he has already become Prime Minister.
This is a disturbing scenario. Congress needs to come out of
its slumber. It has already lost the support of Hindus (at least
upper class) particularly in the cow belt. With the kind of media
blitz and coordinated electioneering BJP leaders are engaged in, it
is highly unlikely that these classes will change their choice till the
elections.
It is high time Congress realised the urgency of cementing its
ties with Muslims. It is not an unknown fact that Muslims are not
happy with Congress. Congress has not only failed to keep up its
promises, it has not so far shown any signs of offering them any-
thing new. If many Muslims will still think of voting for Congress,
it will be more out of their desire to keep BJP out than to bring
Congress back.
In the last 20-25 years, Congress has lost its dominance in
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar mainly because it has lost the confidence
of Muslims there and backward classes have moved to local par-
ties. If despite that, they have been able to regain power in the
Centre, it was mainly because after the departure of V P Singh, the
Third Front could not find a leader of national stature. If Congress
can win the confidence of Muslims in UP and Bihar, sooner or later
lower classes of Hindus and Brahamins would also join. If it does-
nt, even BJP will try to take advantage of the situation. Modi is
already trying to change the general perception about him. He is
not likely to win the support of the Muslim community in a big way
in the near future but even if BJP wins the support of just 1-3 per-
cent Muslims, in the current scenario, it could hit Congress badly.
If BJP sincerely makes efforts to give up its old positions vis--vis
Muslims, Congress can run into an identity crisis in coming years.
I dont understand till when Congress would continue to bank
on the fear factor. With the Hindu vote in the Hindi belt already
glued to corporate-sponsored Modi-mania, it is high time
Congress reestablished its old relationship with Muslims through
strong and decisive steps. This author has already sent an agen-
da for 2014 to all political parties with proposals that would help
not only Muslims but the whole nation in its march towards peace,
progress and prosperity. Congress would do well if it makes the
first move in accepting the proposals. This will not only help the
party in a significant way in the coming elections, it can also
establish a long term relationship between Congress and
Muslims.
The one person who can make the move is none other than
Rahul Gandhi. Instead of giving up his aggressiveness, he needs
to be even more aggressive, albeit with the care it requires.
Dr Javed Jamil is a thinker and writer with over a dozen books including
Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination & Road-map. He can be con-
tacted at doctorforu123@yahoo.com
The semi-educated Narendra Modi recently said in a speech at
Raigad fort in Maharashtra that Shivaji, the Maratha warrior leader,
had not looted Surat, rather he plundered Aurangzebs treasure
with the help of the locals and used it for the welfare of the com-
mon man.
This is absolute garbage and a sodomy of truth. All historians,
including Maharashtrian historians like Sardesai, Deshpande and
Prabhu Inamdar, are unanimous on this count that Shivaji plun-
dered Surat on 6 January, 1664. This has been categorically men-
tioned in the book Political And Cultural History Of Gujarat at B
J Indology Institute (written by several experts).
Shivaji was basically a plunderer. He was a small-time ruler.
Sir Jadunath Sarkar called him a chieftain. Mughal, Portuguese
and East India Companys several records indicate that Shivaji
was a plunderer. Eliot, Dawson, Ishwari Prasad, Akhilesh Mishra
and Sacchidanand Sinha went to the extent of calling Shivaji a
self-styled king who manipulated his way to the throne. Shivajis
entire life was a saga of plunders. He was indeed brave but never
so great as people in Maharashtra think he was, thanks to the
emergence of Hindu political outfits like Shiv Sena, Sambhaji
Brigade and MNS. Their distorted versions of history and Shivajis
exaggerated exploits have been further exploited by a rabid
Hindu leader like Modi, who has a political agenda and is blissful-
ly unaware of his countrys history.
One wonders who made Shivaji so great? He was never a real
threat to the Mughal empire and its a fact that had Aurangzeb
wanted, he could have had Shivaji eliminated in Agra itself.
Shivajis much tom-tommed escape from Agra in a fruit-basket is
apocryphal. This never hap-
pened. Mirza Raja Jai
Singhs son Ram Singh
helped Shivaji escape from Agra. Alas, were too gullible and
believe without ever questioning. People like Narendra Modi trade
upon our collective credulity. He has mauled Indian history.
Indian Mujahideen: A Constant Scapegoat
Theres a news on a popular portal (Rediff.com) that the self-suf-
ficient Indian Mujahideen feels that Pakistanis are brothers. Now
this is the sheer mischief of Indian print, visual and online media.
Im not a supporter of a terrorist outfit like IM but I strongly feel
that its arrested key operator like Yasin Bhatkals every sup-
posed statement is being taken out of context to malign an entire
community.
Theres a term in media: Taken out of context. Just a few days
ago it was in the newspapers that IM wanted to nuke Surat bar-
ring Muslims. Hows it possible? Did news agencies check and
confirm that Bhatkal indeed stated and recorded this statement?
Now police and NIA say that the Indian Mujahideen is emo-
tionally as well as ideologically close(r) to Pakistani Muslims.
Hindus have no idea of the exalted philosophy of Islamic brother-
hood. Agreed, it professes that Muslims all over the world of any
ethnicity and country are brothers, but at the same time, it also
underlines that all human beings are interconnected. Mankind is a
mosaic of interwoven communities and races.
Right from independence, Muslims have never been consid-
ered as integral to India. They were termed as traitors and disloy-
al. Granted, Pakistan is no saint but its citizens are as good or bad
as the Indians are. If a disloyal communitys few oppressed
youths think that people of the other side empathise with them and
their cause, is it a felony? Is it a crime that amounts to treason or
sedition? What have Indian Muslims got from India in all these
years? This is a disturbing question that calls for a definite answer
and no beating around the bush.
Whose Money Is This?
Shankar Rai, a Congress leader from Telangana, intends to install
a nine-foot bronze statue of party president Sonia Gandhi depict-
ing her as Telangana Talli or Mother Telangana. This is the nadir of
apple-polishing. Im sure, even Sonia cringes with acute embar-
rassment.
This numskull doesnt understand that this move to form a new
state (Telangana) is an astute political strategy of Congress to
woo the people of Telangana at the ensuing hustings.
Sycophancy is a universal trait but Indians seem to be particular-
ly afflicted with this malady. Theyve broken all records of fawn-
ing. The whole country is full of statues of political bigwigs or
erstwhile raja-maharajas. Modi is installing Vallabhbhai Patels
gigantic statue. Shiv Saianiks are erecting Shivajis enormous
statue in Arabian Sea. Dalits are building temples for their Baba
Sahab Ambedkar. Whats going on? Whose money is this? Cant
we think rationally and apply our brains?
This tendency of deification and genuflection must be stopped
and there shouldnt be any statue of any leader at a public place.
Therere so many ways to show ones respect to an icon than this
naked display of grovelling veneration. The Supreme Court has
enough time to put aspersions on pre-marital and gay sex but it
has no time to stop or condemn statue-installing spree of people,
nay toadies.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Its Modis story, not history
Time Congress cemented its relationship with Muslims
It is high time Congress realised the
urgency of cementing its ties with
Muslims. It is not an unknown fact that
Muslims are not happy with Congress.
Congress has not only failed to keep up its
promises, it has not so far shown any
signs of offering them anything new. If
many Muslims will still think of voting for
Congress, it will be more out of their
desire to keep BJP out than to bring
Congress back.
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 3 www.milligazette.com
Police inspector shoots
14-year-old boy in his mouth
MOHAMED IQBAL
Chennai: Youngest in the household,
Thameem Ansari, a 14-year-old boy from
Neelankari in Chennai was picked up by the
area police in the early hours of 7 January in
connection with a probe into a hundi theft case
in the area. He had left his home on the fateful
day in the morning and did not return. Instead,
news came to his family that he has been shot
and admitted in hospital. The last report from
the hospital is that he is now stable.
What did the young boy do to be pun-
ished so brutally? asked the teenagers aunt.
His mother Sabena Begam works in a restau-
rant, cleaning dishes for a living to support her
three children. He has an elder brother, a class
XII student, and an elder sister who is mental-
ly ill. His father passed away two years ago
after a prolonged illness. Utter poverty drove the boy to take up odd jobs - he worked as a tea-seller and
as an attendant in a school van. According to the police, he began stealing in 2011. He was lodged at a
juvenile home last year and released later. He had planned to go back to work as a van attendant, said the
boys neighbour. The boy was admitted in Global Hospital in Chennai.
We spoke with the hospital staff who said that there was no bullet mark when the boy was brought to
the hospital. Local Muslims protested against this incident of illegal custody and torture as the minor was
taken to a police station in the dead of night without any of his close relatives which is illegal as per the
juvenile act. People of the area blocked the road asking for justice for the boy. At last local police assistant
commissioner came and talked with local Muslims and promised to take legal action against inspector
Pusparaj who had questioned the boy harshly beating the boy and inserting a pistol into the mouth of the
boy when it fired. An FIR has been filed against the inspector.
Three months ago an 8th standard Muslim girl died and still accused has not been found by the police.
Now for an alleged hundi theft, police has shot a 16-year- old boy. This is India where the poor and mar-
ginalised have no rights. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa had addressed police officials last month
and termed custodial death as a travesty of justice, and said the dead are not simply a statistical number
for their loved ones. A senior police officer told NDTV, We have ordered an inquiry by the Revenue
Divisional Officer as the case is against the police. At last the police officer has been suspended. Said
Dr V. Suresh, national general secretary of PUCL, yet there is no disciplinary inquiry, there is no magistrate
enquiry and it seems all attempt is to shield the police officer.
Jains get minority status
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the government has finally decided to provide minority status to the
Jain community at the national level. For now, Jains enjoy minority status in 14 states. The law ministry
has given its go ahead to a minority affairs ministry proposal for making the Jains, with an estimated
population of five million (50 lakh) in the country, eligible for minority status nationally. So far, five com-
munities - Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Budhhists and Parsis - have been recognised as national minori-
ties under a Central law. The ruling UPA has now decided to add the Jain community to this list, finally
accepting the communitys decades-old demand. Hitherto Jains were regarded as part of Hindus. A
minority status enables a community to run and administer exclusive educational institutions and derive
benefits from the governments welfare schemes for minorities. The decision of the governments legal
arm is based on the revised opinion from its top law officer, Attorney General GE Vahanvati, who stated
that it is constitutionally permissible to issue a notification declaring Jains as a minority
communityand if the government were to accept the recommendations of the National Commission
for Minorities, it will not be illegal. The revised opinion was sought since the AG had in 2010 and 2011
told the government that any decision on the issue would be subject to the outcome of pending cases
in courts and would therefore be vulnerable to a legal challenge. Jains are already declared as minori-
ties in 14 states - Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and West Bengal.
Amsterdam: The Government of India (GOI)
has neither released official nor unofficial
figures of the human cost of the six-
decades-old war it unleashed on Nagaland
in 1954. Practically unknown internationally,
this is probably longest running war of mod-
ern times. Indian journalists have been
repeating, one after the other, a death toll of
25,000.
Without mentioning the number of casual-
ties on either side, the GOI and media dont
take into account the Naga Peoples Movement
for Human Rights (NPMHR) which has docu-
mented that 300,000 Nagas perished in this
war. These figures did not mention the body
count or injury count of the Indian Armed
Forces.
There are questions which the GOI should
reply, e.g.,
- What is the reason for the Government of
India to withhold these figures?
- What is their reason to withhold deaths
and casualties of the Armed Forces of India?
Even though peace talks between India
and Nagaland have been going on for the last
16 years and to date have not had any tangible
result, the secrecy around the overwhelming
human cost of the war should be known if only
because India is a democratic nation, therefore
accountable to its people.
T
his is so not only with respect to the
tremendous number of deaths on both
sides, numbers of slain Indian soldiers have
not been released. Likewise the larger num-
bers of the soldiers and civilians who were
injured, tor tured, maimed and invalidated
should also be released.
The Naga International Support Centre on
5 January urged the international community
to broker peace between India and Nagaland,
to mediate in ending this seemingly endless
war by:
- Sending a fact-finding mission to factually
determine the human cost of the Indo-Naga
War;
- Presenting the results to the United Nations,
the Indian Government, to the National and
International Media;
- Mapping out and establishing the amount of
casualties of this war on both sides, publishing
the results internationally and demand
accountability.
For more information, visit www.nagalim.nl.
Cost of the Indo-Naga War
Respond now if you care about your
community
White Paper on Terrorism
The issue of fake terrorism charges and the unjust arrests and defamation of our community,
especially since 2001, is the biggest challenge facing the community ever since. A grand con-
spiracy hatched by the powers that be, IB, Police and media, has sullied and defamed our com-
munity. This campaign has affected our lives, peace of mind and has thwarted our efforts to
progress and educate our children to join the national mainstream.
Our efforts so far to present our case, to bring out our innocence and force the national and
state governments to listen to our grievances have mostly failed. All we have received are a few
words of solace which have no real meaning and have not changed the situation on the ground.
Our children by their thousands are still languishing in jails on the basis of fake confessions
obtained through torture and blackmail.
As a long-term solution and a serious response to this problem thrust upon us, AIMMM
decided last year to bring out a white paper on the Muslim-related terrorism in the country.
The work is going on with all seriousness and many researchers, scholars and journalists are
busy preparing writeups on various aspects of this issue, covering the history, genesis, com-
munalism, vested interests in various related fields, analysis of various laws like TADA, POTA
and UAPA, fake encounters, narco tests, torture, acquittals, IB & Police role, media attitude,
case studies, statewise surveys, SIMI, Indian Mujahidin, Hindutva terror, individual tragedies
of victims, Azamgarh, Bhatkal, Malegaon, Darbhanga modules, some basic documents, etc.,
etc.
The target is to bring out this white paper during the next few months and to release it in a
big convention at Delhi as a combined effort of major Muslim and civil rights organisations, and
thereafter present this huge document of over 600 large format pages to politicians, media,
human rights organisations, especially outside the country, in order to enlighten public opinion
at home and abroad as well as to build pressure on our blind and deaf government.
The estimated cost of this white paper is Rs 35 lakh divided as follows: Rs 15 lakh cost of
preparation and payments to contributors plus six months salaries to researchers and experts;
Rs 15 lakh for designing and printing the document in a world-class format; while the grand con-
vention at Delhi will cost at least 5 lakh. Effort will be made to release the White Paper in some
state and world capitals also.
You can help this effort in four ways,
1. To buy copies of the White Paper on Terrorism in advance to help defray part of the huge cost
of research, printing, publication and distribution of at least one thousand complimentary
copies. The estimated price of the white paper is Rs 2000 per copy in India. You may place
an advance order by paying Rs 1000 only per copy in India including postal charges).
Payments for the copies may be made to The Milli Gazette, D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, Jamia
Nagar, New Delhi 110025. Email: edit@milligazette.com. Individuals and organisations order-
ing a minimum of 100 copies in advance will be included as Sponsors of the White Paper.
2. Contribute to the cost of the grand convention to be held in Delhi. This should be payable to
the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, New
Delhi-110025. Tel.: 011-26946780 Fax: 011-26947346. Email:
mushawarat@mushawarat.com.
3. Donate your time: If you are a scholar, researcher, journalist: join our team for a few
months working in our Delhi office or from your own home to complete this project - write
to the Editor, MG now at edit@milligazette.com.
4. Contact us if you have vital information/documents about this issue.
THE MILLI GAZETTE
requires
JUNIOR JOURNALISTS
write with details in the first instance to the Editor at edit@milligazette.com
Basic requirements: good command over English, interest in and knowledge
of Muslim community issues, knowledge of Urdu
Muzaffarnagar:
what you can do
Samajwadi Party, which came to power on the
back of Muslim votes two years ago, is playing
dirty politics with the victims of Muzaffarnagar-
Shamli-Baghpat riots of September last year.
Many of these victims are still languishing in
around three dozen camps in Muzaffarnagar and
Shamli districts braving extreme cold.
The SP government not only allowed the anti-
Muslim riots to take place, failed to check it in
time, it continues to behave as if no injustice has
been inflicted on around one lakh Muslims of a
vast area of western Uttar Pradesh. Relief was
utterly scanty and irregular and was withdrawn
within weeks in order to pressurise the victims to
leave the camps. Many did return to their villages,
others rented accommodation while some others
went to live with their relatives.
The UP administration is hell-bent to quickly
close the camps at any cost. It has sent bulldoz-
ers to many camps and has succeeded in some
cases to uproot the victims while in some cases
the bulldozers had to retreat in the face of popular
resistance by the victims and their local supports.
Policemen make daily rounds to warn the victims
to go away and have lodged hundreds of FIRs
against them for occupying government (forest)
land. Pressure by local administration, police and
the rioters is also being mounted on the victims to
withdraw their FIRs against the rioters, killers and
rapists. Only nine out of some 200 affected vil-
lages have been offered a meagre compensation
of five lakh rupees per family after signing an ille-
gal affidavit in which they undertake not to not to
return to their villages, claim their moveable and
immovable properties therein, and to leave the
camps where they are lodged at present.
The need of the hour is to stand by these vic-
tims in their legal battle against the administration
and the rioters, to enable their children to contin-
ue education and to settle them on privately
owned land.
Many Muslim organisations have been busy
in relief work since the eruption of the riots but the
problem is too huge for them to cope with. Indian
central and state governments have decided that
these victims do not matter and India's civil soci-
ety has looked the other way as if a Muslim
tragedy is not a tragedy.
With the help of MG readers, Charity Alliance
has been in various ways offering help to the vic-
tims. Most recently, it has bought over five bighas
of land in Sunethi village of Shamli district where
some 70-80 victim families will be settled as soon
as the legal formalities are over. We are in the
process of buying another chunk of similar adja-
cent land for the same purpose because settling
these victims on their own land is one of the most
pressing requirements now. One piece of 50 sq.
yards with a shed costs around Rs 40500.
Readers and well-wishers are requested to chip in
to help us buy more land and settle these people
who refuse to return to their erstwhile villages.
Charity Alliance is also planning to start a school
and vocational centre for these victims and people
of the nearby villages.
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan
Chairman, Charity Alliance
www.charityalliance.in
Thameem before the police brutality
4 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Battered gang-raped
minor waits for 20th
surgery - and justice!
New Delhi: At an age when most children cherish their books,
clothes and toys, a 12-year old girl is silently suffering the pain of
a brutal gang-rape which has forced her to undergo 19 surgeries
till now. The victim is now waiting for her 20th surgery at the pre-
mier AIIMS here.
Gang-raped by six men in Sikar in Rajasthan more than a year
ago, the girl has undergone both mental and physical trauma and
has been waging a silent battle against all odds since the time the
men left her on the roadside to die after brutally raping her.
When this IANS correspondent met the victim in the All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), she was lying on the hos-
pital bed with her face covered with a sheet, while her sister and
65-year-old widowed mother sat near her - hoping that the next
round of medical treatment will help her regain her health.
She had a dream of doing something for the family, though
she is youngest among six sisters, the victims 22-year old sis-
ter, a constant companion, told IANS.
We have already spent more than a year in various hospitals
but to no avail. We know her pain. We want justice. We dont
know when my sister will come back home. We dont have an
answer, the sister said.
The girl was shifted to AIIMS from Jaipurs J. K. Lone hospi-
tal last February. The state government took a decision to shift the
victim to AIIMS hospital after the national capital was rocked by
street protests over the Dec 16, 2012, gang rape. The state gov-
ernment feared that the minor girls incident would spark similar
protests in Rajasthan and decided to fund her treatment. The vic-
tim underwent 17 surgeries in Rajasthan and two in AIIMS.
The family had migrated from Bihars Darbhanga district to
Sikar in July 2012 in the hope of a good life.
The incident happened on Aug 20, 2012, when the victim,
along with her three sisters and a neighbour, were returning home
after watching the Salman Khan-starrer Tiger.
A car came. The men inside the car tried to drag me and my
neighbour but they failed. But one of them pulled her inside the car
and sped away, said the elder sister with tears in her eyes. We
ran behind the car screaming and shouting but could not rescue
her, she said.
She said that initially the police refused to file an FIR and a
case was registered only after local people demonstrated outside
the police station.
The next day at noon my sister was found in another area.
She was bleeding and her condition was very critical. We admit-
ted her in a government hospital in Sikar and later doctors referred
her to Jaipur, the sister said. When asked whether the victim talks
to the family, the sister just said: Very little, she is very brave..
she wants to live.
She said police arrested only two of the accused, while four
more are still at large. All of them should be arrested and jus-
tice should be done. Look at her, she is just a child. Her life has
ended. Is there any hope for us? the sister wailed. (Alok Singh,
IANS)
Malegaon: Already in the headlines for breaking previous records,
the Malegaon Urdu Book Fair on 9 January recoded a total sale of
more than 55 lakh rupees breaking the National Council for
Promotion of Urdu Languages all time best sale records.
Mumbai had recorded the total sale of Rs. 53,00,000, which
was NCPULs best in 14 book fairs. The Malegaon book fair had
earlier broken the opening day sale record on Friday, and on
Sunday it surpassed the total ten-day sale of Bangalore book fair
which was organised by the NCPUL in September 2013.
A total of 38 publishers from all across the country are show-
casing Urdu books of different titles and on wide ranging topics in
62 stalls.
What makes Malegaons sale record more significant is that it
is the first time the NCPUL has organised its book fair at a Taluka
place.
The organisers said the publishers were earlier reluctant to
come to Malegaon, which according to them was a remote and
distant place with little access to travelling and transportation.
But, they are now all smiles by the overwhelming response.
All our stocks finished within two days and we had to ask for
fresh stock. We had not expected such a huge response. People
are pouring in to visit the book fair and what is amazing is that
most of them are purchasing books, Mrs Nazima Nikhat of Honey
Books, New Delhi said while talking to the ummid. com.
Besides men of all ages, the book fair is attracting a large
number of women and children. Though Ejaz Publishing House
has recorded the maximum sales so far, the most sought after
stall is Maktaba Al Hasanat, New Delhi which has recorded a sale
of more than one lakh each day.
The response here is more than satisfactory and beyond our
expectations, Shehzad Alam of the Maktaba said. He said Zinda
Rood, the biography of Allama Iqbal written by his son Javed
Iqbal costing Rs. 1200 has been the best-selling book so far.
Among other best sellers are the books on religion, history, Urdu
literature and recipe besides a huge demand for children literature.
Local writer Khaleel A. Fareedi, who has purchased books
worth Rs. 32,780 is the top buyer so far in the individual capaci-
ty, whereas Madrasa Islamia of Akkalkuwa has purchased the
books worth 450,000, a maximum by an organisation.
The ten-day festival, which was inaugurated by the Minister of
Minority Affairs K Rahman Khan Friday, is coordinated locally by
Malegaon Society of Education and Pasban-e-Adab of Mumbai.
(ummid.com)
Primary education should
be in Urdu: Rahman Khan
Malegaon: Union Minister of Minority Affairs K Rahman Khan
while inaugurating on 3 January the ten-day Urdu festival organ-
ised in Malegaon by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu
Language (NCPUL) said there should be a campaign for demand-
ing the primary education in the Urdu language.
We all say we are working for promotion of the Urdu lan-
guage. At the same time, we also blame others for ignoring the
language. But the question is what have we actually done for its
promotion? he asked while addressing the inaugural ceremony
attended by a huge crowd.
This is high time for all of us to analyse the injustice we have
done to the Urdu language and make corrective measures, he
said.
Rahman Khan said that there were protests by the Muslim
community for every big or small thing. However, he said, he
never saw any protest or campaign for protection of the Urdu lan-
guage.
The Constitution has given the necessary protection to the
Urdu language. Have we ever used this constitutional right to
demand protection of our mother tongue? Never, he said.
Emphasising that education is the only tool using which the
Indian Muslims can prosper, Rahman Khan, who himself was a
student of an Urdu-medium school, said there should be a cam-
paign demanding primary education in the Urdu language.
Expressing concern over the shoddy state of the Urdu-medi-
um schools, he urged NGOs and school authorities to reach out to
the masses and make them realise their responsibilities.
Instead of being a community which depends on others, we
should be like a contributor and donor. We should always try to
work and contribute for the development of the country, he said.
Stating that Mushaeras and public meetings would not help
promote Urdu, he said, We should work at grassroots level if we
really want the language to survive.
Rejecting the notion that Urdu is the language of Muslims, he
said, We find Urdu-lovers everywhere and they are not all
Muslims. The fact is that those who do not know Urdu, also admit
that it is a very sweet language.
Praising people of Malegaon, he said that the love, devotion
and commitment he saw was unmatchable and very rare.
Your love, affection and devotion for the Urdu language show
that it has a bright future, he said.
Before inaugurating the Urdu book fair, K Rahman Khan
flagged off an Urdu Carvan which was attended by over 50,000
people mostly school students. They were carrying banners and
raising slogans asking people to learn and speak Urdu. Over 50
publishers from different parts of the country showcased books in
62 stalls. The event is supported locally by Malegaon Society of
Education and Pasban-e-Adab of Mumbai. (ummid.com)
Malegaon Urdu book fair breaks sale records
Bhagva Dahshatgardi
released
EHTESHAM ANSARI
Malegaon: Pharos Medias lat-
est publication, Bhagva
Dahshatgardi aur Musalmaan
(Saffron Terror and Muslims),
authored the Mumbai-based
journalist Azam Shahab, was
released here on 9 January at
ATT School near the Malegaon
Urdu Mela grounds. Another
book Godse kee Awlaad by
Subhash Gatade, an Urdu
translation of Godses
Children, another Pharos
Media publication, was also
released on the occasion.
Editor of Mumbai Urdu
newspaper Hindustan,
Sarfarz Arzoo, Dr Manzoor
Hasan Ayyubi, Muhammad Ishaq Zarwale, Sufi Ghulam Rasool
Qadri and Maulana Firoz Azmi took par t in the function which
was compered by Mumbai scholar Maulana Abdussalaam
Khan Qasmi who introduced the author as a serious journalist
probing terror issues for years. He referred to Azam Shahabs
earlier book Gujarat kay jaltay din raat (Burning days and
nights of Gujarat) which he wrote after repor ting the Gujarat
riots in 2002.
Hindustan editor Sarfaraz Arzoo said Indias Muslims are not
terrorists but terrorised. He said, Shahab has paid a due to the
community by writing this book. Abdur Raoof Khan, head of My
Mumbra Foundation offered an analysis of the government poli-
cies in the light of Ishrat Jahan encounter, He said that it is the only
case where four IB officials stand accused. He said Azam
Shahabs book will help empower the new generation which was
being pinned down in the name of fighting terror.
Editor of New Delhi magazine Urdu Book Review, Arif Iqbal,
said this book will play a role in building the communitys future.
He said it is enough for the value of the book that it has been pub-
lished by a well-known publishing house and it has unveiled the
real factors and actors behind terrorism in India.
Dr Manzoor Hasan Ayyubi said every citizen of Malegaon will
feel the truth of this book as people of this town have long been
persecuted in the name of terror.
The author, Azam Shahab, said while speaking at the book
release that during the research for this book, I came to the con-
clusion that Muslims are not involved in any terror incident in the
country. He said biased investigating agencies start their probe on
the assumption that only Muslims are terrorists. He said a close
investigation of terror incidents shows that Muslims are behind
bars while the saffron terrorists are roaming free. He said he called
Hindutwadi terror as saffron terror because two home ministers
of the country used this term.
The book was formally released by Maulana Abdul Hameed
Azhari (chairman of Maulana Azad Research Centre, Malegaon),
Dr Manzoor Hasan Ayyubi and Muhammad Ishaq Seth Zarwale.
Bamcef representatives from Pune, Ramesh Raksh and Anjum
Inamdar also participated and spoke at the function. Malegaons
well-known journalist Abdul Haleem Sidiqui had made all the
arrangements for the book released.
This 373-page book is the latest publication of Pharos Media.
Originally written in Urdu, this book is priced at Rs 300.
Blurred photo of the victim
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 5 www.milligazette.com
New Delhi: Muslims have a strong feeling that they should recon-
sider their position regarding the Congress Party with ascent of
AAP, said Jamaat-e-Islami Hinds Qayyim (General Secretary)
Nusrat Ali during JIHs monthly press meet here on 4 January.
He further said that sexual perversions like live-in relation-
ships and homosexuality will increase fatal venereal diseases and
AIDS. JIH termed the attitude of the UP govt regarding
Muzaffarnagar riot victims as very unfortunate.
The JIH leader said, Muslims are strongly feeling that they
should reconsider their position regarding Congress as Aam
Aadmi Party has formed its government in Delhi. This is an indi-
cation of the changing scenario of national politics.
The JIH leader deliberated on several issues including the
continuous ordeal of the riot victims of Muzaffarnagar, the chang-
ing scenario of the national politics, and sexual anarchy and
human degradation.
The formation of Aam Aadmi Par tys government in Delhi
Pradesh is an indication of the changing scenario of the nation-
al politics, which is generally being welcomed in the country.
We consider these new trends as notable and reassuring. The
common people hit by corruption, inflation, lack of basic
amenities and facing the insensitivity of governments are crav-
ing for a basic change. The Government at the Centre and
those in the states must take notice of popular trends and
mould their policies in accordance with the popular demands.
Indian people, especially Muslims and other marginalised sec-
tions, are happy and hopeful with the emerging prospects.
Aam Admi Par ty has emerged as a new alternative. The feeling
of the Muslim community is getting stronger that they should
reconsider their position regarding the Congress which has
neglected them, and search for other alternatives. As regards
the communal and fascist forces,
people look at them as a grave dan-
ger for the country and the commu-
nity. Muslims also feel that if they
are united they would be in a better
position to solve their problems and
get their rights. There are debates
in Muslims circles about unity
which may bring about a favourable
change in the country, said Nusrat
Ali.
Nusrat Ali hoped that the ever-
conscious common people of India
would strive to bring about the
desired changes and the next parlia-
mentary elections would usher in non- communal, people-friend-
ly and honest people.
Sexual perversions like live-in relationships and
Homosexuality will increase fatal venereal diseases and AIDS, he
said, adding that Our society is sinking fast into the lowest ebb of
sexual anarchy. Efforts are being made to secure legal sanction
for sexual perversions like live-in relationships and homosexuali-
ty. Some court judgements have supported these acts. The Apex
Court, quite expectedly, restored Section 377 of IPC and thereby
re-criminalised homosexuality. But some vested interests, includ-
ing sections of our government, have brazenly moved the Apex
Court to review its verdict. Concerned citizens and religious lead-
ers have strongly opposed the move of these vested interests to
drag the society into sexual anarchy. Some people have rightly
said that by practicing such inhuman acts, man has come down
to the level of beasts. But we do assert that even beasts do not go
for such unnatural acts. If such vest-
ed interests are allowed to do what
they like, throwing all social and ethi-
cal norms to the winds, cases of rape,
adultery, fornication, incest, pedophil-
ia, pre-and extra-marital sex,
debauchery and hedonism will
increase and fatal venereal diseases
and AIDS will engulf the society.
Nusrat Ali called upon the civil
society to oppose tooth and nail the
move to legalise such perversions
and thus save the society from anni-
hilation.
JIH leader termed the attitude of
the UP government regarding Muzaffarnagar riot victims as very
unfortunate. He said, First, the government failed to stop the
riots, and then, up to now, many of the riot-accused are still at
large. After that some affected families were paid Rs. 5 lakh each
on furnishing written commitment that they would not return to
their homes. In this way they would be permanently deprived of
their homes, properties, mosques and institutions etc. The latest
atrocity is the administrations acts of forcefully evicting the vic-
tims from the temporary camps where they had taken refuge to
keep themselves alive in biting cold touching almost zero degree.
This is the most unkindest cut of all, he said.
He demanded the U. P. government to stop this atrocity forth-
with and take immediate steps to solve the problems of the vic-
tims and rehabilitate them. The Central government, National
Human Rights Commission and the Supreme Court also should
intervene, he added.
Lecture and
debate on RSS
and Muslims
New Delhi: In a new initiative, The Milli Gazette started MG
Debates with a lecture by veteran RSS thinker, Dr Sanjiv Kelkar
here on 28 December. The debate was attended by a select group
of Muslim activists, social activists, professors and journalists.
Dr Kelkar, a senior medical consultant and author of a number
of books and research papers to his credit, has been associated
with the RSS since his adulthood though he is known in the
organisation as a rebel. He registered his differences with the
RSS leadership in his book, Lost years of the RSS (Sage,
2011). The written version of Dr Kelkars lecture was published in
the previous issue of MG (p. 8).
Dr Kelkar said our mindset has changed. Life has no happi-
ness today. Now Ganesh Utsav is not an occasion of joy but a
symbol of power. Muslims too take out big processions to show
their power. Intolerance creeps in where there is no joy. Media
blows up a small matter into a big issue. We have lost our sense
of priorities. Our needs are thrust upon us. Dr Kelkar said, Togadia
sees nothing beyond Ram Mandir while Digvijaya Singh is
obsessed with the BJP. There used to be nobility (sharafat) in
every community but it is gone today. Now we have a trust deficit.
We fail to notice goodness in anyone. I believe it is possible to
overcome this trust deficit.
Dr Kelkar added that Samjwadi, Mamta etc are all sectarian.
Jaya Lalitha never talks of anything beyond Tamil Asmita. To
illustrate his point that a change is possible, Dr Kelkar went to the
Emergency days when RSS and Jamaat-e Islami people were
together in jails. After coming out of the jail, Balasaheb Deoras,
the RSS chief, said that the doors of the RSS are open for
Muslims. He kept visiting Muslim leaders and invited them to the
RSS office but he was defeated in the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi
Sabha. Jamaat Islami people said that the RSS is not what we
thought it to be.
Dr Kelkar said that the Mandal Commission posed a serious
threat to the Hindu community. V. P. Singh brought out the Mandal
jinn which was kept by Indira Gandhi in a tight jar. It seemed for a
while that the Hindu society would split. He said there are serious
issues like corruption but to save the country is more important.
And to save the country, the trust deficit will have to be eliminat-
ed. And everyone will have to rethink his pre-conceived ideas and
will have to come out of the comfort zone. Let there be a dialogue,
said Dr. Kelkar adding that Balasaheb Deoras had rejected the idea
of a Hindu state and had included all Indians in the scheme of his
state. Deoras had said that Muslims belong here and will live here
forever. When Babri was demolished, he said this is not good.
Dr Kelkar said 1973-1991 is the Deoras era in the RSS but
people do not talk about it and prefer to talk only about
Golwalkakrs ideas. The flow of information has stopped and peo-
ple are not ready to even read, he said, adding that Deoras had
advised his people not to get too much involved in the Ram
Mandir issue.
Commenting on the lecture, noted social scientist Dr Javed
Jamil said that trust deficit is related to the convictions of the RSS.
He said that RSS does not let go an opportunity to hurt Muslims
and always utters what pains Muslims. He said that the main task
should be to eradicate social vices as no one will survive with
hate.
Intezar Naeem of Jamaat-e Islami Hind also differed with
Dr Kelkar. He said, trust
deficit is not the main
issue. The issue relates to
facts. The RSS has for
years demanded abolition
of the Muslim Personal
Laws. Though Guruji had
advised in 1984 that
Hindus should not talk of
changing the Personal
Laws but the RSS and BJP
continue to rake it up every
now and then. A friend of
Guruji who was with him
in Pune jail, sent 144 let-
ters to Mr Deoras, the then
Sarsangchalak (head) of
the RSS, but he replied to
none. Sudarshanji wrote to
us asking the deletion of
certain verses from the Quran saying that only then a dialogue
may start. These are facts. Modi now expresses his anguish
over the 2002 riots but the 500 mosques destroyed during those
riots were not repaired until the Supreme Court ordered so. In
1970, the Jan Sangh pasted posters on Bombay walls warning
Muslims to leave India by a certain date otherwise they will be
thrown into the Arabian Sea.
Professor Salim Engineer, national Secretary of JIH, com-
mented that there is no real trust decifit between Hindus and
Muslims but the RSS and BJP are busy creating it. There is no
problem between ordinary people. The RSS does not frighten
Muslims. Instead, it frightens Hindus in the name of Muslims. Do
we want to push our county to the fate Hitler and Mussolini
brought upon their countries? Engineer said, if you really love this
country, you will have to love the people who live in this country.
Dr Kelkar disagreed. He said what you tell me, I failed to
notice in my 40 years in the RSS. He said the RSS does not con-
sider Hitler as a hero. Instead, we are told about Dunkirk as an
example of bravery. He remarked that it seems the Muslim socie-
ty has a strong persecution perception and that Muslims cannot
commit a mistake. Hatred gives as mush pleasure as love, he
observed. But, he added, that since we have started talking about
trust decifit, this dialogue should continue.
RSS fishing in
troubled waters
New Delhi: While the riot victims are still lan-
guishing in relief camps in inhuman conditions,
the RSS is hell-bent to keep the communal ten-
sion boiling in the western part of U.P.
Defending the two Jat youth whose deaths
are claimed to have set off the violence last
September, it is distributing a 24-page booklet
titled Muzaffarnagar Danga in the area in order
to further vitiate the atmosphere. It spews
venom against the minority community and
eulogizes rioters who killed, raped, uprooted and
destroyed properties of the Muslims. The pam-
phlet accuses the Samajwadi Party of appeasing
Muslims. As usual with such attempts to vitiate
the communal situation, the magazine does not
carry any name while the address of publisher
has been given as Vishwa Samvad Kendra,
105, Arya Nagar, Suraj Kund Road, Meerut. The
address belongs to a unit of the RSS in Meerut.
The pamphlet claims
that the murder of Sachin
and Gaurav triggered the
communal violence after
they killed a Muslim youth
for allegedly harassing
their sister which is not a
fact as local people
vouched. The reality is that
the riots were planned in a
meticulous manner as inci-
dents unfolded later on but
the pamphlet harps on this
very theme. How can a
brother tolerate misbehav-
iour towards his sister?
says an unsigned editorial
in the magazine, which also carries the photo-
graphs of the two youth.
Making wild allegations against the
Samajwadi party-led government, the RSS pam-
phlet says The SP government probably feels
that it will lose power if Muslims get annoyed.
Due to this reason, the Akhilesh Yadav govern-
ment announced Rs 5 lakh for each Muslim vic-
tim which is not correct as the compensation is
only for victim families from nine villages out of
some two hundred affected by the riots.
RSS pracharak Shivprakash told a national
daily that the booklet has been pub-
lished by RSS workers of Meerut as
they want to make society aware
about the facts of the riots.
No action has been taken against
the trouble-makers.
In another similar incident, former
BJP minister Sudhir Kumar Baliyan
and lawyer of some Hindu victims in
the riots cases, Jagbir Singh, were
distributing a 94-page magazine titled
Faisla Aapka: Bharat: Darool Harab
ya Darool Islam. Baliyan claimed that
he distributed around 4,000 copies in
the area to tell the truth behind the
September riots. It accuses SP chief
Mulayam Singh Yadav of using
Muslim youths involved in crimes to orchestrate
the riots, with the objective of winning the gener-
al elections. Jagbir Singh said the magazine was
released in Delhi on December 17. He also
claimed that BJP, RLD and Congress leaders
provided financial assistance for its publication.
Muslims to reconsider their political options: JIH
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
The Ahmedabad metropoli-
tan court on 26 December,
2013 exonerated Narendra
Modi and 59 others for their
complicity in the Gujarat
carnage. Fully accepting the
repor t of SIT (Special
Investigation Team), the
court endorsed the view of Modi and his govern-
ment about their role in the carnage. The Court
rejected a petition seeking the prosecution of
Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 com-
munal riots case.
There were varied reactions to this. Mrs Jafri
broke down but vowed to continue her legal bat-
tle. She has alleged that Mr. Modi colluded with
senior ministers, bureaucrats and the police to
facilitate the communal violence that tore
through the state. Narendra Modi stated that he
felt relief for facing the trial by fire and also wrote
a blog saying that he was shaken to the core by
the violence, he felt "Grief", "Sadness", "Misery",
"Pain", "Anguish" and "Agony". Responding to
the poor state of the justice delivery system in
Gujarat, social activist Mallika Sarabhai said on
28 December that it was "silly to have expected
anything else but a clean chit" for Mr. Modi from
a Gujarat court." According to her, everyone in
Gujarat was "terrified of Modi's vengeance".
Just to recapitulate, the massive Gujarat vio-
lence which took the communal violence to har-
rowing depths, the open collusion of state and
the perpetrators of violence stood nakedly for all
to see. This was also the violence where social
activists took up the case of justice in a deter-
mined way leading to shifting of crucial cases to
courts outside Gujarat as in the atmosphere of
intimidation prevailing in Gujarat, the process of
justice is difficult. The SIT (Special Investigation
Team) was formed under the Supervision of the
Supreme Court, but those in the SIT could not
rise to the level of objectivity required by law.
Interestingly, as SIT gave 'clean chit' to Modi, the
Amicus Curiae Raju Ramcnadran appointed by
Supreme Court stated that there is enough evi-
dence in the report to prosecute Modi under dif-
ferent clauses. Immediately after the judgment
was out, the BJP activists celebrated by bursting
crackers and Modi tweeted, 'Satyamev Jayate' -
- Truth wins. Interestingly, there seem to be dif-
ferent truths depending on which side of the
divide you are. While 'Modi's truth' seems to
have won for the time being, the truth of Zakia
Jafri and thousands of victims of Gujarat is
struggling to get heard.
The same events seem to be different for dif-
ferent people. In the aftermath of the verdict, the
BJP spokesmen have been aggressively defend-
ing the verdict. The press release by Teesta
Setalvad (Citizens for Justice and Peace), which
is helping Zakia Jafri, gave a detailed account of
the petition. The work done by the team of
lawyers for Mrs Jafri points out that the state had
deliberately ignored the signals which indicated
the build-up towards disaster. They produced
concrete evidence, fax messages, telephone call
records amongst others to show that the state
administration was in the know of the aggressive
behaviour of the returning karsevaks who were
raising provocative slogans. The rowdy nature of
the karsevaks was documented. The word of the
chief minister, who now claims as if that was a
period of pain for him, is contrary to his actions
during that time. He openly alleged the role of
international terrorism, Pakistan's ISI and local
Muslims in the burning of the train. He created a
provocative atmosphere by involving the VHP in
the episode. The post-mortem of the bodies was
conducted in the open in the presence of RSS-
VHP workers. Modi himself instigated the com-
munal forces by giving statements like "every
action has a reaction". This statement is being
denied now for political reasons. In the meeting
attended by top officials, he did ask the adminis-
tration to sit back as the reaction of Hindus will
take place. Haren Pandya, who testified to the
Concerned Citizen's Tribunal and told the facts to
the tribunal, was later murdered. Another official,
Sanjeev Bhatt, has also testified to the same.
The military was called in late and was not
deployed properly, many severely hit areas were
left out. During this time Modi went on to say
"they are being taught a lesson".
Sting operations have showed the role of
communal forces and the collusion of the state
machinery. Dr. Maya Kodnani, Modi's cabinet
colleague and Babu Bajrangi of VHP, are current-
ly serving life terms for their crimes. During the
process of relief also, the state shirked from its
responsibility by saying that the refugee camps
are "children-manufacturing centres". The
Godhra train burning was called "an act of terror-
ism" and the carnage was treated as mere vio-
lence. The violence victims are now living in
abysmal conditions in ghettoes like Juhapura.
With the help of propaganda, all these "truths" of
Gujarat are being pushed under the carpet. Any
criticism of the state policy is being projected as
an insult to the people of Gujarat. The majority
community has been made to feel insecure
through the propaganda unleashed by the com-
munal forces.
Many other culprits got clean chit at lower
courts but law did catch up with them in due
course as in the case of Maya Kodnani. Same
state saw the spate of fake encounters, the ones
like Ishrat Jahan's. Many top police officers of
the state are now cooling their heels behind the
bars for their role in the divisive agenda like
Vanzara and company. Sarabhai correctly
depicts the picture of justice in Gujarat. So it is a
battle between two sets of truths, the truth of
Modi on one side and that of Zakia Jafri on the
other. Modi benefitted from the whole tragedy as
first the tottering BJP hold became stronger in
Gujarat. Through a carefully orchestrated propa-
ganda about "development," he came to position
himself as the prime ministerial candidate of BJP.
Zakia Jafri and thousands of victims lost their
near and dear ones, lost their homes and
hearths and have to live in the dark tunnels of the
haunting memories of what happened to them
during the violence.
Yes truth will prevail. This is the beginning of
the battle for justice and the resolve of Mrs Jafri
and the social activists supporting her is not just
for her personal grief but also for the cause of
justice all over the state and the country. Surely,
truth will prevail. pluralindia.com)
Painful Path to Justice: Travails of Zakia Jafri
6 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Muzaffarnagar riots
Open Letter to
the U.P. CM
Chief Minister Shri Akhilesh Yadav,
5, Kalidas Marg,
Lucknow,
Uttar Pradesh
January 1, 2014
Subject: UP State Government's handling of sectarian violence
and humanitarian crisis in Muzaffarnagar
Dear Shri Akhilesh Yadav,
I am writing to you on behalf of the Indian American Muslim
Council, an organization of non-resident Indians which is dedicat-
ed to safeguarding India's pluralist and tolerant ethos.
The planned sectarian violence in Muzaffarnagar and sur-
rounding areas has resulted in one of the worst cases of oppres-
sion of minorities since the Gujarat pogrom of 2002 and the mass
killing and displacement of Muslims in Assam in 2012. The way
an entire community in Western UP has been traumatized,
through killings, sexual violence and intimidation, while most per-
petrators still roam free, is a shocking example of the barbarity
that hate ideologies can unleash. Unfortunately, it also reflects on
your administration's lack of commitment to upholding the rule of
law and to safeguarding the life and property of every citizen.
Adding insult to injury is the fact that your administration
acknowledges sectarian violence only in those villages that were
worst hit, treating refugees from other villages as less than gen-
uine victims, or worse, as opportunists. Party supremo and your
father, Mulayam Singh Yadav's statement that the inhabitants of
refugee camps are agents of the BJP and Congress is reflective of
the moral bankruptcy that has taken hold of the Samajwadi Party.
It is inconceivable why thousands of people would leave their
homes and ancestral lands and put up with the dismal living con-
ditions of the refugee camps if they were able to live comfortably
in their homes without any fear or affront to their dignity and way
of life.
The Supreme Court itself has taken cognizance of the deaths
of some children due to severe cold in the refugee camps.
Unfortunately, this heart-rending reality has not moved your
administration to improve living conditions in these camps. On the
contrary, the refugees have been forcibly evicted in order to close
down the camps and create an illusion of return to normalcy.
Media reports indicate your administration is having hundreds
of refugee families sign an affidavit that would make them eligible
for a compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs in lieu of an undertaking that
they would forfeit their right to return to their villages and homes.
This is deeply problematic on several counts:
Refugees are currently unable or unwilling to return to their vil-
lages, due to the trauma inflicted on them and the tactics of intim-
idation that the perpetrators of the violence are engaging in.
Turning this fear into an excuse for having refugees forfeit their
right to return amounts to endorsing and institutionalizing the eth-
nic cleansing of Muslims from Muzaffarnagar and surrounding
areas.
As Supreme Court Advocate Naushad Ahmad Khan has
pointed out that the basis of this affidavit is illegal and unconstitu-
tional. It is the state's responsibility to rehabilitate victims and pro-
vide compensation for loss of life and destruction of property.
Such compensation cannot be made conditional upon the victims
giving up their right to return and resettle in their ancestral homes.
While the state government has been at pains to point out that
the victims will continue to remain owners of their properties,
such ownership is virtually meaningless in the face of their inabil-
ity to return. Such a constraint also reduces the value of their
homes and properties, as many distress sales have shown. The
affidavit absolves the government of the responsibility to create
conditions that would facilitate the return of the refugees to their
villages. Since the banishment of the victims was one of the goals
of the perpetrators of violence, the state's action amounts to
endorsing their plan and giving it a legal seal of approval.
The affidavit requires the approval of the village pradhans who
are, in many cases, themselves accused of inciting and abetting
the violence.
In order to bring your administration in line with accepted
norms of civilized governance, we demand that you take the fol-
lowing steps immediately:
* Cancel the scheme of requiring victims to forfeit the right to
return in lieu of compensation.
* Accelerate the prosecution of individuals named in FIRs regard-
less of their status and ethnicity.
* Facilitate the filing of new FIRs by victims who have been unable
to do so out of fear of reprisal.
* Provide special care and compensation to victims of sexual vio-
lence, and arrest the perpetrators named by them immediately.
* Conduct a survey of damaged houses and property and provide
proportional compensation to the victims, without requiring them
to forfeit their right to return.
* In cases where the victims are so traumatized that return is
impossible, resettle the victims by establishing new villages on
state land, instead of putting the onus on victims to find their own
way.
* Take up the reconstruction and repair of places of worship that
were damaged during the violence on an urgent basis.
* Halt the forced eviction of victims from refugee camps, and
improve living conditions in the camps by providing sufficient
food, medical and sanitation facilities.
* Initiate efforts to normalize relations between the Jat and
Muslim communities so that the refugees can return home.
However, such normalization should not be predicated on with-
drawal of cases against the perpetrators of mass violence.
Your administration's acts of omission and commission have
exacerbated the suffering of the victims. In dealing with the vio-
lence and in the rehabilitation of victims, your administration has
shown a level of insensitivity that is shockingly close to that of the
perpetrators of the violence. Rest assured that we are also ques-
tioning the Muslim functionaries in UP whose silence in the com-
munity's hour of need has not gone unnoticed.
By taking the steps outlined above, you can bring a semblance
of order to the chaos and tragedy currently unfolding in
Western UP. It is only through such prompt action that you can
provide proof of the existence of a state government in UP, and
enable the world to see the difference between democracy and
mob rule.
Sincerely,
Ahsan Khan
President, Indian American Muslim Council
phone/fax: ++1-(800) 839-7270
6321 W Dempster St. Suite 295, Morton Grove, IL 60053, USA
email: info@iamc.com
Your administration's acts of
omission and commission have
exacerbated the suffering of the
victims. In dealing with the
violence and in the rehabilitation
of victims, your administration
has shown a level of insensitivity
that is shockingly close to that of
the perpetrators of the violence.
Rest assured that we are also
questioning the Muslim
functionaries in UP whose silence
in the community's hour of need
has not gone unnoticed.
The Godhra train burning was called an act of terrorism and the
carnage was treated as mere violence. The violence victims are now
living in abysmal conditions in ghettoes like Juhapura. With the help of
propaganda, all these truths of Gujarat are being pushed under the
carpet. Any criticism of the state policy is being projected as an insult
to the people of Gujarat.
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 7 www.milligazette.com
MUSTAFA KHAN
There is a long shadow slanting across a decade of fateful events
in Malegaon which has scared the memory of the minority. It is the
shadow of the Additional Superintendent of Police of Bihar origin.
Rajwardhan Sinha it was whom the natives would find difficult to
redeem themselves for years to come. He reigned supreme much
to the annoyance of the former MLA Nihal Ahmad who remarked
that he was a curse to democracy. But to his acolytes, Sinha is
like a tank, rolling over whatever came in his way. A veteran of
many skirmishes,(1) much like the Israeli tanks.
When Javed Ahmad Abdul Majid was brought to Sinha, he
reportedly told his father to go back and sleep. They had got in
their arms who they wanted. But the poor retired teacher knew his
son to be innocent and did not want to part from him as he
stepped into the lockup. Little did the sire know that his son would
take more than six years to ever cross out of that threshold. Even
so the old man insisted on sleeping on the cold bench meant for
the cops on duty rather than losing his son to the police.
His spine-chilling apprehension came true for his son was
innocent. But life for Javed in the jail and for the family outside
turned into a nightmare.
Javed was picked up in
the notorious arms haul case
of 9 May 2006. His elder
brother was also marked by
the destiny to follow suit when
Imam Zahid performing prayer
five hundred kilometers away
in Phoolsanghvi in Yawatmal,
was also picked up on cooked
up charges. But this time it
was the bomb blasts that
Hindutva terrorists had caused
in Malegaon on 8 September
2006. He also would languish
for more than five years in jail to get bail as nothing could be
proved against him. Both brothers were innocent.
They had reached their youth in late nineties of the past cen-
tury known for hunting down Islamic youth in the notorious witch
hunt for bearded and devoted Muslims who were prototype of the
ignominious clash of civilizations.
From this spurious hounding Javed returned home on parole
in the third week of November 2013. His brother had returned
home in the third week of November two years earlier.
In the interregnum, the MCOCA court took seven years to
examine seven witnesses out of more than 240 the police, espe-
cially the ATS, had listed. So the court would have to take years
to decide who is really involved in the arms haul case. Till then
Javed will have to remain on bail or back in the dark prison.
What the courts or the police have not bothered to take into
consideration is those who volunteered to help them reach the real
criminals. Among many, one such witness was a native of
Malegaon who says:
I, Shakeel Ahmad Mohammad Yusuf, business: joining beam
thread, age 38, address: Samad Habid Compound, Malegaon, am
giving this affidavit in writing.
I had gone to buy a new cycle
from the shop Santosh Cycle Mart,
at 3.30 pm on 14 May 2006. As per
the receipt number 635, I bought a
cycle in the name of my brother. At
that time the son of the owner of the
shop, Pius Agarwal, was at the
counter. After haggling, the price
was decided and the cycle was being
fitted. I sat inside the shop. There
was a phone call on the mobile of
Pius. He uttered some code words
and then spoke in Hindi. Whatever
material we had put in the well near
Ankai has been removed in the pres-
ence of Rajwardhan [Sinha] sahib. I
have talked face to face with him
regarding the list of names we had
supplied to him. All the names have
been properly set in the scheme
[framing the Muslims]. Everything is
perfect. We will sit there and prepare
the strategy for the future.
I had already read in papers about
the seizure of RDX and arms from there
so I asked him intimately what the con-
nection with the seizure of arms there is
with you. You were talking about the
seizure of arms just now. He was
stunned. He asked me if I was listening.
He was perturbed and told me that it was
a different personal matter.
Then he asked me if I would sit
there. His daddy would come and pre-
pare the bill for me. He then left the shop
soon.
Fifteen minutes later his father
came and prepared the bill. I took it and
the cycle and left the shop.
When the bombs blasts took place in
Malegaon [on 8 September 2006] I read in
the newspaper that the cycle on which the
bomb was fitted was purchased from the
same cycle shop. Then my suspicion grew that the son of
the cycle shop owner was involved in it.
I had informed the additional superintendent of
police Anil Kumbhare about this. I had gone to him along
with the MLA Shaikh Rashid Sahib. But I think there was
no action taken on the information I had furnished.
Therefore, I am giving in writing voluntarily this without
any greed or under any pressure so that it would help the
police to arrest the real criminals.
This affidavit was executed on 6 October, 2006.
Another accused was Bilal Ahmad who collected
40,000 rupees from his poor family to pay the courts and
the police to let him travel to Malegaon for just five hours
to see his 85-year-old ailing mother. He says that he is
innocent and there was no proof against him and he,
along with the rest of the accused, would one day be free
at last, because they were all framed. He met his mother
on 4 November, 2013. At the end he returned to jail
before the tears in the eyes could even dry.
1.Adrian levy & Cathy Scott-Clark, The Siege: the a ttack on the
Taj, Penguin India, 2013, p..65,
The footmarks of the dragon that
entrapped the innocent in its dungeon
New Delhi: In what is likely to be a major shake-up for Indias lan-
guishing criminal justice system, the Supreme Court on 7 January
hit out at police departments and investigating agencies, directing
all state governments to examine every acquittal in criminal cases
across the country.
In what is likely to be a major shake-up for Indias languishing
criminal justice system, the Supreme Court order hit out at police
departments and investigating agencies, directing all state govern-
ments to examine every acquittal in criminal cases across the
country.
The court ruled that acquittal of an accused showed lapses on
part of the police and prosecution and, therefore, officers respon-
sible for it must face departmental action. The court reasoned that
this would infuse seriousness in investigations and ensure pur-
poseful and decisive probes in future.
A bench comprising Justices C K Prasad and J S Khehar gave
all state governments six months to put in place a system to exam-
ine all orders of acquittal and record reasons for failing to prose-
cute cases successfully. In the courts view, this measure was
required to ensure that no guilty escaped punishment and, at the
same time, innocent people were not implicated in false cases.
Every acquittal should be understood as a failure of the jus-
tice delivery system, in serving the cause of justice. Likewise,
every acquittal should ordinarily lead to the inference that an inno-
cent person was wrongfully prosecuted. It is therefore, essential
that every state should put in place a procedural mechanism which
would ensure that the cause of justice is served, which would
simultaneously ensure the safeguard of interest of those who are
innocent, the bench said.
The court passed the order in a case which involved the
acquittal of a 19-year-old man for raping and murdering a six-year-
old girl in Ahmedabad in 2003, due to lack of evidence. The 46-
page judgment said there were more than 10 lapses by the police
and investigators. The court said it was crestfallen, heartbroken
and sorrowful since it could not serve justice to an innocent child.
The perpetrators of a horrendous crime, involving extremely
ruthless and savage treatment to the victim, have remained unpun-
ished. A heartless and merciless criminal, who has committed an
extremely heinous crime, has gone scot-free, wrote justice
Khehar for the bench.
The ruling, however, emphasised that it is the duty of a court to
serve the cause of justice for victims, and to ensure that an innocent
person is not subjected to the rigours of criminal prosecution.
A standing committee of senior officers of the police and
prosecution departments should be vested with the responsibility.
All such erring officers identified as responsible for failure of a
prosecution case, on account of sheer negligence or because of
culpable lapses, must suffer departmental action, the bench
ordered.
The judgment asked state governments to incorporate content
drawn from the analysis of such cases of acquittal in their training
programmes for junior officers so that investigators dont feign
innocence or lack of knowledge if lapses are committed.
The court also wanted governments to prepare a concrete
procedure to ensure that only persons against whom there was
sufficient evidence went through the criminal prosecution. It
ordered the prosecuting agency to remove all shortcomings before
initiating prosecution and undertake further probe if necessary.
It should also be ensured that the evidence gathered during
investigation is truly and faithfully utilised, by confirming that all
relevant witnesses and materials for proving the charges are
conscientiously presented during the trial of a case, the court
said.
There is a long shadow slanting across a decade of
fateful events in Malegaon which has scared the
memory of the minority. It is the shadow of the
Additional Superintendent of Police of Bihar origin.
Rajwardhan Sinha it was whom the natives would
find difficult to redeem themselves for years to
come. He reigned supreme much to the annoyance
of the former MLA Nihal Ahmad who remarked that
he was a curse to democracy. But to his acolytes,
Sinha is like a tank, rolling over whatever came in
his way. A veteran of many skirmishes,(1) much
like the Israeli tanks.
SC orders states to probe acquittals
Rajwardhan Sinha
Javed
Bilal with his mother
Bilal with his neighbours
Reservation to Jats kills
Mandal: Ilyas Azmi
New Delhi: Ilyas Azmi, former MP, said com-
menting on the decision of the Congress Party
to include Jats in the OBC list, that this puts
paid to the Mandal object. He said now only
two castes will hold sway over the OBC
reservation and others, who were subjugated
for thousands of years, will remain deprived.
He said the Congress Party should now, before its death, include
the Brahmins also in the SC/ST list so that social justice is final-
ly laid to rest and others who succeed the Congress spend all
their energies for years to wrench the country out of its social
chaos.
Ilyas Azmi said that Congress, by awarding the Jats for destroy-
ing the area from Loni to Thana Bhavan, has proved that it is an
enemy of humanity. This decision of the Congress government
will push oppressed classes back to the pre-1990 situation.
He said the Congress, in order to escape from its own promise
to promulgate the anti-communal violence bill, closed the
Parliament session two days earlier. Then Rahul Gandhi went to
Muzafarnagar to sprinkle salt over the victims wounds
Pragya gets clean chit in Joshi murder
New Delhi: The NIA has given Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur a
clean chit in Sunil Joshis murder. Her name now does not figure
among the four accused listed in the chargesheet seeking clear-
ance from the home ministry. The NIA has exonerated all the five
persons arrested two years ago. The NIA has sought permission
to file a chargesheet against Lokesh Sharma, Rajendra
Pahalwan, Dilip Jagtop and Jeetendra Sharma. After sanction of
the Union home department, a new chargesheet will be filed in
the special court of the NIA at Bhopal.
1. Willfully ignoring messages from State
Intelligence about the violent repercussions of the
RSS-VHP-called Mahayagna before the tragic
Godhra incident on 27 Feb., 2002 and deliberate-
ly not initiating precautionary measures that are
imperative under Standard Operational
Procedure; messages from 7 Feb., 2002 to 25
Feb., 2002, including specific ones that stated
that batches of 2,800 and 1,900 karsevaks had
left for Faizabad-Ayodhya and had been behaving
provocatively and aggressively against minorities
on the way. As cabinet minister for home and
chief minister, he is directly responsible. MOS
Home Gordhan Zadaphiya is a constant co-con-
spirator. Co-accused, ACS Home Ashok Narayan
has admitted these messages were received by
the GOG Home department. (Evidence of this:
Official Documents including over one dozen
messages of the State Intelligence Bureau to the
political head of the home department, Narendra
Modi, other senior bureaucrats named as co-
conspirators in the Zakia Jafri Complaint includ-
ing accused former Director General of Police, K
Chakravarthi; Tehelkas Operation Kalank that
was authenticated by the CBI following an order
of the NHRC dated 5 March, 2008 also contained
direct evidence of collection of arms, ammunition
including dynamite by several VHP and RSS men
before 27 Feb., 2002. All these messages are
part of the SIT Investigation Papers at Annexure
III, File XXXIV D-176)
2. Deliberately concealing knowledge of the
provocative, anti-Muslim sloganeering by karse-
vaks at the Godhra station when the Sabarmati
Express reached five hours late on 27 Feb., 2002,
which information had been sent to him directly
by DM/Collector Jayanti Ravi and willfully failing
to take stern action and allowing violent incidents
to escalate after the train left Godhra by about
1.15 p.m., especially at Vadodara station where a
Muslim was attacked and killed and at Anand
where the train stopped thereafter ensuring that
the state allowed a hate-filled and threatening
atmosphere against Muslims build right up to
Ahmedabad where the train finally reached
around 4 p.m. and where bloodthirsty slogans
were being shouted. FIRs in 19 brutal incidents
against Muslims are recorded on 27 Feb., 2002
in Ahmedabad itself. Curfew was not imposed
despite these incidents resulting in deaths break-
ing out. (Evidence of this: Fax message sent by
DM Jayanti Ravi and message of the SIB are
available @ Annexure III, File XLI at Serial Nos. 1
and Annexure IV, File IX, Serial Nos 241 in the SIT
record).
3. Conspiring with the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad to plot and allow reprisal killings all over
Gujarat. The first phone call that Modi makes,
after DM Ravis fax reaches him, is not to appeal
for peace and calm, but phones secretary of VHP
Gujarat, Dr Jaideep Patel, and directs him to
Godhra. The Conspiracy between Modi and the
VHP is hatched and unfurled to cynically ensure
state-wide reprisal killings. Phone call records
show these phone calls between PA to Modi AP
Patel and Jaideep Patel immediately after the
chief minister receives news of the Godhra
tragedy. Phone call records made available by
Rahul Sharma (IPS, Gujarat) also show that pow-
erful accused were in touch with the chief minis-
ters office (CMO) and the landline numbers of
the chief minister. (Evidence of this: pp. 5-6,
Annexure Volume IV to Protest Petition contains
AP Patels Phone Records and at Annexure IV,
File V and VI in SIT Papers. Conspicuously, the
SIT records statements of all officials of the chief
ministers office (CMO) following CJPs submis-
sion of the phone records to the Supreme Court
but does not record AP Patels.).
4. Brazenly supporting the Bandh called by
the VHP and allowing the streets and public
spaces of Gujarat to be used for mass attacks
and violence. By 12 noon on 27 Feb., 2002, state
intelligence and the police were aware of the
bandh call, yet deliberately no preventive steps
were taken. The bandh was used by the police
machinery to clear the streets of ordinary citizens
so that aggressive mobs could target minority
populations and their establishments. The first
message directing preventive measures that
comes from the GOG home department against
Modi is past 10 p.m. on 28 Feb., 2002 when over
200 persons had already been massacred in
broad daylight in Ahmedabad alone. Only two
preventive arrests in Ahmedabad on 27 Feb.,
2002 and those two persons belonged to the
Minority Community despite the fact that over
two dozen attacks had taken place on Muslims all
over the state on 27 Feb., 2002 itself. Only two
Preventive Arrests in Ahmedabad on 27 Feb.,
2002 reveal that of the two of persons arrested
on 27 Feb., 2002 from Astodia, both belonged to
the Minority Community. The National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC) commented on the
states dubious response vis--vis preventive
measures in general and preventive arrests in
particular.
(Evidence of this: Message from the State
Intelligence warming of the serious implications
of the VHP bandh is available @ (Annexure IV,
File XX, Serial Nos 374, page 8289 I the SIT
Papers/ Record, and the message from the GOG
home department sent out at 10.15 p. m. on
28.2.2002 is available @ Annexure III, File XLI,
Sr Nos 15 SIT Papers/Records; Statistics of
Preventive Statistics of Preventive Arrests are
available @ Annexure III, File I, D-2, pages, 254-
255, SIT Record/Papers).
5. Cynically, and illegally allowed post
mortems out in the open at the Railway Yard,
Godhra where the burnt and mutilated corpses
were laid in full view of an aggressive and irate
crowd of RSS and VHP men and women, who
were gathered there in violation of Curfew Orders
@ Godhra; deliberately allowing photographs of
the burnt corpses to be taken and widely circulat-
ed by the RSS-VHP and media in general, despite
it being prevented under law; Modi dispatching
accused nos. 2-Ashok Bhatt to oversee the ille-
gally-conducted post-mortems; Modi was him-
self present when these post-mortems were con-
ducted out in the open @ the railway yard in front
of a mob of RSS and VHP men.
(Evidence of this: Phone call records
between Modi and Bhatt, former health minister
(since deceased) are evidence of how the latter
was dispatched to Godhra; the Godhra Sessions
Court judgement 69/2009/ 86/2006. 204/2009
@ page 105; This was handed over to the Court
on 29 August 2012, comments on the illegality of
the post mortems and also has a vivid photo-
graph showing the bodies lying in the open in the
Railway Yard at Godhra; Section 223, 4(vi), vol-
ume III Gujarat Police Manual lays down specific
legalities to be followed for post mortems that
specifically direct no photographs of gory bodies
being allowed.).
6. Personally instigating individual RSS-VHP
men and women at the railway yard at Godhra
assuring them that enough time will be allowed
by the Modi-led government and administration
to extract a revenge for Godhra.
(Evidence of this: Excerpts of the authenticat-
ed Tehelka Transcripts of Ramesh Dave, Rajendra
Vyas of the VHP, Haresh Bhatt of the BJP and
Bajrang Dal. Anil Patel of the VHP, Dhimant Bhatt
of the RSS, Dhawal Patel and Arvind Pandya,
from the Tehelka transcripts available @
Annexure III, File XIII, D-129 in SIT Records and
statements available at Annexure I Volume I and
II of the SIT record).
7. Directing that the unidentified bodies of
Godhra train victims should be handed over to
Jaideep Patel, a non-governmental person, that
too belonging to the supremacist and communal
VHP to be brought to Ahmedabad where aggres-
sive funeral processions in full public view were
allowed. Modi directed this at a meeting at the
Collectorate in the evening of 27 Feb., 2002
before he returned to Gandhinagar. Jaideep Patel
was allowed to be present at an official meeting
at the Collectorate. Jaideep Patel is a co-conspir-
ator and also facing trial for mass crimes in the
ongoing Naroda Gaam case. Modi is specifically
guilty of allowing the escalation of violence from
Godhra to other parts of Gujarat and taking deci-
sions contrary to law.
(Evidence of this: DM Jayanti Ravis state-
ment to the SIT dated 15 Sept., 2009 @
Annexure I, volume I, Sr nos. 19 in the SIT
record, clearly states Jaideep Patel was present
at the meeting at the Collectorate though Modi
and Jaideep Patel, both denied it).
8. Specifically instructing his top policemen
and administrators not to act evenhandedly in the
days to follow and allow Hindus to vent their
anger. Two senior bureaucrats present at the
meeting have stated that cabinet ministers were
present at a meeting that went on well past mid-
night. Haren Pandya, a minister in Modis cabinet
in 2002 had given evidence of this to the
Concerned Citizens Tribunal headed by Justice
Krishna Iyer and PB Sawant in 2002 itself. Later
in 2009 a serving officer from the state intelli-
gence, Sanjiv Bhatt, also gave the same evidence
before the SIT and the Supreme Court. (Evidence
of this: (i) Statement of Haren Pandya to the CCT
dated 13.5.2002 @ Internal page 82, volume II
of the Concerned Citizens Tribunal Report in the
section on State Complicity @ Annexure III, File,
I, D-2, D-3, D-4 of the SIT Record/Papers; (ii) On
27 October, 2005, in the Four th Affidavit,
R. B. Sreekumar before the Nanavati
Commission dated 27 October, 2005 stated that
K. Chakravarthi, DGP Gujarat (A-25) had given
information of the same words being uttered by
A-1 Modi at the meeting on 27 February, 2002;
(iii) On 11 July, 2009, statement of Shri
R. B. Sreekumar, formerly Addl. DG (Int.), Gujarat
to the SIT (Annex I, vol. I, Sr. No. 5, SIT
Papers/Record) where he confirmed this; (iv) On
12 August, 2009, Statement of Shri Vitthalbhai
Pandya, father of late Haren Pandya, r/o, Paldi,
Ahmedabad (Annex I, vol. I, Sr. No. 12, SIT
Papers/Record) where he stated that his son
Haren Pandya had told him about attending the
meeting at the residence of A-1 on 27 February,
2002 in the late evening as also of the provoca-
tive instructions given by A-1; (v) On 28 August,
2009, Justices P. B. Sawant and Justice Hosbet
Suresh gave two separate statements. Both emi-
nent Judges, retired Supreme Court and High
Court respectively, also stated that three serving
IPS officers, Sami Ullah Ansari, Himanshu Bhatt
and Vinod Mall also deposed before them in per-
son requesting anonymity but confirming that
such illegal instructions were issued. (Annexure
I, volume I, Sr. Nos. 16 & 17 of the SIT
Record/Papers); (vi) On 30 October, 2004,
Mr. Rahul Sharma stated in his deposition on
oath before the Nanavati Commission that when
he spoke to his superior officer DGP, Gujarat, A-
25 Chakravarthi on 1 March, 2002 at about
10:22 pm to request to make more force avail-
able for him at Bhavnagar, the DGP
Mr. K Chakravarti also told him that the bureau-
cracy had been completely neutralised. Amicus
Curiae Raju Ramachandran has clearly stated in
his Interim and Final reports before the Supreme
Court (20 January, 2011 & 25 July, 2011) that
evidence regarding the unlawful and incendiary
words spoken at the meeting of 27 February,
2002 should be tested in a trial.)
9. Preventing the imposition of Curfew.
Curfew was deliberately not imposed at
Ahmedabad while over 3,000 RSS workers were
allowed to gather at the Sola Civil Hospital where
Jaideep Patel arrived with the bodies of the
Godhra victims at about 4 am. The crowd was
aggressive and violent as proved from the police
control room records. No steps were taken to
disperse the crowd that attacked the hospital
staff and doctors, a High Court judge; violent
funeral processions were allowed to wind
through the streets of Ahmedabad for several
hours at two locations; worst Acharya Giriraj
Kishore was given police escort to come and fur-
ther provoke the aggressive mob; the cremations
took place only in the evening and attacks on
Naroda Patiya, Naroda Gaam and Gulberg
Society where over 200 persons were massa-
cred (and rapes allowed) in broad daylight on the
same day, 28 February, 2002, while violent and
aggressive funeral processions were willfully
allowed by Modi, the police and administration.
(Evidence of this: Messages from the Police
Control Room records that were first denied to
SIT but thereafter produced in a CD by former
Commissioner of Police, PC Pande, after the
Supreme Court ordered further investigation on
15 March, 2011 show a slew of such messages:
pages 5794, 5796-97 & 5826, Annexure IV, File
XIV of the SIT record.)
10. Making a pretence of verbally calling in
the Army on the late evening of 28 February,
2002 but not actually allowing its deployment in
Ahmedabad, Godhra and Bhavnagar and
Varodara until 2 March, 2002 and 3 March,
2002. Worse, badly affected districts like
Mehsana, Panchmahals, Dahod, Anand and
Kheda were not given an Army or paramilitary at
all. (Evidence of this: Documents related to the
Correspondence of the GOG Home department
available in the SIT Papers).
11. Fourteen out of Gujarats 25 districts
were allowed to burn as ministers were specifi-
cally deployed by Modi to interfere with Police
functioning and sit in the State Control Room and
Ahmedabad City Control Room; in eleven dis-
tricts where violence was controlled, the Police
officers in charge were given punitive transfers to
send a political message. Modi heads the Home
department that bends the Police bureaucracy
and Police to his will.
12. Modi allowed violence to continue
unabated until early May 2002 when KPS Gill
was sent by PM Vajpayee to the state; the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),
April and July 2002 and Central Election
Commission (CEC) were misled about the
spread and intensity of violence. This was willful
subversion of the justice system. The subver-
sion of the Home Department under A-1 in
which co-accused, Gordhan Zadaphiya, MOS
Home, A-5, Ashok Narayan, ACS Home, A-28,
and K Nityanandam, Secretary, Home, A-34,
played an active part including deliberately mis-
informing the Ministry of Home Affairs of the
Government of India about the extent and spread
of violence. Correspondence exists to reveal
how senior VHP and RSS men were being kept
out of the FIRs and chargesheets related to seri-
ous massacres being filed by the Ahmedabad
Crime Branch; how violence was recurrent and
was being allowed with even ministers like
Bharat Barot directly involved. (Evidence of this:
the NHRC and CEC reports as also the corre-
spondence between the NHRC and chief secre-
tary Subha Rao, also an accused (accused no.
27) are clear testimony of this subversion; ACS
Home Ashok Narayans letters to DGP available
in SIT record show the subversion in keeping
names out of FIRs etc).
13. Partisan prosecutors belonging to the
RSS-VHP were appointed to ensure that cases
were killed in their infancy; bail was easily grant-
ed to powerful accused until the Supreme Court
stepped in, in 2003 and 2004. Subsequently, two
trials, the Best Bakery trial and the Bilkees Bano
cases were transferred out of the state by
Supreme Cour t order. (Evidence of this:
Judgements of the Supreme Court on 12 April,
2004 and 1 May, 2009).
14. Hate Speech was indulged in by Modi
himself, on 27 February, 2002 and right until the
infamous Becharaji speech made to set off his
election campaign on 9 September, 2002 and
also cynically permitted by the Home
Department under him to spread poison and
incite violence against Muslims and Christians.
The State Intelligence under ADGP-Int RB
Sreekumar had specifically recommended pros-
ecution of the VHP for a series of incendiary
pamphlets but this was ignored. SP Bhavnagar,
Rahul Sharma too had recommended the prose-
cution of Sandesh, the Gujarati mainstream
newspaper for publishing false and provocative
photographs and reports. Both the NHRC and
Editors Guild had also strongly recommended
prosecution of those guilty of hate speech. Modi
had, instead, sent congratulatory letters to those
newspapers who had spread lies and venom. RB
Sreekumar, Rahul Sharma and Sanjiv Bhatt are
among the officers persecuted by the Gujarat
government under Modi (home minister).
(Evidence of this: Modis speech and its tran-
script is clearly communal; Gujarats Intelligence
depar tment responding to the National
Commission for Minorities on 9 September,
2002 clearly assessed the deleterious impact of
the speech; official letters of then ADGP
Sreekumar dated 16 April, 2002, then SP
Bhavnagar, Rahul Sharma and then CP Vadodara
all strongly recommending prosecution of VHPs
hate pamphlets and the Sandesh newspaper --
all part of the SIT record -- were ignored by the
political head of the GOG Home department,
Modi. Ashok Narayans statement to SIT dated
13 December, 2009, available in the SIT Record
@ Annexure I, volume I, states that Modi was
extremely dismissive of these repeated requests
for prosecution).
15. Modi is guilty of ordering the destruction
of crucial documents including wireless inter-
cepted messages, vehicle logs, Police Control
Room records and others on 30 March, 2008,
four days after the Supreme Court appoints the
Special Investigation Team (SIT) on 26 March,
2008. He has headed the Home ministry portfo-
lio since that date. (Evidence of this: Pages 70-77
of the compilation that consists of documents
from the SIT record; Annexure IV, File I Sr Nos
23).
Major Charges Against Modi in Gujarat Riots case
8 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Below are extracts of Major Charges Against Accused Number 1
from Part-B of Written Arguments submitted to the Court in August
2013. Narendra Modi faces 15 serious charges of:
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 9 www.milligazette.com
UP Govt Forces Demographic Change
in Muzaffarnagar
Political Complicity, Police Inaction Helped
Communal Forces In Muzaffarnagar which
Are Still Preventing Riot Victims From
Returning, Finds Team of Academics
New Delhi: An independent team of academics and a journalist
has slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for forcing the
Muzaffarnagar riots victims and survivors to sign affidavits giving
up their rights over homes and properties left behind in return for
relief.
The State thus sought to impose a demographic change in
the riot-affected villages through a legal instrument. The monetary
relief being disbursed was not to rebuild the damaged property or
lost means of livelihood. This has served to reinforce the terror of
communal violence in the minds of affected families besides driv-
ing a schism in the composite culture of the area which mars the
possibilities of gradual healing. Muslims are now being ghettoised
in towns and localities dominated by them, said the team in its
findings released here on 4 January.
The team included Dr Mohan Rao (Centre for Social Medicine
and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University), Ish Misra
(Department of Political Science, Hindu College, Delhi University),
Dr Vikas Bajpai (Centre for Social Medicine and Community
Health, JNU), and Pragya Singh of Outlook India newsmagazine.
The team visited Muzaffarnagar on the 9th and the 10th of
November and again on the 27th November. The team also drew
upon the assistance of Dr. Subhash Tyagi, Professor of
Geography, Machra College, Meerut, and Praveen Raj Tyagi,
Principal of Greenland Public School, Duhai, Ghaziabad in the col-
lection of data and the conduct of the visit.
The fact that India is constitutionally mandated as a
Secular State makes it obligatory on the agencies of the State to
uphold secular values. However, the communal incidents in
Muzaffarnagar, its aftermath and the continuing tragedy of the riot-
affected persons have been the undoing of the Indian State in this
regard. Regrettably, this has been the outcome of deliberate and
calculated decisions at different levels as is evident from the find-
ings, said the panel.
Forced Demographic Change
In its findings, the panel noted that the Uttar Pradesh government
made the riot victims sign affidavits for availing monetary com-
pensation:
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has made the riot-affect-
ed Muslim families in relief camps to sign an affidavit (copy
attached as annexure) that enforced following conditions on the
signatories in order to avail of financial relief:
That myself and members of my family have come leaving
our village and home being terrorized due to violent incidents in
village and we will not now return to our original village
and home under any circumstances.
That the lump sum financial help being given for my family
by the government will only be used by me to rehabilitate my fam-
ily. By this money I will live with my family voluntarily arranging for
residence at appropriate place elsewhere.
That in the condition of receiving lump sum financial help
amount, myself or members of my family will not demand com-
pensation relating to any damage to any immovable property in
my village or elsewhere.
These aspects were pointed out by the team members to the
district administration. The officials, however, denied that the gov-
ernment was preventing people from going back to the villages
and told of an order stating that those who wanted to return to
their villages were free to do so. But a copy of the said order could
not be provided by the administration.
Nepotism, Complicity and Police Inaction
The shallow credibility of the law and order machinery in
Muzaffarnagar is best reflected in the statement of senior police
officials that both the Jats and the Muslims are complaining
against us, so the police must have done something good, point-
ed out the panel members.
Police itself is at pains to enumerate proactive and positive
actions taken by them against the wrong-doers. Establishing cred-
ibility in the eyes of minorities becomes all the more difficult when
in a region with around 27 percent Muslim population, as per a
senior police official of the district, the representation of Muslims
in police force is less than three percent. The officer, however,
maintained that this did not matter, because a policeman is a
policeman and religion was not a factor in discharge of his
duties.
The residents at the camps, however, said that they did not
want to go back to their villages as their tormentors were still
roaming free and that the government had done little that would
have them repose their faith in the law and order machinery.
The frequent transfers of the senior police officials in the dis-
trict have not helped matters either. In 2013 the SSP of the district
has been changed five times.
In Kutba village, from where the single largest number of
Muslim killings has been reported, a picket of PAC (provincial
armed police) was posted at the
time of riots. These policemen
were having tea in the Pradhans
house when mobs started rampag-
ing Muslim households. The three
Muslim men who rushed to seek
their help were said to have been
locked up by these policemen in
the Pradhans house.
The second incident of killings
that took place with the police in
vicinity was at the Mohammedpur
Raisingh village on October 30.
Three Muslim youth from the
neighboring Hussainpur village
were abducted from the fields and
killed by the Jats even as a picket
of the state police was posted in
the village.
The Hussainpur villagers on
learning of the abduction of the
youth repeatedly rang up the SHO of Bhaura Kalan police station,
but their calls went unanswered. It was told that the SHO had
switched off his phone.
Pradhan of Hussainpur village later said that despite their best
efforts many of those accused by name in the killings have still
not been arrested and are roaming free in Mohammedpur
Raisingh. He further alleged that the police has declared rates
(of bribe) to weaken the cases against the accused or even let
them go scot free.
The panel noted: It appears from the sequence and the cir-
cumstances of the incidents of violence in Muzaffarnagar that had
the police and the district administration acted with alacrity and a
fair sense of judgment in the immediate aftermath of the incidence
of the alleged eve teasing and related murders in Kawal village,
the subsequent turn of events could have been entirely avoided.
On being quizzed why no state agency has a visible presence
at the relief camps, the district administration told us that this was
in accordance with the policy of the state government. The Shiv
Pal Singh Yadav committee set up by the state government post-
riots had recommended that all relief be provided through commu-
nity organisations.
When a leader of the Jamiat Ulama-e Hind, which has been
managing some relief camps, was asked as to why they were not
opposing the affidavits that displaced Muslim families were being
made to sign, he said: there is nothing to worry about this and
that all of them will finally be allowed to return to their villages.
The Jamiat further claimed credit for getting handsome relief
package for the displaced families.
Local administration was categorical in stating that there are
no refugees in any relief camp and government aid has stopped.
Further insult to injury has been added by the statement of the UP
home secretary that people do not die of cold. These only under-
mine the secular credentials of the state, said the team.
Communal Campaign
The team noted that the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar
ought to be seen in the context of such violence in different parts
of the country in 2013 beginning from Kishtwar (Jammu &
Kashmir), Masoori and Meerut in UP, Indore and Harda in Madhya
Pradesh, Bettiah and Nawada in Bihar and Rangpur in Cachar dis-
trict of Assam.
UP has witnessed a sustained campaign at communalisation -
may it be the Ayodhya Chaurasi kos Parikrama by the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad or innovations like Love Jihad, ever since Amit Shah took
over the reins of BJP in the state. This is pathognomonic of the com-
munal forces represented by the Sangh Parivar. The approaching Lok
Sabha elections in 2014 provide the leitmotif of this campaign.
However, equally abominable is the complicity of supposedly
secular forces in facilitating this communal campaign. The track
record of the Akhilesh Yadav government in dealing with communal
forces, its attitude towards common Muslims and history of hob-nob-
bing with Muslim communal forces is a case in point.
The team observed that the atmosphere in Muzaffarnagar has
been vitiated over several months through sustained communal
mobilisation. Muslims have been the worst sufferers of commu-
nal orgy that swept Muzaffarnagar.
Senior Superintendent of Police informed that a total of 52
people died in Muzaffarnagar, of which 37 were Muslims and 15
were Hindus (in all likelihood these were all Jats). Unofficial
sources put the number of displaced Muslims at 100,000 while by
the time of our visit government acknowledged that 50,955 dis-
placed persons had been accommodated in 11 relief camps. A
total of 540 FIRs have been registered in riot-related incidents,
against approximately 6,000 people.
There is an important distinction in the manner of Muslims
and Jat deaths. Almost all the Jats who were killed were those
who had participated in the Mahapanchayat at Nangla Mandaur
village on September 7. There were accounts of the Jats, in trac-
tor trollies from different villages that went to take part in the
Mahapanchayat, raising provocative slogans as they passed by
Muslim habitations. Provocations like dogs being dressed in burqa
and beaten with slippers were on display along with slogans like
Musalmano ke do sthan - Pakistan ya kabristan (Only two
places for Muslims-Pakistan or graveyard). Even the Jats we
talked to admitted that these youth have been taken in by the
charisma of Modi and they raised slogans in his support on way
to the mahapanchayat. Jats who died were killed in reaction to this
deliberate provocation.
Most of these deaths took place on the evening of September
7 in attacks on Jat trollies as they returned from the
Mahapanchayat or were of those Jats who got injured in these
attacks and died later. The only incident of a planned attack on
Jats took place at Pur Baliyan on September 7 in which some
Mulle Jats wanted to attack the trolley of Jats from Sohram village
out of rivalry borne by a previous incident. However, in the melee
of the violence, the Jats in the trolley of Kakda village got killed.
But none of the Jats from Pur Baliyan village itself were attacked
by Muslims.
The attacks and deaths of Muslims have taken place as part
of a sustained campaign in different villages. The victims were all
innocent lower class Muslims who had no role in attacks on Jats.
The handiwork of the larger communal design and organisation
was evident in the well-rehearsed and similar arguments which
the Jats from different villages forwarded to rationalise the killings
and the displacement of the Muslims. A Jat teacher in Kakda vil-
lage described the communal violence in the region as Yeh hai
Amit Shah ka jadoo (This is the magic of Amit Shah!). The Kutba
village had been witness to a panchayat that was attended by the
BJP president Mr Rajnath Singh about six months back. This
points to the forces that have been at work in the area.
The Jats in villages like Kakda and Mohammedpur Raisingh
put forth ludicrous arguments like the Muslims were willing to
come back to their villages, but decided to stick to the relief
camps ever since the government announced the 5 lakh relief
package and that they themselves destroyed their property to
claim inflated relief. Common communal myths propagated by
the Hindutva forces against Muslims - they have large families
and do not believe in family planning; they are anti-national and
that they will create a Kashmir-like situation here as well
were liberally put forth.
The Way Forward
In conclusion, the team said: Despite the constitutional and for-
mal averments of the secular character of the Indian state, the
reality remains that the state machinery has acted in a highly com-
munal manner which undermines Indias secular credentials. Even
as the communal poison being spread by the Hindutva forces
needs to be countered with full force, the role played by the
Samajwadi Party government in UP in connivance with the
Muslim communal forces and the latest act of forcibly evicting the
riot-displaced families from relief camps brings into question the
advisability of forming alliances with such parties to counter com-
munalism.
The stark reality is that despite the fact that Muslims consti-
tute a much larger share of UPs population as compared to
Yadavs, the propensity of the Yadavisation of the administrative
structure is much stronger while Muslims can at best expect their
lives to be spared in the name of secularism. Indias secularism
ostensibly sways between Hindu Rule of the secular parties of
the ruling classes and the Hindu Rashtra of the saffron brigade.
The team warned that fighting communalism is not merely
an electoral issue. The communal forces can be defeated only by
ground struggles built by an alliance of the minorities, the working
masses, the Dalits, the tribals, other oppressed castes and pro-
gressive sections of the intelligentsia.
The following demands acquire topmost priority in our opin-
ion under the prevailing circumstances:
1. All the accused named in the FIRs be arrested.
2. Decommunalise the state apparatus.
3. Restore all villagers back to their homes.
4. Scrap the affidavits which were taken against five lakh compen-
sation amount. (caravandaily.com)
A school in a relief camp
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
Welcoming the Court Martial of six army men including two offi-
cers for killing three youth in a fake encounter in Machil in the bor-
der district of Kupwara, the victim's families demand exemplary
punishment for the guilty.
The victim's families demand that the culprits be hanged,
December 25, and pledged that they would leave no stone
unturned till the culprits are punished. They said that the state gov-
ernment had promised them Rs 5 lakhs and a job, but till date
nothing has been provided to them.
The Army, December 24, ordered a court martial against six
of its men including a Colonel and a Major for killing three youths
in Machil area of the border district of Kupwara on April 30 in 2010
and labeling them as militants. Those who will face proceedings
include Col D K Pathania, Commanding Officer of 4 Rajput
Regiment; Major Upinder and four others.
Shahzad Ahmad Khan, Riyaz Ahmad Lone and Mohammad
Shafi Lone of Nadihal Baramulla were killed in a staged encounter
allegedly by soldiers of 4 Rajput Regiment on the Line of Control
and then passed off as militants, in order to get rewards and pro-
motions. After investigations, police charge-sheeted a Colonel and
two Majors among 11 people in connection with the fake
encounter.
Mainstream political parties welcomed the decision whereas
separatists termed it an eye-wash. "Army has largely performed
its duty well at borders. But those who violate human rights shall
have to be identified and punished under the law of the land.
Nobody, under such circumstances, should be allowed to go scot-
free and mar the image of democratic and secular India," said
State Congress chief Prof Saifuddin Soz, December 26.
"We expect exemplary punishment for the accused without
any further delay," said the political secretary to Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah, Tanvir Sadiq, December 25, adding, "Court mar-
tial proceedings provide an opportunity to rebuild trust in institu-
tions that was seriously damaged by the incident."
PDP chief spokesman, Naeem Akhtar said those who were
killed should be given justice.
Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, addressing the
Friday congregation at Shangus in south Kashmir's Anantnag,
December 27, said that the army men involved in the Machil fake
encounter should be tried in a civil court instead of court martial
proceedings. He asked "how can the trial conducted by the Army,
whose forces are the perpetrators of crime, be transparent?"
Terming the court-martial as a mere eye-wash, Hurriyat (G)
spokesperson, Ayaz Akbar said hundreds of youth have been
killed in fake encounters and these cases should be investigated
by the International Tribunal.
JKLF chairman, Mohammad Yasin Malik, December 25, said
for the past 66 years people of Kashmir are witnessing probes.
"People involved in such incidents are vested with powers to do
so by the state government. They do all this under AFSPA cover."
200 killed during 2013
More than 200 persons including armed forces and civilians were
killed in violent incidents across the state in 2013, says Jammu
and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), local human
rights group whereas the police says there has been a 10 percent
decrease in militancy related incidents, in the past year.
In a statement issued here, JKCCS, January 1, said 204 per-
sons including from the armed forces and among civilians were
killed in violent incidents across the state, last year. Among those
killed, 83 belong to the armed forces and police personnel, 73
were alleged militants, 48 civilians and one unidentified person, it
says. The JKCCS further said eight armed forces personnel com-
mitted suicide, here, due to unknown reasons and four personnel
were killed in fratricidal incidents. It added, that the state govern-
ment, last year, ordered seven different probes into various human
rights abuses but none of them yielded any results. "From 2003 to
2013, governments here appointed 170 probes but justice
remains elusive."
DGP Ashok Prasad, December 27, said the year 2013 wit-
nessed a 10 percent decrease in militancy related incidents. He
said that, the next two to three months were going to be crucial
for Kashmir from the militancy point of view in the context of gen-
eral and assembly elections. Even IGP Kashmir, Abdul Gani Mir,
addressing Awami Durbar at south Kashmir's Awantipora,
December 30, said the last two years had recorded a 10 percent
decrease in militancy.
The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, told media on the sidelines
of the passing-out parade for CRPF at Humhama-Budgam,
December 22, said "while there has been a decrease in militant
strikes since 2012, militants were however, largely successful in
carrying out some targeted attacks." Meanwhile, media reports
say around 13000 criminal cases were registered by police last
year.
Implementation of UN resolutions demanded
Demanding implementation of UN resolutions on the Kashmir
issue, separatists here urge that resolutions provide a viable solu-
tion to the issue. UN resolutions are quite relevant and provide a
just, democratic and practicable solution to the Kashmir issue,
said Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, January 2.
He stated, that India raised the Kashmir issue at UNO and on
January 5, 1949, the world body introduced a resolution, support-
ing the right to self- determination for Jammu and Kashmir and
both India and Pakistan are signatories to it. He said Kashmir issue
can't be resolved through series of secret or open negotiations,
until UN resolutions are implemented.
The amalgam passed four resolutions including seeking
involvement of separatists in the dialogue process and settling
core issues of Jammu Kashmir in accordance with the wishes and
aspirations and the universal principle of self-determination.
Geelani, addressing another seminar, "Kashmir dispute in his-
torical perspective" January 5, asked people to choose between
developmental activities and freedom, saying "dilemma and dis-
unity among them creates confusion about the Kashmir issue at a
global level."
JKLF chairman, Mohammad Yasin Malik, addressing a semi-
nar "Indo-Pak dialogue process and Jammu and Kashmir issue"
December 29, asked India and Pakistan to address the core issue
of Kashmir, on priority basis. Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq, addressing a seminar "Kashmir issue and UN
Insensitivity" January 5, said the world body has miserably failed
in Kashmir and now the Hurriyat will move ahead with various
alternatives" to find a solution to the Kashmir issue.
Mirwaiz said UN role has been doubtful in Syria, Afghanistan,
South Sudan and Iraq. "Super powers maneuvered UN for their
benefits and political gains. UN even failed to stop human rights
violations in Kashmir."
Asking people of Kashmir to stop the beating UN resolutions
drum, senior Hurriyat (M) leader, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, January 5,
said UN approach to Kashmir issue has been like a deadwood
over past decades and Kashmir issue is older than UN.
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Sardar
Attique Khan, while addressing a seminar "The Kashmir Dispute -
January 5, 1949 UN Resolution: Past, present and future" through
video-conferencing and organized by Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM)
here, January 4, said any inordinate delay in resolution of Kashmir
issue will have serious repercussions and can force Taliban to
make Kashmir a battleground.
"Rejecting UN resolutions as outdated, which hold no validity.
though UN is no sacred institution, in the international arena, it has
the power to give Kashmiris their inalienable right," said DeM
chief, Aasiya Andrabi.
Fatwa for re-marriage of half-widows
In a significant development, a group of Islamic scholars in the
Valley reached a consensus, saying half-widows can remarry
after a waiting period of four years. The term 'half-widow' is used
for women whose husbands have been subjected to enforced dis-
appearances during the past more than two-decade long conflict.
Most of these women are living in pathetic conditions.
The decision was taken by various scholars from different
schools of thought at the conclusion of consultations over the
issue, organized by Ehsaas, a civil society initiative, here,
December 26. They also resolved that the issue of property in
respect of half-widows should be resolved in the light of teachings
of the Holy Quran and Hadith. Ulama said a detailed 'Fatwa' (reli-
gious decree) would be issued in this regard.
The decision has been welcomed by various human rights
groups. Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society said it will
bring relief to over 1,500 half-widows in Kashmir.
7 out of 10 subscriptions are through WORD OF MOUTH
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First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
Court martial of Machil killers welcomed
10 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Since early January, the Samajwadi government
of Uttar Pradesh is trying hard to bulldoze and
uproot all the over 30 camps in Muzaffarnagar
and Shamli districts whcih house around 15,000
refugees who refuse to return to their erstwhile
villages from which they fled during the 7-8
September anti-Muslim violence unleashed by
the pro-BJP Jats with the SP governments con-
nivance. Now every day local administration and
police arrive at various camps and try to fright-
en the refugees into leaving the camps. They
have succeeded at some places while failed at
some other places where inmates and local vil-
lagers resistance made them to beat a retreat
for the time being. In some cases, like Loee
camp, they succeeded to fully bulldoze the
camp. The thousands of inmates of the camps
were later dumped on the roads and left to fend
for themselves. Many are camping on road-
sides, some have rented small houses in the
area while others have gone to live with their rel-
atives. The camps are mostly on forest land.
Hence the government feels justified to use vio-
lence to uproot these. It has also
registered cases of illegal occupa-
tion against thousands of camp
inmates which means they will
now be harassed for years by the
administration, police and local
courts.
The camp at Sanjak village
having 50 families was on forest
land and an FIR was registered on
26 December against its inmates
by the UP government. Next day in
the afternoon, bulldozers reached
Sanjak Village where some 300
refugees from Kinoni village were
taking refuge in tarpaulin tents
were bulldozed and demolished.
The refugees collected whatever
they had and moved on to a near-
by place where some of the victims had relatives
and some Muslim lanlords offered their land to
them on the condition that they will pay for it
when they get work in future.
The news of UP governments persistent
attempts to demolish all camps by bulldoz-
ers has created a feeling of rage across
India. Already the statement by the U.P.
Special Home Secretary AK Gupta that peo-
ple do not die of cold, otherwise
no one would be alive in Siberia
has been roundly condemned by
people. Likwise Mulayam Singh
Yadavs comment that the inmates
of these camps are Congress and
BJP agents showed the bacnkrupt-
cy of the Samajwadi leadership.
Now the depar ture of U.P. minis-
ters and legislators on an extented
study tour of Australia and other
countries has shown the callous
and irresponsible nature of UP
leaders including Azam Khan who
is the minister in charge of
Muzaffarnagar but seems to have
played no role in mitigating the
miseries of the riot victims.
Manistream India too has not
shown any real concern and compassion to
these hapl ess victims who have seen
dozens of their young ones die due to the
chilling cold of nor th Indian winter.
Muzaffarnagar refugee camps being
uprooted by SP Govt bulldozers
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has defi-
nitely made a valid point by commenting
recently at a press conference that History
will be kinder to me than the media.
Certainly, Singh belongs to that class of
Indian leaders who have not risen to great
political heights by leading any revolution,
riding atop any populist wave, as great pub-
lic speakers or by being extremely media-friendly. Yet, it can-
not be forgotten that had Gujarat carnage not been extensively
covered by media, return of Congress to power may not have
been possible.
Singh hasnt risen to political heights because of media.
But media definitely played a major role in securing dismissal
of BJP-led government primarily because of media coverage
and criticism of the Gujarat-carnage.
Undeniably, in todays era, considerable credit for success
achieved by Delhis new Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his
Aam Admi Party rests on media headlines created by him and
his supporters. The confidence exuded by Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) in projecting Narendra Modi as their key leader
also rests partly on media coverage accorded to his public
meetings.
Kejriwals image as common mens leader has been con-
siderably created with media focusing on him with apparently
common people around him. Modis populist image is partly
due to medias focussing on large crowds attracted by rallies
and other meetings that he has addressed.
The Indian premier does not fall in this bracket. Certainly,
he is seen addressing people on national occasions and some-
times as a part of his partys electoral campaign. It would be
unfair to assume that media has not extended any coverage to
these programmes. They have received substantial coverage.
But unlike the continuous coverage accorded to Kejriwal and
Modi, there is a formal tag attached to official news linked with
Singhs programmes. Kejriwal has just stepped into power.
Modis political power is still confined to Gujarat but he
aims to take the centre-stage following parliamentary elec-
tions. It is not as if media has been extra-friendly towards them
but has not ignored their indulgence in political campaign till
date. If media were to ignore them and other political leaders,
there would be risk of media being labelled as government
mouth-piece. Commercial stakes as well as media-ethics
refrain most leading media-houses, even if they are known to
be backed by rival parties, from literally acting as mouth-
pieces.
If Singh feels that Indian media has not been very kind
towards him, it also implies that media here has not acted as
the government and/or Congress mouthpiece.
Diplomatically, Indian media has played a key role in giving
substantial coverage to Singhs interaction with visiting leaders
of foreign countries. Likewise, his foreign trips have received
considerable coverage. Whenever Singh has tried conveying a
message by posing for a photograph with his counterpart from
Pakistan, by shaking hands with him and while interacting with
other leaders, the media has dutifully (or responsibly) splashed
his message.
Nevertheless, there lies greater meaning in Singhs belief
that history will be kinder to him than the media.
Notwithstanding the nature of his achievements, history stands
witness to Singh being the countrys prime minister for two
consecutive terms. He assumed office as the countrys 13th
prime minister in May 2004 and continued in office following
the return of Congress-led coalition government in 2009 parlia-
mentary polls. The countrys first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal
Nehru, served at this post from 15 August 1947 till 27 May
1964. He was the longest serving prime minister of India. His
daughter Indira Gandhi held this post from 24 January 1966 till
24 March 1977 and from 14 January 1980 till 31 October 1984,
when she was assassinated. She was the countrys second
longest serving and worlds second longest serving female
prime minister.
Singh has created a space in Indian history for himself by
holding the post of prime minister for the third longest period.
Paradoxically, Singh has earned this honour despite the
media not being as kind to him as it has been to his rivals and
that of his party.
There is no denying that media waves can contribute to
enhancing popularity of various leaders and their political par-
ties. Yet, the same popularity can crash or be strengthened for-
mally, depending on electorates decision at the time of casting
votes. Singhs entry as premier did not rest on his playing any
key role for Congress in 2004 parliamentary elections. His
entry, decided by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, is known as a
wild card entry. He has been a member of the Rajya Sabha
(Upper House) of the Indian Parliament and never of Lok Sabha
(Lower House). Thus, Singh has definitely made a point by
expressing that history will be kinder to him than media. It can-
not also be denied that Singh entered the centre-stage of Indian
politics without media creating any populist waves for him. But
media has duly played its role of according coverage to him, his
views, policies and programmes, without backtracking even
when Singh questioned media for not being very kind towards
him!
Speaki ng Out
Indian Premier
& Media
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
MUKUL SINHA
Pradeep Sharma finally approached the police to
file his complaint against the illegal and unautho-
rized snooping and phone-tapping that was dis-
closed by Gulail and CobraPost websites sometime
back. Pradeep Sharma on 6 January, 2014
approached the Sector-7 Gandhinagar police sta-
tion to register an FIR against Narendra Modi, Amit
Shah, Arun K Sharma, IG, and other policemen
who had allegedly snooped on Pradeep Sharma
and Mansi Soni during August-September 2009 as
well as illegally tapped and intercepted their phone
calls. The Police Inspector Bharwad of Sector-7
police station who received and acknowledged the
complaint, however, refused to register the com-
plaint as an FIR under section 154(1) as required
under Cr.P.C. He gave a lame-duck excuse by say-
ing that as a Commission is appointed he cant reg-
ister a complaint. As we know during the penden-
cy of Nanavati Commission investigating Gujarat
Riots, over 5000 FIRs have been filed and cases
like Naroda Patia have also been decided.
Pradeep Sharmas complaint is the first direct
police complaint against the Chief Minister
Narendra Modi and the registration of the complaint
would have had a devastating impact on the politi-
cal leaders named in the complaint. The complaint
raises very serious charges of misdemeanour and
unauthorised exercise of power by the highest con-
stitutional authorities of the State of Gujarat. One
very sacrosanct right of personal freedom is the
right to privacy which is recognised by the
Constitution. Any illegal or unauthorised phone-tap-
ping or interception of messages is considered to
be a serious violation of this fundamental right,
especially when ordered and carried out by people
of the level of Chief Ministers and Home Ministers.
A small extract from the complaint would exempli-
fy this aspect:
4. However, later during my judicial custody in
Palana Jail, I began to receive inputs that indicated
a different reason for the Chief Ministers personal
anger against me. It turned out that the reason of
his resentment was both the proximity of Mansi
Soni to me and the fear that she was perhaps shar-
ing with me the details of her intimate relations with
the Chief Minister.
8. Cobrapost and Gulail, two news internet
websites, have recently released on 15.11.2013 a
series of telephonic conversations between Shri
Amit Shah, then MoS (Home), and Shri G. L
Singhal, IPS, during the period August - September
2009. Shri GL Singhal was the Superintendent of
Police (SP) of Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Gujarat
State, Ahmedabad at that time. The taped conver-
sations reveal that Ms. Mansi Soni and I were
placed under an all- pervasive and intrusive surveil-
lance - both physical and electronic (i.e., telephone
interceptions and manual watching/following) - at
the behest of a person referred to as Saheb by
Shri Amit Shah. The conversations made it appar-
ent, and it has also been confirmed from the side of
Shri Narendra Modi (through his party
office/spokesperson), that the Saheb in the con-
versations is Shri Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister
of Gujarat, who was also the Home Minister of the
state. These tapes also show the involvement of
Shri Arun K Sharma, IPS, then Inspector General of
Police (CID Intelligence), and his subordinates Shri
Vaishnav, then DySP (CID Intelligence), Shri Dabhi,
Intelligence Officer (CID Intelligence), at
Gandhinagar in these unlawful telephone intercep-
tions and surveillance.
After the refusal by the Police Inspector of
Sector-7 to register the FIR, Pradeep Sharma went
in the evening to the District Superintendent of
Police of Gandhinagar Mr Sharad Singhal, to direct
the PI to register the FIR but he also refused to
comply with the law. Both the officers were
informed by Pradeep Sharma that by a recent rul-
ing, the Supreme Court had made it mandatory for
Police officers to register a complaint if it discloses
any cognizable offence. The Director General of
Police Mr P C Thakur was also given a copy as the
officers had deliberately refused to obey the
Supreme Courts general order.
Mr. Sharma was contemplating taking action
against the police officers also alongwith moving
the High Court for appropriate directions to register
the FIR.
Truth of Gujarat would reiterate at the cost of
innumerable reiterations that the criminal justice
system of Gujarat has wholly collapsed and this is
yet another instance of Gujarat police poking their
nose at the law.
The complaint of Pradeep Sharma has in fact
demolished the futile defence of BJP in the Mansi
snooping scam. Till now BJP was defending the
scam by contending that as Ms Mansi Soni had not
filed any complaint complaining about her snoop-
ing/tapping, the Government or even NCW couldnt
take any action. But now that a legal complaint has
been filed by Pradeep Sharma, a person directly
aggrieved by the illegal snooping/tapping, the
Government has refused to register an FIR. These
are the double standards of Modi which he wants
to spread across India! (truthofgujarat.com)
ANALYSIS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 11 www.milligazette.com
Pradeep Sharma files Police Complaint against
Narendra Modi, Amit Shah & others in Snoopgate
FIR against Teesta, attempt to
derail Jafris protest petition
against Modi
Ahmedabad: Activist Teesta Setalvad has alleged that the complaint filed
against her, for allegedly usurping Rs 1.51 crore collected for turning
Gulbarg Society into a museum, is a part of the sinister campaign to derail
the Zakia Jafri protest petition against Narendra Modi and others.
On 5 January, Ahmedabad city crime branch had registered an FIR
against Setalvad, her husband Javed Anand, Zakia Jafris son Tanvir Jafri
and two others for allegedly usurping Rs 1.51 crore for turning Gulbarg
society into a museum.
Setalwads organisation Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) wrote a
letter to JCP crime branch of the city, Mr A K Sharma, alleging the FIR
appears to be part of a sinister campaign being unleashed against them by
some persons being manipulated by a former employee Rais Khan Pathan,
who is using some residents of the society (not official members) and sec-
tions of the police and some persons claiming to be official members of the
society. (The complaint against us) is based on developments that have
been in the public domain, the letter said.
We would like to state categorically that both Citizens for Justice
and Peace (CJP) and Sabrang Trust officially received money for legit-
imate activities and following the legally required procedures, it men-
tioned.
We, therefore, urge that the Crime Branch of the Gujarat Police to look
at the complete background and nexus when it deals with the current set
of false allegations, CJP said. We would like to reiterate that our organi-
sation(s) function lawfully and urge that this malafide complaint is not
made a manipulative tool by the Crime Branch. Our trustees would gladly
respond to any genuine investigations or inquiries, the organisation said
in a letter to Crime Branch. The complaint was filed eleven days after a
metropolitan magistrates court rejected Zakia Jafris protest petition
against Modi and 62 others. Rais Khan was a former employee of
Setalwads CJP who had some problem with her on financial issues. Jafri
and Setalvad have said that they will approach higher court within a month
against the order of magistrates court.
The funds, according to the residents, were collected between 2007
and 2012 by Setalvad from abroad under the promise that Gulbarg Society
would be converted into a museum. However, the funds are lying as fixed
deposits with Setalvad, the official said.
Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace said in a statement
on 5 January that in the latest round of vindictive actions against human
rights defender Teesta Setalvad secretary of Citizens for Justice and Peace
the Gujarat police Crime Branch has registered a false FIR on malicious
grounds of cheating etc. This time the vindictiveness of the Gujarat police
has extended to also implicating two Survivors Salimbhai Sandhi who lost
five family members including his son Mohammed and Firoz Gulzar Pathan
who also lost five from his family in the vicious attack on Gulberg Society
on 28.2.2002. Javed Anand also a human rights defender has also been
roped in as a co-accused in this malicious and motivated case.
The statement went on to say that the timing of the FIR is significant
given the fact that for a full eleven months after CJP and Sabrang had given
satisfactory explanations to the Crime Branch investigations had been
dropped. In a written complaint to the Crime Branch, Ahmedabad police,
the office bearers of Gulberg Society had accused complainant Feroze
Khan of forging the letterhead of the society. A former employee of CJP,
Rais Khan has been at the root of this and 2 other false criminal complaints
against Teesta Setalvad. In both he has been aggressively aided by the
Gujarat police.
The statement further said that the sudden filing of this FIR soon after
the Ahmedabad Magistrates acceptance of the SIT report in the Zakia Jafri
versus Narendra Modi and 59 Others case is not without significance. The
SIT had outsourced its work to DCP Crime Branch, Himanshu Shukla and
the head of the same Crime Branch, AK Sharma, who had handled the
investigation last year. It was the same SIT that had made vile allegations
against complainant Smt Zakia Jafri and Teesta Setalvad during the hearing
of the petition. The timing of this FIR replete with a threat of arrest is seen
by us as efforts to prevent prompt filing of appeal in the Zakia Jafri case
against Narendra Modi and 59 others.
The statement observed that the close nexus between top functionar-
ies of the BJP who have been appearing for Rais Khan include Mr. Ram
Jethmalani. Even advocates appearing for SIT have been appearing for Rais
Khan in the High Court.
The CPM on 6 January asked the Gujarat government to withdraw
the FIR registered against rights activist Teesta Setalvad, calling it a
most vindictive act. The FIR filed in an Ahmedabad police station is a
most vindictive act by the (Narendra) Modi government designed as a
form of punishment for her fight for justice on behalf of Zakia Jafri and
other victim families of the Gujarat violence in 2002, the par ty said in
a statement.
ADIL ZAINULBHAI, Former
Chairman of McKinsey India has
taken over as independent Director
on the Board of Directors of
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) with
immediate effect (20/12/13). With
his joining RILs Board of Directors
there will now be 8 independent
Directors and a total of 14 Directors.
RILs chief Mukesh Ambani
described Adil Zainulbhai as
undoubtedly one of the finest con-
sulting minds in the world.
RIZWAN AHMAD,
an IPS officer of
1978 batch has
been appointed
(and taken over)
new Director
General of Police
(DGP) of UP by the state govern-
ment in place of Dev Raj Nagar who
retired as DGP on 31/12/13.
Educated at AMU, he is the first
Muslim to hold the highest police
office in UP. He is also a man of lit-
erary taste and loves Urdu literature
along with Hindi and English litera-
ture as well. His tenure as DGP will
however be short, of about a year
only as he will retire in February next
year. After his appointment as DGP,
a reception was held in his honour
by Islamic Centre of India at Eidgah,
Lucknow on 2 January.
Dr SHAMSHAD ALI of Dsitrict
Sitapur and Doctorate Degree holder
from AMU has been appointed
Chairman of UP Higher Education
Services Commission by UP gov-
ernment.
(Ms) FIROZE FATEMA, who recent-
ly won Rs one crore in Kaun bane-
ga carorepati programme conduct-
ed by Amitabh Bachahan in Mumbai
has been made by Sanskar Nidhi, a
social organisation, its Education
Ambassador for women. Proprietor
of Sanskar Nidhi and a former min-
ister of state, Sanjay Garg said that
the trustees of Sanskar Nidhi in their
meeting had decided to select Firoze
Fatema for this honour for spreading
education among girls and women.
Ms HUMA FATEMA, a teacher in
Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Post
Graduate College, Sambhal was
conferred PhD Degree by
Roohailkhand University;
MUHAMMAD PARVEZ ALAM, a
student of JNUs Depar tment of
Persian was conferred PhD
Degree by the same University
(JNU); Ms SABIHA BEGUM a
research scholar in Chaudhari
Charan Singh University, Meeruts
Depar tment of Urdu was conferred
PhD Degree by the same
University (CCSU) and Ghulam
Sarvar Karim, Associate Professor
and President of Urdu Depar tment
of RNAR College, Samastipur
(Bihar) and author and translator
of many books was conferred PhD
Degree by Lalit Narain Mishra
Univesity, Darbhanga. Except
Muhammad Parvez Alam who had
written his thesis in Persian, the
remaining three scholars had writ-
ten their theses in Urdu on differ-
ent aspects and genres of Urdu lit-
eratue.
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
OBITUARIES
12 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 NEWSMAKERS www.milligazette.com
MAULANA ABU
A B D U L L A H
ABDUS SALAM
RAHMANI, reli-
gious scholar,
former general
secretary of
Markazi Jamiat
Ahl-e Hadees, Member of AI Muslim
Personal Law Board and rector of
Jamia Sirajul Uloom, district
Balrampur died on 29 December at
the age of 75 years. Author of more
than 1.5 dozen books including
Islami KahaniyaN (in 3 volumes) on
Tabligh, religious affairs etc, he was
also honoured by Markazi Jamiat
Ahl-e Hadees in recognition of his
educational, Tablighi and other reli-
gious activities. He also toured many
Indian states and some foreign
countries also for preaching and
propagation of Islam. He is survived
by his wife, three sons and three
daughters and also leaves behind
precious academic and religious
legacies.
ISHRAT ALI SIDDIQI, noted veteran
journalist, freedom fighter and a for-
mer editor of Urdu daily Qaumi
Awaz died in a Balrampur hospital
near Lucknow at the age of 95 years.
He was honorued by Govt of India
with Padma Shri Award. UP
Governor B. L. Joshi, chief mnister
Akhilesh Yadav, minister Azam Khan
expressed deep regret over his
death. He leaves behind one son and
one daughter.
FAROOQ SHIEKH, Bollywoods senior
film actor, died of heart attack in Dubai
on 28 December
(early morning).
Born in Gujarats
Amroli village in
Baroda district 65
years ago, he was
famous in the film
world for representing Lucknows
Tahzeeb of gentlemanliness, courtesy
and humility without belonging to
Lucknow. He started his film life with
Garam Hawa in which Balraj Sahni
played the lead role. The film repre-
sented the feelings of great mental and
psychological angst and indecision
which haunted many Muslims in the
initital days of Independence after par-
tition. Being a great lover and promot-
er of Urdu, he was made a member of
HRD ministrys Monitoring Committee
for implementation of schemes for the
promotion of Urdu. He leaves behind
wife Roopa and two daughters
Shaaista and Sanaa. His body was
brought from Dubai to Mumbai where
he was laid to rest on 29 December.
Dr KAMAL AHMAD SIDDIQI noted
Urdu poet, writer, researcher, critic and
expert on Ghalib died in Delhis Apollo
Hospital on the night of 23 December
after a brief illness at the age of about
88 years. Born in Lucknow in 1926 his
early education was in Lucknow and
higher education in Meerut and JNU
from where he did PhD. According to
Prof Akhtarul Wasey, he was an expert
in the science of prosody, a genre of
poetry and his book Urooz wa Aahang
was got published by Taraqqi Urdu
Board 25 years ago. His other books
are Ghalib ki Shanakht (which was got
published by Ghalib Institute),
Baadbaan, Urooz wa Marooz,
Kashmir ek Safarnama etc. He leaves
behind two sons and two daughters.
He was honoured with Ghalib Award
and many other awards by Urdu acad-
emies.
MAZHARUL HAQ ALVI Urdu fiction
writer, dramatist and translator of
dozens of books died of heart attack in
a local hospital of Ahmadabad on 17
December at the age of 90 years. In
addition to being a fine dramatist and
fiction writer he was a prolific transla-
tor and translated more than a hundred
English novels into Urdu including
French novelist Alexandre Dumass
novel into Urdu in his life. He had also
translated a number of Gujarati literary
works into Urdu for which he was hon-
orued by Delhi Urdu Academy with its
prestigious Bahdur Shah Zafar Award.
He had also worked a lot for childrens
literature and his many stories used to
be published in childrens magazine
Kaliyan published from Lucknow.
Nineteen-year old SUHAIL ANSARI,
a trainee pilot who was flying a 2-
seater trainer plane died in an air
crash on 24 December near
Chhindwada (Madhya Pradesh)
because of foggy weather. His father,
seeing his promising sons great
interst in flying planes had got him
admitted in Rajiv Gandhi National
Flying Institute where he was receiv-
ing training. While flying his 2-seater
trainer plane, it met with the acci-
dent. His untimely death in air crash
sent a wave of gloom and mourning
in the whole village.
FAROOQ SHAIKH
IN the demise of 65-year-old Farooque Shaikh,
following a severe heart attack in Dubai, the
country lost a dedicated artist whose commit-
ment to cause remained uncompromised. While
several of his contemporaries were swept away
by the tidal waves of commercial
cinema he continued to work for a
new wave of films which used to
focus on the common man and
his predicaments.
He made his debut in a sensi-
tive film on Indias par tition
(which the BJP always dubbed as
highly communal) Garm Hawa
directed by MS Sathyu. His per-
formance impressed renowned
director Satyajeet Roy who chose
him for his Hindi film Shatranj Ke
Khiladi based on Premchands
story depicting the fall of Avadh
kingdom and Wajid Ali Shah. Later
on he acted in many popular films
such as Gaman, Chashm-e-
Baddoor, Noorie, Baazar, Umrao
Jan Ada etc. Success of Noorie brought him
offers of as many as 40 films which he declined
as he did not want to be a part of the band
wagon of Bollywood. He hosted a T V show
Jeena isi ka naam hai and also worked on TV
serial telecast on DD1 based on classic Bangla
novel Shrikant by Sharadchandra
Chatopadhyaya.
He played his swan song role, after two
decades, on 14 December (just fifteen days
prior to his demise) at the Taj with Shabana
Azmi in Tumhari Amrita under Taj Literature
Festival directed by his friend Feroz Abbas
Khan.
Son of advocate Mustafa Abbas Shaikh
and a Parsi mother, Farida, he is survived by
his wife and two daughters.
In addition to his love for theatre he was a
highly committed social activist. He did not
mince words in condemning those who had
forgotten the fates of victims of the Gujarat
carnage. In a function organised by Gujarat
Today he, in a lighter vein, asser ted that
though he was mad yet was one of them
(Gujarati Muslims) Highly cultured, jovial and
well mannered he was every inch a gentle-
man. (A. G. Khan)
Lucknow: Veteran Urdu jouralist Ishrat Ali
Siddiqui passed away here on 2 January at the
ripe age of 94. He is survived by a son and a
daughter. He had sustained bone injury last
month after a fall in his
Jamboorkhana residence
on the Cantonment Road
and was admitted to the
Balrampur Hospital.
Editor of Urdu Daily
Quami Awaz in the 1970s,
he had opposed then prime
minister Indira Gandhi on the
issue of press censorship
imposed during the
Emergency.
His protest against cen-
sorship stood in stark con-
trast against the studied
silence of his colleagues in
National Herald and
Navjiwan, which were also
run by the Congress.
The Congress government later honoured
him with the Padma Sri and Indira Gandhi nomi-
nated him to the second Press Commission in
1980.
Siddiqui availed this opportunity to formu-
late reform proposals to improve the standard of
Urdu journalism and contributed immensely to
the modernising of Kitabat (calligraphy).
Born in Hardoi in 1919, he studied at
Lucknow and then migrated to Hyderabad where
he edited the Urdu dailies Payam and the
Hindustan but his nationalist articles led to the
then ruler, Nizam Osman Ali, penalising him and
expelling him from his state.
Siddiqui spent many
years in Sevagram with
Mahatma Gandhi and was
president of the UP Working
Journalists Union, and the
UP Press Club and was the
national councillor of the
Indian Federation of
Working Journalists (IFWJ).
Siddiqui always champi-
oned the cause of national-
ism and the Congress. He
vehemently opposed
Mohammad Ali Jinnahs
demand for Pakistan.
U.P. Governor B L Joshi
and chief minister Akhilesh
Yadav condoled his death.
Siddiqi will be remembered for the
courage and conviction he displayed in advis-
ing Indira Gandhi against imposing Press cen-
sorship in 1975, though he was editing Indira
Gandhis daily the Quaumi Awaz in Lucknow.
His colleague editors of the National Herald
and the Navjivan remained silent, recalls vet-
eran journalist K Vikram Rao, paying tribute to
the depar ted soul.
ASADUDDIN OWAISI, Majlis Ittehadul
Muslimeens chief and Lok Sabha MP from
Hyderabad has been selected by Prime Point
Foundation, an NGO for being honoured with
Sansad Ratn Award 2014 for his good activ-
ities and performance in the 15th Lok Sabha
from the point of view of discussions,
Parliamentary etiquettes, written questions,
speeches etc for which he secured maximum i.e. more than one
thousand points.
MAULANA WALI RAHMANI, Sajjada Nashin
of Khanqah Rahmani, Moonger was hon-
oured with Imam Raazi Award in recognition
of his services of enabling hundreds of stu-
dents to memorise the Quran and also
explaining Qurans meaning to them. The
Award-giving function was held at Everest
Engineering College, Aurangabad and sponsored by Ulama and
intellectuals.
Prof KABIRUDDIN of AMUs Zakir Husain College of Engineering
and Technologys Department of Applied Chemistry was hon-
oured with Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his valu-
able services in the field of Chemistry. The Award was given to
him by Prof MC Chattopadhya, President of Indian Chemical
Society on the occasion of Golden Jubilee Annual Convention of
Chiemical Scientists held at Punjab University, Chandigarh.
Dr (Hakeem) SAYYAD AHMAD KHAN, general secretary of All
India Unani Tibbi Congress was honoured with Mohsin-e Tibb
Award by Ibn Sina Research Centre and Royal Health and
Educational Society of India at a function held at Mumbai on 22
December 2013 in recognition of his valuable services in the field
of Unani medicine.
Mrs BILQIS BANO, President of AMUs Department of Bioscience
was honoured by Science Council, Prayag (Allahabad), in recog-
nition of her scientific services in Urdu, with Muhammad Khalil
Award for Science on the occasion of completion of hundred
years of Science Council, Prayag. The Award consisted of a
shield, memento, a shawl and 5 thousand rupees in cash.
(Ms) NIKHAT PARVEEN, a columnist of Urdu, Hindi and English
quarterly magazine Charkha was honoured with Laadli Media
Award sponsored by UNPFI (United Nations Population Fund of
India) after being declared the Best Columnist this eyar (2013)
for creating awareness in, and empowerment of, women through
her articles in this magazine. The Award function was held at
Chinmaya Mission premises at Lodhi Road, New Delhi on 20
December 2013 when the Award was jointly given to her by
Planning Commissions secretary Mrs Sindhushri Khullar and US
ambassador to India Mrs Nancy J. Powell.
WAKEEL NAJEEB, a man of letters known for childrens literature
at national level was honoured with Shastri Gaurav Award along
with a Memento and Shawl in recognition of his literary services
and stories for children by all India Shastri Social Forum, New
Delhi at a function held at Kamla Nehru Mahavidyalay, Nagpur and
chaired by Shankar Prasad Agnihotri, President of Jai Mahakali
Education Society, Wardha.
AWARDS
ISHRAT ALI SIDDIQUI
New team takes over at Mushawarat after elections
SPECIAL REPORT The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 13 www.milligazette.com
MG/Yusuf
New Delhi: In an extraordinary meeting at the
Mushawarat central office on 7 January, the new
team of the All India Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim
organisations and eminent personalities, was
announced here.
The elections for a 2-year term (2014-2015)
were held last month. Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan
was re-elected unopposed for the new term and
20 Central Working Committee members were
also elected. They are as follows: Maulana Syed
Jalaluddin Umari, Mr. Syed Shahabuddin, Mufti
Ataur Rahman Qasmi, Mr. Ahmad Rashid
Shervani, Mr. Manzoor Ahmad, IPS (Retd),
Mr. Mohammad Adeeb, Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi,
MP, Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, Maulana Junaid
Ahmad Banarasi, Maulana Mohammad Salim
Qasmi, Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salfi,
Mr. Navaid Hamid, Mr. Mujtaba Farooq, Maulana
Badruddin Ajmal, MP, Maulana Mohammad Wali
Rahmani, Dr. S.Q. R. Ilyas, Maulana Ahmad Ali,
Quasmi, Mr. Amanullah Khan, Mr. Khawja
Mohammad Shahid and Janab Mohammad
Sulaiman
According to the Constitution of AIMMM, the
President nominated the following Central
Committee members to the Central Working
Committee: Janab Muhammad Jaafar,
Janab Ejaz Ahmad Aslam, Prof. Humayun
Murad, Mufti Fuzailur Rahman Hilal
Usman, Janab Ilyas Malik, Janab Masoom
Moradabadi, Janab SMY Nadeem, Janab
Abdul Khaliq, Mrs Nusrat Shervani, Janab
Nusrat Ali and Dr Javed Jamil
The President also appointed Janab
Muhammad Jaafar, Janab Manzoor Ahmad
IPS (retd), and Hafiz Rashid Ahmad
Chowdhury as vice presidents of AIMMM
and Janab Ahmad Rashid Shervani as
Secretary General of AIMMM. For the posts
of general secretaries of AIMMM, he
appointed Prof. Muhammad Sulaiman,
Mufti Ataur Rahman Qasmi, Dr SQR Ilyas
and Janab Masoom Moradabadi. This
team will work for the next two years. This
was the first election after the re-unification
of the two factions of Mushawarat on
27 October last year. A sizeable number of
both the elected as well as the nominated
members of the central working committee
belong to the members who joined
Mushawarat as a result of merger.
After the meeting, AIMMM welcomed the
visiting delegation of the US-India Policy Institute
over lunch in which AIMMM members and other
guests also participated.
For photographs of the AIMMM meeting, please
visit: http://www.flickr.com/mushawarat
Lucknow/Kairana: On 7 January a delegation of civil society activists and Muzaffarnagar riot vic-
tims met U.P. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and put forward their demands on various issues
related to riots in and around Muzaffarnagar district. The meeting was made possible after the visit
of the senior Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi to Malakpur and Sunethi relief camps in
Shamli district two days earlier. The activists who met the chief minister included Khudai
Khidmatgaar national leader Dr Faraz Badar Rizvi who is also the founder of Jagriti Seva Sansthan
and is involved in relief efforts since the very beginning. The delegation made the following
demands with the CM:
1. Stop forceful eviction of camps immediately;
2. Stop harassment of camp dwellers and organisers by administration and police, immediately;
3. Look into the high-handedness of the local administration which is deliberately putting road-
blocks in rehabilitation work;
4. Start re-issuing lost documents of the victims, especially voter ID and ration cards and and
marksheets of victims on war footing;
5. Ensure that the camps are not dismantled until the law and order situation becomes normal and
victims themselves start feeling safe and secure;
6. Offer medical rehabilitation of the injured victims of riots;
7. Raise the compensation amount and widen its net to include those who have not suffered any
direct physical violence but had to flee from their homes out of fear and communal tension;
8. Make a coordination committee of civil society activists to oversee the process of rehabilitation
and relief.
The CM appeared concerned and promised the delegation all help. He assured them that he will
look into all the allegations of callous attitude of the administration and will make sure that gov-
ernment provides all help in the rehabilitation process. The meeting was attended by Daud Ali of
Jagriti Seva Sansthan, Mufti Aslam of Malakpur, Zahid (SDPI), Maulvi Imdad Ullah, Ayyub Jung
and Haji Sajid of Kandhla.
New Delhi: National Minority
Commission Chairman
Wajahat Habibullah gave this
years Mukundan C Menon
award instituted by the
National Confederation of
Human Rights Organizations
(NCHRO) to human rights
activists Manisha Sethi and
her colleagues in the Jamia
Teachers Solidarity
Association, here on 10 Jan.
The award is instituted in the
name of Menon whose strug-
gle took him to Tamil Nadu,
Andhra, Bihar, Gujarat and
Kerala, who had to face
imprisonment for the sake of
human rights. Habibullah said, Such fights
should still continue.
Manisha Sethi while accepting the award
said, after TADA and POTA, UAPA is a repressive
law being used by the government to oppress
people and deprive them of their democratic as
well as political rights. She said, it is being used
mostly against minority youth and as a political
tool against political opponents of the system.
Therefore, there is a need of a broad-based move-
ment by the people.
The award was established in 2006 soon
after Menons death on Dec 12, 2005. It is given
annually to human rights defenders.
NVHROs citation said that the books pro-
duced by the JTSA are models for human rights
activists who conduct similar work.
Manisha gets the Mukundan Menon Award
Muzaffarnagar delegation
meets U.P. CM
Who Killed Karkare?
best-seller at
Malegaon book fair
Malegaon: Karkare ke Qatil Kaun? and
Mohammad Iqbals biography Zinda Rood were
among the best-selling books at the 14th All
India Urdu Book Fair organised by the National
Council for Promotion of Urdu Language
(NCPUL) in Malegaon.
Karkare ke Qatil Kaun? is the Urdu transla-
tion of Who Killed Karkare? written by the former
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Maharashtra
SM Mushrif, who incidentally was also posted as
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) in
Malegaon in 1983.
We have sold more than 475 copies of
Karkare ke Qatil kaun and Who Killed Karkare?,
the books English version, said Kauser Usman
of Pharos Media, New Delhi, the publisher of the
book. He said first 200 copies of the book,
priced at Rs. 200 were sold within two days and
they had to ask for new stock. Even the new
stock was sold out within a few days and at this
moment we dont have a single copy with us,
he added. In his book, SM Mushrif, who has over
three decades of diligent policing behind him and
whose feats include exposing the Telgi scam,
has made an elaborate case meticulously
researching nearly a dozen blasts including the
2006 and 2008 Malegaon blasts, and found
them the handiwork of Hindutva terror gangs of
different stripes. (Excerpted from a report in
ummid.com)
Kausar Usman of
Pharos Media (L) and
Faizee A Muqtadir of
Awaz Multimedia &
Publications with Who
killed Karkare and its
Urdu version. Faizee A
Muqtadir, an MBA, is
coordinating with the
NCPUL for analysing
the daily sales record
at the ten-day Urdu
book fair.
Jharkhands 592 madrasas recognised
Ranchi / Madhopur: Jharkhands minister for minorities affairs Al
Haj Husain Ansari said in a press conference on 16 December that
592 madrasas in the state have been recognised and those which
fulfill all the conditions-will get grants from the state government.
He said that though he would do every thing possible for the wel-
fare and development of minorities, minorities also should carry
on a campaign for the fulfillment of their demands. It may be stat-
ed in this connection that ever since Jharkhand state was formed,
he had been demanding that the 592 unaided madrasas in the
state should be given grants by the government. At that time
Jharkhands chief minister was Arjun Munda, who ignored this
demand on the pretext of non-availability of land. When Munda
government was replaced by another government formed with the
coalition of Congress, RJD and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha with
Hemant Soren, Husain Ansari was again included in this cabinet.
He again made a demand for giving of government grant and
recognition of unaided madrasas. In the meeting held with the
states education minister Gitashri Araon on 12 December 2013
this matter was taken up for consideration and recognition was
approved.
After 13 years Namaz resumed in Mohobas Shahi Masjid
Mahoba (UP): A mosque in Qazipura locality of Mahoba, a small
city in UP (known as Shahi Masjid) was locked 13 years ago in
2001 because of a dispute between Bareilvi and Deobandi sects
of Muslims regarding Imamat in this mosque. People of the
Bareilvi sect wanted the Imam to be of their sect whereas those of
Deobandi sect wanted Namaz to be lead by the Imam of their sect.
This led to a dispute and the Tehsildar and SHO of Mahoba, on the
basis of SHOs report, fearing clashes between people of the two
sects, leading to breach of peace and taking action under section
145, got the doors of this mosque locked and sealed. Ever since
the dispute was pending in court. Because of the efforts of peace
loving people of both sects the dispute was settled in National Lok
Adalat on 23 November 2013.
Lok Adalat pronounced its verdict on 23 November 2013 on
the basis of an agreement between the parties to the dispute.
According to its verdict, the front portion of this mosque was
assigned to the people of Bareilvi sect led by Rahmat Husain and
Qazi Jalal, the plaintiffs and the other (eastern) part of the mosque
was entrusted to the people of Deobandi sect led by Abdur
Rasheed and others. In this way the dispute was settled after 13
years. On 21 December the Tahsildar and SHO of Mahoba in the
presence of representatives of both sects wanted to unlock the
Shahi Masjid but key of the sealed lock was not available. Hence
in their presence the seal and lock were broken and the door was
opened after 13 years. Obviously, the mosque was full of dust and
many kinds of dirt. People of both sects jointly cleaned and
washed the whole mosque and after 13 years, call for prayer
(Azan) was given and Namaz was offered by the people of two
sects separately but simultaneously.
Diploma course in Urdu journalism started in IIMC
New Delhi: A 5-month Diploma Course in Urdu journalism has
been started in the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC),
Jamia Millia Islamia University. This course has been started at the
initiative of Manish Tiwari, minister of state for information tech-
nology & broadcasting who recently had a meeting with Urdu jour-
nalists and editors who had appealed to him (Tiwari) to take nec-
essary and urgent steps to develop and promote the capability,
practical achievements and professional expertise of Urdu journal-
ists associated with journalism and means of communication. In
this diploma course attention and greater emphasis will be laid on
the use of information technology, copywriting, writing on current
affairs and television etc. This course has already started from
2 December with 8 students in the beginning. Twelve candidates
had appeared for the entrance test of whom 11 were called for
interview and 8 were selected. This course is likely to be complet-
ed in April 2014.
Career counselling of Muslim children in Orissa
Pourkela: In Orissa (Odisha) where Muslims form only two percent
of the states population, steps are being taken by Imarat-e
Sharaiyya to build career of young Muslims, and counselling for
these students is provided. Imarat-e Sharaiyya Odisha unit organ-
ised a career counselling session in Meera Hall at Rourkela which
is known as the steel city (because of the big steel plant set up
here a few decades ago) in which about 550 boy and girl students
from Urdu High School, Iraqia Girls High School, Plant Site Urdu
High School Hasanpura Urdu High School, DAV School, Rashtriya
Vidyalaya, Bisra Girls High School etc took part. Registrar of High
Tech Medical College (Rourkela), Syed Sarfaraz Alam said, while
speaking on this occasion that there is need to review the literacy
rate of Muslims in Odisha because, suitable planning to spread
and improving literacy and the standard of education lest the com-
ing generations are left behind. He said that if intentions are sin-
cere and strong, lack of financial and other resources will not be a
handicap in their educational progress. Today there are different
fields of education and there are avenues of progress in every
field. Laying emphasis on private scholarship system, he said that
there is no use of depending on government help and hence we
ourselves should do something.
City Qazi Muhammad Zahid Husain Qasmi said that after
passing High School, students are confused about the line of
future education for a bright future. This is mainly because at this
stage they do not develop that much of consciousness by which
they could take proper decision. He said that because of this
uncertainty, Imarat Sharaiyya has planned career counselling pro-
gramme for 10th class students for which experts in medical,
engineering, legal, banking, teaching, business etc fields have
been invited to counsel the students. On this occasion, retired
deputy director, IGH, Dr Abdul Wahab spoke in detail about med-
ical sciences, engineer Abu Saleh spoke about engineering, advo-
cates Muhammad Rafiq and Nabi spoke about law, Haji Mahmood
Alam spoke about technology, Prof Noorul Islam and master
Muhammad Inam Khan spoke about teaching, Atiqur Rahman and
Shakeel Imam spoke about banking etc in the context of career
counselling.
Minority students do not benefit much from Azad Foundation
Lucknow / Rampur: UPs minister for minorities affairs and urban
development Muhammad Azim Khan said while talking to media
persons at Rampur that minority students do not and cannot
derive much benefit from Maulana Azad Education Foundations
scholarships and other schemes because the rules and regula-
tions and conditions associated with these schemes are such or
to put it more appropriately, have been deliberately made so diffi-
cult that most of the students and educational institutions would
not be able to derive much benefit from its schemes. The result is
that scholarships or grants meant for students or institutions are
not distributed properly and about 90 percent of these funds is
returned to the government. In view of this, he said, it is a fraud in
the name of a great personality like Maulana Azad and also with
students and educational institutions for whom such scholarships
and grants are meant.
He further said that this plan of the central government is also
like many other similar schemes introduced by government for
minorities during the past five or six decades which are merely in
name, or rather show pieces rather than for honestly providing
benefits to them. He said that any such organisation or foundation
through which claims are made to provide hollow benefits to
minorities are, instead of providing real benefits, harmful to them
because fascist forces use these schemes as tools to ridicule and
taunt minorities.
He said that Sachar Committee is constituted but its first rec-
ommendation to give reservation to Muslims in government jobs
is not implemented; again, food security bill is passed but securi-
ty to life bill is not even introduced. He further said that when
oppression is heaped on Muslims in Gujarat and other states, the
so-called sympathizers of Muslims make a bee line to these
places to show their false sympathy. He demanded that rules and
conditions attached to Maulana Azad Foundation should be made
easy to derive benefits from its different schemes so that hundred
percent benefits of these schemes could be ensured to minorities
(Muslims). He said that if these conditions cannot be made easy,
these schemes should better be abolished.
Vocational courses to make students self dependent
New Delhi: Delhi Minorities Commission has been running 3-
months free mobile repairing course for minorities at Nishkaam
Bhawan in Tilak Vihar area of Delhi. On 6 December boy and girl
students who had completed 3 months training course were given
certificates by the Chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission
Safdar Husain Khan at a function held at Nishkaam Bhavan.
Speaking on this occasion while addressing the trainees and oth-
ers he asked them to achieve expertise in the field of technical
education also along with academic and modern education so as
to improve means of earning their livelihood. Emphasising the
importance of mobile repairing course, he said that maximum use
of mobile phones is made in India but the number of professional
experts in technical fields is also minimum in India, for this huge
population.
It may be stated in this connection that in order to provide
employment opportunities to people / youth belonging to minority
communities particularly Muslims, free computer training courses
and mobile repairing courses are being arranged at various places
in Delhi and so far more than 900 boys and girls belonging to this
community have benefited from such training. Financial assis-
tance for such trainings is being provided by Delhi Minorities
Commission. At Nishkaam Bhavan, President of Nishkaam Sikh
Welfare Council, Sardar Harbhajan Singh and other authorities of
the Sikh Welfare Council were also present, who received Safdar
Husain Khan when he arrived to distribute certificates to the suc-
cessful trainees. Harbhajan Singh also requested Safdar Husain
Khan to extend the period of training programme so that students
who could not participate in this programme could also benefit
from such free training.
Modernised Madrasa earns international recognition
Orgram (West Bengal): A Muslim madrasa after modernization
has earned international recognition. It also has become a centre
of communal harmony as it attracts a substantial number of Hindu
students who enjoy the benefit of free uniform and mid-day meal.
Orgram, 125 kms from Kolkata, has 1400 students out of
which 60% are non-Muslims. Out of 32 teachers 11 are Hindus.
The syllabus includes Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography,
Mathematics, Computer Science and English. Its alumni have
obtained professional degrees as doctors, engineers and scien-
tists. The institution is aided by the state government.
Within two years of modernization as per Sachar Committee
recommendations it began earning recognition as a centre of
excellence. Brooking Doha Centre of Qatar recognised it as a mod-
ern educational model in 2009. This induced the government of
Pakistan to adopt the model. Social activist Professor Prasenjeet
Biswas of Northern Eastern Hill University holds that Muslims
have been immensely benefited - academically as well as cultur-
ally. It bridges the gulf between Hindus and Muslims. In a telecast
on Al-Jazeera, Pooja Kshetrapal, emphasied the fact that it has
become a choice destination among parents.
Hospital neglect kills Anwesh Ali
Ahmedabad: Six year old child, Anwesh Ali, admitted for a minor
nose surgery died within half an hour of Sefakzone injection reac-
tion in municipal corporation controlled L. G. Hospital. He is
reported to have died of reaction to the injection according to hos-
pital Superintended Yogendra Modi. An enquiry was instituted by
the hospital administration. Municipal councilor Atul Patel wrote a
letter to the Municipal commissioner demanding vigilance investi-
gation. Badruddin Sheikh, leader of opposition in the municipal
corporation and another corporator Iqbal Sheikh have demanded
compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the bereaved Syed family. The hos-
pital has been over years, a place of utter negligence, endangering
several lives in the past.
Inscription of goddess on 5-rupee coin resented by Muslims
Muradabad: President of National Social Organisation, Al Haj
Mirza Rashid Baig expressed his great disapproval of the statue of
goddess Vaishno Devi being inscribed on the 5-rupee coin issued
by Reserve Bank of India and made an appeal to Muslims to avoid
their pockets becoming mini temples and boycott the new coin.
He said in a written statement that he has come to know through
newspapers that the prime minister Manmohan Singh had given
his approval in January 2013 for this coin being issued on the
occasion of the silver jubilee celebration of Vaishno Devi Shrine
Board. These coins have now arrived in Muradabad also. Blaming
prime minister Manmohan Singh and UPA government at the cen-
tre, he said that a planned conspiracy was now being hatched to
make the foundation of secularism hollow and against Muslims
because public circulation of idols is against the basic concept of
Muslims. He made an appeal to Ulama and leaders of all sects of
Muslims to protest against this and put pressure on the govern-
ment to abolish or stop the circulation of this coin.
Inter college for minorities to be set up in Greater Noida
Greater Noida: District Magistrate of Greater Noida, Hira Lal Gupta
said at a function held in the auditorium in the Collectorate on the
occasion of Minorities Day that soon an inter college will be built
for minorities in Dadri. He said that permission for this would be
obtained from the government after which work would start.
District Minorities Department celebrated Minorities Day on
18 December when this function was held which was chaired by
District Magistrate. He said while speaking on this occasion that
no stone would be left unturned in providing education to minori-
ties and at the same time a benefit of 20 percent would be given
to them in all welfare schemes that are being implemented in this
district, adding that if this benefit is not given to them, action
would be taken against such departments or authorities. He fur-
ther said that people from the minority community should not
depend on reservation but should take active part in competitions.
This will be good for them as well as for the society.
District Welfare Officer Krishna Prasad on this occasion
apprised the people of all minority communities present in the
auditorium about the 11 welfare schemes being implemented in
the district which include, among others, (educational) scholar-
ships, marriage grants, erection of boundary walls around grave-
yards, multi-sectoral development projects, recognition and mod-
ernization of madrasas.
Mumbai: Haj Committee of Indias deputy Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) (Operations) Khalid Arab said here on
20 December that Central Haj Committee will return a total
amount of Rs 18 crores belonging to about 5 thousand Hajis
who had booked for Haj in 2012 through the Haj Committee of
India. He said that of these 5 thousand, 3 thousand are those
who had filled up the form for first class accommodation i.e.
green category and had deposited the amount for this cate-
gory also but because of large scale expansion work of Haram
Sharif many existing buildings were demolished because of
which accommodations for first class or green category were
not available and they had to be accommodated in Azizia. For
green category accommodations, 4500 Rials per Haji was
charged whereas in Azizia charges for accommodation were
2530 Rial per Haji. Thus, Rs 30,500 (in Indian currency) will
be returned to each Haji of the green category who were
accommodated in Azizia. Total amount returnable on this
account is therefore Rs 9 crores approximately.
He (Khalid Arab) further said that 2 thousand Hajis were
those who were selected through lottery for going for Haj and
who had deposited full or half the amount but were not able to go
because of illness, death of some relative or because of some
other reason at the last minute. He said that amounts of such
prospective Hajis would also be returned and total amounts on
this account will also be around Rs 9 crores. He said that all such
amounts will be returned by the end of December 2013.
He further said that the process of returning the amounts to
the Hajis or prospective Hajis whose A/c No, IFSC Code, Banks
name, address, code etc were given has already started and so
far the process of returning amounts to about 1400 Hajis or
prospective Hajis has been completed. For returning these
amounts RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) technique is being
used so that the amounts could be deposited in their bank
accounts without any delay. (N. A. Ansari)
Haj Committee to return excess money
14 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 COMMUNITY NEWS www.milligazette.com
Darul Ulooms 2-day meeting concludes
Deoband: Darul Uloom, Deobands Majlis Shooras 2-day budget
meeting concluded on 9 December in which many important
decisions were taken. Annual budget of this world famous reli-
gious educational institution to the tune of Rs 24,91,05,000 was
unanimously approved for the Hijri Year 1435 (2013-14 CE). In
view of the increasing cost of living (dearness) additional dear-
ness allowance of 5 percent in addition to 5% already being given
was also approved for its employees. Promotion of some employ-
ees in view of their good work and performance was also
approved. In addition to all these, an increase of 50 rupees in the
monthly scholarships of students was also approved. It was also
decided to speed up the building and construction work and in
view of the great need for hostels, a proposal of building more
hostels was also approved. In view of the expiry of the term of the
educational committee, new educational committee was consti-
tuted and new members of this committee were also selected for
appointment. In this budget session of Majlis-e Shoora concern
was expressed over the exclusion of Arabic and Persian lan-
guages from UPSCs civil services examinations on the ground of
them being foreign languages (though English, which too is a for-
eign language, was retained). Though many senior members of
Majlis-e Shoora participated in this meeting, some important
members like Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadwi and Mufti Sayeed
Palanpuri along with some others could not attend this meeting
because of personal reasons.
All India Institute of Unani Medical Sciences to be set up
New Delhi: According to Dr Raeesur Rahman, advisor on Unani
system and medicines in the union ministry of healths Ayush
(Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) Department, central
government has given its approval for setting up of a Unani AIIMS
i.e. All India Institue of Unani Medical Sciences on the pattern of
AIIMS. Dr Raeesur Rahman, ever since he joined Ayush
Department, had been actively working and trying to set up a
unani medical and research institution on the pattern of AIIMS and
his efforts in this direction have been successful with the central
government taking the decision of setting up Unani AIIMS. For this
a big plot of land has been taken in Ghaziabad on which building
and construction work will start soon. Work on other relevant
projects and schemes is going on, on a war footing.
Dr (Hakeem) Aslam Javed, general secretary and founder of
Hakeem Ajmal Khan Memorial Society, commenting on the gov-
ernments approval for setting up Unani medical and research
institution on the pattern of AIIMS said that this is a good step of
the government and hoped that the government will also fulfill its
old promise, as stated in the Congress Partys election manifesto
of 2009, of setting up the Central Unani University (to be named
after Hakeem Ajmal Khan). It may be stated in this connection that
union minister for minorities affairs K. Rahman Khan also had
been emphasizing the need for setting up a unani university.
Dowry death in Saharanpur
Saharanpur: Zeenat, daughter of one Salman, who was married to
one Ghufran about 5 years ago and was allegedly set on fire on
18 December died in Delhis Safdarjung Hospital on 28 December.
According to available information her husband Ghufran is an
employee in a cigarette factory. After the tragic incident her hus-
band and other members of the household are absconding.
Though it is not clearly mentioned that she was set on fire
because of non-fulfilment of the demand for dowry, it is suspect-
ed that she became a victim of the curse of dowry. Zeenats par-
ents and others registered a complaint in the police station against
her husband Ghufran, his uncle, his brother and sister of sprin-
kling kerosene on her (Zeenat) and setting her on fire. She had
suffered 60 percent burns and was admitted to district hospital
but doctors finding her condition serious, referred her to Delhis
Safdarjung Hospital. Ever since her admission in Safdarjung
Hospital doctors were constantly taking care of her but she could
not be saved and died on 28 December night. Zeenat left behind
her 4-year old daughter. Her husband Ghurfan and other mem-
bers of his household had fled after Zeenat being set on fire but
subsequently her husband surrendered himself in court on
23 December which sent him to jail. Other members of the house-
hold are still absconding and police is on their look-out. Cases
against Ghufran and others are registered under sections 307-498
A, 506-504 and DF of IPC. Zeenats brutal and unnatural death
has sent a wave of extreme sorrow in the locality and neighbour-
ing places.
Vanzara evades court attendance
Ahmedabad: D. G. Vanzara, suspended IPS officer, evades court
attendance on the strength of old medical certificates. On CBIs
oral complaint the court has written a letter to jail authorities.
Following courts directive a medical team was constituted to
decide his fitness which has submitted its report in a sealed enve-
lope. It is reported that though he is brought to the civil hospital
for treatment he avoids reporting in court. He prefers to live in
Sabarmati jail where he enjoys several privileges and facilities in
contrast to Mumbai jail.
Six real sisters married simultaneously in a single function
Buland Shahar: Six real sisters were married off in a single func-
tion on 19 December. Hina Kausar and Rida Akhtar, daughters of
Rafiq, a farmer and wrestler of Khurjas Murari Nagar muhalla
were married to Nabi Khan and Asad Khan respectively of Anoop
Shahar who also are real brothers. Rafiqs other daughters Huma
and Saaima were married to Shoaib and Shaarib respectively who
too are real brothers. Rafiqs two other daughters Reena and
Samreen got married to Asif and Muzammil of Aligarh districts
Atrauli village, who too incidentally are real brothers. Marriages of
all daughters of Rafiq were performed satisfactorily and their
farewell (rukhsati) also took place satisfactorily after which Rafiq
and other members of his family thanked Allah. About four thou-
sand people had participated in this unique marriage. It may be
stated incidentally that Rafiq has two wives and from both he has
17 children.
Snoopgate prompts enquiry commission
New Delhi / Ahmedabad: With the rejection of Zakia Jafris petition
by courts against SITs clean chit to Narendra Modi the PM aspi-
rant can heave a sigh of relief. While Modi expressed his jubilation
by citing Satyamev Jayate (the truth prevails); Zakia expressed
her determination to challenge the verdict in the High Court.
Meanwhile the union cabinet has decided to constitute a one
man commission headed by a retired justice of the Supreme
Court under Section - 3 of Commission of INquiry Act which
empowers the Union government to appoint a commission. The
commission is to submit its report within three months - prior to
the Loksabha poll. The investigation shall probe snoopgate in
which a woman was put under surveillance not only within the
state but also beyond Gujarat
A new set of 39 tapes released by Gulail claims: the new
tapes establish beyond doubt that the surveillance. Was
mounted not to protect Madhuri but to stalk her and pry into her
private life.
The BJP has decided to challenge the decision to appoint the
commission in a court alleging that it is a violation of federal
nature of the constitution. According to Arun Jaitley the Congress
is harassing Modi as it has failedto contain Modis popularity.
Mauni Namo breaks silence
New Delhi / Ahmedabad: Breaking his twelve year long silence on
the Gujarat carnage Namo shed crocodile tears over the loss of
life and property in 2002. He cites scriptures for maintaining
silence and suffering the agony in silence. Feeling relaxed after the
clean chit granted by the court he attacks his opponents for the
tirade against him. Refusing to tender any apology he claims effi-
ciency in controlling the riot in a decisive manner. Citing Supreme
Courts observations he does not mention a word why, then, Atalji
reminded him of adhering to the Rajdharma.
Claiming the victims to be his own Gujarati brethren he does
not mention a single word as to why Juhupura (in his own con-
stituency) still remains a ghetto deprived of all the basic amenities
- nor does he mention what stopped him from providing rehabili-
tation and compensation to the victims. He urges all his detrac-
tors to show decency the way he himself had maintained over the
years without uttering a single word in self defence. Even if we
take the statement at its face value one fails to understand who,
in that case, shielded Babu Bajrangi and his ilk. How did the police
hound the victims towards the rioters, then? As a shrewd politi-
cian he uses the clean chit to convince the would-be-comrades of
NDA that his credentials of governance are excellent. One won-
ders whether the others are as nave, and could he take them for
granted.
Abu Faisal arrested by MPATS
Bhopal / Indore: MPATS claims to have made / achieved a major
breakthrough with the arrest of Abu Faisal along with two others
at Sendhwa (close to Mahrashra border). Abu Faisal is described
as the mastermind in the sensational jail break at Khandwa three
months ago. Five others are still absconding. The ATS comprising
a team of 66 members had been camping at a forest outpost for
the last four days. This follows a tip off and the three were arrest-
ed in an encounter amidst firing from both the sides. Cash of Rs
1.35 lakh along with weapons were recovered from them. They
were produced before a magistrate who remanded them to 13 day
custody of Sendhwa rural police. Irfan Nagori of Mahidpur (Ujjain)
and Khalid Ahmad (Sholapur, Maharashtra) were the two others
arrested with Abu.
Indore zone police I G Vipin Maheshwari discussed the oper-
ation with ATS I G Sanjiv Sharma but did not divulge anything. He,
later on, apprised media but evaded answering several questions
by stating that the ATS did not apprise them much on the matter.
Abu Faisal is reported to have been nabbed while crossing a field.
Similarly, how, none from either side was injured in the direct
cross firing, are a few unanswered questions. ATS claims that
among Abu Faisals targets were Narendra Modi and home min-
ister Sushil Kumar Shinde. They also intended to attack Sonia
Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, as well as American and Pak embassies.
They had been under observation for the last ten days.
Four SIMI activists arrested
Bhopal: Four SIMI activists have been arrested on the basis of info
extracted from Abu Faisal and his four colleagues arrested from
Maharashtra. In a joint operation ATS and CTG (Counter Terrorist
Group) arrested Javed Nagori (Mehidpur) and Abdul Aziz,
Muhammad Adil, Abdul Wahid (Ujjain) in the midnight of
30 December. A huge cache of explosives comprising 900 gela-
tin rods, 600 detonators, pipe bombs and more than two dozen
ready to use bombs were recovered. They were allegedly planning
to target religious places by planting bombs on the eve of new
year. According to ATS IG Sanjeev Shami they were nabbed
before they could succeed in their operation. They are being inter-
rogated to ascertain the source of such a huge stock of explo-
sives.
Earlier, Muslims on 31st December had staged a Protest road
block in Topkhana area over surprise raids and arrests. No official
statement was made at that time. However, district SP Anugar
later on confirmed that while four cases had been registered
against Irfan Nagori (Mehidpur) there was no police record of the
other four persons. A strict vigil was being maintained following
IB alert at the time of Narendra Modis rally at Ujjain on
23 November. Javed is a teacher in Jamia school at Mehidpur.
Two more arrested in Maharashtra
Bhopal: MP ATS nabbed two more SIMI activists from Sholapur
(Maharashtra). Irfan and Ismail were arrested on the basis of info
provided by activists arrested earlier. A computer has been seized
which contains details of plans they intended to execute. This
raises the number of arrested persons to 11. The four accused
arrested from Ujjain were produced in court on 2 January. All
have been granted remand upto 28 January. A few more arrests
are imminent. Meanwhile Javeds father, Riyazuddin, in a letter
addressed to the governor urged an impartial enquiry into the
matter pointing out that his son was innocent and has no links
with any organisation. He is studying in a local college.
With the arrest of Muhammad Aman from Ujjain the tally has
risen to 12. This has created panic among the members of the
community who allege that this is an attempt to demonise the
entire community. Question has been raised as why no panchna-
ma was made at the time of the alleged recovery of explosives.
Family members of the arrested youth asserted that the entire
locality can vouch that nothing was recovered from them at the
time of arrest. Shaher Qazi, Khaliqur Rahman in a press meet on
Friday (3 Jan) said that the youth have been falsely implicated and
women of the family were mistreated. Irfan was arrested from
Chosla though it was reported to be at Sendhu. Media alleges that
the SIMI group is operating with funding from Pakistan. The net-
work, after revival, has 2000 members out of which only 12 have
been nabbed so far. In addition to Ujjain, Jabalpur and Sivni dis-
tricts are also on the radar according to ATS IG Sanjeev Shami
Police advised to learn Urdu to talk politely
Bangalore: Karnatakas chief minister Sidramaiya, while inaugu-
rating the Rs 23 crore, high-tech traffic management mechanism
and Bangalore Polices 50-year (Golden jubilee) Foundation Day,
said that if people do not feel themselves to be safe, police sta-
tions, Headquarters and instruments (for detecting crimes etc)
are meaningless. He said that in order to know or learn how to
speak politely, police should learn Urdu language and if they learn
to speak Urdu, they can win the cooperation of people, adding that
you cannot use the same or one and the same language for every
body. He also advised the traffic police to put an end to talking on
mobile phones while driving, ignoring traffic signals, and commit-
ting other violations of traffic rules. He said that though these are
minor things, if proper attention is paid to such things many traf-
fic problems can be solved automatically.
Nagpur: Minister for minorities affairs in Maharashtra,
Muhammad Arif Naseem Khan said in reply to different questions
in the state assembly (in the winter session, being held here
(Nagpur) that action will be taken against government offices
which are occupying Auqaf lands in Maharashtra. He said that as
of now, 82 offices of different departments of the state are situ-
ated on Waqf lands and the Waqf Board has started taking action
to get such lands vacated and has started taking rents from
offices which are situated on Waqf land. He further said that
Waqf properties are dedicated in the name of Allah and are trusts
of the people and nation and no misuse or usurpation of such
lands will be tolerated. Giving details of such lands and proper-
ties he said that there are in all 92000 acres of Waqf lands in dif-
ferent districts of the state and the process of getting the records
of all these lands and properties computerized is going on and
so far, out of 8000 lands / properties details of 6800 properties
are preserved in the computer and in the next two or three
months all details of such properties will be available on comput-
er. He said that a website of State Waqf Board will also be set up
on which all details of Waqf properties will be available to peo-
ple.
Congress MLC, Baba Johnny while inviting the ministers
attention to ATG Sheikh Committees report about corruption in
Waqf Board and misappropriation of Waqf lands / properties
asked him when this report will be made public and when the
recommendations of this Committee will be implemented. The
minister said that the repor t of this Committee (Sheikh
Committee) which was appointed after many cases of corruption
and irregularities in Waqf Board had come to light after 2007,
was submitted to the government in 2011. He said that after this
report, another committee headed by the chief secretary was
constituted which is taking action on the recommendations of the
Sheikh Committee. He further said that the process of ATR
(Action Taken Report) is going on and it will be made public
soon. In reply to another question by Congress MLA, Sanjay Dutt
about the appointment of Waqf Board members, the minister said
that appointment of office holders or members (of Waqf Board)
will be made soon after enforcement of New Waqf Act. He how-
ever said that at present seven members have been appointed
and since the Chairman is selected by the members, unless all
members are appointed, Chairmans selection cannot be made.
(N. A. Ansari)
Action to be taken against govt offices
occupying Awqaf lands in Maharashtra
COMMUNITY NEWS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 15 www.milligazette.com
DR. MOHSEN MOHAMMAD SALEH
Introduction: It appears that the Arab Spring's
aftershock/counter-revolution, culminated with
the military coup in Egypt, has given a strong
push for the peace process with Israel; encour-
aging the Israeli-American party to take advan-
tage of the historical opportunity offered by an
Arab strategic environment-that is weak, frag-
mented, and mired in conflicts and crises-and the Palestinian
weakness and division, to try to solve the Palestinian issue and
reorder the region in a way that suits Israeli-American interests.
Resumption of Negotiations: On 19/7/2013, US Secretary of
State John Kerry, after six rounds in the region spanning the bet-
ter part of five months, declared that the Palestinians and Israelis
have agreed to resume peace talks between them, which had
seen a hiatus lasting almost three years. The date for the resump-
tion of the negotiations was set on 30/7/2013.
Since the negotiations collapsed in late 2010, the leadership
of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) insisted on refusing
to continue the talks except after Israeli settlement building in the
West Bank (WB) ceases and a new well-defined frame of refer-
ence for the negotiations is established, based on Israel recogniz-
ing the two-state solution on the basis of the borders of 1967. The
PLO then added a demand related to Palestinian prisoners in the
Israeli jails, especially prisoners who were arrested before the
1993 Oslo Accords.
Practically speaking, the PLO leadership has since waived
these conditions, and bowed to the Israeli dictates regarding
negotiations in light of continued settlement activity, without a
well-defined frame of reference that would be binding for Israel.
This is while Israel has pledged to release prisoners held before
Oslo in batches. The PLO leadership overhyped this "achieve-
ment" to cover up its failures over what are otherwise the core
components of the negotiating process.
The PLO leadership contented itself with clarifications, or so-
called "guarantees" pledged during the US campaign to push for
the resumption of the negotiations. However, these are merely
verbal guarantees (known as Kerry's plan), primarily emphasizing
the Palestinian people's right to rule themselves and to achieve
their aspirations, in a contiguous, sovereign state, in accordance
to the two-state solution based on the borders of 1967 with mutu-
ally agreed swaps.
Success Factors in Negotiations: Some pundits believe that
there is a chance to make the negotiations a success, for the fol-
lowing reasons:
1. The willingness of the PLO/Fatah leadership to compromise
on some Palestinian Fundamentals such as the right of the
refugees to return to their lands occupied in 1948, and reaching
deals that may be satisfactory to the Israeli side regarding the
future of Jerusalem, the settlements, land swaps, security guar-
antees, and establishing a demilitarized state .
2. The Israeli concerns about missing a historic opportunity
to snap up major concessions from the Palestinians, in the pres-
ence of a weak Palestinian leadership, Palestinian division, and
stalling efforts for inter-Palestinian reconciliation.
3. The presence of a favorable regional environment after the
severe blow dealt to the Arab Spring in Egypt, and as a result of
the faltering march of revolutions for change and reform, the
decline of the "Rejection Front" (i.e., Syria, Iran, Hamas and
Hizbullah), Hamas's loss of much of its previous regional logisti-
cal support, the tightened siege on Gaza Strip (GS), and the
revival of the "moderate axis," which could secure an Arab climate
conducive for the peace process.
4. The strong American-Western interest to take advantage of
the state of chaos, fragmentation, and weakness, and the con-
flicts blighting the region, to create a new map more in line with
Israeli-American-Western interests; and the American conviction
that these arrangements cannot be realized except after solving
the Palestinian question.
5. The Israeli realization that they have no future in the region
except if their state is "normalized," which is not possible except
by achieving a peace settlement that puts an end to the conflict.
6. The Israeli awareness of the threat posed by Palestinian
population growth, inside historic Palestine, to the future of the
"Jewish state" and the Jewish identity of Israel.
Failure Factors in Negotiations: Other pundits expect the negoti-
ations to fail for several reasons, most notably:
1. It is very difficult for the Palestinian side to sell, to its own
people, a final agreement based on Israeli terms with historical
concessions.
2. The Israeli side itself is unprepared to make "historic" con-
cessions for the Palestinian people. For one thing, Israel is led by
an extremist government, in a society that is becoming increas-
ingly extremist. The Israelis in general agree on what is a "no," but
not on what is a "yes."
3. The American side is unable (and unwilling) to put pres-
sure on Israel to make "historic" concessions or concessions that
are undesirable to Israel.
4. The mistrust the Israeli side harbors for the Palestinian
negotiating party, which is perceived as weak and unrepresenta-
tive of the Palestinian people, and one that may not be able to
implement its commitments. Hence, there is no justification for
making substantial concessions that may go in vain.
5. The Arab and Islamic climate is unstable and full of chal-
lenges, and thus its interactions cannot be controlled and its
developments cannot be reassured to. Hence, any guarantees or
current Arab partnerships in the peace process could lose their
meanings or legitimacy with any change in the existing regimes.
6. The Israeli negotiating strategy is based on "managing the
problem" rather than "resolving the problem." It therefore has a
stake in prolonging the negotiations, as much as possible, while
continuing to build facts on the ground, including strengthening
Jewish presence, building settlements, and confiscating lands
and holy sites; until the goal of imposing its vision on the other
side is achieved, after having invalidated the cards the latter
holds.
Course of Negotiations: Since 30/7/2013, more than 20 negoti-
ating rounds were held. Their outcome was frustrating for the
Fatah/Palestinian side, as the Israeli side sustained its settlement
activities frantically, and did not delve into the core issues of the
peace process, nor offer its vision for the final solution. Instead,
the Israelis continued to put pressure regarding security arrange-
ments and their details, and about recognizing Israel as a state for
the Jewish people, and did not accept the idea of the Palestinian
state based on the borders of 1967, or enter negotiations about
demarcating the borders. Reports leaked that there was a request
to lease the Jordan Valley region (28% of WB) for 40 years (the
Americans proposed 10-15 years that can be renewed), with the
settlements clustered in ten settlement blocks, and early warning
stations kept in the WB highlands. There was also an Israeli desire
to separate GS from the negotiating process.
The Palestinian negotiating party, which appeared to be
engaged in a futile process, submitted its resignation on
30/10/2013 to Palestinian President Mahmud 'Abbas, who insist-
ed on continuing to negotiate until the end of the deadline set at
April 2014. Concerning what the Palestinian side has offered in
the "compromises market," the leaks suggest: A demilitarized
Palestinian state based on the borders of 1967, possibly starting
out with temporary borders on 80% of WB, expanding gradually
within three years to reach its final borders, with the possibility of
maintaining the core settlement blocks through a land swap that
does not exceed 2%, proportionately in size and value.
Another offer involves forfeiting the right of Palestine refugees
to return to the land occupied in 1948 (i.e., Israel), with willing-
ness to make some concessions in East Jerusalem concerning
the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter (Al-Sharaf Quarter), as
well as parts of the Armenian Quarter, the Sheikh Jarrah Quarter,
and the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.
Meanwhile, there is declared Palestinian rejection (so far!) of
recognizing Israel as a Jewish state or as a state for the "Jewish
people," on the grounds that Israel was already politically recog-
nized in 1993, and that Israel cannot be recognized on an ideo-
logical basis, something that was not raised in the treaties con-
cluded with Egypt and Jordan.
Possible Scenarios: There are five possible scenarios for the
negotiations:
1. Historic Agreement
This scenario is based on the idea that the Palestinian and Israeli
sides, and also the American and Western side, want to take
advantage of the historic opportunity that may not be repeated, to
conclude an agreement that would decisively settle final status
issues. In essence, this agreement would approve the establish-
ment of a demilitarized Palestinian state based on the borders of
1967, with limited land swaps, and a safe corridor between the
WB and GS. The settlement blocks would remain, the right of the
refugees to return to the Palestinian lands occupied in 1948
would be forfeited, and a solution would be reached giving some
measure of sovereignty and guarantees to both sides in East
Jerusalem. Most Arab countries would endorse the peace agree-
ment and normalization, on the grounds of accepting whatever
the Palestinians assent to. Celebratory coverage in the media will
portray this as a historic achievement of establishing the
Palestinian state, supposedly rescuing most of the WB and GS
from Israeli occupation and the clutches of the process of
"Judaization," despite the disadvantages and evils of this new
agreement.
2. A New Framework Agreement (Oslo 2)
This scenario is based on the premise that both parties are not
completely prepared to reach final agreements (especially the
Israeli side). However, an agreement is made by the two sides
supported by a favorable regional and international climate,
focusing on the need to make an important breakthrough, without
necessarily settling the issues of the refugees, Jerusalem, and the
borders. This means agreeing to establish the Palestinian state
within provisional borders, on 60-70% of the WB. Meanwhile,
Israel continues to maintain its control over the ports of entry to
the state awaiting a final solution.
This is a scenario favored by Israel, albeit it has so far been
rejected by the PLO leadership, fearing for what is temporary to
become permanent, and fearing for the other issues to become
merely disputes between two states, as is the case with many
countries of the world.
3.New Temporary Arrangements
This could happen to avoid declaring the failure of the negotia-
tions, by expanding partially and in a limited fashion the areas
administered by the Palestinian Authority, which is also given fur-
ther economic incentives, in addition to releasing more prisoners,
curtailing checkpoints, and reducing security measures in the
WB.
4. Failure of Negotiations, Israeli Unilateral Withdrawal
This is linked to Sharon's project, on the basis of which the
Kadima party was founded. It is based on the premise that it is
impossible to reach a final settlement that both sides can agree
to. Therefore, as the plan envisages, the Israeli side must deter-
mine by itself the areas that it wants to withdraw from, without
consulting the Palestinians. This would be offered as a "great sac-
rifice" for peace, and would turn the Israeli problem with the
Palestinians afterwards into a mere border dispute. However, this
scenario involves great disparity in the views of the Israelis who
support it: Indeed, some speak about withdrawing from 43% of
the WB, while others speak about withdrawing from two-thirds,
and others still about withdrawing behind the Separation Wall
(approx. 88%). In any case, the whole of East Jerusalem, the set-
tlement blocks, and water sources would remain under Israeli
control.
5. Failure of Negotiations, and the Continuation of the Status
Quo
It is based on an Israeli reading that does not believe the time is
right to make concessions, and that the Palestinian, Arab, and
Islamic situation is brittle, weak, torn, and unstable, meaning that
concessions have no tangible benefits for the Israeli side. Israel
also believes in the need to continue to build facts on the ground
to ultimately impose the Israeli vision of the peace settlement
from a practical perspective, allowing the Palestinian Authority to
only manage the population at the end, while the land would
remain under Israeli domination.
Any Likely Scenario?:
It is not easy to determine which is the most likely scenario
among these scenarios. However, it is possible to speak about a
chance to achieve a breakthrough in the peace process. Since
many of the demands laid on the Palestinians had been already
obtained in the past-including most points related to the refugees,
Jerusalem, the settlements, the security arrangements, and the
demilitarized Palestinian state-progressing towards an agreement
depends primarily on the extent of Israel's estimation of the situa-
tion. So far, this estimation is not inclined to reach a historic
agreement ending the conflict. For this reason, Israel might seek
to bring about the second scenario, involving a new framework
agreement without resolving the final issues. In this case, the
approval of the Palestinian side will make it a likely scenario, but
in case it was rejected, the third scenario will become more like-
ly. This scenario involves some arrangements that will "save
face." There is also the fifth scenario, which holds that negotia-
tions would fail. As for the scenario for a unilateral Israeli with-
drawal, this is still unlikely under the current political circum-
stances, which do not tend to allow a vacuum in the WB without
prior arrangements, lest Hamas and the resistance forces fill this
vacuum.
As for Palestinians, in such uncondusive atmosphere, and
unfair rules of the game, they should pull out from these negotia-
tions, which give a false image of the peace process and the rela-
tionship with the Israel, and provides ideal cover for the occupa-
tion and Judaization and settlement programs, holding the
Palestinian national project hostage to Israeli and American dic-
tates. It is also incumbent upon the Palestinians to give priority to
reconciliation and ending the division, rally the Palestinian peo-
ple's strengths and huge potential at home and abroad, put the
Palestinian house in order and reshape its independent decision,
and regain the Arab, Islamic, and international dimensions of the
Palestinian issue.
The author is director
of Beirut-based Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations
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16 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Can a Breakthrough Be Made in Palestine-Israel Peace Negotiations?
Since the negotiations collapsed in late 2010, the leadership of the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) insisted on refusing to continue the talks except after Israeli settlement
building in the West Bank (WB) ceases and a new well-defined frame of reference for the
negotiations is established, based on Israel recognizing the two-state solution on the basis of
the borders of 1967. The PLO then added a demand related to Palestinian prisoners in the
Israeli jails, especially prisoners who were arrested before the 1993 Oslo Accords...The PLO
leadership overhyped this "achievement" to cover up its failures over what are otherwise the
core components of the negotiating process.
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INTERNATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 17 www.milligazette.com
KHALID AMAYREH
in occupied Palestine.
Macabre news keeps arriving from the calamity-
stricken refugee camp of al-Yarmouk refugee
camp on the outskirts of Damascus.
People in the dozens are dying of starvation
as murderers and cutthroats from Hizbullah,
Iraqi Shiite and Alawite forces impose a hermet-
ic blockade on the camp, reportedly forcing
refugees to eat cats and dogs. It is a thousand
times harsher than Israels enduring blockade of
the Gaza Strip. There, at the very least no one
has died of hunger and no one has been forced
to eat cats and dogs.
Some relief workers who have been able to
access the camp give hair-raising accounts of
the real catastrophe engulfing the camp. One of
these workers told this writer via cellular phone
that they are killing us with religious fervor.
The Palestinians are Sunni Muslims. Hence,
the targeting of their camp by the sectarian
thugs allied with the despicable Fuehrer of
Damascus, who has destroyed his country and
murdered hundreds of thousands of his own
people in order to keep his family and sect in
power a few more years.
Interestingly, Bashar El-Assad, May Gods
curses fall on his head, has been murdering his
people with absolute backing and acquiescence
from the bulk of the international community,
including Russia, China, EU and the United
States.
The Americans and NATO had threatened to
punish Assad for using chemical weapons
against Sunni towns and villages. However, the
Americans cowered at the last moment, con-
tenting themselves with a promise from the
tyrant that he would see to it that Syrians are
exterminated only with conventional weapons.
As to the Palestinians themselves, it is real-
ly ironic that while Palestinian refugees are being
murdered or starved to death in Syria, the Syrian
regime and its criminal allies are justifying the
anti-Sunni genocide by invoking the Palestine
mantra. They say they are doing what they are
doing for the sake of the liberation of Palestine
and in order to foil the conspiracies of Zionism
and American imperialism!
Yes they are trying to foil Zionist and
American designs by starving refugees to death
and by exterminating Syrian children with chem-
ical gases and by dropping on them barrels
laden with explosives!
So far, we are told that as many as 2000
Palestinian refugees have been killed at the
hands of the murderous regime of Bashar El-
Assad. This is more than the number of refugees
slaughtered at the hands of Israeli-backed
Phallangests at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee
camps outside Beirut in 1982.
Then the PLO and the Arab world made a big
outcry in condemnation of the massacres. Now,
however, these Palestinians are being murdered
quietly and largely unwept by the soldiers of
Arab treachery and sectarianism.
What is even more scandalous is that there
still are many Palestinians, especially within the
leftist and nationalist circles, who continue to
shamelessly embrace the nefarious regime of
Damascus. Needless to say these people must
have sold their souls to the devil. They just have
lost every pretension of honesty, morality and
even humanity. These depraved thugs ought to
be treated as scum, vermin and dirty animals
that ought to be wiped out off the face of earth.
I believe the same thing applies to these
filthy-rich hedonists in some Arab states espe-
cially in the Gulf regions, who are drowning in
their lusts, lewdnesses, and promiscuities while
their fellow brothers in faith are starving to
death.
It was reported recently that the Emirate of
Dubai squandered large sums of money on fire-
works while celebrating New Year. Needless to
say the least that can be said about these cor-
rupt people is that they are sufaha (plural of
Safih) which means idiots or deranged individu-
als lacking the mental power to conduct their
lives properly especially managing money and
wealth.
Indeed, according to Islam these people
shouldnt be allowed to be in the possession of
such large amounts of wealth especially when
the money belongs to the Muslim Umma. They
are too irresponsible to handle such a wealth.
I
n Sura al-Nisa V. 5, the Almighty says: The
translation: And give not unto the foolish
your property which Allah has made a means
of support for you, but feed and clothe them
therewith, and speak to them words of kindness
and justice.
In fact, the Dubai-al-Yatrmouk equation can
be viewed as a metaphor caricaturing the entire
Arab world. It is an Arab world that drowns in a
sort of Jahilliya (the term Jahiliya denotes the
pre-Islamic period. It generally implies igno-
rance and moral darkness) that is far more
wicked and ignominious than the Jahiliya of Abu
Lahab and Abu Jahl.
One would really wonder how Arabs of this
caliber can really fit for the description given by
Allah to the Muslim Umma. Allah taala says in
Sura Aal Imran:110: You are the best of peo-
ples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-
Maruf (all that is good and virtuous) and forbid
Al-Munkar (all that is vice and immoral) and
believe in Allah.
They simply dont. That is why an Umma as
such doesnt deserve Allahs protection mercy
and care. Quite the opposite, it deserves to be
obliterated and replaced with a new Umma that
meets the Quranic description.
Hedonism in Dubai, starvation at refugee camp
Whatever Became Of
Western Civilization?
Western civilization has lost its attractiveness.
As nothing remains but a shadow of its former
self, it will not be missed as it disappears into a
bottomless pit of corruption.
PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
Not that long ago government and free market propo-
nents were at swords point, but no more. With little left
in the private sector to rip off, the financial gangsters
have turned to the public sector and put to work for them
the free market economists advocacy of privatization.
Governments themselves became part of the conspira-
cy once the politicians realized that looting public assets
was an efficient way to reward their private benefactors.
We can see the entire picture in the David Cameron governments pri-
vatization of the British Royal Mail. The prime minister has described the
looting as popular capitalism even though the British public overwhelm-
ingly opposes turning over the mail service to a profit-making enterprise.
The British governments pursuit of policies opposed by the public
shows the absence in Britain of the very democracy that British prime
ministers, such as Blair and Cameron, are so anxious to help Washington
spread with invasions, cluster bombs, and depleted uranium to
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Iran.
Here is how the Royal Mail is being privatized or, rather, looted.
First Camerons government, guided by the financial gangsters,
undervalued the assets of the Royal Mail and assumed mail delivery
charges below those that will be charged. This fictitious accounting
allows public assets to be transferred to the politicians private benefac-
tors at a price below their value.
For example, all of the Royal Mails real estate is being transferred to
the new private owners for less than the value of the Royal Mails London
real estate alone. Neil Clark reports that one Royal Mail London depot is
worth about one billion British pounds; but the entire real estate assets of
the Royal Mail--public property--is being transferred to the new private
owners for about three-quarters of one billion British pounds. The deal
was so loaded in favor of the private purchasers that the share price rose
almost 40 percent on the first day of trading. (This might have been some
sort of nominal trading as the deal possibly has not been finalized.)
According to reports, many of the mail carriers are going to lose their
jobs, and the public, not the private purchasers, is stuck with the liability
of the Royal Mail pension fund, which is about $55 billion dollars. So the
private looters get the assets but not the liabilities.
The purchasers are the financial gangsters in whose behalf econom-
ic policy is run in the US, UK, and Europe, and, you guessed it, Goldman
Sachs made $33.5 million advising Cameron on the sale.
Wall Street and the City of London, the two world financial centers so
beloved and misrepresented by free market economists as financiers of
investment and economic growth, are in fact legal, government support-
ed, Mafia gangs that loot. Their profits come from looting.
We are seeing them at work in Greece, where the sanctity of financial
profits requires public assets to be sold at bargain basement prices to pri-
vate interests. The deal requires protected islands of the national heritage
be turned over to real estate developers, and public assets such as water
companies, ports, and the state lottery be sold at lucrative prices to pri-
vate interests consisting of the private banks and their clients.
In Italy government indebtedness is forcing the sale to private
investors of historic castles and villas and the Island of San Giacomo in
one of Venices lagoons. These national treasures will be turned into
hotels, restaurants, and resorts for the one percent.
Are the British Museum and the Smithsonian next to be privatized?
In America prisons are privatized despite the incentive this gives to
produce inmates. Public schools are being privatized in the form of char-
ter schools. Charter schools are a scheme to eliminate public sector
teachers unions, and to convert their pay into private profits by bringing
in contract hires to teach for a few years before they are replaced by a
new group of contract hires.
Western civilization, to the extent than any civilization remains, is con-
fronted with a total collapse of economic and government morality.
Looting and exploitation rule, and the presstitute media does its best to
hide the fact.
Western civilization has been reduced to remnants--historical arti-
facts, picturesque villages in England and France, German efficiency, joie
de vivre and good food in France and Italy, and architectural masterpieces
and classical music created before our lifetime.
In addition to Wall Streets mechanisms for looting, America con-
tributes technology for putting the entire world under constant surveil-
lance, exploiting the information for economic benefit and for silencing
dissenters.
Western civilization has lost its attractiveness. As nothing remains but
a shadow of its former self, it will not be missed as it disappears into a
bottomless pit of corruption.
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic
Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for
Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has
had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a world-
wide following. His latest book, The Failure of LaissezCapitalism and Economic
Dissolution of the West is now available.
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
K_K_ghori@yahoo.com
Recalling the tragedies and trials her
regal family had undergone during the
year, Britains Queen Elizabeth described
the year as annushorribilisin her tradi-
tional Christmas Day address to her peo-
ple. The year the Queen was referring to
was 1997: the year best known for the
tragic death of Princess Diana.
The Queen at least had the candour
and moral integrity to recall, without
mincing her words, what tribulations she, personally, and her royal
brood had to put up with during the year. It was remarkable of her
to make no bones about it. But one wonders if any leader in the
current constellation of Muslim rulers and potentates would ever
summon half as much candour and gumption as the Queen to
describe the year we have just said goodbye to, the year 2013,
which couldnt be described as anything other than annushorri-
bilis-as so succinctly summed up by Aijaz Zaka Syed-a rising star
among the new breed of incisive and analytical Indian columnists
and commentators.
One need not be a rocket scientist, or an alchemist, to come
to the conclusion that the past year was like a dark tunnel for the
1.6 billion Muslims scattered over 57 sovereign states that have
predominant Muslim populations. The tragedy gets compounded
when one gets a closer look at the tunnel and finds hardly a ray of
light at its end.
The near-total unraveling of the so-called Arab Spring-which
had hit the Arab world with the intensity of a gale force of antici-
pations and expectations for a new phase in the moribund ME-is
, without doubt, the most horrifying aspect of the gloom envelop-
ing the Muslim world.
The Arab Spring was well and truly a breath of fresh air in an
Arab world despairing for change but clueless, until the self-
immolation of a young but desperate Mohammad BouAzizi-in a
non-descript small town of Tunisia-lit a flame that quickly became
a beacon of hope and a trigger for change in remote corners of the
Arab world. Its most notable success story was Egypt where the
tyrannical rule of Egypts last pharaoh, Hosni Mubarak, was fold-
ed under the impact of young and fearless Egyptians thrust for an
end to his despotic reign.
But change in Egypt is in a shambles as its befuddled people
step into the dawn of 2014. The Egyptian peoples evolution-and
with it their feverish hankering for democracy-has been brutally
hijacked. Egypt has another pharaoh-General Sisi-who seems
even more ruthless and diabolical than Hosni Mubarak ever was.
Sisi has thrown Egypts only democratically elected President,
Mohammad Morsi, into a dungeon like any ordinary criminal and
declared the 85 year old Muslim Brotherhood, or Ikhwan al
Muslimoon, the party Morsi belonged to, as a terrorist organisa-
tion, bringing the Brotherhood at par with the likes of Al-Qaeda.
General Sisi has been eminently successful in bringing back
to Egypt an even darker period of repression and denial of its peo-
ples most fundamental rights than it had ever experienced before.
The Egyptian Bonaparte has unleashed his repression and cruelty
without so much as a squeak of protest or a murmur of disquiet
from the democracy-aficionados and human rights-champions in
the Western world, most notably U.S. which has stood firmly by
the gung-ho Egyptian generals, in this episode, as it has all
through the years since the Camp David Accord of 1979.
So craven and feckless is the Western camp that Obama and
his clueless minions have even refused to put the label of a mili-
tary coup on what Sisi and his depraved cohorts did last July 3 to
roll back the Egyptian peoples vociferously aired commitment to
a democratic and open society with the rule of law as its guiding
light.
Egypt epitomises what is wrong-or rather what has gone
wrong-in the Arab world since the blossoming of the Arab Spring
three years ago.
There is only moral that could be drawn from the criminal
silence of the West in regard to Egyptian generals coup against
their nascent democracy and brutal suppression of their peoples
fundamental right to elect their own leaders and rulers. That moral
is that the West was neither prepared for the Arab Spring-was, in
fact, taken by surprise by its intensity and fervour---nor ever con-
ceived of any Arab country or society living under whatever rudi-
mentary democratic order its people would fashion for them-
selves.
Once the initial shock was over the western gurus of democ-
racy and human rights quickly set about ensuring that the fragile
sapling of democracy, in places like Egypt and next-door Libya,
would stand no chance of survival against a resurgence of auto-
cratic rule-the preferred mode of the West in regard to Arab soci-
eties.
The deliberate and pernicious western sabotage and subver-
sion of putative democracies in places like Egypt found willing
cohorts among the doddering clan of wealthy-but undemocratic
to their bone-marrow-Arab potentates ruling the roost in the oil-
rich Gulf Sheikhdoms. These Arab Sheikhs have survived, nay
thrived, for so long in their autocratic rule largely because of the
western, particularly, American patronage enjoyed, unquestion-
ingly, by them. On top of it, they are the most reliable and
resourceful customers of whatever is churned out and shoved into
their lap by the western armament industries.
So it was seen in the west as quite befitting their role-and util-
ity-for conservative and undemocratic Gulf sheikhs to get involved
in the Syrian peoples uprising against their own repressive ruler.
Saudi and Qatari monies, coupled with western arms, made an
ideal combo for the west. What could be better, the argument
hummed in their corridors of power, than Arab resources helping
both the Syrian insurgency and western armament industries. It
was a real bonanza, a win-win development, par excellence.
But as soon as it became evident that the Gulf oil wealth was
pampering and energising the likes of Al Qaeda and their other
Salafi off-shoots, the western ardour for blessing the anti-Assad
goons and terrorists turned sour, thus triggering a nerve-wrecking
game of cat-and-mouse in Syria.
The tragedy of Syria-with no tears shed over the colossal loss
of innocent civilian lives, running into more than a hundred thou-
sand-has compounded into an unending saga of tears and blood
by the exuberance of the Turkish government to stick its neck out
in the affairs of a neighbour-and doing so entirely gratuitously.
Turkey under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister
Erdogan has, for years, been an exception to pervasive gloom
shrouding the Muslim world. Its democratic credentials are
impeccable. The AK Party-committed to an open and democratic
society under its manifesto-has been hailed by the liberal (is there
any?) segment of the Muslim world and the west as a model that
other Islamic societies could learn a few things from. AKP has
won three general elections in a row raising its percentage of pop-
ular vote in every successive showing-with the last victory com-
ing by a landslide. Erdogans skilled management of Turkish econ-
omy-which was in the pits when AKP took over-has turned it
smartly into a throbbing motor of growth and thus making it an
envy of several of EUs struggling economies.
However, 2013 witnessed Erdogans popularity graph plum-
meting, both because of his inane intervention in the Syrian
imbroglio that makes little sense to his votaries at home and
legions of admirers abroad, and his impulsive proclivity to behave
like an autocrat whenever faced with an unsavory development at
home. Erdogans harsh treatment of the Turkish press deemed
critical of him has given a lot of fodder and gun-powder to those
of his critics who believe that he has an undemocratic agenda and
cannot be trusted with democracy because of his undisguised flir-
tations with autocracy. The harshness of his reaction to the civil
protest against his plans to transform Istanbuls historic Taksim
Square has been regularly cited as proof of the pudding that deep
down he isnt a champion of democracy, or openness, but enter-
taining and nurturing dreams of becoming Turkeys new Ataturk.
The systematic campaign of subversion and sabotage of
Hizbollah-related targets in Beirut and Lebanon, towards the clos-
ing period of 2013, points to another highly disturbing develop-
ment in which Americas rich Arab surrogates and its Trojan
horse, Israel, seem equally complicit.
Hizbollah has long been a thorn in Israels side because of the
humiliation this small but highly disciplined band of ideologically
inspired freedom fighters has heaped on the mighty Israel, from
time to time, and rubbing its nose in dirt. Hizbollah is perhaps the
only body of armed Arabs feared by Israel and, as such, constant-
ly in the cross-hairs of its warmongers and their ilk among their
western supporters.
To the abiding grief of Arab world watchers among the Muslim
intellectuals and analysts, 2013 unambiguously brought out
camaraderie of Israeli-American warmongers and their well-
heeled admirers and partisans among the rich but autocratic Gulf
potentates. This triumvirate-U.S., Israel and Gulf autocrats-is a
veritable Axis of those seeking to kill many birds with on stone.
Targeting Hizbollah-and a number of recent attacks and bomb
blasts in and around Beirut focused against Hizbollah-related tar-
gets-is a multi-dimensional agenda. Getting rid of Hizbollah is an
old dream of Israel and its western cohorts, now also joined by
the likes of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But Hizbollah is only a foil; a
larger target is Iran, Hizbollahs mentor. That explains the Saudi
rage against Obamas strives to patch things up with Iran. The
Saudis have left no one in any doubt that, to them, Iran is their
biggest enemy, a thorn in their side that they would desperately
want to be taken out by U.S. or Israel, or a joint vendetta led by
both. Remember Riyadhs old advice to George W. Bush was to
cut off the head of the (Iranian) serpent.
The sectarian blinkers of the wealthy Arab rulers tarnish their
shenanigans and antics in Syria, where Salafi cohorts and fellow-
travellers of Al Qaeda have been unleashed against the regime of
Bashar Al Assad. Armed with high-tech weapons paid for by their
munificent Gulf patrons and mentors, the Salafi armed gangs-
recruited from a dozen countries on the take of Gulf money-have
been relentlessly at work to sabotage the Syrian peoples upris-
ing for democracy and human rights in their beleaguered coun-
try.
The Salafi dream of an Islamic Emirate of Levant (IEL) has
been given a hefty boost by Gulf rulers munificence spurred by
their purblind hatred of a Shiite-Iran. IEL, in the moribund vision
of its dreamers would cover Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and, even,
Turkey. That should give a moment of pause and self-reflection to
Turkeys Erdogan; he ought to take the Salafi aficionados threat
seriously and ponder how far out would he be prepared to go in
his illogical opposition to Bashar Al Assad.
But while Erdogan may huff and puff, the Iraqi government,
led by Nouri El Maliki, must already be feeling the heat of the lat-
est spiral of sectarian violence in Iraq. The second-half of 2013
witnessed a sudden upsurge in Salafi-led violence against the Iraqi
Shiites. More than 2,000 innocent Iraqis have been killed in sec-
tarian acts of terror-predominantly targeting the Shiites. In the lat-
est spate of violence the predominantly Sunni province of Anbar-
north and west of Baghdad-has revolted against the central gov-
ernment and PM Maliki.
Imprints of Gulf money and anti-Shiite manoeuvres are as
clear as daylight in the Anbar uprising, which has cut off the two
large urban centres of Ramadi and Fallujah, from Baghdads edict.
The Iraqi quisling, Tariq Al-Hashmi, a former VP of Iraq, is the man
doing the biddings of his rich masters in the Gulf. He also enjoys
patronage from Erdogan, who allowed him refuge in Turkey.
This panorama of tumult, violence and mayhem paints a very
dismal and discouraging landscape in the Arab world, from Egypt
to Iraq and even beyond. It may be anything but democracy-
friendly or beckoning well for the embattled peoples of this vast
arc of countries afflicted with deep political malaise. Their human
rights are imperilled, perhaps more alarmingly than ever before.
The Arab Spring seems almost like a fable from a long gone
past as the Muslim world enters 2014. The long suppressed han-
kering of the Arab masses for salvation from tyranny and repres-
sion is back to square one. Repression has a more violent face for
the Arab people, thanks to its promotion by a West that cannot get
rid of its centuries-old enmity to Islam and its followers. The
Western addiction to autocracy as its favoured elixir for the Arab
world is, once again, playing havoc with the aspirations and
dreams of the Arab masses.
But is all lost, and is there no hint of light at the end of the
long, dark and dispiriting tunnel? Yes, theres a flicker of light, faint
though it may be at this early dawn of 2014. If the West is really
serious-and not merely playing pranks with Iran-a new modus
vivendi could still be found. That would be the first step on the
long journey to reclaim the centre stage for the peoples of Arab
and Muslim worlds and revive their hopes for a democratic future
in which their human rights will command due respect and recog-
nition.
Democracy and Human Rights imperiled in the Muslim World
18 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
The Arab Spring seems almost like a fable from a long gone past as the Muslim world enters 2014.
The long suppressed hankering of the Arab masses for salvation from tyranny and repression is back to
square one. Repression has a more violent face for the Arab people, thanks to its promotion by a West
that cannot get rid of its centuries-old enmity to Islam and its followers. The Western addiction to
autocracy as its favoured elixir for the Arab world is, once again, playing havoc with the aspirations and
dreams of the Arab masses.
Eirekats belated admission
With frustration and anger clear in the tone of
his voice, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Eirekat
admitted on Monday that peace talks with
Israel were going nowhere due to Israels
recalcitrant refusal to end her military occu-
pation that started in 1967.
Speaking in Ramallah, a visibly disillusioned
Eirekat said the Palestinian Authority (PA) should immediately
resume efforts to join international organizations and obtain
recognition of a Palestinian state based on the 1967-borders.
Under American pressure, the PA leadership agreed in
September to suspend a diplomatic drive to gain recognition and
obtain membership at various world bodies.
Eirekat lashed out at Israel for deciding on Sunday to annex
large parts of the Jordan valley, (which makes up 25% of the West
Bank), calling the Israeli measure the ultimate antithesis of
peace. Israel is proving to everyone that it is absolutely uncon-
cerned for reaching the two-state solution. Moreover, this govern-
ment of Binyamin Netanyahu is simply transforming its repulsive
occupation into annexation
Israel, under the rubric of peace talks with the PA, seized large
parts of the West Bank.
Similarly, Israel has been speeding up construction of Jewish
colonies, which most pundits believe has effectively decapitated
any remaining chance for the establishment of a viable and terri-
torially-contiguous Palestinian state worthy of the name.
Hamas and other Palestinian political factions as well as non-
conformist Fatah leaders had warned the PA leadership against
entering in open-ended talks with Israel in the absence of real
guarantees, especially from Israels guardian-ally, the United
States.
However, the PA, which depends for its financial survival on
politically-driven aid by western powers and oil-rich Arab
sheikhdoms in the Arabian Gulf, refused to say No to the
Americans.
U. S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to arrive in
Occupied Palestine later this week to push the seemingly futile
talks forward.
However, with the extreme right-wing government of
Benyamin Netanyahu in power, and with the Israeli Jewish socie-
ty drifting to religious fanaticism and national jingoism, it seems
the American official has a little chance of making any real break-
through.
Added to this is the ever-dwindling American ability to exert
any meaningful pressure on Israel due to the powerful influence of
the American Jewish lobby on American political life and institu-
tions, especially Congress.
The increasingly apparent failure and possible collapse of the
peace process in Palestine is likely to force many Palestinians to
demand the one-state solution whereby they conceivably would
acquire citizenship in a bi-national state extending from the
Mediterranean to the River Jordan.
However, Israel is utterly unlikely to accept this scenario as its
Jewish Zionist identity would be seriously compromised with the
inclusion of more than five million non-Jews to Israels population.
It is widely believed that the Arab population west of the river
Jordan already exceeds the number of Jews, although Israeli offi-
cials wouldnt admit that. (Khalid Amayreh in Occupied Palestine)
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20 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES www.milligazette.com
A. G. KHAN
By striking down the decision of Delhi High Court which had exon-
erated homosexual relations of being a crime, the apex court has
reversed the 2009 decision. It remains a crime as long as Art. 377
remains on the statute. There is a wave of support for such an
amendment, which even some top Congress leaders have
approved.
Time and again religious scriptures have emphatically assert-
ed that sodomy is a sin deserving punishment and heavenly
wrath. The Bible as well as the Quran depict what happened to the
inhabitants of Sodom. In fact, this word has its roots in the pun-
ishment the people of Lot were made to suffer. Hindu scriptures
do not have any account of people practicing the deviant form of
sexual relationship.
While pitying the people for the general outcry against the the
SC verdict, Vikram Seth, the celebrated writer of The Golden Gate
(in which he has given a vivid, poetical portrayal of homosexuali-
ty), went to the extent of justifying it by asserting that Babarnama
has an account of Babars fondness for a male. Does this estab-
lish the practice as a part of tradition? One mans deviant behav-
iour cannot be cited as a norm nor as a tradition.
Champions of human rights go on justifying the sin as an indi-
viduals right and personal freedom. Wont the rapist and dacoit
also claim exoneratation on similar grounds? Only those human
rights can claim legal justification for something which are univer-
sal as well as natural. Quite often these champions assert that
even animals seek sexual gratification in unnatural ways. This
again is biologically unsound. Such mating for the purpose of
breeding a new specie is neither natural nor universal but a forced
practice by misguided human beings or for the sake of scientific
experimentation.
Even if we accept the argument proffered to justify the prac-
tice we must pause to ponder: does the ultimate goal of human
civilization rest in resorting to animal behaviour?
By some unexplained facts of biology, there may be a few per-
sons suffering from some natural disorder -- cripples and mental-
ly challenged persons, for example, the society tries to find ways
and means to bring such people into the mainstream by providing
treatment and mechanisms to assist them. The society does not
fall headlong into repeating their ways and practices.
If mutual consent is a valid justification of an evil practice why
do we have laws punishing adultery? Let us scrap them in the
name of human rights. In the past, even the practice of Sati was
described as a choice made by a person of her own free will. Is
the SC going to scrap the restriction on Sati? What is then the jus-
tification of laws banning cow slaughter when some groups do
not find anything unnatural in it? Why, then, cow slaughter has
been included in state directive principles? The argument for
imposing such a ban rests on the fact the sentiments of a large
number of people must be respected and the law should try to
keep them in good humour. In the same vein we may argue that
the sentiments of a very large population of the country should be
respected vis--vis the wishes of a small fraction of deviated
groups/individuals.
In an interesting article, Prabhu Joshi exposes the campaign
of market and media mafia in justifying homosexuality. It is a tril-
lion dollar business, be it condoms or sex toys or homosexuality.
Joshi cites Nobel Laureate Dr Charles Socraides as saying that
this is a strategy planned by shrewd marketing tycoons who
describe it as a pathological disorder. The scientist claims that out
of a thousand cases he treated he could cure 997 (including his
own son) who later on lead not only normal lives after marriage
but also gave birth to children.
Legalising homosexuality would be curse
Even if we accept the argument
proffered to justify the practice we
must pause to ponder: does the
ultimate goal of human civilization
rest in resorting to animal behaviour?
By some unexplained facts of biology,
there may be a few persons suffering
from some natural disorder
cripples and mentally challenged
persons, for example, the society
tries to find ways and means to bring
such people into the mainstream by
providing treatment and mechanisms
to assist them. The society does not
fall headlong into repeating their
ways and practices.
SaaeeN Baba
SHAKEEL SHAMSI
An Indian Muslim faqeer who was buried in
Shirdi village of Maharashtras Ahmadnagar dis-
trict on 15 October 1918 is a person whom
crores of non-Muslims revere/worship as god
or devta but no one knows his real name or his
place or date of birth. He is called Sain (SaaeeN)
Baba by the people. The word SaaeeN is used
in many senses. The dictionary meanings of this
word are god, master, husband, a perfect man,
beggar, Faqeer. Also, it is the common word
used by dervishs to address each other. The
word Baba is a Persian word used for father.
SaaeeN Baba came to Shridi in 1885 and set-
tled there. Most of the time he was in meditation
and rarely spoke to anyone. But whenever he
opened his mouth, words of wisdom flowed out
of it.
People came to realise his wor th and wis-
dom when he star ted talking about the Holy
Quran along with Hindu scriptures. In earlier
days, he used to roam in uninhabited places
but when subsequently Muslims of Shirdi
requested him to come and stay at Shirdi, he
came and began to live there in an old, des-
olate mosque which he named Dwarkamaee
mosque. It may be stated in this connection
that when Krishnji left Mathura and proceed-
ed to coastal areas, he had set up a new city
at the sea coast which he named Dwarka.
SaaeeN Baba named the mosque where he
lived as Dwarkamaee to promote Hindu-
Muslim unity. He did a lot to promote Hindu-
Muslim unity.
During his stay in the mosque all and
sundry used to come to him to seek his
blessings and took the ashes of the aloe stick
which he lighted in his cubicle in the mosque
to their homes with great devotion. Gradually,
his popularity and the number of his devo-
tees began to increase in the whole of
Maharashtra.
No body knew who was SaaeeN Baba and
from where he had come but it is said that once
he had told one of his devotees that he was in
the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi who
had fought against the British but after her
defeat he had taken to spiritualism and also
worked for uniting Hindus and Muslims against
the British.
He had given the message of sab ka Malik
ek, ek hai sab ka Malik to the whole country.
Whenever someone asked him if his wishes
would be fulfilled or if he would succeed in his
objectives or not, he used to say Allah is the
Master.
It is, however, a pity that instead of
carrying forward the two important mes-
sages that he gave to the nation (sab ka
Malik and Allah is the Master) for
strengthening Hindu-Muslim unity, it is
being forgotten today. Today crores of
people consider SaaeeN Baba as an
incarnation of Bhagwan but his real and
sincere message has been forgotten.
Under a particular motive and plan
he has been converted into a Hindu
saint, whereas he did not at all believe in
any kind of discrimination on religious
grounds. One of his peculiar habits was
that he always used to cover his head
with a cloth and covered his body with a
patched garment which he called kafni
(shroud). His only personal belongings
were a lota for ablution and two utencils
for taking meals and nothing else. Today
crores of rupees are being spent by peo-
ple as offerings in his name and his idols
are decorated with gold and silver
crowns but his important message of
communal harmony and unity neither
finds any mention anywhere nor is prac-
ticed anywhere.
The writer is Editor of Inquilab Urdu daily
where this article appeared on
15 October 2013 . It has been translated
from Urdu by MG staff
It is, however, a pity that instead of carrying
forward the two important messages that he
gave to the nation (sab ka Malik and Allah
is the Master) for strengthening Hindu-
Muslim unity, it is being forgotten today.
Today crores of people consider SaaeeN Baba
as an incarnation of Bhagwan but his real and
sincere message has been forgotten.
BOOKS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 21 www.milligazette.com
Book: Islam Without Extremes
Author: Mustafa Akyol
Publisher: Norton
Pages: 352
Price: $25.95
MATTHEW KAMINSKI
Modern Turkey dazzles the eye and addles the mind. With growth
in double digits and shiny new buildings everywhere, the old sick
man of Europe looks more like a Eurasian China-though with
minarets, an aggressive media and free elections. The man who
oversaw this rebirth, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, began
his political career from within Turkeys Islamist movement. He
won a third term in June 2011 in a landslide, campaigning with an
iPad in one hand and prayer beads in the other. In recent years he
has sidelined the powerful Turkish military and sought to loosen
decades-old restrictions on traditional Muslim dress. Some of his
opponents are in jail on treason charges. Critics call him a dicta-
tor and an Islamist. His supporters credit him with the countrys
economic miracle and its new openness to democratic principles.
So which is it? To find an answer, a good place to start is Mustafa
Akyols Islam Without Extremes. A columnist for English-lan-
guage papers in Turkey, Mr. Akyol offers a delightfully original take
on Turkey and on the prospects for liberal democracy in the
broader Islamic Middle East. Throughout the 20th century, Turkey
and other Middle Eastern countries were offered a choice between
secular and religious authoritarianism. What the Muslim world
needs, he says, is a synthesis of Islam and liberalism. Todays
Turkey comes closest to that ideal.
Mr. Akyol, a pious Muslim and a classical liberal, begins his
case by proposing a serious rereading of the Quran. The idea of
freedom-in the theological, political, or economic sense-was not
unknown in classical Islamdom, as some have claimed,
Mr. Akyol writes. He notes that the Quran, compiled in the seventh
century, broke with the traditions of its time and place-by mandat-
ing protections for property, appealing to the judgment of reason
and promoting the idea of a rule of law (as opposed to rule by the
whim of despots).
Taking inspiration from the separation of church and state in the
American constitution, Mr. Akyol suggests that a liberal democracy
can be built on Muslim soil as long as neither Islamists nor secular
strongmen are allowed to mix religion with politics.
Mr. Akyol offers a historical narrative that shows how, within
Islam, an idea of freedom was lost over time. Islam was once the
worlds supercivilization, a leader in science and the arts as well
as a great military and economic power. Arguments over what
brought it low have raged for centuries. Mr. Akyol blames the tri-
umph of the culture of the desert in the Middle Ages. In the lan-
guage of our day, the Muslim world lost its competitive edge.
In its early phases, Mr. Akyol says, Islam was a religion driv-
en by merchants and their rational, vibrant and cosmopolitan
mindset. But ultimately the more powerful classes of the Orient-
the landlords, the soldiers and the peasants-became dominant,
and a less rational and more static mindset began to shape the
religion. The more trade declined, the more the Muslim mind stag-
nated. Applying this historical lesson today, Mr. Akyol claims that
socioeconomic progress in Muslim societies may change Islam
itself-leading to progress in religious attitudes, ideas, and even
doctrines.
In any culture, an open society and a free economy are the
foundation stones of liberalism. In the Muslim world, Turkeys
experience is most instructive. As the Ottoman Empire crumbled,
the founder of the modern republic, Kemal Atatrk (1881-1938)
took inspiration for his republican secularism-to the liberals
regret-from Frances rigid lacit, which put religion under the
aegis of the state. His centralized government and statist econom-
ic ideas came from Bismarcks Germany. Atatrk was the last
centurys least bloody and probably most successful social engi-
neer. After his death, Kemalism remained locked in place for
decades. Turkey was beset by coups and economic crises. By the
1980s it had reached a point of stagnation, if not crisis.
The hero of Mr. Akyols story is Turgut zal, who dominated
Turkish politics for a decade until his untimely death in 1993.
Unashamed of his faith, he was the first modern Turkish leader to
make the pilgrimage to Mecca. He had lived in the West and had
worked in business, and he understood free markets. zal gave
Turkey the gift of capitalism, in Mr. Akyols words. As the econ-
omy opened to the world, so did Turkish society and politics. A
new entrepreneurial class emerged in the countrys conservative
heartland to challenge the secular establishment in Istanbul and
Ankara.
In the 1990s, as an old and corrupt political guard ruined the
economy, Mr. Erdogan emerged as a fresh talent. His popularity as
mayor of Istanbul was tied largely to his ability to deliver city serv-
ices.
As prime minister, Mr. Erdogan has built on the zal legacy.
Early on he won over conservative business owners as well as
many secular Turks. Though the leaders of the countrys military,
loyal to the Kemalist creed, made their dislike of Mr. Erdogan clear,
most voters ignored them-not because they harbored a secret
desire for Shariah law but because a young, dynamic society was
eager to see a durable democracy take hold.
The hurdle before Turkey today isnt the temptation of political
Islam but the repressive legacy in the countrys political culture
and institutions, including the judiciary and security services. Past
supporters of Mr. Erdogan, like Mr. Akyol, criticize the prime min-
isters increasingly authoritarian actions and pronouncements.
But even if Mr. Erdogan wanted to grab Turkey by the throat and
turn it into Iran-lite, the country has probably become too pluralis-
tic, vibrant and messy for him (or anyone else) to succeed.
Turkeys experience may be hard to replicate in the Arab world
Yet Turkey offers a useful corrective to the fatalistic view that lib-
eral democracy and Islam are destined to be enemies (The Wall
Street Journal)
Islam without extremes a Turkish point of view
Godse ki aulaad
Bharat mein Bhagva dahshatgardi
First exhaustive work on Hindutva terror
Urdu translation of Godses Children
by Subhash Gatade
Pages: 388 Price: Rs 300
(English edition: 446 pages/ Rs360)
To order please see page 19 of this issue
Islam was once the worlds
supercivilization, a leader in science and the
arts as well as a great military and economic
power. Arguments over what brought it low
have raged for centuries. Mr. Akyol blames the
triumph of the culture of the desert in the
Middle Ages. In the language of our day, the
Muslim world lost its competitive edge.
Riot of colours
The Emperor Babur was, by any standards, an extraordinary
man. An outstanding military strategist and statesman he was
also a poet and memoirist, a calligrapher and naturalist.
Jahangir inherited his powers of observation and his passion
for flora and fauna. He kept a large menagerie and an aviary
and nothing pleased him more than adding to them with gifts
from his courtiers and neighbouring rulers. His approach was
both aesthetic and scientific. Specimens were often dissect-
ed to examine their innards, while his artists were commis-
sioned to depict rare birds, animals and flowering plants in
the minutes detail.
Among them, the foremost was Ustad Mansur whose tal-
ents so impressed the Emperor that he honoured him with the
title Nadir ul-Asr, the Wonder of the Age. His name first
appears as Naqqash, calligrapher or designer and decorator
of book covers and margins. Later he assisted his seniors in
splendid collaborative paintings illustrating historical
episodes from the Baburnama and Akbarnama, and soon he
started to work independently, distinguishing himself as a
natural history painter.
Mansurs best-known animal studies are those of the
blackbuck and nilgai, favoured targets of the royal hunt, though he
personally preferred smaller creatures: a saltwater fish or a
chameleon clutching a curving branch, its body taut with concen-
tration. Every pore, wrinkle, and toenail is recorded and its preda-
tory nature is brought out in its stance as it prepares to pounce on
a butterfly.
Mansurs genius
for detail is particular-
ly evident in the birds.
No larger than two
centimetres in the
original painting, six
different species have
been clearly distin-
guished. Undoubtedly
Squirrels is the
greatest natural histo-
ry miniature from
Jahangirs atelier.
The peacock
appears frequently in
Mughal painting, as
do mynas and
pigeons. Mansur
painted falcons and
hawks, vultures and
cranes and even imaginary birds in a riot of fantastic shapes and
colours.
* Wonders Of Nature: Ustad Mansur at the Mughal Court;
Asok Kumar Das, Marg Publications, Rs. 2800.
An Excerpt from Akyols chapter:
Freedom from the State
Among the many episodes from the life of the Prophet
Muhammad, two are exceptionally curious. The first is a short dis-
cussion between the Prophet and one of his companions right
before the famous Battle of Badr, which took place in 624,
between Medinan Muslims and Meccan pagans. The night before
the battle, the Muslim army had to camp nearby, and the Prophet,
as commander in chief, suggested one location. Yet one of his
men, al-Mundhir, felt that staying on higher ground would be
preferable. So he walked up to the Prophet and asked, O
Messenger of God, is your opinion based on a revelation from
God, or is it war tactics? No revelation, the Prophet replied. Just
war tactics.
Then this is not the most strategic place to camp, al-
Mundhir said. He gave advice that the Prophet liked and fol-
lowed. It was advice, Muslim tradition holds, that helped win
the battle.
What is interesting about this story is that it illustrates distinc-
tion the early Muslim community made between God revelation
and the Prophets personal judgment. The latter, apparently, you
could dispute-provided there was a good reason.
The second episode underlines the same principle. Here,
reportedly, the Prophet advised his fellow Muslims about date
farming, but his suggestions proved unhelpful. So he declined to
offer further advice, saying, I am only human. If I ask you to do
something concerning religion, then accept it. But if I ask you to
do something on the basis of my personal opinion, then, [remem-
ber], I am only human.
From both of these anecdotes, which appear in harmony with
the Quranic verses that emphasize the humanness of the Prophet,
Muslims can derive two important lessons. First, only God is all-
knowing and all-wise. All human beings, including the messen-
gers of God, can err. Since they are most righteous and they
receive Gods revelation, the messengers still have authority over
believers, which is why the Quran orders Muslims to obey God
and His Messenger. Yet even the messenger of God can be dis-
puted, with all due respect, when he acts based on his personal
judgment and not from direct communication with God.
Second, in a world in which even the Prophet cannot be
regarded as an unquestionable authority, nobody can.
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MG
Through MG, the issues of Indian Muslims can be understood in the real
sense. Dr Mohamed T., Calicut - 673305 (Kerala(
Please stop MG
Though I like ur fortnightly newsletter very much. I get depressed reading
the bad conditions 'Muslims' living in. Sensitive people like me keep on
thinking - - - and don't get sleep in night. Though I agree with what ur news
paper writes. but I cannot continue its subscription, so I don' want 2 renew
it. am extremely sorry. I woman like me whose life is full of struggle and
suffering shd. not read so much sad articles. Hope u will understand my
situation. Qamer (via email)
MG: No need to be sorry, we understand. May Allah make us strong and
help us improve our lot.
Photographs of Modi in MG
I beg to invite your kind attention to the photographs published on pages
1 and 8 of Gujarat's Chief Minister Modi in the issue of 16-31 December
2013. As a Gujarati Muslim, I do not want to see the photograph of my
state's Chief Minister in my favourite journal as his hands are soaked with
the blood of my brothers, sisters, mothers, children and even unborn
babies. We, the Muslims of Gujarat, do not want to see the photograph of
the present CM in MG. You can very well understand the stand taken by
me. Please do correct me if I am mistaken. If it is required to publish his
photograph, then it should be of revenue stamp size and not bigger than
revenue stamp size. Farooq Abdul Gaffar Bawani, Rajkot, Gujarat
bawanifarooq@gmail.com
Modi
It is recorded that over the last dozen years Narendra Damodardas Modi
several times brushed aside the gravity of what his comrades and follow-
ers did in Gujarat in 2002. Indeed, he has more than once justified the vio-
lence against Muslims. For him to now claim that he suffered agonies on
account of those events is patently a lie. Perhaps he will now claim, "My
ghost writers said that, not I." Mukul Dube, Mayur Vihar 1, Delhi 110091
dube.mukul@gmail.com
Dowry
The Muslim clerics resolution not to conduct nikah of dowry seekers is
laudable. This decision must be spread to all the district of Bihar and else-
where through weekly Friday sermons and other media. Indeed emergence
of dowry system in Muslim society is against the very teaching of Islam,
which is ruining society economically and morally. This move needs to be
welcomed by all. And more importantly, all the sensible men and women
should boycott such marriages in which dowry is demanded irrespective
of relations and affiliations. M Naushad Ansari, Patna - 800 002
ruby.naushad@gmail.com
Why has Muzaffarnagar failed to prick national conscience?
Apropos of the issue raised by Mubasshir Mushtaq, Muzaffarnagar was an
orchestrated riot , planned by Ashok Singhal and Amit Shah. The objective
was communal polarisation to benefit Modi. Mulayam tried to be over
smart, assuming Muslims will run to him for protection, inspite of his sly
connivance with Singhal. Mayawati the only other principal player in UP ,
saw the killings of Muslims as forcing the community to go back to her.
As for Muslim leadership, less said the better. Azam Khan was busy invit-
ing Devyani to contest from a Muslim dominated seat. Salman Khurshid
was equally foolish threatening not to enter Parliament unless justice is
done, again to Devyani. Note that these two are top Muslim leaders from
UP, from the same area. I wish they had shown bravado for the victims of
Muzaffarnagar. On the religious side , Mehmood Madani is preoccupied to
be in the good books of Modi. His uncle Arshad was equally busy to be
with Mulayam. Congress is too weak in UP, though Sonia and Rahul did
make the right comments. No wonder the only voice that spoke consis-
tently for Muslims, ( besides ordinary Muslims), were the leftists. Sadly
they do not count in UP politics. Muslim based parties have equally failed.
Al in all a lost tribe searching a way out of this darkness. Allah alone is our
saviour. Yet our faith drives us. Gujarat and Muzaffarnagar will steel our
hearts. We will rise on our own strength, through quality education, busi-
ness. J. S. Bandukwala
drbandukwala@yahoo.co.in
II
Muzaffarnagar 2013: Violence by Political Design
A great evil stalks the land with a fascist force behind it, in the form of a
powerful organisation which is mainly responsible for the hatred between
communities.This force organized and planned riots and pogroms through
the decades in India, the latest in the district of Muzzaffarnagar. Here the
riots like most riots in India before were planned and the atmosphere made
tense by hate speeches and rumours and lies, till the whole area was a tin-
derbox and any tiny incident would star a riot. The Jat Hindus in this dis-
trict after the riot will now vote in large numbers for the organisation that
planned these riots. The hindu vote is consolidated. There are many aca-
demic well researched books, studies and reports on the Internet about
Indian riots. If one cares to carefully informs oneself with academic
reports, and not with media reports from biased newspapers. It will
become clear that most of these riots were planned by just one all perva-
sive organization in India. This organisation is at the moment massing in
force in UP and Bihar, the purpose to incite riots aimed at the massacre of
minority religious groups. Because where ever there is a three way split in
the vote - this organization benefits from a riot, which polarises the Hindu
and Muslim vote. Studies show when most Hindus have voted together in
an area, there has never been a riot, only in a three way split in the elec-
torate has there been a riot.This organization came to power when a old
man born in Pakistan drove a chariot through hundreds of villages spread-
ing hate and death in its wake, in the 1990s. He drove his chariot followed
by hundreds of cadre and party workers, shouting blood curdling slogans
not to build a Temple but to gather votes by drumming up a hatred for the
other, Hitler came to power too by democratic means. He was popular and
got things done. He was supported by the industrialists. Hitler and his fol-
lowers claimed to be great patriots. He had his cadre dressed in
Brownshirts who practiced marching at sunrise. There was a Hitler wave
in Germany and the population idolised him. Germans pointed out the
good roads he built too. The petit shopkeeper and the small businessman
class were the first to love him. As a reader of History I will say, Bad things
are going to happen to Mother India if this evil now unleashed becomes
the paramount power in Delhi. Now is the time for all good men to come
to the aid of the country. Steven Boyd
stevenboyd99@gmail.com
Muslim education is not on secular party's agenda
Al-Karim Trust established Katihar Medical College and SC awarded KMC
minority status. But Bihar government police top brass hatched a conspir-
acy against the minority-run Katihar Medical College. Muslim organisa-
tions are silently watching and Mazharul Haque Arabic Persian University
could not get a piece of land to establish its campus. But Bihar CM Nitish
Kumar goes on "Sankalp Yatra" (counter programme of Modi Hunkar rally)
announced to establish a medical college and a university in Purnia
(15/12/13). Congress party played politics in the name AMU campus in
Kishanganj for 9 years and Congress polluted the minority character of
AMU and Jamia Millia Islamia. Ummah has to make its own agenda of
"Taleem, Tanzeem and Tejarat" because no political party has Muslim edu-
cation on its agenda. S. Haque, Patna
Political Choices for Muslims
For us to organize and support Muslim political parties would only give
additional justification for the continued existence of Hindu political par-
ties. We should be against the idea of having political parties based on reli-
gion or caste because it is violative of our secular constitution. Muslim
political parties are unlikely to have enough legislative seats to make any
meaningful impact on issues that are important to us. We should also stop
looking for pro-Muslim political parties. Such parties have always disap-
pointed us in the past. Instead we should support parties which are for fair,
open and clean government. For example, at this time it would be perfect-
ly logical for us to support the AAP. Large nationwide secular and progres-
sive Muslim organizations can try to influence public policy while remain-
ing outside any political party structure. The American Civil Rights
Movement had some excellent examples of such organizations which
brought about significant improvements in the condition of American
Blacks through a non-violent struggle fought over the second half of the
last century. Ghulam Mohiyuddin, New York, USA (via email)
Sanctity of the swearing-in
Generally the function of swearing in ceremony terminates as soon as the
oaths have been taken. That is how the sanctity of the solemn occasion is
maintained. Arvind Kejriwal should have avoided talking politics at the end
of the Ram Lila function. Surely it was not the day and it was not the dais
from which he should have criticized the BJP and invited Dr. Harshvardhan
to leave it to join AAP. Also it is not fair to force a captive audience to take
an oath -however noble- not to give and accept bribe. Kejriwal should
know that there is an opinion in favour of decriminalizing bribe-giving.
Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Mumbai 400054
drmookhi@hotmail.com
Thoughtless Vijay Diwas
The Union Defence Minister A K Antony along with Army Chief General
Bikram Singh commemorated 16th December as Vijay Diwas (Victory Day
) a function to celebrate the victory was arranged in New Delhi to com-
memorate India's victory over Pakistan in 1971 war. This gesture on the
part of Government of India is praiseworthy as this will boost up the
morale of Indian Army. But, at the same time may I ask with all the due
respect to the Government of India to commemorate the day on similar
lines when India was defeated by China in 1962 as "INTROSPECTION
DAY"?. I am sure that Government of India will think over my suggestions
sympathetically in the interest of India.
Farooq Abdul Gaffar Bawani, Rajkot, Gujarat
bawanifarooq@gmail.com
Save Parsi Community
It refers to President Pranab Mukerji rightly advocating for sincere efforts
to prevent falling Parsi population. However there were some satisfying
reports of six-percent increase in Parsi population in last six years. Parsis
are the only community in the world which is fast decreasing in number
due to strict community restrictions. Best thing about the community is
that they live for society rather than for themselves or for producing chil-
dren! Parsis topped every field of life may it be, industry, sports, legal or
any other field but with hardly any examples of corruption, favouritism or
self-interest. It is necessity of the society to preserve genetic features of
this great community. United Nations Organisation and Indian government
should take steps to save world's most talented community from being
totally finished. Also orthodox Parsis and their associations should also
adjust themselves with changing needs of time to preserve their commu-
nity. It was against their interests that a ban was once imposed on two
community-priests for their conducting Navjote ceremonies of children of
women married to non-Parsis, conducting marriages where one partner
was a non-Parsi, and for conducting after-death prayers for Parsis who
were cremated. However it is satisfying to note that some Parsi youth have
united by bringing non-Parsi family-members into the Zoroastrian fold. All
such reforms are need of time to prevent world's most talented Parsi com-
munity from total disappearing. Such changes would have made Parsis
proud by finding one of the most influential Indian Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi as their community member by virtue of her marriage with Parsi
Feroz Gandhi. Madhu Agrawal Dariba Delhi 110006
subhashmadhu@sify.com
Is rejection of Islamic Banking a symbol of democracy?
The Safforn brigade targeted Muslim educational Institution like AMU,
Jamia, Madrasas etc and Congress-brought RTE is being forcibly enforced
on Muslim educational institutions. Zamindari Bill was promulgated only in
Bihar and UP because Muslims were landlords in these states. In the name
of right to expression and freedom of speech and freedom to preach reli-
gion, Peace TV channel is blocked whereas dozens of dharmic channel are
airing their programmes. In world's largest democracy, 100 private bank-
ing and finance institutions are running and many dozen government-run
banks are doing business but Islamic banking is not allowed by RBI (MG
/ 1-15 Dec 2013), Are these the symbol of democracy in India?
S. Haque, Patna
Advani and Modi
Advani on Babari Masjid: "It was the saddest day of my life."
Modi on Gujarat 2002: "I was shaken to the core." It is a habit with these
goons to shed tears over what they themselves did.
Mukul Dube Mayur Vihar 1, Delhi 110091
dube.mukul@gmail.com
Congress takes Muslims for granted
Muslims constitute 16 to 18 percent of India's population but AMU /
Jamias minority character was destroyed by Congress despite Muslim
demands for reservation. TADA, POTA, UAPA etc spoiled lives of lakhs
Muslims. Muslim demanded Bangalore's airport to be named after the
great warrior Sher-e Mysore Tipu Sultan but Congress rejected this.
Singhs demanded Lucknow airport to be named after Charan Singh. Anna
Hazare's fast forced Congress to concede the demand of Lokpal Bill but 20
crore Muslims are weightless in the eyes of Congress. Ummah has to
introspect why we are a toothless tiger? S. Haque, Patna
A chief minister causing crimes
In the Gujarati language daily Gujarat Samachar (Baroda edition dated
24/12/2013) the famous columnist Shri Gunwant G. Shah has focused on
some serious matters. English translation of the said article is given below
in Indian public interest: "When and where the police is engaged in protect-
ing only chief minister, thieves and dacoits get great freedom "Indeed, how
much timid is a chief minister who, while moving out, keeps 30 to 40
commandos with him and takes 1500 to 2000 policemen from his own
stake! After all, man has to die only once and when that time comes, even
Bhagvan cannot protect the one who is to die. Then why so much public
disturbance? Examples of Indira Gandhi, Rajive Gandhi and John Kennedy
are before our eyes. Could they be saved despite utmost guarding? Move
courageously without watchmen. Death will not arrive and if is to arrive no
one will be able to prevent it. On the other hand, should the public be left
at the mercy of thieves and dacoits? When police protects only one leader
will not looters loot people freely? The chief minister's timidity is so much,
that, earlier, in the name of 'terrorist attacks', he had created as many as
three 'encounters.' And now, when he wants to go from his bungalow to
air port, he stations 100 policemen, until he gets a helicopter (at cost of
public money of course) Besides plane is also purchased by peoples
money." S. Akhtar, Khanpur Deh - 392150
Muzaffarnagar riot victims
By not ensuring safe return of all the Muzaffarnagar violence victims to
their ancestral homes the U. P. government has not fulfilled its responsibil-
ity. Providing security to every citizen is a state duty, which unfortunately
the SP government is trying to elude. Giving shelter to the victims in gov-
ernment buildings or offering monetary assistance so as to enable them to
build new houses is not real solution. The government must restore sense
of security among the victims and re-establish the atmosphere of co-exis-
tence and brotherhood in the riot-hit villages. If the victims are not assist-
ed in going back safely to their houses, it will set a dangerous precedence
which will see the weaker sections in any state losing their homes and
properties to the anti-social elements.
A. Hameed Yousuf, Domariaganj, Siddharthnagar, U. P.
ahameed12@gmail.com
Kejriwal should be guarded
Whether Arvind Kejriwal wants security or does not, the police department
must give him enough protection. He has already made political enemies
and stakes are high. Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Mumbai 400054 281213
drmookhi@hotmail.com
Abortion Law Against Science
Scientists and researchers assured in unanimous and unquestioned way
that the life of a human person begins from the moment of fertilization.
There are more than enough data to prove it. An unfertilized ovule is a cell
that will die within a few hours. However, from the moment it is fertilized,
the ovule behaves already biologically like something or someone that
defend its integrity. Fertilization is the only event that marks a before and
after. At that time there is a change in membrane potential that makes
invulnerable the ovule: the rest of the millions of sperm can not enter, it is
as if the ovule close lockgates and says anyone else does not fit here."
From that moment, there is a new life. In fact, it is already defined the chro-
mosomal sex of the new person; from that moment the zygote has a new
identity, distinct from the mother, and therefore an irreplaceable dignity. All
other arguments that want to contrast this reality are not scientists and
therefore they are baseless. Isabel Costa, Spain
antonio@aplicaciones.info
A Message for Rahul Gandhi
A media house recently took upon itself the onus to verify the truth in the
allegations of corruption made by Arvind Kejriwal against political bigwigs
and others. In order to conduct a mock inquiry into the financial transac-
tions of Robert Vadra and Nitin Gadkari this media house, as an exercise,
constituted a panel of non-partisan experts consisting of a corporate
lawyer, a former Income-Tax Commissioner and a CA. All the evidences on
the strength of which Arvind Kejriwal had demanded an inquiry by a com-
petent agency were placed before the experts panel. It was Kejriwals
contention that the evidence provided is enough for the government to go
after the two accused. This experts panel deliberated extensively on the
evidence provided to them. Within the panel there were differences on cer-
tain points while there was agreement on some. Ultimately what the panel
agreed on was that prima facie there was enough scope for inquiry and
possible action against the financial transactions of the two gentlemen.
This mock inquiry has lent considerable credibility to Arvind Kejriwal. If,
indeed, the UPA government is serious about eradicating corruption, as
they claim, nothing should stop them for instituting an immediate inquiry
in all the cases exposed by him.
Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Santacruz West, Mumbai 400054
drmookhi@hotmail.com
Muslims Must Support Arvind Kejiriwal
The declarations of Mr. Arvind Kejiriwal are just similar to the character of
a Caliph .He following some of the principles of Caliph Omer .He did not
claim a separate house or a palace for his residence .What he needed a
simple house like an aam aadmi .Did not take an exorbitant salary. He
rejected the security as he believes like a Muslim life and death is in the
hands of God .As he said if the death is ensuing even 20 persons of secu-
rity cannot save him from the clutches of death .Omar was killed by a man
and got the honor of a martyr .In the same way third and fourth Caliphs
were killed by the political opponents .But it was their destiny .to be killed
as martyrs .Though every man has to die the natural death but the honor
of martyrdom is a unique credit..If Kejiriwal accepts Mohammad as last
prophet of God and if he is killed by his political enemies he will be reward-
ed the honor of martyrdom .His spirit will take abode in the green birds and
fly beneath the thrown of almighty till the day of judgment and finally set-
tle in heaven for unending period. Though Kejiriwal does not believe in
monotheism due lack of chance but if he is acknowledged he will surly
accept the belief .but It seems he is honest gentleman and his near col-
leagues will also follow his suit .His mind is justice loving and Muslims are
worst sufferers by the Congress and BJP thousands om Mulim youths
were killed by the fanatic and fascist Hindus .Kejiriwal will surely take
proper action against the culprits .But to do justice a time is required.
After 4 or 5 months Aam Admi will realize his talents and ask him to
become the prome minister of this desperate naton .The corrupt parties
and owners ob black money will be sent behind the bars.
Dr AH Maqdoomi, Hyderabad
drmaqdoomi@yahoo.com
II
The election results is really interesting and hard to imagine. A newbie like
Aaam Admi Party (AAP) thrashing the 15 year old regime of Congress is
a clear indication that people want change and keen to get rid of the cor-
rupt and failed governance. On the other side the BJP with 32 seats is no
less than the Congress, which the people have seen failing to deliver and
taking the opportunity to multiply their personal gains while they were in
power for 6 years in the center, and similar was the story in NDA led gov-
ernment in the state. Though Kejriwal and his party may be lagging behind
in experience but with the support and trust of voters they can learn the
lessons of governance and embark with corruption free rule in the state.
Its high time for the Congress to introspect or else the government at the
center failing in the general elections can prove the last nail to the UPA cof-
fin. Time to support and strengthen the third front and AAP can be the next
ray of hope.
Mohd Zeyaullah Khan, Nagpur 440012
writeziya@gmail.com
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2014 23 www.milligazette.com
The Milli Gazette, P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: letters@milligazette.com Read more letters on MG website
RNI No. DELENG/2000/930 REGISTERED DL(S)-01/3215/2012-14
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24 The Milli Gazette,16-31 January 2014
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I thought I HAD
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, L . a i i t . _
_ . . x , . _

* Put trust in Allah
* Understand your namaz
* Sometimes, all it takes is just
ONE PRAYER to change every-
thing
* Real men pray
* You think you are strong? Try lift-
ing yourself for fajr prayer
* Happiness is in namaz
* The Fact that the whole World is
against one religion shows just
how powerful that religion is
* Islam is Beautiful, You get
rewards just by Smiling
* People hate the truth, luckily the
truth doesnt care
* Culture came from people. Islam
came from Allah. Islam over
Culture.
* Trials drive us to Allah or Away
from Him: the choice is ours
* Every test is a blessing, Every
blessing is a test
* Life is fragile, handle it with
Prayer
* A person who does not remem-
ber Allah is starving their heart
* Fear Allah so that you may be
successful.
* O Allah, I am looking for some-
one who is in love with YOU
* True Happiness comes by being
close to the one who created us.
* Why worry, when you can pray
* Earth in Now, Heaven is forever
* Forgive others so that Allah will
forgive you.
* Yeah, I am Muslim
* Follow the Sunnah not society
* Noah Abraham Moses Jesus; I
came to know them all, only
after reading the Quran
* Never read the Quran? And you
think you know everything?
* I chose Islam to live the correct
way
* Islam changes things for the bet-
ter, & not to keep them as they
are.
* Fear your Lord, Seek the lawful,
Leave the unlawful (NB: Hakim)
* Blessed are the strangers, who
reform people when they
become corrupt (NB: Abu Amr
Ad-Dani)
* as salamu alaikum Spreading
the word of peace
* Coming closer in friendship
* Piety is here (with Arrow
pointing the heart)
* The God shall never look at your
physique, but He will see your
hearts
* The God shall never look at your
wealth, but He will see your
deeds
* Gifted with Kindness, Gifted with
Goodness, Gifted with Islam
* No shouting, No bad words, No
bad names, I am fasting
* Rabia
* I protest
* Paradise lies under the feet of ur
mother
* Dua - Weapon of a believer
* Beware, someone is recording
your deeds.
* Bear in mind very soon you will
meet your Lord.
* Dont buy the life of this world at
the price of the Hearafter.
* Patience Prevails
* Quran is the Book, in which there
is no doubt
* Muslims arent perfect, Islam is
Perfect. Dont get confused.
* A true friend cares about your
Akhirat
* And whoever fears Allah, He will
Make for him a way out
* When life knocks you down, you
are in perfect position to pray.
* We Made from Water every living
thing. Will they not then believe
21:30
* Verily in the Remembrance of
Allah Do Hearts find Rest 13:28
* Muhammad is one of the most
influential figures in history:
Encyclopedia Britannica
* Guide us to the straight path
(Ihdina-s-sirata-l-mustaqim)
* Plan for your Akhirat carefully;
youre going to spend the rest of
your life there.
JazakAllah Khairan Kaseera! (May
Allah reward you with goodness
in abundance)
Wa iyyakum (And to you).
* Keeping it Halal