I n d i a n M u s l i m s L e a d i n g E n g l i s h N e w s p a p e r , p u b l i s h e d s i n c e J a n u a r y 2 0 0 0

MG THE
Fortnightly
282 Vol. 12 No. 20

MILLI GAZETTE
16-31 October 2011 32 pages
IQBAL ANSARI... 9 Terrorism 3,5,11 Hindutva terror 3,11,27 Urdu 3,7,18,20 Babri 3 Syria 19 Modi 8-9 Riots 4,5,6,12,13,21 BJP 6,12 US/Islam 2 India/Israel 3 Gujarat 8-9,10 J&K 14

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Inside

JALALUDDIN...7

Analysis 12,14 Special Reports 3 Issues 2,12-13 Books 27 National 3-22 International 23-26 Speaking Out 14 Newsmakers 16 19-22 Community News Our Publications 28 Islamic Perspectives 9,29 Classifieds 30 Letters 31

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MG/Yusuf

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Now well give this to the Muslims

Wait! This is unconstitutional

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It seems all we have done over 12 years is simply not enough!

Dear Readers, Assalamu Alaikum! Starting in January 2000, we have, alhamdulillah, come a long way. All praise to Almighty Allah, we are going to complete our twelfth year in just two months time, when cynics thought even a year would be too long for us to survive. Although we enjoy the patronage of dedicated readers who patiently wait for each issue, who send their subscription renewals in advance, who collect subscriptions for free on our behalf, who make all efforts including a journey to Delhi to get a lost copy... but it seems all that is not enough. In a hard world, we need a lot more to survive. With minimal support from community businesses which do not use MG as a medium to reach out to customers, we find it impossible to carry on. Can you imagine that in the whole width and breadth of India and in a community boasting a population of 180 million, there is only one (Muslim) company which orders MG for all its board members? We need a lot more subscribers, a lot more advertisers in order to carry on... The losses are only piling up, month after month, year after year... If some miracle doesnt happen in the next few months if readership and advertising do not increase, all pages of MG may look blank like this one. Join us in praying for that miracle to happen. Khuda Hafiz, The Team at MG

2 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

ISSUES / OPINION

An imaginary Tribute to Shaheed Pundit Godse by his real devotees

MUSHTAQUE MADNI
Editor, Usool, Pune Respected Godseji, You probably cant imagine how much do we miss you. It was so unfair and unjust to have you hanged because of a minor unintentional error of killing Gandhi. But, we did not let your great sacrifice go in vain. Killing Gandhi actually proved to be a great blessing in disguise for Brahmins and enabled them to invade the entire Indian system. We tried every single trick and bit to shape India as a country of your dreams and aspirations. Immediately after you assassinated Gandhi, the local inhabitants aka Bahujans started attacking Brahmins and at several places and cities burnt their houses. We silently watched this mayhem but pledged to retaliate back in our very own Aryan style. The first thing we did was to instigate the sentiments of the Bahujans against Muslims, writing false and fabricated histories depicting Muslims as foreigners and responsible for partition -- a sacred practice pioneered and initiated by the revered Guru Golwalkarji, Hedgewarji and Tilakji. You will be happy to know that so far we could stage more than seventeen thousand riots, pogroms and genocides that took the lives of lakhs of Muslims and also a few thousand Bahujans but not a single Brahmin. Our second most important task was to weaken the nation and make it most disliked as far as its neighbour states were concerned. Today no neighbour nation has good relations with India. On the contrary, they do have very cordial relations with even each other. We created unsolvable bureaucratic cobwebs and labyrinths that are central to the governance and equally futile to its functioning and higher interests. We managed to have the media dance to our tunes worshipping Brahmanism as Nationalism. Punditji, you would be surprised to know that during the last few decades, media, like shudras, literally became our slave and did everything in its power to blame Muslims for every single act of terror actually committed by our own wily cadres and champions of Hindutva. In this blame and destroy game the entire police force religiously stood with us, so much so that under the stewardship of Atalji, breaking all past records of Polices complicity we could stage Indian historys worst-ever genocide in Gujarat. Here also the media, in the guise of reporting, celebrated the killing, raping and burning incidents that shook and shattered the otherwise not so good image of India in the world. But the most impressive among all, that really created a strong and respectable niche in our hearts and minds for the media, was the reporting of 26/11. Even the government was well aware of the facts of how our cadres working in IB meticulously and magnificently staged the mayhem and allowed Pakistani terrorists, laying red carpet to them to land on the Indian soil and then they arranged to have Hemant Karkare, the man determined to expose us, killed in the most mysterious manner. Though many truth seekers and crusaders did try to expose us but failed miserably because of the powerful grip we enjoy in the government and media. There had been some insane voices from different groups pressurizing government to immediately ban Abhinav Bharat and Sanatan Sanstha, etc. We laughed - how come these fools didnt know the terrorizing influence we enjoy in the inner core group of the government irrespective of party lines. Punditji, If you have the privilege of killing Gandhi, then we could be rightly credited to have successfully managed to kill lakhs of Muslims, Sikhs and Christians and ironically using the hands of the Bahujans. We still stage the Marathi drama based on your bravado, Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoe (Nathuram Godse speaking) and with every single dialogue of the antagonist we clap no end. But none in the media or any organization or even police could dare to object. Needless to say, Punditji, we succeeded in transforming India into a huge incorrigible, uncontrollable chaotic nation that is consistently in war with itself. Be it ideological, religious, linguistic, caste or region-based conflicts. We tried to deepen already deep caste crisis. Most of the Indians proudly waste their precious time in such confrontations that guarantee our safety and security. What more could we ask for? Jai Hindutva!

Lopsided View of Hinduism

Once being a member of the MG family, I could not but wish that the Editor had abstained from entertaining such superficial trash as the one on Hinduism by Dr Sumit S. Paul (MG, 1-15 Oct. 2011). No amount of name dropping by the author would justify his immature and incorrect ideas. It appears that the author is equating Hinduism with that brand of faith propounded by Golwalkar, Bal Thakeray and their ilk who only malign it to serve their vested interests. There is another, the real Hinduism, unknown to such charlatans. Einstein wrote about his religion: That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensive Universe, forms my idea of God. That is the essence of religion, the superior reasoning power that reveals itself every moment. Call it God or Nature, which has brought humanity to the present stage of evolution. Instead of wisely employing the reasoning power, we have fallen back on faiths and revelations. Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism are philosophic religions based on logic and reasoning. Misinterpretation by the ignorant and the uninitiated led to the inclusion of a plethora of myths and legends in ancient Indian religious thinking, which are dismissed by Western scholars as fanciful creations of a pastoral people. Our tragedy is that we learn about our heritage through the fantasies of Western scholars. The Vedic literature is a treasury of views on Nature and of the Universe itself. Ancient myths and legends woven around Vedic images are largely true in their primitive sense. They contain the collective experience and wisdom of several generations, often expressed in personified form to make it easy for oral transmission. At a time when writing method was not known, pictorial depiction was the only means to convey information. Human genius resorted to pictorial representation of qualities like the ability to play musical instruments, wield weapons, hunt animals, etc., and that can account for the abominable-looking Hindu gods with more heads and hands. The uninitiated Pundits who became the custodians of knowledge mistook the symbol for the real and missed the main message. The central idea was lost, while the pictures were mistaken for the real. As time passed, the superficial tapestry was taken for the main image. That is how the Hindu pantheon came to be known as the Harem of Gods and Goddesses of abominable sizes and shapes, some with three, four or six heads, some
Indian Muslims Leading English Newspaper

President Obama on Islam

Recently the US President Barak Obama said that the US was not and will never be at war against Islam in the world. So far as my knowledge is concerned, the US is the first country in world giving such statement on Islam whereas some other countries including India which are also fighting terrorism have not so far issued such a statement on Islam. I fail to understand as to why President Obama has given such a statement. Muslims do not need such statements because a tree is known by its fruit. In fact, we cannot think of Islam without Muslims who profess and practise Islam as religion for success in both the worlds, this and the Hereafter. As long as Muslims survive, Islam exists in the world. To kill an innocent Muslim is a threat to the existence of Islam. However, it is fact that some subversive activities are being conducted by some misguided Muslims resulting in huge loss of life and property in world. What they are doing against innocent people is terrorism which is required to be tackled firmly for the peace and prosperity of humanity. To kill innocent man, whatever be his religion and nationality and to spread mischief on earth is a major sin in Islam. Hence Islam favours any step taken to crack down on terrorism. Now terrorism is perpetrated not only by Muslims but also by some other misguided persons belonging to other religions. Needless to mention here that if the US is really desirous of solving the global terrorism, it has to firstly know the root-cause of terrorism and subsequently to resolve the problem with an unbiased mind; otherwise terrorism would never come to an end. It would be wrong to justify the killing of innocent man and occupying his country in the name of cracking down on terrorism. This act would certainly worsen the terrorism problem in world. It is seen that terrorism has now increased much more than ever because of biased steps taken by the countries which want to solve it. Of late what is happening in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine may be called a war waged by the US against Islam and Muslims. Citizens of these countries led a peaceful and respectful life and maintained harmonious relationship even with the US before they were occupied illegally by the US and its allies. Now they are persecuted, rendered homeless, displaced and killed wholesale because of their struggle against the unjust occupation. And these people are branded as terrorists by the US and its allies. The basic objective of invasion on Iraq as announced by George W. Bush, was to liberate Iraqi people from the clutches of President Saddam who allegedly persecuted his own people and secondly to disarm president Saddam who acquired Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). In view of this, Iraq was invaded and occupied and President Saddam executed by the puppet government installed by the US. But the US failed to find WMD in Iraq. Although the US mission in Iraq is fulfilled but the US forces still stay in Iraq resulting in deaths of people daily due to conflict between the US forces and Iraqi people. Till 1948 there was no state of Israel in the world. With the help of some western big powers the US created the state of Israel on the soil of Palestine after expelling the Palestinian people from their homeland. Those who are trying to restore their homeland from illegal occupation are displaced and killed by Israeli security forces having branded them as terrorists. Is it terrorism to struggle for the restoration of ones homeland? Is it justified to call one who occupies others country illegally as innocent while one who tries to free his homeland from illegal occupation as terrorist? Now the US is threatening military action against Iran on the pretext that the latter is developing nuclear weapon which may pose a threat to global peace. How does the US know it? Has Iran ever invaded any country as the US does routinely? Looking at the US policy on Islamic nations, some Muslims think that it is necessary to prepare for war in order to avoid war. Conversely the US is silent towards the various types of non-conventional weapons manufactured and stockpiled by Israel. With the acquision of these weapons Israel has now emerged as an unmatched power in Middle East threatening to blow away some Arab nations. The US prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons while it maintains silence toward Israels acquision of these weapons. Is it not double standards on the part of the US? All these facts prove that the statement given by President Obama on Islam is ridiculous and unconvincing. Muslims need to MUHAMMAD ABDUS SAMAD beware of it. Assoc. Professor, Commerce, P. B. College, Gauripur Dhubri (Assam)

with three eyes and some with elephantine heads. If Ravana is represented with ten heads and twenty hands it only indicates his superior physical and mental power. It does not mean that such a being ever existed. The legend shows the antiquity of the Ravana myth gleaned from collective social memory from the time when alphabets and written language were not invented. Vedas are not divine creations. They existed in oral tradition for many centuries, imbibing results and observations of hundreds of generations. They were the result of free thinking. The Rig Veda, the oldest, describes the Universe as limitless and without beginning or end, born out of the void, a view endorsed by scientists even today. The Rig Vedic poet goes a step further and states that even gods were born after the Universe came into being: Who really knows? Who will here proclaim it? Whence was it produced? Whence is this Creation? The Gods came afterwards, with the Creation of the Universe Who then knows whence it has arisen? Here begins the profound doubt. Doubt led to enquiry; enquiry led to freedom, which in turn led to diversity and richness of our civilization. And civilization led to tolerance. It is this freedom that produced the atheist Charvaka, much before Buddha and Mahavira. It is this freedom of thought that produced the materialist philosophy of Sankhyavada propounded by Kapila. Freedom of the mind gave Hinduism a galaxy of philosophers while freedom of the senses gave birth to music, dances, paintings and sculptures. India has never divided humanity into believers and heretics. Philosophers like Charvaka who denied the existence of God, thinkers like Sankara who argue that the world itself is an illusion arising out of ignorance, and thinkers like Kanada who propounded that the entire Universe is composed of atoms-all these are part of Indian culture. This Hinduiam is alien to Thackerays and Golwakars. What they propagate is a vulgarized version of it to mislead the uninitiated. If Dr. Sumit Paul wants to know about Hinduism, forget about the works of gutter inspectors. Read authorities like Dr. Radhakrishnan, Aurobindo Ghose, Vivekannda, Aldous Huxley, K.M. Panicker, Romila Thapper, Dr. Debiprasad, D D Kosambi etc. K.P. PRAKASAM, New Delhi kpprakasam@live.com

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The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 3

NATIONAL

Mamta Bannerji governments honeymooning with Israel

Israeli ambassador to India, Alon Ushpizs tour of West Bengal on 13-14 September can be termed very successful from all aspects. Before his visit to the state, a meeting of Jews and Christians was held in Kolkata on 11 September in which Trinamool Congresss Christian Rajya MP, Derik OBrien and TCs M.L.A., M.S. Calvert and in addition to the Vice Chairperson of Human Rights Commission, Maria Fernandez, heads of Christian Churches of Kolkata and neighbouring areas had participated in large numbers. In this meeting a 5-day tour programme of Israelis ambassador (which was official as well as non-official) was prepared. The ambassador had a long meeting with the chief minister Mamta Bannerji in her chamber on 13 Sept. The ambassador had meetings with heads of Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and other members also and exchanged views about commerce and trade. He also had a special meeting with states Director General of Police, Prajeet Mukharjee and talked about the states security problems. The ambassador offered his country's strong support and cooperation in matters of the states security. He said that only Israel can very well understand the security challenges India is facing. At the end of his tour the ambassador described his tour as very successful and said that Mamta Bannerji is ready for full cooperation with the Israeli government. About the previous communist government he said that the previous governments policy was not to have any kind of relationship with Israel but the policy of the present government is different. He also said that the Israeli government had been trying for many years to strengthen its relationship with Bengal but had not met with success. The ambassador also met and spoke to W. Bengals minister for industries, Partha Chatterjee. In this way the ambassador during his short visit had fruitful meetings with official as well as non-official organisations, proceedings of some discussions of which were made public but most were kept secret, which has been part of Jewish policy and programmes. The world knows a lot about Jews and Zionism but is also in the dark about many things. If a lady of Zionist protocol would not have disclosed their secrets, probably the world would not have got even an inkling of this for a long time. That lady was not of Jewish race. She was a lady of conscience. A non-Jew having access to, or in possession of Zionist protocol/secrets is enough justification for his/her murder. It is difficult to find out the details of the understanding reached between Israeli ambassador and West Bengal government but it is understood through Israels own sources that he inaugurated an Israli Promotion Office in Kolkata where, according to him, avenues of Israels investments in West Bengal and NA ANSARI vice versa will be explored. original Rules & Regulations were amended to include anyone in the General Body and the donors as members of the Executive Committee. Finally, the institution became a private shop owned by the Registrar who also functioned as the Secretary. For a long time, the institution had no Chancellor, no ProChancellor, no VC and no Pro-VC. The academic credibility of the Jamia Urdu has been reduced to zero. Some state governments realized that they were employing persons who were not even literate in Urdu. After the sudden death of the previous Registrar, a donor became the Registrar under an interim order of the Allahabad High Court. The Registrar nominated her husband as OSD and they are running the Jamia. Their delegation is now canvassing for the Jamia Urdu. Its meeting MPs, Ministers of UP and Rajasthan, central leaders of the Congress, including Mr. Rahul Gandhi and Mr. Ahmad Patel, to advance its cause particularly in Rajasthan where under a recent order of the High Court, the state government has stopped recruiting Jamia Urdu products as teachers. Similarly in UP they have been pressing the Government of UP to appoint Jamia Urdu products as teachers. The Contact Group is led by one Mr. Jasim Mohammad, a former leader of the AMU Union, who claims to be a member of the Governing Body of the Jamia Urdu. However, the Jamia Urdu, Aligarh has not published its current Rules and Regulations nor the names of its authorities, nor the seats of Examination Bangalore: According to the latest report by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the 6th December 1992 demolition of Babri Masjid had the financial backing of some foreignbased right-wing outfits, reports Pradip R Sagar from DNA. The report that contains this startling revelation will be submitted to the ministry of home affairs by the end of this month. Some foreign-based right-wing organizations provided substantial funding to sustain the mass movement. A considerable part of the funds was routed through the hawala channel, the article quoted a senior CBI official. Its reported that nearly 120 crore to 150 crore was poured into the campaign as donations by sympathizers. The actual amount spent on the movement was much higher, a source claimed. The CBI report is understood to have learned the names of people and organizations that sponsored the demolition of the historic but controversial mosque in Ayodhya. However, none of the names are made public yet. The apex investigative body has reportedly identified the role of 10 people in funding the demolition, but chose not to charge-sheet them now. The home ministry had handed over the controversial report by the Liberhan Commission that investigated the demolition of Babri Masjid, to the CBI in November 2009. This followed an investigation into the money trail for the movement by the CBI DIG, Enforcement Directorate and income tax officials. (siliconindia.com - 22 September 2011) Centres it is running, nor the number of candidates who have been taking its examinations and receiving its Certificates from year to year. The Urdu-speaking population wants at least primary school teachers in all government schools to teach Urdu as a compulsory subject to the Urdu-speaking students. The Jamia Urdu hopes to encash this unit at the coming election under political pressure. The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) has suggested to the Government of UP and also to the Government of Rajasthan, Delhi and Bihar that the posts of Urdu teachers in schools be filled by an open competition to which should be admitted all University graduates who have passed with Urdu, those who have passed out of eminent Madrasas and secured the sanads of Fazil and those who have graduated from Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad, and also those who hold certificates of Moallim-e-Urdu from Jamia Urdu, Aligarh. The competitive examination should be held in the state capital under proper supervision and recruitment should be based on merit. In any case, AIMMM urges that the posts of Urdu teachers even at the primary level should not become the preserve of the persons who hold the Certificates of Jamia Urdu, Aligarh.

Foreign Right-Wing Groups Funded Babri Demolition

Jamia Urdu Aligarh, which continues to function under a makeshift Registrar while the case is pending in the Allahabad High Court, has of late maximized its efforts to secure recognition of its Certificates of Adeeb, Mahir & Moallim-e-Urdu, and the employment of those holding the Certificate of Moallim-e-Urdu as Urdu teachers in government schools in UP, Bihar, Rajasthan and other Urdu speaking states. Jamia Urdu Aligarh was the pioneer institution for Distance Education in Urdu, established in the early 1930s. Renowned literary figures of Urdu served on its General Body and Executive Committee. It was registered in the 1980s. But after the late Mr. Anwar Saeed became its Registrar, with the help of a local mafia he drove out the then Pro-V.C. Dr. Khalique Anjum, reduced the V.C. Professor Masood Hussian Khan to a nullity and commercialized the issue of Certificates. The modus operandi was to auction examination centres, admit literally anyone who paid the examination fee to its examinations and announce results and award certificates, even without the answer books being examined. Initially, on the basis of the academic credibility, it had achieved, in the past some Certificate holders became school teachers. However, soon it became apparent that it was no longer an educational institution but a commercial enterprise. In the meantime, through bribery, the

Jamia Urdu

SYED SHAHABUDDIN
President, AIMMM syedshahabuddinexmp@gmail.com that a fact finding committee is constituted by Delhi Minority Commission to assess and analyse the police action at Batla House. The Lieutenant Governor had sought the opinion of the principal secretary of the Delhi Home Department on the issues raised by Dadwal. Eventually, the fact finding committee did not investigate the matter. The NHRC said in its RTI reply that the Lieutenant Governor refused to order a magisterial enquiry into the case. The NHRC also accepted that no spot investigation was carried out of the encounter. (Mirr Basit Hussain - sundayguardian.com, 25 Sept 2011)

MHA refuses to answer RTI queries on Batla House

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is yet to reply to questions filed a year ago under the Right to Information Act about the September 2008 Batla House encounter in Delhis Jamia Nagar. The RTI was filed by Batla House resident Afroz Alam in October 2010 seeking answers from the Prime Ministers Office and the Presidents Secretariat. The application was forwarded to the MHA and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), citing Section 6(3) of the RTI Act. In its reply, the NHRC described the questions as kalpanik (imaginary). The MHA did not bother to answer questions relating to a magisterial probe, which had not been ordered. The Muslim community has been demanding a magisterial probe into the encounter for the past three years. The RTI queries had sought information about the conditions required for a judicial enquiry into an encounter, and had asked whether the Batla House episode fulfilled those conditions. The RTI also demanded an answer to why a probe had not been ordered if the encounter fulfilled those conditions. The applicant also asked about the PMOs opinion on the reports submitted by the Delhi police and the NHRC. The questions asked are simple but important. If they had decided not to reply they could have said something else. Calling the questions imaginary is an insult, said Afroz Alam. The Delhi Minority Commission had constituted a four-member fact finding committee to investigate the police action in Batla House. The committee was to submit its report in a months time by incorporating the police version of the case. However, the probe could not be completed as the then Delhi police commissioner, Y. S. Dadwal raised objections. He sent a letter to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna, saying, The investigation of an offence has to be conducted statutorily by the police and it is well settled law as laid down by the Supreme Court and the Honble High Court that no one can interfere in the investigation. It is thus submitted that neither it is permissible, nor justifiable

Quote, Unquote
For four consecutive Lok Sabha and assembly elections he [Modi] has given not a single ticket to Gujarati Muslims. That is 364 assembly and 52 Lok Sabha tickets handed out. Muslims are 9% of Gujarats population, but Modi has made them electorally irrelevant. He reminds them of that by not throwing a token ticket their way...His problem is Muslims. AAKAR PATEL, livemint.com

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4 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

NATIONAL

Muslims in rural UP not well-off: study

Lucknow: While Chief Minister Mayawatis demand of reservation for Muslims has raised a political storm; a study carried out by the state-run Giri Institute of Development Studies (GIDS) has revealed that plight of Muslim households in rural Uttar Pradesh was bad as compared to Hindus in all socio-economic indicators. This difference would be sharper if we exclude Scheduled Caste households from the Hindu section. Muslims in rural UP are lagging behind in all spheres of life be it in agriculture, education and even in Government jobs, Director Giri Institute of Development Studies Dr AK Singh told The Pioneer recently. He said that benefits of government schemes have failed to reach the Muslim households. The difference is more striking because in a particular village Hindus stand benefited by government schemes while Muslims are deprived of the same, Dr Singh said. These facts were revealed in a study, Relative socio-economic conditions of Muslims in rural UP, carried out by Dr Singh in collaboration with Mohammad Tauheed Alam. The study, sponsored by the Union Ministry of Minority Welfare, was carried out in 21 districts of Uttar Pradesh which have the maximum minority concentration of Muslims and are relatively backward. With a view to devise a suitable policy during 11th Plan the GIDS was asked to carry out a baseline survey in 19 districts. The study covered 30 villages from each of the identified districts. Once a village was identified house listing was conducted by door-to-door visits. In all, 17,076 households were surveyed of which 11,493 were Hindus and 5,191 Muslims. Differences in economic indicators between Hindus and Muslims were very sharp. The proportion of landless households are much higher in the Muslim community and where they do have land it is very small. The value of assets owned by Hindus was much higher than that owned by Muslims, the study said. (dailypioneer.com)

RSS accepts it: was part of Anna stir

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) supremo Mohan Bhagwat has admitted that the RSS had actively participated in the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption agitation earlier this year. Addressing swayamsevaks during the customary Vijayadashami function in Nagpur on 6 October, he said, We actively participate in such agitations which are in the interest of the nation and the people in particular. It was credible people who led the movement and the frustrating conditions exploded into massive support for the recent success of this agitation. He also ridiculed those who objected to the chanting of Vande Mataram and Bharatmata Ki Jai at the agitation in Delhi. Rejecting symbols of patriotism such as Vande Mataram and Bharatmata Ki Jai to gain cheap popularity can never be tolerated in any national movement, he said. On the outcome of the Hazare-led agitation, the RSS chief said, The government had to cave in to popular pressure but total success is still not in sight. We will have to bring fundamental changes in the very system that breeds corruption. Bhagwat said the return of black money from foreign banks, effective legislation against corruption and its implementation without any outside influence, and bringing the prime minister and other top government functionaries within the ambit of the antigraft law have become issues which give vent to the feelings of the people. Bhagwat also lashed out at the Congress-led UPA government for the proposed bill to check communal violence, dubbing it as anti-constitutional and anti-democracy. (hindustantimes.com)

Badal Akali Dal sweeps SGPC polls

New Delhi: The Akali Dal (Badal) won the elections for the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), winning 161 of 170 seats. Eight of the nine opposition members are affiliated with the Panthic Front. One is an independent. Massive election fraud was claimed. The Hindustan Times reported that Chief Minister Badals home village abounds with fake voters. One house, number 567 in Badal village, is home to 289 voters, according to the SGPC voter rolls. Just three houses contain a total of 1,720 voters. Many voters appear under multiple identities. The Times quoted Gidderbaha subdivisional magistrate Pushpinder Singh Kaile as saying, Since we did not receive objections from villagers about bogus votes, all those who submitted forms were enrolled as voters. He called the massive election fraud a clerical mistake. Badals cousin, Hardip Inder Singh Dhillon, said that many of these voters are not even Sikhs. By law, all SGPC voters must be Sikhs. On September 19, the Tribune (Chandigarh) quoted the Chief Ministers nephew, Manpreet Badal, as saying, If anarchy is a virtue, then Parkash Singh Badal is its incarnation. I am disgusted to learn that to win the SGPC poll, the government left no stone unturned to abuse the law. Former Member of Parliament Simranjit Singh Mann was one apparent victim of Badals fraud, losing by about 200 votes. There was also a candidate in his constituency from the Panthic Front. Despite Badals fraud, a majority of voters there voted for one of these candidates, who were campaigning on a platform of Khalistan. In Phillaur, so-called militant Kulbir Singh Barapind, was elected.

Partisan police used excessive force in Gopalgarh riots

NA ANSARI
New Delhi: A Fact-Finding Team of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) consisting of NCM members K.N. Daruwalla and (Ms.) Syeda Bilgrami Imam which visited Bharatpur in connection with communal riots (Gujjars and Meo Muslims) in Gopalgarh has concluded that police acted in a clearly partisan manner and used excess force. NCMs report says that some Hindutva elements incited the local administration (Collector, S.P. etc.) to take aggressive and repressive action. It also said that civil administration and police could have handled the dispute tactfully and much more adroitly and not allowed it to come to a boiling point. According to this report, police should have immediately taken strong action against those who had attacked the Imam of the mosque but instead, they used force (against Muslims) in excess, and firing on the mosque should not have been resorted to at all. The report further said that the police were clearly partisan and did not take any action against the Gujjars who also were equally armed like Meos. The report says that police had claimed that it was the Gujjars who had invaded the mosque and asked why did police allow the Gujjars to do so? (This shows that police gave them a free hand to do whatever they liked). The report says that NCM members met local officials, particularly the new SDM Banwari Lal who, in private, admitted that some Hindutva elements goaded the earlier collector (Krishn Kunal) and his team to take aggressive action against Meos on 14 September when the riots had erupted. The report quoted local Meo representatives who said that right leaning Gujjars (i.e. Hindutva-minded) goaded the District Magistrate to order firing. The NCM also questioned why an anti-riot vehicle (which is equipped with men and means to effectively handle riots) which was stationed there, was not deployed? The report said that 34 or more bullet marks were found on the walls of the mosque. It also said that there were blood stains on the floor of the mosque, indicating clearly that the bodies were dragged rather than carried. The report concluded by saying that members of the Team hold police officers and the (former) DM responsible for Gopalgarh riots. Meanwhile, after the suspension of Krishn Kunal (Collector), Hinglaj Dan, Superintendent of Police of Bharatpur and Om Prakash, Additional S.P. and transfer of Sunil Dutt, Range Inspector General of Police of Bharatpur, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) P.K. Dev was also transferred to another department. It is significant to note that he (P.K. Dev) had categorically denied that police had opened fire on the people in the mosque in Gopalgarh; but when post-mortem reports proved that three of the victims were killed in police firing, his fallacious argument was that the rioters might have snatched the rifles from policemen and fired on those praying inside the mosque. In a further development two MLAs, Congress M.L.A. Zahida Khan and BJP M.L.A. Anita Singh have been booked by Rajasthan police. Mrs. Zahida Khan has been accused of instigating Meo Muslims to attack Gujjars as well as police. She is also accused of attempt to murder. Anita Singh is booked for rather minor charge of creating a scene in Gopalgarh police station and hindering policemen in discharging their duties.

M.P.s Operation Vijay: pushing the saffron agenda

Let us be clear. This is not only about Operation Vijay that the Indian armed forces had launched against Pakistan in 2003. However, this operation is also about a conquest religious and cultural, aimed at converting India into a Hindu Rashtra. While travelling by bus from Dewas to Ujjain. I over heard a former karsewak predicting that M.P. would soon be a Gujarat and that the 2002 carnage would be the obvious bonanza! Lets dismiss it as a boast of drunk by power. However, whatever is on the anvil makes the writings on the wall all too clear. After inviting government employees to join shakhas which did not produce a very tolerant response; the M.P. government has tackled the problem by involving hundreds of school teachers to carry out the diksha programme. Orientation courses for teachers teaching Science, English, Social Sciences and Hindi began from August at four centres i.e. Jabalpur, Chhindwara, Raisen and Ujjain. These three day programmes for all high school teachers (both male and female) shall continue till November 2011. A gigantic exercise of in-service programme. There should be no objection to any in-service course for professional growth of teachers. However, the mission behind this ambitious exercise is to identify and then pursue the would be pracharaks who would not only become full time activists but would also indoctrinate the mantra in the minds of millions at a very formative and impressionable age of 16+ (class IX, X and XI). Government money is being squandered freely at these centres. Funds are being diverted to buy RSS literature and popularise it among teachers. Most of this is hate-literature; it also regiments them into religious rituals like yoga and surya namaskar. A few of the titles will give an idea of what kind of agenda is being pushed. Because of uproar over saffronization of text-books contents CBSE syllabi were expunged of many objectionable matters. Thanks to painstaking efforts and adamancy of the late Arjun

A list of some titles

Vijay hi Vijay - Vivekanand Kendra (VK), Jodhpur Rs. 20 Yoga - VK, Chennai Rs. 45 Samartha (Diary) - VK, Bhopal Pareeksha Den Hanste Hanste - VK, Jodhpur Rs. 25 Operation Vijay (Mukul Kanitkar) - Archana Prakashan, Bhopal Rs. 40 Bharat mein Vigyan ki Ujjwal Parampara (Suresh Soni) - Archana Prakashan, Bhopal Rs. 100 Vijay Sanket (Bhanubhai Mehta) - Archana Prakashan Rs. 7 Shivaji na hote to. (Narsinha Joshi) - Archana Prakashan, Bhopal Rs. 35 Sinh, former C.M. of the state who as union minister for human resource development ensured that hate literature, was removed to a great extent. Even the present union minister Kapil Sibbal opposed all efforts to saffronise the syllabus, tooth and nail. However, with his involvement in 2 G scandal and Anna Hazare storm he is not in a position to maintain vigilance. It may be recalled that Karnataka government and a few ministers had strongly canvassed for Gita lessons in the syllabus. However, the Karnataka High Court passed strong strictures against such moves. However, in M.P., inspite of protests, Gita lessons and surya namaskar have been introduced in schools without much resistance. During the three day programme there is practically no emphasis on teaching professional skills or to acquaint the teachers with new concepts in their respective disciplines. Formality of one teaching plan in the classroom is observed. Greater emphasis is on boudhik and rituals. Lady teachers were asked to bring salwar suits to indicate that they would be taught yoga. In addition to this, they were also taught surya namaskar.

Of course, there is no coercion and those who are unwilling manage to abstain from these rituals. Needless to say, with the help of these willing ones, the shakha agenda will be pushed in the classroom. NCERT might revise and reform syllabi but it has no control on these back-door tactics. Whose financial resources are being utilised is for the agencies to find out (whether central assistance or state funds). However, RSS literature is being supplied to teachers. Each teacher was asked to pay for the books (a set of five or six book sets) to be reimbursed by their respective schools. An interesting fact about these books is that many of these are prepared/published by Archana Prakashan, Bhopal. Is it a mere coincidence that Mrs. Archana Chitnis is the state minister for school education? It is for the agencies to find whether she is in any way, linked with the marketing agency. These books cover only the BJP part of history. For example, the book Vijay Sanket (Victory Signal) covers the explosion of a nuclear device at Pokhran when BJP was in power of course, APJ Abdul Kalams contribution is also highlighted Similarly, Operation Vijay by Madhav Joshi is a comic strip coverage of the Kargil war. The exemplary courage of the soldiers is lauded; it, however, is silent over the scam of the coffin boxes. Book by RSS ideologue Suresh Soni proudly presents the glorious heritage of Indian science (Bharat mein Vigyan ki Ujjwal Parampara). The suggestive title of the book Shivaji na hote to (if Shivaji was not born) indicates the herculean task of keeping hindutva alive. A detailed discussion of the book will be attempted in another article. Teachers are required to maintain a daily diary, aptly titled samarth which is the name of Shivajis guru Ramdas. This diary contains Prarthana, Vijaygan, Yogasan, Surya namaskar, Bhojan mantr (while partaking meal) and Amrit Surabhi. A separate book on yoga is also there.

AG KHAN

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

NATIONAL

Bahraich Riot: What Really Happened?

HAIDER ABBAS
Lucknow: Bahraich may be just 125 kms to the east of Lucknow, the state capital of U.P., but an incident as serious as a riot, has as yet not been able to find its due representation in media, as perhaps, no English or Hindi national newspaper worth its name, with the exception of some Urdu dailies, could offer any in-depth reportage or post-event analysis as to what really happened in Bahraich on 25 August (24 Ramadan). A Background The communal situation on the spot is that after independence Basheerganj Masjid, which had been built by the Nawabs, and was called Topkhana Masjid, was lying, as usual, at the mercy of urchins, and hence its property and boundary etc were illegally occupied and squeezed. A police station had been built on its premises and hence the Masjid started to have a new acronym, Basheerganj Police Chowki ki Masjid, covering an internal area of about 1500 square feet. Basheerganj Masjid lies in the eastern end of Bahraich city from its railway station. Muhallas like Qazipura, Chandpura, Nazirpura, Badhihaat, Dargah Shareef and Salarganj are Muslim-dominated localities of the Bahraich Sadar MLA constituency. The seat is represented by Waqar Ahmed Shah of the Samajwadi Party (SP). This seat has a 60:40 Muslim-Hindu vote ratio. Historically speaking, ever since the last sixty years Yadavs have maintained a stranglehold of the socio-political-economic situation of the area and very off and on, Yadavs and Muslims have had to be at loggerheads over local issues. Yadavs hold properties and lands while Muslims mostly belong to the peasantry. Small skirmishes between Yadav musclemen and Muslims have often been reported from the area for political and social superiority in the area. The Immediate cause Things were normal until the last week of the month of Ramadan when the whole area became a hot bed of communal tension resulting into a full blown riot. On August 23rd, as there was some repair work being done to Basheerganj Masjid, debris of the same had to be dumped in an adjacent land, and Yadavs who live in around 80 households, at the back of Masjid objected to the same. Rajmal Yadav, Durjan Yadav etc led the opposition and the work was stalled. This led to a small argument, but the next day, Yadavs physically manhandled the Imam of Masjid Hafiz Noorullah, Masjid trustee Mohammad Rafi and cashier Mursaleen, and also caused damage to the Masjid. Not only this, Yadavs openly engaged in beating Muslims who had complained to the police about their indulgence, according to Syed Shafat Husain, a businessmen holding distributorship of a couple of companies. This happened on 24 August. The news of Muslims being beaten spread like a wildfire and resulted into an open clash and brick-batting followed by use of fire arms. The partisan role of police got exposed yet again when instead of any arrest of the miscreants it arrested innocent Muslims who were returning after offering taraweeh (post-night special prayers during Ramadan), and this led to a reaction from Muslims of the adjoining areas, as hundreds of people gathered to vent their ire on the Yadavs and police together, he added. Pacifist Efforts and Murder Jamait Ulema-e Hind (JUH) state president Hayatullah Qasmi, Haji Mehfooz Ahmed, Teje Khan, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chairman of Bahraich Nagar Palika, Babu Shah and Muhammed Akram Siddiqui of Muslim Siyasi Bedari Forum (MSBF) went to the Basheerganj police station to pacify the agitated mob and also to demand the arrest of Rajmal Yadav. But, according to Syed Shadab Husain, a journalist based in Bahraich, The communal miscreants set fire to a Muslim shop-owner Babu. The rioters threw buring tyres on the way leading to the Gulacheen Masjid which is very close to Basheerganj Masjid, and the word spread that Gulacheen Masjid had been set on fire. This resulted into a massive turnout of people from all lanes and bylanes and Muslims in thousands

Police doing rounds after the riot

took to streets. Open firing erupted. One Sabit Ram Yadav was killed in the fire. Sources, however, claim that Yadavs have two warring groups amongst themselves and one of the group is responsible for the murder.

BJP are both likely to gain in case had cut a calf (baby cow), in village this equation is destroyed. BSP Kalhanspurwa, under police station Baundi. has already announced its candi- This led to a burning of about a dozen Muslim date as Haji Mehfooz Ahmed, and houses. Actually, this goes by a well-crafted on 17 Ramadan, he had organ- plan. First Muslim houses are short-listed and ised a grand roza-iftar, which of later under a deliberate ploy, their households course, is always for political pur- are looted, under the patronage of police on poses. BSP cabinet minister the pretext of pig or a cow slaughter, said Naseemuddin Siddiqui was pres- Shadab. This village lies around 25 kms outThe Police Role ent on this occasion. No wonder side the western part of Bahraich. Another inciHafiz Noorullah The Yadavs have always been this riot took place within one dent happened in Rupaidiha, which is about 55 encouraged by the tacit supweek of the iftar. Ironically, kms to the east of Bahraich, and is almost on port of the police. The Superintendent of Police Muslims have also felt estranged as the the Nepal border where a temple was said to (SP) Shailasihpati Tripathi, District Magistrate Parliament seat has now been declared have been broken, and this led to protest by Govindraj and Additional SP Ram Swaroop and reserved for S/C, leading to the victory in 2009 Hindus. No untoward loss was, however, Special Director General of Police Brij Lal, all of a Gorakhpur-based Congress candidate reported. reached the spot on 25 August, and assured the Kamal Kishore. The riot is a manifestation of Then, on 12 September, on the occasion of people telling them that justice would be done the conspiracy of both BSP and BJP but the Ganesh Pooja Visharjan (when the idol is and no partisanship would be tolerated. peace-loving Hindu-Muslims of my constituency immersed in water) a procession of Hindus carProvincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) was will not let it succeed, said Waqar Ahmed Shah rying Ganesh idol was running an audio casheavily deployed to contain the situation. The while talking to Milli Gazette. sette at Bahraich main Ghantaghar square, with bandobust had to be done, primarily, as the last a provocative song having words like mandir Friday of Ramadan and Eid were round the cor- The Fallout yaheen banainge (we will build make the temner. But, those involved in the fire at Gulacheen Taking stock of the prevalent situation, the UP ple here). The administration seized the tape. Masjid and also those who had burnt Muslim government replaced the DM Govind Raju with The procession was to follow its route through households were not arrested and this resulted Pinki Jowel who was the DM of Sultanpur and Basheerganj and Qazipura which very recently into Muslim consternation towards the role of has been swapped by Raju. SP Shailaishpati were centres of disturbance. The timely interthe police. Even the next day, incidents of arson Tripathi has been made Commandant of PAC vention prevented yet another riot. and loot of Muslim households were reported. and Ravi Shankar Chavi has become the new This of course happened during the police SP. Both have taken up their new charge. All the The Days Ahead deployment, said Shadab Husain. ADMs of the city have also been changed. The Bahraich might be having a new brass of The areas of Basheerganj, Jhinghaghat and new police apparatus has new officers. As many administrative and police teams, but the days Chandpura were witness to sporadic incidents as 40 persons have been arrested and 15 of ahead are all strewn with lot of sensitivity, as of loot, burning and beating of Muslim families. them are Muslims. The 25 Hindus, who are in very soon Diwali, Dusshera, Eidul Azha, folIronically, this could all go unabated when jail, are all associated with BJP. Rajmal Yadav is lowed by Muharram, are to be observed, and Basheerganj Police Station was manned by a leader of BJP and has been involved in a lot of moreover, the assembly polls are also due Inspector General Bhawesh Kumar, Deputy land-grabbing activity and other illegal acts and early next year. The fluid communal situation Inspector General (DIG) SK Mathur along with crimes. He is the main architect of the 25 August might escalate and for this purpose it is expectsix IPS officers. riot and is not learnt to have surrendered. ed that the administration would take up cudgAn incident typical of police system requires els and not let any political party to gain from a mention here: On the back of Basheerganj The Post-Riot Scenario what is proverbially called the politics of comand Gulacheen Masjids, there is a two-storeyed Within ten days of the riot, another incident took munal currency, cautions Dr. Anees Ahmed, house from where there was a permanent show- place when a rumour was spread that Muslims leader of MSBF. er of brickbats, and this was brought to the notice of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) city Sukh Lal, who expressed his inability to raid the premises, as then he would have been forced to raid Muslim houses too, informs Shadab Husain. What would be more than The Human Resource Development Ministry has asked the government of Madhya Pradesh to shameful is that despite the presence of some of explain the charge that funds given by the Centre for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan have been used to the most powerful police officers of the state, the publish books for children like Devputra brought out and distributed by the RSS. The book has incidents of raping, loot and beating went on already been distributed to more than 80,000 schools run by the state government. In addition, without pause, as houses of Anjum, Najma, books have also been distributed to Saraswati Shishu Mandir schools run by the RSS. The HRD Naseebullah, Habib, Barik and Husain etc were ministry came into action following complaints that funds allocated to the state government for looted! Abdul Salam was beaten at Halwai Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan have been misused and diverted for childrens magazine. There are Dharamshala in Muhalla Nazirpura, while reports that the lions share of Rs 19 crore allocated has been diverted to fund Devputra. Of the Yadavs snatched away the cattle of Munna and total expenditure on the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan 65 percent is funded from the Centre and the rest Shahenshah while they were taking them to the of the amount is contributed by the state. Devputra is published by Saraswati Bal Kalyan Nyas animal hospital. In another incident, around 200 and it is headed by RSS functionaries. Archana Chitnis, education minister of Madhya Pradesh chickens were looted from a Muslim poultry has held the distribution of the book in government run schools as legal by saying that the books farm, while the local BJP leader Satya Dev talk of nationalism. The opposition has raised concern over government money being used to Singh visited the house of Sabit Ram Yadav, spread a particular religious ideology. who had succumbed to injuries at Trauma Centre, Lucknow, and announced an ex-gratia NIA likely to probe Mumbai blast amount of Rupees 17 thousand to the deceased After having seen that the Mahrashtra police have so far not been able to find any lead in 13/7 family. Mumbai blast, NIA is likely to take over Mumbais serial blast case. The need for such a move was felt recently during a high level meet called to assess the progress made in the investigation in The Political Calculus of the Riot the Mumbai blast. The meet was chaired by Home Minister P Chidambaram and all those who It might be mentioned that Waqar Ahmed Shah attended the meet were chief minister of Maharashtra, state home minister and senior police offihad been holding the seat of Assembly for the cials from the state. There are also reports that home minister has expressed concern to the lack past 18 years. His wife Rubab Saeeda, was first of co-ordination among various wings of the Maharashtra police which he believes has hampered the Chairman of Zila Panchayat and later a the investigation. Chief Minister of Maharashtra has also been asked to personally look into the Member of Parliament from SP in 2004 and at problems and grievances being faced by the investigators. State Home Minister R.R. Patil while present she is engaged as principal of Tara Girls talking to reporters recently said that the state government is in need of more assistance in solvInter College, Bahraich. Yadavs and Muslims, ing the blast case. I have met home minister in connection with the ongoing investigation in Delhi. despite the differences, had always voted for SP We have sought help in finding the perpetrators of the Mumbai blast. and the attempt is to ruin this equation. BSP and MOHAMMAD NAUSHAD KHAN

HRD ministry seeks explanation from MP Govt on diversion of funds to RSS magazine

6 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

NATIONAL

Communal riots in Uttarakhands Rudrapur town

Rudrapur (Uttarakhand): After Rajasthan's Gopalgarh it was the turn of Uttarakhand's Rudrapur town of Udhampur district to hog the headlines for the same unfortunate reason i.e. communal riots which erupted because of desecration of Qur'an. It is ironical that this violence erupted on 2 October when the nation was celebrating the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, the apostle of non-violence, peace and goodwill. Though tension had been prevailing in Rudrapur for the past three or four days because of inflammation of religious feelings, when on 29 September some blood stained pages of Qur'an were found in a polythene bag, matters came to a head on 2nd October when because of the discovery of some pages of Qur'an with drops of blood of 'objectionable animal' (obviously pig) and a piece of meat wrapped in a red-coloured cloth near a temple, large scale violence erupted in which in addition to stone-pelting incidents, use of swords and firing also took place. Three persons were reportedly killed and as many as 40-50 persons, including some senior police and civil administration officials were injured. According to police, thousands of people demonstrated at Indira Chowk, consigned to flames many vehicles and shops and damaged many others. The orgy of violence continued for hours. When the situation appeared to be going out of control, curfew was clamped after about five hours, additional police reinforcements and five companies of PAC were also deployed. Rapid Action Force (RAF) was rushed from Delhi. Subsequently it was reported next day that one more person among the injured succumbed to his injuries. That is not all. Some more among the injured may also die. News of the dead differ from newspaper to newspaper. Even official news is not reliable. It may take quite some time before true position is known. here are untold stories of violence, harassment, destruction, sense of terror and fear among Muslims. It is reported that in Rudrapur, in addition to Hindus, Sikhs also joined hands with the Hindus against Muslims and fired on them. According to eye witnesses, rioters with tilak on their foreheads and wielding naked swords were seen roaming at many places, probably in search of 'target persons and houses'. In Bilaspur Tahseel, about 15 kms from Rudrapur all shops of Muslims were closed and protesters were lathi charged. According to eye witnesses, police wasted much time in controlling the situation and in their presence people of a particular community were openly being attacked with swords and their properties being set on fire. It is reported that in Gotia locality where Muslims are in a large number, mobiles were banned. According to a senior person, in Rudrapur such incidents took place which can not even be imagined. Uttarakhand's chief minister B.C. Khandoori toured Rudrapur on 3 October and reviewed the situation with police and administration officials. He announced a compensation of Rs. one lakh each to the family of deceased, high level inquiry of the whole incident, to be completed within a week and strong action against the rioters after their identification. Jamiatul Ulama chief Maulana Arshad Madni sent a letter of complaint to Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and P. Chidambaram drawing their personal attention to this particular incident and other such incidents and requesting strict action against mischievous elements as well as police and administration officials with whose complicity and connivance such incidents take place. ll Muslim leaders and some political leaders strongly condemned this incident. Lok Janshakti Party Chief Ram Vilas Paswan and other LJP leaders like Delhi's Shoaib Iqbal, MLA and Vice President, general secretary Abdul Khaliq and others took out a large protest demonstration against one sided police firing on Muslims in Rudrapur and thereafter offered themselves for symbolic arrest at Parliament Street police station, raised antiKhandoori slogans, demanded dismissal of his government and trial of guilty officials under section 302 (murder) and their imprisonment. In a speech Paswan condemned large scale communal riots in different parts of the country which were being manipulated by communal groups and parties like BJP, VHP, BD etc. He said that what is more condemnable is that communal forces are doing this in complicity with police and civil administration officials. According to subsequent news, DIG of Police Amit Sharma, Udham Singh Nagar's D.M., B.B.R. Purshottam and SP, D.P. Martolia have been removed by Uttarkhand government and replaced by other officials. At the same time some Muslims and their leaders praised the services of Police Captain Bhanoo Bhaskar who, in addition to controlling and improving the law and order situation with a sense of justice and duty sent two or three special buses of Rampur police to Rudrapur under the supervision of Darogha Yunus Malik to bring back more than a hundred people, mostly Muslims: men, women, children and old people of Rampur who had gone to Rudrapur but trapped and held up there because of riots and curfew.

Mangalore: In a shocking incident in BJP-ruled Karnataka, a youth association from Ullal town, a neighboring town of Mangalore, has put up a motivational hoarding to mark the Dasara by projecting Sadhvi Pragya Singh, an accused terrorist in Malegaon blast case as a savior. A youth association called Om Shakti Friends had put up this hoarding with a shloka from Bhagvad Gita reading, "Yada yada hi dharmasya/ glanir bhavati bharatha/ abhyuthanam adharmasya/ tadatmanam srijami aham " (Whenever there is a decline in righteousness, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of unrighteousness, at that time I descend Myself), and a photo of Sadhvi Pragya Singh, a prime accused terrorist in Malegaon blast 2008, where four were killed and 70 injured. She is suspected of Malegaon 2006 blast also where 37 people lost their lives and hundreds were injured. Though the scandalous hoarding and a welcome arch named

Sadhvi Pragya depicted as 'Dharma Savior' in Karnataka

as 'Sadhvi Pragya Singh Dwar' were erected three days back creating uneasy and anxious atmosphere among the peace loving Mangaloreans, police failed to remove it before 6 October. Seemanth Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Police, Mangalore said that the police is issuing notices to the group asking them whether they had permission to put up the poster and to respond on the contents of the poster. He said if it was found to incite violence, action would be taken. Speaking to newzfirst, PB D'sa, President, PUCL-Karnataka said, "It is the matter of high concern. The poster exercise is deliberate effort to provoke other minority communities. Communal brigade of this region has been using different apparatus like speeches, events to implement their agenda. This is a new kind".

"Ever since BJP has come to power in Karnataka, no action has been taken against such miscreants so far. Police give mere assurances. In this case too, instead of covering up the real issue, police should register FIR at the earliest and investigate; It is the business of Municipality to check whether permission is taken or not and not police's" he added. Kumaraswamy, an engineer from Mangalore says, "People responsible for the poster should clarify first, how Pragya Singh has protected Hindu Dharma, as depicted in poster. No religion in the world recommends violence to protect Dharma, as Sadhvi has committed. Using Bhagvad Gita shlokas to justify violent political agendas hurts the sentiments a lot, of a Hindu like me." Pragya Singh hoarding has left many alarming questions and disturbing feelings among people of Mangalore. Is the motive behind the putting up such kind of hoarding is mere provocation or the justification of Malegaon blasts? Does it indicate any connection between people behind Malegaon blasts and saffron brigade of coastal belt of Karnataka? Only impartial and proficient investigation can answer these questions. (newzfirst.com - 7 Oct. 2011) ceived generally but a true police action against hapless Muslims. This view would explain 11 fatal casualties, only of Muslims and 45 bullet marks on the walls of the mosque (which he personally counted) without any death and grievous injuries to the other so-called community people. Er Salim denied difference of approach among Muslim organizations towards the help and support to the victims of Gopalgarh riot. He stated that the issue was being raised collectively and the efforts are not at variance with each other and this could be seen at the rally at Jaipur. In reply to another question about the differences over the Welfare Party of India (WPI) among JIH ranks, Maulana Umri categorically denied that JIH is in any way responsible for the acts of the WPI and the question should be asked to them directly. He further explained that JIH only supports the WPI because they are supposed to believe and indulge in value-based politics which JIH has always supported. The media was also informed that the press meet will be held regularly on the first Saturday of each month. (Nadim Ahmad) High praises were lavished on Modi at Ahmadabad when Modi broke his 'sadbhavna' fast. Though Sushma Swaraj was all praise for Modi she, being herself a contender for the PM's post, did not comment on Modi's prospect as the next P.M. However, Vankaiah Naidu, did not mince words when he predicted Modi as the future P.M. He argued that the BJP had at least a Modi to contend for PM's post whereas Congress had none. Refusing to apologise for 2002 carnage, Modi claimed on the occasion, that he had worked neither for the majority nor for the minority but for 6 crore Gujaratis. (One wonders whether the 2000 dead in the carnage were non Gujaratis, probably from Bangladesh/Assam!) Meanwhile, Modi's gimmick did not please Bala Saheb Thackery who "advised" him to curb his secular campaign for the Delhi post. He reminded Modi that he owed his present glory only to the Hindu vote bank and hence must not dilute his agenda. The fast ended with a fiasco when Modi refused a green cap offered by an enthusiastic Maulana. Accepting only a shawl from him he refused to don the "Muslim" cap thus exposing his real face. (AG Khan)

New Delhi: Jamaat-e Islami Hind (JIH) held a press meet on Saturday, 1 October 2011, at its headquarters here. Speaking on this occasion, JIH Amir Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri said that this was a new beginning and from now on JIH will hold press meets on a regular basis in order to offer its opinion on pressing issues and problems concerning both political and milli issues. Referring to the recent Gopalgarh riot in Rajasthan, Maulana Umri expressed his displeasure at the role of the administration and the police which acted in a partisan way resulting in casualties of Muslims alone. He said that this was not the only instance, as it had generally been observed that actions and steps of the police and the administration had always been anti-Muslim during communal disturbances. Referring to the riots of Jabalpur, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Muradabad, Meerut, Bhagalpur, Aligarh, Malegaon, Malyana-Hashimpura, Mumbai and Gujarat, he said that instead of controlling and arresting the culprits the police and the administration openly carried out operations against Muslims. He demanded that this should be stopped and the administration should be purged of these elements. He also expressed grave concern over the arrests made and cases slapped against educated Muslim youths on the false premise of their being involved in terrorism. He said that it was harmful to the country. He demanded of the government to uphold justice and the rule of law to maintain peace and harmony in the country. Regarding the burning issue of anti-corruption law, he said the Jamaat wants it to be a democratic process within the limits of law and Constitution. The government should also lay emphasis on moral education in the mainstream system of education to arrest the issue of widespread corruption in public life. Despite the overall economic development in the country a large section of society was still below the poverty line and has not benefited adequately and some of them were even taking their own lives due to this, he said and demanded that balanced and comprehensive programmes should be taken up by the government to eradicate poverty and stop starvation deaths. Regarding the Right to Education, Maulana Umri said that we support and praise the government's steps to promote universal education for all, but we oppose the proposed imposition of mainstream education system on Madrasas because it would be detrimental to the fundamental rights of the minorities to pursue their own religious education. He asked the government to refrain from doing so, and instead it should recognize and appreciate the efforts of the Madrasas in imparting education to minorities, especially

JIH holds press-meet

when a large section cannot afford any form of alternative education. On being asked what was being done collectively by Muslim organizations with regard to the Gopalgarh riots, JIH Secretary Engineer Muhammad Salim who had personally visited the victims and the affected areas, said that it was not a riot as per-

BJP CMs resent Modi melody

The euphoria created by the BJP orchestra over Modi's publicity gimmick "sadbhavna mission" (goodwill campaign) has not only received adverse comments from the Congress but also from BJP ruled states. It wasn't just coincidence that several CMs decided to avoid the mega-show. While M.P. CM Shivraj Sinh Chouhan was on a twelve day visit to Chira; Sushil Modi Dy. C.M. in Bihar chose to abstain lest he would annoy his boss Nitish. He too smelt a rat behind the fast and preferred to proceed on a foreign tour. Chhatisgarh C.M. Raman Sinh, whose state claims credit for several development programmes, did not attend Gujarat mega event though he was in the country. Many state CMs could not digest the report by American parliamentary committee which highlighted only Gujarat. (Could this also be a kind of paid news?) Shivraj Sinh Chouhan, whose development schemes have won him applause from national as well as international groups for associations he had highlighted his project during his China visit so as an alternative to Gujarat.

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

NATIONAL

Jamias Jalaluddin Saheb

DR. MOHAMMAD IBRAHIM
ords are never enough to talk about great men. Hence, the following words will offer only a glimpse into the life of one who inspired his students, provided a shoulder to his colleagues and was a real contributor to Jamia Millia Islamia. Mr. Jalaluddin was born to late Daud and Jameela Khatoon, on 5 May, 1934, in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He completed his BSc Engineering from Aligarh Muslim University and joined Jamia Millia Islamia in 1957-58 as a lecturer in the Rural Institute of Engineering. Within a very short time he became its Principal. But this was just the beginning for the man who did not take his work as just another job. When he joined, Jamia was a lonely place and people had to live and teach in very difficult conditions as there was no greenery, no buildings, no pakka roads, no surrounding colonies and a very poor electric supply. The area was known for dust storms, heat, mud in rainy seasons and penetrating cold waves in the winter. He and his colleagues had to live jointly in a very small room in Khizrabad locality near Jamia and classes were held in tents. His passion and dream of making it big came through and he was the catalyst who gave the department a beautiful, lavish, fully equipped building which boasts of thousands of students today. Without having a proper management degree, he knew the nuances of managing people and institutions. In the words of his closest colleague and friend Abdul Moid Khan, "Mr. Jalaluddin came to Jamia not to earn money. Allah taala had sent him to Jamia to serve the community, the country, the downtrodden, the poor and those who had no support. He started certificate courses in Electronics, Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning and Draftsmanship in order to help the community and provide them with technical support. These courses helped to prepare specific-skilled workers as Electricians, Plumbers and technicians for Electronics appliances and Computers etc. Unfortunately, now these schemes have been closed. Those who have done these courses are earning well in India and abroad, particularly in Gulf countries.

tions were essential for their further promotion. To support their ambitions and promotions, Jalaluddin came up with the idea of Evening Classes at the Jamia. The idea of Evening Classes was to teach regular courses, not correspondence, but the timing of the classes had to suit working students. Therefore, he worked hard and approached all the agencies he could and ultimately started B.E. (Evening) courses in the Jamia. He engaged learned professors from IIT and Delhi College of Engineering to teach B.E.(Evening) students. Thousands of students benefited and have become graduate engineers since then. Professor N.U. Khan, Mr. Dillan Quraishi, Mr. Jawahar Lal Sharma, Mr. Abdul

Mr. Jalaluddin came to Jamia not to earn money. Allah taala had sent him to serve the community, the country, the downtrodden, the poor and those who had no support.
Aziz and many other reputed teachers are some examples. Bachelors in Technology (B.Tech), the main attraction for students at Jamia today, was also the consequence of his efforts, as the then V.C. A.J. Kidwai, had also assigned this job to him. Jalaluddin retired from Jamia in 1994, but he kept on inspiring and encouraging his students. Along with being a teacher and a manager, he was also a social activist. There are many inspirational stories of this man and this space is too small to accommodate all of them. One example of his kindness is reflected by his colleague Prof. Zahur Mohammad Khan. Jalal Saheb notified to all his students to wear an institution blazer. His intention was to promote the image of Jamia and to give the students a sense of equality and uniformity. I told him that many students are very poor and could not afford to buy blazers. One day he asked me to accompany him to the market to purchase a sherwani for him and incidentally he saw blazer pieces. He purchased the pieces instead of his sherwani and distributed the blazers to the needy students. This reflects his humbleness, kindness and generosity. Jalal saheb visited many educationally-backward places like Mewat where he

With the support of the then Vice-Chancellor AJ Kidwai, Jalaluddin started a Civil Aviation Engineering Course which was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Even today more than 30 officers who pursued this course are associated with the Aviation department in reputed positions. Unfortunately this course too has been closed down.
He realized that there were many students who wanted to enhance their qualifications while working. In fact, such qualifica-

encouraged students to come to the Jamia and promised them not only admission but also to bear all their expenses. There are many examples where students say that they credit their success to this one man. Jalaluddin was the force behind everybody who wanted to start some noble work. The establishment of many institutions, mosques, madarsas, and welfare organizations in and around Jamia was due to his efforts. After Saeed Saheb, it is due to Jalal Saheb that we see Jamia Jama Masjid so charming, so well organized and financially well managed. Batla House mosque which was a little shed some 30-35 years ago, is now a huge and well-organized Jama Masjid, only due to his efforts. He did not hesitate to go door to door to collect money for this mosque. Teachers hostel Mosque came into existence when he was Jamias Property and Building In-charge. He went to Mehrauli, Haryana, Punjab and other places to establish mosques, madarsas, and institutions. He was instrumental along with Moid Khan and Musharraf saheb that Muslim Personal Law Board established Darul Qaza in Okhla which is working successfully till date. When I and some of my colleagues expressed desire to coach educationally-backward minority students free of cost so that they can compete in entrance examinations and bring them to the national stream, he supported it whole-heartedly and requested Khwaja Shahid, then Registrar, JMI, to help us, which he did, and we started classes in Polytechnic classrooms. Jallaluddin was an institution himself. He had great thoughts and strong ideals. He hybridized Aligarh and Jamia very well. He was a true Aligarian as well as a true Jamii. It was he who inspired active students who had passed from Jamia to establish Jamia Old Boys Association. In fact, he used his personal relations with many influential persons not for his family but to help the needy. When he breathed his last on 27 September, 2011 he left some packets of money, each marked for a particular mosque or to help poor students or madarsas etc. There is a long list of his admirers, friends and well-wishers in and around Jamia. Jalaluddin is still alive in the hearts of his students, friends and co-workers. The priority of this man was not his family or children, but education for all and the welfare of his students. We cannot bring back this great man, but can follow his ideals, teachings, help the needy and inspire the youth of the nation to dream big and dedicate our lives to serve others. The author is Associate Professor and HOS, Applied Sciences and Humanities Section, University Polytechnic, Jamia Millia Islamia. He may be contacted at ibrahimmjamia@yahoo.co.in

NCPUL launches three Urdu programmes

NA ANSARI
New Delhi: With the launch of three different Urdu programmes i.e. starting of on-line programme for teaching of Urdu, presentation of mechanical or automatic Urdu translation software and declaration of placement of one million pages of Urdu books online on a single day has made 20 September 2011 a historic day for the promotion of Urdu. Union minister of state of HRD E. Ahamed launched the Urdu on-line programme prepared by NCPUL in cooperation with CIIL, Mysore for teaching of Urdu by pressing the mouse button on the occasion of NCPULs convocation (certificate distribution) function at Aiwan-e Ghalibs hall which was packed to capacity by lovers of Urdu. In addition to this, another computer programme of automatic translation from Urdu into other languages and vice-versa was also inaugurated, which NCPUL had prepared with the assistance and cooperation of CDAC, a software company which will be available in the form of CD. The minister released this CD. On this occasion NCPULs Director Dr. Hamidullah Bhat made yet another important announcement that a project of one million pages of all Urdu books published by NCPUL so far have already been placed on the internet which will be available to people free of charge. He said that as many as two thousand books on different academic, literary and other topics by different authors, poets etc., a large number of which are meant for children have been put on NCPULs website and under the agreement with this company, can be freely downloaded. Dr. Hamidullah Bhat said that as promoter of Urdu, our and NCPULs efforts in this direction are

bearing fruit and gradually we are associating Urdu with new technologies and new possibilities. Praising Kapil Sibal, Union HRD minister as a secular leader who is now being assisted by the minister of state E. Ahamed who too is sincere in empowering minorities and promoting Urdu, Bhat praised him also and said that E. Ahamed believes in working silently without any show and tall talk. E. Ahamed while speaking on this occasion praised Urdu as a sweet language, embodying

Indian civilization. He became somewhat poetic when he said that Urdu combines Taj Mahals beauty, Red Forts strength and durability and Qutub Minars height. He hoped that under the

guidance of Aziz Burney and Prof. Waseem Barelvi, NCPUL will make good progress. He said that the government, through NCPUL, has prepared a road map for the promotion and development of Urdu which will soon be implemented and further steps will be taken for the promotion of Urdu. He said that inspite of extremely unfavourable conditions Urdu has preserved its civilization and identity which is worth appreciation. He also expressed his concern over the falling number of Urdu readers because of lack of basic facilities in primary and secondary schools but said the government will accept this challenge and will meet the needs of books, teachers and other facilities in Urdu medium schools. He called upon the lovers and well wishers of Urdu to unite and get organised to fight for their rights and justice. Delhi Urdu Academys Vice Chairman Akhtarul Wasey said that it is a matter of pride that Urdus on-line programme has been downloaded in India and this work has been done by NCPUL. Waseem Barelvi said in his speech that he is very much impressed with E. Ahameds views and feels that he has a sincere desire to do some thing for the promotion and popularisation of Urdu and such people are badly needed today for doing practical work for the promotion and popularisation of Urdu. In this programme CDAC software companys officers demonstrated the automatic translation programme on the big screen and shed light on its importance and utility. At the end of the programme students who qualified from different educational centres run by NCPUL were given certificates. Also, 40 students who secured first, second and third positions in computer application, business accounting and multi-lingual programmes of computer centres run in cooperation with NCPUL in Delhi were also given certificates and diplomas by E. Ahamed.

8 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

NATIONAL

The Gujarat genocide and the man who craftily wrought it

MUSTAFA KHAN
Chief Minster Narendra Modi of Gujarat fashioned everything right from when he contested election early in 2002. This includes manufacturing rumours for consumption by the people like saying that Ahsan Jafri had used his gun on the crowd. A man who campaigned against him for February 23 elections was the former Member of Parliament, Ahsan Jafri. He correctly feared and warned the people of the dangerous ideology of Hindutva that the RSS pracharak Modi had espoused and what it spelled for the state. Modis anger saw no limit as he was filled with hubris at the way the miyan (Muslim) was trying to oppose his election on February 23, 2002 and also showing pluck to consider himself equal to anyone howsoever high or low as a citizen of the country! Since then Modi took a course of action as the head of the government after being sworn to power that he proved himself a desi Slobodan Milosevic of the Indian state of Gujarat bent on denying Muslims their fundamental right of being equal to other fellow Indians. He and many others like him in the hardcore communal minded, feel that the Muslims need to be taught a lesson which would show them their place. There was a grand design hatched out and executed as an experiment of the Hindutva laboratory. It was so systematically carried out that its very cunningness showed how well planned and diabolically and ruthlessly practiced it would be. It would be what many feared and most did not articulate in words and their deafening silence proved to be: genocide of Muslims. The burning of the compartments of the Sabarmati express train was used to initiate that most violently inhuman course in the history of the state, nay, of India, that it would bring shame to the country but not the man who shrewdly worked behind the scene and controlled and factored everything into the grand design. In the meeting of February 27 late evening it was enough that he told his police and administration that the Hindus would be given a free hand in the murder and mayhem of Muslims for three days so that the history of the state of balancing Hindus and Muslims evenly in a political correctness of sorts would end forever in favour of the Hindus. When the pogroms started, Modi was in contact with VHP chief Jaideep Patel and the fire brand minister in charge of children and women affairs, Maya Kodnani. His office phone record shows this. He also had talks with the Police Commissioner PC Pande as 15 phone calls made from his office establish it. As the phone records have been deliberately destroyed despite the gravity of the crimes committed during the pogroms it is high time that a grand jury should look into the role that such people that surrounded Modi as PC Pande, DGP K Chakravarti,, JCP MK Tandon, DCP PB Pondia, chief secretary Subha Rao, health minister Ashok Bhatt (deceased), urban development minister IK Jadejia, minister of state home Govardhan Jhadafiya have played. It is also relevant to go into the CD that IPS officer Rahul Sharma had submitted. Modi had his administration yoked to one overwhelming task of not only conducting the pogroms of Muslims but also tackling and fixing the far reaching effect. After the arrest of Amit Shah minister of state for home, it was not only his additional advocate general Tushar Mehta who was operating behind the scenes but even an otherwise independent minded Ram Jethmalani offered his services to the juggernaut. It was he who settled the 89 page petition of Amit Shah where he ascribes motives to the two judges. The SC order of transferring the Sohrabuddin case to CBI dated January 12, 2010 had rubbed them on the wrong side. The petition says, the order (is) a product of a tripartite understanding and arrangement to the effect that the CBI investigation would be ordered by Honble Mr Justice Tarun Chatterjee (the lead judge who issued the January 12 order) as desired by the Central Government, the Central government will provide the Honble Justice a post-retirement assignment, and the CBI will refrain from chargesheeting the Honble Justice in the PF scam case. And, Justice Aftab does not know whether the fact of the aforesaid pending and ongoing CBI investigation (on PF scam) against his brother Judge was known to Honble Mr Justice Aftab Alam. He too should have offered to recuse if he did know. It seems that the basic strategy to cover up the genocide was to send probe reports of Special Investigation Team to the state additional advocate general Tushar Mehata. It was under secretary (home) Vijay Badekha who would forward the reports to Mehta. Mehta would find out in real time the vulnerable and weak aspects of the case of an accused in the atrocity committed on the Muslims. He would then write to Gurumurthy Swaminathan, the RSS ideologue. Gurumurthy in turn would gather crucial points to find chinks in the armour of the prosecution. So in the most developed state of the country the government exchequer was to pay an additional advocate general to prepare in advance to defend an accused that he should be in reality prosecuting. As the suborning of the judicial system in the state cannot come about at such higher echelon of the government without the nod of the chief executive officer of the state, the chief minister himself, at the wheel of the ship steering the course of the state and his active connivance, is amazing. If he had an iota of a sense of justice and responsibility he should have dismissed Mehta and ordered recovery of the salary drawn during the period the errant additional advocate general had infringed his constitutional duties. Modis silence over this even after Sanjiv Bhatt and Tehelka brought it out in the public shows that he alone should be held

As a well orchestrated cover up operation is still underway, its sheer brazenness will pale into insignificance other genocides of recent history including what Pol Pot did in Cambodia. Pol Pot was a military man while Modi is elected repeatedly by his fellow Gujratis and hence a constitutionally elected head of government neck deep into crimes of genocide of 2002. Neither the central government of BJP under Vajpayee and Advani had any qualms, despite the President of India RK Narayanan remonstrating them nor has the mainstream media and intelligentsia done anything beyond token protest or an occasional rap on the knuckles.
responsible for the genocide and the forethought and calculated fallout of the cover up. And those who carried it out using the administrative machinery will be guilty of violating the chain of command responsibility. The Nuremberg principles that all these guilty are individually responsible for the crimes of genocide, that, national laws of the land do not prevent criminal responsibility, that, head of the state or government and other government officials involved in genocide are not immune from prosecution, and, that, even being an accomplice to the crimes is enough to constitute an international crime clearly shows the need to prosecute the guilty. Vajpayee government had rushed the chair person of the National Human Rights Commission, justice Verma and attorney general Soli Sorabji to Vienna to prevent the UNO human rights commissioner Mary Robinson from visiting India during the Gujarat genocide. The Nuremberg principles and Indias response to the visit make it obligatory that it should not be left to the Gujarat government alone to come clean. India has to come clean on it, lest we let the door open for anyone to take the matter of the genocide to the UNO under its optional protocol sometimes in the future as the Nero of Gujarat is still fiddling. The suborning of the system is further borne out in the state setup singling out for dismissal and punishment of those officers who chose to remain upright and speak out against the genocide or provide evidence about the complicity of the state and its chief minister. With more and more IPS officers coming out in the open and exposing the misdeeds of Modi it looks awkward what RK Raghvan said in his report which Tehelka reproduced: As many as 32 allegations were probed into during this preliminary inquiry. These related to several acts of omission and commission by the state government and its functionaries, including the chief minister. A few of these alone were in fact substantiated the substantiated allegations did not throw up material that would justify further action under the law. It is also becoming clear how location-al analysis confirms what many suspect that PC Pande was raised to the post of DGP for his complicity in the genocide. It was Pande who had ordered the dispersal of more than a hundred bodies of Muslims to different areas of Ahemdabad to dilute the crimes committed at Naroda Patia. He also visited Ahsan Jafri at 10.30 am on February 28 but chose not to send rescue. His role in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case and also in the case of Tulsiram Prajapati is also damning. Rajnish Rai has said in a petition to the SC submitted on August 11 2011: Pandes conduct clearly and sufficiently established his culpability in the conspiracy to kill Tulsiram Prajapati in fake encounter, destruction of evidence in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case and in causing wilful obstruction in investigation of the fake encounter case by using his office as DGP of the state. Pande prevented police officers under him from visiting Tulsiram in Rajasthan jail so that the matter would be hushed up or remain out of focus of attention. That Gujarat 2002 was a genocide of Muslims planned well in advance is clear not only from the readily available print outs of the voter lists and the record of Muslim commercial establishments to the marauders, etc., but also from the ground reality. On February 27, 2002 six officials of the chief ministers office were in Meghaninager. They were preparing for the intended wreaking of revenge on the Muslims the next day, the day of bandh February 28. It was hours before the chief minister declaring the Godhra train incident as a work of Lashkare Toiba or Jaishe Mohammad. Meghaninager was not known as communally sensitive place. No Hindu from the adjoining Bhagwatinager had taken part in the attacks on Gulberg society although it was a Hindu colony. The six officers of CMO turned it into a communal cauldron over night. In the three hours they spent there from 2 pm to 5pm they over saw the preparation. For, the next day the pogroms started at the Gulberg society which is located in Meghaninager. Hundreds of bottles containing white powder which increased the intensity of burning were found in Gulberg society during the attack. This indicates how meticulously the preparations were made. Who had arranged for the supply of such incendiary substance in such a short time between the visit of the six and the onset of the violence at 7.30 the next day? Even when the ghastly dance of rape, murder and arson and playing with the skulls of the victims was so overwhelming, the cover up of it was equally horrifying if suborning of the judicial system gives any indication. Mehta prepared a reply affidavit to be filed before the apex court on behalf of the Gulbarg accused and forwarded a copy to the principal secretary to the chief minister on April 15, 2010. Mehta also forwarded a copy of the petition and the affidavit by the accused to Gurumurthy. This ideologue of the RSS would then add crucial points for argument against the prosecution in defense of the accused. Thus even the most horrendous crimes of the Gulberg society are taken as a matter of routine cover up giving one the feeling that the administrative set up was hell bent to show that it was the prerogative of the officials to carry on what they were doing. The life, dignity, right to live, and the property of the hapless victims ceased to have any meaning in Gujarat of Modi. Even more bizarre is a note to N Ram, editor of the Hindu. In this, Gurmurthy has imputed motive to the SC judges as mentioned earlier in this paper. This is yet another case of cavalierly and even nonchalantly disregarding all the norms of civilized society on account of their considering Muslims in the country as subhumans ala Aunt Polly in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. She did not consider Negroes reported dead in accident as humans. She counted only the dead white as human casualty! The Parsi woman who lost her twelve year old son and a grown up daughter in Gulbarg society had quickly recovered herself in her decency. When her powerful rescuer phoned her as to how many were trapped there, she said three and then looked at the others and corrected herself that there were forty! The police and others including the marauders there and the ones covering it all up do not have even this fig leaf to hide their guilt. A strange sense of proprietorship prevailed where those tainted with genocide of Muslims and its cover up operation came to believe that they would deal with the President of India, Pratibha Patil in the same callous manner. Gurumuthy had prepared a memorandum for her Excellency which the additional advocate general had asked him. Shushma Swaraj, LK Advani, Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari were to present it to the President. Even to complain against the bte noir, of Modi, Teesta Setalvad, the government officers meant for prosecuting the accused were employed to carry out a vendetta against civil rights activists thanks to the brazen way Modi had conducted the genocide. There are many dimensions of genocide in the case of Gujarat 2002. One is the fake encounters carried out in the name of deshbhakti or patriotism and the other is the continued harassment of government servants who did not toe the dictate of the state run by Modi. What Modi and his hordes did was to stigmatize a whole community as terrorists and lawbreakers. Modi took the initiative when he dubbed the Ghanch Muslims of Signal Falia in Godhra as lawless. He held them responsible for the burning of the two compartments of the Sabarmati express on February 27. He went further and called them agents of Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan. This set the agenda for the worked up and outraged Hindus. They would naturally extract a heavy price in terms of human life and property in the stipulated three days the chief minister had given them. Then his lieutenants in the

Continued on the next page

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

NATIONAL

Remembering Prof. Iqbal Ansari

MAHTAB ALAM

he Indian Social Institute (ISI) in Delhis Lodhi Road institutional area was full of activities as usual. Since it was a Sunday, several small and big meetings, consultations and deliberations on various socio-political, economic and educational issues were in full swing. In one of the rooms of the Institutes multi-storied building, a discussion was going on the growing militarisation and violence in Chhattisgarh and other tribal populated states of India. It was the meeting of Citizens Initiative for Peace and among the participants were Justice (retd.) Rajendra Sachar, Prof. Manoranjan Mohanthy, Prof. Randhir Kumar and many like them apart from some younger activists like me. While discussion was on, a man, who must be in his late seventies, entered the room distracting participants attention from the discussion for a while. He was short in height, even shorter in temper but when it came to his stature in terms of work he did, knowledge he had, and commitment he displayed over a period of three decades, he was much taller than the tallest in the world. There was hardly any person, he met, was not impressed by his work, I should say single-handly done work without any institutional support. He was, as a senior activist and former journalist rightly tells us, one man army of documentation of facts related to issues of Muslims in India. Yes, you are right I am talking about Professor Iqbal Ahmad Ansari. After greeting the participants, he occupied one of the seats and the meeting was once again in the full swing. On that fateful Sunday evening, 11 October 2009, when I was sitting next to Prof. Iqbal Ansari, in the meeting referred to above, I had no clue that I will be not able to meet him again. Two days after the meeting, on 13 October, he breathed his last. His

untimely death left most of us bewildered. It was an irreparable loss for human and civil rights movement in India. Prof. Iqbal Ansari, who was always at the forefront of the human and civil rights movements throughout the country over three decades left this world following a heart attack. My association with Prof. Iqbal Ansari was not very long and dates back only to 2007, when I assisted him to organize a consultation meeting on Towards Riot & Terror Free India organized by Inter Community Peace Initiative (ICPI) on 11 February 2007 in Delhi. After that, I interacted with him on various occasions and issues, mostly through phone and Internet. He was very prompt in his reactions. Whatever I know of him through my short interactions and his work, one thing is very clear: his commitment for protection of civil liberties and advancement of human rights in India is unmatched. He was passionately committed to the cause. He was one of the most visible civil liberties activists in India, taking up a variety of issues, from communalism, religious freedom and communal harmony to minority rights. A teacher of English literature turned into a full-time human rights activist, Prof. Iqbal Ansari along with other well-known civil libertarians like V M Tarkunde, Justice Rajendra Sachar championed the protection of civil rights in India. Born in 1935, Iqbal A Ansari served as a teacher of English at the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (AMU) for 33 years and retired in 1995. He had been visiting professor at Centre for Federal Studies, Jamia Hamdard (2001-2003) and Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (2003-2004). Prof. Ansari was associated closely with several international and national human rights organizations in different capacities. He was a member of Amnesty International, National Council member of Peoples

Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Vice President of Citizens for Democracy (CFD) and General Secretary of Minorities Council. And towards the end of his life, he was active with us in Citizens Initiative for Peace, a newly formed group which comprised of people like Justice Rajendra Sachar, Prof. Randhir Singh, Kuldip Nayar, Swami Agnivesh, Nanadani Sunder and Kavita Srivastava. He was a prolific writer and his writings used to appear in most of national English dailies. Prof. Ansari wrote extensively on issues related to human rights, minorities and prevention and resolution of inter-community conflicts. His publications include Political Representation of Muslims in India (2006), Readings on Minorities: Perspectives and Documents, vols. I & II (1996), vol. III (2002), vol. IV (2010, published posthumously); Communal Riots: The State and Law in India (1997); Human Rights in India: Some Issues (1998); Muslim Situation in India (1989) and Uses of English (1978). He was also editor of the quarterly bulletin, Human Rights Today published from New Delhi. He travelled to almost every part of the country to advance the human rights and to expose the violation of human rights and the illegal activities of both the state and non-state perpetrators. It was Prof. Anasri who took special interest and made constant efforts in the matters related to victims of communal violence, especially Hashimpura and Maliana. His efforts resulted in the transfer of cases from UP to Delhi. Moreover, he made a remarkable intervention in the form of critical analysis the proposed Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005. One of the last contributions for the protection and advancement of civil liberties in India was his intervention in Justice Markande Katjus remarks on growing beard and Niqab. He personally wrote to him and argued the matter. In short, he was a selfless intellectual, tireless human rights defender and a great human being. It is a harsh reality that Prof. Iqbal Ansari is no more amongst us but his legacy in terms of his work and brave struggles will continue to inspire us to push our struggle for the establishment of a just and equitable world. Today, when there is an onslaught on human rights activists throughout the country and violence against religious minorities is growing day by day, lets pledge to fight against all injustices without any fear. That will be our real tribute and homage to Iqbal Saheb. Mahtab Alam is a Delhi based Civil Rights Activist and Journalist. He can be at activist.journalist@gmail.com)

Takfiri fatwas a dangerous trend of modern times

ubai: A 3-day international conference in which hundreds of ulama, jurists and intellectuals from all over the world participated was held in Madinah (Saudi Arabia) to discuss and try to prevent the growing trend of issuing takfiri fatwas in Islamic countries. This conference was organised in cooperation with Jamia Imam, Muhammad bin Saud and in its inaugural session Saudi Arabias home minister, Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz and many government officials were present. On the first day on 20 September ulama and other speakers described such fatwas on takfiri as mischief of modern times and very dangerous for the Muslim ummah. Chairman of the Managing Committee Dr. Saad Al Haarsi said that the objective of this conference hosted by Saudi government is to consider and prepare an action plan to prevent the increasing trend of

issuing unnecessary, mischievous, misleading and fissiparious fatwas because such fatwas are dangerous and mischievous views of modern times and all of us should put our heads together to go deep into their historical background and roots and to find ways to prevent them because these have bomb-like destructive power and if these are not stopped, Muslims will continue to be destroyed by such bomb-like fatwas. Dr. Saad Al Haarsi further said that before this Conference he had received 389 articles/views on 109 important topics about such fatwas from 24 Muslim countries from all over the world, of which, after critical examination, 131 articles or views will be presented in this conference. Some of the important topics on which articles have been received are: status of such takfiri fatwas in Islam and their con-

ditions, history and ideologies of such fatwas, factors leading to such fatwas, suspicions of ancient and modern times about such fatwas, ideological relationship between contemporary and old takfiri groups and replies of Ulema to their suspicions, effects of such fatwas on social, economic and security affairs, responsibilities of world community to prevent such fatwas, ways and resources to prevent such fatwas etc. Saudi religious scholar Dr. Al Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali Al Aqla said that the spate of such fatwas in modern times is a dangerous trend which has divided the Islamic world among themselves, though, he said, this trend is not altogether new because this has been coming down from the days of Orthodox Caliphate. That is why these are being described as the bane of olden days which

Prophets companions too had been facing. He said that the need of the time is not to divide the Islamic world but, in the words of the Prophet (pbuh), to make all Muslims as one single body so that if, even one organ of the body feels pain, the entire body suffers. It may be stated in this connection that this Conference is organised at a time when recently a distinguished religious scholar of Saudi Arabia had declared a newspaper columnist outside the fold of Islam for refusing to believe in the attributes and supreme authority of God. These days many groups and persons in all Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia are coming up who without any proper knowledge or investigation or research are issuing fatwas of takfiri against their rivals and opponents which is of great concern to whole Muslim Ummah. (NA Ansari)

Continued from the previous page

police force like DG Vanzara extended it to the fake encounters that took place one after another. When the Muslims were dubbed as treacherous and unpatriotic to the country, the inference was that it was patriotism to kill them. Modi carelessly taunted them as child producing factories and scoffed at them working by the roadsides repairing vehicles in their greasy attire. He would say a male Muslim marries four wives, the five then produce twenty five and so it goes on. His audience cheered him lustily and during the pogroms they aimed at causing the maximum number of casualties. For example at Gulberg society there were more than a dozen children in the arms of their mothers and fathers. The attackers snatched them and killed them. In several other cases even pregnant women had their womb slashed open and their foetus pierced with spears. This is the stuff of genocide. In the case of the fake encounters, Muslims caught in Gujarat and outside like Maharashtra were taken to illegal private bungalows used as detention centres and detained there and they were tortured and murdered. They would be brought to road turnings and dumped there. The police would give a statement to the press that they were agents of ISI or terrorists and were on their way to kill Modi. Ishrat Jehan, Sohrabuddin, Sadiq Jamal Mehtar and a host of others were wiped out in this way. Modi government would reward the murderous cops with promotion in career and

awards, and rewards. As a well orchestrated cover up operation is still underway, its sheer brazenness will pale into insignificance other genocides of recent history including what Pol Pot did in Cambodia. Pol Pot was a military man while Modi is elected repeatedly by his fellow Gujratis and hence a constitutionally elected head of government neck deep into crimes of genocide of 2002. Neither the central government of BJP under Vajpayee and Advani had any qualms, despite the President of India RK Narayanan remonstrating them nor has the mainstream media and intelligentsia done anything beyond token protest or an occasional rap on the knuckles. Rahul Sharma was a high ranking officer in charge of Bhavnager in Ahemdabad, a prime posting. He had opened fire at the mob baying for the blood of the Muslims on its way to a madrasa where 300 Muslim kids were housed. Had he not done his duty the kids would have met the fate of their fellow religionists elsewhere. For this he was demoted and sent to the police control room as deputy commissioner of police. He recorded on his official CD telephonic conversation of government officers, Hindu extremists of VHP and Bajrang Dal and the police who were involved in the genocide. He was instantaneously shunted to Surat and now charged with defaming the chief minister. The political configuration of the extremist Hindu groups is of course the political wing called BJP. Its leader Arun Jaitley in his sophistry calls it walking away with secret records. Such is the ever ready pugnacity of the

Hindu party BJP that leave alone feeling remorse over massacres of Muslims, its leaders issue serious warnings to the Home Minister Chidambrum for daring to articulate the constitutional guarantee of safeguarding central government cadres in the police service in Gujarat state who are being harassed, penalized chargesheeted and suspended just because they refused dereliction of duty when the genocide was being conducted. Sanjiv Bhatt was second highest ranking police officer in charge of the security of not only the coastal areas, crucial installations but also the chief minister. He had maintained the official secret act for eight years until he submitted a part of the official record to the Supreme Court hearing one of the most traumatic cases of the genocide, Zakia Jafris petition on how her husband and others were gruesomely killed in the Gulberg society on account of the involvement of 62 ministers (Modi included), police officials and political leaders. Since then he has been chargesheeted and suspended from service. It is such a Machiavellian statecraft perfected by Modi that he sticks to his chair like a limpet and loses no opportunity to score a point over his rivals or excoriate at them as if he is as innocent as a lamb. Guinness book of world record must assure him a place for a government head that crafted the gruesome genocide in real time and conducted it in full steam for three days and got away, even in the twenty first century!

10 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

NATIONAL

Where is Sadbhavna for Muslims in Gujarat?

ABDUL HAFIZ LAKHANI, Ahmedabad
Chief Minister Narendra Modi had great success with the media coverage of his Sadbhavna Nautanki. By utilizing this show, he kept himself in PMship race for his party but Muslims in Gujarat are still not happy despite his so called Sadbhavna approach. Muslims allege that in the nine years his government has systematically put in policies that are discriminatory in nature. Getting a ration card or even a passport is a nightmare in the state as government employees harass them for no reason, they say. For Muslims, even getting a job is not easy and most of them are employed by people from their own community or by Hindus if they have some extraordinary skills. But what pinches them the most is the discrimination in education. Muslim children do not get admissions in decent schools. I shifted my home from Vadodra to Ahmedabad two years ago and found it impossible to get admission for my children in a decent school, says Aslam Mansuri, an employee with a private bank. Muslims are not given a place to stay in a Hindu area and in Modis rule their children do not get admission in schools dominated by Hindus. He is ensuring that Muslims remain backward and illiterate, adds Mansuri Munir Patel, a shopkeeper in Shah Alam area, says: For Modi, Muslims do not exist. He can do without them and the Congress knows that Muslims have no option but to vote for it. He further says, He is very powerful now and probably will be the future prime minister of India. In the next year Gujarat elections will be held, he will still lead the charge. Among all Muslim-dominated areas of Ahmedabad city, the most marginalised people are from Juhapura, a Muslim ghetto with a population of more than three lakh. Most residents of Ahmedabad call it mini-Pakistan and feel that anti-social elements reside there. For the record, there has been no major arms haul in many years nor have any dreaded terrorists been caught from the area. Yet, Juhapura retains the tag; everyone has accepted this fact. Abdul Shaikh, a car mechanic in Juhapura, says: There is no sign of Gujarat government over here. They hardly provide us with any of the municipal benefits like they do to other parts of the city. They do not want to do anything for us. The only time we see any sign of the government is when the police comes and picks up some people alleging they are criminals. Activist Nadeem Saiyed said Muslims who had been given posts in the partys minority cell, were assigned the task of bringing in people from their community to support Modis Sadbhavna mission. It is an organised show, he added. Vadodara based social activist J.S. Bandukwala said that Narendra Modi is obsessed with becoming Prime Minister. He desperately wants Gujarat Muslims to tilt towards him, so that he can nullify the opposition he faces from outside Gujarat. No wonder he went out of his way to woo Muslims during his Farce and later during the rally against the Governor. But it would be suicidal to endorse Modi. He is a ruthless political operator, who will go to any length to secure power. Look at the way he completely destroyed Keshubhai Patel, and later Haren Pandya, resorting to murder. Look at the way he is stabbing his own guru L.K.Advani, as he views him as opposing his Prime Ministership. To trust such a Hitler would be a huge disaster for the Muslims of Gujarat, knowing well how he treated them in 2002. Rather it is shocking that Bohras and Barelvi maulanas went out of their way to praise and laud Modi. One even fell at his feet. What is wrong with our ulama? Have they forgotten that in Islam you do sajda to Allah alone. How can such a man lead Muslims in prayer? We must expose all those who went to Modis farce to pay tribute to him Bandukwala added. More fasts from 16th October: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will kick off his district wise Sadbhavana fast from Saurashtras Jamnagar district.Chief Minister Modi will sit on a one-day Sadbhavana fast in Dwarka on 16th of October.Shri Modi will then sit on Sadbhavana fast in all other districts of Gujarat one-by-one.Various programmes like youths tying Sadbhavana belt to each other, emphasise on inclusion of the deprived sectors of the society etc are planned. The latest reports mention that the family of suspended IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt has alleged that it is under threat and that the lawyer of the 1988 batch officer is not being allowed to meet him. Bhatts lawyer suggested that his arrest by the Narendra Modi government was linked to an affidavit he had filed before the high court suggesting that the chief minister and his former colleague Amit Shah had wanted evidence in the Haren Pandya murder case destroyed. He is an important witness in the Haren Pandya murder case and knows a lot about what really happened, Bhatts counsel I H Syed told the press. Bhatt had earlier told the press that it was Tulsiram Prajapati who had killed Pandya on March 26, 2003 and not any of the 12 accused who were recently acquitted of murder charges in the case. Prajapati was killed in an encounter in December 2006. The above sequence of events and the shady goings on, indicate that Gujarat has become one of the most if not the most dangerous place for whistle blowers in the country. With an enfeebled opposition in the state, it is individuals like Bhatt who are playing the true role of opposition and paying the price for it. such individuals and their families deserve full support from outside Gujarat, to lend strength to the remaining voices of opposition within the state. Political war: Apprehending a strategic move by the Narendra Modi government of politicizing the Sanjiv Bhatt case to embroil the Congress with an eye on the Vidhan Sabha elections, the Gujarat Congress moved to take on the ruling establishment head-on. Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha, Shaktisinh Gohil and former deputy chief minister and Congress leader Narhari Amin called on the family of arrested IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to extend their support and comfort them in their hour of distress. The move is interpreted in political circles as the Gujarat Congress determination to take on the Modi establishment headon after it sought to use the lowly constable KD Panth as a pawn to not only put the Deputy Inspector General of Police in the dock but also moved to embroil Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modvadia in the case. Turning lower level police sub-ordinates around on their senior police officers is an all too familiar game played by the establishment when it wants to corner officers pursuing investigations uncomfortable to the ruling establishment. Senior IPS officer Satish Verma who was part of the Gujarat High Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) faced the same predicament when fellow officers loyal to the ruling establishment played similar games in the investigations of the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. However in this particular case a stern warning from the higher judiciary forced the officer concerned to back-off. The Congress realizing that the Modi establishment was seeking to kill two birds with one stone with an eye on the BJP top brass at one end and the Assembly elections due next year, at the other, has decided to match blow for blow. Though Ahmedabad police commissioner Sudhir Sinha, on extension, sought to deny that Modvadia may be arrested, he did not rule out the possibility of him being made a witness in the case. In a move designed to send a signal to the bureaucracy that it means business, the Congress is coming out to support bureaucrats and police officers being victimized by the Modi establishment. State Congress elections in-charge and former Union textile minister Shankersinh Vaghela cast the first stone when he called on jailed IAS officer Pradeep Sharma in Bhuj, a day prior to flagging the Congress election campaign. Sharma, who fell-foul of Modi, faces a plethora of cases filed against him day after day and it is only two days ago that the Supreme Court stayed all cases against him. Gohil and Amin called on Bhatts family and Vaghela is expected to follow suit. A highly placed Congress source said that we can see through Modis game plan as he plans to play victim before his party top brass even as he strategies to rout Advani-JaitleySwaraj for the 2014 national poll sweepstakes and the Congress in Gujarat next year. His problem is that we have Vaghela who understands his psyche and can match him move for move. According to the Congress, the Modi establishment seeks to target Modvadia who has been a thorn in Modis flesh. The Gujarat Congress establishment derailed his move to pressurize the already under pressure UPA government at the Centre to make the Gujarat Governor Dr Kamala Beniwal back down on the appointment of the Lokayukta. The Centre has moved out and the matter is now set for judicial response. The Modi move to turn the Governors removal into a national issue has also backfired since no national BJP leader of standing attended the Modi rally in Ahmedad for the purpose. Even Advani backed out. Meanwhile the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has condemned the Gujarat governments vindictive action in arresting Bhatt. This is nothing but the frustration and desperate action of the government of Gujarat. This is an open action, not just attempt, on the part of the government of Gujarat to intimidate all other important witnesses of Gujarat Carnage 2002. It is also equally shocking that he was arrested under sections 183,189, 193, 195 and 341 of the IPC. Ahmedabad based NGO Prashants director Fr. Cedric Prakash sj strongly condemned the arrest of Mr. Sanjeev Bhatt, the IPS Officer from Gujarat,on frivolous grounds. Mr. Bhatt has been extremely forthright in his stand for truth and justice, very particularly, on the Gujarat carnage of 2002. Now he has to pay the price! This is yet another instance of the fascism that thrives in Gujarat State. he further said. he demanded Mr. Bhatts unconditional and immediate release! Dwarkanath Rath, convener of Movement for Secular Democracy (MSD), said the Narendra Modi government was frightened because it thought the truth would come out so it was trying to intimidate witnesses such as Bhatt. It is sending out a message that those who cross governments path will face dire consequences, he said. Activist Teesta Setalvad termed Bhatts arrest as a panicky and vindictive step to warn witnesses and victims. We would not back out. We would render our full support to the victims and witnesses, she added. Gautam Thakkar of PUCL said that they are scheduling programmes to spread awareness about the situation in the state. The programmes aim at gathering mass support for the protest against the government. Interestingly Bhatt is presently lodged in Sabarmati Central jail where he was posted as Jail Superintendent in November 2003 after a court on Saturday rejected the police plea for his remand Modi cannot hope to gain by conducting vendetta politics. No doubt the chief minister has an impressive development record going for him. But if he is to build his image and pitch himself on the national stage, such displays of vindictiveness have exactly the opposite effect. Besides, Gujarat necessarily has to come to terms with the destructive legacy of the 2002 riots, whose victims still await justice. Even within his own party Modi will have to show a more tolerant face. For instance, boycotting his partys national executive session, and sulking over L K Advanis leadership pitch can hardly help Modi. Theres no doubt the chief minister needs an overall political makeover, if he is to neutralise his divisive image. He should worry that important NDA allies like Nitish Kumar are not ready to support his leadership bid. To overcome this drawback he needs to jettison vendettas against his enemies, and gain wider acceptance.

Topi politics in Guj. Assembly

PHOTO COURTESY: BHASKAR.COM

It appears the chief perpetrator of the 2002 riots, and his chamcha senior police officers are using the Pant FIR to get evidences in connection with the 2002 riots/Pandya murder. These evidences, which are lying with arrested IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, will nail them forever. If these people are innocent and have had no hand directly or indirectly in the killing of over 1500 innocent people in 2002, one wonders why they are afraid of Bhatt.

Modi vs. Sanjiv Bhatt: battle for justice and truth

The Gandhi topi a sartorial symbol of Indias freedom movement - was always in demand. But anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare pushed its popularity to another level. In the Gujarat Assembly, the Congress and BJP were discussing the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill 2011 tabled by Agriculture Minister Dileep Sanghani. Arguing a point, senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia told the BJP: You do not understand the basic problem. You have given away grazing land to industries. Unable to provide fodder, people are being forced to sell their animals for slaughter. To this, Urban Development minister Nitin Patel responded, Aa safed topi pehrine jhuthu na bolo. Aa safed topi tamara par sari lagti nathi. Tame aa topi utari nakho (Do not lie when you have worn the white cap. Remove it for you do not do it justice). Irked, Modhwadia said, Aa amari Gandhiji ni topi che. Gandhiji na sanskar je Congress ma che, etle ame aa topi pehriye che. Pann tamari iccha chale toh amne peeli topi pehravi do (This is Gandhijis cap and his values are upheld by the Congress. Had it been upto you, we wouldve been forced to wear yellow caps (worn by prisoners). He added, Pann amne tame na pehravi shako kemke tamara ek ministere peeli topi pehri lidhi che. Ane haju beeja 2-3 ministerone aa topi pehervi padshe. Tame jene number 1 maano cho, emne pann pehervi padshe. Etla maate VIP jail taiyaar rakho (You cannot force us to wear yellow caps as one of your ministers has already donned it. And there are 2-3 other ministers who will soon be forced to wear it. Even the one you consider number 1 will have to wear it. So, go build a VIP jail to accommodate them). But a BJP MLA had the last word when he retorted, Tame Gandhi topi ni vaat karo cho. Aa adhyaksh jya baitha che, tya Gandhiji ni painting mukeli che. Ema toh Gandhiji e topi peheri nathi. Toh aa Gandhi topi nathi, Nehru topi che (You talk of Gandhi cap. But Gandhiji is not wearing one in the painting near the Speakers chair. So, this is not a Gandhi topi, it is a (Jawaharlal) Nehru topi.

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 11

HUMAN RIGHTS/TERRORISM

Three-year old Batla House encounter remembered

NA ANSARI
New Delhi: The notorious Batla House fake encounter by Delhi Polices Special Cell was remembered at a great rally of protesters on 19 September at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The rally was mainly sponsored by National Ulama Council of Azamgarh because the innocent youth who were brutally killed in this encounter as well as many others who were falsely accused and arrested subsequently at many other places in the country belonged to Azamgarh district. Most of them were innocent, but police, media and government through false propaganda projected a very bad image of once famous Azamgarh. Hence the people and Ulama Council took the lead in trying to rectify the wrong done to this district. It is important to note that, as per the news, about a fourth of the people from Azamgarh were non-Muslims who too were equally keen to rectify the negative publicity given by police, media and government under a conspiracy to project their city and district as the hub of terrorism. President of National or Rashtraya Ulama Council (RUC), Maulana Aamir Rashadi Madni while addressing the rally said that three years have passed since the fake Batla House encounter took place but the government till date did not get this encounter investigated and asked why the government is objecting to its investigation by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court or by CBI. He said that we stick to our stand that Sajid and Atif (the two youth killed in this encounter) were innocent and not terrorists. He also demanded, in addition to reiteration of the persistent demand for a judicial enquiry into the Batla House encounter, that a commission should be appointed for impartial investigation of all incidents of terrorism during the past ten years, that Muslim youths imprisoned for years on false accusations should be released, that youth not found guilty and freed by courts should be paid suitable compensation and steps should be taken for their rehabilitation, that police officers who deliberately implicated innocent Muslim youth in false cases and terrorist acts without any proof should be given harsh and exemplary punishment and that media should be prevented from projecting false and bad image of innocent Muslims without any basis. He said that we demand a judicial enquiry not only against the killing of the two innocent youth but also against the death of police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma because we suspect that he was killed by police personnel themselves and the blame was put on the innocent youth. He said that almost 98 percent of Muslim youth falsely arrested for terrorism have been released by courts. Government should pay Rs. 10 lakh to each such person as compensation and also give government jobs commensurate to their educational qualification. He said that our struggle for Batla House youth will continue till they get justice. Describing Dig Vijay Singh as a mask of Congress and Congress as nautankiwallas, he said that the Congress policy vis--vis Muslims has always been of double standard. He said that reality of Congress is now known to all and in order to remove Congress and BJP from power in U.P. and next general election a third front should be formed. He also said that his party, Rashtriya Ulama Council will contest all the 403 seats in 2012 U.P. assembly election. President of Muslim Political Council of India, Dr. Tasleem Rahmani said while speaking at this rally that Congress is responsible for terrorism in India in the same way as Narendra Modi is guilty and responsible for massacre of Muslims in Gujarat. He also said that the chain of such conspiracy against Muslims started in India after Lal Krishan Advanis tour of Israel and alongwith Zionists, forces promoting communalism and class war in India are also complicit in this conspiracy. General secretary of Rashtriya Ulama Council, Janardan Singh said that our demand for a judicial enquiry into Batla House encounter is just and on the right path. He said that Muslims have now started thinking that they should not cast their votes for making Mulayam Singh or Mayawati chief minister and instead use their votes for electing someone from among themselves. Because of such thinking they are now preparing their own leadership; and this leadership is coming up in the form of Ulama Council. Parmatma Sharan Pande, Vice President of RUC said that around one-fourth of the protesters are Hindus. This is mainly because after the Batla House encounter, Azamgarh and many parts of U.P. were perceived to be a hot bed of criminal and terrorist activities. Such defamation affects the Hindus as well. Terrorism is only an excuse for these politicians to defame us. The perception of the entire country has changed towards us due to this fake encounter, he said. Others who also spoke at this rally included Intezar Naeem and Muhammad Ahmad, Jamat Islamis secretary, Mualana Abdul Wahab Khilji, former general secretary of Jamiat Ahl-e Hadees; Dr. J.K. Jain, president of BJPs minoritys front; Muhammad Atifs (who was killed in the Batla House encounter) father Muhammad Ameen, Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Rizvi, Vivek Yadav, Dr. Javed Akhtar, Bhupendar Singh etc. etc. The protesters had arrived in Delhi in 23 coaches of the Ulama Special Express on 19 September morning which had stopped at Delhis Safdarjung railway station and from there they marched in a procession to Jantar Mantar, a distance of about 13 kms. They were mostly from Azamgarh and Jaunpur districts but many others from Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut, Moradabad, Kanpur, Bhopal and Delhi also joined them.

Malegaon blast accused apply for bail

Malegaon: The eight accused in jail facing allegations of masterminding the September 2006 Malegaon blast have filed on 1 October a fresh application seeking bail in the Special MCOCA Court in Mumbai. Their earlier bail-application was rejected by the same court in March. The Magistrate has slated the next hearing on October 31, 2011, according to ummid.com. The accused had earlier applied for the bail last January after a confessional statement made by alleged Hindutva terrorist Swami Aseemnand owning up the responsibility of the September 2006 blast. The court, however, rejected the application on March 15, 2011 after the CBI opposed saying the investigations into the whole matter were going on. The fresh bail application by the Muslim accused followed the indications given by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) few weeks ago saying it would not oppose the bail if it was filed in the court. A series of blasts had struck Malegaon on 8 September 2006 ahead of Shab-e-Barat, a Muslim festival when thousands of people were busy offering Friday prayers at the Hamidia Masjid. Another blast occurred at nearby Mushawerat chowk few minutes later. A total of 32 people had been killed and more than 300 were injured in the blasts, most of them being children.

Mumbai: Maharashtras home minister R.R. Patil said while talking to media persons in Mumbai that a letter from union home ministry has been received asking for reports on two activists of Sanatan Sanstha i.e. Ramesh Hanumant Gadkari and Vikram Vinay Bhave who were jailed in connection with Thana Theatre bomb blast and also two other persons Mangesh Dinkar Nikam and Hari Bhav Devkar who also were accused in this blast case but subsequently acquitted. In addition to these persons, the said ministry has also asked for complete information about the present activities of organisations like Sanathan Sanstha, Hindu Jagruti Samiti, Hindu Rakshak Samiti, Durga Vahini etc. Patil said that earlier also the (Maharashtra) state government had submitted a detailed report about Sanatan Sanstha to the centre but in this letter detailed information particularly about the Thana Theatre bomb blast and also those who were punished in this case has been asked. In reply to a question if the state government will impose a ban on Sanatan Prabhat Sanstha, he said that the central government, and not the state government, has the power to impose the ban but he hinted that the centre has started the proceeding of imposing the ban on Sanatan Sanstha. It may be noted that not only in Thana but in the past also proof of the complicity of Hindu extremist organisations in bomb blasts in Maharashtras Nanded, Aurangabad, Malegaon, Amravati and other districts have been found. Moreover, there have been many protests and demands by the public to impose a ban of these organisations.

Ban on Sanatan Sanstha initiated

Three SHOs and three constables found guilty by court

Ghaziabad: Special court of CBI declared three Daroghas (SHOs), three police constables and seven others guilty of killing Raees and Firoz and involved in destroying proofs of an encounter on 3 March 2009 in Indirapuram Police Thana area. The accused persons were summoned in the court on 26 September 2011. Lawyer of the deceased, Khalid Khan told the court that Indirapuram police had picked up two youth Raees and Firoz and killed them in an encounter on the pretext, that they were involved in the loot of a car belonging to one Naushad. Right from the very beginning people had been suspecting the polices role in this so-called encounter and had been raising many questions. They had organised many protest demonstrations against the police action and had been demanding their arrest.

MG NEWS DESK
Ojha, later on, met Rajkumar Yadav, resident of U.P. living in Gujarat for the last twelve years. Yadav does not know much about computers hence he used to rely on Monu. Ojha used Yadavs laptop for sending the fake email. The mystery was solved by cyber cell expert P.I. Kiran Patel (seen in the photograph). (AG Khan)

Fake I.M. email: Monu Ojha nabbed

The moment there is a bomb blast, there is a spate of instant emails which the electronic media claims to have been sent by I.M. jihadis and the gullible ones swallow this allegation. The recent Delhi High Court blast was also followed by a few emails. However, when the fraud behind the fake emails was unearthed; electronic and print media maintained a defeaning silence. The second and the fourth email was sent from Kolkata and the person behind them was identified as Sunny Sharma. The N.I.A. has called him for interrogation while two persons from Kishtwar district of J&K, Sadiq Ahmad and Abid Husain who are related to the surrendered militant Irshad Ahmad Farooq Husain, have been brought for interrogation in connection with the HuJI email. Eleven persons so far have been arrested whereas 50 others, mostly students, have been interrogated. An email in the name of I.M. threatened to rock Ahmadabad in such a manner that the Delhi blast would pale into insignificance, this made the security agencies sweat (and were perplexed). However a breakthrough was accomplished with the arrest of Monu Brahman and Ojha from Ahmadabad in time, and the security agencies heaved a sigh of relief. This third email: Suspecting mischief the N.I.A. and Delhi police alerted their cyber cells. As the name of Ahmadabad was specifically mentioned; the Ahmadabad police also began probing the message. While checking the server history of the ID they concluded that the email was sent from Gujarat. Rajesh Kumar Yadav from Patan was the Internet user. When the Ahmadabad crime branch raided Yadavs house he pleaded ignorance and said that Monu Brahmanand Ojha had been using his server for data entry. During interrogation Monu Ojha confessed to his prank. He was brought to Ahmadabad under Act 66 of Information Technology Ahmadabad police commissioner Sudhir Sinha apprised press reporters that Monu had a dispute with his father and went to Patan. In order to ensure high security of Ahmadabad following Delhi blast he decided to send the fake email so that Ahmadabad would be on high alert. Ahmadabad police, however, is probing further whether he has any criminal past or any link with any terror outfit. Monus father, Brahmanand Ojha, is branch manage in a company that produces Oleum gas in the GIDC, Watwa. The family comprises a son and two daughters. He studied upto XI and speaks broken English. Having failed XII exam he completed a course and later on had an argument with his father. He joined a call centre but did not stay there long. Later on he joined another call centre at Ahmadabad where he came in contact with a girl, Tanya Sharma. Assuring him of a job as data entry operator, she absconded after cheating him to the tune of Rs. 75,000.

Suspect in Delhi High Court bomb blast released

New Delhi: Shariq Khawar Butt, one of the two students of 11th class arrested by investigating agencies in connection with Delhii High Court bomb blast, has been acquitted, considering him innocent. National Investigation Agency (NIA), truly speaking, was unable to prove whether the email sent by these boys was, like emails received from other places, simply a prank or part of any conspiracy. The investigating officer also was repeatedly talking about the email being sent by either Abid or Shariq. Finally, investigating officers brought Aamir Abbas and Aabid Husain to Delh on transit remand but Shariq Khawar Butt was being questioned in Kishtwar. His father Muhammad Rafi Butt said in Kishtwar that senior Police Superintendent Bhim Sen called him last night (on 23 Sept.) and handed over Shariq to him. However, two other youths, Abid Husain and Aamir who also were arrested in Kishtwar in connection with this bomb blast are still in NIAs custody in Delhi. Shariqs father Muhammad Rafi Butt said after his sons release that he had full faith in Allah that He will certainly protect his innocent son.

kill.indian@yahoo.com claimed to be sent by Ali Saeed Al Huri of I.M. declared the intention of wreaking havoc which people would not forget for tens of years.

12 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

ISSUES

Bharatpur: anatomy of police brutality

AMARESH MISRA
14 September 2011 a major incident occurred in the sleepy town of Bharatpur in East Rajasthan. Cooped inside an armoured vehicle, a group of heavily armed policemen fired at a mosque in the district's Gopalgarh qasba, killing more than half a dozen people instantly. Since then, the death toll has climbed to ten-despite the dead belonging to the Muslim community, men in uniform burned most of the bodies and hid them in a well. The body of a half-dead man was also burned in this gruesome incident, the first of its kind-police firing inside a mosque-in Independent India. Initial reports termed the incident as a riot-however visits by Shri Chandrabhan, the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) President, human rights organizations and conscientious individuals confirmed that this was no riot but a case of Police brutality and highhandedness. All the ten dead were Muslim Meosthey also fell without exception to Police bullets. At no point were the dead attacked by rival Hindu mobs, though a day earlier, on 13th September, a Muslim Maulavi was thrashed by some Gurjjar elements. An anatomy of the incident reveals the following pattern: a dispute over a piece of land was simmering between Hindu Gurjjars and Muslim Meos. These two communities have lived in harmony for centuries in East Rajasthan. In fact, Muslim Meos, inhabit a huge strap of land covering three states. Beginning from Rajasthan, this girdle crosses Bharatpur, Dausa, Deig, and parts of Jaipur. Then it stretches onto Haryana encompassing the present-day Nuh-Palwal-Sohna-Firozepur-Hathin-Mewat region-the thick Meo belt. Finally, it moves on to the Mathura-Agra-Ruhelkhand area in Uttar Pradesh. Gurjjars and Jats are also predominant in this belt. Other communities include Meenas and Yadavs. Meo history can be traced back to ancient times; even after converting to Islam from possibly Buddhism, Meos fought the Turkish slave dynasty. They sided with Ibrahim Lodi and Rana Sanga when Babur came knocking with his Mughal army. In the 18th century, Meos raided the army of Ahmed Shah Abdali. In the same period, they played a critical role in the setting up of the JatHindu kingdom of Bharatpur and several small GurjjarHindu principalities in Dausa. Conversely, Jats and Gurjjars helped Meos in setting up the Firozepur state in Haryana. During the 1857 struggle, Meos fought fiercely as a community against British armies. Gurjjars and Meenas, who also fought against the British, were pastoralists and Adivasis respectively; like Jats Meos were-and still arepeasants. Their participation in 1857 kept a pace with Jat anti-British incursions. Meos, Jats and Gurjjars kept Delhi free from British occupation for four months. Even after the capture of Delhi by the British, Meo resistance did not cease. British reprisals were harsh. Meo villages as far as Allahabad were destroyed. Thousands were killed and buried unceremoniously. Swanky British bungalows, Cantonment and Civil lines were erected on the ashes of ruined Meo villages. When Delhi was being built as India's new capital in the early 20th century by the British, confiscated Meo village lands in the Raisina area were used to build the Viceroy House. This same building is known today as the Rashtrapati Bhawan. On 14th September 2011 in Bharatpur, just before the police firing, a compromise between Meos and Gurjjars was almost effected, in the Gopalgarh thana. According to reports, both Gurjjar and Meo MLAs of the area, along with the district administration were present, when a group of RSS workers burst in the thana shouting that some Meos had killed Gurjjars. In the ensuing pandemonium, the local SP, accompanied by a posse of Gurjjar Police personal, mounted an armoured vehicle and drove straight into the local Masjid. Rajasthan has a Congress government; a group of Meo civil society members made representations to Rahul Gandhi, Digvijaya Singh and other Congress leaders in Delhi. Consequently, the SP and DM were transferred and a CBI plus a judicial enquiry was ordered by the Rajasthan Chief Minister. Later, the entire police force of Gopalgarh thana, including the local SHO was transferred. Furthermore, the DM and SP were suspended from service. The IG Police too has been removed. Though Ashok Gehlot, the Rajasthan CM, acted late, his actions were decisive even in face of opposition in the form of Dhariwal, his Home Minister. Efforts are on to register cases under section 302 against the afore-mentioned district officials. Hindus and Muslims have jointly condemned the incident. Communal harmony remains undisturbed, even though rabid VHP leaders like Praveen Togadia are trying to communalise the situation. The incident has brought forth the need to enlist more Muslims in the Police force-a point made by Shri Digvijaya Singh, the Congress General Secretary, in his last Times of India blog-and equipping khaki personnel with a solid secular ideology. (blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

A tribute on Tipu Sultan's 261st birth anniversary

Tipu: Pioneer of Rocket Technology

KALEEM KAWAJA
October 2011, marks the 261st birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan, king of Mysore state (October 1750 - May 1799). Tipu ruled Mysore for 17 years (1782-1799). Tipu Tipus rocket Sultan pioneered and perfected the use of rockets for military purposes, very effectively using it in wars against the invading British colonial armies. Tipu Sultan had 27 brigades called Kushoons; each brigade had a company of rocket men called Jourks. At the Battle of Seringapatam in 1792, Indian soldiers launched a huge barrage of rockets against British troops, followed by an assault of 36,000 men. Although the Indian rockets were primitive by modern standards, their sheer numbers, noise and brilliance were said to have been quite effective at disorienting British soldiers. During the night, the rockets were often seen as blue lights bursting in the air. Since Indian forces were able to launch these bursting rockets in front and behind British lines, they were a tremendous tool for throwing the British off guard. The bursting rockets were usually followed by a deadly shower of rockets aimed directly at the soldiers. Some of these rockets passed from the front of the British columns to the rear, inflicting injury and death as they passed. Sharp bamboos were typically affixed to the rockets, which were designed to bounce along the ground to produce maximum damage. Two of the rockets fired by Tipu's troops in 1792 war are on display at the Royal Artillery Museum in London. Later at the battle of Srirangapattana (4th Anglo-Mysore war) in April 1799, British forces led by Col. Arthur Wellesley (Duke of Wellington) ran away from battlefield when attacked by rockets and musket fire of Tipu Sultan's army. Unlike contemporary rockets whose combustion chamber was made of wood (bamboo), Tipu's rockets used iron cylinder casing that allowed greater pressure, thrust and range. The British were greatly impressed by the Mysorean rockets using iron tubes. At the end of war, more then 700 rockets and sub-systems of 900 rockets were captured and sent to England. Some of these rockets are still kept in the Greenwich Museum. William Congreve thoroughly examined the Indian specimens to reverse engineer and make its copies that were later used successfully in naval attack on Bologne, France, the siege of Copenhagen and also against Fort Washington (New York) during the American independence war. BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and RSS are not in favour to name any prime ministerial candidate. But most of the senior BJP leaders see that the prime ministerial candidate should be announced prior to the general elections. Gadkari seems to have realised that the RSS could possibly turn to his favour if the name of prime ministerial candidate has to be announced. He has made an attempt for an image makeover exercise by launching a book titled "Vikas Ke Path" which is a compilation of his speeches and earlier work done by him. More or less, the book is aimed at projecting Gadkari as a man of development far more competent than any other existing leader in the BJP. Gadkari was quick enough to draw a fine line so that speculation that Advani could be the prime minsterial candidate could be set aside by saying that the Jan Chetna Yatra proposed by LK Advani is not for projecting himself as the prime ministerial candidate. The selection of a unanimous prime ministerial candidate is an ardous task not for the BJP only but for the RSS as well. During BJP national executive meet supporters of senior leaders in the BJP were seen campaigning for this or that candidate for the top slot in the party. Balbir Punj without any hesitation named Narendra Modi as a suitable candidate for the prime ministerial post. Shatrughan Sinha made his point by saying that Advani is the most suitable among all. Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the party has so many prime ministerial candidates. Arun Jaitely and Sushma Swaraj are of the opinion that the party has got plenty of leaders of that calibre. But with the groupism in the party, towards the end the BJP may go for elections without naming any prime ministerial candidate with a view to curtail further infighting. MOHAMMAD NAUSHAD KHAN

Divided BJP tries to project unity with Advani's yatra

Struggle for political supremacy has taken its roots within BJP generation-next leadership. Of them, the most visible and intense is between LK Advani and Narendra Modi. Both of them in their own fashion want to highlight their political clout and importance within the party. After having known that Advani will take up another Rath Yatra with an eye on being projected as the prime ministerial candidate in the next general elections, Narendra Modi sprang into action with his Sadbhawana fast in order to showcase his political clout. But the Sadbhawana of Modi led to serious infighting within the BJP. The level of disenchantment and distress between Narendra Modi and Advani can be measured by the fact that instead of taking out his yatra from Gujarat, Advani has chosen Bihar which too has got some political connotations. Advani wants to put the message on board that the party can afford to overlook Modi of Gujarat. Bihar was also chosen by Advani to keep Narendra Modi out of the picture given the political rivalry bewtween Modi and Nitish Kumar. Tit for tat between Modi and Advani is out in the open which is a worrying sign not only for the BJP but also for the RSS. Miffed Advani also skipped his routine annual visit to Somnath temple he has been making on 25 September every year since 1990. The significant point of this yatra is that it may not touch Somnath or Ayodhya, the beginning and end points of the Ram Rath Yatra of 1990 which catapulted BJP into power. The purpose of the proposed yatra from Jayaprakash Narayan's native place is to join it with Jayaprakash movement and to correlate the yatra with Anna's anti-corruption crusade. During Sadbhawana meet in Gujarat, the BJP displayed a show of strength but not for too long as Narendra Modi skipped the recently held national executive meet over differences with LK Advani and also on the decision of the party president to reinduct his political rival Sanjay Joshi in Uttar Pradesh. Gadkari's dictatorial way of doing things has pushed Modi into a corner and at present he is isolated within the party. RSS is believed to have asked party president Nitin Gadkari to scale down the influence of Narendra Modi who, with his authoritarian way of functioning and looking at things, has angered the rank and file within BJP and RSS. So much so that RSS has asked Gadkari to curtail the possibility of Narendra Modi becoming party president. And in this regard the process has begun to amend the BJP's constitution to extend the party president's term from three years to five years. BJP and RSS are equally worried that by the end of 2012, when the term of the present president ends, Modi will leave no stone unturned in making a serious bid to come centrestage with an eye on national politics. The message from the RSS headquarters in Nagpur is clear that the BJP's prime ministerial candidate will emerge from the generation-next. The probable names doing the rounds are Arun Jaitely, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari and Narendra Modi. BJP's prime ministerial candidate, if declared before general elections, will fairly depend on the prevailing political arithmetic. But towards the end, the RSS will be able to dictate terms in figuring out BJP's prime ministerial candidate who willy nilly will be supposed to take the ideology of the Sangh forward.

Did Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi have any value for Indian Muslims?

e all feel sad at the demise of Mansoor Ali Khan (Nawab Pataudi) the illustrious cricket player and gentleman. Aside from being an elite Indian he did help some poor people by holding charity events etc. He was a good man. But as a Muslim did he have any value for the Muslims of India? He married movie actress Sharmila Tagore, another very fine person, who is a Hindu. His son and daughters are planning to marry Hindus. So with Pataudi's passing away his family now ceases to be anything but marginal Muslims in name only.

In his lifetime Pataudi was very aware of the extreme poverty and backwardness of his community, the Muslims of India, but it never mattered to him. He never identified himself as a Muslim. He never spoke about it or made any appeals to government or made any effort to utilize his tremendous popularity and resources (he had inherited by default the assets of the Nawab of Bhopal as the only direct heiress had chosen to migrate to Pakistan) to raise funds to build say one college or one hospital in any poor Muslim mohalla anywhere in India. That could have helped a few poverty stricken Muslims.

Why was Pataudi's kind heart never moved by the grinding poverty of Muslim slums? Why he never felt the urge to do anything for his own community that is his own extended family? owever, about a decade ago he ran for Parliament from Bhopal (which has sizeable Muslim population) on Congress ticket. In the campaign he toured Muslim mohallas of Bhopal wearing the Muslim kurta-pajamasherwani. He stopped at some mosques to offer namaz. But soon after the election was over he was never seen again in Bhopal and those

mosques again. So today that he has died are we Indian Muslims supposed to feel any special pang that someone from our community has died? Or the only feeling we have is that a well known Indian personality has died; no more? There are many such Muslim star personalities in India who are so detached from their community and who have such total absence of any feeling for their community (eg., Azim Premji), that for Indian Muslims they have almost NO value. Sorry if I sound crass.

KALEEM KAWAJA

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 13

ISSUES

Preventing sectarian violence

RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com In the recently held meeting of National Integration Council (September 2011) the discussion on The Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence) Access to Justice and Reparation) Bill 2011 was on the top of the agenda. While the leaders of the opposition of both houses of Parliament, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley came down heavily on the draft Bill there were not too many members of the council speaking in support for it. The ruling Party members were quiet as most of the opposition leaders criticized the proposed draft. The main reasons behind this criticism are the definition of the minority group which presumably 'divides' the country along linguistic, caste and religious lines and the role of Central Government in violence prevention, by playing an active role in controlling violence. Both the grounds of criticism are more because of biases and misconceptions rather than due to what the Bill contains and intends. Communal violence has been one of the major problems the country is facing. It has been surfacing on the Indian political scene time and again. During the freedom movement, the communal forces, those aiming at an Islamic state or Hindu nation spread venom against the 'other' religious community and many major incidents of violence broke out. The communal forces matched each other brick by brick. The resulting violence was a point of major tragedy. The violence following the tragedy of partition should be etched in the conscience of the sub-continent, as a tragedy from which we all should have learnt the horrors of communal politics and communal propaganda of both sides. It was this communal politics which could not stand the torch of amity amongst religious communities symbolized by the life and preaching's of Mahatma Gandhi. He symbolized the opposition to communal politics. Gandhi's work for communal amity was the reason for his murder, which was a calculated move by communalists. In Independent India communal violence has been going through various ups and downs and has started becoming worse from the decade of 1980s when the politics around Shah BanoRam Temple, and later the politics of Rath yatra and Babri demolition took center stage. Sectarian violence has a multilayered etiology. To grasp this phenomenon, to understand its genesis during pre Independence times we need to look at the politics of declining (feudal elements) and middle classes, as embodied in the expression of Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha-RSS. It is their politics which needs to be looked at closely. Since these communal formations were not for secular democratic India, they kept aloof from the struggle for Independence and focused on activities which spread hatred towards the 'other' religious community. The communal politics was at the base and hate propaganda against the 'other' was at the surface of their agenda, which was the core reason for violence. This violence kept on getting precipitated by various provocations. After independence communal propaganda was gradually made part of the 'social common sense' against minorities and the state machinery; police in particular, infected by communal prejudices, became the vehicle of biased attitude towards the Muslim minority, the major victim of this violence. The issue of violence is more complicated than just thinking of it in contrasting colors. There are shades and shades of reasons for precipitation of violence. The statistics of violence are galling and obvious. The first major one according to the Ministry of Home affairs data (1991) tells us that even when the Muslims are a minority (12 odd in 1991 and 13.4% in 2001), amongst the violence victims 80% were Muslims. In the Mumbai carnage of 1992-93 as per the study of Nirmala Niketan, College of social work the data matched with the national data, in addition it revealed that even the property which was destroyed belonged mostly to Muslims. After the Gujarat carnage and the later recurring violence, nearly 90% of the victims of violence are Muslims as per the latest estimates. The other observation is that more than once, it appears or it is propagated, that the minority is instigating the violence. That they initiate it and then in turn they get bashed. Most of the inquiry commission reports, Madon (Bhiwandi Jalgaon, 1970) Joseph Vythyatil (Tellicherry), Jagmohan Reddy (Ahmadabad 1969) and others tell us that mostly, spontaneous looking riots are a part of the plan of the communal forces, who then benefit from the same by polarizing the majority votes around themselves. The greatest 'success' of this communal propaganda is that it has instilled the fear of the minority in the heart and minds of the majority. The scholarly work by the Police Officer, Dr. V.N.Rai does point out that the minority is often cornered to throw the first stone, which is then used as a pretext for unleashing the violence. Major inquiry commission reports the latest one of Justice Shrikrishna (Mumbai 1992-3) confirms the biased attitude of police machinery, yet again. Activists like Asghar Ali Engineer and others who have tried to conduct peace and harmony workshops with police officers have experienced the deep bias and prejudice with which the police force is afflicted. The additional factor has been that many a Congress leader

It sounds very impressive to assert, "we don't see citizens as Hindus-Muslims', we see them as Indians. But a reality check defies this. To identify a minority group as the victim and targeted one is not to divide the nation but to grapple with the reality so that it can be dealt with. Whenever we try to brush the truth under the carpet, justice and peace are just not possible. It is nobody's claim that minority cannot attack the majority...
have used communal violence as an opportunist tool to safe guard their chair the power equation. On top of that, most of the violence has taken place when the Congress Governments are in power. Here the obvious understanding is that the communal forces sitting in the opposition know that violence in any particular area leads to polarization of communities along religious lines and benefits communal parties in the short and long run. Recently (2009) the violence in Maharashtra in Miraj Sangli area following the violence on the issue of hoardings depicting Shivaji and Afzal Khan led to increased electoral strength of the parties with communal agenda. It is also true that in the Muslim majority areas, there have been more incidents of violence. These areas are more sensitive to violence. The major reasons for this have been business rivalry in places like Moradabad and Bhivandi. The other reason has been the majority communal force asserting itself and meeting with resistance from the local minority communal forces. So overall the picture is very complicated but assumptions which have been at the root of the National Advisory Committee's undertones are very clear. There are laws which should prevent violence, and when violence has taken place should be able to deal with it and later provide rehabilitation and justice to the victims. What has been the obstacle to this? One, the attitude of political leadership, which not being very principled, more oriented to power equations permits the violence to go on. Here Congress party leaders are not exempt, the difference being that the BJP leadership being the more pro-active player in letting the violence go on. So the first issue is the problems related to command responsibility and deliberate acts of omission by political leadership. The second being that the bureaucracy and police, as observed by inquiry commission reports, are partisan, biased, leading to further escalation of violence. Same factors play their role in the post violence scenario, where the victims are generally left in the lurch. With these observations in mind, it becomes clear that com-

munal violence, post independence is not the same as in the preindependence era. Currently it is a targeted violence, targeted for political goals and assisted by the attitude of political leadership, bureaucracy and police. So here identifying a group is not to divide the nation. It sounds very impressive to assert, "we don't see citizens as Hindus-Muslims', we see them as Indians. But a reality check defies this. To identify a minority group as the victim and targeted one is not to divide the nation but to grapple with the reality so that it can be dealt with. Whenever we try to brush the truth under the carpet, justice and peace are just not possible. It is nobody's claim that minority cannot attack the majority. The point is: the observation is that minority is being targeted. When domestic violence bill was thought of the argument was not that sometimes a woman also attacks a man, the point was most often women are the victims, they are the targets, so we need to protect them by special provisions. Was it meant to 'break' the home by identifying man and woman separately? On the contrary only by indentifying the targeted gender, the bill can be given solid foundations and be effective in preventing violence against women. This argument, that to define the targeted minority is to divide the nation along religious lines, is a mechanistic one. It also hides the intentions of Majoritarian communal forces to carry on with its own business of dividing communities along religious lines to get the upper hand in electing. The right wing forces are opposed to any of the affirmative action where the weaker section is identified and given protection. Still right wing, RSS and progeny, have already reconciled to the provisions of Domestic violence bill, provisions of Anti Dalit Atrocities laws. Similarly this Communal Violence prevention bill has based itself on the observation of the last six decades, so why this opposition. The reasons can clearly be seen in the vested interests of BJP types who want to promote their political agenda with the continuation of existing pattern. By identifying the targeted group and bypassing the existing weaknesses we will definitely be able to control communal violence in the future. This seems to be the key point of the Bill; this is the core of the new bill. It won't be very surprising that the communal forces which have benefitted by its mechanisms of spreading hate and orchestrating violence will be totally opposed to it, the surprise is why is the ruling party not sticking its neck out to bring peace and prevent violence through this bill, after its suitable modification after a debate in Parliament? The other issues of federalism do need to be addressed and rough edges of the bill can be smoothened to ensure that the Center does not overstep its mandate, but is still able to ensure that states discharge their duties properly. There is an urgent need that the bill be debated in Parliament, smoothened out and brought in as a step towards affirmative justice. (Issues in Secular Politics)

Milli Information Network

Time to network the community
The Muslim communitys many ills and problems stem from the fact that there is a marked lack of informationsharing and dissemination. The leadership is limited to some big cities while the majority lives in thousands of towns and lakhs of villages across the country. ... This makes it difficult to manage the two-way circulation of information, from the leadership to the masses and from the masses to the leadership. To tackle this problem, a network of information centres should be established all over the country. There should be one at least in each district headquarter, and more in larger towns and cities. These information centres will function from the offices of community organisations or in libraries and reading rooms... Acting upon the above editorial published in MG 16-31 Dec. 2007 we registered a website www.millinetwork.com. We are in the process of developing a large network of milli NGOs. Kindly get yourself listed on the network. Each listed organisation will have its own webpage on the network. Fill in the below form and send it to us by email or post. Name of Organisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pin Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phone (std code) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name of Main Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Geographical Reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brief note of Nature of Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................ ............................................................................................ ............................................................................................ Category of Work: [Please encircle] Charity / Child Guidance Clinic / Children / Communal Harmony / Community Development / Disabilities / Slum Children / Human Rights / Family Welfare / Literacy / Education (scholarships/coaching) / Media / Medical / Orphan children / Religious / Social care / Social Justice / Social Welfare / Vocational Training / Volunteer Mgmt / Widows / Women / Others [Masjids and Madarasahs will also be listed on the network] Any literature (brouchure, leaflets, audited accounts etc) may also be submitted. The Milli Gazette, D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave - I, New Delhi 110025 Tel.: 011-2694 7483 mg@milligazette.com Cut or photocopy

14 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

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

Bhatt vs Modi: Police Are Not Political Pawns

In addition to political and media waves created by the arrest of suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, it is imperative to look at it from another angle. The irony of his case is that he has been arrested for simply using legal measures against the involvement of Narendra Modi government in the 2002 Gujarat carnage. The role of Modi himself, his government and the Saffron brigade in targeting the states Muslim population was never a closely guarded secret. The same can be said about most police officers posted then in Gujarat. The state government, all officials and also citizens are expected to respect the countrys Constitution. This also implies that they can be accused of violating the countrys constitutional spirit and its legal system when and if they choose to take law into their own hands. By seeking legal help for ensuring action against those allegedly responsible for inciting and encouraging the communal violence against Muslims, where has Bhatt gone wrong? Let us look at Bhatts role from another angle. As a police officer, his responsibilities include ensuring security of the citizens. Tragically, the Modi government and apparently a number of police officers dont seem well aware of this responsibility. Even Modi and members of his government, before taking charge of their ministerial positions, take oath, promising to abide by the Indian Constitution. Gujarat carnage may not have occurred had these people actually given greater importance to the countrys Constitution than

encouraging legal behaviour that suited their interests. Yes, it still cannot be forgotten that many policemen literally remained mute, turned their backs and closed their eyes, some even joined in as extremists targeted Muslims brutally. It is indeed tragic that rather than playing their part as responsible policemen, they chose to act at the alleged command of the Modi government to allow Hindus to vent their anger. And this demands attention to giving great importance to the degree to which the countrys policemen actually play the role they are supposed to do. Their duty is to ensure peace and security of the nations citizens and not remain passive supporters of communal elements indulging in riotous behaviour. In this context, Bhatt is one of the few policemen, who is playing the role of a conscientious citizen, who still retains respect for his uniform, despite being suspended from his office. How many policemen actually possess this trait? Here, attention maybe drawn to communal riots which occurred recently in Rudrapaur, Uttarakhand. A group of Muslims collected to protest against sacrilege of their religious text. What they received was bullets from police guns which led to several deaths. The same treatment was not received by those who chose to target shops and other establishments owned by Muslims in Rudrapur. What else is this suggestive of but discriminatory behaviour by policemen towards Muslims? It is appropriate to draw attention to the month of September, last year, when tension gripped almost the entire nation over fear of a judicial decision over Ayodhya provoking communal riots across the country. Communal fire was not allowed to simmer even for a brief period. No political fuel was added to it. That was the phase when the respective governments at the Centre and in states, particularly Uttar Pradesh, gave importance to not

allowing any communal tension to trigger. Undeniably, these governments and the policemen then on duty must be credited for living up fully to their respective constitutional responsibilities. And this raises the crucial point regarding the linkage between politicians in power and the policemen on duty. Are the latter expected to act at the command of whatever those in power decide, even if this amounts to literally abusing the responsibilities they are supposed to live up to? After all, the Gujarat carnage also reflects the degree to which the Modi government abused the power and responsibility they were entrusted with. The same can be said about the policemen who chose to act as commanded by those in power. It may be noted that the Gujarat carnage is just one major example of a dangerous mindset that has gripped many policemen. Before it is too late, substantial attention needs to be paid for checking this, which may be called a disease. Considering that instead of assuring security to the common citizens, particularly the minorities, the policemen have almost assumed the nature of a threat to them, measures need to be taken to correct this grievous error which has led to numerous innocent Muslims being killed, hurt or arrested. Firing bullets at any person or group of persons is equivalent to police taking law into their own hands and deciding that the ones they hold as guilty must be punished by being shot. Bhatt is just one among the few policemen who have shown respect for their duties and responsibilities. He has raised his voice against politicians who have tried using him and other policemen as pawns without caring little for lives lost and abuse of Indian Constitution. This also demands focus on what prevents other policemen in understanding and duly executing the responsibilities they are entrusted with.

SIGNPOST

Incorrigible Optimists
There is too much of optimism, largely unfounded, about Palestine among Indian Muslims, writes Mohd. Zeyaul Haque
Over the last 63 years the cause of Palestinian statehood has made a lot of progress. From a state of the mind (which, of course, refers to some mental attitude, rather than a sovereign territory), Palestine has moved closer to becoming a virtual state. Now, let me explain a little more. First, by framing my statement in this fashion I am trying to be closer to the generally buoyant mood of my fellow Indian Muslims on the issue. The UN General Assembly is likely to consider a proposal by the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is more president of a Bantustan called West Bank than that of whatever is left of the historical Palestine after relentless Israeli illegal annexation and settlement building for the last 44 years. A look at the present map, especially of the West Bank, would clearly show that the idea of a sovereign state of Palestine is a huge joke played upon the Palestinians, other Arabs, Muslims of other areas, and almost all people of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The whole former colonial world knows that the former colonising countries of Europe and their ally United States have played a huge joke on the Arabs. Hence, like always, the entire Afro-Asian and Latin American world will vote for a Palestinian state even if it is no more powerful than a small town municipality. This is so because they cannot do anything more than that. The UN General Assembly has always backed Palestine heavily because it has a preponderant majority of formerly colonised countries that know the sorrow of a colonised people, identify themselves with the Palestinians, and empathise with them. However, they are still as powerless as ever, despite their huge numbers. The United States, as a matter of habit or a reflex action, ends up vetoing in the Security Council everything that can provide the slightest relief to the Palestinians. And that puts an end to everything. The European Union stands behind the US in its blatantly unfair and unjust stance on the issue. Even Russia and China, which often try to resist US-EU blackmail on issues of their national interest, mostly stand aside and watch. That being the case, how do we justify so much of optimism on a Palestinian state coming up anytime too soon as we so often hear Indian Muslims talking about? In fact, this incorrigible optimism, that borders on romanticism, is an old trait in our way of looking at things. Our people tell us that optimism is part of the Islamic perspective on life: La taqnatu min rahmitillah (Dont despair of Gods mercy). However, there has to be some distinction between optimism and naivety. What Indian Muslims (and quite a few Arabs and others) have been showing so far can be described as an extremely simplistic stance. Yours Truly has always found it disturbing the way we have rushed to believe the nice words of people like George W. Bush and Barack Hussein Obama. There are quite a few among us who are always prepared to delude themselves and others about Americas good intentions regarding Palestine. Such delusions

Our people tell us that optimism is part of the Islamic perspective on life: La taqnatu min rahmitillah (Dont despair of Gods mercy). However, there has to be some distinction between optimism and naivety. What Indian Muslims (and quite a few Arabs and others) have been showing so far can be described as an extremely simplistic stance. Yours Truly has always found it disturbing the way we have rushed to believe the nice words of people like George W. Bush and Barack Hussein Obama. There are quite a few among us who are always prepared to delude themselves and others about Americas good intentions regarding Palestine. Such delusions take various forms, including hilarious and ludicrous. When George W. Bush came to the While House in his first term, one of the worthies of Urdu journalism, who has been the editor of a newspaper for several decades, sought to enlighten likeminded listeners at a talk on prospects for a Palestinian state in the near future.
take various forms, including hilarious and ludicrous. When George W. Bush came to the While House in his first term, one of the worthies of Urdu journalism, who has been the editor of a newspaper for several decades, sought to enlighten like-minded listeners at a talk on prospects for a Palestinian state in the near future. This editor told the gathering that it was a good omen for relations between the US and the Muslim world, and that prospects for a Palestinian state had brightened because there is no Jew in the new Administration. Perhaps he had not heard of key figures like Carl Rove, Paul Wolfowitz and others. Nor did he seem to be aware of the agenda-setters at PNAC, half of whom were not only Jews, but quite often hard core Zionists, and directly related to the Israeli security establishment. (By now, at least, this worthy editor should have known the PNAC agenda behind the crusade against Muslim countries.) The audience seemed to agree with what he said, including the interpretation that Mr Bush would be the champion of Muslim causes as against Al Gore, the villain of the piece. Quite obviously, the choice between Mr Gore and Mr Bush was not between the villain and the hero, but between a pair of villains as suggested by Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev at the time of the electoral battle between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon for US presidency. When asked about his choice between the two, he said there was no choice between the shoe on the left foot and the shoe on the right foot. Never prepared to learn from past follies, our people had another round of elation and celebration when Obama came to the White House. Obama was the hero now and George W. was consigned to the rogues gallery in the company of Gore and assorted villains. Yours Truly must admit that what was a euphoric moment for the qaum was the dark hour for him. The qaum was not celebrating the progress of an African American from his humble Uncle Toms Cabin to the majestic White House (which could be understandable), but Mr Obamas middle name, Hussein. One senior

Muslim journalist told like-minded guys, After all, Obama is the son of a Muslim father. He would take care of Muslim causes. He did not seem to mind the fact that the Senior Obama used to describe himself as an agnostic. From this journalists reckoning, one can be both an agnostic and a Muslim. One of the senior journalists (who also writes in Urdu) told Yours Truly assertively that Mr Obama was a closet Muslim, adding: You will see. Let the time come. Now, compare this naivety to the clear-headed title of an article in New York magazine that calls Mr Obama The First Jewish President (reminiscent of the black Nobel Laureate Tony Morrisons article calling Bill Clinton The First Black President for his sympathetic stance on Blacks). Mr. Obama has come out in full support of Israels rejectionist position on Palestine. It is worth reading Al Jazeeras senior political analyst Marwan Bishara about Obama contradicting everything he said earlier on Palestine: But thats not the Jewish position. Its a radical Zionist position. Many Jews, including US and Israeli Jews, do not embrace such extremist views. How come Mr Obama has made such an about-face, vaporising the hopes raised in his Cairo speech a couple of years ago? Bishara says: Obamas career was built on his relationships with generous Jewish contributors in Chicago. In an article in the latest issue of Time magazine an Israeli cabinet minister, Uzi Landau, uses the menacing language of a street goonda to threaten the Palestinian Authority President: Abbas will regret this, and Israel will respond accordingly if the Palestinians bring the issue to the General Assembly. With Obama firmly behind Israel, the threat could mean anything. So much of US-Israeli bullying is coming not to thwart a proper state, but a virtual one. The difference between the real and the virtual is that between sleeping with a woman and watching a pornographic movie. In the first case the woman is real, in the second she is a virtual woman, a phantom inside your head. Finally, a word to our qaum in India. Please dont delude yourself. Dont be credulous. Learn to wait. The time for celebration has not come yet. It will take some time coming.

BJP in U.P.
There are reports in the media that the BJP through its Muslim showboys is making attempts to woo the Muslim electorate in UP in view of the upcoming Assembly elections. This is a subterfuge indeed. No sane person can expect a Muslim to vote for BJP. For, its veritable face is Dr Subramaniam Swamy who is articulating subversion of the secular and democratic constitution to transform India into an ethnic democracy like Israel. Modi has made Gujarat a laboratory where political philosophy of Hedgewar and Golwalkar as reiterated by Dr Swamy is being experimented. BJP knows well that Muslims are not going to vote for it. As a matter of strategy, it wants to make Muslims complacent so as to avoid their tactical voting against BJP. Movement of Anna Hazare is providing cover to this design. However, Muslims especially the youth are not going to fall in the trap. SYED KHURSHID ANWAR, Advocate High Court Allahabad

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 15

JAMMU & KASHMIR

DATELINE SRINAGAR: AFSANA RASHID

Omar Abdullah claims no mass graves in Kashmir

Ruling out the presence of any mass graves in the state, chief minister Omar Abdullah has said only in some rare cases two unidentified bodies have been buried together. We are circulating a wrong impression when we give the name of mass-graves to these unmarked graves, said chief minister, while replying to a discussion on the issue in the legislative assembly, September 27. This gives an impression to the outside world as if hundreds of people are buried in a few graves as had been done in Cambodia or during the time of Hitler, said Omar, adding that these graves date from 1990 to 2006. Omar asked people whose family members have gone missing since 1989 to deposit their DNA samples with authorities so that the government could establish the identity of unidentified bodies. He disclosed that militants from 12 foreign countries including Russia, Chechnya, Sudan, Pakistan, Britain and Afghanistan have been killed in gun-battles here and their graves do exist. Official figures about civilian killings during the period of militancy stand at 17,000 while separatists count them in lakhs. PDP staged a walk-out from the Assembly and Council after rejection of their adjournment motions seeking discussion on unmarked graves. Expressing dismay over Omars statement, Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, September 28 said his statement created an impression of being an advocate of armed forces personnel as opposed to representative of people. His statement that families would have to help us by indicating in which graveyard they suspect their family member could be buried is a shameless assertion. If family members had any clue they would have already sought permission for exhumations from district magistrates, said Yaseen Hassan Malik, spokesperson of the Association. Malik added weve already submitted a list of 1417 cases where families are willing to cooperate in DNA profiling. But it should be done by some credible international agency. Given the current hostile attitude and denial mode of the state it appears no amount of evidence can persuade the government to allow the truth to be exhumed. Human rights activist, Khuram Parvaiz, September 26 shot letters to legislative members urging them to take-up the issue of mass-graves during the assembly session. He appealed to them to press for an independent and impartial inquiry into mass graves besides, urging the government to allow UN Special rapporteur to visit the state. Similarly, Centre for Policy Analysis in its letter dated September 30 urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to set a time-frame for identifying bodies found in massgraves, setting-up an independent commission to prosecute the guilty and withdrawal of AFSPA. ment didnt expel non-resident slum-dwellers from the state and publicly renounce their proposed settlement by October 20. Geelani, who chaired a meeting of amalgams Majlis Shoora, alleged that pursuing Israeli tactics, India wants to change the demography of the state. Their presence is turning out to have adverse socio-economic and moral impact on society. In a statement issued here, he said not even a single resident here lives in slums and these so-called slum dwellers are from different states of India, who have illegally occupied land here. This is in violation of Article 370. G N Shaheen, general secretary Bar Association, September 24 said its objective is to create a vote-bank by Congress in Jammu. Government is going to settle 4.5 lakh slum-dwellers among whom none is permanent state resident. Abrarul Islam resident of Panzgam was arrested alongwith two of his Over Ground Workers at Samboora, September 26 by police, CRPF and Army. Two militants were injured and one managed to escape under cover of darkness at Sirgufwara, September 26. FIR number 88/2011 has been registered. Army on October 1 claimed to foil a major infiltration bid and arrested foreign LeT militant, Nisar Ahmad in Machhal-Kupwara. Another foreign LeT militant, Abdul Rehman was killed by police and security forces in an encounter in Pulwama. Northern Army Commander, Lt General K T Parnaik arrived here on a two-day visit, September 26. Congress general secretary, Rahul Gandhi arrived here on a two-day visit, September 26 and visited Kargil and interacted with students of the University of Kashmir. A protest demonstration was held at Solina, October 4 against the alleged murder of a school girl. Police stated that a girl consumed some poisonous substance at her residence and was shifted to hospital where she breathed her last. A two-day (September 28-29) intra-Kashmir womens conference was organized here at Gulmarg by Delhi based Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation in collaboration with Srinagar based Women for Peace. A 16-member delegation from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan too participated.

Resignation of Omar demanded over death of NC worker

Demanding resignation of chief minister, Omar Abdullah, National Conference (NC) president and Union Minister, Farooq Abdullah and minister of state for home, Nasir Aslam Wani to ensure fair probe in the alleged custodial death of NC worker Syed Mohmmad Yusuf, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 1 said unless these people resign, evidence will be destroyed and probe hushed up. Former deputy chief minister and PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beigh told media Yusuf died either in the chief ministers residence or in hospital. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti questioned as to why a FIR hadnt been registered, yet. Reacting sharply to allegations, the government said, We are committed to a transparent and credible investigation. That is why a judicial probe by a judge of the high court has been ordered. On mere allegations you cant ask the chief minister to resign. Playing politics on someones death is unfortunate, said Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, while addressing media, October 2. When asked why FIR hasnt been lodged in the death, Rather said, Police hasnt received any complaint yet from the family of deceased. Yusuf (55), a senior NC worker and land dealer from Bijbehara-Anantnag died allegedly in the custody of Crime branch of the police, September 29 after two fellow party workers accused him of taking Rs 1.18 crore from them for getting them berths in the legislative council and ministership. State government has ordered an inquiry by a High Court judge into the alleged custodial death. PDP on October 3 moved an adjournment motion in the Assembly to discuss the issue and demanded suspension of question hour. State Congress chief Saifuddin Soz, October 2 said people shouldnt jump to conclusions before the investigation is complete. Terming these allegations baseless, chief minister, October 2 said My silence is being used against me. Ill not hesitate to present myself before the commission to bring out truth. Earlier, Mehbooba had accused Omar of being involved in corruption. Yusufs family demanded a CBI probe. Three PDP legislators were suspended from the council and Assembly was adjourned sine die amidst protests by the PDP demanding discussion on the death of NC worker, October 4. Senior vice president of Awami National Conference, Muzaffar Shah, October 2 asked the chief minister to step down and demanded exhumation of Yusufs body. PDP activists and leaders led by party president took out a rally and staged a sit-in, while demanding action against killers of NC worker, October 5.

Resolution of Afzal Guru stalled

A resolution seeking clemency for the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, was stalled in the legislative assembly here, September 28. The resolution couldnt come up for discussion as the House was adjourned for a day, after a clash between Congress and BJP legislators over a completely different issue. Congress members were protesting against alleged corruption by some BJP members, who had voted against the party whip during the last legislative council elections. Uproarious scenes and blows were witnessed in the Assembly, fans and tables were overturned before the Assembly was adjourned. Alleging sabotage of the resolution, Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid, independent legislator from Langate-Handwara, who had tabled it told media that the same type of clash was engineered in New Delhi to ensure that the resolution doesnt come up. Let me warn the Government of India, let me make a submission that you are digging your grave by acting in this way. Describing it as a non-issue senior Congress leader and minister for PHE, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, September 28 said BJP legislators who had been disqualified by their own party are sitting in the House. For us it is a big issue. He added we had asked our members to vote according to their conscience if the resolution was put for voting. Speaker, Mohammad Akbar Lone told media, September 28, PDP was silent during the clash between Congress and BJP legislators. They should have backed the move of the resolution when Er Rashid rose which would have helped to run business listed for the day. However, rules provide that any business that doesnt come up for discussion, lapses. Chaotic scenes continued, on the second day too. Er Rashid held a protest rally alongwith his supporters, September 29. Police used force to disperse them and in the process, he and some of his associates received minor injuries. Opposition PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti while addressing the media, September 29 said it was chief minister Omar Abdullah who involved the Assembly in the resolution and later degraded the sanctity of the house by stalling it. He had a moral obligation to see that the resolution came up for discussion and put to vote. Pertinently, PDP president, September 23 stressed the importance for passing the resolution saying heavens arent going to fall with it. If a resolution is passed in Tamil Nadu, I dont think it would create a typhoon if we urge president for Gurus amnesty. State government, September 29 reportedly refused Union Home Ministrys proposal to transfer Guru from Tihar to Srinagars central jail. Guru had reportedly sent an application to the Home Ministry requesting to transfer him to Srinagar central jail till his mercy petition is pending before the President is disposed of. JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, September 29 said a drama in the Assembly has proved that the state representatives work at the behest of agencies whereas in Tamil Nadu legislators have proved that they are representatives of the people. A decision to hang Guru will burn Kashmir as it did in 1983 when Mohammad Maqbool Bhat was hanged. Malik along with his supporters was detained, September 30 after they tried to stage a protest demonstration.

Probe in unmarked graves: Bhushan

Demanding a thorough probe in the case of unmarked graves, senior Supreme Court attorney and close aide of civil society activist Anna Hazaray, Prashant Bhushan September 30 said unbridled impunity to forces under AFSPA has led to thousands of such graves, here. DNA profiling should be followed by thorough investigation, said Bhushan, while addressing media, adding Primarily, I was here to appear in 1996 Baderwah fake encounter case. This is one of the cases that indicate how people have been killed by security forces over the years. He said if a fourth person who escaped from the clutches of the accused would have been killed, all the three persons would have been buried in unknown graves. Because of impunity enjoyed by security forces under AFSPA, such crimes are repeated. The High Court posted writ petition seeking re-investigation into the 1996 fake encounter case for hearing, October 10. Families of two victims of fake encounter approached the court, September 23 with a petition seeking re-opening of case. Nazira Begum, 45, widow of Fazal Hussain Dar and Shaheena Begum, 45, widow of Mohammad Hussain Lone residents of Malni, Bhaderwah in a petition allege that their husbands along with two others were kidnapped by Mohammad Ashraf and killed in a fake encounter on January 3, 1996. A petition filed by advocate Parvez Imroz on behalf of women alleges that Kuldeep Khoda, DGP and others had a role to play in the killings. The then additional SP in Crime Branch, Bachan Singh Choudhary, recently broke his silence after 15 years alleging his inquiry report was buried by the government.

Restore pre-1953 status: NC

Reiterating its demand to restore the pre-1953 position to the state, National Conference September 23 said that the same is required for peace and stability in the state. It would not only help to restore trust and confidence of people, but help them live peacefully as laws enacted after August 9, 1953 would be abrogated, said NC spokesperson, adding although the party believes that the resolution of the Kashmir problems lies in restoration of the pre-1953 position, we are ready to accept any other solution acceptable to the people. A Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Showkat Ahmad Dar alias

Expel slum dwellers: Gilani

Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, September 28 threatened to launch a strike in case the govern-

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THE MILLI GAZETTE

16 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

NEWSMAKERS

MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS

NAJEEB JUNG, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia Universitiy who is also an ex-IAS officer of 1973 batch, has been nominated to Reserve Bank of Indias Central Board which is the top policy making body of RBI and also controlling its monetary policy of the Country. He was appointed V.C. of Jamia Millia University in 2009. He was educated at Delhis St. Stephens College and London School of Economics. K. SALEEM ALI, Director General of Police, Tripura has re-joined Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as Additional Director at Delhi on 28 September. The 1978 batch I.P.S. officer of Manipur-Tripura cadre who hails from Tamil Nadu had already worked with CBI at Delhi for many years as S.P., D.I.G. and Joint Director and was transferred to Tripura. He is a recipient of Police Medal for meritorious service and Presidents Police Medal for distinguished service. During his service with CBI in Delhi he was associated with CBI investigations in many sensitive cases. He served as I.G. in Indo Tibetan Boarder Police (ITBP) also. Dr. Syed TAQI AABDI, distinguished researcher, writer, poet and critic has been appointed Honorary Visiting Professor at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) by this Universitys Vice Chancellor, Prof. Muhammad Mian as Indias ambassador of Urdu for the Urdu population of the whole world in recognition of his distinguished and selfless service to the cause of Urdu. His appointment as Visiting Professor is for two years. His voluminous book on Faiz Ahmad Faiz which was recently released at a function held at Hyderabad was declared by Urdu Centre International, California (USA) as the Best Book of 2011 and given an award of 5000 US Dollars. Dr. Taqi Aabdi has written 38 books in Urdu which have already been published and another about half a dozen books are under publication. Maulana KHALID RASHEED NIZAMUDDIN MUHAMMAD FIRNGI MAHLI, son of late Maulana Mufti Abu Taiyyab Ahmad Mian Firangi Mahli who died on 24 September has been formally appointed/installed Imam of Eidgah Aish Bagh, Lucknow and its Trustee on 28 September. Siraj Ahmad Khan, advocate and secretary of Eidgah Committee said that late Maulana Ahmad Mian during his lifetime itself had made his son Maulana Khalid Rasheed in 1997 Imam and Trustee of Eidgah. Mumtaz Mian formally put the family Dastaar (turban) on his head and announced his successor. Maulana Naeemur Rahman Siddiqi, secretary of Islamic Centre of India said on this occasion that Eidgah Aaish Bagh (Lucknow) is a historical Eidgah in which more than 5 lakh people offer Eid namaz every year. Prof. MUHAMMAD SHAKIR, Provost of AMUs Habib Hall has been appointed Member of AMU Court due to his seniority. He will be Member of the Court for three years or till he holds the post of Provost. Dr. PARVEZ MIAN, an active Congress worker has been appointed interim chairman of Delhi State Haj Committee only one day before the first Haj flight for Haj 2011 was to leave for Madinah on 29 September 2011. It may be stated that Dr. Parvez Mian was earlier also appointed interim chairman of Delhi State Haj Committee in January 2007 but was removed shortly thereafter for some reason and ever since then this post (of chairman) was lying vacant. Justice M. SUHAIL SIDDIQI, Chairman of National Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions has been appointed a member of Morality Commission under Indian Olympic Association. This Commission has been set up for the first time in accordance with the instructions of International Olympic Committee to settle disputes and differences among players of Olympic Games and also problems like doping test and discrimination on grounds of colour, race, religion etc. This Commission consists of one retired judge of Supreme Court and two retired judges of High Courts. Justice Suhail Siddiqi is a retired judge of Delhi High Court. (Miss) SABA ALI KHAN, elder of the two daughters of late Mansoor Ali Khan, Nawab of Pataudi, has officially been named a mutawalli (custodian) of Auqaf-e Shahi Trust of Bhopal that takes care of huge properties spread in many parts of the country as well as abroad like Saudi Arabia. Total worth of these properties which include mosques, religious structures, graveyards, famous Dargah of Sufi saint Baba Peer Fatehullah at Raisin, charitable institutions, rubaats (musafir khanas) in Saudi Arabia for stay of Haj pilgrimage (where Hajis from Bhopal have not to pay anything for accommodation, meals etc.). Since these properties, worth billions of Dollars, are waqf properties, its beneficiaries will not be members of Nawabs families but the poor and needy Muslims and institutions like madrasas, orphanages, mosques and charitable institutions etc. Mansoor Ali Khans other two children, son Saif and daughter Soha are in film industry. Maulana IBRAHIM QASMI, rector of Deobands Jamia Qasmia Darul Taalim has been appointed Chairman of U.P. branch of Rashtriya Ulama Council. Dr. NASHIR NAQVI, famous poet and author, a native of Amroha has been promoted from associate professor to Professor on 28 September in Urdu and Persian Department by Punjabi University with retrospective effect from July 2010 because he had secured three times more marks from the minimum prescribed by UGC for promotion to the post of Professor. According to Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University Dr. Jaspal Singh, in addition to Urdu Department he also played a stellar role in founding and promoting Baba Farid Centre for Soofi studies and played an important role in promoting mysticism. An awardee by Punjab government, he is an author of 20 books in Urdu and Punjabi. (Ms.) SABA ANJUM, centre forward and striker in the Indian womens hockey team has been appointed Captain of the Indian hockey team which will tour Australia this month (October) and play four test matches against the home team (Australia) and three other matches in Perth. Saba has played in 129 matches. The hockey matches will be held from 12 to 24 October. In addition to India and Australia, other teams are of Malaysia and Maldives. MUJTABA AHMAD DEV has been conferred PhD degree by the Deptt. of Persian of Jamia Millia Islamia. He prepared his thesis on Maulana Ismael Bensh Kashmiri, Shakhsiyatwa-Fann (Personality and Art) under the supervision of Dr. Sayyad Kaleem Asghar Ali. Bensh who belonged to Kashmir was a famous poet during the period of Aurangzeb Alamgir. Before this, not much work has been done on this famous poet, and because of this, his literary work is very much being acclaimed. Mujtaba Ahmad is from a literary family of district Kishtawaar of Kashmir.

OBITUARIES
Maulana Mufti ABU TAYYAB AHMAD MIAN FIRANGI MAHLI, Imam of Lucknows Aish Bagh Eidgah died of heart attack on the night of 24 September. He had been lying ill for a long time and was confined to bed. He was appointed Imam and Trustee of Aish Bagh Eidgah in 1947 and ever since then had been leading Eids namaz. He was also president of Islamic Centre of India, a founding member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board as well as patron of many social, academic and Milli organisations. He was 82 and is survived by four sons and two daughters. His wife had died about 11 years ago. His namaz-e janaza (funeral) was led by his son Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahli on 25 September who was subsequently appointed as his successor. Prof. JALALUDDIN, teacher and former Principal of Jamia Millia Polytechnic died on 28 September at the age of 73 years. (see page 7). Prof. MUHAMMAD SULAIMAN ASHRAF, a wellknown Arabic scholar who, with his book Hali fi al Adab al-Arabi introduced poet Altaf Husain Hali to the Arab world, died in Delhi on 2 October at the age of 87 years. Even at his advanced age, till two days before his death he taught his students as Visiting Faculty, though he had retired long back. His students and disciples are spread in a host of colleges and universities of the country as well as abroad. He did his PhD from Cairo University on A Comparative Study of Modern Arabic and English Poetry. He was a native of Aligarh. Maulana FAIZAN AHMAD ANSARI Falahi, general secretary of Nepals Islamic Association who has been actively trying to remove educational and economic backwardness of Muslims of Nepal and was associated with many welfare schemes for them was shot at by some unknown persons when he had come out of a mosque after offering namaz. Maulanas brother Imran took him to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. The murderers, taking advantage of rain disappeared from the scene. It may be mentioned that there are about 15 lakh Muslims in Nepal who form 5% of the countrys population. Maulana Faizan was quite young, about 36 years of age. Noted Hindi scholar and former Chairman, Department of Hindi, Aligarh Muslim University, PROF. S. JAFAR RAZA ZAIDI passed away on 6 October at Escorts Hospital, Delhi after cardiac arrest. He was 68. He is survived by a son and daughter. Dr. Zaidi had joined AMU as Research Assistant in Maulana Azad Library in 1966-67 and was appointed as lecturer in the Department of Hindi in October, 1969. He authored more than a dozen books in Hindi, Urdu and English.

AWARDS
MEHTAB HUSAIN of Kolkata, East Bengals mid-fielder has been declared the Best Footballer of the year. In the Indian Football Award 2011 function held at Kolkata on 26 September, the 28 years old Husain won two awards i.e. (1) Football Players Association of Indias as well as (2) Fans Player of the Year Award. In the second case, football fans, through on-line voting also had declared him Best Footballer of the year. Azim Premji Foundation set up by the famous industrialist Azimbhai Premji in 2001 for promoting basic education in rural areas has been honoured with Rajiv Gandhi International Prize for Technology in Education and Development by Indra Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The Award, consisting of a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh and a citation was given to AZIM PREMJI, the creator of this Foundation by HRD minister. Kapil Sibal on 28 September at a function at India Habitat Centre and was instituted by IGNOU in 2001. This Award is of international character and is given to any person or organisation in the world for doing meritorious work in promoting education and educational technology. Azim Premji Foundation is the first organisation to be honoured with this Award.

SHIRAZ Minwalla, a theoretical physicist with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai is among the 11 scientists in different fields such as physical, chemical, mathematical, biological etc. sciences who have been honoured with Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, countrys most prestigious science award. Shiraz has been working on string theory and on the connection between gravity equations and fluid dynamics. The Award is given to a scientist upto 45 years of age and carries a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh. (Ms.) KULSUM TALHA, a Lucknow born senior journalist who has been closely associated with AMU since long has been honoured with Bharat Jyoti Award 2011 in the field of journalism by Bharat Jyoti Society. In addition to educating AMU students about the ethics, new trends and professional elements of journalism as a Visiting Professor, she has also played an important role in providing them with employment in print and electronic media. She is the first Muslim journalist to be honoured with this Award. Prof. (Dr.) BILQIS BANO, Prsident of AMUs Department of Biochemistry has been honoured with Pollywood (?) Star Media Excellence Award in recognition of her valuable research works in the field of Biochemistry, with specialised works in proteins,

enzymes and lipids in which she has been working for the past about two decades. She has represented India in various conferences on Biochemical sciences in USA, England, Egypt, Russia, Turkey and South Africa. AZIZ BURNEY, Group Editor of Rashtriya Sahara Urdu and Dr. HAMIDULLAH BHAT, Director of NCPUL have been selected by Aligarh Movement Magazine (AMM) for being honoured with its Aligarh Movement Award 2011 in recognition of their valuable work in the field of journalism and associating Urdu with employment respectively, as per its earlier decision. In response to AMMs appeal to concerned persons/organisations all over the world for nomination of deserving persons in these two fields it had received 124 nominations and after close study, it found the above two persons deserving for its Award 2011. ARSHAD KHAN of Amroha who is a teacher in Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh) has been honoured with Best Teacher National Award of 2011 by Navoday Vidalaya Samiti, New Delhi (under HRD ministry). The Award was given to him by Pondicherrys chief minister N. Rangaswamy at a function organised by Navoday Vidyalay Samiti, New Delhi at Pondicherrys Assembly House on 20 September. and examinations like Visharad, Sahitya Ratn etc. He was basically a man of literary taste, particularly interested in fiction and also poetry of both Allama Iqbal and Shafiq Jaunpuri. Thus he was a scholar of Urdu and Hindi at the same time. For 15 years, from 1980 to 1995, he was Ameer of Jamaat-e Islamis Delhi & Haryana branch as well as editor of Kaanti. The author of as many as 18 books, he also translated about two dozen books from Urdu to Hindi and vice versa, including Maulana Fateh Muhammad Jallundharis Urdu translation of Quran into Hindi alongwith marginal notes as well as Hindi translation of the abridged edition of Maulana Abul Ala Maudoodis Tafheemul Quran and its exegesis. He died on 29 August 2011 at the age of 75 years. (Translated from Urdu)

Kausar Yazdani (1935-2011)

TABISH MEHDI
SYED MATIULLAH KAUSAR YAZDANI NADWI, who was closely associated with Jamat-e Islami Hind in different fields for more than 60 years, was born in 1935 in Azamgarhs Atraulia village. Since his father was employed in the police department as Head Constable, he could not stay at one place and used to be transferred to different places in Basti district for administrative purposes and because of this, Yazdanis education took place at different places like Mehndawal, Atraulia, Tanda, Shibli College (Azamgarh) etc. He did his M.A. in Hindi from Meerut University and did his PhD in Sufism from Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayags Meerut University Centre, with specialised studies of Sufi poets of Hindi like Malik Muhammad Jaisi, Qutuban and Manjhan. His treatise on Sufism has been published in the form of a book entitled Sufi Mat aur Saadhna which, according to some Hindi scholars, is his masterpiece. He started his professional career as a teacher and thereafter as editor of Jamat-e Islamis Hindi monthly magazine, Kaanti, at Rampur for a long time. While being the editor of Kaanti he completed his Aalimiyat from Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow and Hadees course from Rampurs Jamiatul Maarif. He also passed a number of advanced Hindi courses

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 17

SPECIAL REPORTS

HWF felicitates meritorious students of Delhi

Safdar H. Khan, Chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission, said that there are multiple numbers of educational scholarships schemes and financial assistance programmes from government which are given annually to minorities and these must be utilised. Prof. Siddique Hassan, the spirit behind HWF said in his keynote address that selfish individual is what the present educational environment is creating in this age of competition. He said that students who received awards need to be part of serving the society. Ambassador of Bosnia, Saeed Avdic, Dr. M. Ibrahim of the Embassy of Yemen, Dr Maazim, Prof. Akhtar Siddiqui, former Chairman NCTE, Master Abdul Waheed, President JIH Delhi & Haryana, Musharraf Hussain Siddiqui, Sheikh Shoaib Bhudan, Secretary, SIO of India, spoke during this programme. Students who scored more than 60% marks in Board Examination for the academic session 2011 were awarded in the function. Each students was awarded a cash prize of Rs 1000 and Certificate of Merit. Award programmes of this kind will be held in 14 other states of India. Initially, in 2009 the award-programme was organized by HWF in Lucknow, U.P. and last year, HWF organised such programmes in four other states, viz., Assam, Bihar, W.B. and U.P.

New Delhi: Human Welfare Foundation (HWF), PM Foundation Kerala and Fathima Heath Care Group jointly felicitated 100 meritorious students of the Muslim community of Delhi in an Award Distribution Ceremony held here at the Hamdard Convention Centre of Jamia Hamdard on 9 October.

Saiyid Hamid, Chairman of HWF and Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, said that the award programme will indeed induce confidence and motivation in the students of this community and in turn play a part in empowering the community.

Two Muslim Women Felicitated For Their Services

whisked of her finances, amounting to about one lakh. She was left stranded but she did not relent and lodged an FIR and kept sitting in Delhi Police Headquarters for hours on every visit to Delhi until recently when Delhi police arrested an organised gang of 20 women thieves who travel in woman coupe. "I have not as yet recovered my money but the journalist in me kept me going or else I would have just sat, decrying my fate like any other individual," she told on the sidelines of the award ceremony. Sabra Habib recollected as to how her father Syed Habibur-Rehman would let her be sent to Moscow and make her pursue postgraduation in Russian language. She later did her PhD from the same institution and came back to Lucknow University in 1981 to start as a teaching faculty in the Department of Russian Studies. Her book in Hindi script Aao Roosi Seekhein, published by Peoples Publishing Lucknow: Women empowerment is a derived maxim of our society. It was seen here in real life on 17 September when journalist Kulsoom Mustafa and Professor Sabra Habib recieved Upbhokta Shree Award 2011 by Bharat Jyoti, an organisation engaged in elevating the downtrodden, destitutes and poor, by way of providing scholarships to underprivileged children for the last 25 years. The ceremony was held at the Muhammed Bagh Club, citys most prestigious club. "Maine journalism se ghar chalya hai," said Kulsoom and no doubt she has right for this rightful claim, as she is a word to reckon within Lucknow media circles. She had been a copy editor for the Times of India for 17 years before she took over as Bureau Chief of The Indian Express for three years, apart from a short stint with North Indian Patrika. Today, she is engaged as a correspondent for AFP along with providing consultancy to UNICEF. Contributions to BBC online, Women's Feature Service, which feeds newspaper and magazines in 40 countries, twocircles.net, Citizen News Service,
MG/Yusuf

House is a unique effort on the subject. No wonder she has also received Pushkin Award in Moscow in 1991 for her services to the language. Apart from this is also a recipient of the prestigious UP Ratna Award. She had been the chairperson of Minority Committee for Monitoring Education under the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, New Delhi. Sabra has penned around 10 books. Right now Sabra is Professor Emeritus at Lucknow University. "I have delved myself into serving people in whatever the little capacity I have. I started an NGO, Natasha Polycraft and Education Center, in 1995 where I see that the needles in the small-small hands, which make the best crafts and designs, also find a pen and paper and make way for their inalienable right towards education," she said. Hats off to these two Muslim women. (Haider Abbas)

Uday India magazine, Grassroots (Vidhura) etc. keeps her world going. Kulsoom was born in a family with Iranian roots which goes back to the days of the Nawabs. She had been through the best of available education and took to journalism out of passion. She lost her husband at a very early stage and had to toil along with two young children. She worked hard and established a niche for herself, got her children the best education. She would drive her car, do grocery, make breakfasts for her children and also would never let slip a deadline. This is despite the extensive traveling she undertakes to Delhi and to many parts of UP, by way of her involvement in an AIDS awareness campaign under UNICEF. This agenda gets through via the bi-monthly programme which she conducts under Media for Children. The programmes have been held in all the press clubs in UP apart from being held once at Patna Press club. It was worth reckoning to find that once Kulsoom, while in Delhi Metro train, had been

Hyderabad police never learns

Hyderabad: Mohammad Ahamed, age 50 years, working as an electrician and resident of Kamal Nagar, Chaderghat, was picked up from Ali Hotel near Imlibun Bus Stop here by Police Mirchowk (South Zone) and taken to Mirchowk Police Station in the city. Here he was tortured in custody for more than five hours in front of Inspector Ramchadra Reddy. His right leg was fractured and three nails of his right leg were pulled out. Amjed Ullah Khan (corporator, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) visited the Osmania General Hospital where the victim is under treatment, and inquired about the incident from his wife Mrs Sabiha Begum. He has demanded a high level inquiry into the incident as well as the suspension of Inspector Ramchdra Reddy.

CONGRATULATIONS (this is not an ad!)

18 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS
Advanis yatra to fuel communal hatred
New Delhi: The All India Milli Council has lashed out at the BJP leader LK Advanis plan to launch a 38-day Rath Yatra across the country which begins from October 11. It said that the Yatra could lead to communal violence. Similar Rath Yatra undertaken by Advani from September 25, 1990 whipped up communal hatred claiming 1160 lives, injuring 6300 people and destroying billions of rupees of property in 11 states. The fallout of this Rath Yatra resulted in no good to the nation, but only brought the communal forces in the form of BJP to power in the Centre in 1998, the AIMC said. This time also Advanis Rath Yatra is also designed to fuel communal hatred, polarize voters on communal line for increasing BJPs vote bank. The call for fighting against corruption, black money, rising prices and terrorism is a hoax, the AIMC General Secretary, Dr M Manzoor Alam said while addressing a press conference here on 8 October. Dr Alam said that Advani was undertaking this programme only with the intention of polarizing voters so that BJP can come to power and his cherished dream of becoming the Prime Minister would be fulfilled at the cost of bloodshed. He, however, said that Anna Hazare did not have any communal agenda, but the movement against corruption being led by him was being hijacked by the communal forces, particularly the RSS. Dr Alam cautioned the ruling UPA coalition at the Centre to take note of the emerging situation and not to allow the nations polity to drift towards a dangerously different direction. Advanis last Rath Yatra fuelled communal violence and hatred and led to the demolition of the 450-year old Babri Masjid.

NCPUL authorised to award degrees

New Delhi: Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal while addressing the 19th annual meeting of National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) at India International Centre on 3 October said that the government wants to bring about a big change at the ground level in India through Urdu language and this is possible only when the culture and civilization, handicrafts and music associated with Urdu language should be promoted. Moreover, the vision of Urdu language should also be promoted in IT, entertainment, and Bollywood film industry. For this, separate committees for each should be constituted in which Urdu should be directly associated from policy matter to actual work. These words not only encouraged NCPUL, its vision statement and approach paper but also gladdened the hearts of prominent personalities and lovers of Urdu who were present in this meeting. On this occasion he also lauded the activities and achievements of NCPUL and added that Urdu should be promoted not only on paper but in practical fields also. He said that from the point of view of a multidimensional and colourful role of languages at different levels, Urdu language plays a pivotal role for mutual understanding and social contacts and also in popularising and familiarising the people with governments policies and viewpoints. He said that Urdu is recognised as a national language because it is not only widely spoken and understood but is also a rich language which has been representing Indias composite civilisational and cultural heritage for the past five hundred years. This language has played, and is playing, an important role in our national life. By party as a dedicated worker and got insulted in return, he alleged. The MLA said the CM and the party leadership had left him to fend for himself even as the CB- CID was investigating the case and a petition filed by Joshi was pending before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court. Joshi had alleged that Babloo and another BSP leader, Intezar Abdi Bobby had attacked her house at the behest of Mayawati. Babloo is currently out of prison on bail and Mayawati has already denied him a ticket for the Assembly elections due next year. Peace Party president Dr M. Ayub indicated that Babloo would be his candidate against the BSP from Bikapur. MIM rules out support for Telangana Agitation Hyderabad: The Majlis Ittehadul Muslimin on 25 September dismissed reports that the party was supporting the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme agitation for a separate Telangana state. It said that its stand on Telangana remained unchanged. Addressing a press conference here, the MIM president and Hyderabad MP, Mr Asaduddin Owaisi, said the Telangana agitation was causing inconvenience to people. The longer the agitation, the more the people are suffering, he said. Expressing fears that the Telangana movement could take a violent turn, Mr Owaisi urged the Centre to clear the uncertainty by taking a decision quickly. The Centre should spell out what is its thinking on the issue. Dividing a state is not like cutting the cake at a birthday party, he remarked while advising Telangana leaders to show seriousness and desist from setting deadlines. Mr Owaisi warned that the MIM would not remain silent if the Haj pilgrims were put to inconvenience due to the Telangana agitation. The first Haj flight is scheduled for September 30 and pilgrims for this flight would report at the Haj House on September 27. The transport agitation is likely to put the pilgrims to inconvenience and the MIM has urged the state government to ensure that pilgrims from the districts are not given any trouble. He said the BJP would be the biggest beneficiary if a separate state was formed. Mark my words. It is the BJP which is going to benefit in Telangana state. No other party will gain, he said. Why should I support it out of fear, the MP shot back when asked about apprehensions that Muslims might be alienated in the separate state for not participating in the movement. Nobody can deny me my right. India is a democratic country. There is a constitution and rule of law, he said. PUCL demands action on raid of Kavita's house PUCL in a letter addressed to the President of India has highlighted the harassment of Kavita Srivastav during the police raid on 3 October and has demaded immediate release of Sanjeev Bhatt arrested in Gujarat. In the name of fighting Naxals the manner in which People's Union for Civil Liberties, National secretary, Kavita Srivastav's house was raided on 3 October reveals how the human rights of the common people are infringed. The manner in which the raid was jointly carried out by Central investigative agencies, Chhatisgarh police and Rajasthan police was aimed at presenting in a light the human rights movement and at the same time harass Kavita and her parents. The raid was conducted between 6-7 am in the morning and the barbaric behaviour of the police during the raid is believed to have been ordered 9by the government to do so. In this regard the PUCL has demanded strict action against all those policemen believed to have harassed Kavita and her family members during the raid. PUCL believes that such raids are being conducted to suppress the voice of these activists. Over the years as an activist Kavita has raised a voice against atrocities committed towards Muslims in the name of terror and very recently she protested against the killing of Muslims in Rajasthan during communal violence. PUCL also condems the arrest of Sanjeev Bhatt in Gujarat and at the same time also demands safety of Sanjeev's family. If Sanjeev enriching our national life through its different activities, Urdu language represents a model of unity in diversity and by combining national, educational, civilisational and administrative streams, it strengthens national unity and social cohesion. In this meeting Minister of state for HRD, E. Ahamed referred to NCPULs programme at Calicut and said that the presence of more than 1200 children in this programme proves that Urdu language is not confined to Urdu speaking people only but people speaking other languages also are very much interested in it. This gurantees a bright future for Urdu. Keeping in mind the vision statement of this language and a means of familiarising the people of India in general and Urdu speaking people in particular with the government of Indias policies and programmes and the importance of the relationship between the language and needs, the action plan prepared by NCPUL is already being implemented and much progress has also been made in this direction. Dr. Hamidullah Bhat, NCPULs Director through this Audio-Visual presentation familiarised the participants with the progress so far made through the network of NCPULs computer centres in the country and particularly the progress made in NCPULs mission this year. He also suggested that the certificates and degrees given by NCPUL to its students should be recognised at the All India level to which Kapil Sibal immediately agreed. The enthusiasm and keenness shown by him clearly indicated that if the Indian government took the lead in promoting this (Urdu) language, the problems, both of this language as well as employment for people qualified in it will be solved soon. (NA Ansari) Bhatt's case is not handled properly then the situation in Gujarat may become dangerous. What can be expected of the common people when senior police officer faces the ire of the government for opening his mouth against the chief minister? It's clear cut human rights violation by the state. India supports Palestine Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while addressing the UN General Assembly on 24 September in New York said that India as an emerging power is willing to play a constructive role on the international stage. Reiterating India's stand on the Palestinian issue, prime minister said, that India is committed in its support for the Palestinian people's struggle for a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, living within secure and recognized borders side by side and at peace with Israel. India was the first to grant recognition to the Palestinian state in 1988 after Arab states. Manmohan Singh also said that India strongly supports Palestinian's demand for full membership of the UN. At present Palestine has the status of an observer in the United Nations. Palestine can only become a UN member after its application gets recommended by the Security Council and thereafter approved by the General Assembly by a two-thirds vote of its 193 members. The US has already made its stand clear that it will veto the Palestinian request. UP topped in bonded labour cases: NHRC According to a report released by the National Human Rights Commission on 23 September, Uttar Pradesh has been ranked on the top in terms of bonded labour cases followed by Punjab and Haryana. As per data released by the NHRC number of bonded labour cases in Uttar Pradesh in the past 18 years is 1,300 followed by Punjab (465) and Haryana (425). Delhi has been ranked at the ninth position with 45 bonded labour cases. Other states like Rajasthan received 100 cases, Karnataka 60, Arunachal Pradesh 6. North East states like Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram received one case each. NHRC is of the view that nothing substantial has been done to put an end to it and neither the bureaucracy nor the police have so far taken it seriously. NHRC in its report has also said that of the total of 2800 bonded labour cases reported to the commission 40 percent are still pending. There are 10 states where not even a single case of complaints of bonded labour has been received so far. Human rights panels yet to be established in many states At a time when the entire world is committed to safeguarding human rights and to achieve it, people and organisations all across the globe have campaigned at all levels, India is yet to establish human Rights Commission in nearly half of its states. Not only could this, there were apprehensions that NHRC could have been downgraded from a participant (A status) to an observer (B status) for its renewal of accreditation before the UN in May this year. More than a decade has passed since NHRC was established but till date human rights commisions have not been established in 15 states and union territories. New Delhi is also among them. In at least nine states the commission is in place but the functionaries and officials are not designated. Surprisingly, in Himachal Pradesh the commission was set up in the year 2005 but the post of the president and its members still lies vacant. In nearly five states the post of president remains vacant. In yet another five states there are not even working presidents. Some states where the Commission has not been established are Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Goa and Uttrakhand. Home Ministry in its recent monsoon session of parliament has said that in all states there has to be Human Rights Commission.

AMU students protest against Gopalgarh injustice Aligarh: To protest against the brutal killings and harassment of Muslims at Gopalgarh, Bharatpur district, by the police at the behest of local politicians, AMUs senior students and alumni organised a rally on 22 September and submitted the Memorandum bearing 500 signatures to Sonia Gandhi through the district administration. Chanting slogans against the biased policies of the central government, more than 500 protestors gathered at the University Circle. The peaceful protestors held banners condemning the Congress-led UPA for its dual and blind policies and failing to curb communal violence against the minorities in a state run by the Congress itself. Protesters urged the Central government to take strict action against the Police officials especially D.M and S.S.P of Gopalgarh who were involved in the killing of innocent people. Protestors asked the Government to sack the home minister of Rajasthan who was involved in issuing irresponsible statements, which fuelled the tension in the area. Meanwhile, a delegation of AMU students visited Delhi on 27 September and met senior Congress leaders and ministers Salman Khursheed, Oscar Fernandese and Rajeev Shukla to register their concern and protest against the killing. (Asad Faisal Farooqui) SDPI wins nine civic wards unopposed in Tamilnadu Chennai: Social Democratic Party of India with just two years of its existence has made history by winning unopposed nine civic wards in the 2011 local body elections. SDPi is contesting more than 350 seats in Tamilnadu local body elections but it is historic beginning for the party as nine SDPI candidates won because none filed nominations against them. SDPI has already won three seats in Rajasthan, 14 seats in Kerala and 67 seats in Karnataka local body elections. SDPI is also contesting for mayor post in two corporations Chennai and Erode. SDPI is in alliance with Vithuthalai Ciruthai Katchi, 14 Muslim Orgonisations, 6 Christians organization and several Muslim political parties. The alliance of SDPI and VCK is a breakthrough in Dalit Muslim unity in Tamilnadu. Violent BSP MLA joins Peace Party Bahujan Samaj Party ( BSP) legislator Jitendra Singh Babloo, who was accused of setting fire to the house of Uttar Pradesh Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi in 2009, has joined the Peace Party. Babloo claimed that chief minister Mayawati had made it impossible for him to remain in the party after initially protecting him. It is tough to stay in the BSP in the given situation. The party leader is making life miserable for me. I worked for the

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 19

COMMUNITY NEWS

Lecture on the Syrian situation

New Delhi: Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, editor of The Milli Gazette and an expert on Middle East affairs, delivered a lecture on the current situation in Syria at the seminar hall of Jamaat-e Islami Hind on 1 Oct 2011. Dr Khan briefly apprised the audience about the factors and causes which stand behind the emergence of the present state of Syria Republic as a modern nation in 1936 when it gained independence from the French imperialists though very much remained an occupied country until 1946. Later in his lecture, Dr Khan explained how the repressive Assad regimes relies on the small Alawite sect which was known historically as Nusarians until it changed its name during the French mandate which patronised them and encouraged them to join the army. Syria finally gained independence in 1946 when Lebanon was snatched away from Syria and turned into a Christian homeland (ahead of Israel as a homeland for Jews). Syria did not enjoy political stability and suffered from a series of military coups and soon a state of emergency was imposed which was lifted only recently under popular pressure. A short-lived unity was established between Syria and Egypt in 1958 which soon collapsed. Baath Party managed to staged a coup in 1970 and soon through a corrective movement the defence minister in that government and air force chief, Hafez Al-Assad, acquired power in 1971. He perfected the system of survival, planted Alawite people in all party, government, intelligence and military positions, created a strong highly repressive intelligence and security network which allowed him to continue and finally after his death in 2000, his son Bashar (a dental surgeon) succeeded him effortlessly. Syrians never accepted his regime and rose time and again with bloody reprisals like Hama which was flatted in 1982 killing at least 30,000 of its inhabitants. Earlier the regime had on one day in June 1980 killed over a thousand prisoners in Tadmur (Palmyra) prison and the list is very long. The on-going movement is actually against the regime and the repressive tactics of the Assads, he said. As for the present uprising, the regime has relented and recognized some of the democratic rights such as Emergency has been revoked, media control has been relaxed and multiparty system accepted in principle but there is a long road to real freedom and democrary in Syria as long the repressive apparatus left behind by Hafez Al-Assad remains intact. He breakups, erosion of moral values and rise in various crimes. The major chunk of hard-earned money of working classes being spent on liquor deprives depending family members of their basic needs. State and individual expenses for too many liquor related hazards and issues surpass the excise income, said the meeting. The resolution strongly asked the government to initiate effective steps aimed at total prohibition. The State General Council elected S.N. Sikander as State President and a 17-member Working Committee. The State Working Committee elected A. Subramani as Vice-President, G. Abduraheem as General Secretary, Shaik Dawood and K. Murthy as Secretaries, I. Mohammed Khalid as Treasurer and Jareena Jamaal as Womens Coordinator. The Party extended support to 19 independent candidates contesting for local body election. The Party also asked the Central and State governments to take immediate measures to control price rise of essential commodities, to replace all anti-farmer laws and acts and to make seeds and fertilizers available at affordable prices to stop farmer suicides, to bring concrete and effective electoral reforms to enable the common citizen also to contest in elections, implementation of reservation to the Muslim community as recommended by Ranganath Misra Commission and an effective Janlokpal bill to be passed to curb corruption at all levels. The Party welcomed the verdict given by Honble Special Court in the Vachathi case, and demanded speedy action against the convicts and to provide sufficient relief to the affected people. At Vachathi, a tribal hamlet of Dharmapuri district in 1992, forest and police officials had committed atrocities on the villagers and the District and Sessions Judge had found 215 officials and employees as guilty and handed down prison term ranging from two to ten years rigorous imprisonment. In this case seventeen were convicted for rape charges. Seminar on Inclusive Education of Minority Girls New Delhi: A seminar was held by Universal Knowledge Trust

National Workshop on Engg Drawing

Bahal (Haryana): Prof. Zahir Hasan, Dean Academic Affairs and HOD Mechanical Engineering, BRCM College of Engineering & Technology here organised a three-day national workshop on Engineering Drawing - the Language of Engineers during 23-25 September. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. M.S. Dasgupta, Head, Mechanical Engineering Department at BITS Pilani. Dr. Dasgupta told the audience that Engineering Drawing is really the language of Engineers and we cannot complete engineering education without the knowledge of Engineering Drawing. The valedictory address was chaired by Dr. Pankaj Chandna, NIT Kurukshetra. He highlighted the importance of this subject for engineering education. He also expressed his happiness regarding the hard work put in by the Mechanical Engg Department, BRCMCET, for enhancing the knowledge and skill of the students and faculty members by conducting the second national workshop during the last ten months. More than 225 delegates from various engineering colleges participated in this workshop. The man behind the workshop was Dr. Hasan who works tirelessly in organizing such programmes. Recently, he organized a national workshop on Computer-Aided Technologies (CA-x) in March, 2011. Dr Hassan did his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering and M.Tech. in Industrial and Production Engineering from Aligarh Muslim University, and his Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. SDPI celebrates victory of the party at Pavur GP election Mangalore: Social Democratic Party of India cadres celebrated the victory of Nasir Malar, SDPI backed candidate, won bye-election at Malar ward of Pavur Gram Panchayath, in front of the partys district office at Mangalore on 29th September 2011. Cadres took a rally to celebrate the victory. Nasir Malar has won the contest against congress candidate by 150 votes. He won 536 votes while his rival congress candidate got 386 votes. The party also managed to retain second place in Jokatte where its candidate was defeated for 37 votes.
Swamy booked for spreading enmity among communities Delhi Police on 3 October registered a case of spreading enmity between communities against Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy for his remarks suggesting revoking of voting rights of Muslims. The Crime Branch registered a case under Section 153A (spreading enmity between communities) of Indian Penal Code for his newspaper article in July this year, a senior police official said. A senior lawyer R K Anand had filed a complaint against Swamy in this regard. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) had in August decided to file a case against Swamy for his remarks in the article. The Harvard-educated economic scholar, Swamy in an article in a newspaper had suggested Indian Hindus collectively respond to terror acts. He wrote, we need a collective mindset as Hindus to stand against the Islamic terrorist.....If any Muslim acknowledges his or her Hindu legacy, then we Hindus can accept him or her as a part of the Brihad Hindu Samaj (greater Hindu society) which is Hindustan. Others, who refuse to acknowledge this, or those foreigners who become Indian citizens by registration, can remain in India but should not have voting rights (which means they cannot be elected representatives), Swamy had written. AMU VC released special issues of Fikr-o-Nazar Aligarh: The Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis on 3 October released two special issues of Fikr-oNazar, a quarterly research and literary journal of the University. Prof. Azis said that we should carry the message of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Aligarh has to be replicated in different parts of the country. Prof. Azis said that the University has established two new Centres in Malappuram (Kerala) and Murshidabad (West Bengal) and these Centres will spark the mind of the people. Prof. Azarmi Dukht Safavi, former Editor said that the Namwaran-eAligarhs first edition was re-printed after a gap of twenty-five years.

also said that the rebels, who are still using peaceful methods, refuse foreign intervention as happened in Libya. Dr Khan answered questions at the end of his lecture. In response to a question about the possibility of direct foreign interference as has been done by NATO in Libya, he said that the US has not been able to find a dependable partner the Syrian opposition which continues to reject such intervention which will take away the initiative from Syrian hands and allow a base for foreign forces as in Iraq and now in Libya. Dr Khan said that western powers may be be waiting for a clear picture to emerge out of the Libyan situation so that they may turn their attention to other theaters. The US wants to keep the region in a state of uncertainty as in Libya, in order to take advantage of the situation as and when it suits it. As regard why the ulama, whether inside or outside Syria, are not providing guidance and support, they seem to be opposing peoples uprising, he responded in the negative and said that those inside Syria have their limitations. Replying to a question about the mild Iranian response, Dr Khan expressed astonishment as to why they are still supporting the regime. He said the Iranian position seems to be a result of the long bilateral relations between Iran and Syria while Iran was bearing the brunt of American sanctions. During Irans ordeal, the Syrian regime steadfastly supported Iran. Dr Khan hoped that the current fluid situation will not remain so for long as there is great resentment in the whole region against repression by their regimes. People want democracy, liberty and human rigths. Dr Khan informed that efforts are going on in all Arab country at varying levels and a better tomorrow awaits the Arab people. Expectations are high, particularly after the Egyptian revolution which is yet to fully take shape (Nadim Ahmad) (UKT) at Abul Fazal Enclave here on issues and opportunities for an inclusive education for minority girls on 2 October. Delivering his presidential address Maulana Israrul Haque Qasmi (MP, Kishanganj) asked the community to strive for education, particularly girls education, as Islam requires his followers to educate themselves using the resources of both their own community and the government. He asked the community leaders to establish competitive schools and educational institutions to educate the community without thinking of profit making. In her welcome address Dr Shabistan Ghaffar, Chairperson, All India Confederation for Women's Empowerment through Education (AICWETE), shared the experiences she gained during the last few years while working for spreading education among women. She exhorted the minority educational institutions to make continuous efforts even if they face difficulties in availing of government schemes for minority education. Justice MSA Siddiqui, Chairman of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI), in his inaugural address appealed that there is need to bring revolution in the field of education as every path of success leads through the gates of education. While giving details of the work being done by the Commission with regard to minority education, he said that minority educational institutions need to take legal recourse wherever they face problems. He said that the community needs to learn the art of converting the challenges into opportunities and for that he would be ready to provide every possible help at his personal level and in his official capacity. Abdul Rashid Agwan, Director of the Center for Advancement of Voluntary Efforts (CAVE), discussed the issues related to the proper education of Muslim girls. Dr Haleema Sadia, principal, Hamdard Public School (Primary), shared her experiences with the audiences and said that the community needs to come out of the mentality of educational backwardness and work for the future. Dr. KP Wasnik, Director of Vocational Education at the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), thanked Universal Knowledge Trust and explained different schemes available to the minority educational institutions with regard to open schooling and continuing education. During the function community service awards were also given to people working in the Jamia Nagar area. Dr Haleema Sadia was felicitated with the Award for Women Education besides Mrs Mamduha Majid for Technical Education, Ms Latifa Farooqui for Institutional Organization, Mr Afroz Ahmad Sahil for Right to Information (RTI), Mr Shahid Siddiqui for Environmental Awareness, Ms Wasia Islam for Martial Arts, Mirza MFH Beg for Economy Development, Ms Sabiha Anjum for Moral Education, Mr Irshad Husain Farooqui for Islamic Art and Calligraphy and M/s www.indianmuslimobserver.com for Journalism.. On this occasion scholarships were also given away by UKT to selected students.

Gandhis fourth monkey: Shafique impresses S. Koreans Ahmadabad: Asian Youth Forum of the UNESCO, in its recent fifth session at South Korea, had only one Indian delegate Shafique Ansari. In his bid to suggest a solution for the present day crisis in the world, Shafique came forward with a new concept - fourth monkey of Gandhiji. Delegates from different countries were highly impressed by the idea. Ansari has been actively associated with the Indian Committee of Youth Organisation (ICYO) for several years. This session in an Asian country tried to focus on Asian identity for 22 Asian countries. The concept stresses on Think good and be good to emphasise the role of non-violence and peace. WPI extended support to independent candidates in TN Chennai: The Welfare Party of India Tamilnadu State General Council held at Chennai and presided over by the national General Secretary P.C. Hamza, in a resolution asked the state government to enact total prohibition. Alcoholism has resulted in increased atrocities against women, heavy number of family

20 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS
4 killed in Uttarakhand riots
Rudrapur (Uttrakhand): At least four people were killed and over 40 injured in a communal violence which erupted in Rudrapur city in Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand on 2 October. Curfew was imposed in the city. Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri asked senior police officials to take stern action against the miscreants According to official sources, two companies of Rapid Action Force along with large number of police personnel have been deployed in the affected area. District Magistrate BVR Purushottam told media that 39 people including a Sub-Divisional Magistrate and more than a dozen police personnel were injured in the incident. The curfew has been clamped to deal with the situation in Rudrapur town where nearly four to five shops and scores of vehicles were also torched, said Purushotam said. The trouble began in the morning when some anti-social elements threw a copy of Quran at street leading to immediate provocation. Soon, slogan shouting people raised slogans and pelted stones and torched vehicles and shops. Fire brigade vehicles were pressed immediately to douse the fire. The authorities were forced to clamp curfew on Rudrapur town, the district headquarters of Udhamsingh Nagar following an alleged act of sacrilege, which triggered widespread clashes early this morning with members of two communities indulging in running street battles. In the ensuing clashes, nearly 5 shops and scores of vehicles were torched. Reports said that violence erupted when Muslims in the city were protesting against desecration of holy Quran on 2 Oct. They faced resistance from Police and others. Lathi charge, firing and stone pelting, arson aggravated the situation leading to large scale of violence. Muslim shops and houses were ransacked and torched on a widescale. Ten-day training programme in BHUs Dept of Persian Varanasi: In Banaras Hindu University (BHU) which is one of Indias most famous Universities where almost all important languages of the world are taught, Persian is also being taught from the very inception of this University. BHUs Department of Persian organised a 10-day training programme which started on 24 September. Though the number of Persian students is falling day by day in India, there are still some places and states like Bihar where there is quite a good number of students in schools who are very much interested, in addition to the students of madrasas, in studying this language. Inspite of the small number of students BHUs Department of Persian is working satisfactorily. For this training programme, Prof. Ismail Zohdi of Irans Rafsanjaan University was specially invited to deliver lectures, he familiarised the students with the new changes that are taking place in this language. Persian is being taught in many colleges and universities of India but what is taught in these institutions is old Persian but in Irans modern Persian, new words and phrases are being added nearly every other day but because of the absence of close educational ties between India and Iran, the new changes reach here after considerably long time. If such training programmes are held by other universities frequently, students of Persian will also become familiar with modern Persian as spoken and written in Iran. Probably with this aim in view BHUs Deptt. of Persian organised this useful programme. It is reported that students liked Prof. Zohdis lectures very much and his style of teaching. Campus selection of Jamia students by private companies New Delhi: About 600 students of different technical and professional courses of Jamia Millia Islamia University have been selected by private companies and firms during the academic year 2010-11 for appointment in their offices under Campus Placement Scheme, which is a record as compared to other years in the past. Maximum of the selected students are of B.Tech. According to Jamia Millias Media Coordinator (Ms.) Simmi Malhotra, in this academic year as many as 600 students have been provided employment. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has selected 110 B.Tech students for employment. In addition to this, another 280 students of B.Tech of 2011 batch have also been given employment. Other companies which have employed Jamia students are SCC, Hindustan Computers Ltd. (HCL), Mahindra, Samsung and Unitech, Siemens, Maruti. She said that 91 students of Diploma Engineering also have got employment. These students are employed by Wipro, L&T, Yamaha etc. She further said that in addition to MBA, MIB, MSW, MHRM etc. students, those of English, Economics, Arabic,

Jamia Urdu Aligarhs Advisory Council

Aligarh: Jamia Urdu Aligarhs Secretary and Registrar, Ms. Saba Khan said here on 19 September that an 18-member Advisory Council of Jamia Urdu has been constituted but in addition to these members, vacancy has been left for the representatives of HRD ministry, University Grants Commission, Sahitya Academy, Aligarh Movement Magazine and AMUs Vice Chancellor and an appeal will soon be made to them to select their representatives for this Council. She said that names of its members are: Mahesh Bhat, famous film producer-director and social worker; Kuldip Nayyar, prominent journalist, Muhammad Wazir Ansari, Additional Director of Police of Chhattisgarh; Dr. Syed Mohsin Raza, an alumnus of AMU and prominent surgeon; Aziz Burney, Group Editor of Rashtriya Sahara daily; Syed Waseem Akhtar, Vice Chancellor of Integral University, Lucknow; Safdar Husain Khan, Chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission; Muhammad Adeeb, Rajya Sabha MP; Zafaryab Jilani, All India Muslim Personal Law Boards spokesman; Firoz Bakht Ahmad, well-known columnist and educationist; Maulana Salman Al Hasani Nadwi of Lucknows Nadwatul Ulama; Prof. Zakia Athar Siddiqi, prominent educationist; Prof. Syed Iqbal Ali, secretry of Hazrat Ameer Khusro Educational Society; Dr. Azim Baig, President of JLN Journalism etc. also have got good placements. In all these courses a total of 125 students have been selected for appointment whereas 54 students of MBA also have got appointments. However, she did not give details of the number of students in different companies, posts to which they are appointed or the range of their salaries. State Conference of Muslim Reservation Movement Lucknow: Muslim Reservation Movements Steering Committee held a meeting at Islamia College, Lucknow on 23 September in which Zafaryab Jilani, Dilshad Husain (advocate), Athar Husain and others spoke and expressed their views. In this meeting many decisions were taken regarding arrangements for the Conference. Together with entrusting responsibilities of the proposed conference, it was also decided that posters on the following demands will be published and publicised throughout the state: 1. The Presidential Order of 1950 issued under Article 341 of the Constitution should be amended and reservation and all other facilities, concessions etc. given to the communities and people included in the list of people and communities and people to be given concessions Muslim should be included in that list including Muslims who work as scheduled castes people (poor and economically backward class people). In this connection, action should be taken at an early date in accordance with Justice Rangnath Misra Commissions report. 2. Sub-quota (within 27%) for Muslim communities recognised by Mandal Commission as deserving under 27% reservation for backward classes should be fixed in accordance with their population (which will be 9% in U.P.) so that backward classes of Muslims too may be able to derive the full benefit of 27% reservation. 3. For the remaining Muslims, besides those who are included in the creamy layer, arrangements may be made for their reservation in proportion to their population, in accordance with Justice Rangnath Misra Commissions recommendations. 4. Practical steps should be taken immediately for removal of backwardness of Muslims in the light of Justice Rajinder Sachar Committees and Justice Rangnath Misra Commissions reports and for Muslims also arrangements may be made for No fees admission like scheduled castes people. It was also stated in this meeting that representatives of 40/50 districts of the state will participate in the Conference and that with the participation of provincial and national level parties and leaders this Movement will be strengthened. Among Muslim organisations, participation by representatives of Ittehadul Muslimeen, Jamiatul Ulama, Milli Council, Jamaat-e Islami etc. is almost certain. Group of Institutions, Jaipur; Prof. Muhammad Masood, famous educationist; Khalid Ameer, Principal of MAH Inter College, Ghazipur; Anees Ansari, Vice Chancellor of Kanshi Ram Urdu, Arabic, Persian University, Lucknow and Prof. A.R. Fatihi of AMUs Department of Linguistics. Jaseem Muhammad, member of Jamia Urdus Board of Governors said that Jamia Urdus Advisory Council will work for the promotion of Jamia Urdu and Urdu language at international level. He said that Jamia Urdu had a glorious past and this Council will try and take steps for the restoration of Jamias past reputation and standard. He further said that Jamia Urdu is actively working for the promotion of Urdu since 1939 and this is Indias premier institution for distance education whose centres are not only all over India but outside India also. He said that Jamia Urdus objective is to associate Urdu with employment and earning aliving. He said that only that language is promoted and flourishes which is associated with employment and earning ones bread and livelihood. He said that in addition to the learned persons included in the Advisory Council, appeal has been made to many other important personalities to join this Council and it is hoped that after their approval it (Council) will be further expanded. (NA Ansari) See Syed Shahabuddin on Jamia Urdu, p. 3 concern and this problem is being constantly faced by other schools as well. But some other schools believe that simply changing the dress code may not solve the problem and student may be offended by such moves. It is therefore essential to explain to them the logic and importance behind such a move before going for a change in uniform. Gujarat gov. seeks Sadbhawana expense details from Modi The sparring between Gujarat Governor and Chief Minister Narendra Modi turned murkier when Governor Kamla Beniwal sought expense details of the chief ministers recent Sadbhawana fast. The Gujarat government and the governor are believed to be at loggerheads following the appointment of Lokayukta in the state, bypassing the state government. In a letter addressed to Balwant Singh who is additional chief secretary in charge of general administration department the governor has asked the Modi government to furnish in detail the amount spent on Sadbhawana fast during 17-19 September and has also sought expense details at the earliest. The letter has also been forwarded to the state home minister. The Gujarat governor has asked the Modi government to respond to allegation made by a BJP rebel and chief of Maha Gujarat Janata Party (MJP) and opposition that nearly Rs 50 crore has been spent from the exchequer for Narendra Modis fast for Sadbhawana. Founder of MJP, Zadaphia at an earlier occasion also sat on a 51 hour fast demanding investigation by Lokayukta on charges of corruption amounting to Rs 1.17 lakh crore. Shankersinh Vaghela of Congress has raised questions as to why the government spent money on Modis fast. He further said that it was a party function and it should have been funded by the party and not from the public money. Narendra Modi during a recent public rally in reaction to the opposition charges said that the Congress in Gujarat has not been able to win over people for the last 20 years and therefore are trying to run a parallel government from the Governor house. Government plans special package for minority welfare In order to play down allegation of various scams before assembly elections the U.P.A. government is working on a comprehensive plan that will ensure a special package for the minority community in the Union Budget. The government wants to keep itself on the political competitive scale by formulating ways to fund minority schemes at the block level. In India there are 90 minority concentration districts with 1228 blocks, out of which Uttar Pradesh alone has 21 such districts and 121 blocks, in Bihar 7 districts and 75 blocks, in Uttarakhand 2 districts and 11 blocks and in Jharkhand 4 districts and 44 blocks. The government wants to play the minority card before the assembly elections in five states. Various ministries are working out details that can pave the way for special allocation for minorities in the budget as is done for other weaker sections in our country. But the proposal would only become a reality if it is approved by the planning commission and the finance ministry. The move for such budgetary allocation was initiated during the recently concluded budget session when some Muslim MPs met the prime minister to know and at the same time to inform about the implementation of minority welfare schemes. These MPs were asked by the prime minister to raise their concerns before the chairman of planning commission. PMO recently has also asked for a detailed assessment of the impact of the schemes for the minorities and to find the grey areas so that it can be taken up in the 12th plan. The PMO has also ordered the minority ministry to take stock of the Multi Sectoral Development Programme which was launched on the recommendation of the Sachar Committee. The worrying aspect for the government has always been that there has been poor utilization of funds by the states and some times even the state governments are least interested in the ambitious project of the government for the minorities thereby seriously jeopardising political gains based on the these projects. Of the Rs 2,100 crore sanctioned to the states only 1000 crore has been utilised by the states. The Centre has earmarked Rs 3000 crore to the states. In terms of percentage only 42 percent of the allocated funds to the states have been utilised.

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School in Noida orders shalwar-kameez for higher classes At a time when trousers and skirts have become a symbol of modernity for girls, Marigold Public School in Noida has ordered the girls in senior classes to wear only shalwar-kameez from the coming session. As usual, girls are divided on this order of the school, that requires them to wear salwar kameez instead of skirt or trousers as against their right. According to school authorities, skirts turns into miniskirts by the time girls reach schools and it looks vulgur. The change in uniform from skirts to salwar kameez from the next session is only applicable to girls who are in the 9th T HE M ILLI G AZETTE standard and for senior D-84, Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, classes. Other schools in New Delhi-110025 India Tel.: (+91-11) 2694 the city also agree with 7483 Email: mg@milligazette.com Marigold by saying that students wearing indecent dress is a cause of

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 21

COMMUNITY NEWS
Jamia students to make documentary on Delhi High Court bomb blast
New Delhi: Students of Jamia Millia Islamia Universitys AJK Mass Communication Research Centre are working to prepare a documentary film on the bomb blast that took place in Delhi High Courts compound on 7 September in which 15 people died and dozens were injured, some of whom subsequently died in different hospitals. Second year students of this Mass Communication Centre said that the idea of making a film on this tragic incident struck them when they came to know about the pitiable conditions of the victims families through newspapers and other people. Ms. Aesha Paul, a second year student said that they will be meeting the family members of the deceased and those injured and depict their heart-rending stories and feelings in the film. Anshman Shekhar, who will be directing the film said that we will meet eye-witnesses of the horrible incident also. Esha Kaul, who is writing the script of this film, titled Courting Terror said that people from all walks of life, from 19-year old law student to an R.T.I. activist who was fighting for the people got killed in the blast. The budding and aspiring film makers have a plan to send their film to national and international film festivals for screening. The roles in the film will be played by professional theatre actors. ASI to conserve 68 sites this year The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has finally began to conserve 68 sites this year. The estimated budget allocated for this purpose is Rs 1035 lakh. ASI has already started conservation work on the tomb of Yusuf Qattal near Khirki village in Malvia Nagar. In Delhi, there are 174 protected monuments under the Archaeological Act. The ASI has already conserved and protected 36 monuments during 2008-09, 38 monuments in 2009-10 and 38 during 2010-11. But this year it has listed for conservation, 68 sites which are almost double as compared to the last three years. The next in line where conservation work will take place is Ghaziuddin Tomb and the tomb of Balban, situated in South Delhi. Interfaith meet organised by RK Mission in Delhi New Delhi: In order to celebrate the 150 birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand, the Ramkrishna Mission organised a two day interfaith meet from during 10-11 September in New Delhi. Former President Abdul Kalam, who was the chief guest, while speaking on the occasion, said that Swami Vivekananda was one of the greatest thinkers and spiritual leaders of our country and what he said during his lifetime is still relevant today. He further said that such meets enable people to find commonality and uniqueness in all religions which is good for the society. Swami Shantamananda, secretary of the Ramkrishna Mission while mentioning Swami Vivekanandas address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 said that Swami Vivekananda laid the foundation for interfaith and religious understanding through respect and harmony. President of the All India Imams organisation said that followers of Islam propagate peace and there is no place for hatred in Islam. Representatives of all faiths attended and spoke at the meet. Security agencies to bring J&K youths into mainstream Security agencies want the government to continuously strive to maintain an atmosphere of normalcy which was achieved in the recent past. The Central and state government must provide opportunities to the youth that will help them join the mainstream. The need for this was felt during recent Intelligence Bureau meet. According to the home ministry the initiative taken by the state government has yielded some positive results in moulding the youth of the troubled state. Even Panchayat elections were peaceful and people turned up in large number to exercise their vote. Large number of peoples involvement in election process reveals that militancy is losing its grip, and could not enforce a

Muslim delegation met home minister on Rudrapur riots

A delegation from various Muslim organisations met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on 8 October at his office in North Block to demand to curb violence and restore normalcy at Rudrapur in Uttrakhand. The delegation urged the home minister to take immediate steps to safeguard property and dignity of Muslims. They also demanded compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family of each dead and Rs 5 lakh to those who are seriously injured and the same amount to those whose shops and property have been damaged or ransacked. During the meet with the home minister, the members also demanded to take strict action against those who provoked or indulged in the violence. A high level inquiury was also demanded so that the perpetrators of violence are punished. All those responsible for dishonouring the Holy Quran must be dealt with strictly and their cases should be taken up in the fast track court for immediate action. Delgates also demanded to initiate measures to bring back normalcy. Syed Babar Ashraf, ban or bandh during elections. In order to keep the momentum going it is essential that the government continues to attract the youth with measures that can ensure them of a better future. A senior police officer at the meet opined the need to open centres that can provide civil services coaching for Kashmiri students. Educational Institutions of national and international repute must come up for the aspiring students of the Valley. Sports facilities must come up and the existing ones must be upgraded. Talented sportsmen must be provided with opportunities in national teams. Such initiatives would build confidence among Kashmiri youth and lessen their feeling of being discriminated at all levels. Deaths due to domestic violence more than due to terror According to a report released by the United Nations on 22 September, deaths that result due to domestic violence in India are far greater than in terror strikes. As per the report, 8383 people died because of domestic violence in the year 2009 as compared to 2231 deaths in attack by militants and by Naxals. As per Indian Armed Violence Assessment report of 2011, cases of domestic violence have increased by 30 percent even though the number of cases registered has not increased proportionally. In 2009, the number of complaints of domestic violence received was more than 6.6 million as compared to 5 million in 2005. A study conducted by the Institute of Development and Communication has revealed that inspite of the fact that India is having a tough law in the form of Domestic Violence Prevention Act 2005, 80 percent of dowry death and 80 percent of harassment takes place in lower and middle class society. Jobs for three thousand more Kashmiri Pundits Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir government is publishing advertisements for providing jobs to three thousand more unemployed Kashmiri Pundit youths in different government departments under Prime Ministers special package for rehabilitation of refugee or displaced Kashmiri Pundits. According to reliable sources the state government has prepared a plan, in cooperation with the central government for rehabilitation and bringing back to the Valley the Kashmiri Pundits who had migrated from the Valley to other parts of the country in 1990 and thereafter. Under this plan, lands have been identified in different regions of the Valley in addition to Sheikhpura Badgaam where plots will be allotted to Kashmiri Pundits to build their houses. According to official sources, Jammu & Kashmir is very serious about the rehabilitation of 3 lakh Kashmiri Pundits living in different cities of India and for this purpose the government had set up a special task force sometime ago which has been instructed to identify the vacancies in different government departments so that educated unemployed Kashmiri Pundit youth could be appointed there. Christian and Muslim orgs protest against family planning Christian and Muslim organisations in Kerala are against the drafting of the Kerala Womens Code which has recommended that families should adopt the two child norm to enjoy benefits granted by the state government. Kerala Womens Code Bill, 2011 headed by V.R. Krishna Iyer, a former Supreme Court judge maintains that parents exceeding the limit of two children will not be eligible to get benefits from the government. As per the Kerala Womens Code Bill, 2011 any person or social or religious organisation involved in campaigning against family planning and population control will have to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 or may be jailed for three months. The report says, No individual or institution shall use religion, region, sect and cast for the bearing of more than two children. On the contrary, The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) is against such family planning and is encouraging Christians to have more than two children based on the report that show there has been a sharp decline in the population of Christians. As per the 1991 census, Christian population was 19.5 per cent of the population of over 31 million but it has come down to 19 per cent in 2001. In order to increase their popnational secretary of All India Ulama Mashaikh Board, said that India is our country and it becomes our moral responsibility to preserve its honour and dignity. Muslims of India are peace-loving and they should come forward to thwart any attempt by communal forces to vitiate the atmosphere of our country known for its unity in diversity. On 16 October these Muslim organisations will hold a Muslim panchayat to formulate a strategy that can be instrumental during and after riots. Apart from this burning topic all issues that concern Muslims will also be discussed in the meet. Shahnawaz Warsi, general secretary of Muslim Students Organisation of India, said that riots hurt both communities one way and the other. Home Minister P Chitambaram assured the visiting delegates that the government is constantly monitoring the situation and those involved will be punished. The delegation was comprised from the members of All India Ulama Mashaikh Board, Raza Academy and Muslim Students Organisation of India. ulation some Christian organisations are offering financial aid and assistance to all those having more than two children. Muslim organisations like Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama and Dakshina Kerala Jamaiyyathul Ulama have warned against such a move and have threatened a strong agitation if the recommendation is accepted by the government. Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Kerala unit has termed the two child norm proposal as inhuman and a violation of Individual's liberty and fundamental rights. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has said that, the very proposal (two child norm) was even turned down by European countries. Kashmiri Pundits demand three sub-districts in the Valley Jammu: The President of an organisation of Kashmiri Pundits, Shaali Lal Pundit has demanded the formation of three sub-districts for the rehabilitation of the Pundit fraternity in the Kashmir Valley. He said that these sub-districts should be in the districts of Anantnag, Barahmola and Srinagar, and in each such district there should be arrangements for accommodating of 25000 to 30000 families. He said that if the government does not accept this demand, it should consider allotting their share of land in the Valley to them. Builder demolished a dargah Surat: A dargah on a hillock, called Qadir Patel hill, adjoining a graveyard at Adajan village near Surat, was demolished by a builder Deven Patel who seems to be working with police patronage. The shrine of Haji Miyan Bawa was demolished during the night and a garbage dump was established there. The sale deed on a Rs. 100 stamp paper authorised him to go ahead with construction work 60-70 feet away from the shrine. The builder not only struck a deal with the local police but also with a few members of the graveyard committee. There is a stay order from the court against the sale. Agitated Muslims rushed to the site and demanded an immediate restoration of the shrine. Police made adequate arrangements to thwart any untoward incident. In a memorandum to the police commissioner and the collector, the aggrieved party demanded stern action because the site is quite close to the police station, and the police cannot plead ignorance about the demolition. The P.I. M.M. Parmar contacted the builder and was all the time meekly repeating, Haan Deven Bhai (yes, sir!) Sena against demand for withdrawal of army from J&K Mumbai: Shiv Sena once again has targeted Anna Hazare. Bal Thackeray wrote in his newspaper Saamna that Anna and his team have lost their mental balance. Criticising Annas assistant Prashant Bhushans demand for withdrawal of the army from Kashmir, he has written in his partys mouth piece that he has lost his mental balance and that is why he is talking of something or the other on any issue. He wrote that in addition to supporting the withdrawal of Indian forces from Kashmir, he also said that Annas team will start a movement for removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in North East. It may be stated in this connection that Irom Sharmila who has been spearheading a movement against this Act has invited Anna Hazare to come to Manipur. At the same time Hurriyat Conference leader in Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has also asked for Annas help. It may be stated that Prashant Bhushan, who is one of the important members of Annas team had in Varanasi, raised the demand to hold a census in Kashmir and withdrawal of forces from there. Thackeray had written in his newspaper that when Bhushan was asked about this he said that this demand of Hurriyat has our support. Both Shiv Sena and BJP have criticised Bhushan for his statement, saying that his statement negates the Indian Constitution and the countrys autonomy and hence the centre should take it seriously and clarify its stand. Meanwhile, an important member of Team Anna on condition of anonymity said that the entire Team Anna is greatly surprised at his statement. He admitted that such statements will harm Hazares mission.

22 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS

5 Muslim leaders sentenced to jail in FCRA case; Jawahirullahs statement

New Delhi/Chennai: The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore, Chennai on 6 October convicted President of Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam TMMK and currently an MLA, Prof. M.H. Jawaharullah, and four others in a FCRA case. Jawaharullah and S. Hyder Ali were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one year while H. Sayed Nizar Ahmed, G.M. Shiek and Nalla Mohmed Kalanjim were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for two years. A total fine of Rs. 1.40 lakh has also been imposed on them. CBI sources said they have been found guilty of violating Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976. During the period from 15.12.1997 to 20.06.2000, they entered into a criminal conspiracy at Chennai and formed an association (Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund) to accept foreign contributions without registering the association and without prior permission of Government of India. CBI said that the association in the name and style of Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund received foreign contributions of Rs. 1,54,88,000 (approx) from foreign sources. The Milli Gazette has received a statement from Prof. Jawahirullah explaining the matter from his point of view. It is reproduced below in full: A section of the press has reported that four of my colleagues and myself have been convicted in a cheating case. Neither me nor my colleagues have cheated anybody or caused any loss to the exchequer. Since the news has caused tremendous mental agony to me and my colleagues as well as our party cadres and our supporters I am presenting here the facts of the case. Coimbatore a commercially vibrant city in Tamilnadu witnessed unprecedented carnage against Muslims in NovemberDecember 1997. 19 Muslims were killed and properties worth several million rupees were looted by saffron hooligans who were aided and abeted by the local police. Tamilnadu has never witnessed such a large scale riot and arson. It was in this dire situation Mr. Nissar Ahamed, Mr. G.M. Sheikh and Mr. Nalla Mohamed Kalanjiam formed a trust under the name Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund. (CMRF). The objective of CMRF was to provide relief to the people affected in the large scale riots. All the three of them are reputed businessmen in the city of Chennai. They created this fund purely to help the people affected in the riots. A Bank account was opened in the name of the Trust. All donations received from the public were deposited in the bank and all the beneficiaries were paid through cheques. Donations were received from all over Tamilnadu as well as from Indian passport holders working abroad. The CMRF did not receive any fund from any Foreign Government, Foreign Agency or Foreign Citizens. However the NDA Government led by Vajpayee slapped two cases against Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund. One was through the Income Tax Department and another one was by Bihar International Society for Welfare and Solidarity (BISWAS), advised people to invest in Bihar and contribute to its development. He also said the state government would provide adequate facilities to enable NRIs to start small-scale industries. He announced the states plan to provide road links that will enable people to reach any part of Bihar within six hours. He also highlighted the role of education in Islam and urged people to follow the path shown by the Last Prophet (peace be upon him). Mohammed Qaiser, president of Riyadh-based cultural organization Tanzeem Hum Hindustani, was the guest of honour. Speaking on the occasion, BISWAS head Obaidur Rahman pleaded for direct air services from Saudi Arabia to Patna at least once a week. He also called on the Bihar government to form a cell for NRIs in the state. Akhtarul Islam, general secretary of BISWAS, urged Perwez to convey to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to provide a plot of land for a branch of Aligarh Muslim University at Kishanganj. US State Dept slams Gujarat again for 2002 riots Ahmedabad: The US State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor has slammed Gujarats record on human rights in its July-December, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report. In a post on the web, dated September 13, when the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi was actually celebrating a US Congressional document which went in his favour, the State Departments agency has again blamed the Gujarat government for failure in arresting those responsible for the communal violence in 2002. While the Congressional document projected Modi as a future PM and praised his performance as a CM, this State Department report doesnt seem to indicate any change in policy of the US government with regard to Modi, even as WikiLeaks documents too show that the US diplomats are closely monitoring the growing importance in Indian politics of a person who is persona non-grata in the US. The State Department agency, which raises the 2002 riot cases every year, again quotes media reports stating that some Muslims still feared repercussions from Hindu neighbours as they waited for the court cases to be resolved. The process of justice, it said, was delayed as the by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Vajpayee government slapped these cases with political vendetta and dragged myself President of Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam and Mr. S. Hyder Ali, General Secretary of TMMK along with Mr. Nissar Ahamed, Mr. G.M. Sheikh and Mr. Nalla Mohamed Kalanjiam. It is to be noted that Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund was a separate entity of its own and it was formed and operated by three good Samaritans mentioned above. Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam was not a part of the Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund. Yet since in the 1998 and 1999 Parliament elections TMMK took a political stand against BJP and its local ally DMK, TMMK office bearers were also dragged into this case. The Income Tax Department conducted a thorough enquiry about the functioning of Coimbatore Muslim Releif Fund. A team of Income Tax officers camped at Coimbatore and interrogated each and every beneficiary who had received solatium from Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund. The IT officials verified whether the beneficiaries were really affected by the riots, whether the cheque they received from Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund was deposited in their bank account, whether they received solatium from the State Government on the recommendation of the Gokulakrishnan Commission etc. At the end the income Tax Appellate Tribunal Bench B Chennai I.T.A. No.4(Mds) /2003 gave the judgement declaring that the funds mobilised by Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund were genuinely utilised for the welfare of the affected people. The CBI filed a case against me, Mr.Hyder Ali, Mr. Nissar Ahamed, Mr. G.M. Sheikh and Mr. Nalla Mohamed Kalanjiam. It was in this case the Additional Metropolitian Magistrate pronounced his judgement on September 30th 2011. Mr. Hyder Ali and myself were convicted for allowing Coimbatore Muslim Relef Fund to function from the premises of Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam. Mr. Nissar Ahamed, Mr. G.M. Sheikh and Mr. Nalla Mohamed Kalanjiam were convicted for receiving Foreign Contribution without getting prior permission from Central Government. However the Magistrate suspended the sentence permitting us to appeal in the Sessions court. I have to point out the Judge did not convict us for cheating the public or causing loss to the exchequer. it is purely on the basis of a technical lapse on the part of the functionaries of CMRF the conviction was pronounced. When thousands of people were affected in the Coimbatore riots, the organizers while creating the trust failed to get prior permission to receive foreign contribution. Moreover the funds received by the Fund do not amount to Foreign contribution as it has not received any amount from foreign governments, agencies, institutions or individuals. We are hopeful that in the sessions court we will win the appeal.

Symposium on Democracy and Jan Lok Pal Bill at AMU

Aligarh: Editor of Rashtriya Sahara Urdu daily, Aziz Burney questioned the credibility of Anna Hazare. He said that corruption is not only financial but it also has a communal and fascistic implications. He questioned why Anna Hazare remained silent on communalism of Modi? Burney was addressing the Symposium on Democracy and Jan Lok Pal Bill organized by the General education Centre of Aligarh Muslim University here on 3 October. A large number of students and teachers of AMU were present. Burney pointed out that our constitution has provisions to deal with corruption effectively. In our democracy, Parliament has a right to enact the laws and there is a well-defined system for that. That system should not be encroached upon by anyone. He said that the real motive behind all this movement is something else and the corruption issue is only an excuse. Burney said that the proposed Jan Lok Pal Bill is bent towards a particular ideology and the bill should not be allowed to be passed until the Muslim community is given adequate representation in Civil Society proportionate to their population. Presiding over the symposium, AMU Vice Chancellor, Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis said that the nation is presently reeling with corrupt practices in every walk of life and causing almost all the cases of human rights violations. Prof. Azis appealed to the students to follow the path shown by Islam and teachings of Sir Syed and develop strong moral strength. He said that when a person works honestly, he faces hurdles also. Delivering the keynote address, former Advocate General of U.P. S. M. A. Kazmi said that judging a person by only one movement and calling him a Gandhi or Mahatma is too early. He said that Gandhi became Mahatma Gandhi after a prolonged non-violent movement. The Coordinator of General Education Centre, Dr. Shakeel Samdani said that if we really want to wipe out corruption, then we would have to follow Islamic teachings. He said that we should not talk only about financial corruption but the political, social and educational corruption should also be taken into consideration. Director of CORD, Lucknow, Ather Hussain, said that there is no doubt that movement against corruption is important and should be supported but the silence of Anna Hazare on the arrest of Sanjeev Bhatt clearly indicates where he stands... Conducting the symposium, Coordinator of GEC, Dr. Shakeel Samdani presented Shan-e-Sahafat Award to the Chief Guest, Mr. Aziz Burney. Mementos were also presented to eminent guest speakers on this occasion. Modi-phobia has gripped Gujarat police: Sreekumar New Delhi: Former Gujarat DGP R B Sreekumar on 4 October attacked chief minister Narendra Modi over the arrest of IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, claiming Modi-phobia had gripped police and bureaucracy in the state and the step was aimed at scaring all those who dared to oppose the BJP leader. Flanked by film-maker Mahesh Bhatt and activist Shabnam Hashmi at a press conference here, Sreekumar, who had in the past alleged that he was victimised for exposing Modi governments role in post-Godhra riots in 2002, said for maintaining Modi-phobia arresting a whistle-blower is inevitable. Sreekumar was the Additional DGP (state intelligence bureau) at the time of Godhra train carnage and also during the initial phase of the communal riots that followed. This is very dangerous thing. This imposition of section 194 (against Sanjeev Bhatt) because it means that if a person is convicted he can be imposed with death penalty, he said. Describing slain former Gujarat minister Haren Pandya as the first whistle blower about Modis role in Gujarat riots, Sreekumar alleged that all those who dared to go against Modi were victimised. The first victim was myself, said Sreekumar who was superseded when he was an ADG by the Modi government. When I was the ADG intelligence, any information related to the role of Sangh Parivar was suppressed, Sreekumar claimed. He hit out at Modi saying that electoral victory is not the license to violate constitution. Long-time NRIs urged to return home, serve country Riyadh: Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who have worked in Saudi Arabia for a long time should return home and serve their country using their experience and expertise, according to deputy chairman of Bihar Legislative Council Saleem Perwez. Perwez who was speaking at the felicitation accorded to him

M.H. JAWAHIRULLAH
President, Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam 7 Vada Maraicoir Street, Chennai 600 001 jawahir@tmmk.in Nanavati-Mehta Commission investigating the violence got a 15th term extension. Several victims have accused the Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointed by the Supreme Court in March 2008, of pressuring them to dilute its earlier testimony before the Nanavati-Mehta Commission. In many of the cases tried in Gujarats lower courts, the accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence or changes in testimony, the report said. The report added that hundreds of other court cases stemming from the 2002 violence (which were not in the purview of the SIT) remained unsettled. The situation for many persons displaced by the 2002 violence remained difficult. In September 2010, the Norwegian Refugee Councils Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre reported that approximately 19,000 persons remained displaced eight years after the violence, living in 86 relief colonies that lacked adequate infrastructure and typically were not connected to city centres. Omar announces more powers to panchayats Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday announced devolution of powers of recently elected panchayats which will become fully functional from September 1. He said some untied grants would be allocated to each panchayat halqa for taking up emergent works. We had promised the transfer of powers to sarpanches and panches and we have fulfilled it, he said, adding that under the first instalment numerous powers in various sectors have been entrusted to the panchayats. This is the first instalment of powers to these panchayats and more powers would be given to them with the passage of time, the chief minister said. Mr Abdullah told the media here, We had promised to empower panchayats before Id-ul-Fitr and today we have done our bit. Now the onus lies on panches and sarpanches and they should discharge their duties with honesty and sincerity. Over 80 per cent voters had participated in the elections held after a gap of more than a decade. The panchayats will be empowered to prepare plans for development of the concerned halqa or block, undertake measures for implementation of the development plan, deal with the problems of soil conservation, rural industrialisation, agriculture, sheep and animal husbandry and other welfare plans.

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 23

INTERNATIONAL
The Biggest Lie in the War on Terrorism

The Crime of Making Americans Aware of Their Own History

tion and torture it inflicts upon the Palestinian people * the habitual condemnation of Palestinian resistance to this Is history getting too close for comfort for the fragile little the abduction of "suspected terrorists" from Muslim countries, American heart and mind? Their schools and their favorite media such as Malaysia, Pakistan, Lebanon and Albania, who were have done an excellent job of keeping them ignorant of what their then taken to places like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where they favorite country has done to the rest of the world, but lately some were tortured * the large military and hi-tech presence in Islam's holiest discomforting points of view have managed to find their way into land, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf region this well-defended American consciousness. * the support of numerous undemocratic, First, Congressman Ron authoritarian Middle East governments from Paul during a presidential debate The biggest lie of the "war on terror- the Shah of Iran to Mubarak of Egypt to the last month expressed the belief that those who carried out the ism", although weakening, is that the Saudi royal family * the invasion, bombing and occupation September 11 attack were retalitargets of America's attacks have an ating for the many abuses perpeirrational hatred of the United States of Afghanistan, 2001 to the present, and Iraq, trated against Arab countries by and its way of life, based on religious 2003 to the present * the bombings and continuous firing of the United States over the years. and cultural misunderstandings and missiles to assassinate individuals in The audience booed him, loudly. envy. The large body of evidence to Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, and Libya during Then, popular-song icon the contrary includes a 2004 report the period of 2006-2011 Tony Bennett, in a radio interfrom the Defense Science Board, "a view, said the United States t can't be repeated or emphasized enough. caused the 9/11 attacks because Federal advisory committee estabThe biggest lie of the "war on terrorism", of its actions in the Persian Gulf, lished to provide independent advice although weakening, is that the targets of adding that President George W. to the Secretary of Defense." America's attacks have an irrational hatred of Bush had told him in 2005 that the United States and its way of life, based the Iraq war was a mistake. Bennett of course came under some nasty fire. FOX News on religious and cultural misunderstandings and envy. The large (September 24), carefully choosing its comments charmingly as body of evidence to the contrary includes a 2004 report from the usual, used words like "insane", "twisted mind", and "absurdi- Defense Science Board, "a Federal advisory committee established to provide independent advice to the Secretary of ties". Bennett felt obliged to post a statement on Facebook saying Defense." The report states: "Muslims do not hate our freedom, but rather they hate our that his experience in World War II had taught him that "war is the lowest form of human behavior." He said there's no excuse for policies. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to terrorism, and he added, "I'm sorry if my statements suggested what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against anything other than an expression of love for my country." (NBC Palestinian rights, and the long-standing, even increasing, support for what Muslims collectively see as tyrannies, most notably September 21) Then came the Islamic cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, an American Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan and the Gulf states. Thus, citizen, who for some time had been blaming US foreign policy in when American public diplomacy talks about bringing democracy the Middle East as the cause of anti-American hatred and terror- to Islamic societies, this is seen as no more than self-serving ist acts. So we killed him. Ron Paul and Tony Bennett can count hypocrisy." The report concludes: "No public relations campaign can themselves lucky. What, then, is the basis of all this? What has the United save America from flawed policies." (Christian Science Monitor, States actually been doing in the Middle East in the recent past? November 29, 2004) The Pentagon released the study after the New York Times * the shooting down of two Libyan planes in 1981 ran a story about it on November 24, 2004. TheTimes reported * the bombing of Lebanon in 1983 and 1984 that although the board's report does not constitute official gov* the bombing of Libya in 1986 ernment policy, it captures "the essential themes of a debate that * the bombing and sinking of an Iranian ship in 1987 is now roiling not just the Defense Department but the entire * the shooting down of an Iranian passenger plane in 1988 United States government." (CounterPunch) * the shooting down of two more Libyan planes in 1989 William Blum is the author of Killing Hope: U. S. Military * the massive bombing of the Iraqi people in 1991 * the continuing bombings and draconian sanctions against and CIA Interventions Since World War II, Rogue State: a guide to the World's Only Super Power and West-Bloc Dissident: a Iraq for the next 12 years Cold War Political Memoir. He can be reached at: * the bombing of Afghanistan and Sudan in 1998 BBlum6@aol.com * the habitual support of Israel despite the routine devasta-

WILLIAM BLUM

Seol: North Korean officials believe the Libyan regime would not have collapsed had it held on to its nuclear weapons, the outgoing British ambassador to Pyongyang said Wednesday, casting doubts on the likelihood that the North will relinquish its nuclear capabilities. The remarks by Ambassador Peter Hughes came as South Korea and the United States have been holding a rare series of talks with the North on a possible resumption of the long-stalled six-party denuclearization process. (english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Libyan regime collapse on absence of nukes: N. Korea

Iran Unveils Major Achievements in Electronic Warfare

Tehran: Iran on 4 October displayed three of its latest and most important achievements in the field of electronic warfare. The country's achievements were unveiled in a ceremony attended by Khatami-ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Commander General Farzad Esmayeeli. The hi-tech products which went on display included Shahed Electronic Warfare Simulator, an electronic warfare tester of Radar systems called 'Sabah', and a GPS jamming system all designed and produced by Iranian experts inside the country. Electronic warfare is amongst the most crucial elements in air defense and military observers believe that Iran enjoys an excellent capability in electronic warfare technology and in designing and manufacturing electronic warfare systems. (english.farsnews.com)

West Bank separation fence to Warsaw Ghetto walls: Polish Jewish sociologist
ROMAN FRISTER
Sygmunt Bauman, the Jewish sociologist and one of the greatest philosophers of our time, castigated Israel harshly this week, saying it did not want peace and was afraid of it. Bauman said Israel was "taking advantage of the Holocaust to legitimize unconscionable acts," and compared the separation fence to the walls surrounding the Warsaw Ghetto, in which hundreds of thousands of Jews perished in the Holocaust. In a long interview to the important Polish weekly "Politika," Bauman said Israel was not interested in peace. "Israeli politicians are terrified of peace, they tremble with fear from the possibility of peace, because without war and without general mobilization they don't know how to live," he said. "Israel does not see the missiles falling on communities along the border as a bad thing. On the contrary, they would be worried and even alarmed were it not for this fire," the PolishBritish sociologist said. Bauman, who lived in Israel briefly, referred to an article he wrote in Haaretz, in which he expressed concern that the younger Israeli generation was being raised on the understanding that the state of war and military alert were natural and unavoidable. The Polish public has not heard such a diatribe against Zionism and Israel since the anti-Semitic propaganda campaign the Communist regime conducted after the Six-Day War. Not surprisingly, leading Jewish figures came out against it. "Politika" published the criticism alongside the letter of Israeli ambassador in Warsaw Zvi Bar, who rejected Bauman's "half truths" and "groundless generalizations." Bauman, who was born in Poland in 1925, has been living in England since he left his lecturer's chair at Tel Aviv University in 1971. He is seen as one of the greatest sociologists of our time and has dealt extensively with the ties between the Holocaust and modernism, globalization and consumer culture in the postmodern era. Some of his books have been translated into Hebrew, including "Liquid Love." His grandson is attorney Michael Sfard, of the human rights group Yesh Din. (haaretz.com)

Yusuf/MG

I will tell who gets inside

24 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

INTERNATIONAL

As the Drone Flies: War By Lethal Autonomy

RALPH NADER
The fast developing predator drone technology, officially called unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, is becoming so dominant and so beyond any restraining framework of law or ethics, that its use by the U.S. government around the world may invite a horrific blowback. First some background. The Pentagon has about 7,000 aerial drones. Ten years ago there were less than 50. According to the website longwarjournal.com, they have destroyed about 1900 insurgents in Pakistan's tribal regions. How these fighters are so clearly distinguished from civilians in those mountain areas is not clear. Nor is it clear how or from whom the government gets such "precise" information about the guerilla leaders' whereabouts night and day. The drones are beyond any counterattack-flying often at 50,000 feet. But the Air Force has recognized that a third of the Predators have crashed by themselves. Compared to mass transit, housing, energy technology, infection control, food and drug safety, the innovation in the world of drones is incredible. Coming soon are hummingbird sized drones, submersible drones and software driven autonomous UAVs. The Washington Post described these inventions as "aircraft [that] would hunt, identify and fire at [the] enemy-all on its own." It is called "lethal autonomy" in the trade. Military ethicists and legal experts inside and outside the government are debating how far UAVs can go and still stay within what one imaginative booster, Ronald C. Arkin, called international humanitarian law and the rules of engagement. Concerns over restraint can already be considered academic. Drones are going anywhere their governors want them to go already-Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, and countries in North Africa to name a few known jurisdictions. Last year a worried group of robotic specialists, philosophers and human rights activists formed the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC) (http://www.icrac.co.uk/). They fear that such instruments may make wars more likely by the strong against the weak because there will be fewer human casualties by those waging robotic war. But proliferation is now a fact. Forty countries are reported to be working on drone technology or acquiring it. Some experts at the founding conference of ICRAC forshadowed hostile states or terrorist organizations hacking into robotic systems to redirect them. ICRAC wants an international treaty against machines of lethal autonomy along the lines of the ones banning land mines and cluster bombs. The trouble is that the United States, unlike over one hundred signatory nations, does not belong to either the land mines treaty or the more recent anti-cluster bomb treaty. Historically, the U.S. has been a major manufacturer and deployer of both. Don't count on the Obama White House to take the lead anytime soon. Columnist David Ignatius wrote that "A world where drones are constantly buzzing overhead-waiting to zap those deemed threats under a cloaked and controversial process-risks being, even more, a world of lawlessness and chaos." Consider how terrifying it must be to the populations, especially the children, living under the threat of drones that can attack through clouds and dark skies. UAVs are hardly visible but sometimes audible through their frightful whining sound. Polls show Pakistanis overwhelmingly believe most of the drone-driven fatalities are civilians. US Air Force Colonel Matt Martin has written a book titled Predator. He was a remote operator sitting in the control room in Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada watching "suspects" transversing a mountain ridge in Afghanistan eight thousand miles away. In a review of Martin's book, Christian Cary writes "The eerie acuity of vision afforded by the Predator's multiple high-powered video cameras enables him to watch as the objects of his interest light up cigarettes, go to the bathroom, or engage in amorous adventures with animals on the other side of the world, never suspecting that they are under observation as they do." For most of a decade the asymmetrical warfare between the most modern, military force in world history and Iraqi and Afghani fighters has left the latter with little conventional aerial or landbased weaponry other than rifles, rocket propelled grenades, roadside IEDs and suicide belted youths. People who see invaders occupying their land with military domination that is beyond reach will resort to ever more desperate counterattacks, however primitive in nature. When the time comes that robotic weapons of physics cannot be counteracted at all with these simple handmade weapons because the occupier's arsenals are remote, deadly and without the need for soldiers, what will be the blowback? Already, people like retired Admiral Dennis Blair, former director of National Intelligence under President Obama is saying, according to POLITICO, that the Administration should curtail U.S.-led drone strikes on suspected terrorists in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia because the missiles fired from unmanned aircraft are fueling anti-American sentiment and undercutting reform efforts in those countries. While scores of physicists and engineers are working on refining further advances in UAVs, thousands of others are staying silent. In prior years, their counterparts spoke out against the nuclear arms race or exposed the unworkability of long-range missile defense. They need to re-engage. Because the next blowback may soon move into chemical and biological resistance against invaders. Suicide belts may contain pathogens-bacterial and viral-and chemical agents deposited in food and water supplies. Professions are supposed to operate within an ethical code and exercise independent judgment. Doctors have a duty to prevent harm. Biologists and chemists should urge their colleagues in physics to take a greater role as to where their knowhow is leading this tormented world of ours before the blowback spills over into even more lethally indefensible chemical and biological attacks. Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer and author of Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us! now, the FBI has yet again saved us all from its own Terrorist plot by arresting 26-year-old American citizen Rezwan Ferdaus after having spent months providing him with the plans and materials to attack the Pentagon, American troops in Iraq, and possibly the Capitol Building using "remote-controlled" model airplanes carrying explosives. (Salon.com)

The FBI Again Thwarts Its Own Terror Plot

GLENN GREENWALD
The FBI has received substantial criticism over the past decade -- much of it valid -- but nobody can deny its record of excellence in thwarting its own Terrorist plots. Time and again, the FBI concocts a Terrorist attack, infiltrates Muslim communities in order to find recruits, persuades them to perpetrate the attack, supplies them with the money, weapons and know-how they need to carry it out -- only to heroically jump in at the last moment, arrest the would-be perpetrators whom the FBI converted, and save a grateful nation from the plot manufactured by the FBI. Last year, the FBI subjected 19-year-old Somali-American Mohamed Osman Mohamud to months of encouragement, support and money and convinced him to detonate a bomb at a crowded Christmas event in Portland, Oregon, only to arrest him at the last moment and then issue a Press Release boasting of its success. In late 2009, the FBI persuaded and enabled Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, a 19-year old Jordanian citizen, to place a fake bomb at a Dallas skyscraper and separately convinced Farooque Ahmed, a 34-year-old naturalized American citizen born in Pakistan, to bomb the Washington Metro. And

They know who are the terrorists but dare not touch them....

Britain changes law that enabled war crime charges against Israelis
Changes began after arrest warrant issued in 2009 against opposition leader Tzipi Livni; British Ambassador says change in law means it 'can no longer be abused for political reasons.' By Barak Ravid and Jonathan Lis Tags: Tzipi Livni Israel war crimes Britain has amended a law that allowed for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli politicians who visit the country, British Ambassador Matthew Gould announced Thursday. Gould called opposition leader Tzipi Livni, against whom an arrest warrant was issued in 2009, and told her the Queen has signed the amendment "to ensure that the UK's justice system can no longer be abused for political reasons." Lawyers working with Palestinian activists in recent years have sought the arrest of senior Israeli civilian and military figures under terms of universal jurisdiction. This legal concept empowered judges to issue arrest warrants for visiting officials accused of war crimes in a foreign conflict, under the principle of universal jurisdiction which holds that some alleged crimes are so grave that they can be tried anywhere, regardless of where the offences were committed. After the warrant was issued against Livni in 2009, Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced that Britain would no longer tolerate legal harassment of Israeli officials in that fashion. Ambassador Gould added Thursday that the change in the law will ensure that people cannot be detained when there is no realistic chance of prosecution, while ensuring that we continue to honour our international obligations. Livni welcomed the amendment, and told Gould that she is "pleased that the warrant issued against me opened Britain's eyes and will put a stop to the cynical use of British legislation against IDF commanders and soldiers." Livni added that "real justice has been done, and it will distinguish between leaders and commanders who defend their country against terrorism, and real war criminals." (haaretz.com)

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The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 25

INTERNATIONAL

Turkey redraws Sykes-Picot

A new Bermuda Triangle has been spotted, but this one is in the eastern Mediterranean -- between Turkey, Cyprus and Israel, observes Eric Walberg, author of Postmodern Imperialism: Geopolitics & the Great Games. Turkey's foreign policy shift is now in full gear. Having kicked out the Israeli ambassador and rejected the UN Palmer Report, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says that Turkey plans to take its case against Israel's blockade of Gaza to the International Court of Justice, not alone, but with the support of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the African Union. "The process will probably reach a certain point in October and we will make our application." Israel's refusal to say "I apologise" has already proved to be very expensive, and will continue to reverberate, not just in the hollow halls of the ICC, but off the shores of Israel itself, as Turkish warships accompany flotillas breaking the siege, and when Turkey begins drilling for gas in waters that Greek Cyprus and Israel claim for themselves. It will echo when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who US International Trade Undersecretary Francisco Sanchez said was "like a rock star", crosses the Rafah border to visit Gaza. No one can mistake Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias for Elton John. There are many reasons for the deterioration of the once smooth relations between Israel and Turkey. Firstly both nations have moved away from their secular roots -- Turkey with the return of Islam as a guiding principle in political life under the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2002, Israel with the rise of Likud in 1977 ending the long reign of Labour. Turkey is naturally returning to its traditional role under the Ottoman Caliphate as regional Muslim hegemon, while the Zionised version of Judaism has ended any pretence of the Jewish state being interested in making peace with the indigenous Muslims. Israel's relations with both Cyprus and brotherly Greece -- both longstanding foes of Turkey -- have warmed up considerably since Israel killed nine Turks last year and Turkish-Israeli relations plunged. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman became the first such Israeli official to visit Cyprus last September. Their Foreign Affairs people have been meeting regularly since, as it becomes clear that Israel is using Cyprus as its proxy in gas and oil exploration in the eastern Mediterranean. While no one was looking, Greek Cyprus began exploring for gas off the coast. The project by the Texas-based Noble Energy prompted Erdogan and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) President Dervis Eroglu to hurriedly sign an agreement last week on delineation of the continental shelf, while the leaders were attending the United Nations General Assembly meetings. Ankara announced Turkish Petroleum Corporation has commissioned a Norwegian oil and gas firm to set up its own oil and gas exploration rig nearby -- accompanied by a warship. In Nicosia, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Irsen Kucuk vowed "to make every effort and show every kind of resistance to protect our rights and interests". With the announcement of the exploration project, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz suggested the risks for Nobel are considerable. "I do not think they will undertake such a work in such a risky area, from a technical and a feasibility point of view." Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said Turkey's plans were "no bluff". The US Israel Lobby's Richard Stone called Turkey's actions "a reason for war". The new friendship between Greece, Cyprus and Israel is a major headache for Turkey, but -- apart from possibly leading to war -- also has other drawbacks for the Greeks, their Cypriot cousins and the EU as a whole. The gas and oil drilling will put paid to the long-suffering attempt under UN auspices to reunite the island. Greek Cyprus has been divided since a Turkish intervention in 1974 triggered by a Greek-inspired coup. UN-sponsored peace talks between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots have stumbled since they were relaunched in 2008. Davutoglu warned UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York last week that the Greek Cypriot drilling plan will doom the island to permanent division. "If they claim they have their own area where they can do whatever they want, then, by implication, they accept that Northern Cyprus has its own area as well. This is a shift to a two-state mentality." In the latest move, the KKTC president proposed to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon this week that there be a mutual freeze in drilling or at least a joint committee to resolve the dispute. The Cypriot leaders will have a tripartite meeting with the Ban in New York at the end of October. Hopes for Turkey's accession to the EU are also dashed. Referring to Cyprus taking on the rotating presidency of the EU next summer, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said, "If the negotiations [on Cyprus] do not end positively and the EU hands over the presidency to southern Cyprus, we will freeze our relations with the EU." Cyprus says its hydrocarbon search is to the benefit of all Cypriots, but it fails to mention in its press releases that it is working jointly with Israel on this project. In effect, Israel is getting Cyprus to do its dirty work for it, as an Israeli-sponsored rig would be a red flag to the Muslim bull. This recapitulates the cozying up of Israel to Greece in the past year, their new military cooperation, and Israel's use of Greece this summer to prevent the Freedom Flotilla from setting out from Greek ports to break the Gaza siege. Cypriot President Christofias accused Turkey of being a regional "troublemaker", failing to point to the Israeli bull in the regional china shop. While Cyprus and big guns such as Sarkozy and Merkel openly reject Turkey's admission into the EU, playing to their rightwing anti-immigrant base, sensible voices can still be hear. Secretary General of the Council of Europe Throbjorn Jagland said that Turkey was important for Europe, and that Erdogan's call in Cairo to create a secular constitution and order in Egypt and Middle East was "of utmost importance". At a Liberal Democratic Party meeting in Birmingham UK, Turkey's Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said, "The EU needs Turkey if it wants to remain as an important actor. Turkey will help the Union become a global economic player." Turkey's economy grew 9 per cent in 2010 as Europe's slid. Asked to describe the ruling AKP, Simsek said: "In issues such as family we are conservative. In economy and relations with the world we are liberal. And in social justice and poverty we are socialist." But already Turkish opinion is turning against kowtowing to Europe, just as kowtowing to the US and Israel is no longer acceptable. Erdogan's spectacular reception on his visits to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya shows where Turkey is appreciated. It is the big winner in the Arab Spring, leaving the US, Israel and Europe to wonder where they fit in. Hopes to turn a grateful Libya into a NATO base are vain, as Islamists immediately rose to prominence; much like the Communist resistance did in the aftermath to WWII, after bearing the brunt of the Nazi war machine. French President Nicolas Sarkozy should read his French history, including the humiliating consequences of France's last dabbling in the region -- its invasion of Egypt in 1956. Can the West reshape Libya as it did post-WWII Europe to meet its goals of neocolonial hegemony? Not likely, as Turkey was pragmatic enough to get in on the ground and will be able to ensure

that Libyans are not duped by their clever Western advisers. Ditto Tunisia and Egypt. The forceful and principled foreign policy moves of Davitoglu are leaving the West and Israel breathless in the new Bermuda Triangle. Israeli whining about their trashed embassy in Cairo or their unceremonious expulsion from Ankara can impress no one. Just imagine the scenario if Cyprus is replaced by Egypt in the Bermuda Triangle, and a Turkish-Egyptian alliance decides to take on Israel. The current blockade of Gaza will look like child's play. Egypt controls the Suez Canal, and Turkey -- the eastern Mediterranean. One can only marvel that it has taken over 60 years for Israel's powerful neighbours -- with 20 times the population of Israel -- to realise their collective power and ability to impose a just regional order without any kowtowing to Washington. What is surprising is that the AKP faces no domestic opposition to its policy with either Israel, Cyprus or the EU. The Republican People's Party is even competing with the AKP on who is more anti-Israel, protesting against plans to install a NATO early warning radar. The once-feared Islamists clearly represent the overwhelming Turkish sentiment, and geopolitical dictates are creating a fait accompli. Willingness to stand up for the nation's rights, and to stare down the Israeli enemy and the Islamophobic Euros is where it's at, and there is little the increasingly powerless US can do about it. The US better wake up soon or, like the EU, it will lose its true ally in the Middle East, and will merely speed up the consolidation of a pax turkana, a latter-day caliphate once again led by Turkey. (weekly.ahram.org.eg) Eric Walbergs Postmodern Imperialism: Geopolitics and the Great Games is available at http://claritypress.com/Walberg.html

U. N. experts say Israel's blockade of Gaza illegal

Geneva (Reuters) - Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip violates international law, a panel of human rights experts reporting to a U. N. body said on Tuesday, disputing a conclusion reached by a separate U. N. probe into Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship. The Palmer Report on the Israeli raid of May 2010 that killed nine Turkish activists said earlier this month that Israel had used unreasonable force in last year's raid, but its naval blockade of the Hamas- ruled strip was legal. A panel of five independent U. N. rights experts reporting to the U. N. Human Rights Council rejected that conclusion, saying the blockade had subjected Gazans to collective punishment in "flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law". The four-year blockade deprived 1.6 million Palestinians living in the enclave of fundamental rights, they said. "In pronouncing itself on the legality of the naval blockade, the Palmer Report does not recognise the naval blockade as an integral part of Israel's closure policy towards Gaza which has a disproportionate impact on the human rights of civilians," they said in a joint statement. An earlier fact-finding mission named by the same U. N. forum to investigate the flotilla incident also found in a report last September that the blockade violated international law. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says the blockade violates the Geneva Conventions. Israel says its Gaza blockade is a precaution against arms reaching Hamas and other Palestinian guerrillas by sea. The four-man panel headed by former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer found Israel had used unreasonable force in dealing with what it called "organised and violent resistance from a group of passengers".

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26 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

INTERNATIONAL
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
When the future historians settle down to tracing the causes of the decline and fall of Obama, his duplicity and hypocrisy, vis--vis the Palestinians, would figure prominently in their analyses and conclusions. How would one describe a man, other than calling him a hypocrite, who had entered office with a solemn commitment to redress the harm done by his predecessor, George W. Bush, to US relations with the Muslim world but is now threatening to throttle the Palestinian peoples right to sovereignty-a right he himself has touted on so many occasions-by wielding his veto at the UN Security Council? Obamas speech at the UN General Assembly, on the inaugural day of the current session, succinctly reflected the pathetic decline in stature and standing of a president who had entered his office with the hopes and aspirations of a vast section of the under-privileged world riding behind him. It was a pathetic performance from a man who came to acquire global fame for his articulation. The speech was pathetic because he couldnt articulate in it one good and sound reason why the Palestinians, fed up with Israels dilatory tactics and US foot-dragging on the crucial issue of Palestinian statehood, shouldnt opt for the UN route to seek the worlds approbation for their legitimate right to a sovereign state. All that Obama could come up with was a sickening rehash of the Israel-friendly American duplicity to insist that the Palestinians talk to the Israelis, based on the US chimera of a two-state solution for the protracted problem. But the Palestinians need no more evidence of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahus blatant intransigence to go on wasting their time over the charade of a US-sponsored dialogue that holds no promise of ever delivering on the Palestinian aspirations. Netanyahu is an incorrigible Zionist whose sole interest is in buying time to complete his diabolical scheme of creating facts on ground. In simple language, these facts are illegal Jewish settlements that have never stopped sprouting up and expanding on the occupied Palestinian land. More than half a million Jewish settlers-a pampered community in Israel-have already been settled in these settlements. Two days after Obamas UN address, Netanyahu announced plans to build another 1100 new houses for Jewish settlers in the disputed East Jerusalem. This is Netanyahus way of thumbing his nose at the Palestinians and rubbing salt into Obamas wounds. Netanyahus government, according to independent western observers and commentators, has also doubled the rate of demolition of Arab homes in the Occupied Land. Olive groves and orchards, which have sustained the Palestinian farmers for generations, are being uprooted indiscriminately, on top of another demonic policy to uproot 30, 000 Bedouins from their ancestral lands to make room for Jewish settlers. As if all that wasnt enough to make the Palestinian lives miserable, the current warmongering and trigger-happy government is now engaged in training the settlers in illegal settlements abetting and encroaching on Palestinian lands in the use of fire-arms and deadly weapons to keep themselves safe against alleged Palestinian intruders and encroachers. It was none other than CNN, no friend of the Palestinian and Arabs and an ardent admirer of the Israelis that recently showed film footage of settlers being trained in combat activities and provided arms by the Israeli army. So disoriented and distraught did Obama look at the podium of the UN General Assembly that, following his address, an outspoken critic of Netanyahus expansionism and US backing of it, like Uri Avnery summed it up as blatant lie: the speaker knew it was a lie, and so did the audience. A day after Obama the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas delivered a stirring address from the same podium that captured the essence of the Palestinian quest for statehood and impressed the international community whose ears were plugged to Abbas address. It

Palestinians
determined to call

Obamas bluff

was a measured and resolute speech in which he clearly affirmed his peoples commitment to live side by side with Israel, but not as serfs or slaves of the Zionists and their powerful western friends but as equals sharing the Holy Land. Abbas was a measured and carefully calibrated speech. There were no fireworks in it and it contained no vitriolic of the kind that a warmonger like Netanyahu is so wont to spew in his addresses on the subject. A day after Abbas when Netanyahu spoke from the same podium he pored scorn on Lebanon sitting on one of the non-permanent seats of the Security Council and ridiculed the Lebanese presence in the Council as a terror organization ( Hezbollah) presides over the body entrusted with guaranteeing the worlds security. Israels Zionist and neo-con friends in US, especially in its so-called intellectual community showered praise in droves on Netanyahus provocative address in which his punch line was that the Palestinians must recognize the Jewish State of Israel. Netanyahu was, of course, mischievously trying to hoodwink the global community in the hope that its memory was weak. The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) then under the charismatic Yasir Arafat had recognized, way back in 1993, under the Oslo Peace Accord the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security. But Israel and its western mentors want the Palestinians to concede the Jewish nature of Israel, which will make it a racist state just like South Africa was under apartheid. On the other hand, Israel hasnt, to date, recognized a Palestinian State. The closest it came to, in Oslo, was to recognize PLO as representative of the Palestinian people. In contrast, Abbas, while making the pitch for his Palestinian State, categorically stated that our efforts are not aimed at isolating Israel

or de-legitimizing it. However, on cue from Netanyahu and his cohorts in the Obama administration, the pundits and gurus manning think tanks across the US landscape immediately got into stride to deconstruct Abbas address and denounce it for not being very constructive. It was intellectual chicanery at its best, or worst. Richard Hass, Under-Secretary of State under Bill Clinton and now heading the Council on Foreign Relationsa supposedly blue-ribbon think tank-lost not a moment in getting on to television to castigate Abbass speech as disappointing. He had the audacity to suggest that Abbas forthright address would come to haunt the Palestinians one day and they may rue it. Intellectual dishonesty and deceptive punditry isnt the only game in town in Washington. The Obama team has also embarked on a huge undertaking to block the Palestinian effort at statehood by all and any means. So much about a president who had come to limelight on the slogan-that turned out to be bogus and thoroughly misleading-that hed change the direction of US foreign policy in regard to the Muslim world. Here hes straining at his wits end to rob the Palestinians of their chance to gain their own state from the jaws of a monumentally blatant and retrogressive backlash that has some of Americas ardent supporters gawking in wonder. At the UN, where worlds attention is currently focused to see how this body dedicated to world peace handles this delicate operation, the Obama administration is involved in crass armtwisting and intimidation of some impressionable non-permanent members of the Security Council Under the rules governing applications of new states for full UN membership, the Council must have at least 9 yes votes to recommend the application to the General Assembly. Washingtons effort is to make this

In his inaugural address as president, in January 2009, as well as later in his historic address to the Muslim world from Cairo, Obama had exhorted leaders and governments working against the interests of their people to not get caught on the wrong side of history. But now, two years later, hes in imminent danger of being caught, himself, on the wrong side of history.

count difficult so that it is saved of the embarrassment of casting its negative vote to block the Palestinian request. Countries like Nigeria and Colombia, currently on the Council, are being worked upon to fall in line behind Washington. These and others happen to be dependent on US largesse and can be blackmailed. Its a test of these countries resilience to withstand blackmail and intimidation. Not to be left behind, the US Congress is getting into the act on the side of Obama to tighten the screws on the hapless Palestinians. Both houses of Congress have a long and shameless track record of Israeli partisanship and take pride in weighing in, whatever the occasion or the call of morality, on the side of the Jewish state. So in tandem with the Obama teams blackmail of the Palestinians, Congress has decided to block 200 million dollars in humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered Palestinians. These were funds destined to improve the social network of the Palestinians, like schools and hospitals. Congress may have had no pangs of regret in squeezing a people under oppression and ruthless Israeli occupation. But the Palestinians have come a long way in their struggle for emancipation from these oppressors and can see the ugly faces of their enemies unmasked. Saeb Erekat, chief negotiator of the Palestinians was quick to put the right accent on the vengeful congressional move and debunked it as blackmail. The Palestinian Authoritys Planning Minister, Ali Jarbawi, castigating the congressional blackmail affirmed that he and his colleagues were working on action plans to end dependence on foreign aid by 2013. All wellwishers of the Palestinians would hope this target is met as planned. Arab League Secretary-General, Nabil Al Arabi, has called upon rich Arab states to make up the funds US blackmailing is denying the Palestinians. 200 million dollars may mean a lot to the Palestinians but is just peanuts to the wealthy oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Kuwait. It will be interesting to see if their conscience has taken any lessons from the Arab Spring and how theyd respond to rise to the challenge of not letting down their oppressed brothers in Palestine. Obama is indulging in this immoral crusade against the Palestinians despite an overwhelming majority of his people clearly speaking up in support of Palestinian nationhood, as lately proved by the public opinion polls conducted by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre as well as by BBC. In a world-wide opinion poll of 20, 466 people in 19 countries, including US, UK and Canada, the BBC survey found 46 per cent of the people in favour of a Palestinian State. In the US, the favourable vote was 54 per cent. In his inaugural address as president, in January 2009, as well as later in his historic address to the Muslim world from Cairo, Obama had exhorted leaders and governments working against the interests of their people to not get caught on the wrong side of history. But now, two years later, hes in imminent danger of being caught, himself, on the wrong side of history. Strange are the ways of politics of fear and intimidation where the perpetrator often gets enmeshed in the web of his shenanigans and ends up being a pathetic loser. Obama is standing close to being devoured by the chasm of history that has brought many like him to tragic denouements. The Palestinian march to statehood is inexorable and no trickery or deception by US, Israel and their ilk can thwart its progress. Obamas legerdemain may only slightly delay it but cant arrest its momentum from reaching its goal, sooner or later. If impeded in the Security Council, where the US veto-wielded shamelessly nearly 50 times in the past three decades to shield and shelter an errant and lawless Israel from accountability for its wanton violations of international law and convention-hangs like the proverbial sword of Damocles over the heads of the Palestinians, they have the right to go to UN General Assembly for redress. There, an overwhelming number of its 193 member states nurture no grudge like US against them. In his latest visit to Israel, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, advised his Israeli clients to be conscious of policies that are isolating Israel in the comity of nations. He should be tendering the same advice to his own president. In the wake of the Palestinian move for statehood, US stands more isolated and exposed than ever before in recent times.

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 27

BOOKS

Godses Children: Hindutva terror in black and white

Book: Godses Children - Hindutva terror in India Author: Subhash Gatade Publisher: Pharos Media, New Delhi Year: 2011 Pages: 400 ISBN: 978-81-7221-052-0 Price: Rs 360 It was an old locality inhabited by the Muslims. They, armed with daggers, spears, guns were fully prepared to meet any situation. When I learnt of their intentions to attack some Hindu areas, I organised 250 people including some known gangsters and raided Kaliar. Then a strange thing happened. While wed been killing men in one of the houses, we spotted a very beautiful young girl. The assailants led by me were instantly enamoured. They even started fighting among themselves to take possession of the girl. I faced an extremely awkward situation and didnt know what to do. I tried my best to get the assailants to focus on real issues. I abused and threatened them but they wouldnt listen to me. And suddenly the solution came. The girl was after all causing the trouble and had to be eliminated. I took my gun and shot her. She died. My associates were shocked and returned to the work. Though it was against our principle to assault a woman, but it was done in an emergency and I still regret it. The venom spewed by Golwalkar and Savarkar and executed to its concrete manifestation by the likes of Godse and Apte is still very much alive and kicking. The first act of Hindutva terror started with the assassination of M K Gandhi by Godse with a tacit consent of a large section of the Maharashtrian Brahmin lobby and RSS. One more reason of the Brahmins being opposed to Gandhi was the latter being a non-Brahmin, yet so great in stature. Intoxicated by a false notion of ethnic superiority and Manusmriti as its Magna Carta and alpha and omega, anyone not being a Brahmin is against the monomaniac ideology of RSS, governed by the Brahmins. Its germane to quote a letter written by V D Savarkar to one Gadgil of Satara (Maharashtra) in 1939, which served as a backdrop to Gandhis assassination. The undated letters tones rabidly venomous: This non-Brahmin old mans servile policy to pacify Muslims is a potential threat to Brahmin Hindus aspirations of having a seamless Hindu society with the absence of any other faith, especially Islam. Gandhiji must be taught a harsh lesson for giving unnecessary importance to mlechha.... Mlechha is the derogatory word used by the Hindus for the Muslims. Justice Khosla adduced this letter in the Lal Qila trial of Gandhi assassination and found it to be an instigator to the Hindu fanatics like Godse, Madanlal Pahwa, Parchure, Kistayya, among others. All these names mentioned here were implicated in Gandhijis assassination. RSSs dubious role in Gandhijis elimination is now an open secret. Even the first CJI of India, Justice H Kania, suggested to dissolve and disband this organization on the ground of its sanguinary policies and views. He termed RSS as a pack of larrikins. That killing spirit still persists. Gatade has debunked the myth of Islamic terrorism that has stayed with the Muslims of India like a dead albatross right from the beginning. Granted, Muslims have also indulged in bombexplosions and riots by killing Hindus, but why shouldnt one retaliate? Theres a Persian saying: Tang aamad ba jang aamad (one hits back when things come to a pretty pass). Gatade has detonated many myths about Islamic terrorism and categorically held Hindu outfits for the mischief. No wonder, if the powerful Hindu lobby in collusion with the government gets the book proscribed. But to quote Tariq Bin Ziyad, Burn the book (Quran). Tear it. Destroy it. Desecrate it. Yet, its perennial message will never be expunged from the hearts and minds of the believers. The same can be said about this book, which will continue to stir the consciousness of the readers, irrespective of whether or not its removed from the stands. After all, truth can never be suppressed, though its forever on the scaffold.

DR SUMIT S PAUL
Humankind cannot bear very much reality, wrote T S Eliot. Subhash Gatades book Godses Children is one such disturbingly candid book that chronicles the nefarious and subversive activities of Hindu outfits, chiefly RSS, and the crimes these groups have been perpetrating against the Muslim and Christian populace for many years. Had the book been written by a Muslim, itd have been dubbed as a biased account of a prejudiced Muslim. But the writer is a non-Muslim and his name suggests that he has roots in Maharashtra, the hotbed of Hindu terrorism. This makes the book all the more authentic. Well, readers may raise a point that terrorism has no religion. Calling Hindu or Muslim terrorism is pigeonholing a particular section and narrowing down all possibilities, but when terrorism has a hidden agenda like that of the RSS and its various ramifications, one has to specify it. Those who morbidly believe in the spirit of Hindutva and look forward to having an Akhand Bharat (undivided India) where therell be all Hindus, terrorism certainly assumes the form of Hindutva terror. The RSS, as the flag-bearer of Hindu nationalism, always believed in the superiority of the Aryan race, like Hitler and the Nazis. Racism is the common tie which binds them together. Hindus happened to be Aryans belonging to the national race whereas Muslims and Christians were foreigners because they followed religions which took birth in non-Aryan foreign lands. The RSS divided religions professed in India into two categories: Indian and foreign. Interestingly, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism were declared to be of the Indian variety but were not accorded the status of independent religions. These were simply treated as part of Hinduism, mere tributaries or rivulets of the gigantic Hinduism. Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar (1906-1973), the most prominent ideologue of the RSS, who came to head the organisation after Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, naturally inherited deep love for fascism and nazism from his seniors, and stood for cleansing of the followers of religions which originated in foreign lands. He took it upon himself like Rudyard Kiplings patronising white mans burden. He idealised the Nazi cultural nationalism of Hitler, which was nothing else but ethnic cleansing of non-Aryans. Gatade has stated but not so categorically that the jingoistic fervour along with the religious fanaticism of the Hindu Brahmins shaped up the pervert ideology of RSS. Sense of belonging to a religious group coupled with a pathological allegiance to ones country may prove to be a lethal amalgam. It vindicates the Hindi proverb: Ek toh karela, us par neem chadha (leprosy, further deteriorated by consumption). The late Samuel Huttington, who wrote the seminal essay The Clash of civilizations also wrote Perils of panHinduaisation. Huttington wrote, Pan-Islamisation may be an idea to a few, Pan-Hinduaisations an accepted reality to many (Hindus). This is the fallacious belief of Hindus on which they want to erect an edifice of their universal religion. Hindus may say that theres no concept of conversion in their religion as Hinduism believes in vertical conversion, contrary to horizontal conversion of the Semitic faiths, viz. Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but in reality, conversion has always been an implied objective of the hardcore Hindus. The followers of Jainism were forcibly reconverted to Hinduism in the 12-13th centuries. And many Hindu kings killed innocent Buddhist monks. The great indologist A L Basham called Hinduism a faith with all flaws and follies, yet unnoticed. When Hindus couldnt bring Buddha back to the fold of Hinduism, which he relinquished because of the rampant obscurantism Hinduism was saddled with, they declared him (Siddharth, later Buddha as he got enlightened) the tenth reincarnation of Vishnu and bracketed him with mythical figures like Ram and Krishna. In this way, they succeeded in repudiating Buddhism as a separate faith but at the same time, they elevated Buddha to godhood, thus pacifying the followers of Buddhism! This is sheer knavery and unmitigated cunningness. Here I wont be wide of the mark to state that Golwalkar wrote a small booklet trying to prove that Mahavir never existed and he was actually Buddha. Right from 2600 years back, Hindu Brahmins have been trying to prove that Mahavir never existed, though Buddha did exist. By rejecting Mahavirs existence, they also rejected Jainism right from its roots! Gatade has shown the real face of liberal Hinduism and denuded it in a manner, hither-to condoned by even the most intrepid writers. By showing the organised militancy of Hinduism through RSS and its offshoots, Gatade has excoriated this divine order (as Hinduism is called by the Sanatan Hindus). The best thing about the book is that the writer has not resorted to outlandish surmises and a wild goose chase. Hes called a spade a spade, nay a shovel. The authentic references and

The best thing about the book is that the writer has not resorted to outlandish surmises and a wild goose chase. Hes called a spade a spade, nay a shovel. The authentic references and proofs with their valid sources lend credibility to this shocking book. Therere many blood-curdling accounts of Hindus cruelty. One must read pages 17-18, cited in Khushwant Singhs weekly column in The Hindustan Times, May 12, 2001: While describing an incident in which he (Krishna Gopal Rastogi, an RSS wholetimer) personally led a mob of armed Hindus against Muslims in Kaliar town situated between Roorkee and Haridwar....
proofs with their valid sources lend credibility to this shocking book. Therere many blood-curdling accounts of Hindus cruelty. One must read pages 17-18, cited in Khushwant Singhs weekly column in The Hindustan Times, May 12, 2001: While describing an incident in which he (Krishna Gopal Rastogi, an RSS whole-timer) personally led a mob of armed Hindus against Muslims in Kaliar town situated between Roorkee and Haridwar, he went on to state without any remorse how he didnt spare even a young Muslim girl. According to Rastogis heart-chilling version:

Just published by the publishers of MG

First Book on Hindutva terror

GODSES CHILDREN - Hindutva Terror in India by the veteran writer SUBHASH GATADE is Pharos Medias latest book in English on one of the hottest subjects in modern Indian history Hindutva terror perpetrated by over a dozen terrorist outfits allied to the Sangh Parivar. The book, spread over 400 pages and priced at Rs 360, is the first exhaustive study of this most dangerous phenomenon which was first exposed by the Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare after it remained active for years in a most ingenious way in which both the victims and the terrorists were Muslims. The author traces Hindutva terrorism started from the assassination of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to most recent cases like Malegaon 2008 and Samjhauta Express blasts. The book also contains a foreword on RSS tryst with terrorism: past & present by Professor Shamsul Islam of Delhi University who is an expert on RSS. Following are the chapters of the book: 1. Introduction: Terror sevaks!, 2. First Terrorist of Independent India, 3. Spectre of Terrorism, 4. Legitimate Violence and Terrorism, 5. Are You Joking Mr. Bhagwat? Conflating Hinduism and Hindutva, 6. Thus Spake the Masters!, 7. Gurukul for Explosives, 8. Diary of a Pracharak-Terrorist: Why RSS wants to forget Sunil Joshis Murder?, 9. Ajmer Sharief Bomb Blasts: Journey of a Case, 10. Friendship in Flames? Unravelling the Samjhauta Express Bomb Blast, 11. Was Purohit an Exception?, 12. Villain in Life: Hero in Death, 13. Where is Hemant Karkares Bullet-Proof Jacket?, 14. Modasa Blast: The H Factor, 15. In the Name of Criminals: How Hindutva Terrorists operate in Karnataka, 16. Asnas Prayer: Parivar Bomb Makers in Gods Own Country, 17. Terrorisms Tenkasi Moment, 18. Kanpur: Bomb Blasts That Were Not?, 19. Destruction of Evildoers as Spiritual Practice, 20. Who is watching the Spies?: Revisiting Malegaon bomb blast I, 21. The Nanded Way: What Maharashtra Thinks Today, 22. Global Dimensions of Hindutva Terror, 23.Welcome Mossad!, 24. When Lawyers Masquerade as Judges!, 25. Manufacturing Encounters, Fabricating Terrorists, 26. Shastrapujas: What is Religious about Worshipping Weapons?, 27. The New Age Gurus: Subscribers of Militant Hindutva, 28. Criminals for Hindutva: The Hidden Arm, 29. RSS: 1948 of 2011, 30. Hindutva Terror and Secular Formations, 31. How Can Terrorism Become History? Eliminating the Menace of Hindutva Terror. The book also has ten appendices of relevant and documentary material related to the Hindutva terrorism in India. The book may be ordered from Pharos Media, publishers of MG.

28 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011

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The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 29

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Origin of the Universe and events of the Hereafter

ENGR. MASOOD ALI
Chennai, Tamil Nadu What is the origin of universe? Whether it exists by itself or was it created. If created, who is the Creator and what are His attributes. Philosophers, free thinkers, scientists and followers of different religious denominations have views which differ from each other. Let us examine their views 1. Atheist: They are not concerned about the origin of the universe and think it exists by chance and there is no creator. 2. Agnostics: They are not sure if the universe is created or exists by itself. 3. Philosophers/free thinkers: One of them (Descartes) believed that what we see in the universe is an illusion and nothing exists including himself. Ultimately, he came to the conclusion that there is one thing which he could not deny and that was he doubts. He then said that I doubt and therefore I am (i.e., I exist). He retracted and admitted that what he sees exists and the Creator of the universe exists. Another philosopher (Emanuel Kant) used pure reason to know if God exists, but could not prove the existence of God. However, by applied reason he declared that the starry heavens above and moral law within (mans self) are the categorical imperatives that God exists. 4. Scientific View: On the creation of the universe, scientists have reached the farthest end of their inquiries about its origin. Their inquiry has revealed that the origin of the universe is an infinitely small primary nebula which exploded with a Big Bang bringing about galaxies, planets and all that exists between the heavens and the earth. As to who created the nebula is beyond the scope of scientists. The question then arises whether the primary nebula had the creative intelligence to bring on an orderly cosmos (universe) out of the initial chaos of Big Bang without the help of an external agency. Man endowed with intelligence and reasoning power will only conclude that the primary nebula cannot be the ultimate cause for creation of the universe. 5. Religious View: There are several religious beliefs and practices. As per one belief, the Creator of the universe is one only, but the affairs of the universe are run by other deities whom man should worship and seek their help. This is tantamount to shirk (associating partners with the Creator and sustainer of the universe). Christians believe in Trinity which defines God as three divine persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) coexisting in unity. They also believe that Jesus Christ (pbuh) is the only begotten son of God who died on the Cross to atone for the sins of Mankind. Creation of Universe The following Quranic verses are relevant to the creation of universe. 1. Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (Surah Anbiya 21 : 30) 2. To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth. When He decreeth a matter, He saith to it: Be, and it is. (Surah Al-Baqara 2 : 117) (i.e., created out of nothing). 3. Wonderful originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have a son when He hath no consort? He created all things, and

The creation of the universe is an event which is as overwhelming as the events of the hereafter, the truth of which cannot be denied. The only difference between the two is that the former is manifest and the later is hidden. When the Quran mentions the breathtaking events in the creation of the universe which is visible, one cannot deny the events in the hereafter (Ghaib) mentioned in the above surahs.
He hath full knowledge of all things. That is Allah, your Lord! There is no god but He, the Creator of all things. Then worship ye Him: and He hath power to dispose of all affairs. No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is subtle well-aware (Surah Anam 6:101 to 103). Allahs Signs in the Universe Regarding Allahs signs in the Universe, The Quran says: 1. Soon will We show them our Signs in the (farthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things? (Surah Ha Mim 41: 53) 2. He Who created the seven heavens, one above another. No want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah) The Most Gracious. So turn thy vision again: seest thou any flaw? Again turn thy vision a second time. (Thy) vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited, in a state worn out (Surah Al-Mulk 67: 3 & 4). Negation of shirk and Affirmation of Tawheed (Oneness of God) as per Quran. I. Negation of Christian belief 1. They say: (Allah) The Most Gracious has begotten a son!. Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin, That they should invoke a son for (Allah) The Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of (Allah) The Most Gracious that He should beget a son. Not one of the beings in the heavens and earth but must come to the Most Gracious as a servant (Maryam 19: 88 to 93). 2. And behold! Allah will say: O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah.? He will say: Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Though I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. 3. Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and thou art a witness to all things. If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise (Al Maida 5:116-118). Note: It is reported that when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) recited the last verse in his night prayer he was so much overwhelmed that he repeated the verse throughout the night. II. Negation of Poytheism (Shirk) Allah will never forgive shirk as per the following verses.

Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed.(An-Nisa 448) III. Affirmation of Islamic Belief (Tawhid/ Belief in the Oneness of God) Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him. (Al Ikhals 112:1-4) Purpose of Mans Creation I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me. (Az-Zariyat 51:56) (i.e., to obey his commands) He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving (AlMulk 61:2). Events of the Hereafter (Day of Resurrection) Surah 88, Al Gashiya (The overwhelming event) vividly describes events in the hereafter (the day of reckoning) relating to the sufferings of dwellers of hell and pleasures of dwellers of paradise. (See Surah 88: 1-16) Though these events belong to the realm of Ghaib (unseen/hidden) which man is likely to be ignorant of or forgetful, a forceful argument is put forth about their truth by calling attention to observable things (not ghaib) like how the camel is made, how the sky is raised, mountains fixed and earth spread out. (Surah 88: 17 -21) The Surah ends addressing Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) to only remind people and it is not for him to manage their affairs while it is for Allah (SWT) to call them to account. (See Surah 88: 22-26) The creation of the universe is an event which is as overwhelming as the events of the hereafter, the truth of which cannot be denied. The only difference between the two is that the former is manifest and the later is hidden. When the Quran mentions the breathtaking events in the creation of the universe which is visible, one cannot deny the events in the hereafter (Ghaib) mentioned in the above surahs. There cannot be deliverance from error unless one believes wholly in the holy Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Any deviation therefrom is misguidance and innovation which as per hadith leads to hell. The words Fundamentalists and Moderate Muslims are freely used by media and some educated people (Muslims and non-Muslims alike) to label a section of the Muslim community. Some Muslims even take pride in claiming themselves as moderate Muslims. They do not define what the terms fundamentalists and moderate Muslims stand for and therefore it is a figment of their imagination.Further by fundamentalists if it is meant terrorism, killing innocent people, then a Muslim cannot be a fundamentalist. The following verse is very clear on this subject: On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. (Al Maida 5:32).

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The Milli Gazette, 16-31 October 2011 31

REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS
I pray to Allah that you continue in your effort through Milli Gazette. My sincere concern and prayers are with you. I had mailed to more than thousands people for subscribing to MG. I hope many of them would have subscribed it. Inshallah, we will make sure MG does not face the fate of previous magazines. Khurshid Imam imam.khurshid@yahoo.com MG Editor: Thank you for your mail and your efforts to popularise MG. I do not think that of late there has been any marked spurt in subscriptions. I have given up and probably MG print edition will fold up by the end of this year while the online edition will continue, insha Allah. The financial, emotional and time burden of MG on me personally is so huge that I do not think that after these 12 long years there is any justification to keep the charade going endlessly. If the community does not appreciate, so be it. How to stop riots and discrimination I read an article about the recent clash in Rajasthan. The article also mentioned Gujarat riot. Here are some sentences from the article: it started after 59 Hindus were burned to death in a train car in Godhra town. Local people accused Muslims of setting fire to the train and more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the subsequent riots. This article made it sound like it was Muslims who started the riot. If I am not mistaken, I remember reading an article few years ago that the clash started when Hindus ate at a Muslim shop and left without paying. A few years ago in an article about the riot there was a photograph of a Muslim man asking the police for help. According to the article, police did not take action. I think if there were high ranking Muslim police officers, they could have done something. By having more Muslims in law enforcement, legal and media field a lot can be done. Azim Ali azimali2008@gmail.com Pandya murder I do not know who killed former Gujarat minister Haren Pandya, but the following facts interested me: (1) Pandya did appear before the Citizens Commission (which included Justice Sawant and Justice Iyer) and revealed that Modi had on the evening of February 27, 2002, asked police officers to let Hindus vent their anger on Muslims for the Godhra train fire. (2) Pandya told Outlook magazine (November 19, 2007) that if the above fact became known, he would be killed. (3) His murder was investigated by none other than Narendra Modis favorite police officer Vanzara who is now in jail for another fake encounter murder. When the CBI took over the case, Vanzara conveyed all his findings to the CBI, which seems to have swallowed them whole. The CBI was then under the BJP governemnt of Vajpayee/Advani. (4) On August 29, 2011 the Gujarat High Court acquitted all 12 accused in the Haren Pandya murder case. It callled the CBI investigation shoddy. (5)Haren Pandyas widow and his late father have long suspected Modis involvement. (6)Suspended IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, was arressted on September 30, 2011 three days after he had filed an affidavit in the Gujarat High Court stating that former minister of state for home Amit Shah and Chief Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to destroy important evidence he had collected pertaining to the case. I do not know if Modi is guilty, but the whole thing stinks to high heaven. Ghulam Mohiyuddin, New York (via email) We do not like this ad I want to bring to your notice a very important issue, In the Oct issue of MG, in the very last page I was shocked to see the advertisement of the webpage: www.mostmerciful.com This is the website of Inkar-e-Sunnah group, those people who say Quraan alone is enough and who reject the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet totally. Similar to Rashad Khalifa group (19-ers). checkout the website and look under hadeeth section you will understand their aqeedah. MG has such goodwill amongst the Muslim community and anything comes in MG will be taken by many without any verification as the right thing, so please be careful in future and in your next issue please notify the public about that website. May Almighty Allaah guide us from deviation. Imtiaz Ahmed imti13@yahoo.com Tussle between Modi and governor Whining and whimpering of Narendra Modi about the centre running a parallel government in Gujarat through the Governor is for public consumption. If indeed he finds Governor Kamala Beniwal overstepping her brief he has remedies to redress his grievances. He must answer the question which the Governor is within her right to ask. A mandate through ballot box should not be equated with license to be above questioning. He should not for ever expect the people to give fitting replies to questions which he should be answering. If he has problem with the Communal Harmony Day and so many other Divas and days being celebrated every year he can question them full throated in the proper forum and even getting such celebrations scrapped. Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Santacruz West, Mumbai 400054 drmookhi@hotmail.com Film on Hindu Terror It is hardly surprising, given the sick but encashable trend of Islamophobia, that film producers like Karan Johar and others scripted and produced movies that depicted, though imaginary, Islamic Terrorism in movies like My name is Khan, Qurban, Fana etc. to name a few. But surprisingly no writer, producer or director, to this day, could dare to script and make a movie on Hindu terrorism despite the fact that its huge network was busted by late Hemant Karkare and its champions, who have been repeatedly denied bail, are behind the bars and for the first time, in Panvel and Vashi bomb blast cases, two terrorists of Sanatan Sanstha, Bhave and Gadkari, have been convicted and given rigorous imprisonment of ten years with a fine of Rs. 25000 each. And again, despite Maharashtra governments repeated plea to the Centre to ban

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Abhinav Bharat and Sanatan Sanstha, no film on Hindu Terrorism. Films are not just the mode of entertainment. They are socially duty bound to reflect the ills and evils of the society in General and not to conveniently target, just to make huge mullah, a particular community simply because its vulnerable and doesnt enjoy secular systems sympathy including the independent media. But even if our courageous film makers do dare to make films on Hindu terrorism, one can imagine, they sure would endanger their lives and secondly who will watch them? Have we not seen the fate of Mira Nairs movies? The fact, however bitter is that, Here we have a great and sacred society that, to satisfy its fake and false ego, happens to be transparently hypocrite and committed to sheer double standards. Jai Ho Mushtaque Madni mushtaque.madni@rediffmail.com Judiciary closes its eyes on criminal chief ministers Congratulations to Brother Mustafa Khan on the superb piece of journalistic skill in bringing out the most depressing aspects of the most shameful and brutal massacre of Indian Muslims in modern history. Br Khans language was befitting, forceful, breathtaking and ideas persuasive and insightful. Even the highest court of the world may declare Modi innocent on his active encouragement or passive participation in the massacre of Gujarati Muslims, but sure on the Yawmiddeen (judgment day) no one is going to get away and hence the patience and prayers of the Gujarat Muslim victims and their blood relations. Supplications of the oppressed will surely be accepted by Allah swt. How many well documented and authenticated huge corruption scandals of Indian state Chief Ministers had been on records since 1970 in India. And how many had been duly convicted and sent to the gallows in India. Never and that is the sort of judicial system that we have in India. So Narendra Modi is a safe bet in India. No worries for him. Let his conscience imprison and retribute him if he has a fraction left in him. In the state-sponsored pogrom in Gujarat, thousands of people were mercilessly slaughtered and made refugees, hundreds of women and young girls were brutally raped and tortured, religious places of worship were defiled and destroyed, and property loss and damage ran to hundreds of crores of Rupees. These heinous crimes were not only committed under Gujarat Chief Minister Modis watch, but also condoned by him. The Supreme Court of India has rebuked the State Government of Gujarat for its faulty and discriminatory handling of more than 2000 cases that were never even properly investigated let alone tried. Kodimirpal (via email) Bharatpur riot investigations to hush up It is recent strategy to hush up the case many investigations are conducting any riot case like Bharatpur riot. So called secular Congress ordered judicial inquiry and CBI investigation. Congress team led an inquiry blamed Rajasthan home minister for his partisan decisions and simultaneously blamed police for excess. Nine persons were killed and all those killed were Muslims. Post-mortem report revealed two Muslims killed by police bullets. Are so many investigations instituted to hush up any concessive end? In Forbesganj (Bihar) police firing, chief secretary investigated judicial inquiry instituted. NMC visited Forbesganj and other Muslim organisation presented its own report but logical end is kept is abeyance. When justice for a Muslim matter comes all parties behaviour are same to botch justice. S. Haque, Patna Haj an important Islamic rituals Every fourth man is a Muslim in the world and he regards the Arabian city of Mecca as the holiest. Each year many of them go for Haj or pilgrimage, to this dusty desert city to participate in a centuries-old rite that has been accurately characterized as the most impressive demonstration of faith to be witnessed on the face of the earth. And five times each day Muslims from each and every corner of the globe prostrate themselves toward Mecca the Kibla or spiritual focus of Islamic faith. Since A.D.630, when a middle aged Meccan merchant captured the city for Islam, Mecca has been held sacred by Muslims.Yes, Hazarat Mohammed s.a.w. made Islam systematic in this region. Its emotional epicentre is the Kaaba a cube shaped house of Allah. It has been destroyed and rebuilt number of times since Hazarat Ebrahims time. A black stone Hazre Aswad is set into the southeast corner of the Kaaba. Haj is very important for Muslims. Those who have been for Haj cannot forget the extra ordinary experience of life. May Allah send each and every Muslim for Haj at least once in a life time? Nazneen O. Saherwala,Surat, India. nazsita@yahoo.co.in II It is a matter of great pleasures that one lakh Muslims and about fifty lakhs from the world proceed to Mecca to perform Hajj. Kaba (house of Allah) was constructed by Abraham 4000 years ago. Ismail and his mother were brought by Abraham to Mecca when it was a desert. Infant Ismail was crying in thirst and his mother was running in search of water between the two hillocks, SAFA and MARWA. Hagar was the second wife of Abraham. While she was searching for water Allah ordered Gabriel to hit on the ground besides Ismail water started oozing from the ground. Hagar saw the spring and made a boundary by saying Zam-Zam. Water was coming forcibly. The mother and child drank with utmost satisfaction. People from other villages came and settled as there was ample water was available in the spring. Hagar managed to supply the water to the inhabitants. Prophet Abraham came back and saw that his wife and child were leading a good life. The almighty Allah ordered Abraham to construct a four walled room. He obeyed the orders of Allah and constructed one house with the help of his son Ismail. This is the same house in Mecca and Muslims go for Hajj. This ritual is performed by Muslims. They make seven rounds around the Kaba. They put on two cheddars unstitched. And drink water from the Holy spring of Zam-Zam which suffices for crores of pilgrims who visit Mecca. This is a live miracle of Allah. Dr Maqdoomi, Hyderabad drmaqdoomi@yahoo.com Question mark on Annas neutral crusade Not too long ago Anna Hazare praised Narendra Modis governance. Modi was so tickled by Annas gesture that one morning at 5 a.m. he poured out his heartfelt feelings in an open letter to

Annaji. Your blessings and Bless me are often repeated words in that open letter. He says,Your blessings have given me the strength to do what is right and what is good. It remains to be seen how Modi reacts to what Anna had to say on the matter of the arrest of Sanjiv Bhatt by Modi government: Bhatt has submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court. The matter is with the Supreme Court. Then what is the need to arrest him. This is wrong. Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Santacruz West, Mumbai 400054 drmookhi@hotmail.com II Anna Hazare got a massive response to his demand for the Jan Lokpal bill as everybody was vexed with the scourge of corruption that was eating into the vitals of the nation. But his sudden shifting of the goalpost from being an avowed apolitical messiah fighting against corruption to someone asking the people not to vote the Congress (which can be construed as hinting the voters to support the main opposition party BJP) is shocking. The voters are mature enough to teach the Congress a lesson, if it continues to delay the popular demand for a strong Lokpal bill. Anna would do well if he continues to build pressure on the UPA government by his fasts and dharnas, instead of donning the robe of a political guru. Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa, AP sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in III Anti graft crushed, Anna Hazare free, fair and fearless vow to fight against corruption and bringing a strong Lokpal has left a significant impact on the socio-political environment of the country. However, it is intriguing that a person like Anna, who fasts till death against the will of political heavy weights, in spite of adverse environment, for a corruption free society, keeps mum against the repeated violence and atrocities meted out to North Indians by MNS and Shiv Seva workers, in his own state, Maharashtra. Shafaque Alam, JMI, New Delhi-25 shafaquealam@gmail.com IV Anna Hazare is being described as a second Gandhi by the media but merely by undertaking fast and adopting methods which are quite at Variance the Gandhian ways or methods cannot go to make Hazare a second Gandhi. Whenever, Gandhi undertook a fast he called it either in repentance or for self purification. Anna Hazare on the other instance that his Proposed Jan Lok Pal Bill should be passed at the cost of democratic Methods is cent percent authoritarian and thoroughly undemocratic and quite ungandhian. Another great difference between Gandhiji and the Hazare is that Gandhiji never constituted any team sought its advice whenever he undertook a fast he never asked anyone to negotiate on his behalf. While Anna Hazare had a team and always sought its advice. This is quite against Gandhiji ways. Over and above all this Gandhiji unlike Anna Hazare did not believe in mobocracy or parading thousands of people to prove the legitimacy of his fast. Anna Hazare movement represents majoritarian ethos is sponsored by RSS, BJP, BHP and other Hindu militant communal parties who aim at Converting India to Hindu country and establish a Hindu estate. This Movement aims at subverting Indian secular democratic parliamentary Form of government. Dr. M. Hashim Kidwai, Ex-MP, Mayur Vihar, Delhi-91 Sanjiv Bhatt arrested for speaking against Modi The arrest of the IPS officer Sanjiv Bhat by the Modi administration has unmasked the reality behind Sadbhavana mission; it was but a tool to befool the public. If Modi was thankful to those who pointed out to his genuine mistakes why his government is cracking down on the whistleblower officers who brought forth the truth that Modi was on the wrong side during the 2002 riots. Actually he had staged the fast drama to gain the stature of a national leader. But it is a nightmare as voters would not like to see a communal PM. As a CM of Gujarat Modi was supposed to protect the citizens, therefore, he is responsible for the loss of lives. Ironically he never apologized for his failure. Though once Prime Ministerial candidate Mr. L.K. Advani has given his assent for presenting Modi as the PM if NDA comes in power, the BJP would be doing it on its own peril. It would definitely dent the little less communal image the party got under Vajpayee. Nitish Kumar had refused the service of Modi during Bihar assembly polls only because it could have deprived his JD (U) of minority votes. A Hameed Yousuf, Ulsoor, Bangalroe-08 ahameed12@gmail.com II The arrest of IPS officer Mr. Sanjiv Bhat is purely a retaliatory action of chief minister Modi. It was done only an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court complaining against Modi about the Anti Muslim riots in Gujarat. The ex-prime minister Mr. AB Vajpayee has criticized Modi that he did not follow the norms of Raj Dharma, It was the same allegation levelled by the IPS officer. Modi was mute about the criticism and took stern action on Sanjeev Bhat. It is a purely political vengeance. To safeguard him the party bosses are telling lie and hoodwinking the people, they are unmindful of their downgrading respect and dignity. Modi is harming the party on moral grounds, his support to the party is just political nature the Party is not able to discriminate between the two types of losses. The sacrifice of party morality will go a long way. Dr Maqdoomi Hyderabad drmaqdoomi@yahoo.com III The arrest of IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt has exposed the vindictive character of the Gujarat government. Any layman can tell that Mr.Bhatts suspension from service followed by his arrest is the corollary to his filing of an affidavit in the Supreme Court about the connivance of the Chief Minister in the 2002 communal pogrom. The police raid on the houses of Mr. Bhatt and his mother even after his arrest amounts to state-sponsored coercion to stifle the evidence in the Zakia Jaffri case. The apex court shall take a serious view of the fear expressed by Mrs. Shweta Bhatt for her husbands life. One is at a loss to understand the plight of an ordinary witness, if the life of a senior police officer is being feared. Unless a strong message is sent to guarantee the safety of all witnesses involved in the cases related to the Gujarat 2002 pogrom, it would be yet another episode of justice denied. Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa, A.P. sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in

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