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Terrorism 1,4,5,10,13

Indian Secularism 2
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DD Urdu charade 3
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Partition 8
Babri 3,5
State terror 4,11
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Indian Muslims Leading English Newspaper, published since January 2000
www.milligazette.com
THE MILLI GAZETTE
www.milligazette.com
ISSN 0972-3366
Fort ni ght l y
Rs 10 Vol. 13 No. 8 Issue Serial # 294 16-30 April 2012 24 pages
Inside MG
RAVI SHEKHAR
Lucknow: The newly-elected UP governments
decision to withdraw cases against two innocent
Muslim youths, who were implicated in 2007
serial blasts in UP court premises, is laudable if
not delayed. Knowing the weak case, hardships
faced by the families and the unthinkable torture
of boys in jail, a relief was long overdue.
According to several fact-finding reports by
human rights activists and other civil society
organisations, the two boys, Tarique Qasmi and
Khalid Mujahid, both from Azamgarh district,
were initially abducted by the STF and their
arrest was shown at least a week later by the
agency at far away places from where they were
actually kidnapped.
The wave of change in UP was actually
based upon some very populist poll promises
made by the Samajwadi Party (SP). Be it free
electricity to farmers, laptops and tablets to stu-
dents, doubling the unemployment allowance to
unemployed youths, or releasing innocent
Muslim youths implicated in terror cases. The SP
leadership tried to reach out to every section of
the society. Within a month after swearing in,
when the government is seen contradicting on
many issues like free electricity or unemploy-
ment allowance, the decision of withdrawing ter-
ror-related fake cases has sent a big relief to the
minorities in the state.
But the SPs previous stand on terror inci-
dents contains many ifs and buts. For instance,
this is the same party which stood by the prose-
cutions story behind Rampur CRPF camp inci-
dent which, according to local residents and
some reliable fact-finding teams, was not actual-
ly a terror attack. Rather, the CRPF men had
fired at each other out of their personal hubbub.
As a result, there had been some casualties. A
lot of Muslim innocent boys of nearby areas had
been arrested and subjected to inhuman torture
to force them to confess to a crime they did not
commit. Despite having several proofs that the
whole matter was framed to hide internal indisci-
pline and dispute in CRPF, SP, like many others,
continued to regard it as a terror attack. Whats
more, they even commemorated the martyrs of
the attack and even arranged programmes in the
district to celebrate their martyrdom. None of
the party members are ready to talk about the
fate of Mohammad Sharif, Gulab Khan, Baba
Khan (all residents of Moradabad) Sarwar
(Kunda district), Sabahuddin from Bihar and
Fahim Ansari.
The move made by the government is just a
drop in the ocean. In a state where over 90 boys
are controversially detained and their number is
ever-growing, withdrawing two cases, after five
years of torture and trauma, is a mere cruel joke.
Interestingly, the previous Mayawati govern-
ment had already accepted the controversy of
this particular case and had constituted an
enquiry commission under Retd. Judge R. D.
Nimesh. Because of the flaws, the same case
could not stand against one of the co-accused
Sajjadur-Rahman, and the Barabanki court ter-
minated the case against him. Such develop-
ments inside courtrooms lead the victim Muslim
families to the belief that the charges against
their sons would not stand, once they are given
a fair and speedy trial.
Sajjadur Rahman is now in Lucknow district
jail. He was initially detained by the police in
2000, and was made an accused in Delhi blast.
Since then, he is shown as accused in several
blasts cases across Uttar Pradesh. During these
12 years, he has been rotated to many district
jails from Delhi to UP. And the family, along with
him, is patiently fighting for justice. By now, he is
acquitted in Delhi, Kanpur and Barabanki blast
cases, but the Lucknow and Agra blast cases
are still pending. In the eyes of the Lucknow
bench of the Allahabad High Court, he is still a
dangerous man and hence, after a long 12
years in jail while trials are on, he was denied
bail on 28 March this year. Far away at home, his
family members still wait for justice. Just a few
days before his arrest in 2000, Sajjad was
engaged with a girl chosen by his family as his
bride. Their fate turned ugly and the wedding
could not take place till date. Though the girl is
faithfully waiting for her would-be husband, the
court procedures seem endless as of now. Still,
she does not care whatever story was made by
the police and media, and believes that her
would-be husband would never commit any
crime and one day he would again be a free
man. She asks mediapersons and lawyers: who
is responsible for her plight?
Not all implicated boys have such patient
people around them. Naushads married life is
now on rocks. He was married just three months
before he was implicated in false cases. A resi-
dent of Bijnaur, Naushad was kidnapped from
Nimrana, Alwar district, Rajasthan on 19 June
2007, but his arrest was shown from Wazirganj
police station in Lucknow on 23 June 2007 with
explosive substance and arms. He was the only
bread-earner of his family and was working as a
labour contractor at construction sites in Alwar.
The family now depends upon a small piece of
farmland, which is the only way for it to earn
some income for the family as well as for fighting
the legal case. Moreover, Naushads in-laws are
now fed up with the sluggish and insensitive
legal and police machinery and want Naushad to
divorce their daughter. His wife has written him a
letter asking for a divorce, saying that she knows
Naushad is not guilty, but she is now tired of
waiting.
There are numerous cases of the same
kind. Azizur Rahman is lodged in Lucknow jail.
The dates of incidents shown by the police in his
case themselves speak the whole story.
According to the police, Aziz came to Lucknow
with his two accomplices on 22 June 2007 with
terror intent. But when they watched on televi-
sion that another accomplice Jalaluddin was
arrested, they fled to Kolkata on 23 June 2007.
Next day, they all were arrested by a police team
which was chasing them. But, interestingly, the
remand order of Azizur Rahman passed by
ACJM Alipore, West Bengal, on 22 June 2007
says that Aziz was under custody of SOG/CID of
West Bengal during 22- 26 June 2007. Now it is
for the UP Police to explain how a person under
custody of CID West Bengal, could be shown in
Lucknow with his accomplices at the very same
time?
Almost every case is full of flaws that even a
layman can understand once he goes through
the files. But the machinery is adamant to prove
them as terrorists. The slow speed of trials and
the attitude of judges and police clearly reflect
that they know they would lose the case once it
is fast-tracked and a fare trial is ensured. Shifting
of the hearings of almost all such cases to jail
premises is one of the reasons behind unwar-
raned delays. Judges do not turn up at right time
on the one day allotted every week. Sources say
that some of the judges show up by four pm just
to register their attendance. The collusion
between them and the prosecution is sometimes
visible when even the government attornies do
not bother to abide by time schedules and arrive
with the judges.
All this clearly reflects the need for the com-
munity to be be extra cautious when SP speaks
about withdrawing some cases. The manner in
which such cases are now being handled raises
many crucial questions. Why only Tariq and
Khalid, when there are Jalaluddin, Ali Akbar,
Mohammad Yaqub, Nasir Hussein, Abdul
Mubeen, Kaleem Akhtar, Noor Islam, Sheikh
Mukhtar and many others who have also been
victims of implication, police atrocities and unfair
trial just like Tariq and Khalid?
Apart from this, there are around 30 Muslim
boys of Uttar Pradesh who are lodged in differ-
ent jails of the country, and their number is ever-
increasing. They too are implicated in the same
manner by the police of different states across
the country. If the present SP leadership is so
keen to provide relief to the Muslim community
and boost its confidence, it needs to clarify the
states policy over arrests carried out by other
states or by central agencies. Providing a kind of
relief to the community on the one hand, and
being in talks with the Centre on the issue of
National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) on
the other, is just a zero sum game for the com-
munity, which has shown its faith in Samajwadi
Party during the recently concluded assembly
elections.
Also, there have been at least 15 boys who
have been acquitted by the courts across the
state. The party should clarify whether duly com-
pensating them and prosecuting those who were
involved in fabricating cases against these boys
is also on its agenda. Mumtaz, Wasif Haider,
both residents of Kanpur, are just two names
among several others in the state who had to
pass their valuable 11 years of life while com-
muting from one jail to another before being
acquitted in all ten different cases.
The government needs to adopt a policy
which answers all these questions. Not only with-
drawal of cases alongwith adequate compensa-
tion and prosecution of those who were behind
fabrication, a fresh judicial or CBI enquiry of all
terror incidents of the last decade should also be
ordered so that the real culprits can be identified.
There would not be any surprise if we come to
know the hands of Saffron Brigade behind sever-
al terror incidents, if only a fair and time-bound
enquiry is done. See list on page 10
UP terror-accused: much more needed
than justice to Qasmi and Mujahid
M
G
/
Y
u
s
u
f
With over 90 fake terrorists in state
jails and about three dozens in
other states, UPs Samajwadi gov-
ernment needs to do much more
than just to release Qasmi and
Mujahid
Sir, give me
a uniform!
14231 killed in
police custody
during 2001-10;
12727 killed in
judicial custody
during same
period
WHAT DO THESE PHOTOS SAY? 13
Qasmi Mujahid
ISSUES / OPINION
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MUKUL SINHA
This is an edited text of the First Shahid Azmi Memorial Lecture,
held on 11 February 2012 at Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh,
Mumbai, organized by Friends, Comrades and Students of
Advocate Shahid Azmi, the 32-year-young lawyer who was shot
dead at his office on same day in February 2010. At the time of his
murder, he was fighting many terror related cases, including of
those falsely accused in the Malegaon blasts and Mumbai Terror
Attack.
Two words that have occupied the
maximum space in the sphere of
political discourse all across the
globe in the last two decades are (i)
Terrorism and (ii) Secularism.
Terrorism appears to have
replaced the word communism
which the West had identified as its
main enemy till the collapse of the
Soviet Union. Secularism is project-
ed as the higher stage of bourgeois
democracy where people of different religious or ethnic groups
enjoy equal rights without any discrimination. Terrorism is identified
as the villain bent upon destroying this super structural advance-
ment of the western civilization and dividing civil societies whereas
secularism unites the people. Not surprisingly, most of the western
countries have been singing paeans to this deception. The Indian
State is totally in concert with them.
But after all the song and dance is over, have these nation-
states been able to resolve their minority issues? A perfunctory
look at the recent history would show that even in the twentieth cen-
tury, the attitude of the majority towards the minorities was one of
total domination. An excerpt from Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkars
book, We or Our Nationhood Defined would establish this attitude
without any ambiguity:
German Race pride has now become the topic of the day. To
keep up the purity of the Race and its culture, Germany shocked
the world by purging the country of the Semitic Races-the Jews.
Germany has also shown how well-nigh impossible it is for Races
and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated
into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn
and profit by
In contest with this extreme Hindu nationalist position, the
Congress promoted an ambiguous nation-state theory: the soft
Hindu state propagated by leaders like Purusotham Tandon and
Madan Mohan Malaviya and the secular state of Nehru. This ambi-
guity of the leaders of Congress towards secularism continues even
today and the slogan of Sarva Dharma Samabhav continues to
deceive the minorities. At this stage, we may note some of the
recent pronouncements of the Supreme Court on this subject:
The word secular is commonly understood in contradistinc-
tion to the word religious. Although the idea of secularism may
have been borrowed in the Indian Constitution from the West, India
has adopted its own unique brand of secularism based on its par-
ticular history.
The First Amendment to the American Constitution mandates
that, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. In other words, the
clause against establishment of religion by law was intended to
erect a wall of separation between Church and State.
Similarly, the Australian Constitution also prescribes that, the
Commonwealth shall not make any laws for establishing any reli-
gion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the
free exercise of any religion. Under the Indian Constitution, howev-
er, there is no such wall of separation between the State and reli-
gious institutions
The above observations of the Apex Court in the case of
T.M.A. Pai Foundation vs. State of Karnataka, quite correctly sums
up the dichotomy in the concept of the Indian secularism. This
ambivalent attitude towards secularism is reflected in the judicial
pronouncements also. In the case of Valsamma Paul vs. Cochin
University, the Apex Court felt that pluralism of Indian culture and
religious tolerance is the bedrock of Indian secularism. It is based
on the belief that all religions are equally good and efficacious path-
ways to perfection or God-realisation. It stands for a complex inter-
pretative process in which there is a transcendence of religion and
yet there is a unification of multiple religions.
As a contradistinction, we may extract another view of the Apex
Court; in the case of *I.R. Coelho vs. State of T.N., the Court held
that the fundamental rights have always enjoyed a special and priv-
ileged place in the Constitution. Some of the rights in Part III consti-
tute fundamentals of the Constitution like Article 21 read with
Articles 14 and 15 which represent secularism, etc. The role of the
judiciary is to protect fundamental rights. A modern democracy is
based on the twin principles of majority rule and the need to protect
fundamental rights. This judgment brings us to the moot questions:
do the minorities get the equal protection of law in secular India?
Keeping aside the larger question of economic or social justice
to the minorities, we may limit our discussions to the two basic
questions: (1) affording equal protection of law to the minorities and
(2) the efficacy of the criminal justice system of delivering justice to
the minorities. At this stage it becomes necessary to recall some of
the major events of violence in secular India to assess the extent to
which the minorities get the equal treatment in law.
The Nellie massacre took place in Assam during a six-hour
period in the morning of 18 February 1983. The massacre claimed
the lives of 2,191 people (unofficial figures run at more than 5,000)
from 14 villages of Nagaon district. Most of the victims were
Bengali-speaking Muslim women and children who had immigrated
to the region. A group of mediapersons passing by the region were
witness to the massacre. No one has been punished to date for the
most gruesome genocide!
On May 17, 1984, rioting began in Bhiwandi and spread to
Bombay. Rioting continued till May 27. According to official statis-
tics, the riots left 278 dead, 1115 injured, and 11,453 arrested. The
large majority of all three categories were Muslim.
The anti-Sikh riots in 1984 were four days of mayhem in the
northern parts of India, particularly Delhi, in which armed mobs set
fire to Sikh homes and businesses, killed unarmed men, women
and children and attacked gurudwaras. The violence, which left
almost 3,000 people dead, was a reaction to the assassination of
the countrys Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, on Oct. 31, 1984, by her
two Sikh bodyguards. After 28 years of the carnage, there are very
few that have been punished for the heinous crime.
The Bhagalpur riots that were sparked off on 24th October,
1989 were one of a series of riots organized by the Sangh Parivar
in connection with the Babri Masjid demolition movement. It was
sparked off by a procession carrying bricks for Shilapujan of the
Ram temple in Ayodhya. A total of 116 persons were killed in the vil-
lage Logai alone in Bhagalpur district on October 27, 1989. The riot-
ers in Logai buried the victims in a field and planted vegetables on
it. The irony is that out of 1486 killed during October, 1989 in
Bhagalpur, though 1383 were Muslims but it were the Muslims who
were punished; the Court awarded life imprisonment to one and ten
years imprisonment to 11 persons in 1996. Beside this, two dozen
Muslims had earlier received similar punishments.
The Mumbai riots started after the Babri Mosque demolition on
6 December 1992. This was followed by celebratory processions by
Shiv Sena and BJP activists and targeting of Muslim localities. It is
commonly believed that the riots occurred in two phases. The first
was mainly a Muslim backlash as a result of the Babri Masjid dem-
olition. The second phase occurred in January 1993, with most inci-
dents reported between 6 January and 20 January. Around 900
(575 Muslims, 275 Hindus, 45 unknown and five others) died in the
violence and police firing.
O
n 27 Feb. 2002, 58 passengers died in the S-6 coach of
Sabarmati Express which burned down to ashes near the
Godhra Railway station following an altercation between the
Karsevaks who were traveling in the train with the Muslim tea ven-
dors of the Godhra railway station. 58 dead bodies were brought to
Ahmedabad and paraded in the streets.
By 10 am in the morning on 28 Feb. 2002, the saffron gangs
were on the roads leading crowds up-to 20 thousands, attacking
everyone who was Muslim. At the end of the day, three of the most
gruesome offences were committed at (1) Naroda Patia - 100 dead;
(2) Gulbarg Society - 70 dead and eight girls are still missing, and
(3) Pandarwada - 100 dead. By next two weeks, over 1000 innocent
Muslim men, women and children were brutally killed. Tens of thou-
sands had to run away, crores worth of property were destroyed in
the cities, every single Muslim business establishment was specifi-
cally targeted; for the first time, the violence spread to villages and
Muslims of hundreds of villages had to run away.
No FIRs were allowed to be registered by any victim and police
officers filed omnibus FIRs, carefully avoiding to give any details,
sabotaging the very foundation of investigation. Investigating offi-
cers at police station level refused to take orders from higher offi-
cers and listened only to the local BJP leaders. After sabotaging the
evidence, the trial of the cases were handed over to Public
Prosecutors who were VHP/BJP activists. Result: acquittals like in
the Best Bakery Case. Bail was granted for asking in murder, rape
and arson cases.
Matters didnt end there.
The next phase of the plan started unfolding from the end of
2002: to profile the entire Muslim community of Gujarat as a breed-
ing ground for Islamic terrorists. The Prevention of Terrorist Act
(Pota) was thus used against innocent youth, and hundreds were
picked up between April 2003 to December 2004. Gujarat never
had terrorists ever before, but Gujarat Government used Pota to
create terrorists in Gujarat. POTA was thus used as the Production
of Terrorist Act and not as the Prevention of Terrorist Act.
Next, it had to be put in the minds of the people that the Islamic
terrorists were bent upon eliminating the Great Savior. Thus, start-
ed the encounters: Salim Pathan, Sadik Jamal, Javed, Ishrat
Jahan, Sohrabuddin and many more were unfortunate innocent
terrorists who had to be killed to establish that Narendra Modi was
in constant danger. Every six months, one dead person was
required to be sacrificed at the altar of Modi and in every FIR that
followed the encounter deaths of such hand-piceked terrorists, a
line was invariably added that the accused had come to Gujarat to
kill the Chief Minister. The Supreme Courts interference has now
totally exposed this game plan.
Besides the above cases of mass violence in the last decade,
especially after the 9/11 event in New York, several cases of bomb
blasts have taken place all over the country killing many innocents.
The blame of course was placed on the Muslims confirming their
terrorist tendencies. The exposure of the Malegaon blast, Mecca
Masjid blast at Hyderbad etc has, however, revealed the hidden
agenda of the Hindu terrorist groups to spread anarchy and hate
against the minorities.
How has the Indian judiciary and other democratic institutions
reacted to the repeated instances of mass violence or the encoun-
ters and bomb blasts? At the lower rungs of the justice delivery sys-
tem, the proximity of the police, prosecutor and the politician has,
as a rule, denied a fair deal to the minorities. In any communal con-
flict, the majority community has successfully turned the prosecu-
tion on its side and in severe situations like in Gujarat, even the judi-
ciary in the state has faltered.
Few instances will suffice to establish this point. In the case of
the death of the 58 passengers of the Sabarmati Express on
27 Feb. 2002, the session court awarded death penalty to eleven
accused and life sentence to 20 more accused whereas in the Best
Bakery case, all the accused were acquitted by the sessions court
despite the brutal murder of several persons. POTA was invoked in
the Sabarmati Express case and 100 or so accused remained in jail
for over eight years under trial whereas all the accused in most of
the 3000 plus cases involving the brutal murder of over 1000
Muslims were bailed out within few months. POTA was never
invoked in such cases though the Muslims all over Gujarat were ter-
rified and helpless against the mob violence supported by the state.
Besides these cases, during the main phase of violence, hun-
dreds of Muslim youth were detained under POTA in connection
with Haren Pandya murder case, tiffin bomb case (no one was real-
ly injured in this case) and one omnibus case strangely called the
ISI conspiracy case. All these cases ended in conviction of the
Muslim accused and several are undergoing life sentences.
It must be said here that the Apex Court has time and again
intervened to protect the fundamental rights of the minorities but in
a country of over a billion people with a sizeable percentage of
minorities, even with the best intentions, it would be impossible for
a single court to protect the basic structure of the Constitution and
afford equal protection of law to the minorities when the players in
the state themselves pitch for the majority community.
Secularism is, therefore, an ambiguous word slipped into the
preamble of the Constitution during the dark days of Emergency by
way of the 42nd amendment of the Constitution in 1976. In our
country, it has become purely a political slogan for and against the
minority during elections.
In the international arena, the declaration of US of its resolve to
wage a War on Terror after the 9/11 event, has forced the genuine
secular forces to retreat as otherwise they would be seen to be sid-
ing with the Islamic Jehadis. This political propaganda has hit the
shores of all countries with their rightist forces queuing up to sup-
port the war on terror to please their western masters.
Interestingly, the campaign of the BJP-led Sangh Parivar
against the Muslims has also changed after the 9/11 event. Prior to
2001, the campaign used to revolve around demand of building of
the Ram temple as a retaliation to the alleged past oppression of
the Muslim rulers. After 9/11, the campaign shifted in profiling the
Muslims as terrorists and the death of the 58 karsevaks of the
Sabarmati Express was used to demonise the entire community.
Defenders of secularism must, therefore, take lessons from the
reality of the present day. While we salute warriors like Shahid
Azmi, we must realize that this struggle has to be waged by the
masses as a part of their larger struggle for democracy.
Dr. Mukul Sinha is a trained scientist turned trade-unionist and lawyer
based in Ahmedabad, who has unearthed crucial facts about the Godhra
carnage and the post-Godhra anti-Muslim pogrom and conducted success-
ful trails of fake encounters.
Secularism in India is an illusion
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 3
NATIONAL
Quote,
Unquote
I have found the entire story quite fishy from
the onset and it seems to be getting fishier,
all the way to the arrest of my colleague Syed
Mohammad Ahmad Kazmi in Delhi a few
weeks ago...I do not like the merry climax of
excitement in the media establishment every
time something explodes...
Israeli journalist AIMEE GINSBURG, Open Mag
The Hindi-Urdu controversy has made Urdu a
foreign language and Muslim to boot. Its neg-
lect has made the erstwhile Hindustani
speaking population spread from Jullundhar
in the West to Burdwan in the East, tongue-
less and dumb. The official language is, like
other things sarkaaree, stilted, artificial, lacks
vitality and life.
AKHILESH MITHAL, Sunday Guardian
KRANTIKUMAR SHARMA
N
anded: Advocate Milind Ektate is an accused in the Nanded
Irrigation Colony Bomb Blast Case No.14/2006, which took place
on 6 April.2006, along with 11 others. Readers must be guessing
that all accused persons except those two who died during the
bomb making must be languishing in jail as undertrials but their guess is
wrong. All 12 accused persons were easily bailed out. Those among the
accused who were government servants, got their regular promotions and
also were granted pensions in course of six years and those who were
professionals, including one orthopedic surgeon, are doing roaring busi-
ness. Advocate Milind Ektate son of Arvind Ektate is accused number 11
in the blast case of 2006 which is still pending in Nanded District Court. He
was elected as president of the Bar Association of Nanded district on
12 August.2010. With his aura as President of the Bar Association and the
notoriety attached to him due to his involvement in the blast case, Milind
is influencing judges, threatening litigants. He is not a bit scared that he
will be sentenced in the bomb blast case.
Even though two persons (Naresh Rajkondawar and Himanshu
Panse) died while making the improvised explosive devices, MCOCA
has not been applied to any of the 12 accused persons, complained Altaf
Ahmed, President of Indian Union Muslim League Marathwada Region.
When Milind Ektate applied for bail in 2006 after his arrest, the Assistant
Government pleader Alka Jayant Kurtadikar told the judge that the state
has no objection to Milind Ektate getting bail. It is believed that Alka
Kurtadikar, who helped advocate Milind Ektate get bail, is an RSS sympa-
thizer just like Milind Ektate and other surviving accused persons.
Milind Ektate is having a successful legal practice in the same district
court where he is an accused enlarged on bail. His father Arvind Ektate
(now dead) was a hardcore RSS worker who was detained under
Maintenance of Internal Security Act during 1975-1977.
Altaf Ahmed has been demanding that the blast case which is moving
at snails pace should be transferred to NIA since the investigation of the
blast case has not been progressing for the last five years. Though CBI
found links of the Nanded blast accused with other active groups of simi-
lar orientation, some
accused persons in the
Nanded blast case have
been acquitted.
Altaf Ahmed laments that the
fire tender which was called
for help on the fateful night of
6 April 2006, did the error of
washing the blood stains on
the walls and washed away
the burnt material on the floor
and thus destroyed important
pieces of evidence. Initially,
Police Inspector Dehadkar of
Bhagyanagar police station
who had investigated the
case had concluded that the
blast was caused due to
accidental bursting of crackers stocked by the house owners son Naresh
Laxman Rajkondawar. But when the case was handed over to the Anti
Terrorist Squad Mumbai, Assistant Commissioner of Police Tamaichekar
did fresh investigations which revealed that improvised explosive devices
were being made in the house of Laxman Rajkondawar for planting and
blasting at targeted places in Aurangabad. The house owners son
Naresh Rajkondawar had died instantaneously and Naresh's accomplice
Himanshu Panse, who was severely injured during the blast, also died
later.
Ibrahim Ali, Nanded District President of Indian Union Muslim
League, has demanded a probe into the criminal background of lawyers
in Maharashtra. He has cited the Five-Judge Bench judgment dated 11
January 2011 of Allahabad High Court, presided over by Chief Justice
Ferdino Inacio Rebello in PIL No.68094 which came up before Allahabad
High Court. The said judgment bars advocates with criminal record to be
members of the bar and orders bar to verify the antecedents of all mem-
bership applicants to make sure that they do not have criminal record.
Bomb Blast accused is President of
Nanded Bar Association
Rs 2 lakh cr Wakf land
scam in Karnataka
Bangalore: Karnataka State Wakf Board, one of
Indias richest waqf boards with properties of
over Rs 4 lakh crore, is being looted by the com-
munity itself. Fifty percent of the state Wakf prop-
erty has been misappropriated by powerful politi-
cians and wakf board members with the help of
real estate mafia, says a special report submitted
to Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda by the
Karnataka State Minorities Commission (KSMC).
It revealed that Wakf Board officials were
allegedly involved in an estimated embezzle-
ment of Rs 2 lakh crore.
The 7,500-page report in 11 volumes, which
will be tabled in the Assembly, contains names of
powerful politicians involved in the scam. The
commission has requested the chief minister,
who holds Wakf ministry portfolio, to reclaim the
property and initiate tough action against the
people involved in the fraud.
Chairman of KSMC Anwar Manipaddy and
his team prepared a report based on a complaint
received from Muslim community members that
the wakf property was being misused for pecu-
niary gains. The committee, during its visit to
Bidar, found out gross violations committed by
the board in collusion with others, wherein
around 1,800 acres of its property was embez-
zled, Manipaddy told media on 26 March. He
said that this followed in a survey which revealed
that the board has 33,741 registered properties,
of which 54,000 acres of land is registered and
20,000 acres is yet to be registered.
Wakf Board members and chairmen are
responsible for the same, Manipaddy said. The
chairman prepared a pilot report and compiled a
7,000-plus page record of violations committed
by the board members over the years. The report
nails Wakf board officials in 10 districts, including
Gulbarga and Mysore
Christians in South Delhi slum
attacked by Bajrang Dal activists
New Delhi: Bajrang Dal activists gathered out-
side Bhoomihan camp in Govindpuri where
Jagdish Dey of the Apostolic Faith Church was
conducting his weekly prayer and gagged
Christians assembled there over an alleged
report that they had offered money to people in
order to convert them to Christianity. After the ini-
tial bickering and quarrel, police took Jagdish to
the police station and later let him off and
ordered him not to visit the slum cluster again. It
is believed that the police acted under pressure
from the Bajrang Dal activists. The matter has
been reported to the Delhi Minority Commission.
A C Michel, member of the Delhi minority com-
mission, has sought protection for the family
members and people visiting the place for week-
ly prayer. MG NEWS DESK
Delhi-based Media Studies Group issued
this survey of Doordarshan Urdu
Doordarshans DD Urdu, after its five
years of establishment, is still not able to
set up any infrastructure of its own.
According to a survey done by Delhi-
based Media Studies Group; no perma-
nent appointment has been made so far
for 80 centres of DD Urdu across the country. Moreover, in DD Udrus
Delhi centre there are only six permanent employees, out of which four
are administrative. This information came out after the Group filed an
application under RTI asking details about DD Urdu from Delhi,
Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Hyedrabad, Kolkata, Patna and other centres of
Doordarshan. The findings of this survey are published in the first issue
of the Groups Journals, Jan Media (Hindi) and Mass Media (English),
which were released on 2 April in Delhi.
DD Urdu came into existence on 15 August, 2006 following a
Governmental commitment in Parliament made in response to the
unstarred question No. 2026 regarding launch of an Urdu Channel. The
language channel, as it exists today, is on air for 24 hours from
14 November, 2007, encapsulating heritage, culture, literature, informa-
tion, education and social issues specific to a target audience. Its man-
date, inter alia, is to repopularize the idiom, syntax and the lingual
behaviour purported to have gone into oblivion over the years.
The survey done by journalist and researcher Avaneesh on behalf of
the Media Studies Group is a comparative survey with respect to its
objectives and human resources.
The survey further reveals that there is no separate staff and
arrangement for DD Urdu, the works are done by the regular staff of
Doordarshan. Similarly, at these centres there is no set-up of production
for Urdu programmes.
At the Delhi centre, there are six permanent officers, one deputy
general director, one section officer, one programme producer, one pro-
ducer, one ADP and one ADG. Apart from this, there are 18 more work-
ers in the Urdu section who all are either temporary or contractual. At the
Lucknow centre, the number of staff is 11, in Hyderabad 29, in Kolkata
21, and in Patna it is six. At the Ahmedabad centre, a programme in Urdu
called Anjuman is broadcast, it is produced by Ishu Desai. The staff of
the regional centres too is either temporary or contractual.
The study concludes that the channel lacks both concrete policies
and human resources, hence it has failed to fulfil the desired goals out-
lined at the time of its establishment.
The Media Studies Group (MSGI) is a collective of journalists, who
have been involved in research and training of the students of journal-
ism, mass-communications and social campaigns for non-profit purpos-
es. On 2 April it launched its two monthly media research journals, Jan
Media (Hindi) and Mass Media (English). The journals are edited by vet-
eran journalist, Anil Chamadia. (For more information, contact jan-
media.editor@gmail.com)
Advani had instigated the
demolition of the Babri Masjid
Rai Bareily: CBIs 19th wit-
ness Waliullah s/o Inayatullah
said before the court of
Special Judge Vishnu Prasad
Agrawal who is hearing the
Babri Masjid demolition case
that Lal Krishn Advani had
called upon (karsevaks) to
demolish Babri Masjid. He
said that on 6 December 1992
processionists were shouting
the slogan that it is good that
police is with us. He said in
the court that he has been liv-
ing in Ayodhya since his birth
and the Babri Masjid which is
at a distance of about 100
metres from his residence is visible from there. He said that karsevaks
were assembling from 2, 3 December and arrangements for their stay
were made in the temples. He said that on 6 December a procession
was passing in front of his residence at 10/11 oclock and baba log (sad-
hus), Mahant Ram Chandra Das, Vinay Katiyar (M.P.), 10-12 security
guards and many others were there in the procession in which the slo-
gan it is good that police is with us was being raised. On that day
Acharya Ram Chandra Paramhans Das, M.P. Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti,
Sadhvi Ritambhara were making speeches. Pramhans had stated that
all the three domes have become dirty and these have to be cleaned.
You need not worry and you have to go after building.
The witness further said in his statement that Advani had stated
demolish the mosque after which people climbed the domes and by five
in the evening all the three domes were demolished. He said that the
atmosphere on that day was bad and lakhs of people were raising dirty
slogans. After 5 these people spread all over the city and began to
destroy mosques and set houses on fire. He said that his residence was
looted and then set on fire. In reply to a question by the defendants
lawyer he said that he did not lodge the complaint about the loot and
arson of his residence. He said that on 6 December night he remained
at the police station for two or three hours after which he went to
Faizabad in a police vehicle and returned from there after 15/20 days. In
reply to another question by the defendants lawyer he said that some of
the points in the statements he made in the court today, have not been
recorded in the statements made before the investigating officer.
After completion of the deposition of this witness the court took up
this case for hearing. Next date of the hearing of this case has been fixed
for 30 March. MG NEWS DESK
Doordashan Urdu is sham: survey
Milind Ektate
NATIONAL
4 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
NA ANSARI
N
ew Delhi: All India Milli Council held a National
Convention on Safety of Muslim Youth here on 1 March.
Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court and Chairman
of Prime Ministers High Level Committee, Justice
Rajinder Sachar said while inaugurating the Convention that
under the sections of Rebellion Act if we say that the present gov-
ernment is good for nothing and hence it should be overthrown,
this statement will attract the provisions of this law about which
Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru had stated in the Constituent Assembly
that it should be abolished but this section is still very much there.
Hence our demand is that all such laws which are against demo-
cratic spirit and values should be abolished. He further cautioned
the misuse of black laws like TADA and POTA saying that under
POTA there was a provision that if someone is arrested but
proved innocent in a court, action will be taken against the con-
cerned police personnel but the present UPA government abol-
ished this section in UAPA.
Justice Sachar, like thousands of people present in the con-
ference, had tears in their eyes when parents and other near and
dear ones of innocent youths including even minors locked up in
jails under UPA, narrated with tearful eyes, heart-rending tales of
barbarity and cruelty to which they were subjected to in jails.
Dr. Saifullah, brother of Ghayoor Ahmad of Madhubani (Bihar)
who is being subjected to harsh treatment behind bars, said that
his brother is completely innocent and people in neighbouring
areas are fully aware of this. It cannot even be imagined that he
can commit such a crime. He said that he tried to convince every-
body from top to bottom about his innocence but so far justice has
not been done to him.
Similarly, Muhammad Aamir Khan of Delhis Sadar Bazar,
while narrating his tale of woes said that one day after night prayer
he stepped out of his house to bring medicines when a police
vehicle coming from behind stopped, picked him up and with that
started a long journey in different jails for 14 years and every-
where he had to suffer insulting behaviour and untold miseries.
Hearing the tale of his hair-raising ordeal and tales of woe, the
entire audience in the hall had tears in their eyes. He expressed
his sense of despair that none of the leaders including the vast
gathering in the hall ever came to take care of him during these
14 years nor went to his residence to share the pains and worries
of his family members. Similar heart-rending and hair-raising sto-
ries were narrated by other affected persons like Nesar Ahmad
Azmi, father of Saqib Nesar, Tanveer Ansaris father-in-law Ilyas
and Ziaur Rahmans father Abdur Rahman.
Milli Councils general secretary Dr Manzoor Alam said that
the sole purpose of holding this convention was to remove the
inertia, to bring to an end the atmosphere of fear and terror and to
raise our voice unitedly against cruelty and injustice and to avail
rights and powers available to us under the Indian Constitution. To
achieve this, we have to create an awakening in society by using
all available and permissible means either by public awareness or
through legal or political fight.
Maulana Kalb-e Sadiq, famous Shia scholar, said that for this,
first of all on the basis of Kalima we have to be united and only
then we could boldly face any kind of oppression. He said that this
move and voice initiated by the Milli Council is timely.
Former MP and former president of Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat, Syed Shahabddin, said that policemen in plain
clothes pick up innocent Muslim youth on the excuse of terrorism,
implicate them in false cases, torture and subject them to inhu-
man treatment for years and thereafter they are acquitted on
grounds of insufficient proof and evidence. He asked what was
this if not mockery of truth and justice in a democratic country like
India? He added that even after acquittal there are no arrange-
ments for suitable compensation and their proper rehabilitation.
He demanded that in such cases, they should get reparations and
should be rehabilitated honourably in society.
Human rights activist Ravi Nair said that black laws must be
abolished. He regretted that when on peoples demand TADAwas
abolished, POTA was enacted and when POTA was abolished,
UAPA is created with more powers and when this too is found to
be insufficient, NCTC is being proposed and in this way the
process of cruel and black laws continues. Intellectual Tapan
Bose said that targeting the youth of a particular community is
genocide and putting a large number of them in jails is out and out
cruelty and oppression and it is tantamount to cutting the roots of
that community.
N.D. Pancholi, legal expert and human rights activist, said
that during pleading cases of TADA, POTA and UAPA victims,
facts that come to light are very tragic and painful and are black
spots on our democracy. Gurdeep Singh, Sikh leader, said that
yesterday the youth of the Sikh minority were victims of such
oppression and barbarity and today the youth of the Muslim com-
munity are the victims and tomorrow those of some other commu-
nity will become victims. Hence all of us need to jointly wage war
against this cruelty.
Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi, social worker, said that the way
Muslim youths were being harassed and victimised brought a bad
name to our country. John Dayal, prominent Christian leader, said
that in the past, incidents of anti-Christian riots and violence,
genocide in Gujarat, Kanchanalak incidents of riots and violence
and Maliana and Hashimpura massacres have spoilt Indias
image. Therefore, what is needed is that the series of baseless
and false cases against Muslim youth should be dropped immedi-
ately.
Welfare Party of Indias general secretary Dr. Qasim Rasool
Ilyas said that enough was enough. Large number of Muslim
youth inspite of their innocence were rotting in jails and even after
confessions by many Hindutva elements in the same cases of
bomb blasts in which Muslims were earlier falsely implicated,
these youth are still languishing in jails. He regretted that the ban
imposed on SIMI by the BJP-led NDA government was being rou-
tinely extended by the Congress-led UPA government on some
excuse or the other and Muslims were unnecessarily harassed.
Shining India?
Indian money abroad
By 2010, Indians invested $40 billion abroad - twice as much as
foreigners invested in India - a trend thats continued this year.
Indias business elite is frustrated with corruption, political paral-
ysis, log-jammed approvals, regulatory flip-flops, lack of access
to natural resources and land acquisition battles to pick a few
of the top complaints has reached a pitch perhaps not heard
since India began liberalizing its economy in the early 1990s.
In 2008, foreigners poured roughly twice as much direct invest-
ment into India $33 billion as Indians plowed into busi-
nesses overseas. By 2010, that had reversed: Indians invested
$40 billion abroad twice as much as foreigners invested in
India a trend thats continued this year.
1.20 crore female foetuses killed in India in 3 decades
Lucknow: In India 1.20 crore female foetuses were killed after
finding out their sex, before they could see the light of day dur-
ing the past three decades. This fact came to light after a survey
conducted by the Centre for Global Health Research this year.
This fact is also confirmed (on estimated basis) by the report of
the United Nations Childrens Rights Committee which was pub-
lished in October 2010. Indias census 2011 points out that the
continuous fall in the number of girls was noticed among chil-
dren upto six years of age and the ratio according to this census
was 914 girls to 1000 boys. According to this survey this boy-girl
ratio in some of the bigger and comparatively prosperous states
like Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh etc. was
even less than 914, particularly in Punjab and Haryana, which
are quite prosperous, this ratio is 846 and 830 respectively.
According to UNs Childrens Rights Committees guess, in
some Asian countries particularly India and China about 11.70
crore female foetuses were killed before their birth.
Questioning of two members of Sanatan Sansthan
Mangalore: It appears that bomb blasts which had taken place
in Goa and Malegaon a few years ago are in some way linked
to cities in coastal areas of Karnataka because investigating offi-
cers of NIA have reached Mangalore where they caught hold of
two persons at a place near this city and took them to the police
station for questioning. Though neither the local police nor NIA
officials gave any information about these people, according to
informed sources the two persons, Vinay and Uday, appear to
belong to Sanatan Sansthan, a Hindutva organisation whose
connection with bomb blasts in Goa and Malegaon had come to
light earlier. Both these persons are understood to be connect-
ed to one Jai Prakash Anna who is an important accused in
Malegaon bomb blasts. Police is in search of him, he carries a
reward of Rs. 25000 on his head. According to informed sources
investigating agencies are looking into his association with the
Goa and Malegaon bomb blasts. The NIA officers had come to
know that these two people, who are brothers, were in touch
with Anna and are also related to him and hence can be helpful
in finding out his (Anna, who is absconding) whereabouts. On
the other hand Sanatan Sansthan people are worried over the
questioning of these people by NIA. In a press conference in
Mangalore Sanatan people accused NIA of harassing and men-
tally torturing these people on the pretext of questioning.
46,000 jawans left central forces during 2007-11
The prevailing condition of Indias paramilitary forces can be
assessed from the fact that from 2007 to 2011 46,000 jawans
have left the Central Armed Police Forces for one reason or the
other. During the same period nearly 5,220 cases of voluntary
retirement and over 461 suicides and 64 instances of fratricides
were also reported. In CRPF 1,483 personnel have resigned
even before completing 20 years of service. For CISF, the figure
is 1679, for BSF it is 924, for SSB it is 646, for ITBP it is 351 and
for Assam Rifles it is 137. The alarming figures of resignation
and VRS reveals that the government has so far not been able
to adequately address the concerns of these personnel. Lack of
conducive and motivated work environment has diminished the
moral of the personnel. Some other possible factors are lack of
timely promotion, job satisfaction, and ineffective grievance
redressal mechanism. In addition to this, the jawans are denied
time-bound promotion and monetary benefits which in one way
or the other hampers overall potential of the jawans and there-
by they are left with no option other than to look for some other
avenues more rewarding for job satisfaction as well as financial
benefits.
Insurgency-hit J&K has 36,000 widows and orphans
The state government in reply to a question of CPI-M leader
MY Trigami in the state assembly said that so far 36, 000 have
become widows, orphans and handicapped due to violence and
militancy related incidents in the entire state. In 2007-08 the
Rehabilitation Council of the Social Welfare Department con-
ducted a survey to find the number of widows in the state.
According to the survey findings the number of widows, orphans
and handicapped is 36,000 and out of which 6345 are widows
of civilians and 2266 are widows of militants, 20707 are orphans
of civilians while 5379 are orphans of militants and 1903 handi-
capped persons. In yet another finding it has been said that dur-
ing the last two years about 230 women have lost their lives by
attempting suicides because of domestic violence, abject pover-
ty or because of mental pressure and anxiety. This information
was provided by social welfare minister Sakina Ittu in reply to a
question from Naresh Gupta.
Convention on the Security
of Muslim Youth
New Delhi: The March 2000 encounter at Pathribal in Jammu &
Kashmir that claimed the lives of seven civilians was nothing but
a cold-blooded murder and no sanction was required to prose-
cute the Army personnel involved in the incident. This submission
was made on 19 March by senior counsel Ashok Bhan, who
appeared for the CBI, before a Bench of Justices B.S. Chauhan
and Swatanter Kumar in the Supreme Court.
The Centre had asserted that no Army personnel could be
prosecuted without sanction and in this case no offence was
committed as the killings were genuine encounters in the dis-
charge of their official duties. Army personnel had shot dead
seven alleged militants in the incident.
No sanction is required for the prosecution of the accused
after the CBI filed a chargesheet against the five officers in
Srinagar. In order to restore faith in rule of law, trial should now
commence, Mr. Bhan said. The question of sanction would arise
only after cognisance was taken by a magistrate, but in the pres-
ent decade-old case, the Army chose to challenge the prosecu-
tion at the time of the chargesheet.
The case had been pending with a Srinagar trial court, with
both the Army authorities and the Army officers challenging the
magistrates order asking the Army to explain under Section 125
of the Army Act, whether it wanted to take over the case and try
its men or wanted the court to go ahead and try them. The CBI
had been insisting that no sanction was necessary to prosecute
the officers as the cold-blooded murders could not be said to fall
within their official duties.
The provision of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act
(AFSPA) that protects officers from unnecessary litigation,
Section 6, was intended to protect anything done in exercise of
official duty and not otherwise, Mr. Bhan argued.
However, Additional Solicitor-General P.P. Malhotra, appear-
ing for the Army, said that under the AFSPA, no case could even
be instituted against the officers without government sanction. He
had been insisting that the CBI should first approach the Union
government on the issue of sanction.
Pathribal encounter is cold-blooded murder: CBI
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 5
NATIONAL
MOHAMMAD SHAHID
Lucknow: As the euphoria over the young SP youth icon Akhilesh Yadav
taking over the reins of power in the state dies down, expectations of the
people with the new government rise. It is now time for the new chief
minister to act in order to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people
who overwhelmingly supported his party in the elections. Well aware of
the peoples aspirations, the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, while
addressing party workers on the birth anniversary of Ram Manohar
Lohia, said the SP government will implement within a year all the prom-
ises made in the election manifesto.
The Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, while thanking the people on the
occasion for reposing faith
in his party, reiterated his
resolve to do whatever it
takes to live up to their
expectations. Earlier
Akhilesh in his press con-
ference after taking oath of
office had vowed to weed
out corruption from the
state and fulfill all the
promises made in the
party manifesto. True to
his word, the cabinet in its
first meeting the same evening cleared unemployment allowance of
Rs1000 per month to all those unemployed who have crossed the age
of 35, and tablets and laptops to those who have passed classes 10 and
12 respectively and a special incentive of Rs.30,000 to all Muslim girls
who pass class 10, besides fencing all Muslim graveyards in the state.
The cabinet also decided to restore students unions in higher educa-
tional institutions across the state.
These announcements, in accordance with the partys election
manifesto, are a welcome step but the real challenge before the new
government is the law and order issue and corruption for which, as
Mulayam said, discipline among party workers was a must. The SP
supremo warned the workers, People have voted SP to power only
because they feel that our party workers will not repeat the mistakes
they had committed earlier. If the party workers do not realize this and
misbehave, then we will be voted out in the next elections, he said. The
elder Yadav, while advising Akhilesh to hold traditional janata Darbar,
said that he planned to introduce a single window system to address the
grievances of the party workers. With a view to reining in the party work-
ers and leaders and inculcating a sense of discipline among them, the
party leadership has formulated guidelines to be followed by all party-
men.
The Gunda Raj image of the partys last government headed by
Mulayam Singh Yadav still haunts the party and it is trying hard to get
rid of it. It is this desire that prompted Akhilesh to take action against a
dozen of party activists for creating ruckus at the swearing-in ceremony
of the new chief minister and involvement in other incidents of violence
after the declaration of the poll results. From the day the election results
were declared, SP leadership is making all efforts to refurbish the image
of the party and prove worthy of the faith the electorate has reposed in
it.
But it is easier said than done. Some time political compulsions and
personal equations come in the way and promises and principles are
forgotten as is demonstrated in the formation of the Akhilesh Yadav min-
istry. People of the state expected the new chief minister, a youth icon,
to induct new blood and clean-image leaders into his team. But to their
dismay they saw the same familiar faces that were the part of the last
SP government headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav. Raja Bhaiyya, who
did not even contest on the SP
ticket, and several other tainted
leaders found place in the cabinet
despite Akhileshs promise that
no such leaders would be given
place in the government. There
are at least 28 in the Akhilesh
cabinet against whom cases
ranging from minor to heinous
crimes like extortion, kidnapping
and murder are pending in courts.
Akhileshs career, no doubt, is
spotless but to expect from him
clean politics with this rotten ministry will be expecting too much.
Then some of the sops cleared by the cabinet in its first meeting are
not very convincing. The restoration of students unions in higher educa-
tional institutions will only vitiate the academic atmosphere if it is done
without implementing the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee.
Again the tablets and laptops announced for students show the mis-
placed priority of the new government. When half of the children in the
state are suffering from malnutrition and drop out of school after Class
VIII due to poverty, it is a cruel joke to give them computers. As UP is
infamous for mass copying and fake certificates, the real beneficiaries
of the scheme will be the companies that will supply these devices.
The real test of the government will be at the implementation stage.
If all the sops promised in the manifesto are implemented it will incur an
expenditure of Rs.66,000 crore. The state exchequer already suffers a
deficit of Rs, 19,000 crore, so from where this money will come? The
Samajwadi Party or the government has not announced any scheme to
generate this additional amount. If the government goes for borrowing,
it would mean an extra burden of Rs 66,000 crore on the exchequer.
However, if insiders in the party are to be believed, the party is thinking
of taking help of some industrialists. To prove their point, the insiders
cite the presence of Ambani and Subrat Roy of Sahara at Akhileshs
swearing-in ceremony function. If this happens, it would not be good for
the state or the Samajwadi Party as the industrialists money will not
come without a quid pro quo. The road ahead is not so smooth for
Akhilesh Yadav.
N
ew Delhi: A delegation of community leaders from
Bhatkal (Karnataka) met Union Home Minister
P. Chidambaram here on 2 April. The delegation was
led by SM Syed Khalilur Rahman who told the home
minister that while Bhatkal is being defamed by print and elec-
tronic media which publish concocted news, police and intelli-
gence officers, especially at immigration and customs points,
look with suspicion at Bhatkal people and harass them.
Mr. Rahman told the minister that when Bhatkal people
approach government officials regarding concocted media
reports, they deny having provided any such information to the
media. Rahman referred to a recent news item in Times of India
claiming that a certain quantity of RDX is hidden in Bhatkal.
When a local newspaper Vartha Bharathi approached police offi-
cers, they denied any such information. When the local newspa-
per published this on its front page next day, ToI had to publish
an explanatory note in an inside page in the local edition only
while the original news was splashed on the front page and was
carried in its other editions. Mr Rahman presented a file to the
minister containing such cuttings. The home minister told the
delegation that Police and IB officers have doubts that three per-
sons from Bhatkal, viz., Riyaz, Iqbal and Yaseen, may be
involved in bomb blasts. He said that earlier ATS had arrested
Abdus Samad from Bhatkal on suspicion of taking part in the
Pune blast but he was released when it was proved that he was
attending a marriage function in Bhatkal at the time of the blast.
Chimbaram said these three suspects should surrender to the
Police and if they are innocent, courts will release them. He fur-
ther said that people of Bhatkal should not be harassed because
of three suspects and if there is harassment, people should go
to courts against the Police and media. The home minister
asked the delegation to give him details of a few persons who
were harassed at airports or by passport enquiry policemen.
Mr Chidambaram refused to be photographed with the delega-
tion in his office but told them that he will come to Bhatkal soon
and then will be ready for any number of photo clicks with the
people of the town.
Bhatkal delegation meets Chidambaram
Akhilesh Govt.: the road ahead is bumpy
Times of India bites
dust but only locally
English daily Times of India has issued a clarification for its
report claiming large stock of RDX stored in a Bhatkal house.
But this clarification came only after Vartha Bharathi Kannada
daily carried a special report on its front page exposing ToIs fake
report.
ToI Mangalore edition had carried a front page report on
23 March 2012 titled Bhatkal Sits on an RDX dump, warn police-
men. The report said a dump of explosive material including
RDX huge enough to singe major south Indian cities is piled up
in an unidentified house in the town.
The TOI report also claimed that a joint team of the Anti-
Terrorist Squad Bangalore and Delhi Special police scoured
Bhatkal town to identify the house, with the help of four terror
suspects including Nasir from Kerala, who is the prime accused
in the Bangalore serial blasts. The report further claimed that the
explosives from the Bhatkal
dump are believed to have
been used in the
Chinnaswamy Stadium
blasts in 2010 and Delhi High
Court last year and also in
several other terror strikes
across the country (!).
TOI report created an
atmosphere of fear and
apprehension in Bhatkal and
surrounding areas. Many
other national newspapers
and websites copied the ToI
report about Bhatkal.
Vartha Bharathi immedi-
ately contacted senior police
officers including SP of
Uthara Kannada district to
verify the authenticity of the
report. The Uthara Kannada
SP completely denied the
TOI report and lambasted
the paper for carrying such
irresponsible and fabricated
news. He said RDX is not a
simple fertilizer to be stored
in a house.
Vartha Bharathi carried
the statement of SP promi-
nently on its front page on
25th March alongwith a pic-
ture of TOIs false report. As
a result, TOI was left with no
option but to issue a clarification. It published a clarification on
the 3rd page of its 26 March 2012 issue of the Mangalore edition
but not in other editions although the same news was prominent-
ly published in other editions too including the Delhi edition which
shows how much ToI subscribes to the notions of truth and objec-
tivity.
Justice Katju refuses
darshan of disputed
Ramjanmabhoomi
Ayodhya: Press
Council of Indias
Chairman Justice
Markandey Katju
during his recent
visit to Ayodhya par-
ticipated in different
programmes and
visited many tem-
ples and performed
darshan but when
he was requested to
visit Ram Janmabhoomi and have Ram Lallas dar-
shan he declined, saying that visiting a disputed
place by a justice is not proper. This was for the first
time that an important and respectable personality
on his visit to Ayodhya / Faizabad had refused to
perform darshan at the disputed Ram
Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site.
Haji Mahboob, Babri Masjids plaintiff while
praising Justice Katjus impartiality, sincerity and
courage said that he is the first person who, by
refusing to perform darshan at the disputed place,
not only upheld the honour of the court but also
maintained the trust and confidence of minorities in
courts. Haji Mahboob said that the first wish of
every important personality that comes to
Faizabad, whether he be from government or hold-
ing a high post in judiciary, is to go to Ayodhya and
have darshan of Ram Lalla whose idol is placed on
the debris of Babri Masjid. After stepping out from
Circuit House officers of district administration led
them to the make-shift temple to let them have dar-
shan. News of honourable justices having darshan
come in newspapers also.
Obviously, after reading such news every
Muslim is compelled to think that when honourable
judges have so much faith in the disputed place of
Ram Lalla, how can they pronounce their verdict in
favour of Babri Masjid? Today Justice Katju, by
refusing to have darshan of the disputed site, not
only raised the honour and sanctity of Indias judici-
ary but also assured that if governments and
administration show laxity in administering justice,
courts can and should ensure justice. (Manzar
Mehdi)
The Gunda Raj image of the partys last
government headed by Mulayam Singh
Yadav still haunts the party and it is trying
hard to get rid of it. It is this desire that
prompted Akhilesh to take action against a
dozen of party activists for creating ruckus
at the swearing-in ceremony of the new
chief minister and involvement in other
incidents of violence after the declaration
of the poll results.
NATIONAL
6 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
HAIDER ABBAS
Lucknow: No doubt this city is the capital of UP but the political cap-
ital of this state capital is the High Court (HC), and under no way, its
sway over the political dispensation can be denied or belittled. Its
political enormity can be gauged from the fact that in the last decade,
two of its Advocate Generals (AG), Virender Bhatia and Satish
Chandra Misra, managed to make it to the Rajya Sabha.
The third most coveted office, for any government, after the CM
and the cabinet, is that of AG, who too holds the rank of a cabinet
minister, and has to run as many as five offices in the state with all
of his political and legal abilities, in order to defend his government.
Thus, Mulayam Singh Yadav chose to bank upon his old horse SP
Gupta who is slated to mostly sit at Allahabad HC, and soon came
the appointments of VB Singh and Zafaryab Jilani as the Additional
Advocate Generals (AAG). Singh too is to sit at Allahabad. Jilani,
therefore, will look after the affairs in Lucknow. Jilani is a gold medal-
ist in LLM from AMU.
The office of AG under SC Misra (2002-2003) had a staff of less
than a 100 and this included the Chief Standing Counsel (CSC),
Additional CSC, SC and Brief Holders (BH) in the civil stream and
Government Advocate (GA), Additional GA-1, Additional GA-2 and
BH from the criminal side. The numbers were drastically increased
by Bhatia (which reached close to 300) in 2003, and around fifty
more were added during the BSP (2007-12) regime under
AG Jyotinder Misra, a protg of SC Misra. Needless to say, every
appointment is thoroughly political, and has by now acquired even
more significance since Rs 1300/day is disbursed to even a BH-the
lowest in order.
The issue of appointments, thus, would continue to experience
intense political lobbying until the list is finally out, as after all, it
would be a jolly-ride for the next five years. But, what is spoiling the
obvious broth is the presence of the proverbial sycophants, who
enjoyed a full-scale state patronage, for five years, and are brazen
enough to throng the AG office. Many lawyers from across UP are
said to have been camping in Lucknow since March 15, and are a
constant presence at Vikramaditya Marg-the SP office. However, the
spirit shown by the outgoing AAG JN Mathur was commendable as
he was gracious enough to hand over his resignation to SP Gupta,
something which Syed Husain, could not do until he was shameless-
ly shown the door. Now his cronies are desperately trying to some-
how sneak in. HC Lucknow is therefore all set to be a hotbed for all
kinds of manoeuvring in the days ahead.
The AG office is a gracious house, and outrightly so, should
refuse to become a contagion of small-mindedness, as the threats to
overwhelm it are quite threatening, as the two strongest lobbies, the
Kayastha and the Brahmin are pushing hard. Hence, what could fol-
low is the golden principle of prioritising those who never got
wavered and always stood behind SP in all of these trying years. The
second have to be those who were in office until 2007 but were oust-
ed once BSP held sway. The third can be those who were primarily
SP men but were retained by BSP on the same status. There should
be no room for those who were with SP
(until 2007) and were promoted during
the BSP regime. Those who enjoyed
unstinted state patronage for the first time
should also be made to cool their heels.
Meanwhile, the BJP sleeping sympa-
thisers, Congress traditional stakehold-
ers, BSP dormant modules, are these
days engaged into a camouflage exercise
trying to play Victor/Victoria, pushing their
CVs in the AAG office.
The presence of Muslim lawyers was
around 50 during the last regime and
probably everyone who had any creden-
tials for a Muslim cause was adjusted, but
all of them, with only one or two excep-
tions had gloriously left the court premis-
es, on Sep 30, 2010, when the Babri
Masjid/Ramjanambhumi order was pro-
nounced. But, today all of them are back
with a Muslim tag, ready to snatch every
possible benefit! This is AAG Jilanis vul-
nerable spot. How would he sitting in
Lucknow strike a balance, amid all such
intrigues, is yet to be seen.
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
Life is full of paradoxes,
and not all of them are
intriguing. Some of them
give a pleasant cosy feel-
ing too. Recently, on
25 March, people saw
Pakistan Deputy Attorney
General, Muhammad
Khurshid Khan, polishing the shoes of devotees
at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj in Delhi. This work is
part of Seva (service) in gurudwaras. This par-
ticular tradition is part of Sikh temples. Kurshid
was doing this to atone the sins of Taliban that
have tormented Sikhs in Afghanistan and
Pakistan in many ways. He was also doing it to
heal the wounds inflicted on minorities who
have suffered violence. Taliban had abducted
three Sikhs, demanded ransom and one of the
Sikhs was killed in the process. Khurshid felt the
Taliban have done something inhuman which is
against Islam. Pained by this, he started this
mission to bring peace and amity amongst reli-
gious communities.
One is sure there may be enough conserva-
tive and fanatic elements who will criticize this
humane and touching gesture on the part of
Khurshid. One knows that Taliban with their par-
ticular vision of Islam, which got a boost in the
indoctrination of madrasas set up in Pakistan by
CIA to counter the Russian occupation of
Afghanistan, is the extreme intolerant variety,
something against the basic tenets of that reli-
gion. Same Taliban had destroyed the Bamiyan
Buddha statues, they had also imposed Jizia on
Sikhs and had thought of introducing a colour
code for dress for people according to their reli-
gion. South Asia has been in the grip of sectari-
an violence where minorities in each others
countries have been major victims of politics of
hate in the name of religion, a kind of politics
which takes cover under the identity of religion
and spreads hatred against others belonging to
other religions.
This kind of politics also accentuates the
divides amongst the followers of same religion
as it also breaks them into further narrow sects.
Surely, while Christians and Hindus nave been
a major victim of violence in Pakistan, the small-
er sects of Ahmadia or Qadianis have faced the
wrath of dominant sections of society. In India,
during the rise of the communal violence during
the last three decades while Muslim and
Christian religious minorities have faced the
brunt of sectarian violence; at the same time
dalits and Adivisis too have been victims of this
brand of violence.
Politics in the name of religion operates on
the foundation of religious identity undermining
the moral values of that religion. It constructs a
history where the kings of a particular religion
become the icons of that religious community,
while kings belonging to other religions become
enemies and villains. The interactive culture of
the communities is undermined in these narra-
tives and the religious communities are made to
stand against each other as opposite parties.
The reality is that the amity of people had been
more along economic lines, the landlords on
one side, the labouring masses on the other.
While the clergy stood at the service of the
affluent and ruling classes, the saints expressed
the sigh of the oppressed sections of society.
The landlords-kings allied and fought with each
other for the sake of power and wealth while the
labouring masses interacted with each other,
rubbing shoulders while visiting the sufi dar-
gahs, or paying respect to saints of the genre of
Kabir, cutting across religions.
The colonialists were more interested in
plundering South Asia which, as a continent,
came under British rule in the main. The British
promoted the declining sections of landlords
and kings, recognising them as representatives
of their respective religious communities. This
laid the foundation of communal politics, Muslim
League on one side and Hindu Mahsabha and
RSS on the other. These communal streams
picked up a particular version of history, centred
on the religion of the kings and tried to preserve
their vested interests in the language of religion.
This interpretation looks down on the syncretic
traditions of people who found as much solace
with the likes of Bulle Shah or Nizamuddin
Auliya as with Ramdev Baba Pir or Satya Pir
and with Dadu, Raidas or Tukaram.
The highest point of the success of the
British policy of divide and rule was the partition
of the country, rather carving out of Pakistan in
the name of religion, while the remaining part
upheld the values of freedom movement to
come up as a secular democratic nation.
Overall, the major culture and traditions of
South Asia, India-Pakistan-Bangladesh are
mixed, syncretism of their religious traditions
being its high point. During the last three
decades sectarianism has surged due to many
a local factor which have been further boosted
by the rise of the global emperor, US, which
devised the religious lan-
guage and demonized
Islam to quench its hunger
for oil. The result has been
the wounds of partition,
the wounds of communal
strife of the past which
were slightly cooling down
have been exacerbated
and the communal forces
have become stronger in
all South Asian countries.
These communal forces
have at one level similar
values, opposition to
democracy and abolition
of human rights of weaker sections of society. At
surface, they present it as a battle against the
other religious community.
In this dismal scenario, it is people like
Khurshid who are braving it out and despite the
sure opposition from fundamentalist forces, are
keeping the torch of amity alive. While Taliban,
Ziaul Haque and RSS-type formations have
been on rampage, the forces like those present-
ed by Khurshid are also silently singing the
songs of peace. The efforts in this direction have
been slowly but surely percolating and trying to
appeal to the humane aspects of community liv-
ing. These elements know that while at one
level the victim groups have to get their rights by
their struggle against injustices, they also know
that the progress of society is possible only by
overcoming the sectarian divides which try to
trample our democratic values. Democratic
ethos are the base on which the struggle for
human rights and better society is possible in
the short and long runs. All the efforts which
bring communities together for interaction and
celebration are building the bridges which not
only will overcome sectarianism but will also lay
the foundations on which peace with justice will
be possible. Three cheers for the likes of
Muhammad Khurshid Khan! (Issues in Secular
Politics)
Bridges for Harmony
Let sycophants not spoil the U.P. HC broth
Muslims lag far behind in
media race: Zakir Naik
Riyadh: Distinguished Islamic scholar and preacher,
Dr. Zakir Naik, while speaking at a function held here in his
honour, said that Muslims lag far behind in the media race,
the most important reason of which is that they are ignorant
of modern technology and work with limited knowledge. He
said that they should take full advantage of modern technol-
ogy and work hard day and night. He said that in all Muslim
countries media is being used for wrong purpose and objec-
tives whereas it should be used for propagating and preach-
ing Islamic ideology. He said that today media has become
so powerful that if it calls day night and black white and vice
versa, people start believing it. Expressing his sorrow that
most of Muslim ulama are ignorant of modern technology,
he said that today internet, electronic media and satellite
have brought the entire world under their control, but inspite
of all this the fact cannot be denied that print media has its
own importance and it will always be important.
Speaking about the books and other publications of
Darus-Salaam he said these are most reliable and authen-
tic and to get correct knowledge and information about
Quran and Hadees people should take full advantage of its
publications, which are particularly useful to the youth of the
new generation and their access and introduction to these
publications is the need of the time. Replying to questions
raised by the audience he said hat maximum violation of
human rights takes place in America but that country proj-
ects the mistakes of Muslims in a highly exaggerated man-
ner. He called upon Muslims to devote themselves to acqui-
sition of education and knowledge. Subsequently, while
speaking to mediapersons he said that under IRF there are
Urdu, Bengali and English channels and very soon channels
in Arabic, Spanish and Chinese languages also will be
launched. He said that Muslims should be self-dependent in
the field of research and money is no hindrance for any kind
of work or initiative, simply strong willpower and determina-
tion is needed (for doing or starting any work). Giving the
example of Abdul Maalik Mujahid, (the founder of Darus
Salam) he said that he started his work 25 years ago from a
small room and today there are 33 branches of Darus-
Salaam (or Darul Islam) all over the world and translations
of Quran and other Islamic literature have been made in
more than 30 languages by this institution.
Earlier, Dr. Zakir Naik inaugurated a new branch of
Darus-Salaam in a market of Riyadh in the presence of
thousands of people. Abdul Maalik Mujahid, while thanking
Dr. Zakir Naik said that his publication house earlier pub-
lished his (Dr. Naiks) books and will publish his books in
Urdu and Arabic in future also. He also said that Darus-
Salaam will soon be starting a magazine for children which
will be called Shining Star.
MG/Yusuf
Pakistans Deputy Attorney General Khurshid Khan shines
shoes at Gurudwara Rakabganj in New Delhi
Our photo
will be more
appropriate
on this note
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 7
NATIONAL
Following is the full text of the report of the fact-finding team
of Hyderabad-based Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee
which visited Sangareddy to probe the communal violence
there. The report was issued on 5 April:
A
fact-finding team of Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee
consisting of Prof. Rehana Sultana, Lateef Mohammed
Khan, Kaneez Fathima, M. Mandakini, S. Q. Masood and
Mohammad Ismail Khan visited Sangareddy, the head-
quarter of A.P.s Medak district where communal violence erupt-
ed in the night of 29 March 2012. The team visited the affected
area and spoke to the victims whose business establishments
were totally destroyed by the miscreants.
Introduction: In the night of 29 March 2012, communal vio-
lence erupted in the Sangareddy town while Muslims were
protesting in front of a police station against the posting of insult-
ing and objectionable image of Kaaba, the holy shrine of Muslims,
with a demand to take action against the culprits. But local police
did not take any serious measure and asked them to leave the
place. Hearing the protest of Muslims, activists of RSS gathered
and started arson and looting of Muslim business establishments.
Police remained mute spectators; neither they prevented the mob
nor allowed Muslims to protect their properties, repeating the
Gujarat episode. Hundreds of families have been affected due to
this devastation and almost rupees two crores worth of properties
were destroyed. Curfew was imposed to control the situation and
still night curfew is being continued. Muslims still entertain a kind
of fear due to this targeted violence and think that Gujarat-like
violence has been experimented in their area. A reason for this
thinking among them is due to the fact that a Muslim candidate
has been defeated in Mahboobnagar by-elections by using a
communal and Reddy card and the same situation has been
repeated at Sangareddy, which is a serious concern for the
Muslim community.
The area which the team visited is Masjid-e Nomania and
Madarsa, New Grand Hotel, bakery and pan shop, Asian pan
shop, Milan sweet house and opticals, S. A. Electricals, Siraj pan
shop, Tajammul pan shop, Khaja pan shop, Mushtaq pan shop,
Ehtesham pan shop, Labbaik hotel, Shalimar flower shop, Rose
bakery, Modern bakery, Rahmat garment, A1 sweet house, Maruti
footwear, Sattar Xerox and milk centre, S. R. Mobiles, Royal
watch, and small vendors like cutlery shops, sugar cane juice
carts, tea carts, flower carts, cycle taxi, raxine works, chicken
shop, welding shop, garment carts etc.
Going back to history, Sangareddy is named after Sanga the
son of Rani Shankaramba, ruler of Medak during the period of
Nizam. It is also known as the industrial capital of Andhra
Pradesh. It is just 55 kms from Hyderabad city and has a popula-
tion of over 150, 000. Muslims comprise 35% of the urban popu-
lation and depend largely on small business establishments such
as bakery, restaurants, and shops selling pan, garments and fruit
juice as well as auto and lorry transport.
The team felt that each and every person whose business
establishment has been destroyed was eagerly waiting to
express his pain and expecting that someone would understand
his grief and sorrow. As soon as the team arrived there, the pro-
prietor of Labbaik hotel [restaurant] Mr. Ateequr Rahman came
forward and invited us to come to his hotel. He narrated that on
29 March a mob of 20-25 people with petrol, iron rods etc looted
two pan shops, broke them open and threw the materials on road
and set them on fire. Then they tried to lift the shutter of his hotel
and tried to burn, but his neighbour Murlidhar came there after
hearing the noise, he asked them to leave the place because his
cloth showroom is exactly beside the hotel. So the miscreants left
it. Even then, some furniture was burnt and he suffered a loss of
1.5 lakh. Mr. Ateeq said that in his 40 years of life, he has never
seen such violence at Sangareddy. This hotel is exactly opposite
the MLAs house. At present he is so devastated by the attack that
he wants to leave his native place.
The team visited the neighbouring shop S.M. Brothers whose
proprietor is Muralidhar. He said that when he came he could not
see anybody as the place was filled with tear gas smoke.
Everyone is scared because of uncertainty of the situation.
Adjacent to the post office compound wall, 10 to 15 shops of
small vendors suffered a loss of 40-50 thousand rupees each.
Among them was a person named Shaik Gudu who told us that
police arrived and stood by as mute spectators, it failed to take any
step to save the burning shops of Muslims. Petrol bombs were
used largely to burn the shops. He wondered, how a headquarter
of a district does not have reserved police. Another person at the
place said that leaders from every political party were involved.
Tajuddin of Shalimar flower shop, who incurred a loss of 1.5
lakh, and Ahmedullah Khan of Rose bakery, who incurred a loss
of five lakh, said that the mob broke the shutter of their shops,
and lobbed into them petrol bombs, ignited fire, then pulled down
the shutters. Due to this all material and furniture inside the shops
were burnt including the ceiling; even the blades of the fans were
melt. They said that it is a targeted violence and the preparations
were done some 15 days earlier. They said that some ten people
were employed in each shop and these lost their livelihood; they
are now without any work and no one is thinking about them.
Majid of Modern bakery said that a mob of 20-25 people
came with petrol cans, looted the shop, threw petrol and burnt the
shop, where he incurred a loss of eight lakh. According to him,
this was the oldest bakery of the area. Mukhtar, owner of a pan
shop, said he incurred a loss of one lakh, Mohammad Ismail,
Mohammad Arif and Salahuddin, owner of auto-rickshaws, said
that their five seven-seater autorickshaws were burnt. Flower
shop, cutlery and tea stall owned by Yousuf, Syed Shujaat Ali and
Syed Wajid Ali, were destroyed. When the fact-finding team
asked them about the remains of their stalls and autorickshaws,
they said a day before Chandrababu Naidus visit, all the remains
of the destroyed properties were taken away and those places
were cleaned. Now we have only photos and FIRs, they said.
Proprietor of AZ communications, Mr. Aziz, said that he was
about to start his dinner when he came to know that a mob is
attacking his shop. He rushed but before he could reach the
place, everything was burnt to ashes. He never thought that his
livelihood will be snatched away in such a manner. S R
Communications owner A. Sattars shop was burnt completely
and he incurred a loss of six lakh.
Owner of Asian pan shop, Mohammad Majid, said that his pan
shop situated next to the Vijayalakshmi sweet house was burnt
completely but the said sweet house was not even touched by the
mob. He says confidently that local people were behind this attack
and he can identify them. Exactly beside this sweet house, there
is a big shop named S. A. Electricals. The owner of this shop,
Syed Jaffer, said with a broken heart that a person in whose house
I did electrical repairs a number of times, burnt my shop and
destroyed my livelihood in such cruel manner. He said that 20-25
persons were employed by him, now those people have become
unemployed. He incurred a loss of 20-25 lakh. He clearly men-
tioned the name of Somnath who attacked his shop. When the
mob arrived to burn the pan and electrical shops, Majid pleaded
with this particular person (Somnath) not to burn the shop, but
Somnath said throw this person also in the shop and burn him.
The oldest and biggest hotel of Sangareddy is Grand Hotel,
pan shop and bakery. The owner, Ishtiaqur Rahman, told us that
their establishment was looted while police officers watched it
silently. The police even beat up one of his brothers and broke his
leg. The same police officers always used to eat in this hotel
which is open 24 hours at the request of police officers. He clear-
ly mentioned the names of people who attacked his hotel.
Persons belonging to BJP, Somnath, Jagan, Shekar, Vasu,
Nagraj, Seenu, Kittu, Chander, Sunny and others were identified
by him and others at the place. According to them, the attack was
pre-planned. They also said that political leaders are visiting but
not doing anything practically.
The team visited Masjid-e Nomania and Madarsa where
Maulana Syed Fasiuddin and Suleman Siddiqui spoke to us.
They said that this Masjid is also known as Bus stand Masjid.
Maulana Syed Fasiuddin said that a person named Pawan
Kumar Mudiraj posted some objectionable images on the
Facebook. This was shared by a number of people. When
Muslims came to know about this, they gathered at the police sta-
tion demanding action against this person. But, the CI not taking
the matter seriously said, I will look into the matter tomorrow. The
group insisted upon immediate action and started raising slogans
of Allahu Akbar. On the other side, a large mob belonging to RSS,
Bajrang Dal, Hindu Vahini connected to an MLA started attacking
Muslim business establishments between 11.15 pm to 3.15 am.
They burnt the gate of Masjid but failed to enter the Masjid as its
gate was locked. They were successful in breaking the mosques
loud speakers and minaret. He said that the mob would have
burned the masjid but its petrol stock was over. Moreover, there
are big shops belonging to Hindus on the ground floor of the
masjid which is situated on the first and second floors. He further
said that if a single call would have gone from the MLA to take
action, the destruction would not have reached such an extent.
But the MLA intentionally did not intervene because of his RSS
background. He stated that we can say Gujarat model has been
practiced and in future, Gujarat may take place here. He further
stated that this conspiracy to target Muslim establishments was
planned at Ram Mandir by Shekhar, Nagraj and Jagan.
Finally the team visited the police station and met SP P. J.
Victor, and two DSPs, G. Venkatesh and Laxminarsaiah. The team
enquired why there was so much negligence from the police side.
Immediately the SP replied that there is no negligence and we are
working hard to control the situation and bring back normalcy. We
have also taken action against two police officers who did not act
properly on time, he said. When asked why the situation went to
such an extreme level when the police station is just beside the
burnt shops, he replied that there is no sufficient force and whoev-
er was present tried to control the violence. They requested their
senior officers at Hyderabad to send forces immediately but until
forces from various nearby police stations arrived it was 3 am. Now
enough force is available and the situation is under control, he said
expressing hope that tomorrow will pas peacefully because the
local people are cooperating with the police. When asked who is
behind the conspiracy, he answered that they first want to bring
normalcy and then will probe this issue. Further, asked whether
there is any political motive behind this violence, he said we are
investigating this angle as well by keeping in mind the local politi-
cal situation. He said that a special cell is opened for registering
complaints of communal violence and until now 109 complaints
have been received and 97 FIRs have been registered.
We also spoke to the newly posted Inspector Mr. C.
Harishchandra Reddy. He said that he is trying to build confi-
dence among the victims and assuring them whatever help he
can do to them in his own way. The fact-finding team insisted that
there should be no illegal detention, harassment of anyone, and
action should be taken as per the law.
Findings
1. Gujarat experiment has been practiced at low level here.
2. It is observed that communal forces such as RSS, VHP, Hindu
Vahini and Bajrang Dal, are strengthening themselves in areas
where there is communal harmony and making those areas
communally-polarized in order to achieve their fascist agenda.
3. This violence was targeted and pre-planned.
4. Internal politics of Congress party played a major role in creating
violence by using communal forces for their political benefits.
5. Business establishments of Muslims are being targeted to
weaken them economically.
6. Arson and looting at Sangareddy resembles Gujarat genocide.
7. MLA Jaiprakash Reddy has failed in fulfilling his responsibility;
instead his role is suspicious in this violence.
8. The role of police too is questionable because it failed to con-
trol the situation.
9. Victims are the worst sufferers; they have lost their livelihood
and still there are no relief measures from the government.
10. There is a fear among the Muslim community about its future
and it is a wake up call to the government of Andhra Pradesh
to act immediately to avoid another Gujarat in AP.
Demands:
1. Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee demands judicial enquiry
by a retired High Court judge because there is suspicion that
the local MLA and his associates as well as Congress internal
politics and conflicts are behind this violence.
2. Present and pass the Communal Violence Bill 2011 in
Parliament and implement it immediately.
3. Compensate the victims whose shops have been destroyed
and livelihoods lost by keeping in view the sections mentioned
in the above bill.
4. Government should take firm action against the culprits and guilty
police officers and punish them according to the rule of law.
5. Stop harassment of Muslim youth by the police and take con-
fidence-building measures with the Muslim community.
6. Keep vigil on the activities of RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and
Hindu Vahini to stop further communalization of the society.
In short, we can say that Sangareddy is known for Manjeera
water which is the sweetest and purest water available in Andhra
Pradesh but at present it has turned sour and polluted due the
communal hatred spread by Hindutva fascist forces. It is high
time for secular and democratic forces to prove they exist in the
region of Telangana. (Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee may
be contacted at civillibertiesindia@gmail.com - www.civilliber-
tiesindia.org)
Fact-Finding Report on the Sangareddy Communal Violence
Riot in Andhra Pradesh,
Curfew Imposed, INR 1.32 Cr. Lost
IBRAHIM USMANI
Hyderabad: Riots broke out in Sangareddy district of Andhra
Pradesh on 29 March leading to 27 people getting injured,
mostly Muslims, and a loss of about Rs. 1.32 crore worth of
Muslim assets. It all started when a local BJP leader Pon
Mudeeraj posted a derogatory photo of the Holy Kabah on the
Facebook. Muslims protested and approached the police to
lodge an FIR. However, the police did not take any action in
the case which encouraged the Saffron brigade and they
started pelting Muslim establishments with stones. Window
panes of Nomania Mosque were broken, 58 shops including
restaurants, bakeries, electric and electronic shops, sweet
shops, pan shops and flower shops, 34 vehicles including
cars, trucks and motorcycles were attacked. Inaction of police
led to these communal riots and loss of property. Muslim
areas were cordoned off while Hindu areas were open which
allowed the miscreants to freely attack Muslim properties.
Curfew was imposed indefinitely in the area and eight cases
have been registered though no arrests were made.
Muslims demonstrated at the police station soon after the out-
break of violence, but nothing happened. Muslims have con-
demned the inaction of the Police at the right time which
could have stopped the riot. They raised slogans and
expressed their anger when District Collector Medak, Mr. P J
Victor, visited the spot. They said this happened thanks to the
plots of the local MLA and the BJP. Former TDP MP Lal Jan
Pasha and Majlis MLA Ahmed Pasha Qadri visited the town
and took stock of the situation. Deputy CM Damodhar Raj
Narsimha also visited the town and condemned the attack.
Curfew was lifted for two hours daily since 31 March amid no
reports of any violence. Police have arrested 22 people from
both the Muslim and Hindu communities wherein the victims
were only Muslims and Hindus did not lose anything. Muslim
leaders blamed the police of arresting innocent people and
not catching the main accused.
The oldest and biggest hotel of Sangareddy is Grand Hotel,
pan shop and bakery. The owner, Ishtiaqur Rahman, told us
that their establishment was looted while police officers
watched it silently. The police even beat up one of his brothers
and broke his leg. The same police officers always used to eat
in this hotel which is open 24 hours at the request of police
officers. He clearly mentioned the names of people who
attacked his hotel. Persons belonging to BJP, Somnath, Jagan,
Shekar, Vasu, Nagraj, Seenu, Kittu, Chander, Sunny and others
were identified by him and others at the place. According to
them, the attack was pre-planned. They also said that political
leaders are visiting but not doing anything practically.
NATIONAL
8 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
Whats is it like being a
Muslim in India 65 years
after the cataclysm of
August 1947 that
unleashed the Great
Divide in the South
Asian subcontinent and
spawned India and
Pakistan?
The question comes naturally to every curi-
ous mind keen to know how the largest minori-
ty, i.e., its Muslims numbering around 180 mil-
lion is doing in what the western world is so
prone to referring as Shining India.
But for a Muslim who may have spent the
better part of his life living in, or working for,
Pakistan-and now living in the west-the question
assumes both a greater curiosity than normal
and an added intensity of passion, for the sim-
ple reason that he was born an Indian Muslim
himself. In plain language, this scribe: born in
Delhi, migrated to Pakistan as a child with little
inkling as to why he was leaving his ancestral
abode, but in all of his adult years remaining
sentimentally tethered to the place of his birth;
the place where his ancestors are buried.
They say-a saying attributed more to the
Muslims of India-that Pakistanis, especially
those who came over from those parts of the
Subcontinent that fell to India, cant help carry-
ing a guilt syndrome in regard to their fellow
Muslims in India. That may be true but of that
generation of Pakistanis which has long since
gone to its graves. They-my elders-were old
enough at the time of the Partition to know what
they were doing. Or were they really conscious
of what they were doing? Did they suffer from
any guilt syndrome?
I never got to ask this question of my father.
He wouldnt allow me even if Id the gumption to
put him this question. He was astute and
straight as an arrow. No looking back, in his
case. And he was quite forthright about it; he
didnt want to look back.
So the guilt syndrome may not have been
passed on to me as a legacy of my elders. But
as a student of history Ive never been too dis-
tant from academic curiosity to entertain the
idea-and nurture it consciously-to visit India as
often as possible to keep tabs on fellow Muslims
and their lot in that place where they had been
rulers for centuries but have now been reduced
to minority status in a huge country, with a
bulging population second only to China.
As a career diplomat in the service of
Pakistan visiting India wasnt a very popular
idea, though nobody ever posed me any hurdles
when I asked for permission to visit my ances-
tral abode. But exigencies and demands of an
overtly engrossing career wouldnt give me
more than two opportunities-the first in 1980
and the next in 1988-to set foot on the land of
my progenitors.
However, long before any Indian Muslim
would hazard to pose the question of guilt or not
on my part, its the Indian Consul in Toronto who
reminds me that my parents-God bless their
departed souls-had made a horrible mistake
when they scooped me up in Delhi and took me
across the border to Pakistan.
I sorry, Sir, he tells me with a poker face,
but Im afraid I cant give you a visa to India on
your Canadian passport.
But why on earth would you do that? I ask,
totally flabbergasted and miffed, this Canadian
passport is the most sought-after in the world
and people would give their left-hand to get
one.
True, Sir, he remains unfazed, but in the
hands of a former Pakistani it doesnt get an
Indian visa, hes quite matter-of-factly.
But my dear man, I protest, I was an
Indian before I became a Pakistani. I was born
in Delhi, what about that?
Quite right, Sir, he intones, but you migrat-
ed to Pakistan.
And then he adds, Well give you visa on
your Canadian passport if only youd give us an
affidavit, in writing, that youve renounced your
Pakistani nationality.
You cant be serious, Im close to exasper-
ation if not quite ready to explode, you think Ill
ever renounce my Pakistani nationality for the
sake of a visa to India? Forget about it. Youre
being nave.
In the end, it was my official Pakistani
passport that saved the day for me. I couldnt be
refused a visa on an official passport; and for an
added courtesy, or a sweetener to take care of
the egregious hurt caused to me, I was to be
exempted from reporting to police and register
with them upon arrival in India-a must for ordi-
nary Pakistanis venturing into India. Police
reporting marks them, instantly, as suspects that
must be kept under surveillance.
So thats it: the Indians associate nationality
to land, whereas in Pakistan its to the idea of
Pakistan; a commitment to a notion and not so
much to a patch of earth.
The Pakistani perception of nationality-
thankfully, to people like me-is not land-bound,
which its in India. Thats why Pakistan allows its
nationals to take other nationalities without sur-
rendering their Pakistani nationality. No wonder
that some, like this scribe, have moved on to
other lands, far distant from Pakistan, and set-
tled down there. But their second migration has-
nt, in any way, overshadowed their commitment
or adherence to Pakistan or diluted their moor-
ings in the idea of Pakistan.
But how do our Muslim brothers-proverbial-
ly left behind in India and deserted by us-feel
about the idea of Pakistan? Do they approve of
our unflinching commitment to it? Or do they
rather think it was nave and quite tentative of us
to imagine that adherence to a common religion
would override and circumvent all the fault-lines
that divided, or still divide, the Subcontinent on
ethnic, linguistic or sectarian bases?
These were some of the questions I routine-
ly posed to my Muslim interlocutors, of all ages
and persuasions, in the course of my month-
long sojourn in India-my first in 24 years.
I distinctly recall that in my previous visit to
India-24 years ago, in 1988-I was often cut
short, brusquely, when I posed the same ques-
tion. They-and some of them were men of great
insight and clarity of thought-would instantly
blurt out that it was a preposterous idea for Mr.
Jinnah (Quaid-e-Azam, or great leader, to us,
Pakistanis) and all of his cohorts and flunkies to
think that bonds of a common religion, alone,
could keep a disparate people together.
Look, they would say with ill-disguised ire
(some even with banter and a chuckle) you
couldnt keep East Pakistan with you for even a
quarter century; the Bengalis had had enough of
your flirtation with romance, if not your outright
cruelty to them. So they decided to go their sep-
arate way.
They were right. East Pakistan became
Bangladesh and put paid to the idea of
Pakistan, as far as they were concerned. Or, as
the then Indian PM, Indira Gandhi, had boasted
with venom, the ideology of Pakistan was cre-
mated in the Paltan Maidan of Dhaka, that black
December day, of 1971, when Pakistans
General Tiger Niazi, had meekly surrendered
to his victorious Indian counter-part, General
Aurora.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad-the sage, the
clairvoyant, perhaps the only one in the galaxy
of leaders that adorned the then firmament of
India possessing a prophetic vision-was then
routinely cited to buttress the argument against
the idea of Pakistan. Not so much now.
It was, in fact, heart-rending to me to see
the Maulanas tomb, under the feet of Delhis
still majestic Jama Masjid, bearing tell-tale signs
of neglect. I felt sad, very sad, at the apathy of
our Muslim brothers for not according to the
sages tomb the decorum and dignity it so right-
ly and richly deserves. I rushed to see it as soon
as I was done with the Friday prayers on my first
Friday in Delhi.
I wanted to pay my respects to the sage all
the more-felt an incontinent urge for it-after lis-
tening to the sermon of the Masjids custodian
and Imam, Maulana Bukhari. It wasnt a typical
Friday sermon but more in the format of a polit-
ical address. The U.P. elections were in the air
and the Shahi Imam, Maulana Bukharis popular
title, was blowing hot-and cold (more hot than
cold, in fact scalding hot) with the rhetoric and
eloquence of a seasoned political campaigner
on-the- stump.
Maulana Azads tomb, in palpable neglect
and decay, seems to have become a favourite
hang-out for junkies. I could tell from the hazy
and clouded faces of a dozen or so of them lan-
guishing in the shade of the tomb that they were
there because the authorities wouldnt bother
them in its sanctuary.
Ironically, the Maulana is now the most-
quoted political thinker and sage in Pakistan.
The rising graph of his popularity and accept-
ability in Pakistan is in inverse proportion to his
fading profile in Shining India. I didnt hear him
quoted half as much in India as I would in con-
temporary Pakistan.
There was a time, in the early days of
Pakistan, when Maulana Azad, was more
reviled than Gandhi or Nehru. Theyd refer to
him as the Congress Trojan horse. The two-bit
maulvis of Pakistan despised him and would
mention him with rancour.
No more of that nonsense. The Maulana is
the star attraction and piece de resistance in the
increasingly popular and ongoing dialogue that
questions the logic of Pakistan. They quote him
with admiration and awe as the man who could
see the future of Pakistan even before its birth.
Maulana Azads welcome intrusion into the
critique of Pakistan is, no doubt, as much a
belated recognition of his intellectual stature as
a product of the Pakistani intelligentsias bitter
frustration with the dismal performance of
Pakistan as a state.
Frustration is also writ large on the Muslims
of India. But the critique of Pakistan among the
Indian Muslims is a product of Pakistans holis-
tic failure; it blends dismay at the idea of
Pakistan with its dismal failure as a state.
What impressed me, outstandingly, was the
absence of rancour against the idea of Pakistan,
which was so much evident in the two earlier
visits, 1980 and 1988. By the same token, scorn
at the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali
Jinnah, has come down markedly, if not expo-
nentially.
Theres more pathos than passion in the
Indian Muslim discourse of the day on Pakistan.
The typical argument I heard in my visit went
something like this: Look, theyd say with no
visible shade of hurt, Pakistan may have been
a bad idea. But its a reality, now, and we cant
wish it away. On the contrary, we wish it all suc-
cess and pray for it. Weve, after all, our kith and
kin there whose life and future is dear to us. We
dont want any harm to come to them, or to the
country they call home.
Thats mature and healthy, Id quip. But
would then quickly turn to my favourite theme in
the discourse: Do you still think Pakistan is
responsible for the plethora of your problems in
India? Do you feel we, the Mohajirs of Pakistan,
turned our backs on you and left you to the
mercy of Indias majority population? Have you
been treated unfairly, to say the least, because
we deserted you?
Some of my interlocutors were more chari-
table than others. Weve overcome the trauma
of desertion that rankled us so much in the early
decades after Partition, theyd console me, but
the sense of hurt revisits us every time there is
a Babri Masjid tragedy, of 1992, or the mayhem
of Gujarat, 2002. The revanchist Hindus would-
nt have dared to pounce on us, as they did on
those two occasions and many others before
them, had there been no Pakistan. Just imagine
what formidable strength wed be as one Muslim
people of India. Add the numbers to get the
sense of what were saying: 180 million
Pakistanis, 160 million Bangladeshis and 180
million Indian Muslims. That makes it a stagger-
ing number of half a billion-plus Muslims. Would
anyone, in their right mind, have dared to take
us on collectively?
Your argument has merit and obvious
thrust, Id concede. But before I could continue
thered be quick intervention: Look, forget about
any other argument and just read the eye-open-
ing report of the Sachar Committee. It tells you,
more graphically than any Muslim could argue,
of what horrendous price the Muslims of India
are still paying for the creation of Pakistan.
This debate is to be continued.
Indian Muslims Still Paying the Price of Partition
I distinctly recall that in my previous visit to India-24 years ago, in
1988-I was often cut short, brusquely, when I posed the same question.
They-and some of them were men of great insight and clarity of
thought-would instantly blurt out that it was a preposterous idea for
Mr. Jinnah (Quaid-e-Azam, or great leader, to us, Pakistanis) and all of
his cohorts and flunkies to think that bonds of a common religion,
alone, could keep a disparate people together....
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad-the sage, the clairvoyant, perhaps the
only one in the galaxy of leaders that adorned the then firmament of
India possessing a prophetic vision-was then routinely cited to buttress
the argument against the idea of Pakistan. Not so much now.
Ayodhya: Samajwadi Partys posi-
tion became awkward when it invit-
ed Advani for the swearing-in func-
tion of Akhilesh Yadav because
Muslims did not like SPs double
standard at all. Babri Masjids plain-
tiff Haji Mahboob while expressing
his dislike and anger said that
Mulayam Singh very well knew that
Advani was among those destroy-
ers of the Babri Masjid who were
facing trial in Rai Bareily court. He
said that Advani was a much bigger
culprit than Kalyan Singh in the
Babri Masjid demolition. Haji
Mahboob said that NDA government had
excluded his (Advanis) name from the list of
Babris criminals but because of our efforts and
Babris lawyer Jilani Sahabs pleadings they
succeeded in getting his name included among
the culprits of Babris murderers. Therefore,
inviting him on the occasion of Akhilesh Singhs
oath-taking function was a crude joke played on
the feelings of Muslims and an insult to their
support to him.
Haji Mahboob further said that Mulayam
Singh had already undergone five years punish-
ment for joining hands with one murderer of
Babri Masjid Kalyan Singh but after getting rid of
him when he (Mulayam Singh) apologised,
Muslims again supported him so strongly that his
party won the election with an absolute majority
by securing 224 seats in the state assembly. He
says that Mulayam Singh knew very well that
Muslim votes for the Samajwadi Party rather
than the BJP but inspite of that if he honoured
BJP leaders and destroyers of Babri Masjid, it
could be called nothing else but plain disloyalty
to Muslims. (Manzar Mehdi Faizabadi )
By inviting Advani, S.P. again
rubs salt on Muslim wounds
File photo
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 9
NATIONAL
NA ANSARI
Jamiatul Ulama-e Hind (Arshad)s 29th 2-day conference was
held in Deobands Madni Memorial School, Madni Nagar on
24 and 25 March. Jamiats president Maulana Arshad Madni said
while addressing the administrative councils meeting that right
from the Independence of the country till date the biased process
of removing Muslims from government and semi-government
institutions is going on in a planned manner and it is the policy of
governments to deny Muslims high and key posts. He said that
all this is because of the feeling of communalism being generat-
ed which is dangerous for the country. He also said that the way
in which the trend of Hindu revivalism is gaining ground fast in
the country, is certainly dangerous for secularism in our country.
He said that this country has been the standard bearer of com-
posite culture and civilization since long and we inherited the les-
son of national harmony and unity from our forefathers but unfor-
tunately the way internal security of the country is facing chal-
lenges from Hindu extremism is a matter of serious concern for
our leaders and rulers. He emphatically said that the biggest pro-
moter of communalism is the RSS. He also said that the present
policy of the government is wrong because it has deviated from
the policies and views of Gandhiji and Nehru who supported the
cause of Palestine and Palestinian people but this government
ignored Palestine and is supporting Zionist state of Israel which
is making the life of people of Palestine miserable in all possible
ways.
About reservation of Muslims he said that this problem
demands immediate attention because representation of
Muslims in different departments of life is decreasing fast which
was pointed out by the Sachar Committee also and the way to
stop and instead correct this trend was suggested by Ranganath
Mishra Commission through reservation. He said that unfortu-
nately people of RSS mentality have penetrated the Congress by
the backdoor among whom the appointment of people like
Shivraj Patil as home minister at the centre proved extremely
dangerous and harmful for Muslims. He also spoke about the
large scale arrest of innocent Muslims, particularly educated and
promising youth and said that during the past couple of decades
or so the most troublesome problem that they were facing is the
arrest of innocent Muslim youth on the pretext of terrorism with-
out any proof and their fake encounter, the worst examples of
which are Batla House encounter and heart rending incidents of
Gujarat. He said that against Islamic madrasas also all sorts of
organised conspiracies are being hatched. He described Right to
Education Act and Direct Tax Code as great dangers for
madrasas. About the ATS constituted by the central government
he said that incidents taking place during the past few years indi-
cate that institutions like ATS have been created only for destroy-
ing Muslims because in any case of terrorism like bomb blasts it
has become a matter of routine that if a case of terrorism takes
place anywhere in the country it is associated with Muslims and
after that the process of arresting educated and employed
Muslim youth is started without any proof or investigation with the
result that very large number of Muslim youth are cooling their
heels in Indian jails for uncommitted crimes and facing all kinds
of inhuman and barbarous treatment. Communal forces are mak-
ing ATS their tool to unleash cruelties on Muslims on some pre-
text or the other and deprive them of leading a respectable life
free from fear and they (ATS) are doing all what these communal
forces want. In his long speech he expressed his views on pro-
tection of Babri Masjid, Islamic symbols and monuments, consti-
tutional rights of Muslims, Waqf properties, communal riots,
Muslim reservation, Palestine problem etc. In addition to him
ulama and leaders from other parts of the country like Mufti
Abdur Razzaq Bhopali, Maulana Husain Ahmad Qadiri (Bihar),
Mufti Ghyasuddin (Hyderabad), Maulana Rashid Ahmad
(Assam) and many others expressed their views. JIHs general
secretary Maulana Abdul Aleem Farooqi presented his secre-
tarys report.
Jamiatul Ulama (Arshad)s conference
Seminar on Maulana
Mujibullah Nadwi
Azamgarh: A two-day National Seminar was held here at the
Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy on 25-26 March on Maulana
Mujibullah Nadwi, a great intellectual and enlightened scholar.
Dr. Abdullah Ammar, elder son of Maulana Mujibullah, in his wel-
come address explained the pressing need to remember a per-
sonality dedicated to the cause of the Muslim community and less
privileged sections of society. He emphasized the complementa-
ry work of Maulana Mujibullah Nadwi in establishing Jamiatur
Rashad in Azamgarh which already had two important institu-
tions, viz., Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy and Shibli National
College. Dr. Ammar shared his vision of carrying forward the mis-
sion of Maulana Mujibullah. In this context, he mentioned the
establishment of Maulana Mujibullah Nadwi Research Institute
for the purpose.
Dr. Ilyas Azmi, a disciple and close associate of Maulana
Mujibullah, spoke about his relation with Maulana and congratu-
lated his son Dr. Ammar for this initiative.
Maulana Azizul Hasan Siddiqui of Ghazipur in his key note
address elaborated on the consequences of the implementation
of RTE. He associated this seemingly benign gesture of the gov-
ernment, with an assault on the character of Dini Madaris and
emphasized upon the guarantee provided for the establishment
of minority educational institutions of our choice through articles
30 and 31 in our Constitution.
Maulana Jamil Ahmad Siddiqui, Maulana Atiq Ahmad
Bastawi, Wakil Ahmad Ansari, a close confidant of late Maulana
Mujibullah, and Professor Mohsin Usmani also spoke on the
occasion.
Noted Hadith scholar Maulana Taqiuddin Nadwi elaborated
on the need of remembering a great personality like Maulana
Mujibullah. Professor Ishtiaq Ahmad Zilli, Director of Darul
Musannefin Shibli Academy, in his presidential remarks com-
pared the zeal and restlessness of Maulana Mujibullah over prob-
lems faced by the Muslim community with the spirit of Allama
Shibli Nomani on these issues.
A total of forty research papers, received from all over the
country, were presented in different sessions of the seminar.
Haj subsidy is
an illusion: JIH
New Delhi: In its monthly press briefing here on 7 April, Jamaat-
e Islami Hind (JIH) elaborated its stand on NCTC, Haj Subsidy,
the recent summit of BRICS countries, continuous Israeli aggres-
sion against Palestinians and the attempt to harm Al-Aqsa
Mosque and the ongoing bloodshed in Syria.
Naib Ameer (Vice President) of JIH, Mohammed Jafar said
commenting on the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre
(NCTC), We view with concern the effort to curb civil liberties in
the country. Misusing the power, Government is continuously
committing excesses against Muslims and other weaker sections
and arresting innocent persons on the basis of false charges of
terrorism. After the amendment, Unlawful Activities Prevention
Act (UAPA) has been made draconian up to a dangerous level.
Now the Union Government has planned to establish NCTC with
the support of this draconian law. Establishing this centre would
not only disturb the power equation between Union and state gov-
ernments but also there is a strong apprehension that it may be
used against Muslims and weaker sections and their organisa-
tions. TADA and POTA were also used against the oppressed for
further persecution. Making false charges, providing opportunity
for trial by media, recovering RDX and arms as and when
required, are as easy as a childs play for our police and agen-
cies.
Mr. Jafar appealed to all justice-loving people, human rights
organisations and civil society to take timely action to prevent the
government from taking this dangerous step and get united to
establish peace and justice in the country. He said, Love and
trust are needed for the development of the country but there is
no need of laws like TADA, POTA and UAPA, and institutions like
NCTC.
On Haj Subsidy, Mr. Jafar stressed upon the Government
that if it wanted to abolish the subsidy, it should be on the condi-
tion that the Haj Committee should be completely free to hire air-
lines which are most economical and trustworthy. He called on
the Government to allow Haj Committee to call open tenders and
make its own travel arrangements. At present, Rs. 16000 is
being charged from a Haji for the travel while Rs.34000 is given
as subsidy to the airlines, thereby giving a total of Rs.50000 to
Air India. As per market rates, private airlines charge merely
18000 per head for return tickets of same destination. Air Indias
fare is much higher than the private airlines and the facilities are
also negligible. Since more than one lakh pilgrims go for Haj
every year, if properly planned, the airfare would be much less
than even the normal fares. Therefore, the Haj subsidy is a mere
illusion as, instead of helping and supporting Haj pilgrims, other
agencies are being benefited under the cover of Haj subsidy, he
added.
The Vice President of JIH appreciated the BRICS countries
effort to strengthen mutual relations and cooperation. He said,
the coalition of these countries, which has 40% of the world pop-
ulation, is in the interest of their people and it will also weaken
unipolar leadership and strengthen
mutual cooperation as these coun-
tries did not yield to American pres-
sure regarding importing of oil from
Iran.
Expressing serious concerns
over the situation in Palestine,
Mr. Jafar condemned the non-stop
Israeli aggression and murderous
raids on Palestinians. Israel has
made the atmosphere of Middle East
very explosive by its terror activities
and by constantly opposing the
establishment of the Palestinian
state. West Bankss Palestinian peo-
ple have been made victims of atroc-
ities while 1.5 million Palestinian pop-
ulation of Gaza strip has been con-
fined in their own land. Aqsa Mosque
is being damaged by allowing the
intrusion of extremist Jews while pre-
venting Palestinians from praying in
the mosque, he said.
Mr. Jafar appealed to the UN, Arab League and all freedom-
loving people to join a constructive struggle for the establishment
of the Palestinian state. He demanded the Government to adopt
the same policy of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru regarding Palestine. He called on the govern-
ment of India to snap all diplomatic ties with Israel and stop pur-
chasing arms from Israel.
Speaking on the Syrian situation, the JIH Vice-President
said, The entire Islamic world is gripped in grief over the con-
stant brutal killings of civilians and bloodshed in Syria since
years. He demanded the Syrian government to immediately
stop atrocities against its civilians and respect civil liberties and
remove all draconian laws including emergency and implement
UN-Arab League peace plan for restoring peace and justice in
the country.
NATIONAL
10 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
Police says it has submitted a fresh list of unmarked graves to the
State Human Rights Commission. The Commission however,
denies having received any such report.
Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda on April 1 has
been quoted as saying, Weve submitted a fresh list of unmarked
graves to the Commission. Counting of such graves was carried
out throughout the valley. However, he didnt divulge the exact
number of graves found across the valley.
It was further reported that the exercise of counting of these
graves has been carried out under an internal administrative
order that directed all district senior superintendent of police to
find the details and number of unmarked graves in their respec-
tive areas.
The order was reportedly passed after an expos by investi-
gating wing of the Commission that 2156 unidentified bodies
have been buried at 38 sites in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Reports say that documentation of unmarked graves have
been carried out in Uri, Bijhama, Sheeri, Boniyar and Pattan in
north Kashmirs Baramulla district; and in the border districts of
Kupwara and Bandipora.
Meanwhile, the Commission on April 2 said it is still waiting
for action taken report from the government into recommenda-
tions on the surfacing of unmarked graves in the valley, last year.
Tariq Ahmad Banday, Secretary of the Commission has been
quoted as saying, the Commission hasnt received any such
report. It hasnt yet reached our office. It might be in transition.
He added soon after the expose of unmarked graves, the
Commission had made certain recommendations and asked the
government to take action.
Banday has been further quoted: In case the government
fails to submit a report about unmarked graves in Rajouri and
Poonch in Jammu division till April 17, it might constitute a team
for an independent inquiry.
The commission has asked the government to carry out
investigations about unmarked graves in Rajouri and Poonch.
Pertinently, Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons
and International People Tribunal for Human Rights and Justice
in Kashmir claim there are around 2,717 graves in 90 graveyards
of Poonch and 1,127 graves in 118 graveyards in Rajouri.
UN rep visits J&K
United Nations Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary and arbi-
trary executions, Christof Heyns met people from diverse fields
including academicians, advocates, human rights activists and
journalists, during a fact-finding mission here on March 26.
Immediately after his arrival in Srinagar, Heyns addressed
media to put forth his mandate to visit India. The Special
Rapporteur carries out his mandate through correspondence with
governments about specific incidents of killings and through fact-
finding visits to countries in which there are allegations of unlaw-
ful killings. Special Rapporteur investigates circumstances and
causes of killings, alerts governments of their legal obligations
and provides guidance on measures required to prevent future
killings.
Heyns added, The Special Rapporteur also examines effec-
tiveness of criminal justice system including forensics, prosecu-
tors, courts, protection of witnesses and to know if compensation
is paid to victims.
He explained that purpose of visiting a country is to propose
specific and constructive reforms to reduce killings and to pro-
mote transparency and accountability. He said he would submit a
provisional report on Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi on March
30 followed by a full report to United Nations General Assembly.
Pertinently, Heyns arrived in India on March 19 and visited
seven cities during a trip to the country on the invitation of Union
Ministry of External Affairs.
Parveena Ahangar, president Association of Parents of
Disappeared Persons urged Heyns to persuade the central gov-
ernment to make public the whereabouts of people who have dis-
appeared over the last two decades in Kashmir. She submitted a
report that included copies of cases of disappearances submitted
by the Association to UN WGEID in 2008.
Noted attorney, Zaffar Shah said, Various draconian laws in
the state of Jammu and Kashmir are out of sync with democratic
credentials and are disappointing. Weve vast experience about
how these laws are anti-democratic and have often been abused
by state.
He highlighted how draconian laws like AFSPA, Disturbed
Areas Act and Public Safety Act, created impunity to the armed
personnel. There is no accountability. Perpetrators commit
wrongs and violation of fundamental rights under these draconian
laws. Various cases vis-a-vis justice in courts have been lingering
on, because of dilatory response of government.
Shah added families seeking justice from courts couldnt get
justice as it is mandatory under these draconian laws to get sanc-
tion from the Government of India to prosecute the accused.
During 2010 summer unrest, over 117 persons including minors
were killed after disproportionate force was used against them.
Later, Heyns had a closed-door interaction with victim fami-
lies. Among others who were present include victims of major
fake encounter killings - Pathribal, Ganderbal, Machil, Kupwara
and Chattisinghpora massacre, families of victims of 2010 killings
and others.
Engineer arrested for Bijbehara blast
Police claims to have arrested
a civil engineer in connection
with the recent car bomb explo-
sion at Bijbehara-Anantnag in
south Kashmir that left one per-
son dead and several injured.
His family however, refutes the
police claims.
Police on March 31 said
that the case has been solved
after call detail analysis of
mobile phones. Earlier, police
had said that Mohammad
Abbas, who was killed in the
explosion on March 22, has no
militancy links. Later, police
said that investigations have
found that he was allegedly in
touch with Lashker-e-Toiba
(LeT) militants.
Superintendent of Police
Awantipora, Mohammad
Irshad, who is part of investiga-
tions, said that Mudasir Ahmad,
a civil engineer from south
Kashmirs Awantipora-
Anantnag has been arrested
and police is looking for two
other youth involved in the inci-
dent.
He said Ahmad used to
work as over-ground worker of
LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen
and has been arrested twice in
militancy-related cases.
Ahmad, he said, was lodged in
Cargo detention centre in
2005 and was arrested by
Awantipora police station under
FIR number 50/2006.
The police officer claimed
that during investigations it
was found that Abbas, Ahmad
and two other youth made an
Improvised Explosive Device
in Gundnard forests of
Pulwama. They tried to deto-
nate IED once when the army
convoy was passing through
Bijbehara town but it didnt
explode because its battery
was loose. The SP added
while fitting the battery, IED
exploded resulting in on the
spot death of Abbas.
His family however, says
that he wasnt remotely linked
to militancy. He had gone to
attend a patient in hospital. As
he reached near the gate of
hospital, explosion took place
resulting in his on the spot
death.
Ahmads family too refutes
the police claims saying he is
innocent and the police is trying
to implicate him.
Meanwhile, in another inci-
dent, students of National
Institute of Technology here, March 31 held strong protests
against the arrest of a final year student, Parvaiz Ahmad and
threatened massive protests in case he isnt released. They
alleged that the police denied that he had been arrested to his
family and students for atleast one week after his arrest.
Ahmad son of Shakeel Ahmad Bhat and resident of Zaina
Kadal in the old city; was arrested from his residence during noc-
turnal raid, March 28. The family however, pleads Ahmads inno-
cence.
Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar, Syed Ashiq
Hussain Bukhari has been reported as saying that the police is
investigating and Ahmad has been arrested on suspicion. He
hasnt divulged the details about the charges against him.
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THE MILLI GAZETTE
First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
Police gives a fresh list of unmarked J&K graves
A tentative and incomplete list of UP Muslim
boys arrested/killed/sentenced in terror cases
(Prepared by Zaheer Alam Falahi)
S.No Name Address Case(s) Date of Arrest
1 Mohammad Khalid Mandyahu, Jaunpur Barabanki, Lucknow,
Faizabad
16 Dec. 2007
2 Mohammad Tariq Qasmi Raniki Sarai, Azamgarh Barabanki, Faizabad,
Lucknow, Gorakhpur
12 Dec. 2007
3 Mohammad Akhtar Kashmir Lucknow, Faizabad 22 Dec. 2007
4 Sajjadur Rahman Kashmir Lucknow, Faizabad 22/ Dec. 2007
5 Syed Mohammad Shoaib Habeebpur, Lucknow N A N A
6 Farhan Ahmad Habeebpur, Lucknow N A N A
7 Mohammad Irfan Chopatya, Lucknow N A In jail for the last six years;
sentenced to 14 years
imprisonment
8 Rizwan Ahmed Amroha N A N A
9 Mohammad Saad Amroha N A N A
10 Mahboob Mandal Kolkata N A N A
11 Mohammad Anwaar Kanpur N A N A
12 Atharuddin Lucknow N A Sentenced to life imprisonment
13 Mohammad Yaqoob Bijnaur N A 21 June 2007
14 Mohammad Naushad Bijnaur N A 21 June 2007
15 Mohammad Mukhtar alias
Raju
Kolkata N A Aquitted
16 Kausar Farooqi Kunda, Partapgarh N A N A
17 Mufti Waliullah Phoolpur, Allahabad N A 15 April 2006 sentenced to 10
year imprisonment
18 Faheem Ahmad Mumbai Rampur case N A
19 Mohammad Naasir Harhapur, Bijnaur N A 19 June 2007
20 Mufti Asrarul Haq Qasmi N A N A In jail since 8 years [released
2012]
21 One person Sayedpur, Ghazipur N A N A
22 Two persons Madanpura N A N A
23 One person Adampur N A N A
24 Abul Bashar Saraimir, Azamgarh N A N A
25 Masrur alias Ramesh
Choudhry
Bahraich N A N A
26 Shahbaz Bhadohi N A 26 August 2008
27 Mohammad Saif Sanjarpur N A N A
28 Aatif Ameen Sanjarpur N A Killed in Batla House encounter
29 Mohammad Sajid Sanjarpur N A Killed in Batla House encounter
30 Arif Sanjari N A N A Arrested for Lucknow, 29 Sept
2008
31 Zeeshan Ahmed N A N A Arrested from Delhi
32 Mohammad Shakeel N A Committed suicide N A
33 Ziya alias Saqib Naasir N A N A N A
34 Haakim Sanjari N A N A Arrested from Delhi
35 Sadiq alias Sadaqat Azamgarh N A N A
36 Abu Raashid N A N A N A
37 Dr. Shahnawaz N A N A N A
38 Shadab N A N A N A
39 Mohammad Aamir N A N A N A
40 Riyaz Bhatkal N A N A N A
41 Shadab N A N A N A
42 Zakir N A N A N A
43 Aarif Badar N A N A N A
44 Aziz Bhai N A N A N A
45 Talha N A N A N A
46 Zahid N A N A N A
47 Nasir N A N A N A
48 Mohammad Shakeel N A N A N A
49 Jang Bahadur Khan alias
Baba
Moradabad N A N A
50 Mohammad Shareef Moradabad N A N A
51 Gulab Khan Rampur N A N A
52 Sabahuddin Bihar N A N A
53 Jalaluddin W. Bengal N A N A
54 Azizur Rahman W. Bengal N A N A
55 Mohammad Ali Akbar W. Bengal N A N A
56 Shaikh Mukhtar W. Bengal N A N A
57 Noor Islam W. Bengal N A N A
58 Ubaidyr Rahman N A For blast in Sharamjivee
train
JaunpurJail
59 Helal N A For blast in Sharamjivee
train
JaunpurJail
60 Nafisul Wiswaas N A For blast in Sharamjivee
train
Jaunpur Jail
61 Roni N A N A Tihar Jail
62-97 36 graduates of Deoband
Madrasa
N A

N A N A
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 11
ANALYSIS
N
otwithstanding the hard work put in by Rahul
Gandhi to turn the electoral tide in Uttar Pradesh
in his partys favour, the Congress failed to put
up a good show. This hard fact has apparently
still not sunk in Rahuls political analysis. He and the
party are facing the major question whether 2014 Lok
Sabha polls will witness a repeat in UP of what the
Congress has faced in the recent assembly elections.
Understandably, Rahul has accepted that partys defeat
has been caused by its failure to win over UPs Muslim
votes, a weak organization in the state and campaign
strategy exercised by certain party leaders which has
miserably misfired. The last point refers to the hype
raised about reservation quota for Muslims virtually at
the last minute which failed to convince this section of
UP voters.
This point naturally raises the question as to whether
the Congress would have performed better had reserva-
tion-issue not been raised at all. It may be noted, the
issue was probably deliberately raised at the last minute
when prospects of Congress candidate faring well from
Farukkabad were dim. The same may be said about a few
other Congress leaders who also indulged in this exer-
cise. It may be equated with their making a desperate
attempt in the hope of reversing what seemed fairly obvi-
ous to them and other electoral observers, that defeat
was staring at the party candidates being supported by
them. This naturally implies that even if the controversy
had not been ignited over the reservation-issue, the
Congress would not have fared better than it finally did.
Against this backdrop, it is important to analyze the
hype raised about reservation for Muslims. Practically
speaking, it amounts to making an attempt to convince
the Muslims about party being keen to take steps in their
advantage. Undeniably, Congress was not the one and
only party to have tried this strategy in areas where
Muslim votes seemed decisive. The Samajwadi Party (SP)
and also the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) made extra
efforts to convince Muslims about the advantages that
their respective parties spelt for them. Interestingly,
around 18 percent of the winning candidates of both SP
and BSP are Muslims. Not even 10 percent of winning
candidates of the Congress are Muslims. Statistically,
roughly 10 percent of Muslim members in UP assembly
belong to SP, four to BSP and less than one percent to
Congress. Sixty-three Muslim members constitute
around 15 percent of the 403-member UP assembly. The
concern displayed by SP and also BSP for the states
Muslims did not backfire as it seems to have been the
case with Congress. This point may be viewed from
another angle. Even if certain Congress leaders had not
made noise about the reservation-issue, prospects of the
party winning more Muslim votes were severely limited.
Clearly, the Muslim voter viewed the Congress reserva-
tion-commitments as nothing but hollow talk. It cannot
be ignored that the party has been in power at the Centre
for the second consecutive term and has yet to take con-
structive steps in this direction and continues to sit over
Mishra recommendations.
Had perhaps the BJP gained because of the reserva-
tion-issue raised by some Congress campaigners, the
analysis would have been different. It would then have
been appropriate to state that the reservation-hype for
Muslims helped BJP gain probably on communal lines,
that is its pro-Hindutva and anti-Muslim propaganda. In
UP polls, even the BJP has been a major loser. Given
that the so-called Muslim-card used in a few areas by
Congress did not either help it or the BJP by provoking
communal polarization of votes, it may perhaps be
incorrect to make too much noise about the Congress
having failed in UP primarily or partly because of it hav-
ing made unnecessary noises about Muslim-reservation
issue. As suggested earlier, even if the Congress had
kept quiet on this issue, it may not have fared better
than it did.
T
he last point also indicates that Congress has yet to
go a long way in winning back the trust of Muslim
voters in UP. The miserable performance of BJP only
proves that UP voters, particularly non-Muslims, are least
likely now to be swayed by saffron card used by this
party. It is time, the two parties accepted that UP voters
are least likely to be moved by their attempts to divide
votes on religious grounds. If religion was the only factor
prompting all UP voters to make their electoral decision,
the recently formed religious parties would probably
have performed better.
Compared to Congress, the SP has succeeded in win-
ning the support of UP voters, including Muslims. The
BSPs defeat, interestingly, is not marked by it having
totally lost support of the Muslim population. Also, what-
ever they said regarding reservation-issue did not con-
tribute to their losing faith of Muslims. In other words,
rather than deliberate on hype raised by a few Congress
leaders about the reservation-issue, the party needs to
seriously give greater thought to steps it must take to win
trust and support of UP voters, including Muslims!
Following are excerpts from the "Conclusions" section of the press
statement issued by Christof Heyns, United Nations Special
Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions issued
at the end of his visit to India during 19-30 March 2012:
There is reason for serious concern about extrajudicial execu-
tions. The National Human Rights Commission has on occasion said
extrajudicial executions have become virtually a part of state policy.
The position may have improved in some respects, but has not been
resolved, and the legacy of the past is bound to continue into the future.
To a large extent the required structures to decrease extrajudi-
cial executions are already in place. The steps to be taken have also
by and large been identified within the system. What is required is a
concerted and systematic effort by the state, civil society and all oth-
ers concerned to eradicate its occurrence. In this process some of
the best practices that are already followed in the country should be
used as models for reform elsewhere. I have been impressed, for
example, by the measures taken in Kerala State to make the police
force more responsive to the needs of the public.
Impunity for extrajudicial executions is the central problem. This
gives perpetrators a free reign, and leaves victims in a situation
where they either are left helpless, or have to retaliate. The obsta-
cles to accountability that are in place-in particular the need for prior
sanction of prosecutions-should be removed. Women and minori-
ties-religious minorities, as well as dalits and adivasis-as well as
human rights defenders, including right to information activists, are
especially at risk, and their protection deserves special measures.
Almost everyone interviewed said that the courts, and the
Supreme Court in particular, play a central role in the fight against
unlawful killings. The same applies to the role of the media. I was
also struck by the level of expertise and responsibility in civil socie-
ty.
It is evident that the killings of people take place in the context
of other abuses, such as torture and enforced disappearances.
Preventing these and other abuses can under some circumstances
prevent the taking of life.
It is clear that in general the underlying causes of some of the
violence need to be addressed, including the levels of development
of those who are currently using force to oppose state policies.
Andhra Pradesh was mentioned to me as an example in this regard.
There is a strong need for victims to speak about their experi-
ences. A large number of the almost 200 victims who made presen-
tations to me emphasised the need to know the truth, and to clear
the names of their loved ones who had been killed in fake encoun-
ters. However, a credible national process will have far greater legit-
imacy in this regard than an international one. Some form of-inter-
nal-transformative justice is called for. In Jammu and Kashmir the
Chief Minister called for a truth and reconciliation commission. It
must be underscored that justice for the victims, accountability and
punishment of the perpetrators, that is a real end to impunity for
extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and torture, are
essential elements of any such process.
A public commitment to the eradication of the phenomenon of
unlawful killings is needed. In this context it could be valuable to
highlight to the public and to those in the structures of the State the
historical and global role the country has played in promoting non-
violence worldwide, including non-violent demonstrations, and the
fact that extrajudicial execution is its opposite. A Commission of
Inquiry, drawing on some of the outstanding jurists and other figures
that the country has produced, can play this role.
There should be a special focus on the areas of the country
where specific forms of unlawful killings take place. In some
instances some form of transitional justice may be required, to
ensure justice to the victims, break the cycle of violence, and to sym-
bolize a new beginning. Specific and targeted attention should be
given to the following issues: challenging the general culture of
impunity; addressing the practice of fake encounters, to ensure that
it is rooted out; and ensuring that swift and decisive action, with con-
crete outcomes, is taken when there are mass targeted killings. The
Commission has to be required to complete its work within a reason-
ably short period of time, also to demonstrate that a new approach
is being followed. In this respect it will be useful to look at possible
lessons to be learned from the recent appointment of a judge to
investigate extrajudicial executions in Gujarat, which at this stage
appears to be a positive development.
Abolish Draconian AFSPA
Christof Heyns, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, also advised India to repeal the
Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), a law that grants
security forces, battling militancy in Kashmir, unbridled authority to
search, arrest or shoot people on suspicion. The law has for years
been slammed by human rights groups as a draconian Act that is
allegedly used by the military arbitrarily to violate civilians rights,
a charge that authorities and the army deny, claiming that it is
essential to combat insurgents.
At the end of his 12-day visit to India, the U.N.s Special
Rapporteur urged New Delhi to revoke the law, saying it was a
symbol of excessive state power that clearly violates internation-
al law... This law has been described to me as hated, and a
member of a state human rights commission has called it dracon-
ian, said Heyns, who travelled through Kashmir and the states of
Gujarat, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal for two weeks.
A law such as AFSPA has no role to play in a democracy and
should be scrapped, Heyns, who will submit a report of his find-
ings to the U.N. Human Rights Council next year, he told reporters
at the press conference on 30 March.
The delegate said that he had heard a number of families of
victims who had purportedly been killed in arbitrary executions
carried out by security forces, emboldened by the law that gives
legal immunity to the officials.
Speaki ng Out
UP Polls: Congress
Campaign & Muslims
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
UN Special Rapporteur on
Extrajudicial Killings and AFPSA
Crises in
Muslim World
Aligarh: Delivering the keynote address at a national seminar on
Perspective on the Crises in the Contemporary Muslim World,
Ambassador Ishrat Aziz said here on 3 April that the Muslim
World is facing unprecedented challenges, the like of which it
has never faced before. He said that these challenges have got
aggravated further after 9/11. Aziz said that these crises are
mainly the product of bad governance, economic backwardness
and lack of creative intellectual activity. The so-called Arab
Spring is the outcome of the absence of these elements in most
of the Asian societies and political systems. In all Muslim coun-
tries, there is a serious lack of intellectual freedom while without
freedom, intellect cannot flourish and people cannot be creative
and productive.
Former Indian Ambassador to UAE and Saudi Arabia, Ishrat
Aziz pointed out that there are only nine Muslim Nobel laureates
and out of those five - Sadat, Arafat, Shireen Ebadi, Mohammad
Al-Bardei and Mohammad Yunus - have been given Nobel prize
for peace. The other recipients are Abdus Salam for Physics,
Ahmad Zewail for Chemistry, Naguib Mahfooz and Orhan
Pamuk for literature. On the other hand, Jews with a population
of only 0.2% of the world, have won 20% of the total of about 800
Nobel prizes awarded since the inception of the award. In all,
170 Nobel laureates have been Jews.
Mr. Aziz, highlighting the role of Indian Muslims in the
Muslim world, stated that the Indian Muslims can give intellectu-
al inputs and in due course extend more effective help to the
Muslim world in resolving its problems. He said that more than
10% of the Muslim population of the world lives in India. In the
entire Subcontinent, the total Muslim population is about 450
millions, which is more than twice the population of Indonesia
and one and a half times of population of the 22 Arab world
countries.
Mr. Aziz suggested a high level discussion on the issues and
problems faced by the Muslim world and the best approach for
this would be initiating a comprehensive multi-disciplinary dis-
cussion in which experts from every field of knowledge and men
from every walk of life participate and attempt solutions.
Aziz was speaking at a two-day national seminar organized
by the Institute of Islamic Studies, AMU. More than 35 papers on
different issues were presented during the seminar.
UN Rapporteur Christof Heyns with
Manipur delegation at Guwahati
Dr. KHWAJA IKRAMUDDIN,
Associate Professor in
Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys
Centre of Indian Languages,
Literature and Cultural Studies
has bee appointed, and taken
over the charge, new Director
of National Council for the Promotion of Urdu
Language (NCPUL) by union H.R.D. ministry in
place of Dr. Hamidullah Bhat who was removed
after crossing the age of superannuation about a
couple of months or so ago. Dr. Ikramuddin is a
scholar of Urdu and Persian and is an author of
many books in Urdu and at least two books in
Persian.
Prof. MUHAMMAD MUZAM-
MIL, Professor of Economics in
Lucknow University has been
appointed Vice Chancellor of
Mahatma Jyotiba Phule
Roohailkhand University,
Bareilly by Universitys Chancellor and Governor
of UP, B.L. Joshi. He has also been honoured by
U.P. government with Best Teacher Award.
Prof. ABDUL HAQ, an authority on poet Allama
Iqbal and a former Head of Delhi Universitys
Department of Urdu has been appointed Professor
Emeritus in Delhi University, the highest academic
honour of the University. Prof. Dinesh Singh, Vice
Chancellor of this University in the recent meeting
of the Academic Council of the University put for-
ward his name for this post in the presence of all
members which was unanimously accepted by all
members.
Union minister of tourism, SUL-
TAN AHMAD has been elected
a member and chairman of the
new Managing Committee of
Yateem Khana Islamia of
Kolkata. First meeting of the
newly elected Managing Committee was held at
the Yateem Khana (Orphanage)s Head Office at
Syed Saleh Lane, Kolkata which was attended by
37 members and four Trustees.
Justice FAQEER
MUHAMMAD IBRAHIM
KHALIFULLAH, Chief
Justice of Jammu &
Kashmir High Court who
was earlier hinted to be
promoted as a judge of
Supreme Court has now
officially been appointed
and sworn in by Chief
Justice H.S. Kapadia as a judge of the apex court
on 2 April. With this appointment the total number
of judges in the Supreme Court has now become
26. Sixty-one-year old Justice Khalifullah hails
from Karaikodi in Tamil Nadu.
Dr. MOHSIN WALI, a distinguished physician and
patron of Hasan Ara Trust, Delhi has been includ-
ed among the topmost Unani physician of the
country by an English magazine. According to a
survey conducted by this magazine for the top-
most doctors of 2012, Dr. Wali stood at No. 1 as
Doctor of Medicine. He has already been hon-
oured with many Indian and foreign titles and hon-
ours such as Padma Shri, Hall of Fame by
American College of Cardiology, Gold Medal by
American Biographical Institute and Medical
Science Award of International level.
ZAFARYAB JILANI,
senior lawyer of
Allahabad High Court
and M.P.L. Boards
lawyer for Babri Masjid
demolition case,
alongwith with B.B.
Singh has been
appointed Additional
Advocate General of
U.P. by the new gov-
ernment of the state. Gilanis appointment as
Additional A.G. was criticised by UPs BJP Chief
Surya Pratap Shahi on the ground that he has
pleaded Babri Masjid - Ram Janmabhoomi case
as a lawyer of Muslims and hence he will be par-
tial to a particular community and because of this
he (Shahi) demanded his removal. In a retort to
Shahis criticism, Jilani said that former Chief
Minister Kalyan Singh had appointed Vikas
Chaudhury, who had fought Babri - Ram
Janmabhoomi case as VHPs lawyer, as Advocate
General. He asked when Vikas Chaudhury can be
made Advocate General, why cant I be appointed
Addl. A.G. He further said that at that time BJP had
kept mum, but why are they making a hue and cry
at my appointment? Jilani belongs to Lucknow and
B.B. Singh belongs to Allahabad.
ABDUR RAHMAN INFANT, seniormost I.P.S. offi-
cer of Karnataka of 1977 batch has been appoint-
ed, on courts order, Director General & Inspector
General of Police (DGIGP) of Karnataka, highest
police post of the state. He was in fact superseded
by the state government and another (IPS) officer
of 1978 batch, Shankar Badri was appointed
DGIGP. A.R. Infant filed an appeal in Central
Administrative Tribunal (CAT) against this injus-
tice, which upheld his case. Thereafter Karnataka
government and Badri challenged CATs order in
Karnataka High Court whose Constitution bench
consisting of Justices N. Kumar and H.S. Kampna
also upheld CATs and Infants case. The state
government was thus left with no choice but to
appoint him (A.R. Infant) to this highest post in
Karnataka Police. The High Court bench also rep-
rimanded state government for ignoring Infant
whose service record also was unblemished.
TARANNUM BANO, TABASSUM BANO and
RUBINA BANO, all 18-year-olds are among the
24 silent social workers who have never come into
the lime light but who are doing laudable social
and benevolent work. Belonging to a small town in
Varanasi district they were forced to give up their
education after matriculation but this did not pre-
vent them from educating others. They trans-
formed a 17-year old defunct madrasa into a class-
room, providing elementary education to children,
helping them to get admission in nearby govern-
ment schools. All the 24 silent social workers
including these three teen agers were felicitated at
a function sponsored by CNN-IBN and Reliance
Foundation and honoured with Real Heroes
Awards and presented with a Trophy and a cash
prize of Rs. 5 lakh each at Mumbai on 25 March.
SHABANA AZMI, well-known film star has been
honoured by New York city government for her
contribution to cinema and her association with the
film industry. She has thus become the first Indian
film star to be honoured by this great metropolitan
city. She was presented with a Proclamation by the
City of New York on 25 March alongwith a
Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition
for her participation with the movie industry in New
York City.
Dr. SHADAB ALEEM, a lecturer in Chaudhery
Charan Singh University, Meeruts Department of
Urdu was honoured with Pride of Meerut title in
recognition of her social and literary services at a
function sponsored by Hindi daily Hindustan at
Hotel Signature at Meerut on 31 March. She was
given Imteyaz Ali Arshi Gold Medal in M.A. (Urdu)
and was also honoured with Dr. Shankar Dayal
Sharma Gold Medal on topping in M.Phil in Arts
Faculty. She is also a Ph.D degree holder. Dr.
Aslam Jamshedpuri, Head of this Universitys
Department of Urdu while complimenting her said
that by acquiring higher education while wearing
hijab, she has set an example for other Muslim
ladies.
SAGHIR AHMAD AKHTAR, a research scholar in
Delhi University and Ms. ASMA KHAN of Amroha
were conferred PhD degrees by Delhi Universitys
Department of Urdu. Saghir Akhtar is a teacher in
a school and in the long history of his school he is
the first teacher who has been conferred a
Doctorate Degree.
Prof. NARGIS JAHAN, prominent
scholar, former President of Delhi
Universitys Department of Persian
died of heart attack in Escorts
Hospital on 29 March. She was an
authoress of about 16 books in
Persian, Urdu, Hindi and English
and was honoured with Presidential
Award. She was the wife of Dr.
Nafees Ahmad Siddiqi, Supreme
Court Advocate.
Maulana MUHAMMAD ASLAM
Mazahiri, Rector of Jamia Kashiful
Uloom, District Saharanpur died
late night on 1 April at the age of 85
years. During his 33 years associa-
tion with this Jamia, this institution
earned national and international
recognition. He leaves behind five
sons and three daughters. He was
also associated with many other
madrasas and religious institutions.
Syed Shah JAFAR MOHIUDDIN
QADIRI, a great religious scholar
died in Florida (USA) on 22 March,
according to the information given
by Jamat Ahle Sunnat. He had com-
pleted his education from Al Azhar
University and was associated with
Jamia Nizamia at Chicago (USA).
IZHAR WANI, noted journalist of
Kashmir died in Srinagar on 5 April.
He was associated with many jour-
nals and magazines including Asian
Age, India Today. He was also
associated with Dutch Radio as a
correspondent. He leaves behind
his parents, wife and two minor
daughters.
Prof. (Dr.) Syed MUHAMMAD
MATEEN of Amroha, who later set-
tled in Leeds (U.K.), died there on 5
April at the age of 76 years. After
doing B.Sc. (Engg.) from AMU and
M.E. from Indian Institute of
Science, Bangalore respectively he
did PhD from Bradford University
(U.K.) and settled down in Leeds
where he wrote six books, two of
which are prescribed in Engineering
course.
NEWSMAKERS
12 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS OBITUARIES
MUHAMMAD AFTAB AHMAD
M
uhammad Zakir Ali Khan, noted litterateur, general
secretary of AMU Old Boys Association, a member of
Sir Sayyad University of Engineering & Technology,
Karachi and former Mg. Director of Karachi Water and
Sewerage Board passed away in Karachi on 8 February at the
age of 85 years. Inspite of his old age and being confined to the
bed because of debilitating disease he kept himself busy in aca-
demic activities. Born in July 1926 at Rampur whose family tree
is linked with Badeech tribe of Afghanistan he did B.Sc, B.Sc
(Engg.), Civil Engineering etc. from AMU Aligarh and during his
days there he had the honour of meeting political leaders of yes-
teryears like M.A. Jinnah, Liaqat Ali Khan, Dr. Zakir Husain,
Pundit Nehru, scientist Sir Shah Sulaiman, Mrs. Sarojni Naidu
and started his professional life as chief engineer in Karachi
Watar and Sewarage Board and retired as its MD. The memory
of Rampur and AMU being etched in his mind even after leaving
India, he set up AMU Old Boys Association, Aligarh Technical
Institute, Sir Sayyad University of Engg. & technology, Sir Sayyad
Memorial Institute of Technology and also remained closely asso-
ciated with all these institutions as member of Board of
Governors, honorary secretary etc. till the last moment. He rep-
resented Pakistan in various international conferences in U.S.A.,
Canada, Australia, Cyprus and other countries. He was also hon-
oured with many prizes and awards like Sir Sayyad Literary
International Award, Sir Sayyad Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr.
Sir Ziauddin Award, Aligarh Alumni Association, New Yorks
Alumni Award and so forth.
An author of many books like Mian ki Atarya Taley,
Rawayaat-e Aligarh, Hadees-e Haram, Rakht-e Safar, Diwan-e
Aam, Yaadon ka Dastarkhwaan, he also translated many books
and articles. Alongwith promoting educational activities, he also
rendered valuable service in promoting sports in Pakistan like
tennis, football and built many sports stadia and complexes.
Needs a social organisation of Mumbai honoured 10 ladies, on
International Womens Day, like previous years, with its Binte-
Hind Awards who have done, and have been doing, excellent
jobs in social and other fields like helping poor and needy people
in making them self dependent, promoting education and awak-
ening among neglected people. Five of these (all Muslim) ladies
belong to Mumbai and five to other parts of Maharashtra, like Ms.
NASEEMA HURZUK (of Kolhapur) who is physically handi-
capped since the age of 16 years but who founded a social
organisation of her own and inspired hundreds of others to bold-
ly face challenges of life and achieve success in life.
MUHAMMAD SHARIF, bicycle mechanic of Faizabad,
SHAMSHAD and SHAHNAZ, brother and sister duo also from
U.P. are among the 10 persons who were honoured with Social
Bravery and Physical Bravery
and other awards by union
minister for minorities affairs
Salman Khurshid at a function
held at New Delhi on 31
March. These and other
awards are in fact part of the
overall Godfrey Phillips
Bravery Awards-2012 which
are given to people who per-
form acts of extraordinary
bravery, in the fields of social
service, physical bravery, kind-
ness and compassion etc. Muhammad Sharif, in addition to his
routine job of bicycle mechanic for earning his living, devotes half
of his time for serving poor patients in hospitals and performing
last rites of unclaimed bodies to give these decent and
respectable cremations and burials. So far he has performed the
last rites of about 1000 Hindus and 500 Muslims. For such
unique service he was earlier honoured by Reliance Industries
Mukesh Ambani. Shamshad and Shahnaz demonstrated act of
unique bravery in saving the life of a businessman from the
clutches of cruel robbers at the risk of his (Shamshads) own life.
He in fact was grievously shot by one of the robbers but miracu-
lously survived.
Prof. MUHAMMAD IQBAL, a botanist and former Vice
Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, Delhi has been honoured with
Bharat Jyoti Award by India International Friendship Society in
recognition of his outstanding services and contributions in the
field of scientific researches. The Award was given to him by
Bhishm Narain Singh, former union minister and governor of
Assam and Tamil Nadu. Before this, he was also honoured by
UPs Science and Technology Council with its highest honour
Vigyan Gaurav Samman award.
AWARDS
Zakir Ali Khan (1926-2012)
Muhammad Sharif
SPECIAL REPORTS
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 13
T
he Special Cell story about the blast
in the Israeli diplomatic car on 13
February is that a motorbiker stuck
the magnet bomb to the rear left side
of the Innova Car of the Israeli diplomat, and
the bomb was of the kind which explodes
within 4.5 seconds after it is planted. Which
means there is no time for the biker to move
away from the target or for the target to know
what happened let alone make any attempts
to dismantle the bomb or stop the blast in any
way. The photographs taken by reputed
press-photographers and published next day
in newspapers are still available on the web-
sites of various newspapers and news portals
across the world.
An examination of these photographs in
various stages after the bomb exploded
makes an interesting story. In the first stage
we see the car in flames. A close observation
shows that the flames are coming out from
inside the car; the body of the car is intact
and even its rubber tyres are unharmed.
Special Cell or Israeli embassy never claimed
that the bomb was hurled or planted inside
the car. The story is that the bomb was
attached to the outer left panel of the car (the
petrol tank is on the right side). If this is so,
the blast on the outer panel must have
smashed the panel and the area close to it.
The left/rear rubber tyre should have been
destroyed and burnt but nothing of the sort
happened. We see in the photographs of the
next stage when the fire had been doused
that the body of the car is intact with not even
a dent, and the tyres are totally intact and the
car is standing on all its four tyres with little
damage to the outside panels or engine. This
has only one logical explanation: the bomb
was stored inside the car, obviously by the
Israelis themselves and it exploded inside
causing flames to come out from inside the
car. And this is why the driver could alight
from the front right side and walk the whole
distance to the left side of the car and drag
out the woman to safety. There was no
chance for her, driver or the car to survive if
the bomb had gone off on the rear/left side
where the woman was supposedly sitting
according to the Special Cell story.
ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN
What do these photographs tell?
MG/Yusuf
Muslims role in the Indian freedom
struggle is unnoticed: Asaduddin Owaisi
Vijayawada: Muslims from the earliest stages of Indian freedom movement played
a predominant role but their sacrifices have been forgotten, said Hyderabad
MP Asadudddin Owaisi while releasing a Telugu book here on the subject titled
Bharatha Swatantrodyamam: Andhrapradesh Muslims (Indian freedom Movement:
Andhra Pradesh Muslims) authored by Syed Naseer Ahamed, a known historian
from Andhra Pradesh. Owaisi said names of Muslim freedom fighters who shed
their blood for the freedom of their motherland are in the dark corners of history
today. He said that the fighters like Subedar Ahamed of Andhra Pradesh who
revolted against the East India Company in 1780 at Vishakapatnam, Deputy
Collector Fazlullula Khan who helped Alluri Seetharama Raju did not get their due
in the pages of history. He recalled that the famous slogan Jai Hind was coined
by Abid Hasan Safrani of Andhra Pradesh. He was the hero who named Subhash
Chandra Bose as Netaji while in Germany. Mohammad Ghulam Mohiuddin of
Vijayawada was the first person who resigned from the magistrate post in Andhra
Pradesh responding the call of Mahatma Gandhi during the Khilafat-Non-
Cooperation Movement. Now Syed Naseer Ahamed has included all these histor-
ical facts in his book (Bharatha Swatantrodyamam). Owaisi congratulated the
author for writing such a wonderful book. He said the book should be published in
English and Urdu also. Owaisi said the sacrifices of the Muslim heroes should be
incorporated into school and college curricula so that our children and youth
know the true historical fact about Muslims.
During the same function, another book titled Akshara Silpulu, a brief introduction
of 333 Muslim writers and poets of Andhra Pradesh who write in Telugu, was
released by Dr. Turlapati Kutumbarao.
LeT
Courage knows no
bounds
Physically challenged ANEES RASHEED
KHAN accepting his PhD degree during
Amravati University organized its 28th
Convocation (left). The audience was over-
whelmed with joy and excitement when
Khan, 41, a polio-affected person was award-
ed a doctorate in educational research. Khan
has translated into Urdu Sitaron say aagay
(Pharos Media), a thrilling story of Naseema
Hurzuk, a similar physically challenged per-
son who not only conquered her disability but
helped thousands others cope life with
courage and honour.
S
t
o
p

t
e
r
r
o
r
is
m
!
S
t
o
p

t
e
r
r
o
r
is
m
!
Israeli diplomats car - flames are clearly gushing from inside
while the alleged bomb exploded on rear left side of the car (PTI
photo)
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-
2104527/NCTC-dead-arrival-PM-promises-address-CM-fears-gov-
ernment-struggles-defend-counter-terror-agency.html
The burnt car is standing intact
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/photos-
news/Photos-India/israelblast/Article4-
810833.aspx
The burnt car from the rear showing no damage to the rear left
which is intact; all damage is in the luggage space inside the
car
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/photos-news/Photos-
India/israelblast/Article4-810956.aspx
The burnt car from the rear; rear left is showing no
damage
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/photos-
news/Photos-India/israelblast/Article4-810831.aspx
Owaisi releasing the book
JeM
RSS
Abhinav
Bharat
COMMUNITY NEWS
14 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
Despite RTE, school dropout growing
The Right to Education Act has so far not been able to decrease
the dropout rate in primary school children. Instead of decreasing
it has gone up further. In 2009-10 about 4 lakh children have left
school as compared to 3.5 crore earlier. The ministry at the helm
of affairs is worried by the figures available on the dropout rate
because in the coming three years the government has planned
to provide compulsory education to children upto 8th class.
Human Resource Development Minister, Kapil Sibal has recently
said that the dropout 25.09 percent during 2007-08 has come
down to 24.93 in 2008-09. But surprisingly it has gone up to
29 percent during 2009-10. In totality, 14 crore children were
enrolled out of which 4 lakh left school. State wise in Bihar during
2009-10, 44 percent boys left school while the dropout for girls
was 41 percent as compared to 37 percent boys and 35 percent
girl during 2007-08. In Uttar Pradesh, 42 percent children left
school in 2009-10 as compared to 38 percent during 2007-08. In
Uttrakahnd, there has been some decrease in the dropout rate
from 38 percent to 33 percent while in Jharkhand there has been
a 5 percent increase, from 22 percent to 27 percent. In Delhi, the
dropout for girls has increased from 7 percent to 17 percent. In
primary schools overall the dropout has increased by 50 lakh. At
least a 53 percent dropout has been found among High school
children. 22 crore enrolled from class one to high school but
11.5 crore children left school between class one and high school.
This problem of dropouts is believed to have been caused by
overcrowding in schools, high student-teacher ratio, insufficient
seating facilities, and poor toilet and sanitation facilities. There are
also reports that the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a central govern-
ment sponsored national level literacy programme for children in
the district, has been a complete failure.
Performance of minorities ministry questioned
According to a news item a Standing Committee of Parliament
has reprimanded the union ministry of minorities affairs for return-
ing an amount of Rs. 587 crores for the year 2010-11 to the gov-
ernment because it could not spend it for the purpose for which it
was sanctioned i.e. for the welfare and development of minorities.
The Standing Committee on social justice and empowerment said
about the ministry for minorities affairs in its 20th report, that in
previous years also the unspent amounts were given back though
those amounts were lesser than the current amount. According to
this reports in the years 2008-09 and 2009-10 also Rs. 36.63
crores were returned. The report also stated that the ministry
could not use the amounts released for the implementation of four
new welfare and development schemes. In fact, these new
schemes could not even be started. The Standing Committee has
called for an explanation as to why all these amounts could not be
utilised?
It is learnt that the said ministry has clarified that suitable pro-
posals from the states and areas which are under the centre as
well as states, including north-eastern regions, could not be sent
to this ministry. It is not only unfortunate but shameful also that for
the welfare and progress of minorities funds are not only allotted,
and released also but the carelessness and incompetence of this
ministry is proved when it cannot utilise these amounts for the
purpose these are released and instead are sent back as unspent
or unutilised amounts. It is also necessary that officers who are
responsible for such irresponsibility should be identified and in
case they are unable to satisfactorily explain the reasons for such
lapses, they should be penalised. But will it be possible? This
needs serious consideration because seeing the way government
departments work, it cannot be done because in the first place
those found guilty of lapses, deliberate or otherwise, are difficult
to identify and secondly, even if they are identified, inquiry will be
started and its report will take such a long time that it will become
a forgotten matter, which will have lost its seriousness. Moreover,
it will have no effect, also, because government officers try to
defend each other.
It is also learnt that the Standing Committee is not satisfied
with the reasons given by the said ministry for non-utilisation of
funds and consequently its return. Hence emphasis has been laid
on better liaison and coordination of work between central and
state governments. The Committee has also stated in its report
that the amounts allocated should be utilised 100 percent and for
this, effective steps should be taken to make the states more sen-
sitive and sincere. The Committee has also made a mention of
Sachar Committees recommendations and said that these rec-
ommendations are not being implemented seriously. This ministry
has been urged to put into practice these recommendations with-
in the stipulated time, though Rahul Gandhi, before the assembly
elections in U.P. had claimed in election rallies that action on
implementation of Sachar Committees recommendations has
already started and its results also are being seen. He had also
claimed that people of the minority community in Congress-ruled
states have benefited and are benefiting from those schemes.
However, according to informed sources even after great search,
they could not find some people who could say in what way and
how much they have benefited from the implementation of Sachar
Committees recommendations. Standing Committees of
Parliament command much respect and reliability. Hence,
remarks by such a Committee that Sachar Committees recom-
mendations are not being implemented seriously have exposed
the claims of Rahul Gandhi.
Acquitted in the Lajpat Ngr blast, still waiting for job
It is two years when Syed Maqbool Shah was acquitted in the
1996 Lajpat Nagar blast after spending 14 long years in Tihar Jail.
He was promised a job by Omar Abdullah but till date he is still
waiting for that to happen. According to Shah soon after his
release, the chief minister had made a statement that I would be
rehabilitated and provided with a job but two years have passed,
even now I dont have a job, I dont know what to do and whom to
speak to. The only proof by which he can make his claim is a
newspaper clipping in Urdu from a daily having the largest circu-
lation in Kashmir in which it has been reported that Omar
Abdullah had promised on 11 May, 2010, rehabilitation of Shah.
The only hope Shah had at that point of time to alleviate his pains
and suffering after spending 14 precious years of his life in jail.
Shah was arrested from Bhogal, Jangpura nearly a month after
the Lajpat Nagar blast that took place on 21 May which killed 13
persons and injured 39 others. During his stay in Tihar jail he
penned down his bitter experiences which is titled Apni Aap Beeti,
which according to him is his real asset. He wants his work to be
published so that the generations to come could understand the
pain and ill treatment in jail. Shah even today patiently waits at a
makeshift shop outside his house in Lal Bazar hoping that one
day news of his appointment as promised by the chief minister
would reach his doorstep.
Demand for naming chowk in Pakistan after Bhagat Singh
Pakistan civil society in order to pay real tribute to freedom fight-
er Bhagat Singh has asked the government of Pakistans Punjab
province to rename the Shadman Chowk as Bhagat Singh
Chowk. On 23 March, 1931, Bhagat Singh was hanged along with
fellow freedom fighters Rajguru and Sukhdev at Shadman
Chowk. Social activists in Pakistan under the banner of Bhagat
Singh Foundation recently organised a programme to mark
Bhagat Singhs death anniversary at Shadman Chowk where the
activists demanded from the Pakistan government to rename the
Chowk as Bhagat Singh Chowk to honour his struggle. Moving a
step further, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Shariefs spokesman
and Senator Parvez Rashid has assured members of the Bhagat
Singh Foundation of Pakistan that a bill to name the Chowk after
Bhagat Singh is likely to be passed soon in the House.
Suspect in Ahmedbad 2008 bomb blasts killed, two arrested
Aurangabad / New Delhi: One person suspected for Ahmedbads
serial bomb blasts on 26 July 2008 was killed by Maharashtra
ATS team in Aurangabad on 25/26 March and two of his associ-
ates were arrested. On a secret information received by ATS, its
team laid a trap in Aurangabad to arrest the three wanted persons
near the citys Delhi Gate area. Seeing the ATS team approach-
ing them, one of the three suspects fired at the ATS team as a
result of which one team member Arif Sheikh was injured. In the
counter firing by the team one of the three suspects, Khalil Khilji
died and two others, Abrar and Shakir were injured and were
immediately arrested. It may be stated that the three were sus-
pected alongwith some others of being involved in the serial
bomb blasts that had taken place in Ahmedbad on 26 July 2008
in which more than 50 persons had died and about 200 persons
at different places in the city were injured. As the injured persons
were taken to the citys civil hospital for treatment this hospital too
was targeted for a bomb blast. Such blasts had taken place in
other parts of the city also resulting in so many deaths and
injuries. In addition to the injured persons who were admitted to
civil and other hospitals, the injured police constable Arif Sheikh
and the injured suspects, Abrar and Shakir were admitted to the
local district government hospital.
Claim of 50 percent fall in militancy in J&K
Srinagar: Police chief of Jammu & Kashmir Kuldeep Khoda has
claimed that during the past three months of the current year
there has been an approximately 50 percent drop (47% to be
exact) in militancy in the state. Speaking to mediapersons he said
that the strategy adopted by the forces and the counter militancy
operations pursued by them had proved fruitful and soon we
could be able to fully control it. He said according to a cursory
review by the police about 200 militants were active in Kashmir
Valley, they belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkare-e
Taiyyaba who were currently engaged in militancy activities. He
said that this success has been achieved because of better con-
tact and coordination.
It may be noted that in the past year very few incidents of mil-
itancy had taken place in the Kashmir Valley because of which an
atmosphere of peace prevailed in the Valley and a record number
of tourists had visited Kashmir Valley which in turn had greatly
improved the tourism industry and the economic condition of peo-
ple had also considerably improved.
Educational Institutions to pay fine for discrimination
As per amendment proposed by the human resource develop-
ment ministry, educational Institutes found to have discriminated
on the basis of caste, gender or religion may have to pay a fine
from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh. The HRD ministry is likely to intro-
duce a provision in the Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical
Educational and Medical Educational Institutions and University
Bill that would hold institutions responsible for discrimination
against students on ground of caste and religion. The need for an
amendment was felt by the ministry following complaints of dis-
crimination in educational Institutes on basis of caste, gender and
community. The Bill is required to be cleared by the Union
Cabinet. Complaints of any discrimination by any student on the
grounds of caste, gender and religion will be dealt with by an
internal assessment panel of the Institutes and if the student finds
that his complaint is not looked into properly he has the option of
approaching an ombudsman for an independent assessment. P L
Punia, chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Caste
said that discrimination in the past was generally considered a
matter of fate and now slowly and steadily it is being felt that there
is some redressal mechanism for any such kind of discrimination.
NIA files chargesheet against six in Delhi HC blast case
The National Investigation Agency has indicted six persons in its
chargesheet filed on 13 March. NIA has claimed that the attack
was aimed at threatening the Indian Judiciary in order to get the
death sentence of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru repealed.
On 7 September, 2011 a blast outside gate number 5 of the Delhi
High Court killed 15 persons and left many injured. In its
chargesheet the NIA has said that the conspiracy to attack the
Delhi High Court was hatched between June-September 2011.
The agency has filed chargesheets against six people, including
three accused Wasim Akram Malik, Amir Abbas Dev and a minor.
Those evading arrest are Amir Kamal, Junaid Akram Malik and
Shakir Hussain Seikh alias Chota Hafiz of the banned terror out-
fit Hizb-ul Mujahideen. All persons indicted have been
chargesheeted under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the
Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act. NIAhas also announced a cash reward of Rs 10
lakh each giving information that would lead to their arrest.
Chargesheet also claimed that one of accused Wasim was in reg-
ular touch with a Hizbul militant till a month before the attack.
Admission open for GVNS school & college
Admissions to the prestigious Green Valley National School & PU
College (GVNS) situated in a lush green campus at Shiroor in
Udupi district of Karnataka for the academic year 2012-13 have
begun. Admissions are open for classes LKG to IX (ICSE) & I PUC
(State Board). This residential school and college offers separate
hostel facilities for boys and girls. GVNS spread across 10 acres is
known for its high standards of education and also for the best facil-
ities provided to students. With excellent results year after year,
GVNS has made a name for itself. Its student M. Jayashree was
among the top ten scorers of ICSE in 2010. Prayer hall is provided
inside the campus for Muslim students to offer namaz in time.
Hostel facilities available from Class V onwards. More details from
Principal, GVNS, N.H.66, Shiroor,Udupi District,Karnataka.Tel:
08254-253999,273333,9880418125. Email:
gvnsindia@gmail.com. Web: gvnschool.net/com
Ranchi: A delegation of Jharkhand Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat
met the Governor Dr. Sayed Ahmad and told him that after the
formation of Jharkhand state, BJP government was formed and
even now the same party is ruling party, which is an anti-Muslim
party and that is why Muslims of this state are deprived of their
rights and facilities which are their constitutional rights. On the
other hand they are being deprived of the facilities which also are
their rights. A memorandum was also submitted to him wherein it
was stated that most of the Urdu medium schools that were set
up in Jharkhand region in undivided Bihar have now been
merged with Hindi medium schools, living examples of which are
Urdu Middle School of Kanta Toli, Konka Urdu Middle School,
Church Road Urdu Middle School, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
High School, Karbala Chowk etc. At the same time teachers of
Urdu medium schools have been transferred to Hindi medium
schools and in their places Hindi medium teachers have been
appointed.
The delegation told the governor that Urdu is the second offi-
cial language of Jharkhand but no steps have been taken for the
promotion of Urdu. Till date no Urdu translators and typists have
been appointed. Inspite of provision of funds by the central gov-
ernment to provide financial assistance to minorities, no financial
assistance has been provided to even a single unemployed
youth during the past 11 years. Muslims have also not been
given worthwhile representations in jobs and admissions in edu-
cational institutions in proportion to the number of backward
Muslims in the state nor have new educational institutions been
set up for them. The governor was told that almost 90 percent
Muslims of the state have traditionally been engaged in small
scale and cottage industries like handicrafts and handlooms but
whatever plans and schemes have been made for the promotion
of these industries, Muslims have been totally ignored. State
Minorities Financial Corporation, Urdu Academy, Madrasa
Education Board etc. which should have been set up immediate-
ly after formation of this state have not so far been set up.
After hearing the complaints of the delegation, the governor
directed his secretary to send all these points in writing to the
state government. (NAAnsari)
Conspiracy to deprive Muslims of Jharkhand
of their constitutional rights
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 15
COMMUNITY NEWS
New turn in the Batla House encounter
New Delhi: Since a large section has been casting doubt on the
Batla House encounter, this matter has been making news fre-
quently. Now during the process of judicial proceedings also, the
police role is suspect because police has not been able to give
the details of the phones of Atif Ameen (who was allegedly killed
in this encounter) in Tees Hazari Court where this case is being
taken up for hearing, though it claims that it has been recording
his (Atifs) phone conversation since 2 September 2008 and in
pursuance of which, it reached L-18, Batla House where Atif and
Sajid were killed. On 14 March when the statement of nodal offi-
cer of Vodaphone regarding Atifs phone, as given by the police,
was recorded in this court, it took a new turn and both Atifs phone
and the encounter itself became suspect because, according to
the nodal officer, the phone No. as given by the police was in the
name of one Mirza Sohrabuddin and that this phone connection
was prepaid till 11 August 2008 but after that it had become post-
paid. Nodal Officer also denied that any request or application for
transfer of that telephone had come to his office or any document
regarding Atifs address had come to his office. Under such cir-
cumstances the question arises that when the police could not
give any details about Atifs phone in court or prove that the tele-
phone belonged to Atif, how did it (police) get this telephone from
Atif? It may also be borne in mind in this connection that in the
light of the post-mortem reports and bullet marks on Atifs head
and body, this encounter is already being doubted. An important
point to be noted is that, if National Human Rights Commission,
because of some reason had endorsed the police (fake) report on
encounter, on the other hand this encounter has been included in
the list of fake encounters. This means that there are contradic-
tions in the Commission also.
When will the interlocutors report be tabled in Parliament?
The buzz over the interlocutors report on the vexed Kashmir prob-
lem has died down. There has been a conspicuous silence over
the issue of tabling the much awaited Kashmir interlocutors report
in Parliament. In October 2011, the report was submitted to the
Home Minister P Chidambaram and was expected to be tabled in
Parliament in the Budget Session. There are reports that the
Cabinet Committee on Security has not yet reviewed it and with-
out its approval it cannot be tabled in Parliament. The interlocu-
tors however have expressed their concern over the delay and
have urged to initiate the process soon by which it could be tabled
without any further delay. Separatist leaders in Kashmir claim
that the delay in the tabling of the report points to the truth that the
government is not serious about Kashmir issue. Syed Ali Shah
Geelani, chairman of the Tehreek-e-Hurriat has said that the gov-
ernment keeps on appointing people to find a solution for the
Kashmir problem but towards the end forgets right in the middle,
to take it forward to the next level in order to come to conclusion.
Government stand on gay sex angers Muslim groups
Various organisations like All India Muslim Personal Law Board,
Utkal Christian Council and Apostolic Churches Alliance have
challenged the judgment on gay sex after the government sup-
ported the Delhi High Court verdict decriminalising homosexuali-
ty in the Supreme Court on 21 March. The All India Muslim
Personal Law Board has challenged the Delhi High Court judge-
ment decriminalising homosexuality in the Supreme Court.
Muslim Board in its petition filed in the Supreme Court has argued
that decriminalising homosexuality is a threat to Indian culture
and society. Muslim groups by and large are of the opinion that
homosexuality cannot be decriminalised as it is against nature.
Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri, president of JIH has recently said
that homosexuality is shameful, unnatural and poses a threat to
our family system and that is why it must be opposed by one and
all. The Supreme Court has now sought assistance from Attorney
General G.E Vahanvati following the divergent views of the Home
and Health Ministers on the issue. Earlier, Naz Foundation had
challenged the vires of Section 377 by saying that it violated the
fundamental right to life of the community. The Supreme Court
earlier had slammed the government for its flip-flop over the issue
of decriminalising homosexuality.
Five sub-committees to supervise minorities education
New Delhi: HRD minister Kapil Sibal while speaking in a meeting
of his ministrys officials expressed his concern over the educa-
tional backwardness of Muslims and said that though many facil-
ities and inducements have been provided by the government for
educational progress of minorities, Muslims are not taking full
advantage of such facilities, though other minorities are utilising
such facilities for their educational advancement. This is because
there is very little awareness among them (Muslims) about edu-
cation, its importance and the facilities being provided by the gov-
ernment and that is why after the dalits they are most backward
in the country educationally. However, he said, government is
keen to remove their backwardness in this field and now it will
take up this work with greater zeal so that in the next five years
their performance in the educational field could be drastically
changed. In this meeting Jamia Millia Islamias Vice Chancellor
Najeeb Jung suggested that the syllabus of Islamic madrasas
should be prepared with the help of NCERT. In this meeting the
issue of shortage of teachers (in Urdu medium schools) was also
raised. The first meeting of the newly formed committee for mak-
ing education easily accessible to Muslims was also held in which
a decision was taken to constitute five sub-committees to review
different aspects of education of minorities and to supervise the
implementation of the policy of spreading education among
Muslims.
Communal riot in Maharashtra town
Mumbai: A communal riot broke out in Pachora town of
Maharashtra on 20 March. According to available information, a
dispute arose between two fish traders of two different communi-
ties, Husain Shah and Kishor Bhai which took a communal turn.
According to Jamiatul Ulama (Maharashtra) of Pachoras Hafiz
Zahoor Khan, after the dispute, properties of Muslims in majority
areas where the community was densely populated were target-
ed in which two shops belonging to them were looted and a vehi-
cle of a businessman Tahir Akram Khan was set on fire. Late at
night Jamiatul Ulama (Maharashtra) secretary of Legal
Assistance Committee, Gulzar Azmi contacted the minister for
minorities welfare Arif Naseem Khan after which a large police
force reached the affected areas and brought the situation under
control According to Hafiz Zahoor Khan, the police no doubt
brought the situation under control but thereafter started the
process of arrests in which, according to him, about 30 Muslims
including minor children were arrested whereas only 16 members
of the majority community were taken into custody. Because of
this fear and terror spread to other Muslim localities. Local
Superintendent of Police, Prakash Mathia convened a meeting of
prominent people of the two communities on 21 March at noon
which which proved helpful in generating an atmosphere of
peace.
Minority panel to scrutinise Muslim children in schools
The National Commission for Minorities after taking note of the
media report about poor representation of Muslim children in
nursery classes this year has said that it will look into the matter
and take necessary action. Wajahat Habibullah, chairman of the
National Commission for Minorities has said that the low repre-
sentation of Muslim children in Nursery classes in Delhis private
schools reveals that the minorities are not getting due benefit of
the existing schemes and policies which are meant for their wel-
fare. Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit while trying to down-
play the allegation of poor representation said neither govern-
ment schools nor private schools have ever discriminated or
refused admission to Muslim children. The issue was also raised
by Ram Vilas Paswan in the Rajya Sabha recently. Citing a sur-
vey report Ram Vilas Paswan informed the members of the Rajya
Sabha that not a single Muslim child was admitted in 20 percent
of private schools in Delhi. In 18 schools only one Muslim child
has got admission in nursery class. Balbir Punj of the BJP while
objecting to LJP and NCPs moves, said that the community
should stop sending its children to madrasas. Reacting to Balbir
Punjs statement in the Rajya Sabha LJP leader said why BJP
makes a hue and cry whenever issues pertaining to Muslims are
raised on any platform despite projecting a Muslim as a BJP
spokesperson. NCP leader Tarique Anwar has said that he will
raise the issue before HRD minister Kapil Sibal and chief minister
of Delhi.
Scavenging Act likely to be amended soon
The government has recently informed the Supreme Court that a
bill to ban manual scavenging is most likely to be introduced in
Parliaments monsoon session. This was disclosed by Additional
Solicitor General Haren Raval to a bench headed by Chief Justice
S H Kapadia. Centre has also assured the court that necessary
steps would be taken to amend the Employment of Manual
Scavengers and construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition Act,
1993, to eliminate manual scavenging. During a Conference of
State Ministers of Welfare and Social Justice held in June, 2011,
the Prime Minister had, in his inaugural address, urged States to
eliminate manual scavenging within the next six months but six
months have passed by but nothing has happened. Certain
instances of manual scavenging have been brought to the notice
of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, which have been
referred to concerned State Governments like Assam, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, for verification and rehabilitation
of remaining manual scavengers. The Communist Party of India
has asked the government to convene a meeting of the chief min-
isters in order to find a practical solution to eradicate manual
scavenging from across India. CPI leader D Raja has expressed
concern over the failure of the government to conduct a survey in
order to identify location of Dry Latrines and find the exact num-
ber of manual scavengers even after 13 months passed by.
President Pratibha Patil had earlier said that provision would be
made to rehabilitate manual scavengers with some alternative
occupation that can help them to live with dignity.
72 Sachar recommendations Committee okayed
New Delhi: Union minister of state for minorities welfare, Vincent
Pal said in reply to a question by some MPs in the Lok Sabha on
29 March that out of 76 recommendations of Sachar Committee
(SC), 72 have been approved by the government, three have
been rejected and one has been deferred. The three recommen-
dations that have been rejected are SCs recommendation for the
formation of a new All India Cadre of officers to manage state
waqf boards and Central Waqf Council, an alternative process for
admission in recognised colleges and universities, and mention of
caste and class etc. in census. He said that in accordance with
SCs recommendations, 4.5 percent reservation for minorities
from OBC quota has been made.
Commenting on Jamiatul Ulama Chief Maulana Arshad
Madnis remark that more than making announcements and
sanctioning projects, their implementation is necessary, union
minister for tourism Sultan Ahmad said that non-utilization or
under-utilization of funds sanctioned by central government for
projects for the progress of Muslims is a matter of concern. He
said that the responsibility of implementing these schemes, in
addition to central government, is vested in state governments
but non-utilization of several hundred crores for multi-sectoral
development projects (MSDP) in addition to being a matter of
great concern also shows failure of our system. He said that cen-
tral government had released Rs. 2175 crores for various projects
in 90 districts of the country with a large Muslim population but
state governments failed to spend these amounts and on the
whole, according to the report of September 2011, 40% of this
amount could not be spent. This shows that state governments
are not taking interest in improving the condition of Muslims. He
suggested that in order to take better advantage of these
schemes if milli and Muslim organisations, in addition to central
and state governments are given this responsibility, they will take
sincere interest in implementing these schemes. Furthermore, it
is equally necessary to create awareness about these schemes
among them. He further said that in states where MSDP funds
were underutilised, milli and Muslim organisations must be given
the responsibility of getting them implemented for securing much
better results. He said that complete data of government projects
are available on websites and ADMs in every district can be pres-
surised to properly utilise such funds.
States which did not properly utilise MSDP funds include
West Bengal, Assam, U.P., Jharkhand, Arunanchal Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, J&K, Uttarakhand,
Meghalaya, Mizoram and even Delhi. Milli organisations say that
they have organised, and have been organising, many pro-
grammes to create awareness among Muslims about these
schemes and programmes. Muslim leaders and well-wishers like
Maulana Arshad Madni, Jamiatul Ulama Chief, Maulana Kalbe
Jawad, Mahesh Bhat expressed more or less the same views.
Maulana Madni, while welcoming governments approval for 72
out of 76 SCs recommendations said that simple approval has no
meaning unless these are implemented in earnest. Secondly, he
said, among the three rejected recommendations, those regard-
ing Waqfs are very important because we have repeatedly been
saying that if the problems of Waqfs are solved, many problems
of Muslims will automatically be solved. Regarding SCs recom-
mendations about states Waqf Boards and Central Waqf Council,
he said that the government can get in touch with milli organisa-
tions and responsible ulama and a way to implement them can be
found.
Prominent religious scholar and a senior member of All India
Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Kalbe Jawad in a dissent-
ing voice said that he didnt think that governments intentions are
sincere because, had it been sincere, in a long period of five
years all recommendations should have been implemented and
their results also would have become visible as far as overall con-
ditions of Muslims are concerned. He said that recommendations
which have been rejected by the government are in fact those
which are more important.
Srinagar: A team of the United Nations representatives led by
Christof Heyns during its tour of Kashmir met human rights
activists, parents and family members of disappeared persons
and relatives of persons allegedly killed by the army or police in
custody on 26 March. He said that his visit to Kashmir is part of
his visit to India and its different states which he started about a
week ago on the invitation of Indias ministry of foreign affairs.
He said that right to life is the most important of all human rights
and United Nations has come to know that this important right is
being violated in Kashmir. He said that he had met and talked to
affected persons or their family members, volunteers and
human rights activists and will soon prepare an interim report
and subsequently will submit our final report to UNs Human
Rights Council.
It may be stated in this connection that for the past few
years the Indian government has been allowing U.N. represen-
tatives to tour Kashmir. Last year also a representative of United
Nations, Margret Sekagaya had toured Kashmir and had pre-
pared a report about the human rights condition in Kashmir.
Head of the Association of Parents of Disappeared
Persons, an organisation of the parents of disappeared per-
sons, Ms. Parveen Aahangar, head of Coalition of Civil
Societies, Parvez Imroz and representatives of other associ-
ations and institutions met the UN representative and submit-
ted many papers and documents to him containing details of
extra judicial killings and deaths. He also met lawyers and
many intellectuals. In one such meeting Zafar Ahmad Shah,
a senior lawyer of Jammu & Kashmir High Court told him that
under certain laws, the army and police have been given
unlimited powers here in this state and these laws in them-
selves are in violation of Constitutions Section 21. He told
the UN representative that if an army person is found com-
plicit in extra judicial killing/s he cannot be legally penalised
because for this, permission from Indian governments min-
istry of defence is necessary. He further said that there have
been dozens of cases in which Jammu & Kashmir police itself
has made investigations into cases of extra-judicial deaths on
the basis of proofs and witnesses but the Indian government
describes such police investigations as doubtful and unreli-
able. (NA Ansari)
U.N. Human Rights teams visit Kashmir
INTERNATIONAL
16 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
Empires Then and Now
PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
Great empires, such as the Roman and British,
were extractive. The empires succeeded,
because the value of the resources and wealth
extracted from conquered lands exceeded the
value of conquest and governance. The reason
Rome did not extend its empire further east into
Germany was not the military prowess of
Germanic tribes but Rome's calculation that the cost of conquest
exceeded the value of extractable resources.
The Roman empire failed, because Romans exhausted man-
power and resources in civil wars fighting amongst themselves
for power. The British empire failed, because the British exhaust-
ed themselves fighting Germany in two world wars.
In his book, The Rule of Empires (2010), Timothy H. Parsons
replaces the myth of the civilizing empire with the truth of the
extractive empire. He describes the successes of the Romans,
the Umayyad Caliphate, the Spanish in Peru, Napoleon in Italy,
and the British in India and Kenya in extracting resources. To
lower the cost of governing Kenya, the British instigated tribal
consciousness and invented tribal customs that worked to British
advantage.
Parsons does not examine the American empire, but in his
introduction to the book he wonders whether America's empire is
really an empire as the Americans don't seem to get any extrac-
tive benefits from it. After eight years of war and attempted occu-
pation of Iraq, all Washington has for its efforts is several trillion
dollars of additional debt and no Iraqi oil. After ten years of trillion
dollar struggle against the Taliban in Afghanistan, Washington
has nothing to show for it except possibly some part of the drug
trade that can be used to fund covert CIA operations.
America's wars are very expensive. Bush and Obama have
doubled the national debt, and the American people have no
benefits from it. No riches, no bread and circuses flow to
Americans from Washington's wars. So what is it all about?
The answer is that Washington's empire extracts resources
from the American people for the benefit of the few powerful
interest groups that rule America. The military-security complex,
Wall Street, agri-business and the Israel Lobby use the govern-
ment to extract resources from Americans to serve their profits
and power. The US Constitution has been extracted in the inter-
ests of the Security State, and Americans' incomes have been
redirected to the pockets of the 1 percent. That is how the
American Empire functions.
The New Empire is different. It happens without achieving
conquest. The American military did not conquer Iraq and has
been forced out politically by the puppet government that
Washington established. There is no victory in Afghanistan, and
after a decade the American military does not control the coun-
try.
In the New Empire success at war no longer matters. The
extraction takes place by being at war. Huge sums of American
taxpayers' money have flowed into the American armaments
industries and huge amounts of power into Homeland Security.
The American empire works by stripping Americans of wealth
and liberty.
This is why the wars cannot end, or if one does end another
starts. Remember when Obama came into office and was asked
what the US mission was in Afghanistan? He replied that he did
not know what the mission was and that the mission needed to
be defined.
Obama never defined the mission. He renewed the Afghan
war without telling us its purpose. Obama cannot tell Americans
that the purpose of the war is to build the power and profit of the
military/security complex at the expense of American citizens.
This truth doesn't mean that the objects of American military
aggression have escaped without cost. Large numbers of
Muslims have been bombed and murdered and their economies
and infrastructure ruined, but not in order to extract resources
from them.
It is ironic that under the New Empire the citizens of the
empire are extracted of their wealth and liberty in order to extract
lives from the targeted foreign populations. Just like the bombed
and murdered Muslims, the American people are victims of the
American empire. (Global Research)
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Turkish Generals Face Trial
for Violent 1980 coup
Two former generals stood trial in Ankara on Wednesday for their
roles in Turkey's violent 1980 military coup. Kenan Evren, 94, the
former head of the army, and Tahsin Sahinkaya, 86, the former
air force commander, who were absent because of poor health,
face charges of staging a coup to overthrow the civilian govern-
ment, punishable by life imprisonment. The coup was the most
violent of the three military interventions in modern Turkey: 50
people were executed, 300 were killed in prisons and more than
half a million were arrested, according to human rights groups.
The generals are unlikely to be jailed because of their age and
health.
"Nothing Like Pesach Bread
Dipped In Muslim, Christian,
Blood": Israeli player
A post on a Facebook page that carries the name of Israeli
Basketball Player, Ido Kozikaro, reads "There is nothing like cel-
ebrating the Pesach with "Matzah dipped in the blood of Muslim
and Christian Palestinian children".
Several Facebook followers of this page "Liked" the post,
while several "fans" commented on the post in a sarcastic man-
ner, including a Facebook user who said he wants "an invitation
to this feast", the Maan news Agency reported.
Commenting on the racist statements, Arab Member of
Knesset, Mohammad Baraka, said that this page seems to
belong to Kozikaro and that it not just a fan page or group, adding
that the page includes all of his information, private pictures,
including pictures of family and children, and other personal info.
"The place for this Nazi is prison", Baraka stated, "And
should Israel find out that this page is not Kozikaro's, it should
still implement the law, investigate this issue, and prosecute the
offenders".
Baraka further stated that it seems racism became a natural
issue in Israel, and that "such racism is the natural outcome
when racists run the country, while the legal system fails to pros-
ecute the extremist offenders".
He called on the Police Commissioner in the country "to
apprehend the Neo-Nazis in Israel, and all emerging fascist
activities".
Baraka further stated that if the authorities fail to act in a
timely manner "then what started in words will turn into action
while Israel's legal system is drowning in a conspiracy of
silence".
Commenting on the issue, Kozikaro wrote on his page that
what was said s an unacceptable racism attributed to him, a bad
joke and black humor taken out of context, and went on to wish
happy holidays for all. (imemc.org)
Decadent West gives gives contra-
ceptive jabs to young girls
Girls as young as 13 have been fitted with contraceptive implants
at school without their parents knowing. Health chiefs have
defended sexual health services going into schools, saying
teenage pregnancies had dropped by 22 per cent as a result.
The procedure was carried out in Southampton, Hants (UK) as
part of a government initiative to drive down teenage pregnan-
cies. As many as nine secondary schools in the city are thought
to have been involved. But it has caused a backlash from parents
who weren't aware that their daughters had been fitted with the
4cm device, which sits under the skin. It is currently unknown
exactly how many youngsters have taken part in the scheme.
Parents say they have been forced to inspect their child's arm for
any sign of the implant. Health chiefs have defended sexual
health services going into schools, saying teenage pregnancies
had dropped by 22 per cent as a result. But campaigners from
the Family Education Trust say the implant fuels the flames of
promiscuity by giving girls licence to have underage sex.
CHANDRA MUZAFFAR
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
has in its 2011 Report highlighted trends in global arms transfers
which any sane human being would describe as "worsening."
SIPRI shows that "the volume of international transfers of
major conventional weapons was 24 per cent higher in the peri-
od 2007-11 than in 2002-2006." The top supplier of arms during
both periods was the United States of America. Its exports
increased by 24 per cent in the latter period. The US accounted
for 30 per cent of all arms exports between 2007 and 2011.
The US was followed by Russia whose exports increased
by 12 per cent between 2002-2006 and 2007-2011. Russia
accounted for 24 per cent of all exports. Germany, France and
Britain were the other three big arms suppliers.
The top 5 suppliers accounted for 75 per cent of the total
volume of all global arms exports. The 5 biggest arms importers
in 2007-2011 were India, South Korea, Pakistan, China and
Singapore in that order. India was also the top importer in 2002-
2006. Asia as a whole was the biggest importer of arms in 2007-
2011, accounting for 44 per cent of imports.
However, the largest arms deal for "at least two decades
was Saudi Arabia's order for 84 new and 70 rebuilt F-15SG com-
bat aircraft." The beneficiary of this purchase concluded in 2011
was the US.
What is the larger significance of these worsening trends in
global arms transfers?
One, global security has not increased one iota as a result
of increased arms transfers. Wars and armed conflicts continue
unabated. The underlying causes of conflicts and tensions in
West Asia and North Africa (WANA), the Korean Peninsula, East
Asia, South Asia and parts of sub-Saharan Africa remain unre-
solved. If anything, escalating export and import of arms may
even have exacerbated tensions between states within a region-
--- tensions arising from a relentless arms race between neigh-
bours.
Two, increased arms transfers are happening at a time
when the global economy is mired in deep crisis. It is a crisis that
has caused massive unemployment in some parts of the world,
compounded national debts, aggravated inflationary trends,
increased food and fuel prices, and reduced growth rates world-
wide. To focus upon buying and selling arms when economies
are crumbling and collapsing, and millions of people are without
jobs or are struggling to make ends meet, is utterly, despicably,
immoral and unconscionable. Governments and elites every-
where, including those who reap huge profits from the arms
industry, should be concentrating upon those economic activi-
ties that conduce towards life, dignity and justice---- not an
enterprise that promotes death, violence and destruction.
Given this conjuncture between an increase in arms trans-
fers, on the one hand, and a global economy in crisis, on the
other, citizens the world over should persuade and pressure
governments and elites to reduce and eventually eliminate the
production and consumption of all major conventional weapons.
It goes without saying that this cannot be done on a national or
regional basis. It has to be a truly global endeavour.
Governments should come together and formulate a
timetable for global disarmament. This is one of humankind's
time-honoured, much cherished dreams---- a world free from all
weapons of death and destruction. Translating it into reality we
realise is a monumental challenge which goes beyond the ces-
sation of the production and consumption of conventional
weapons. But let the citizens of the world at least demand that
those who rule in their name put disarmament on the global
agenda as an urgent item that requires immediate attention.
Dr. Chandra Muzaffar is President of the International
Movement for a Just World (JUST).
In the New Empire success at war no longer matters. The extraction takes place by being at war. Huge
sums of American taxpayers' money have flowed into the American armaments industries and huge
amounts of power into Homeland Security. The American empire works by stripping Americans of wealth
and liberty.
Israeli players message
on Facebook in Hebrew
Worsening Trends in Global Arms Transfers
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 17
INTERNATIONAL
CHARITY ALLIANCE, with the active support of MG and like-minded people, is helping the victims of starvation in
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sections of our community. This charitable trust is channelising this long-felt effort. Almost every paisa is reaching the
deserving people as MG is providing office and administrative facilities free of cost as well as free advertising space, and
the trustees are barred by the trust deed from receiving any remuneration for their work and time.
Indian nationals anywhere in the world can contribute by cheque, draft, money order, postal order payable to
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Invest
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DEAN BAKER
P
oliticians in the United States must ritualistically assert
that the U. S. is and always will be the world's leading
economic, military and political power. This chant may
help win elections in a country where respectable people
deny global warming and evolution, but it has nothing to do with
the real world.
Those familiar with the data know that China is rapidly gain-
ing on the U. S. as the world's leading economic power.
According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
China's economy is currently about 80 percent of the size of the
U. S. economy. It is projected to pass the U. S. by 2016.
However, there is a considerable degree of uncertainty about
these numbers. It is difficult to accurately compare the output of
countries with very different economies. By many measures
China is already well ahead of the U. S.
It passed the U. S. as the world's biggest car market in 2009.
In most categories of industrial production it is far ahead of the
United States and it is a far bigger exporter of goods and servic-
es. The number of people graduating college each year with
degrees in science and engineering far exceeds the number in
the U. S. And China has nearly twice as many cell phone and
internet users as the U. S.
China still has close to half of its population living in the coun-
tryside. The living standard of the 650 million people living in rural
areas is much lower than in urban areas and also much more dif-
ficult to measure. The main reason that living standards are diffi-
cult to gauge is that prices are much lower in rural areas.
A new study that carefully examined China's prices and con-
sumption patterns concluded that it is far wealthier than the wide-
ly used data indicate. According to this study, China's economy
may already be as much as 20 percent larger than the U. S.
economy.
Furthermore, even if its growth rate slows to the 7.0 percent
annual rate that many now expect, China's economy may be
close to twice the size of the U. S. economy in the span of a
decade.
This raises all sorts of interesting questions about the future
of the U. S. and China in international relations. Regardless of
whether or not China's economy is bigger than the U. S. econo-
my, it clearly does not exercise anywhere near as much influence
internationally. China's leaders have been content to let the U. S.
continue to play the leading role in international bodies and in
dealing with international conflicts, intervening only where it felt
important interests were threatened.
This pattern should not be surprising since the U. S. was slow
to assert itself internationally, even though by every measure it
was the world's pre-eminent power following World War I. The
result was that for the next quarter century, the United Kingdom
ended up imagining itself to be far more important to the world
than it actually was. Perhaps, the U. S. is doomed to play a sim-
ilar role.
The growing power and influence of China will have both
positive and negative aspects. On the negative side, democra-
cy in the U. S., even with the corrupting impact of money on
politics and the abuses of freedom carried out in the name of
the War on Terrorism, still presents a better political model than
one party rule in China.
Fortunately, China has shown no interest in trying to
impose its political system elsewhere. For this reason, the
ascendency of China may not pose a threat to the spread of
democracy elsewhere. (Of course, in spite of its ideals, the
United States has hardly been a consistent supporter of
democracy in other countries.)
The growing power of China has already increased the
options available to many countries in the developing world.
Since China can provide far greater amounts of capital than the
IMF, World Bank and other U. S.- dominated institutions, it pro-
vides developing countries with an important alternative. They
need not adopt policies to appease these institutions to weath-
er economic storms.
One area in which China's policy can have an enormous
impact is intellectual property. The rules on patents and copy-
rights that the U. S. has sought to impose on the rest of the
world are incredibly wasteful. This is most apparent in prescrip-
tion drugs, where patent monopolies allow companies to
charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars for drugs that
would sell for five to 10 dollars in a free market.
Not only do patents make cheap drugs incredibly expen-
sive, they also lead to bad medicine, as huge patent rents
encourage drug companies to lie and cheat to sell more of their
drugs. It's rare that a month passes when we do not hear of a
scandal where a drug company concealed information about
the safety or effectiveness of its drugs.
Of course, the problems with the U. S. system of intellectu-
al property go well beyond drug patents. Patents in high tech
are primarily about harassing competitors. The difficulty of
enforcing copyrights in the Internet Age has led to absurdities
like the Stop Online Piracy Act.
China does not itself enforce intellectual property with the
same vigour as the U. S. Rather than following the U. S. blind-
ly and impose the same sort of archaic and inefficient system
domestically, China could do the world an enormous service if
it would promote alternative mechanisms for supporting
research and creative work.
It's clear that the rise of China will lead to many changes
around the world. Political leaders in the U. S. will no doubt
catch up with the reality of the new U. S. position in the world -
probably about the time that they accept global warming and
evolution. (Al Jazeera)
Dean Baker is co-director of the Centre for Economic and
Policy Research, based in Washington, DC. He is the author of
several books, including Plunder & Blunder: The Rise and Fall
of the Bubble Economy, The Conservative Nanny State: How
the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich, Get Richer and
The United States Since 1980 and The End of Loser
Liberalism: Making Markets Progressive.
The US is now # 2
A US Marine
Corps veteran and
author asserts
that Israel master-
minded the 9/11
attacks, saying if
Americans were
informed of this,
they would exter-
minate the Zionist
regime. "I have
had long conver-
sations over the
past two weeks
with contacts at the Army War College, at the Headquarters
Marine Corps, and I have made it absolutely clear in both cases
that it is 100 percent certain that 9/11 was a Mossad operation.
Period," Alan Sabrosky, writer and consultant specializing in
national and international security affairs, said in a clip appearing
on the public video-sharing website You Tube.
Sabrosky said his colleagues who are still serving in uniform
initially react with incredulity to his assertions but upon his expla-
nations regarding the controlled demolition of the buildings their
disbelief gives way to rage. "First is disbelief, and what I show
them immediately afterwards is an interview with a Danish dem-
olitions expert named Danny Jowenko, and it shows the third
building at the World Trade Center going down - WTC7."
"The thing that's necessary is to tell people: three buildings
went down; the third was not hit by a plane, it was wired for con-
trolled demolition, therefore, all of them were wired for controlled
demolition. And at that point the reaction is rage. First disbelief,
and then rage," he added. Sabrosky said if the Americans were
apprised of the truth behind the attacks, they would not hesitate
to eliminate Israel without any consideration for the costs
involved. "If Americans ever know that Israel did this, they are
going to scrub them off the earth," he said.
On September 11, 2001, a series of coordinated attacks
were carried out in the United States, reportedly leaving nearly
3,000 people dead. The US government claimed that 19 terror-
ists, allegedly affiliated with the shadowy, Afghanistan-based al-
Qaeda group, had hijacked four commercial passenger jet airlin-
ers to carry out the attacks. The official US account of the
September 11 events has, however, been widely challenged by
various quarters in the US and worldwide.
The US, under the administration of former President Bush,
invaded Afghanistan in 2001 after claiming that the 9/11 attacks
were carried out by the members of al-Qaeda harbored by the
then Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The US also attacked Iraq in 2003, insisting that the oil-rich
country was in possession of weapons of mass destruction
(WMD). In his September 22, 2011 address to the UN General
Assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for
an independent international probe into the 9/11 incident, saying
the attacks provided the US with a convenient excuse to wage
wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"The Zionists are playing this as truly an all-or-nothing exer-
cise, because if they lose this one, if the American people ever
realize what happened, they're done," Sabrosky concluded.
To watch this must-watch video visit: http://www.pakalert-
press.com/2012/04/03/truth-behind-911-will-annihilate-israel-
video/
Truth behind 9/11 will
annihilate Israel: Video
It's clear that the rise of China will lead to many changes around the world.
Political leaders in the U. S. will no doubt catch up with the reality of the new U.
S. position in the world - probably about the time that they accept global warming
and evolution.
INTERNATIONAL
18 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
GILAD ATZMON
Outrage in Germany, Nobel Laureate Gnter
Grass has, once again told the truth about
Israel being the greatest threat to world
peace.
Gnter Grass, Germany's
most famous living author and
the 1999 recipient of the Nobel
Prize in Literature, sparked out-
rage in Germany on Wednesday
with the publication of a poem,
"What must be said," in which he
sharply criticizes Israel's offen-
sive approach towards Iran.
Once again, it is the artist
rather than the politician, who
tells the truth as it is. Once again
it is the Artist rather than the aca-
demic who speaks out.
"Why did I wait until now at
this advanced age and with the
last bit of ink to say: The nuclear
power Israel is endangering a
world peace that is already frag-
ile?" Wrote Grass.
In the poem, published by
Germany's Sddeutsche Zeitung
newspaper and other European
dailies on Wednesday, Grass
also calls for an
"unhindered and permanent
monitoring of Israel's nuclear
potential and Iran's nuclear facility through an
international entity that the government of
both countries would approve."
Israel and some German Jewish promi-
nent voices were quick to react. The Israeli
Embassy in Berlin issued a statement offering
its own version of 'What must be said.'
"What must be said is that it is a European
tradition to accuse the Jews before the
Passover festival of ritual murder," the state-
ments reads.
Pretty outrageous, don't you think? In the
open Israel together with its supportive Jewish
lobbies (AIPAC, AJC) are pushing for a new
global conflict. Yet, shamelessly the embassy
defies criticism tossing in the air the old blood
libel. The appropriate timely question here is
why Israel and AIPAC are pushing for a world
war and a potential nuclear conflict just before
Passover? Can they just wait for another Yom
Kippur (atonement day)?
The Israeli Embassy continues,
"in the past, it was Christian children
whose blood the Jews allegedly used to make
their unleavened bread, but today it is the
Iranian people that the Jewish state allegedly
wants to annihilate."
Isn't it really the case? Every military
expert suggests that Israeli pre-emptive attack
on Iran could escalate into a nuclear conflict.
If anything Grass tries like others, including
your truly, to prevent Israel from celebrating its
lethal symptoms once again.
The Israeli embassy noticed though that
"Israel is the only state in the world whose
right to exist is openly doubted."
Correct, and so it should be. Israel is a
racist, expansionist state, it doesn't have room
amongst nations.
The Central Council of Jews in Germany
also called the poem an "aggressive pamphlet
of agitation.". I wonder, is it really aggressive
to try and restrain an aggressor?
The German newspaper Die Welt, which
apparently obtained an advance copy of
Grass' poem, published a response by rabid
Zionist Henryk Broder, the country's most
prominent Jewish writer. "Grass always had a
problem with Jews, but it has never articulat-
ed it as clearly as he has in this poem." Broder
said "Grass has always had a tendency
toward megalomania, but this time he is com-
pletely nuts." I would expect Germany's lead-
ing Jewish writer to come with something
slightly more astute.
Border however may be correct when he
notes that Grass is "haunted by guilt and
shame and also driven by the desire to settle
history, he is now attempting to disarm the
'cause of the recognizable threat.'"
Wednesday's poem is not the first time
Grass has come out with critical views of
Israel. In a 2001 interview with SPIEGEL
ONLINE, he offered his own solution for the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"Israel doesn't just need to clear out of the
occupied areas," he said at the time. "The
appropriation of Palestinian territory and its
Israeli settlements are also a criminal activity.
That not only needs to be stopped - it also
needs to be reversed. Otherwise there will be
no peace."
Broder contends that such a statement is
"no less than a demand for Israel to not just
cede Nablus and Hebron, but also Tel Aviv
and Haifa. " he continues, "Grass does not dif-
ferentiated between the 'occupied areas' of
1948 and 1967." Needless to say that from an
ethical perspective Grass is correct-there is
no difference between 1948 and 1967. The
Jewish State located itself on historic
Palestine on the expense of the Palestinian
people. I guess that Grass understood already
in 2001 that the Jews only State must be
transformed into a 'State of its Citizens'. Israel
should embrace the true notion of peace, uni-
versalism and inclusiveness. But I guess that
we shouldn't hold our breath for it is not going
to happen soon. (gilad.co.uk)
Israeli artist Gilad Atzmon's New Book is
The Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish
Identity Politics
Art of Resistance - a comment on Gnter Grass
KALEEM KAWAJA
When the fresh face eloquent Barrack Obama
burst on the US political scene with a promise to
change America with totally new humanitarian
thinking and policies in 2008, not only America
hailed him, the world at large told him, "Come
and change my world too." So infectious was
his promise in a world sick of violence and
counterviolence, some of it in the name of reli-
gion, some in the name of democracy, some in
the name of the values of the third world, some
in the name of the values of the first world, that
he not only won the US presidency, he was pre-
maturely awarded the Nobel Peace prize mere-
ly on his promise of positive change.
Thus as he faced the very difficult problem
of how to bring peace in Afghanistan, a country
torn in war and violence for decades, many peo-
ple in his own Democratic party, let alone others
counseled him to spurn the generals' demands
of increasing troop strength in Afghanistan and
giving another demonstration of shock & awe to
demonstrate that, "you do not mess with
America".
They counseled him to freeze the troop
level where it is, find ways to gradually bring
reconciliation with those who are fighting US in
Afghanistan. Use the current troops to train the
Afghans to take care of their problems by recon-
ciliation. Save the lives of American youth and
many thousand Afghans. Save the huge
amount of funds that escalating the war will
swallow and use it to diffuse the awful financial
crisis in US.
They counseled that many who are fighting
US in Afghanistan really do not hate US. They
have been ruubed on the wrong side for too
long by the western cowboys who have tried to
change their very way of life, their culture, their
centuries old ethos.
There was much hope that this bright and
inspiring young American President will buck
the pressure of the military-industrial- Wall
Street complex and live up to his promise. Many
were already championing him as a Mahatma.
Three years ago he gave a promising
speech in Cairo addressing the global Muslim
community that he will work to bring justice to
their genuine grievances. Just six months ago
he said that the real borders of Israel are those
that existed prior to the 1967 middleeast war.
But in the last few months, facing reelection
this year, President Obama has continued to
backtrack on many of his promises to the liber-
als, peacenicks and the Muslims. In US itself
many liberals who supported him in 2008 are
aghast at his complete volteface.
In an startling change of mind he is lending
his full authority to continuing war in
Afghanistan, putting undue pressure on
Pakistan and also initiating the opening of a
new aggressive front in Iran. He is not only
helping the European nations in boycotting the
purchase of oil from Iran, he is also putting
pressure on the third world countries, Asian and
South American countries, and Muslim coun-
tries to boycott the purchase of oil from Iran and
to stop doing trade with Iran. Even though there
is not a shred of evidence that Iran is building
the nuclear bomb the Obama Administration is
supporting the rightwinger Israeli war machine
in full throated publicity that Iran is on the verge
of acquiring a nuclear bomb.
Indeed his foreign policy towards Muslim
countries is dovetailing so much with that of
rightwinger Republicans in US, Tories in UK and
Conservatives in France, that it is difficult to tell
where Obama's policies end and where
rightwingers' policies begin.
The vision that comes across is that
Mahatma Obama wearing the Noble Peace
Prize medal around his neck picked up the gun
and shot the dove. Today many including a
large number of citizens in US are inconsolable;
they can not understand why our Mahatma-
icon let us down like this, joined the fat-cat club
and wed the ugly billionaire. To hell with the
promise of feelgood, audacity of hope and
changing the world. It is Yankee gunboat busi-
ness as usual.
The writer can be reached on:
kaleemkawaja@gmail.com
The Mahatma Picks Up the Gun and Shoots the Dove
What Grass said
Following is a translation by Alessandro
Ghebreigziabiher. Gnter Grass is facing scur-
rilous attacks for this. (For a different transla-
tion, check out MondoWeiss)
Why I am silent, silent for too much time,
how much is clear and we made it
in war games, where, as survivors,
we are just the footnotes
That is the claimed right to the formal preven-
tive aggression which could erase the Iranian
people
dominated by a bouncer and moved to an
organized jubilation, because in the area of his
competence there is
the construction of the atomic bomb
And then why do I avoid myself
to call the other country with its name,
where since years - even if secretly covered -
there is an increasing nuclear power,
without control, because unreachable
by every inspection?
I feel the everybody silence on this state of
affairs, which my silence is slave to,
as an oppressive lie and an inhibition that pres-
ents punishment we don't pay attention to;
the verdict "anti-Semitism" is common
Now, since my country,
from time to time touched by unique and exclu-
sive crimes, obliged to justify itself,
again for pure business aims - even if
with fast tongue we call it "reparation" -
should deliver another submarine to Israel,
with the specialty of addressing
annihilating warheads where the
existence of one atomic bomb is not proved
but it wants evidence as a scarecrow,
I say what must be said
Why did I stay silent until now?
Because the thought about my origin,
burdened by an unclearing stain,
had avoiding to wait this fact
like a truth declared by the State of Israel
that I want to be connected to
Why did I say it only now,
old and with the last ink:
the nuclear power of Israel
threat the world peace?
Because it must be said
what tomorrow will be too late;
Because - as Germans and with
enough faults on the back -
we might also become deliverers of a pre-
dictable crime, and no excuse would erase our
complicity
And I admit: I won't be silent because I had
enough of the Western hypocrisy;
Because I wish that many will want
to get rid of the silence,
exhorting the cause of a recognizable
risk to the abdication, asking that a free and
permanent control of the Israel atomic power
and the Iran nuclear bases
will be made by both the governments
with an international supervision
Only in this way, Israelis, Palestinians, and
everybody, all people living hostile face to face
in that country occupied by the craziness,
will have a way out, so us too
Israel to legalize
illegal settlement
Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will submit a plan to legal-
ize several West Bank outposts and avoid the demolition of another.
At Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said he asked Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to
"find a solution" for the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El "that would obviate the need for demolition."
The government had previously agreed to evacuate the illegal outpost by May.
Netanyahu also told the ministers that he will submit, with the recommendation of Defense Minister
Ehud Barak, a plan to legalize the outposts of Bruchin, Sansana and Rechalim, which are said to
be built on private Palestinian land.
"We are strengthening Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, and we are strengthening the
Jewish community in Hebron, the City of the Patriarchs," Netanyahu said, according to the
Government Press Office. "But there is one principle that we uphold. We do everything according
to the law and we will continue to do so."
The announcement came as Jewish settlers who last week occupied a house in Hebron near the
Cave of the Patriarchs were evacuated by Israeli security forces. (jta.org)
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 19
BOOKS
Book: A Living Faith, My Quest for Peace, Harmony and Social
Change, An Autobiography
Author: Asghar Ali Engineer
Publisher: Orient Blackswan, New Delhi
Year of Publication: 2011
Pages: 345
Price: Not Mentioned
ISBN: 978 81 250 4197 9
MUSHTAQ UL HAQ AHMAD SIKANDER
T
he end of British colonial rule left behind many legacies
which are still evident in the Subcontinent. Kashmir issue,
Communal riots, Corruption, Religion- and Caste-based
politics are a few of this never ending legacy. Muslims,
who remained in India after the creation of Pakistan, were held
hostage to pseudo-secularism and democracy by politicians and
Hindu fascists. Every now and then their loyalty to the nation was
brought under question, as their patriotism and love for democra-
cy and harmony was always held under suspicion.
Few Muslims tried to fight the structural prejudices and the ill-
founded biases present in the minds of majority community
against Muslims, and tried to educate fellow compatriots about
their community and religion. Fewer still tried their hand at reform-
ing the society through active participation. Very rarely, Muslims
opted for change through pen. Asghar Ali Engineer is one such
soul who tried his hand at all the three.
His autobiography under review is a living testimony of his
struggle on all these fronts. The autobiography carries a foreword
by the noted historian Mushirul Hasan who is all praises for the
life struggle of Dr Engineer but laments that the fact that there is
no support for liberal initiatives from politicians and till now no
award has been conferred on him for his exemplary work, though
Engineer is least bothered about awards being a Sufi who initiat-
ed reforms within the tradition he inherited. He concludes his fore-
word with these words, Asghar Ali Engineer will be remembered
as a creative interpreter of Islam and as a champion of the liber-
al and secular values enshrined in the Indian constitution. His life
clearly demonstrates that it is possible to be wedded to ones tra-
dition and at the same time be a quintessential liberal. There is no
conflict of visions in Asghar Alis public life or writings. The whole
autobiography bears a testimony to these words.
The autobiography is divided into three parts; Part One is
titled as My Life, My Struggle, which contains five chapters, which
deal with his early life, education, upbringing, marriage and his
engagement with the reformist movement among his Bohra sub-
community. Bohras are a small closely-knit sect of Shias, who are
headed by a dictatorial head-priest who has imposed suffocating
and discriminatory policies on his flock by using his authority and
is filling his coffers at the cost of innocent Bohras.
Engineers father was an Amil (local priest or agent) of
Bohras, but he was different and the repressive system of Bohra
chief repelled him, hence he wanted his son to become a doctor
or engineer, so that he would be able to liberate himself from sti-
fling tradition.
Engineer describes the non-communal atmosphere of
Wardha and contrasts it with communal and sectarian atmos-
phere of the Dewas where he spent his childhood; Hindu-Muslim,
Shia-Sunni divide was apparent but the teachers never discrimi-
nated against their students. Engineer describes his father as
progressive as he used to have dialogue and held discussions
with Hindu priests at his home despite being an Amil, a habit
deeply abhorred by orthodox Bohras.
Engineer describes his upbringing in a religious atmosphere
though contradictory elements were pulling him in different direc-
tions, and he experienced a sea-change from orthodoxy to liber-
alism thanks to his being a voracious reader. While he was an
engineering student at Indore during 1961 when the Jabalpur
riots took place, which had a profound effect on the tender mind
of Engineer, and he decided to investigate, work out and write
about communal riots and communal problem and this goal he
still vehemently pursues.
Engineer further describes his tryst with an engineering job
and how time and again he felt suffocated in the corrupt system
and describes various incidents when he was offered bribes
which he declined. There are many incidents related about his
fight against corruption, nepotism, favouritism, red tapism and
struggle for justice though he worked only for a brief period of
time and ultimately, came to the conclusion that it is not possi-
ble for any honest officer to work smoothly in a corrupt atmos-
phere. One either has to compromise or quit (p. 29), and
Engineer opted for the latter.
Engineer then describes his work related to communal har-
mony and his relationship with various Urdu poets and writers
with whom he worked to restore communal harmony in society.
He then describes the 1969 Ahmadabad riots and 1970
Bhiwandi riots and his campaign and movement for diffusing the
prevailing tensions among the majority and minority communi-
ties together with writers like Khawaja Ahmad Abbas, Rajinder
Singh Bedi, Kishen Chander, poets like Kaifi Azmi, Jan Nisar
Akhtar, Sardar Jafri and even film personalities like Balraj Sahni
and Dilip Kumar were concerned and played their roles, but
Sahnis death came as a personal loss for Engineer, as he lost
one of the ardent champions of communal harmony and Hindu-
Muslim unity.
The totalitarian regime
of Syedna and his exploita-
tion of religion for achieving
vested interests were
always repulsive and revolt-
ing which prompted
Engineer to intensify reform
movement within Bohras
which resulted in Baraat
(social boycott initiated by
Bohra Chief against those
who dont give in to his
whims), a surprising step in
the enlightened 21st centu-
ry. The impact of Baraat was
disastrous for Engineer. His
mother had to suffer heavily
for her sons stance and everybody taunted Engineer for stand as
his mother was forced to abandon him, but Engineer survived the
criticism and came out more stronger and firm in his belief in
reform.
Engineer then depicts the influence and power of Syedna
and the persecution of reformist Bohras at his hands by stating
that even the towering personality of Indira Gandhi couldnt stand
up to rescue the reformist Bohras. Engineer describes how
Tarkunde-Nathwani Commission was constituted to look into the
human rights violations suffered by reformists at the hands of
Syedna during Janta Party rule, but nothing substantial came out
of it and even religious leaders like Shahi Imam and Syed
Shahabuddin did nothing to support them. Politicians like
Chandra Shekhar too were fearful of Syednas influence.
Engineer states that Vasantdada Patil who was Chief Minister of
Maharastra at one point promised to introduce a bill against social
boycott (baraat) in the legislative assembly, but next day he
backed out. Even Shri Jayaprakash Narayan, who had appoint-
ed the Nathwani Commission, came under tremendous pressure
from Muslim leaders and was forced to sign a statement saying
he did not appoint any commission. S.M Joshi and Justice
Tarkunde pointed out that he did in fact do so and the whole world
knew about it (p. 60). The Nathwani Commissions report was
finally published with two recommendations: To enact a law
against Baraat and to enact a law to control the priesthoods
financial income on the lines of Ajmer dargah. But these recom-
mendations were never implemented despite his indefatigable
struggle. Yet Engineer isnt cowed down. He says, I came to the
conclusion that real success does not lie in achieving the desired
goal but in not giving up despite heavy odds. It is in continuing the
struggle, in keeping with ones conviction (p. 67). These lines
sum up the whole life and struggle of Engineer.
For his resistance against Syedna, a number of murderous
attacks were attempted against Engineer. Once in Egypt, he was
attacked by Bohras until he lost his consciousness and, as a
result, developed traumatic cataract in his eyes. Politicians
Najma Heptulla and Sibte Razi, who accompanied him during the
trip, gave no statements condemning the attack, and he is still
aghast at the hypocrisy of the politicians. His house and office
were ransacked, books torn and thrown out on streets because of
the false rumour of slapping Syedna. He cautions social reform-
ers about the price they will have to pay for reform. Fighting for
social reforms and change is an extremely challenging task.
When we want to bring about social change the status quo is dis-
turbed and those who benefit from it will use all means, fair or
foul, to prevent change. False propaganda and violence are usual
tools used by them. But how can one give up? (p. 73).
Engineer describes his efforts of reform, including his organ-
isation of All World Dawoodi Bohra Conferences every few years
which bring together the reformists of the whole world, and he is
all praise for the role that writers played during the initial stages
of Bohra reformist struggle.
Engineer moves on to describe his stance during the
Emergency (1975-1977) imposed by Indira Gandhi and laments
the hypocrisy of writers like Krishen Chander, K.A Abbas and
Sardar Jafri who welcomed the Emergency but in the post-
Emergency India changed their stance. Engineer is surprised at
the fact that despite speaking and writing against Emergency, he
was never harassed or arrested.
He then goes on to state about communal riots which took
place during the Janta Party rule and how Indira Gandhi devel-
oped a pro-Hindu slant in her politics in the post-Emergency peri-
od as she lost the Muslim support, thereby further communalizing
the atmosphere. Engineer is deeply hurt by the fact that there was
no sane and conscious voice among Muslims who could deal with
the volatile and rapidly changing events. He acknowledges the
fact that, Unfortunately after the death of Dr Zakir Hussain who
was elevated to the post President of India, no Muslim leader who
had wisdom and foresight appeared on the scene. Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad died in 1958 and Dr Zakir Hussain in 1969. Both
were highly dedicated leaders who had fought for freedom and
had made sacrifices for the nation and were not driven by selfish
motives. After them, there was no leader on the scene who could
rise above power politics to lead Muslims with wisdom and fore-
sight (p. 82).
Engineer further describes the role of Police during the com-
munal riots which has become communalized and his efforts by
organizing police workshops in order to decommunalize their
minds by educating and making them understand what secular-
ism and constitution demands from them and what the real pris-
tine teachings of Islam are. Engineer also recalls the series of
riots which took place in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demo-
lition and how his opinion regarding Babri Masjid was ignored,
which could have thwarted the innocent slaughter of human
beings and the destruction of property worth billions. He was of
the opinion that, Let secular Hindus, I told Muslim leaders and
intellectuals, fight it out with the BJP and let Muslims remain in the
background. This way the BJP would not benefit politically. When,
on the other hand, Muslim leaders confront BJP leaders on this
issue, the BJP benefits immensely, politically. If Muslim leaders
had remained in the background, I am sure, the Babri Masjid
would not have been demolished and ultimately the BJP would
not have come to power at the end of 1990s (p. 82).
Engineer upholds 3Ds (Democracy, Diversity and Dialogue)
which are essential for any meaningful politics. He is concerned
about the arrests of innocent youth in the bomb blasts, many of
which have been executed by the Hindutva outfits. He is sad and
bruised about the fact that, After communal violence stopped,
most of those who had worked with us so enthusiastically disap-
peared and our resolve to work to prevent further outbreak of
communal violence could not be carried out. This is something
that has saddened me throughout my career as a peace activist,
that those who believe in communal harmony and secular values
do not work consistently. It is only when violence and bloodshed
beckons, that their concern finds a voice. The communal forces
on the other hand, have a sense of deep concern and motivation.
Secularists on the other hand have no such inspiration. Reason
and secular values after all do not have such emotional appeal
(p. 91). Hence steadfastness and perseverance is absent and
missing among secularists and peace activists and if rectified
would help root out communalism from India.
Beyond Boundaries: My Travels Abroad is the title of the
second part of the autobiography which deals with his travels to
various countries. These chapters mostly cover the conferences
he attended in these countries and describe the culture, people
and Muslim community of the visited country alongwith the pur-
pose of the visit, and also contains some nostalgic memories plus
sour ones too like his humiliation and harassment by Immigration
officers on various occasions on the basis of stereotypical
unfounded suspicion attributed to a Muslim. This part also offers
invaluable information about various countries too.
The last part is titled The Journey So Far. It contains a sin-
gle chapter, Looking back, Looking Ahead in which he
describes his decision of giving up engineering in favour of theol-
ogy and philosophy as right and he says that real education
results in rejection of what is and developing what should be. It is
this tension in what is and what should be, that leads to the cre-
ation of a new world. Engineer has been busy his whole life in
this and will remain so in the future too.
Overall the book is an inspiring read. It prompts its readers to
struggle for humane qualities of truth, justice, peace and fraterni-
ty. and provides an authentic account of the journey of Engineer
as an activist, but he is not an activist only, he is a profound schol-
ar too who has written and edited more than fifty books but this
autobiography fails to shed light on this aspect of his life, which is
also an embodiment of love for pen, paper and books. Hope this
flaw would be compensated in future.
Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is a writer-activist based in
Srinagar, Kashmir
Asghar Ali Engineers life and work
Sachar Committee Report
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A lot can happen
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ASGHAR ALI ENGINEER
Muslims keep on complaining that the media is hostile
to Islam and Muslims, and projects a distorted image of
them, more often than not. The western media in partic-
ular has been quite antagonistic, particularly after the
terrorist incident of 9/11. But even before that, it was not
very friendly, if not outright hostile, to Islam and
Muslims. There are complex reasons for this, which
must be properly understood by Muslims, instead of
condemning the media all the time. It is easier to con-
demn but difficult to understand.
We propose to analyze these reasons in this article
as on our proper understanding depends remedial measures. To
start with, let us keep in mind that this hostility is more political
than religious though it appears to be religious. Both Islam and
Christianity are global religions and rulers belonging to these two
religious communities were also political rivals and tried to build
their empires at each others cost.
Islam and Christianity were never rivals as religions but polit-
ical rulers were and they fought each other. This created power-
ful prejudices in the minds of their followers, both Muslims and
Christians. The Crusades were most zealously fought and they
left a deep impact on the minds of both the communities. Turkey
became one of the worlds greatest empires that stretched right
up to Central Europe. This too left scars on the memories of
Europeans and their psyche.
Muslims were a dominant power right through the medieval
ages and it was Europe which emerged as a powerful force only
after the Renaissance. It made tremendous advances in science
and technology and soon began to colonize Asian and African
countries. In these countries it was confronted with Muslim rulers.
In India too the British had to defeat a declining Moghul Empire
in order to seize power.
Needless to say all this struggle for power and domination
created strong prejudices against Islam and Muslims. These
rulers at times also used missionaries to aggressively preach
Christianity and Muslims responded to keep their flock together
or, as rival preachers, tried to convert tribals to Islam. Such an
approach made the whole struggle appear religious rather than
political.
This hostile attitude was carried over and today it is reflected
in the media approach towards Islam and Muslims.
Prof. Huntingtons Clash of Civilizations which got rave reviews
in the western media was also nothing but a reflection of this atti-
tude. This book became all the more important after the collapse
of Soviet Union when the USA was looking for an external
enemy and Islam came in handy as the most numerous and his-
torical rival of western powers.
There was a sort of lull after the devastations of two World
Wars in which mainly Christian powers were involved and the
strife was more for national domination this time rather than a
desire for domination by two religious rivals. Once reconstruction
of destroyed nations began and United Nations Organization
(UN) came into existence, human rights and human dignity
became central and religion and religious rivalry receded into the
background.
Soon another factor emerged on the scene in the form of the
creation of Israel in what was Arab-Muslim Palestine. What the
Crusades could not achieve, was achieved through Israel, post-
World War Two. Israel was created not so much as to compen-
sate for the killing of millions of innocent Jews but to continue to
dominate the Muslim world through other, indirect, means. Arabs,
any way, were in no way responsible for anti-Semitism or for the
killing of innocent Jews in Europe, yet it was the Arabs, particu-
larly Palestinians, who were made to pay the price.
Zionism emerged as the most aggressive right wing political
ideology with the support of western powers, particularly the USA
which had emerged as the most powerful nation after the Second
World War replacing Great Britain. Thus, US backed Israel to the
hilt and continues to do so till today. Israel with its right wing ide-
ology and Neocons of USAfound in each other political allies and
came very close to each other.
It is these elements who control the US media both print as
well as electronic and their interest was well served by maligning
Islam and Muslims. Their alliance was not that of Jews and
Christians but of right wing political forces. Similarly, in Palestine
the Muslim and Christian Arabs are solidly united as allies as both
are victims of the Zionist aggression and occupation. This makes
it clear that it is not Christian or Jewish assault on Muslims but
right wing political assault on Islam and Muslims.
It is interesting to note that western nations are generally
secular and believe in secular nationalism but they fully support
Israel which is a theocratic nation and all non-Jewish people
Muslims as well as Christians -- are second class citizens. Thus
Muslim and Christian Arabs are discriminated against in the
Jewish State. But since Israel serves the interests of western
nations, it is acceptable as a key ally even if it is founded on the
principle of religious nationalism and persecutes even local
Christians. Any other nation, if based on religion, would be
denounced as reactionary by these same western powers.
This hostility towards Islam and Muslims, which has historical
roots, became much more acute with the events of 9/11. Now it
was an open war with Islam and Muslims. It was projected in the
western media as such. It is for Muslims to deeply reflect that
such terrorist acts do not achieve anything. Instead, they bring a
bad name to Islam. Such acts by a handful of al-Qaida followers
led by Osama bin Laden have tremendously harmed Islam and
Muslims; and thanks to western media, now it is universally
believed that Islam is a religion of violence.
Of course, al-Qaeda never enjoyed the support of the major-
ity of Muslims. It was supported by a small aggressive minority as
it generally happens in other communities also. Many surveys
conducted by various agencies like PEW and others clearly
showed that right from Algeria to Indonesia only a
minuscule minority supported acts like that of 9/11
and yet the mainstream western media never
splashed such news prominently whereas any vio-
lent attack would be displayed most prominently.
Muslims should not only be peaceful but also
appear to be so in various ways so that the media is
compelled to splash such news. If not, as we have
been seeing, violence by a few would be projected
as if all Muslims are responsible for it.
Also, there are other reasons too for projecting
Islam and Muslims in an unfavourable light and it is
for us Muslims to deeply reflect on it and bring about
changes in our society.
They see lack of freedom and dictatorship in most of the
Muslim countries. Instead of probing deeper, they take it that
Islam is the main reason, that Islam does not permit democracy
and instead promotes autocracy. Many Muslim youth belonging
to right wing ideologies propagate early Caliphate system as the
only solution and then the media builds upon it.
The moment an article or cartoon or picture derogatory to
Islam or the Holy Prophet or any other holy personality of Islam
appears in the media, there are violent demonstrations or even
threats to kill the person who wrote the article or drew the cartoon
and this leads to the conclusion that there is total intolerance and
lack of freedom in Islam or Muslim societies, as western culture
is totally different.
They forget that until yesterday western society was no dif-
ferent and Muslim society is still pre-modern and semi-feudal.
The young generation of journalists brought up in a very different
culture and environment and also subject to right wing propagan-
da think it is serious violation of human rights and write strongly
against it. They think only western culture guarantees freedom
and has a democratic culture whereas Islamic societies are high-
ly intolerant and autocratic.
The present generation of journalists has been brought up in
a highly commercialized ethos of journalism and lacks the inves-
tigative ethos of the older generation. It draws instant conclusions
on the basis of hasty and sketchy evidence and under pressure
of events to earn fat salaries. This is the truth of investigation of
modern day journalism and it is truth which is the casualty here.
What is worse is that what is written in the western press or
spoken and discussed in the electronic media in the west is taken
as gospel truth by the media in the Third World and reproduced
in its own print and electronic media. Thus this western attitude
acquires global dimensions. India is no different. Though there is
a free and independent media but it prides itself on regurgling
whatever appears in the western media. And India has its own
right wing parties, outfits and ideologies which are strongly
reflected especially in regional language media.
Media is supposed to be an essential part of democratic
functioning as it cultivates public opinion but, instead of creating
critical opinions, it caters to existing prejudices and thus strength-
ens the status quo and supports the majoritarian point of view.
The same is true of the media in Muslim countries. It also reflects
majoritarian point of view and caters to anti-minorityism and right
wing ideologies. What is worse, there is hardly any free media in
Muslim countries except in a few cases. Thus objective media is
a casualty everywhere. (Secular Perspective)
Islam, Muslims, Media
The struggle for power and domination between Muslim and Christian
rulers created strong prejudices against Islam and Muslims. These rulers
at times also used missionaries to aggressively preach Christianity and
Muslims... Such an approach made the whole struggle appear religious
rather than political...This hostile attitude was carried over and today it is
reflected in the media approach towards Islam and Muslims. Prof.
Huntingtons Clash of Civilizations which got rave reviews in the western
media was also nothing but a reflection of this attitude. This book
became all the more important after the collapse of Soviet Union when
the USA was looking for an external enemy and Islam came in handy
as the most numerous and historical rival of western powers.
MG CLASSIFIEDS
22 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
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Essay Writing Competition 2012
Idarah Ulum Al-Quran invites students, intellectuals
and scholars to a National Level Essay Writing
Competition. Successful participants will be entitled
to cash awards and certificates.
Group A: Non-Muslim scholars and intellectuals.
Topic: Quran For All
Ist Prize: 20,000 II Prize: 15000
III Prize: 10,000
Group B: Students of Madaris, Colleges and
Universities.
Topic: Is it necessary to read Quran
100with understanding ?
Ist Prize: 10,000. II Prize: 8000. III Prize: 6000.
7 Consolation Prizes: 1000
Terms and Conditions:
Those interested must get themselves regis-
tered till April 30, 2012 by writing to the undersigned
through letter/email with full details including name, pro-
fession, address, e-mail ID and Phone Number.
Students need to mention their class and institution.
Last date for the submission of essays is
May 31, 2012
The essay may be written in Urdu, Arabic, English or
Hindi language.
The essay of Group A should be between 30 to 40
pages of A4 size and should not exceed 20000 words.
The essay of Group B should be between 20-30 pages
and should not contain more than 15000 words.
The name and address on the cover page should be
written in such a way that it could be easily detached.
No sign should not be left inside the essay which could
reveal the identity of the writer.
The essay should be supported with Quranic Verses
and necessary references from well researched books
and sources.
Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli Ashhad Jamal Nadwi
President Convener
IDARAH ULUM AL-QURAN
POST BOX NO 99, SHIBLI BAGH
ALIGARH, 202002
0571-2720311 alquran85@gmail.com /
ashhadjnadvi@rediffmail.com
MG
I am a regular reader of MG since its inception. It is the beaconlight
not only to Muslims but to others also because of its authenticity
and boldness in presentation of very importent issues. This is what
I like most. Mayawati enjoyed the term with Muslim votes and
could not keep her election promises, so she lost for ever. There is
no chance of her commimg back to power. The UP Muslims have
taught her a fitting lesson. Muslims of other states should follow the
same political game and kick out the fascist forces in the forthcom-
ing elections.
Mohammad. Azam Karimnager
deomohdazam70@gmail.com
Hard Hindutva vs. Soft Hindutva
Sameer Qaiyum deserves all praise for his thought-provoking,
beautiful well-written piece in MG (16-29 February, 2012). I aver
that the so-called secular group, thy name is Congress, and other
Hindutva groups belong to the same fraternity, never disengaged
and remained themselves dichotomised in hatred and permanent-
ly disdainful about Islam and Muslims. Ever since its establishment
the Indian National Congress is dominated by staunch Brahmins
who never left a single opportunity to contaminate the Hindu soci-
ety against Islam and Muslims and they were / are the lots secret-
ly and conveniently encouraged the birth of hard-Hindutva group of
Brahmins to implement the anti Muslim plans formulated by them
to achieve the object of marginalising Muslims from the Indian
mainstream. With no secrecy presently the Congress hard
Hindutva marching ahead to embrace Israel and U.S. blindly but
with the only object of hatred and enmity against Islam and
Muslims though the country claims to have friendly relations with
Muslim world which is nothing but a compulsion (oil and petrol) oth-
erwise congress has no interest in any such honeymoon with the
Muslim nations. After a recent bomb attack on Israeli embassy car,
the RAW reached to the conclusion that the said attacked
appeared to be the handiwork of Israel and U.S. but the same find-
ings got turned down the next day and than the names of Indian as
well as Iranian Muslims started surfacing the Indian media with full
force, whereas, every one of us understands that now Israel and
U.S. have started levelling the ground for attacking Iran sooner or
later.
Faheemudddin, Nagpur 440013
India redefining?
Nothing could shame India and it's so called secularism more than
the Gujarat's well designed government sponsored carnage of
more than 3000 innocent Muslims. But then our system seems to
have developed an immune attitude towards all kinds of shames.
Be it the carnage of 10,000 Sikhs in 1984, Babri demolition in
broad day light in 1992, Kandhamal riots against innocent
Christians or Gujarat gynocides of Muslims in 2002, the 'vibrant'
system, when its presence needed most, conveniently went into a
state of coma. What is more shameful is that in all such riots and
carnages only minority communities, in the name of patriotism,
were victimized by the majoritarianists, supposed to be the only
patriots. One is also at a loss to digest the fact that even Bollywood
super star Amitabh Bachchan, son of a renowned poet, doesn't
mind campaigning for Gujarat's Tourism Ministry depicting Gujarat
as a land of 'peace, spirituality and prosperity' whereas in the very
land thousands of Muslims were butchered, their women brutally
raped and the vegetarian land of peace still seems to be enjoying
the smell of burnt bodies of Muslims. And now, the 'Time
Magazine's cover story on Modi came as an icing on the cake. Is
'Secular' India not ashamed of aspiring to follow in the footsteps of
Nazi Germany? Mushtaque Madni, Pune
mushtaque.madni@rediffmail.com
Godhra tak film
Film Producer Shubra Deep Chakarvarty said in his interview that
those who believed that Muslims burned the Sabarmati Express
have changed their India. The Sangh Parivar could not digest it
and then he received many threats and then was attacked in Delhi
by VHP on 20 October. 2003 and still facing threats. But no
filmwala stood by Chakarvarty. Similarly Ahmad Kazmi the trust-
worthy senior journalist when arrested by police, media organisa-
tions did not come out to stand with Kazmi but during Neero radio
Tape Media organisation stood by Barkha Dutt and Parbhu
Chawla. Why double standard? S. Haque, Patna
Marriage versus live-in relationship
The institution of marriage needs to be upheld and protected. A
newly born child needs a family to grow up. It is the family that pro-
vides bodily care, love and affection as vital for his or her growth.
The live-in relationship experiment of the west has done immense
harm to our society. We should resolutely refuse to follow the west
and strictly adhere to our ideal sacred, moral principles. It is most
unfortunate that to the Supreme Court the highest court of the
country, there is nothing wrong in living-in relationship, this verdict
is sure to play havoc with our highly precious social system and will
destroy our time honoured moral values which are the basis of our
national culture and lead to sexual anarchy of the worst type. India
will become another and the institution of marriage will disappear
and there will be an army of children legitimacy and that would be
the saddest day for the country.
M. Hashim Kidwai, ex-MP, Mayur Vihar, New Delhi
'Why the custom of dowry is increasing in our society'
Apropos of the above report, I would like to say that evils like the
dowry system have crept into Indian society entangling itself with
religion and tradition. Religions that began in other geographical
locations, during the course of their widespread acceptance,
imbibe numerous indigenous practices, customs and traditions,
giving rise to a mutant religion almost- dissimilar and similar to the
actual religion in a number of ways. Unfortunately, what mostly
happens is that the only time we hear of women being harassed for
dowry, is when her death has already made news. Throughout her
ordeal, the woman either suffocates herself silently and somehow
drags on to whatever little is left of her marriage or ends her life.
Firstly, such situations arise out of greed and oblivion to one
another's feelings. Our society is diseased with narrow-minded-
ness where people still believe that a daughter-in-law is just house-
help, decked with family jewels. Secondly, it is known that the
moment two people interact, disagreements are bound to happen.
If only a healthy support system existed in society, where people
empathized with each other instead of busying themselves gossip-
ing about a new neighbor or watching re-runs of senseless TV
shows that propagate ideas of jealousy, hatred and envy among
women particularly. Women need to understand themselves to
understand other women. Instead of wasting the gift of life on futile
acts like troubling another woman - daughters-in-law, in particular
- women should utilize their time with more constructive activities
that prove advantageous to their family, community and society as
a whole. An African proverb, very aptly summarizes the role of
women in society as, "If you educate a boy, you educate an indi-
vidual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community".
Yasra Khoker, Jaipur
yasrakhoker@yahoo.com
Samajwadi Party and Muslims
During pre-election campaign in U. P. the S. P. under the dynamic
leadership of Superemo Mulayam Sangh Yadav went on promising
untiredly for the implementation of innumerable schemes for the
progress, betterment and upliftment of Muslims in his state out of
which at least on two occasions he indicated if his party occupy the
top position in assembly his party may opt for a Muslim C. M. to
prove the secular, political and non-communal credential stand of
the S. P. However, after getting thumping majority, he restricted the
chief ministership around his family by appointing his son Akhilesh
as C. M. thus for getting that Muslims in U. P. wholeheartedly
showered their votes in favour of S. P. in the hope that at least this
time they will have a Muslim C. M. in the state which may over
shadowed all the memorials established by Mayawati. The S. P.
superemo should have realised that his son has ample of time and
opportunities to grab the chair of C. M. with enblock Muslim C. M.
could pave positive avenue in future. One should note that con-
gress under the young leadership of Rahul Gandhi failed to pock-
et the Muslim votes this time only because the young gandhian
blood failed to offer any promise or place any welfare scheme for
Muslims. On the contrary promises made by Mulayam Singh
Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav appeared attractive and substantial in
nature which forced Muslims to vote enblok in favour of S. P.
Hence it is not correct to claim that it was charming efforts and
political approach of young Akhilesh but the party is back in power
with absolute majority. Now the Yadavs should not overlooked that
the Muslim votes only brought the party in power. Now it is upto the
party leadership to realise the truth and materialise all the promis-
es forcefully in positive way without caring for the objection and
criticism from opposition. It is hoped that soon Mr. Mulayam Singh
may take up the Batla House fake encounter with central govern-
ment and the home minister of India who is bent upon to prove it
real one. It is also expected that all the innocent Muslim youths of
his state who have been charged and languishing behind bars in
different states since long will come under the scanning of Mr.
Yadav who will take the issue on priority basis to get the youths
free from the bloody clutches of biased police and legal system.
Mr. Yadav is expected to appoint enquiry commissions to enquire
the conduct of policemen and penalised them suitably under the
law for atrocities and harassment carried out against the Muslims
specially from Azamgarh and around. The Muslim leaders of SP
are hereby expected to keep aside their political and party interest
and work jointly wit one voice to solve the Muslim grievances and
problems. They must avoid to express lip sympathy like Congress
Muslims and discharge their responsibilities and commitments
honestly and sincerely for Muslims. If it is done, the ultimate bene-
ficiary would be the Samajwadi Party for longest period in future.
Faheemuddin
Nagpur - 440013
Justice Katju promotes Jihad
Firstly we must congratulate justice Katju, the chairman of PCI who
straightforwardly attacked media for devoting 90 percent of its time
to cover entertainment and other non issues like cricket, bolly-
wood, celebritys astrology etc. He was speaking at the convoca-
tion of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavans Sardar Patel College of
Communications and Management while conferring the distin-
guished alumnus award to Vinod Sharma (HT). Justice Katju sug-
gested media to focus on the real issues like unemployment,
poverty, malnourishment, lack of health, illiteracy etc. This is noth-
ing but Jihad. The best Jihad is to fight self evil, society evils. Our
media misled the people about Jihad.
S. Haque, Patna
Modi on Time cover a calculated hype
Its ironical to see the TIME International cover story reporting Modi
among the polarizing figure in Indian politics and placing him for
votes for the upcoming TIME 100 issues. However, despite all
hyped the picture which lies beneath is ugly and dirty enough to
include people like Modi to even consider even for this poll, forget
about including him in the TIME 100 issue. Modi is a man whose
hand is dipped badly in the state sponsored 2002 Gujarat
Holocaust& Genocide. In order to get rid of this heinous blot, the
media and his loyal groups attempt to shape his image as chief
architect of development in Gurjat. Ironically, recently, he was seen
celebrating the 10th anniversary of 2002 Gujarat Holocaust&
Genocide with pride and arrogance. The minorities especially the
Muslims who were badly affected by the genocide still live in the
nightmare. They remain affected still despite ten long years. In fact
the same country US where Times hail has cancelled his Visa to
the country a couple of years due to obvious reasons. Its a matter
of shame prestigious groups like Time is giving its attention to
mass murderers like Modi.
Mohd Ziyaullah Khan, Nagpur13
writeziya@gmail.com
Talaq by drunken man validated by the Darul Ifta
The recent ruling by the Darul Iftathe fatwa department of the
renowned Deoband seminarythat talaq uttered three times by an
inebriated man on a mobile phone invalidates a marriage, is very
unfortunate. For all Muslims, the Quran and the Sunnah are sacro-
sanct and they alone should form the basis for the so-called fat-
was. The Quran instructs: And if you have reason to fear that a
[married] couple may break up, appoint one arbiter from his family
and one arbiter from hers. If they both want to set things aright,
God will bring about reconciliation between them. Behold, God is
indeed all-knowing, aware. (4:35). The Quran also says: A
divorce may be [revoked] twice, whereupon the marriage must
either be resumed in fairness or dissolved in a goodly manner
(2:229). The Prophet spoke of it as being the most hateful of all
the lawful things in the eyes of God, and said that when it does
take place, it should be done in an atmosphere of good will. In no
way should one harbour ill will against the other. Given that alco-
hol is haram (strictly forbidden equivalent to a great sin) in Islam,
how come the utterances made by a drunken man be considered
as valid? It is high time the Islamic seminaries started interpreting
the holy verses of the Quran in holistic manner.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa
sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in
Namaz banned in Masjid
Sholapur police commissioner banned Namaz in a mosque at
police H/Q saying terrorist would enter with Namazees into head-
quarter. What an argument shows their ability and intelligence?
That is why naxal dominated districts has risen to 120 districts out
540 districts.
S. Haque, Patna
Pilgrimage of President Zardari
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said Muslims should not travel for pil-
grimage except three grand mosques one is Baitulla or Khana-e-
Kaba, second, mosque of Madina, thirdly, Mosque of Aqsa of
Palestine. One can visit these three mosques by making journey.
Neglecting the clear instructions of the Prophet if any man takes up
the journey it will be treated as deviation from the Islamic teach-
ings. So the tour of Mr. Zardari or his late wife Benazir was purely
of political nature. They will be held responsible for their act.
Secondly the rituals made at the tomb of Saint Khwaja Moinuddin
are also un-Islamic because the great Prophet had never used
flowers or Chaders to offer the tombs of sacred persons. He did not
make the tombs or constructed Gumbaz on the martyrs of Badre
or Uhad. This is also an overt deviation from Islamic principles. The
students of history know very well that Caliph Omar went to con-
quer Palestine on a camel. His servant and he could sit one after
another on the single camel when the city gate of Jerusalem
arrived the chance of sitting was of his servant. Now see the pres-
ent rulers pomp and show and expenses done on security and
welcome petrol used on cars. Is it not the public money wasted just
to please A so-called Raja Zardari of Pakistan. He said nothing
about Hafiz Saeed the most wanted terrorist who masterminded
Mumbai attack.
Dr Maqdoomi, Hyderabad
drmaqdoomi@yahoo.com
VIP prisoners
It refers to shocking media-reports about jail-authorities and min-
isters rolling out red carpet in jail for former Punjab minister Bibi
Jagir Kaur now imprisoned for serious charges of kidnapping,
forcible abortion and wrongful confinement of her teen-aged
daughter found dead in mysterious circumstances in the year
2000. It is a shame on our democracy that favourites of political
rulers get princely privileges during their jail terms. Enquiry should
be made and guilty should be punished for providing her out-of-
norms facilities like travel in a private air-conditioned car rather
than a prison-van. Privileged treatment to prisoners with political
background is not new. The then Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu
Prasad Yadav enjoyed five-star facility during his period of impris-
onment in context of infamous fodder scam at an official guest
house turned into a temporary jail to house the VIP prisoner. Even
influential and affording prisoners capable of buying every facility
and persons on posts through money and/or muscle power, also
find jail-term a relaxing holiday rather than any punishment. RTI
petitions exposed luxurious living of influential accused Vikas
Yadav for alleged murder of Nitish Katara at costliest private ward
of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for 25 days with-
out any medical treatment! It is single-handed fight of courageous
lady Neelam Katara (unfortunate mother of the victim Nitish
Katara) that Vikas Yadav is for records in jail even though practi-
cally enjoying all luxury of life in name of medical requirement.
Madhu Agarwal, Delhi-6
subhashmadhu@sify.com
Bihar governments stand on Forbesganj firing is con-
demnable
Indeed the Bihar government's characterization of Forbesganj
police firings as a minor incident that did not merit CBI inquiry is
highly condemnable. This deep and insensitive assertion was seen
by the said government in its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in
response to the notice seeking the state's response for a CBI
inquiry into the last year's Forbesganj police firing incident. This
incident occurred last year in June when four civilians were killed
including a 10 month old child along with nice seriously injured
when police opened fire recklessly. The demonstrators were
protesting against the acquisition of village land by a factory owned
by local BJP politician. Perhaps to prove its loyalty to the ally party
BJP, the government is seen giving such nave affidavit in the
court, despite clear evidences against the police opening fire on
the innocent demonstrators. In fact by calling the Forbesganj firing
as a minor incident, the Bihar government has brazenly marginal-
ized the murder of its citizens. On the contrary the Bihar
Government should immediately accept the demands for a CBI
inquiry into the Forbesganj firings and to take all necessary steps
to provide adequate compensation to all the victims.
Mohd Ziyaullah Khan, Nagpur440013
writeziya@gmail.com
Put World Bank report on NHAI on website
Indian media is playing its role of being fourth pillar of democracy
sufficiently well by exposing scams and scandals through its vigi-
lant eye, when a newspaper made World Bank report public on
large-scale corruption at National Highways Authority of India
(NHAI). UPA-1 had done a remarkable job in gifting people of this
nation RTI Act to make system accountable and transparent. Since
a flood of RTI petitions is there on any aspect where some scam
or irregularities are reported, it should be mandatory to put any
authenticated report revealing scams, scandals and irregularities
prominently on website of concerned public-authority before it is
exposed through media or otherwise. NHAI should put World Bank
report in full which has exposed serious charges of malpractices
and irregularities, on its website before the public-authority is flood-
ed with RTI petitions on the aspect. System will effectively check
corruption and malpractices in future such projects.
Madhu Agrawal, Delhi-6
subhashmadhu@sify.com
The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012 23
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: letters@milligazette.com
Read more letters on MG website
REGISTERED DL(S)-01/3215/2012-14
RNI No. DELENG/2000/930
LICENCED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT U (SE)-57/2012-14
POSTED ON 11-12 APR 2012 ADV. FORTNIGHTLY AT NDPSO-110002
The Milli Gazette
D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar,
New Delhi 110025 India Tel.: 011-2694 7483 Email: edit@milligazette.com
24 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 April 2012
DNA Replication within wombs revealed in Quran
With best compliments from
Kaleem Kawaja , Washington DC
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